USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Ludlow > The history of Ludlow, Massachusetts > Part 14
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SI. ANDREW'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
ST. ANDREW'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH INTERIOR
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da,
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OTHER CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS
1900, 1901
Albert Bly, A. H. Halford, Robert Kyle.
1902
Albert Bly, Robert Kyle, Walter Bennett, Ransom M. Morse.
1903
Albert Bly, John E. Stevens, Robert Kyle, Ransom M. Morse, Walter Bennett.
1904, 1905
Albert Bly. Robert Kyle, John E. Stevens, A. A. Gove.
1906
Albert Bly, Robert Kyle, A. A. Gove, Dr. J. W. Hannum.
1907, 1908, 1909 Albert Bly, Robert Kyle, A. A. Gove, Dr. James W. Hannum, James Henderson.
1910, 1911 Albert Bly, Robert Kyle, A. A. Gove, Dr. J. W. Hannum. James Henderson, George Elphinstone, Sr. Mr. Albert Bly has been Honorary Deacon since 1903.
ST. ANDREW'S CHURCH
One or two efforts prior to January, 1904, were made to hold services of the Episcopal Church in Ludlow, but nothing came of them.
In January, 1904, a report was circulated and appeared in the secular press stating that the Union Church of Ludlow had decided to disor- ganize. On hearing this a few faithful members of the Episcopal Church thought a favorable opportunity was presented to secure the services of their beloved church.
They applied to the bishop of the diocese, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Alexander 11. Vinton in Springfield, and he promptly sent the Rev. W. T. Dakin, rector of St. Peter's Church in Springhekl, to supply services. Soon after this a mission was loosely organized under the name of St. Andrew, and Mr. George A. Birnie appointed treasurer. The first services were held in the Masonic Buikling, January 17, 1904; Sunday school at 3 o'clock. evening prayer and sermon at 4 o'clock.
June 12, 1904, the Rev. Charles E. Hill (recently ordered deacon in All Saints' Church, Worcester) held his first service in St. Andrew's, having been appointed by the bishop to assist Mr. Dakin at St. Peter's and to have charge of the Ludlow work. June 26, Mr. Hill started what has since become the regular Sunday routine, morning prayer and sermon at 10.45, Sunday school at 12 o'clock. On St. Andrew's Day. November 30, 1904, the first class of 18 candidates was presented to the bishop for confirmation. The service was noteworthy as being the first occasion in the history of Ludlow of an official visitation of a bishop.
Quinquagesima Sunday, March 5, 1905, the project of raising funds
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HISTORY OF LUDLOW
for the building of a suitable church was started. Mr. Frederic M Jones generously contributed his efficient services as architect, and September 30, 1905. the corner stone was laid by Bishop Vinton on land given by the Ludlow Manufacturing Associates, on the corner of East and Hampden streets. The church was opened for use and dedicated by the bishop on St. Andrew's Day, which fell in 1905 on Thanksgiving Day : the Bishop celebrated the holy communion at Sa. m. and confirmed and preached at evening prayer at S p. m.
Meanwhile Mr. Hill had been ordained priest on Trinity Sunday. June 18, and St. Andrew's had been regularly organized August 14. Mr. Hill became priest-in-charge. Mr. H. B. Payne was elected warden: Mr. G. A. Birnie, treasurer; Mr. A. E. Booth, clerk, and Mers. I. Black and W. Rae, vestrymen. A constitution and by-laws were adopted.
A beautiful altar (memorial to John Bliss Stebbins and a memorial font, with suitable furnishings, were installed and blessed by the bishop. January 10, 1906. The Lent of 1908 was utilized for the holding of a "Lent mission." the fruit of which was the largest communion of St. Andrew's Easter Day at 8 a. m. 62 communicants received the Holy Mysteries.
In January, 1909, All Saints Mission in Springfield, of which Mr. Hill had been in charge for a year, since severing his connection with St. Peter's Church, occupied its new church, and as it was necessary to hold morning services in All Saints, Mr. Hill held his last regular service in St. Andrew's, Septuagésima Sunday, February 7, 1909. He resigned his office as priest-in-charge. November 12, 1909, when the Rev. Hugh W. Smith, ordered deacon on that day in Trinity Church, Boston, became deacon-in-charge under the supervision (while he remained deacon of Mr. Hill. Mr. Smith had acted as lay-reader at 51. Andrew's since February 14.
A vested choir of boys sang for the first time in Holy Week, 1910.
ST. JEAN BAPTISTE CHURCH AND PARISH
When it was decided that the French people of Ludlow would separate from St. Aloysius parish of Indian Orchard and form a parish of their own, Rev. M. A. Desrocher- was chosen for the task. He came here in January, 1904, to establish the said parish. His first care was to find a place of meeting for the people on Sunday. This was given him by the
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OTHER CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS
late John E. Stevens, and the first mass was celebrated January 17, 1904. in a room on the top floor of No. 5 Mill.
