USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Springfield > Springfield, 1636-1886 : history of town and city, including an account of the quarter-millennial celebration at Springfield, Mass., May 25 and 26, 1886 > Part 29
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CHAPTER XV.
1783-1800.
Death of Rev. Robert Breck. - Pompey. - The Change in Dress. - Carriages. - Post- master Moses Church. - Death of Charles Brewer. - Zebina Stebbins. - Capt. Luke Bliss. - The Dwights. - Merchant Jonathan Dwight. - The Old Red Store. - Other Merchants. - A Glimpse at Main Street. - Zenas Parsons. - Taverns. - Maj. Joseph Stebbins. - Early Newspapers. - Post Riders. - Samuel Lyman. - Spring- field's College Presidents. - The Hitchcocks. - Col. Thomas Dwight. - Daniel Lom- bard. - Town Offieers. - Fourth of July Celebration. - Timber Trade. - More War- rants of Distress. - Town Treasurer's Report. - Canals. - Deserting Soldiers and Lawlessness.
ONE would find an endless source of diversion in putting together the stray bits of information touching the appearance of the village between the Revolution and the present century. It was a common thing in those days to paint dwelling-houses bright red, or even yel- low, which, with the eighteenth century costuming, must have given a graphic appearance to Main street. Before the Revolution Merchant Storer, of Boston, sent a bill of goods to George and Robert Breck. In an accompanying note Mr. Storer said, by way of business : " The crimson Snail & Bandanna handkfs I could not procure, tho' I tried at sundry places - nor could I get a scarlet Whitney which I thought suitable for a Great Coat." In the list sent were pieces of crimson broadcloth, green durant, blue serge, crimson bays, and black taffeta. This letter, enriously enough, was found floating down the Connecticut river in 1887 by a Springfield canoeist. The paper had been thrown upon the river-bank after the demolition of an old house, and the rising water had swept it away.
Rev. Mr. Breck died Friday forenoon of April 23, 1784, in his sev- enty-first year. The burial took place on Monday the 26th, the clergy
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from surrounding towns and many outside of Springfield being present. The funeral of his predecessor, Mr. Brewer, was as different as pos- sible. Little or no religious services attended the last rites previous to 1730. It was then considered Romish and vicious. The dress, too, was more the garb of the severely righteous. But the scene at Mr. Breck's funeral was one of comparative prismatic mourning. Silk stockings and silver buckles, and lace and powder, were bowed in grief ; women, too, wore garments of silk, - faded and worn, to be sure, for the times were hard. The old first parish meeting-house was draped in black. Rev. Mr. Lathrop delivered the funeral ser- mon, and a solemm anthem was sung. The whole assembly followed the body to the grave. Mr. Breck had four children by his wife Eunice Brewer, who died in 1767. Two sons and a daughter - wife of Rev. Joseph Whitney, of Pomfret, -survived him. Mr. Breck had married for a second wife, in 1773, the widow of Dr. Edward Dorr, of Hartford, Conn., daughter of Governor Talcott. Breck was a hard student and a close reasoner. It has been said of him that " history was his study." He was an easy and entertaining conver- sationalist, and "affable without meanness." This is also said of him by one who knew him personally : "His religions sentiments were formed upon a careful examination of the sacred scriptures, without attachment to sects or systems. His turn of thinking was liberal, yet pious ; exalted, yet humble. His sense of the deplorable weakness and corruption of human nature led him to admire the gracious provisions of the gospel."
Mr. Breck lived in the parsonage (Fallon's block), where his digni- fied carriage, tie-wig, shoe-buckles, silk stockings, and a slave attend- ant served to fill out the ancient notion of ministerial importance. The old Breck residence is now doing duty as a laundry (Hillman street). The Doctors Breck of the present day are descendants of a brother of Rev. Robert Breck.
Rev. Mr. Breck left at his death a negro slave named Pompey. He was not technically a slave, however, as the State constitution had, by
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implication, abolished slavery. Pompey was probably the last Spring- field slave to pass away, his death not taking place until 1813. Mrs. Breck returned to her home at Hartford after the death of her hus- band, and Pompey accompanied her, and served her faithfully until she died, in 1798. The old darkey was thus left alone, and he would occasionally pay a visit to this region and Northampton among " Massa George's folks and Massa Robert's folks."
Returning to the subject of dress, there is evidence that the new king, the populace, had a penchant for finery, even in that period of hardship and toil. There were reigning beauties in those days, of whom one local doggerilist wrote out a recipe : -
" Let her flaps fly behind for a yard at the least, Let her curls meet just under her chin ; Let these curls be supported to keep up the jest, With an hundred instead of one pin.
