USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Colrain > The early settlers of Colrain, Mass., or, Some account of ye early settlement of "Boston township no. 2, alias Colrain, adjoyning on ye north sid of Deerfield" : an address delivered before H.S. Greenleaf Post, No. 20, G.A.R., at Colrain, May 30, 1885 > Part 2
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Such as these were the people who began to subdue those forests, aud cultivate these hillsides and valleys nearly one hundred and fifty years ago.
As I have said, the first recorded deed of land in this town, that I am able to discover, is of lot Number 50, or the third lot from the south end of the third range, to Andrew Smith, dated January 10, 1738. - This is the first lot north of the Coombs Brothers' farm, on what is known as the Stebbins pasture.
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During that winter quite a number of lots were deeded by the proprietors to settlers. James Smith bought lot No. 49, February 9, and John McCalester No. 48, probably about the same time, McCalester selling his lot to Smith the next year, and moving back I think to Pelham. James Brakenridge, and his son James Jr., from Kingstown, now Palmer, bought lots 51 and 52 during the year. John Pennell lots 57 and 58, settling I am confident where Mr. Aaron Lyons formerly lived, and where he built and kept the first public house in town, and which many years after he sold together with the east half of his two lots to John Wood. It was probably to this house that John Newman, the giant in courage but pigmy in size, brought the catamount he had killed with a club, of which the story is so often told. During this year Lieut. John Clark, Senior, of Worcester or Rutland, with several of his sons bought numerous lots; many of their deeds being dated February 9, 1738. John Jr., seems to have settled on lot No. 7, and his Brother Matthew on No. 8, both in first range. No. 7 being the lot where Mr. Copeland lives at present and No. 8 the next north. The home of the father, (John Senior,) during the time he resided here, seems to have been on lot 38, and which he willed at his death, about 1750, to his son Deacon George. Samuel, another son, seems to have settled on lot No. 28, the south lot in second range, William on No. 32, Aaron Denio on No. 31, and James Clark bought lot No. 56 June 17, 1740, and I am confident settled upon it and he also, about this time acquired No. 55. James Barry was at this time owner of lot 59, and John Smith of No. 24, who about two years later, bought No. 33 and lived there. This lot in 1748 came into
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the possession of the Stewarts, who lived on it fifty years or more, and from them to Deacon Jonathan McGee, and from him to Mr. William B. McGee, its present owner and is the lot on which he now lives. Hugh Morrison and his son David bought land in town in the summer of 1739, David buying the two south lots of what is known as the Morrison tract, and his father the three lots next north, and also lot No. 46 in the second range, but it was not till nine years later, that he bought the north lot of that tract, which was the home lot of John Henry Senior, (afterward known as the McCullock place, where Ansel McClellan lately lived,) and where he (Henry) had settled, probably about the same time as did the Morrisons his neighbors on the south. Hugh Henry was owner of lot No. 34, (where Mrs Levi Sprague now lives) in June 1740, though I am unable to give the exact date of the deed, and in June 1741, Deacon Alexander Herroun bought lots 62 and 63 in the fourth range, (what is now the Roberts farm) where he settled, and where the family continued to live for nearly sixty years.
Dr. Hugh Bolton became the owner of lots 18 and 19, August, 14, 1741, and they seem to have remained in the possession of the family till 1777.
- Thomas McGee and James Stewart, Sen., bought lot 53, in March, 1742, and soon after Stewart bought 32; Deacon McGee remaining, and settling upon 53, the same lot where his great great grandson, Clarence McGee now lives, an unbroken possession by persons of the name for 143 years, a rare instance of successive ownership and almost the only instance I am aware of in the history of the town. Thus much regarding where they settled; did time permit,
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it would be pleasant to follow out this branch of the subject farther, as I have not by any means ex- hausted the data I have collected relating to it, but shall have to refer you to the map* which contains still further information, though farther on, I may have occasion to refer again to individual settlers, and where they lived.
We have now arrived at the early part of the year 1742, there are quite a number of families living here in the woods; the meeting house is built, or partially so, and probably the south fort, and now we come to the first concerted action of the settlers.
FIRST TOWN MEETING.
