USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Springfield > The first century of the history of Springfield; the official records from 1636 to 1736, with an historical review and biographical mention of the founders, Volume I > Part 13
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I39
HISTORICAL REVIEW.
FORMATION OF COUNTIES AND TOWNS.
For many years Springfield continued the central point of operations relating to the territory which is now embraced in the four western counties; and also in Brookfield in Worces- ter, and Enfield and Suffield in Connecticut. Out of Spring- field have sprung counties and towns of no small importance. Out of the old county of Hampshire have come Berkshire, Franklin, and Hampden, while the old name was retained in the territory in the central limits. The towns which have gone either directly from Springfield or have been subdivi- sions of those which were established out of Springfield in the earlier years, include what is now within the county of Hampden. Hampshire and Berkshire were named for the corresponding shires in England, while our Hampden has come from the brave and patriotic Puritan leader, John Hampden, and our neighbor on the northern border, from the statesman and philosopher, Benjamin Franklin, one of the best and wisest of New England's sons.
The formation of the present counties of Hampshire, Hampden and Franklin, grew out of an act of the General Court passed March 1, 1787, which created three districts for registering deeds. The towns which now practically consti- tute the county of Hampshire, were made a district with the office at Northampton. The towns north of them con- stituted another district, with the office at Deerfield, and those towns which comprise the present county of Hampden a third district, with the office at Springfield. When Hamp- den County was set off from Hampshire the real estate rec- ords for this district remained in Springfield, and also all real estate records for Hampshire County previous to the pas- sage of the act of March 1, 1787. All records of the County Court and Probate Court previous to 1812 remained at Northampton.
THE EARLIEST IMPORTANT COUNTY HIGHWAY.
After the settlement of Northampton and Hadley, there was need of a better highway between the upper and lower settlements. As Hadley was settled from Connecticut towns,
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THE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
mainly from Windsor, communication betwen the older and newer towns became frequent. The first road that was trav- eled between Windsor and Northampton was through what is now within the limits of Westfield and Easthampton. Travel between Springfield and Northampton in early times was by this route. In 1664, ten years after the settlement of Northampton, a movement was made for a road on the east side of the Connecticut, mainly with the view of provid- ing a shorter road to Hadley. The County Court took ac- tion and the report which follows is from the records at Northampton. In this is the first mention of Mount Hol- yoke by that name. "Scannunganuck," (variously written in other records,) refers to a locality now within the limits of Chicopee. "Munhun" is now Manhan, the name given tothe mill stream in Easthampton. After the east side road was built travel between Hadley and Windsor passed through Springfield, and the town records show that there was com- plaint made of the Hadley men doing much damage with their carts to the road in Longmeadow. The action of the County Court and the report of the Committee to lay out the road is given in full, as follows :-
"At the county corte held by Adjournment at Northamp- ton, October ye 3d, 1664: The County Corte at Northampton in March last past haveing made choyce of a Committee viz: Capt. Cooke & Quartermr Woodward of Northampton, Cor- nett Allys & Andrew Warner of Hadley, & Ens Cooper & George Colton of Springfield, to make a survey & to lay out high wayes between Hadley & Windsor, giveing to ye sd Committee or the majoryt of them full power to determine anything concerning ye highwayes both ye place & places where such highwayes shall ly. & the manner how & by whom & when they shal be repayred: Ens Cooper being not cheerefull to attend the work the Towne of Springfield according to the said Corte, chose another in his roome, which choyce fell on Benjamin Cooley. And the said Com- mittee haveing done what in their judgments concerned them for effecting their said work did under the hands of
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HISTORICAL REVIEW.
ffive of them make returne to this Corte of what they had done in ye busyness: This Corte doth approve & allow of the said Returne, ratifying & confirming ye work: A Coppy whereof here followes the Originall being on file:
Northampton May ye 21st, 1664.
Whereas wee whose names are underwritten were chosen & appointed a Committee, by ye County Corte at Northamp- ton ye 29th of March last past, to survey & lay out the high- wayes of ye County, as namely, betwen Hadley & Windsor, being ordered by the Corte to take the first opportunity thereof, have on ye 16th day of this present May begun to attend our said work in surveying & considering ye same & doe agree & determine.