" Let her gown be tucked up to the hip on each side, Shoes too high, or to walk, or to jump; And to deck the sweet creature complete for a bride, Let the cork-cutter make her a rump."
When the Revolution opened, scarlet cloaks were worn by women, also blue silk cloaks, richly flowered. There were also the furbelow scarf, camlet riding-hood, long silk hood, and white hoods trimmed with lace, and the calash. The girls of families of more moderate means had hoods of coarser material, and calico gowns. Woollen petticoats with calico borders were common. It was a rare daughter who could not ride horseback either single or on pillion. Tourists from abroad speak of these healthy-faced girls racing down a country road in white aprons and calico gowns.
Both men and women patronized the hair-dresser. William Doyle kept a fashionable place after the Revolution, opposite Zenas Par- sons's tavern, and a little north of the court-house. He made wigs,
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"attended the call of ladies," and kept a stock of cushions and curls, " false clubbs " for gentlemen, full-bottomed wigs, periwigs, and " scratches."
We would give much to see reproduced a Springfield scene of that age, either on Sunday morning, or during court week, or even on the arrival of the stage. On Fridays (1783) the Hartford " stage wag- gon " left David Bull's inn for Parsons's tavern (in Springfield), and returned Saturdays. A little later (1788) Reuben Sikes ran a line of stages from New York to Boston, through Springfield, - three times weekly in summer, - the fare being three 3s. per mile. It was an event of no small account, - the arrival and departure of such ladies and gentlemen as were equal to the expense of travel. It was not permitted every one to own a carriage. They were heavily taxed. In 1791 a fall-back chaise was taxed 10s., a stand-up chaise 6s., and a sulky or riding chair 4s. Those taxed as owners of fall- back chaises in 1791 were : Zebina Stebbins, Samuel Lyman, Capt. George Pynchon, John Worthington, Col. William Smith, William Pynchon, Lieut. Charles Sheldon, Jonathan Dwight, Jacob Sargeant, Col. Joseph Williams, Thomas Dwight, Alexander Bliss, Joseph Stebbins, Jr., Moses Church, Zenas Parsons, Moses Bliss, and Daniel Lombard, Jr. The " whisky, " or two-wheeled sulky, was owned by Zebina Stebbins and Colonel Smith. The three-wheeled sulky was owned by John Worthington, Col. Joseph Williams, and Moses Bliss ; and common chairs were owned by Judah Chapin, John Pynchon, Capt. James Byers, Lieut. Jacob Bliss, and Gad Horton.
Moses Church's place (Five-Cent Savings-bank) was north of the court-house. This well-known and honored individual sold hats on one side of his little shop, and officiated as postmaster on the other. Opposite his office (Tinkham's) Church ran a tavern, and he filled, all in all, a large place in the community. Church inherited the hat business from his father, and passed it down to his son. Harvey S. Sanderson took the business from Jonas Coolidge, who took it from the Churches in 1796. Jeduthan Sanderson, father of Mr. Sanderson,
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lived on the site of the Boston & Albany depot. He learned the cooper's trade in the shop of Captain Alexander (near the carriage- shop of David Smith). The captain, like all his calling, went about from house to house hooping barrels.
We have referred to Dr. Breck's notable funeral in 1784. The previous year Springfield was called to the solemn service of burying another notable man, Dr. Charles Pynchon, whose name figures often in the local annals. He lived on the south side of Ferry lane (Cypress street) near the corner of Main, and he owned the building on the corner, having there an office and an apothecary's shop. In former years Ferry lane promised to be the business centre of the town, and even at that late date it had its ambitions. Dr. Pynchon had a wide practice all through the valley. Opposite the doctor's office Zebina Stebbins had his residence as well as a dry-goods store. Mr. Stebbins was a good deal of a character, thrifty in business, and faithful to all trusts. He was overseer of the poor, and if he once proposed to make up a job-lot of coffins for a group of aged unfortunates under his charge, pending their demise, it was because he had an eye to finance, and not because he was lacking in qualities of heart. Zebina desired finally to get rid of the building on the south side of the lane. In 1785 this building was moved to the east side of Main street. It contained a printing establishment, and there also Gad Stebbins had his apothecary shop. Dr. Stebbins sold also tea, coffee, needles, and Bibles.