Up to this time they had got along as best they might by means of 'mutual agreements and concessions, but now the time had arrived when it seemed best that the duty of caring for the public interests of the settlement, should be delegated to certain specific persons; and accordingly a petition is prepared addressed to Thomas Wells, Esq. of Deerfield, one of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace; for authority to hold the first town meeting or rather ,settlers meeting. It seems a matter of regret that the original warrant for this first settlers' meeting, should be in the possession of anyone but the Clerk of the town, but such is the case. It is in the possession of Mr. Charles M. Taintor of North Manchester, Conn., a former resident of Shelburne, Mass., he having been permitted by a former Town Clerk, to carry it away,
* The map referred to, is an enlarged plan of the first settled part of the town, giving the name of the settler and date of occupancy, of most of the lots.
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with other old papers, some of which I should doubt- less desired to have consulted, in the preparation of this address. I have had some correspondence with him, but he seemed loth to let the old warrant come this way. It has however been published once or more in the Gazette and Courier.
Its phraseology is so quaint and peculiar that I give it here.
HAMPSHIRE S. S.
To Andrew Smith, one of the "prinsapel" inhabitants or settlers under . Joseph Heath of Roxbury, and Joshua Winslow, Esq., and Mr. Gershom Keyes, both of Boston, the proprietors of No. 2 ad- joyning on the north side of Deerfield : Greeting.
Whereas, application has been made to me the subscriber, one of his Majesty's Justices of the peace, for the county of Hampshire, by Andrew Smith, John Clark, James Barry, Alexander Harroun, "Eliksander" Clark, John Pennel, Samuel Clark, Matthew Clark, Hugh Henry, John Henderson, John Henry, James Clark, William Clark, Thomas "Cockran," and Robert Hunter, all proprietors in the above said land. Ist. To "chuse" a moderator. 2nd. Proprietors "Clark." 3rd. A Committee to manage affairs for
the settlement. 4th. To see if they will raise money for the times past, and for the present year, and "chuse" a committee to provide "preching" and all other officers as shall be thought to be needful. 6th. To consider all former acts and fit them to be put upon record. 7th. To see what they will do "consarning" a ministers' lot. 8th. To have all former Treasurers and Collectors to bring in their accounts. 9th. To see what "incouragement" they will give toward building a grist mill, if any man will appear to do the same. 10th. To see if they will buy a law book for the benefit of the settlers. IIth. To conclude on a method to call meetings for the "futer." These are therefore in his majesty's name, to will and require you to notify and warn the aforesaid proprietors, that they "assembel" them- selves at the "Hous" of "Hew Heinry," upon Wednesday, the tenth day of February next, at nine of the clock in the forenoon. then and "thare" to act and transact in the affairs above mentioned. This notification must be set up fourteen days before the meeting and have you this warrant with your doings thereon. Hereof fail not. Given under my hand and seal, this 27th day of January,
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Anno Domini 1741-2 and in the 14th year of his majesty's King George the 2nd, Reign.
THOMAS WELLS.
This meeting was accordingly held, at the house of Hugh Henry, and where that stood I will endeavor to make appear before I close. Hugh Henry was elected moderator, Andrew Smith, Settlers' Clerk, Thomas Cochran, Hugh Henry, John Pennell, Alex- ander Harrmoun and Andrew Smith, Selectmen, or as they were called a "committee to manage the . affairs of the town" and also other officers for various purposes. The records of this and the subsequent meetings of the settlers, show the sensible and straight forward methods of our ancestors in the trans- actions of public business. They were clear-headed old Scotchmen, knowing what they wanted to do and going directly to the doing of it. The advantages for education had been mainly denied them, and were we disposed to be critical, we might, to quote a slang-word, say that they were a little "off" in some of their spelling; but in view of the many phonetic attempts in that art, at this day, I am inclined to give them credit for being a century or more in advance of their age.
It seems to have required quite a number of meet- ings to get the young settlement fairly started in its career, and numerous meetings and adjournments were held during this and the following year, the rec- ord of which is exceedingly interesting to anyone who has a taste for matters so venerable.
FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR.