That ye high way from Hadley Townes end on ye East side of ye great River to ye fort meadow gate, running as it now lyes, be in breadthe six rodds: and from thence to ye towne end of ye sd meddow in breadth two rodds: and from thence (ye way lying still as it doth) to ye end of Mount Holyoke, in breadth ten rodds, & from thence to Scanunganunk, as ye cart way now runs, in breadth Twenty rodds, & from thence to Springfield to the upper end of ye Causey going down into ye Towne, Six rodds: & from ye lower end of Spring- field to long Meddow gate, running where it now doth, in breadth ffour rods, & from ye long Meddow gate to the bridge ye lower end of by the Rivers bank shal be in breadth two rods, & from ye lower end of the Said Meddow into fresh water River, soe called, as the way now runs, ffourr rodds, & from thence to Namerick, where John Bissell had a barne standing, as now ye way runs twenty rods, & from thence to Namerick brook where will best suite for a bridge. two rodds, & from thence to ye dividing lyne betweene the Collonyes, where ye house way now lyes, two rodds: And from the said dividing lyne on the West Side of ye River, towards Waranoak in ye way that is now improved, comonly called ye new way, (that is to say) to two miles brooke. fourty rodds, & from thence to Waranoak hill, where the trading house stood, twenty rods, & from thence to ye pas- sage of ye River where ye way now lyes, Six rodds, & from thence thorough ye other Meddow to ye great hill ,as the way now lyes, Six rodds, & from thence to Munhan River, forty rodds, & from Munhan River to ye lotts now laid out neere ye Mill River, fourty rodds, & from thence to the Town of Northampton ffoure rods. & from Northampton along
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THE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
by the comon fence side unto ye great River, Six rods in breadth, & from ye River side just opposite on ye last side, to run cross to ye middle way yt leades to ye Centre of Had- ley Towne, two rodds, & soe to Hadley Town two rodds; allowing for the conveniency of landing places an acre of land on each side of the River, to be in length twenty rods & in breadth eight rodds, viz: on Northampton side opp. Je River from ye fence, & on ye other side up & down the River each town to make its own landing place, The ferry to be appoynted by the next County Corte, & in ye meane- tyme yt the way through Northampton may be improved accordingly. And further we judge & determine that the Towne of Hadley shall make & maintayne all ye high wayes & bridges from their Towne to Scanunganunk to ye foot of the falls, & in case it appeares to be our Collonyes right over Namerick brooke, that the way be made & maynteyned by this County, & the wayes & bridges from the Landing place at the great River unto the top of Waranoak hill, to be made & maynteyned by Northampton, & from thence un- to Windsor to be made & maynteyned by Hadley & North- ampton mutually: And further wee determine yt if Hadley & Northampton either or both of them shall at any tyme hereafter see cause to dissert ye highway they now use, & shall make the way through Springfield their comon roade to Windsor for carting, then either or both shall contribute to ye mending the bridge at Longmeddow: And for these Severall wayes & bridges to be made & repaired sufficient for travell with carts, wee determine that they be done by the Severall Townes respectively, at or before ye Sixth day of June next, as also yt such Stones as are moveable in Scanun- ganuck river be turned aside out of the Cart way & ye charge thereof to be paid by the County Treasurer.
Aaron Cooke Henry Woodward x Andrew Warners mark George Colton Benjamin Cooley.
CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY.
A brief summary of interesting events in the history of Springfield, and to some extent that of other localities, which have a contemporaneous interest, will be found in the follow- ing pages. The early settlement of Springfield followed so closely the first founding of the towns in New England, that it has a wider historical interest than those towns which have a much later origin. That the dates of settlement of other towns may be brought into connection and more readily kept in memory, the following table is here inserted :-
Plymouth, settled in 1620
Salem, under Endicott 1628
Charlestown 1629
Boston, Dorchester, Roxbury and Water-
town, from Winthrop's Massachusetts Bay Company .1630
Cambridge
1631
Wethersfield, Ct., from settlers at Water-
town, 1635 Windsor, Ct., in October, from Dorchester . . . 1635 Springfield, under Pynchon, from Roxbury. . 1636 Hartford, Ct., in June, under Hooker and Stone, from Cambridge. 1636
New Haven, Ct .. 1638
Northampton, from -Windsor, Hartford and Springfield 1654
Hadley, from Hartford and Wethersfield . . . . 1659
May 14, 1636 .- Settlement of Springfield begun by William Pynchon, Matthew Mitchell, Henry Smith, Jehu Burr, Wil- liam Blake, Edmund Wood, Thomas Ufford and John Cable.
May 16. 1636 .- The agreement under which the settle-
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THE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
ment was made signed this day by the above named persons.
July 15, 1636 .- Lands in and about Springfield purchased of the Indians.
January 13, 1638 .- A rate of £40 agreed upon to build a house for the minister, George Moxon.
March 30, 1638 .- Ordered that future inhabitants should bear a share of the cost of the minister's house.