The death of Dr. Charles Pynchon had been preceded in January by the death of the venerable William Pynchon, aged eighty, who had spent his last days with William, his son (Haynes's hotel site), familiarly known as Major William. The major's brother John lived opposite, on the east side of the street, dying also at an advanced age (1826, aged eighty-four).
There are still living a few persons who will remember John Pynchon, as he appeared on the streets with cocked hat and small clothes. The boys were his friends, as they used to ride his horse
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without molestation when turned out to pasture. Above John Pynchon's house on the east side there were standing probably the old Lloyd honse (opposite the Lombard place), then the Stebbins house, and the chair-factory of Horace Lee, father of Postmaster Henry Lee.
Major William died in 1808. As we have seen by the records, he had been register of deeds, treasurer, town-clerk, magistrate, and selectman. His residence was finally moved back on Pynchon street, next to the old Methodist church. The old garrison-house of the Pynchons, built by the " worshipful Major" in 1660, was occupied by Edward Pynchon, magistrate, where he died in 1777. George Pynchon lived next house to the north. Walter Pynchon had become a merchant at Great Barrington.
Another important family, as we have learned, was the Bliss family. Luke Bliss lived on the south corner of Main and State. He was a son of Capt. Luke Bliss, and brother of the Jonathan Bliss who became chief-justice of the province of New Brunswick. Luke Bliss was a courtly gentleman, a solemn and impressive singer, and thus an ideal choir-leader. His daughter became the wife of Solomon Warriner, the famous choir-leader of the early part of this century. His brother, Jonathan Bliss, who had studied law with Colonel Worthington, was a " rescinder" in the Legislature of 1768. This was the beginning of the serious break with the town which ended in his retirement to England. Moses Bliss, the merchant, lived in South Main street (Main and Bliss).
The business rivalry among the merchants at this time interests us, as out of it came the establishment of a new family. The Dwights were planted on Springfield soil long before the Revolution. Col. Josiah Dwight, son of Capt. Henry Dwight, of Hatfield, and husband of Sarah Pynchon (daughter of Col. William Pynchon and Catharine Brewer), was a man of note, dying in Springfield in 1768. He was a militia officer, a Common Pleas judge, and merchant. He was in- terested in an iron foundry, and was a manufacturer of potash. He
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died worth some $50,000. His brother, Edmund Dwight, a Halifax merchant of moderate means, sent a ten years' old son (born at Boston) to the colonel at Springfield in 1753. The lad's name was Jonathan ; he grew up in his uncle's store, succeeded to his business, managed his estate, and perfected the foundation on which the Dwight family in Springfield have since builded. Jonathan Dwight was of medium size, engaging in his manners, a great smoker, a fine business man, and thoroughly honorable, upright, and church-going in his habits. His first wife was Margaret Ashley, of Westfield, to whom, as with the case of many other successful men, was due an appreciable portion of his social and business progress.
We refrain from being led into a sketch of this interesting and capable family of the Dwights, so many representatives of which have risen to such substantial importance in New England. The biographies of Capt. Timothy Dwight, of Northampton, Capt. Henry Dwight, of Hatfield, Gen. Joseph Dwight, of Stockbridge, Edmund Dwight, of Boston, and President Timothy Dwight, of Yale College, have all been well written. When Merchant Jonathan Dwight re- sumed business during the Revolution, his dry goods, his rock salt, his cherry rum, and his imported stoek were in a red dwelling- house fixed over as store on the north-east corner of the town street and the Boston road (State street). Thus there grew a rivalry between the two extremes of the town for commercial prestige. At this time the thirty-foot causeway still bridged the marsh ; the rear of Dwight's and other buildings was confronted by a little wilderness of hassocks, bushies, springs, and stumps. This was the well-known
" Hasseky marish." Mr. Dwight lived opposite his store on the west side of Main street in a conspicuous white house. This resi- denee was moved up the street (Bridge) some years later, and finally burned.
The "Old Red House" of Jonathan Dwight lives in storied memory. Here used to gather for converse and to smoke and to trade people of all classes and conditions. This red building was
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removed in 1799, and a more commodious one built. The old store was drawn by long lines of oxen up Main street to Mr. Dwight's meadow (Barnes's lot), an event which greatly impressed the school children of that day. When Jonathan's son, James Scutt Dwight, grew up (Master James they called him), he was taken in as a partner. This was about 1790. At the time of the building of 1799 the firm was Jonathan Dwight & Son. About 1804 Jonathan Dwight withdrew from the firm, the name of Henry, the youngest son, was added, and the firm was James & Henry Dwight. About 1809 Henry removed to Utica, N. Y., and the firm of J. & E. Dwight was formed, embracing James Sentt, Edmund and Jonathan Dwight, Jr., and this was dissolved by the death of James in 1822. The firm had distributing branches at Huntington, Greenfield, South Hadley Falls, Northampton, and Westfield. In November, 1813, they sent J. D. Whitney, of Northampton, to England during the war as their agent to purchase goods, to be ready to ship on a return of peace. In 1815 they opened a store in Boston (Broad street) ; goods to a large amount were stored and sold there and distributed to the branches, under the management of William H. and J. W. Dwight.