Later the trustees of the Ludlow Manufacturing AAssociates presented the parish with a site for the erection of a church. Rev. M. A. Desrochers began at once to raise a fund for the said church, and June 24, 1906, on
1
28
51. JEAN BAPTISTE CHURCH (French Catholic
the Feast of St. John the Baptist, Rt. Rev. Thomas D. Beaven, bishop of the diocese, dedicated the beautiful church on Hubbard Street to the service of God.
At the time of its foundation, the parish counted but 1,303 souls, whereas, the census taken in the fall of 1910 show - a total of 1,500. Still. this increase over the first census is not so large as it was in 1908, when there were 1,712 people. The buildings, consisting of the church and parsonage, were erected at a cost of over $60 000, and the mortgage to-day is less than $20,000, which shows the generosity of the parishioners.
The present pastor is Rev. Louis F. Gobeil.
VII INDUSTRIAL HISTORY
Farming- Initial manufactures -Ludlow Glass Works- Minor manufactures -The mill privilege of H. 1. Carver-The Lyman Burr industry-The Jenksville Mills-The Springfield Manufacturing Company -Failure First Ludlow Manufacturing Company -Ludlow Mills Company-Second Ludlow Manufacturing Company-The Ludlow Manufacturing Associates.
FARMING has been the principal occupation of Ludlow since its settlement. Although several important manufacturing industries are established in the town, the inhabitants mainly devote their time and energies to the cultivation of their excellent farms.
EARLY MANUFACTURING
At the close of the eighteenth century initial attempts at manufactur- ing had already been commenced. In the lay of a road we find reference to " the sawmill of Jonathan Burr and Company," afterwards long known as the McLean privilege, what is left of it being now occupied by Warren D. Fuller. A mill of some kind was also in operation in the extreme northern part of the town, or the "city." At the southwestern corner, also, there was a sawmill at this period.
Very early in the nineteenth cen- tury Rufus Calkins had a little chair shop a mile up Higher Brook from the Center post office. Here were made many of the old chairs now to be seen in the more ancient homes. At one time he also adjusted a spin- dle by means of which he could spin fax or wool. His was the first manu- facturing of the kind in the town.
A LUDLOW FARMER
20%
HISTORY OF LEDLOW
Farther down, below Warren Fuller's privilege, was in 1814 a little fulling mill, operated by Gustavus Pinney. Near its banks at two different places successively, Elisha Fuller carried on a potash establishment, the last location being upon a spot opposite the old Methodist church, on the lot now owned by Charles M. Foster. Harris's mill privilege was under improvement in 1805, under the name of the "Continental Mill " ow ned by proprietors.
On Broad Brook were two new privileges, now unused: Thornton's sin mill was just at the foot of Burying-Ground Hill, and Alden's sash and blind shop a few rod- above. At Lud- low City, it must be recorded, was at one time a distillery. (See "Mill Privilege of 11. 1. Carver.") Tar kilns were set up here and there, traces leing still discernible U on Facing Hills and 0 chewhere.
Near the old Sikes place, south of the brook, a mile north of CALKINS CHAIRS AND BOTTLES FROM LUDLOW GLASS WORKS the Center churches, on the place of Quar- tus E. Fisk, are still shown the ruins of the once famous Ludlow Glass Works, the wonder of the region. Here stood a small building, partly masonry and partly wood, in which were ponderous furnaces and sweating laborers. The article made was green glass, mostly in the form of bottles. The industry lasted only a few years, was mismanaged, its proprietors became reckless, and eventually lost all, and left to posterity only a ruin of business and a wreck of finances.
The falls of Wallamanumps had early attracted attention. Late in the eighteenth century there was but one man living in all the region. In 1788, however, reference is made to " Des. Timothy Keyes's mill- dam," at this point. Not far from the dawn of the nineteenth century
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INDUSTRIAL. HISTORY
Abner Putnam came from the east and improved the privilege by erecting a shop for the manufacture of scythes. This be developed into a con- siderable business. The tools which had passed under Putnam's trip hammer were considered among the best made.
Of the minor manufacturing interests during the first half of the nineteenth century there is little to be said. Plumley's sawmill at the mouth of Broad Brook was made to use the fine privilege there, while the Alden mills above, previously mentioned, next to those of Thornton, were made useful in turning out forks and rakes. The Indian Orchard
ALaichinst
THE HARRIS MIL.
mills spoiled the romance of the lower falls of Wallamanumps, even trespassing upon the sandstone riches of the Indian Leap cliff. Other- wise that grand manufacturing interest, it seems, had only a general influence upon Ludlow. Hezekiah Fisk's mill at Ludlow City stood on the opposite side of the stream from Henry 1. Carver's mill. Water was carried to Fisk's mill in a penstock from a point beginning near the schoolhouse. The mill turned out a durable and beautiful woolen fabric. well-known in the region. Here, too, fleeces from the neighboring farms were brought to be carded. Jacob S. Eaton also had a share of this
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HISTORY OF FEDLOW
trade at his mill, which stood where Albert Banister now lives, netr Indian Orchard.