January 3, 1639 .- It was agreed at a general meeting that William Pynchon, Jehu Burr, Henry Smith, John Cable, Richard Everett and Thomas Mirick, should set the bounds of the Plantation up the river on both sides of it. On the West side the bounds were fixed at a brook above the great meadow, a quarter of a mile above the mouth of Chicopee river.
March 26, 1639 .- John Cable and Samuel Hubbard were given power to lay out the lots in the Plantation on both sides of the Connecticut River. For "theyr payns they are to have 2d an acre for homelots and Id for greater lots."
November 14, 1639 .- The exercise of training shall be practiced one day in every month.
April 16, 1640 .- "It is ordered that the Plantation be call- ed Springfield."
January 26, 1642 .- Henry Smith, Elizur Holyoke, Henry Burt, Samuel Chapin, Richard Sikes, and Thomas Mirick, shall have full power to lay out the lands both of upland and meadow on the west side of the Connecticut.
February 2, 1655 .- Land was purchased by the town of Thomas Stebbins, and Francis Ball, in "theyr homelots next to the river," for a burying ground,-an acre and a half of Stebbins and an acre of Ball. This was the first cemetery in the town, which was also used as a training field.
September 26, 1644 .-- First board of Selectmen chosen, consisting of Henry Smith, Thomas Cooper, Samuel Chapin, Richard Sikes, and Henry Burt.
January 10, 1645 .- Six rods square having been reserved, out of the lot which was Henry Gregory's, then owned by Thomas Stebbins. now that part of Court Square which faces
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CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY.
Elm Street, "it was mutually agreed by the inhabitants for the speedy carrying on of a meting house, and that every in- habitant shall afford 28 days' work, when he shalbe required by him who shal undertake the building of it, providing he shall not require but 6 days at a tyme."
February 28, 1645 .- An agreement was made with Thomas Cooper to build the meeting house. "It is to be 40 feet long, 28 feet wide. 9 feet between joints, have 4 large windows, two on each side, and one small one at each end, one door at the south side and two small doors as shall be thought convenient." This was the first building devoted to religious meetings and public uses, erected within this State west of Boston and its vicinity.
March 26, 1645 .- This bargain with Thomas Cooper was acknowledged by the town to have been fulfilled.
May 7, 1645 .- It was voted that all the inhabitants who shall absent themselves from town meetings shall be lyable to a fine of a half bushel of Indian corn.
January 8, 1646 .- It was agreed with John Matthews to beat the drum for the meetings at 10 of the clock on lecture days and at 9 of the clock on the Lord's days, in the forenoon only, from Mr. Moxon's to Rowland Stebins-from near Vernon Street to Union Street, and for which "he is to have 6 pence in wampum, of every family, or a peck of Indian corn, if they have not wampum."
January 8, 1646 .- George Colton and Miles Morgan were appointed "to do theyr best to get a smith for the town."
September 4, 1646 .- A bargain was made with Francis Ball for a shop for the smith, which "is to be 12 feet wide. 16 feet long and six feet stud between joints."
January 29, 1647 .- It was voted that the £30 due to Mr. Pynchon for the purchase of the lands from the Indians shall be raised by a rate on lands.
March II, 1647 .- It was voted that any man who shall kill a wolf within five miles of the town shall have Io shillings, to be raised by a rate on cattle.
January 2. 1648 .- It was ordered that every inhabitant
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THE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
shall repaire to the Recorder and have all his lands recorded, and that if any man neglect to have his lands recorded for six months he shall be liable to a fine of 20 shillings.
December 27, 1649 .- It is ordered that no inhabitant shall sell or in any way pass away his house or lot to any stranger before he has made the Selectmen acquainted who his chap- man is, and they allow of his admission, under penalty of 20 shillings.
1651 .- Hugh and Mary Parsons examined before William Pynchon in Springfield for witchcraft.
1651 .- Hugh and Mary Parsons appeared at Boston for trial for witchcraft.
1651 .- William Pynchon appeared before the General Court to answer the charge of heresy. His book burnt in the market place by the order of the General Court.
1652 .- William Pynchon and wife, and Rev. George Mox- on, the first minister of Springfield, and family, returned to England.
September 14, 1652 .- John Pynchon, Henry Burt, Samuel Chapin, and Thomas Cooper, appointed a committee to treat with Mr. Moxon for the purchase of his house and lands, and accordingly they did agree with him for his house and lands, to remain for the use of the ministry forever.
1653 .- Henry Smith, William Pynchon's son-in-law, re- turns to England.
February 20, 1656 .- It was voted that the toll of the miller shall be the eleventh part of a bushel.