One cannot dismiss the Dwight corner without indulging in a little antiquarian dissipation. At that old corner resided the spirit of the- ology, polities, and business. If the ideas of trade were progressive and full of faith in the town, the religion and politics were both of a reactionary nature at times ; and who will dispute us in saying that over the Dwight counter local toryism gradually died out and local- Unitarianism was born?
The new Dwight building was of brick, two stories, but another story was added later. On the south side of the causeway, near Main street, a large watering-trough blocked up the street somewhat, espe- cially on the days when the farmers drove to the Dwight corner to trade. The Luke Bliss residence, on the corner, near this watering- trough, was an ancient two-story brown house, and attached thereto
Jon" Dwight
THE DWIGHT BRICK STORE, AS IT APPEARED ABOUT ISOO.
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was a wood-colored building facing Main street. Here Jonathan Bliss had his law office, and it may be added that here Oliver B. Morris ' followed his profession ; still later it resounded to the shoemaker's hammer of Elijah Blake. In a room on the first story Ralph Snow, silversmith, had worked. Col. Thomas Dwight, Colonel Worthington, John Hooker, and Jonathan Dwight joined forces and started a gin distillery on Main street (near Cross street) in 1792, there being a malt-house in the meadow in the rear. This was subsequently removed south of the present West Central street. But these business matters belong more properly to the record of the nineteenth century.
The Dwight store, immediately after the Revolution, was by no means the leading mercantile establishment. Smith & Sheldon were doing a thriving business nearly opposite the court-house (about the site of the Chicopee bank). Their stock ranged from broadcloths to shoe buckles, and from crockery and firelocks to rum and French candy. They took flour, beef, pork, and country produce in pay. The Smith of this firm was Col. William Smith, his residence being farther up the street (Main and Bridge). Charles Sheldon, his partner, built the Henry Fuller house on Elm street. Colonel Smith was a revolution- ary officer. His residence and barn were built by Thomas Hunt, of Stockbridge, Smith securing it in 1787. Sheldon seems to have taken the business finally, while Smith set up for himself on the east side of the street. There was another firm, J. M. Burt & Co., second door south of the court-house ; and Harris & Hunt was still another firm during the Revolution, but in 1784 the partnership was dissolved, and Thomas Hunt set up for himself, first door north of the court-house. He was an importer of English goods, like all of his competitors ; but probably none of them did a business larger than that of Justin Ely, of West Springfield, which at that time had a larger population than the parent town. Women often crossed over the river in order to shop at Ely's store. One of Ely's clerks, Jona- than Hunt, of California, who married one of Dr. Osgood's daughters, is still living.
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Hartford merchants made bids for Springfield trade by advertising locally their goods, to be paid in " bills of exchange, loan office cer- tificates, Massachusetts State notes, the Honorable Robert Morris's notes, bank notes, flour, pork, beef, and grain of all sorts ; " and Smith & Sheldon answered this by advertising to accept for goods in addition to the above " consolidated and Depreciated notes." These certificates were the quartermaster's certificates, over which there was much trouble (1783).
Daniel Lombard ran a country store and saddler's shop north of the court-house. He bought the present Justin Lombard property of Gideon and Daniel Parsons in 1784, and died in 1795. Joel Marble kept a drug store in 1783, one door south of the court- house. In his store was a counter devoted to books and sundry small articles, and he received in lieu of money, wheat, rye, Indian corn, and beeswax. Among business men also may be noted R. Smith, clockmaker, south of the court-house ; Burden, another clockmaker, in Ferry Lane ; John Mun, saddler ; Alexander Bliss, currier's shop ; William Warland, chaise-maker, near the Great Ferry ; Thomas Sargeant, watch business ; and so on.