But we must leave the consideration of these old- time stories as shown in the records, at least for the pres-
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ent, for now there burst upon the infant settlement the dark and bloody struggle of the old French and Indian war, a struggle so cruel and long continuous, as to well nigh threaten to entirely wipe out this feeble frontier settlement. As I have said, the South Fort was prob- ably built previous to this time, and perhaps Fort Lu- cas. The former stood on lot No. 51, on the east slope of what is called the Stebbins pasture, northwest of where Mr. Joel Cone now lives, and a few rods west of the line of the old south road; the site of it being perfectly apparent to-day. The latter stood where Mr. Henry A. Howard's barn now stands, on the lot that was afterward owned, but I doubt if it was at . this time, by Andrew Lucas. They were doubtless log houses, probably two stories high with the upper story projecting, with port-holes arranged to command every direction, and here the settler with his long- barreled flint locked gun, and his wife with her kettles of hot water, that ever ready weapon of our grand- mothers against Indians, and of their grand-daughters against tramps, gave their copper colored foe a very warm reception. These forts were built, I take it, by the adjacent settlers, for mutual protection. The name of Thomas Morris has always been connected with South Fort, and I am inclined to think that Fort Lucas is the same that is mentioned in the records as "Lieut. John Clark's fort," and that standing as it did near his home lot, (No. 38 where Charles Snow now lives) he might have been prominently engaged in its erection. On November 11, 1743, a grant of 100 pounds each, was made by the General Court, to Falltown, Colrain, and several other towns mentioned, for the purpose of fortifying the frontier, and a committee was appointed, "to lay out and erect in the most prudent manner, in
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each of the before named settlements, for their secur- ity during the war, a garrison or garrisons of stockades, or of square timbers, round some dwelling house or houses as will be most for the security and defence of the whole inhabitants of each place," etc. As a result of this, Fort Morrison was built, one of a cordon of forts, stretching across the northern frontier of the province, to prevent invasion from that direction. This fort undoubtedly stood where Mr. Samuel C. Avery's house now stands, well to the north end of what is know as the Morrison tract. It was larger, and more pretentions than the others, built with logs, but having a stockade, and I presume a mount or lookout from which the adjacent country might be reconnoiter. ed for signs of savages. France declared war against England, March 15, 1744, and having granted a bounty on scalps to her savage allies, turned them loose upon the settlers; making their very existence, for nearly five years following, almost uninterruptedly, a source of direst terror and apprehension. Among the rec- ords in Boston, I find a muster roll of the men posted at Colrain, in 1747, under command of Lieut. Daniel Severance of Northfield, 43 in all, divided up between the three forts; and among them I find the names of John and Archibald Pennel, Andrew Lucas, Hugh, John and Robert Morrison, James Stewart, John Mills, John Henry, Robert Fulton, Alexander Herroun, Alexander Clark, Thomas McGee, John McCrellis and Thomas Morris. The following summer a Sergeant and 24 men, were stationed at Fort Morrison, and a sergeant and 15 men at South Fort, the names of the men being with hardly an excep- tion the same as the year previous.
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John Mills* of the garrison at South Fort was killed June 22nd, of this year as appears by the record. The treaty of Aix la Chapelle, October 7, 1748, was supposed to mark the close of the war, still matters were hardly tranquil for I find that from November Ist, of that year until the next April, Hugh Morrison, Andrew Lucas, John Pennel, James Stewart, Deacon Thomas McGee, Deacon Herroun, John McCrellis, John Henry and others, were still fighting Indians in Colrain, while Daniel Donelson was at Fort Shirley (in Heath,) and William Stevens was at Fort Pelham (in Rowe,) which argues that the wily savage was still abroad, crafty and murderous as ever, or else, which was possible in this case, these brave old fighters were following him from sheer force of habit. The peace of which we have spoken was of short duration. On account of difficulties at the west in 1754 or 55, the war with all its horrors, again broke out upon them. From August, 1754, to March, 1755, the towns of Colrain and Charlemont were garrisoned with 32 men under Captain Isreal Williams, with John Hawks as Lieutenant, and during the latter part of this year a garrison of 24 men was maintained here, and I find the record of another company under Isreal Williams, from October 18, 1756, to July 23, 1757, are "scouting westward," nearly the same names still appearing; also still another, from December 11, 1757, to April 14. 1758, bearing the names of John Hulburt, Joseph McKowen, John Cochran, John Henry, Abraham
*John Mills lived on lot 39 where Mr. Michael Johnson now lives. His widow Margaret afterward became the wife of Robert Fulton, who first settled on lot 36 and afterward owned much of the land on which the present village (city) now stands.