November 4, 1656 .- "It is agreed that these four men, Deacon Wright, Deacon Chapin, Mr. Holyoke and Henry Burt should be allowed £12 by the town for their labors spent among us in the Lord's work on the Sabbath. It was further voted that the inhabitants would allow £50 per year to such as did labour in the same work amongst us, in the fu- ture, till such times as we shall have a settled minister."
November 9, 1657 .- Mr. Holyoke is made choice of to carry on the work of the Sabbath once every day, which he accepts of. Mr. John Pynchon is made choice of for one
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CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY.
part of the day once a fortnight, which he will endeavor to attend sometimes by reading notes and sometimes by his own meditations, till March next. Deacon Chapin and Henry Burt are made choice of to carry on the other part of the day once a fortnight. for which their payns they are al- lowed forty pounds a year."
January 10. 1658 .-- It is ordered that all sorts of cattle be- longing to this town shall be marked with some distinctive mark, which every owner shall repair to Mr. Pynchon and from time to time to the recorder to take and keep on record each man's particular mark.
January 19, 1660 .- It was agreed that the town meetings which have been held on the first Tuesday in November shall be held on the first Tuesday in February.
December 31, 1660 .- It is ordered that every proprietor of land which is not fenced, but lies in common with others, shall before the last of April next set on each side of his land two good stones, full one foot above ground, or in their stead make a trench three feet long and two feet deep, near the front and rear of his lot.
February 12. 1661 .- It was voted that the raising of rates for bearing public charges shall be raised on houses, lands and live stock, according to their worth.
February 15, 1661 .- It was voted to petition the General Court to settle the bounds of the town which desires that the northerly bounds meet the bounds of Northampton on the west side of the river, and New Town (Hadley) on the east side. The southerly bounds to extend 20 poles below the place where Mr. Pynchon had a warehouse,-to run east five miles from the Connecticut river and west as far as Wor- onoco is from Springfield.
February 26, 1662 .- More room for seating in the meet- ing house being needed it was voted to build a gallery.
January 9. 1663 .- The Selectmen having agreed with Goodman Buell to "set up the gallery." Capt Pynchon en- gageth to defray all the charges for which he shall be paid by such as shall be seated there,-4 shillings a person.
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THE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
February 3, 1663 .- It was ordered that there shall be three days warning given to all inhabitants for holding ordi- nary town meetings, and that Hugh Dudley will leave word at nien's houses or places of usual abode, and if not at home he is to leave word for them at the next neighbor's.
May II, 1663 .- It was voted that if any persons entertain an inmate after he has been in town one month without con- sent of the selectmen they that so entertain shall be liable to a fine of 20 shillings. An inmate was one who had no estab- lished abiding place, and had not been admitted by the se- lectmen as an inhabitant.
December 8, 1664 .- The bounds of Enfield fixed by the town and to be accounted a part of Springfield until the Gen- eral Court otherwise order.
January 14, 1670 .- Settlement of Suffield begun by the grants of land to Samuel and Joseph Harmon, Benjamin Par- sons and others.
October 5, 1675 .- Springfield burned by the Indians. Three persons killed, Thomas Cooper, Thomas Miller, and Pentecost Mathews.
April 15, 1674 .- At a town meeting it was decided to build a new meeting house, and it was "voted that Serjant Steb- bing should be treated with that it might be sett up in his house lott on the hill by his pasture," and that "the house shalbe made fifty foot long, & fourty foote & halfe wide, & that the house shall be underpind with Stone two foot & halfe above ground." It was "voted & concluded that the house shalbe built soe high as that it may be accomodated for gal- leryes when the town shall see need." It was further voted "that Major Pynchon. Elizur Holyoke, Nathaniel Ely, An- thony Dorchester & Jonathan Burt shall be a committee to agree with a workman or workmen for the building of such a new house."
May 13. 1674 .- This being a lecture day the committee chosen to build a new meeting house asked "that there might be liberty allowed by the town that the work might lye till October next in respect to felling timber for the work, and
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CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY.
liberty for that was granted." It was further voted, that "Lieut. Thomas Cooper shalbe added to the committee chosen to order matters for building a new meeting house."
February 2, 1675 .- Voted to give Serjeant Stebbins four acres of land, "meddow & upland which lyes on the North side of ye round hill," in exchange for the land taken for a meeting house, out of his homelot.
August 24, 1676 .- At a town meeting it was "ordered that Ensign Cooley & Samuel Marshfield be added to ye Committee for ye meeting house affaires, some of them be- ing dead." Lieut. Cooper had been killed on the 5th of the previous October by the Indians, and Elizur Holyoke had died a few days after the town meeting in the preceding Feb- ruary.