Of the taverns of that period the old stand of Zenas Parsons is the best known. The elm in the south-east corner of the present Court square stood in front of this tavern, there being just room for the " stage waggon" between it and the hotel veranda. There were ex- tensive barns and sheds in the rear. Here auctions were frequently lield, and on training-day young men often tried their powers of wrestling. Over the shed was a long dance-hall, much used by the young people. It is generally believed that General Washington put up at this tavern either when he passed through here to take command at Cambridge, or when he visited the armory after the war. At any rate, the old building now standing at the west end of Court street is a reminder of the tradition, and is honored by this generation ac- cordingly. Back of the tavern, facing on Elm street, stood the first church.
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The old place known to the older portion of the community as the Dwight homestead, corner of State and Maple, was the site of Capt. Charles Colton's tavern, a pre-revolutionary hostelry, which was a popular resort. The barn and horse-sheds were between the inn and Maple street.
The Worthington property (between Bridge and Worthington streets, and from Spring street to the river) was the original Jehu Burr allotment, and passed through Elizur Holyoke to Lieut. John Worthington, who died in 1774, and in turn to Lawyer John Worth- ington. The lieutenant kept a hotel for many years on this property.
The death of Rev. Robert Breck brought a young candidate for the first parish pulpit, he riding from Cambridge on horseback. He stopped at the Five-Mile house, and followed a bridle-path through the woods to the town. He passed a red building or two on " Ord- nance hill," and an occasional farm-house on State street must have presented a somewhat primeval appearance. He rode over the "causeway," and hitched his horse in front of Jonathan Dwight's white house. This was Rev. Bezaleel Howard, of revered memory. It is understood that he used to say the town had a very neglected appearance - buildings ont of repair, the place showing generally the effects of poverty, that was the result of war. Mr. Howard was ordained in 1785.
The Hampshire " Herald" says, that on Monday, April 27, Mr. Howard was ordained before " a numerous, grave, and attentive audi- ence." Prayer was offered by Rev. Joseph Whitney, of Pomfret, and a discourse was delivered by Rev. Timothy Hillyard, of Cambridge, who appears to have visited this region frequently, and to have had many friends here.
Ebenezer Stebbins, who lived where Emery Court now is, was an- other innholder. A barn in the rear of his establishment was turned into a cartridge factory during the Revolution. Just before the war, Maj. Joseph Stebbins, son of the Joseph Stebbins who built a house in upper Main street (Clinton), built a tavern about opposite the old
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Morgan road (Carew). This old hostelry is associated with the Shays's rebellion, the insurgents using it as their head-quarters ; and with privateering also, the cellar being the repository of booty secured on the high seas. Joseph and Zebina Stebbins set out the trees that are now such a picturesque feature of that part of Main street.
Many anecdotes occasioned by depreciated Continental currency cling to all the old tavern sites. A party once put up with Zenas Parsons after learning from him that he took Continental money. . Their surprise was unbounded when a bill of several hundred dollars was presented. They asked Parsons if he had not told him that he accepted Continental money, and he replied that he had, and " ad-d lot of it too." Joseph Stebbins was intrusted with a large amount of this money by an army paymaster, and it was held in safe-keeping until it was not worth asking for.
Captain Lamb and Capt. John Morgan were also innholders in this town after the Revolution. We can hardly realize the full place which the tavern occupied in those days.
The English were naturally a tavern-haunting people. The tap- room was comfortable, informal, and conducive to the interchange of fact and opinion, - three qualifications that appealed strongly to the English. The life in America led to a freer mental activity, and means of communication were limited.
. But a new and tremendous agency was showing itself, - journalism. There was a paper or two started in the early part of the eighteenth century, and by 1745 newspapers were published at Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Charleston, and elsewhere. This ready means of intercommunication gave a wonderful impetus to republicanism, and contributed to the breaking up of tavern life as it originally existed.
The first Springfield paper was " The Massachusetts Gazette and General Advertiser," published by Babcock & Haswell in 1782. It was a dingy affair, containing some foreign matter and very little
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local information, but was open to free discussion upon the hundred questions that self-government had grappled with. One is struck with the literary quality and wide reading of the men who wrote commu- nications "to the printer." The average editorial of the country weekly of to-day, as well as some of the larger papers, does not exhibit a fraction of the quality, logic, and incisive force that characterized the literature of the " Gazette " and its immediate successors. The " Gazette " printing-office was a few rods south of the court-house, where also were an extensive stock of books, writing-paper, maps, and cartridge papers, to be exchanged for rags and country produce . or even money. They published in 1782 an " Astronomical Ephe- meris," calculated for the meridian of Springfield. This almanac was prepared by Professor Strong, of Yale. This and Goldsmith's " Deserted Village," with other books, were sold by the several post- riders from the printing-office.
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