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Peck, John Morrison, and other veterans showing that the settlers were still on the alert, and that "eternal vigilance" was the price of safety at that time. The two years succeeding, however, seemed to have bettered matters. January 21, 1758, it is ordered, that the garrison at Colrain "shall consist of 12 men and no more." The following year (1759) with the victory of General Wolfe at Quebec, and the surrender of Canada to the, English, the war cloud lifted, and their savage enemies troubled the settlers no more. During this fearful time which we have described, many a brave settler lost his life, while defending his home and dear ones, and others including several women, mysteriously disappeared and were never seen or heard of again.
In May, 1746, Matthew Clark was killed by the In- dians while endeavoring with his wife and daughter to reach Fort Lucas; the Indians pressing him hard, he endeavored to secrete himself under a log bridge over the run just west of where Uncle Thomas Brown now lives, and the Indians discovering him shot him. The wife and daughter, who seem to have been on horseback, reached the Fort, though not without being wounded, the latter with a bullet in her thigh, which she is said to have carried to her grave. This story is told in the "History of the Connecticut Valley" as being of the wife of Andrew Smith, which is correct in part. The young lady was Jane Clark, and after- ward became the wife of Andrew Smith, and the mother of a large family. And it is a strange con- firmation I find of this story, in the record of the settle- ment of the estate of this Matthew Clark, of which his widow, Jennet was appointed administratrix, December
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11, 1746. Among the debts rendered against the estate are the bills of Dr. Hugh Bolton and Dr. Thomas Wells of Deerfield, "to attendance upon Widow Clark and daughter when wounded with the Indians", two pounds ten shillings, and four pounds and eleven shillings, respectively.
During this same year, (1746,) David, son of Captain Hngh Morrison, disappeared, and no tidings seem ever afterward to have been had of him. He was a young man, probably 25 to 28 years old or thereabout, he went out a short distance from the house or fort to shoot a hawk, the Indians surprised and captured him; it being impossible to pursue and overtake them in time to accomplish his rescue.
Near the old Indian Spring, 100 rods or more east of Mr. Benjamin Miller's, and the locality of which every school boy in the old south district knows, John Stewart (grandfather of Mr. Luther Stewart, whom you all know,) very neatly dispatched an Indian. Stewart had been hunting for a stray cow, and the Indian had found the cow, or if not, had found the bell which the cow had worn, and was occupying himself, in alternately ringing the bell and picking his flint, hoping, as it would appear, by the sound of the bell, to lure some unwary settler to his death. Stewart heard the bell, and his every sense being in those critical times fully alive to any signs of Indian deviltry, he imagined it did not ring just as it should, so taking to the bush he soon dis- covered the Indian and what he was up to, and killed him before he was aware.
In 1747, Mrs. Anderson, the wife of John Anderson
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and great grandmother of Mrs. Luther Stewart, now living, was carried away by the Indians, at least her disappearance could only be accounted for in that way; she lived with her husband and family on lot No. 10, in the first range. She left the house one afternoon and went across the brook, east of the house, (the same as runs now, just west of Mr. Albert Nelson's house, and so on north,) to go to a cooper's shop and no trace of her was afterward dis- covered. Very many similar anecdotes I could relate going to show the terrible dangers which menaced the settlers, and the heart rending scenes and experiences which marked these years; but I will only give space to one other, and that relating to the exploits of John Henry, and John Morrison, a story which many of you have doubtless heard. ; Signs of Indians having been discovered near Fort Morrison, it was thought best to notify the settlers at the other forts; accordingly John Henry and John Morrison started out. The Indians pursued and fired upon them breaking Morrison's arm, but these intrepid men pressed on, and capturing a wild unbroken colt in the field, as they went, Henry held it, while he assisted Morrison to mount, and getting on himself, without a bit or bridle, he guided the colt across the river (probably at the old Nye ford,) and up over the hill to Fort Lucas.
The Indians are said to have known and recognized the men they were pursuing and avenged themselves by returning and burning Morrison's barn, and killing his cattle; the only instance of the kind that occurred during these times as I am aware; it seeming to be
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human lives and scalps the savages desired and not the destruction of property.
HIGHWAYS.