February 6, 1677 .- At a town meeting held this day the committee for building the meeting house reported that Thomas Stebbins, Senior, and Thomas Stebbins, Jun', have granted five rods square to "set ye new meeting house on, & having added a rod more in breadth to the way that leads up to ye new meeting house, now ye committee have granted them ye said four acres," on the north side of Round Hill. "And it being further considered about ye townes land where ye old meeting house yet stands, how easily by exchange with Thomas Stebbins, it may ly together up to the new meeting house, ich being propounded to ye said Stebbin, he also agreed to give him the land which lies next to him, two house & ye new meeting house unto the town. The town also agred to give him the land which lies next to him, two rod in breadth where it fronts on ye street Easterly, the town reserving to themselves four rod broad at ye front or high- way, or Street. Eastward, & from thence to run back west- ward through ye said Stebbin, his land, up to ye new meeting house land aforesaid, a little aslant, so as to range strait with ye outside or north side of ye second stud beyond or to the northward of ye East door of ye new meeting house, whereby this four rod broad of ye towns land, where it fronts on ye street Eastward will & is to gain a little more in breadth by
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THE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
it, running a little aslant into Tho: Stebbin his land as afore- said, so yt the breadth of it toward ye Westward end next ye meeting house will be full four rod & an half there & some- thing better. In full satisfaction the town granted to Steb- bins out of the Town land in the training field one rod & half of ground next to Stebbin's lot and in rear of it, all that breadth of his lot." This location of the second meeting house must be the site, or near it, of the present First Church. The builder was John Allis, and the last acounts concerning the building of the meeting house were approved in February, 1683. The cost of the building was £400 5s.
June 2, 1679 .- A bargain was made with Thomas Stebbins Jr., to build a school house, to be 22 feet long, 17 feet wide and 8 1-2 feet stud, for which he is to have £14. This was the first building to be used exclusively for school purposes. Location, on the lane to the upper wharf, now Cypress Street.
The dates relative to the formation of the four western counties and of the towns in Hampden County are given in the following, as found in the manual of the GeneralCourt :-
Hampshire County. . Incorporated May 7, 1662
Berkshire County .. . . .Incorporated April 21, 1761
Franklin County. . Incorporated June 24. 18II
Hampden County. .Incorporated Feb. 25, 1812
Springfield, founded in 1636
Westfield . May 19, 1669
Brimfield. August 16, 1722
Blandford . April 10. 1741
Palmer. "The Elbows. . Jan. 30, 1752
Granville.
Jan. 25. 1754
Monson . April 28. 1760
Wilbraham June 15 ,1763
Southwick. . Nov. 7, 1770
West Springfield Feb. 23. 1774
Ludlow. .Feb. 28. 1774
Montgomery Nov. 28, 1780
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CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY.
Chester
Feb. 21, 1783
Holland . . July 5, 1783
Longmeadow. Oct. 13, 1783
Kussell . Feb. 25, 1792
Tolland .
June 14, 1810
Wales Feb. 20, 1828
Agawam
May 17, 1855
Chicopee April 29, 1848
Holyoke March 14, 1850
Hampden.
March 28, 1878
East Longmeadow. July 1. 1894
Governors Chosen Under the First Charter.
John Endicott . April 30, 1629
John Winthrop May 18, 1642
Thomas Dudley May 14, 1634
John Haynes
May 6, 1635
Henry Vane.
May 25, 1636
John Winthrop May 17, 1637
Thomas Dudley May 13, 1640
Richard Bellingham
. June 2, 1641
John Endicott . May 29, 1644
Thomas Dudley
May 14, 1645
John Winthrop . May 6, 1646
John Endicott. . May 2, 1649
Thomas Dudley
May 22, 1650
John Endicott.
May 7. 1651
Richard Bellingham May 3, 1654
John Endicott.
May 23. 1655
Richard Bellingham.
May 3, 1665
John Leverett (act'ng)
December 12, 1672
John Leverett .
May 7, 1673
Simon Bradstreet .
May 28. 1679-1686
Governors Appointed by the King Under the Second Charter.
Sir William Phipps.
. May 14, 1692
William Stoughton
November 17, 1694
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THE FIRST CENTURY OF SPRINGFIELD.
Richard Coote, Earl of Bellomont. . May 26, 1699 William Stoughton . July, 1700 The Council. July 7, 1701
Joseph Dudley June II, 1702
The Council . February 15, 1714
Joseph Dudley March 15,1714
William Tailer November 9, 1715
Samuel Shute. October 4, 1716
William Dummer December 27, 1722
Willam Burnet. . July 13, 1728
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