Let us now go back to the first town meeting, and consider briefly some of the matters which claimed the settlers' attention at this time, and among the first seems to have been the important one of Highways. As I have said, land had been reserved, in the surveying of the settlers' lots, for roads five rods wide between the ranges, and also for those of less width, at certain intervals, between the lots. But these as yet existed only on the surveyor's plan, and were not destined for many years yet to become what might be called dignified highways. The most that could be expected for the present, was the cutting down and removal of intervening trees for a safe passage on horseback, for as you know, the turnpike, and travel by carriage, were matters of the future, and the road scraper of our day was destined to come a little in advance of the telephone; the prediction of either of which would have fearfully startled those Scotch-Irishmen here in the woods, in 1742, and would have been valid ground for arresting the perpetrator of such a prediction, as being in league with witches. Still the means for inter- communication must be improved and accordingly three highway surveyors are elected; John Henry, of the North River road, John Clark, of the East Road, and William Clark, of the south road. The first of these is the same that is mentioned as being accepted by the town July Ist of this year, "the 'rod' that goes
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from the meeting house to the "furder sid" of John Henry's lot." This road must have been a terrible one to travel, as those of you who are familiar with the country between the old meeting house place and the old Nye ford are well aware; yet it was probably a much travelled road for twenty years or longer. The south road ran from the meeting house directly south, striking Deerfield line just east of the Coombs' Bros' farm. The east road, ran from the south road, east between lots 33 and 34 (or just at the north end of Mr. William B. McGee's farm) and over the hill past Mr Copeland's (or as it was then John Clark Jr.'s) to the east line of the town, where it connected with a road leading on down to Green River. This was undoubtedly the first road leading into town and was the one they travelled for many years in going to and from Deerfield. The town also, at this meeting accepted a road "from the west end of the third range to the 'Sammon hole'. This at once implies that salmon then came up North River and from the several references in the old records to it, I judge that the "Sammon hole," was not far from the locality of the present "City," and was probably the deep water a short distance north of the bridge. From the records, I judge that the north road was changed about 1759, to run further west through lot 59, intersecting with the road to the "Sammon Hole," which I imagine had been found easier to travel, and so striking the river about where the present bridge now stands, which road was long used and has been often travelled by many of the older genera- tion of inhabitants now residing here. The road be- tween lots 31 and 32 and which many of you have known by the name of the Handy lane, was laid out
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very early, I think about 1743 or 44; and that to Thomas Fox's March 3, 1765, and was probably the first road laid out and accepted by the town, running in that direction, and the agitation of the subject of building a bridge over North River (a kindred sub- ject and one the town has since had her fill of) was commenced about 1766, though the bridge does not seem to have been built until two years later. I will detain you no longer on this subject, than to add an account of the building of a bridge across North River in 1789, by one Henry Henderson as it appears in the records. A meeting was held April 6, 1789, and a committee chosen to "treat" with Mr. Hender- son regarding the building of the bridge. Their report under date of May II, of that year, embodies the proposition of Henderson regarding the matter, and is as follows: "To the Gentlemen, Selectmen of Col- rain and other inhabitants concerned, would inform you that Deacon Riddle and James McColluck hath been talking with me respecting building a bridge over the river known by the name of North River, just below Abraham Avery's (probably near Elm Grove) in said town, and I have agreed with the above named men to build the frame of a bridge over said river, and maintain said frame seven years from the completing of said bridge, and that on special con- dition that the said Selectmen above mentioned, pay me fifteen pounds lawful money's worth; one barrel of New Rum by the 15th day of June next, as cheap as it can be bought in Greenfield, by the barrel, and the remainder of said fifteen pounds to be paid in grain or suitable neat stock, at the completing of said frame; and as I have a subscription paper which will be void if said bridge is not planked and passable
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by the first day of November; therefore must have- the inhabitants of Colrain bound on their part to plank said bridge by the time above mentioned. This from your friend, HENRY HENDERSON."
Halifax, May 8, 1789.
The town voted to build the bridge, and chose Oren Smith, William Stewart, and Jonathan McGee, a committee to give and take bonds of Henderson. I have introduced this to show the bridge builders here of the present day, what the motive power was. that built bridges 100 years ago, and that it would seem that the New Rum was a more important part of the remuneration than neat stock. I trust it staid in its place after it was built, at least during the term the contract required; though it would seem from the quantity of "stimulant" that Henderson was getting near, that it was in imminent danger of being floated down stream before the frame was even raised.
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