Graves's and Alden's mills, on Broad Brook, and Edmund W. Fuller's now Warren Fuller's shingle mill, on Higher Brook, were established after the middle of the nineteenth century.
THE MILL. PRIVILEGE OF IL. I. CARVER
This property is situated in what was called in the early history of Springfield, "The Inner Commons." The common lands for undivided
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AKOH BELOW H. T. CARVER'S MILL
lands) of the town were known as the Outer and the Inner Commons. The Outer were those adjoining the unoccupied territory; the Inner those adjoining the town already laid out, and in this vicinity lying toward the east.
This property when first laid out was in tier No. 1. The tiers began at the county road near the cranberry swamp (probably now called the Slobbery Ponds in Chicopee) and ran easterly. Each tier was eighty
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INDUSTRIAL HISTORY
rods wide, and each individual's lot was determined by his proportion of the town's Province tax. Thus, if the tax on five pounds would draw one acre of land, a man who paid taxes on fifty pounds would be entitled to ten acres of land.
The choice was made by drawing the right of choosing in open town meeting, and the amount of property one might have played no part in this. Sometimes a first and second choice were given and the one who was last in the first choice was first in the second.
When the first gristmill or any mill was erected on this site is not known. October 24, 1783, Edmond Damon of Ludlow sold to Joseph Munger of South Brimfield for the sum of two hundred and eighty pounds ( £280), land lying in Granby and Ludlow. This included the lot that he lived on with the buildings thereon, together with the gristmill and utensils thereunto belonging. How Damon became possessed of this land the Springfield records do not disclose. The next mention of any mill is when on December 22, 1794, Joseph Munger, in consideration of sixty pounds sold to David Carver of Hebron, Conn., a parcel of land with the buildings thereon "containing the gristmill and two acres of land " (See deed following.)
In 1794, Joseph Munger (Sr.) of Ludlow, for $60, sold to David C'arver, of Hebron, in the county of Tolland, in the state of Connecticut, yeoman; a certain tract or parcel of land lying and being in Ludlow afore-said bounded as follows: beginning at the county road about ten feet East of the Grist-mill and running Westerly on the North line of the said County road, 18 rods 4 feet and ten links to a heap of stones then North twelve degrees E 1212 rods to Granby line, then East 34 N. 23 rods 1212 feet to a stake and stones the corner of the Crank land so called then South to the first bound with the buildings thereon standing, containing the Grist-mill, and two acres of land more or less.
Joseph Munger. *** 5
1
*** |
Ludlow, Mass.
Dec. 22, 1794.
September 21, 1794, Joseph Munger executed a lease to David Carver of the right of flowage from September Ist to May ist of each year, said lease to run 900 years from September 5, 1794. On July 13, 1795, Munger sold a small piece of land to Carver extending along his west bound, containing about 90 rods.
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HISTORY OF LUDLOW
On December 23, 1799, Joseph Manger of Paris, Oneida Co. N. Y. sold to David Cook, a blacksmith, the land on the west side of the brook to the Granby line with the buildings thereon.
On March 5, 1801, Cook sold to Asa Munger, goldsmith, the same property, and on November 26, 1803, Munger transferred the same to James Kendall, Jr. Gee deed following. )
26 Nov. 1803, Ast Munger sold land in Ludlow to James Kendall Jr. be the same more or less, bounded as follows: beginning at Granby line, thence running about 4 rods to the Brook on the West side of the Road leading from Pliny Chapin's to Joseph Manger's; Southerly on the West side of the road to North and opposite Joseph Munger's Shed thence from the west side of the Horse Shed to the south-west end of the Gold-smith's shop thence running about two rods from thence Westerly to East end of the Mill-dam from thence on the E. side of the Pond at high water mark to the first mentioned bound with the buildings thereon.
Asa Munger
**
Signed :
Polly Munger .A ****
1 .****
Ludlow, Mass.
20 Nov., 1803.
Soon after this date Asa Manger and his family moved to Oneida Co., N. Y. As Munger was the son of Joseph Munger (Jr.) and Hannah Fisk.
On the east side of the brook a little to the southwest of the saw mill stood a clothier's shop or fulling mill. The first proprietor of this establishment we find was Solomon Tarbox. Some time between October 17, 1794, and December 17, 1801, Tarbox came into possession of this fulling mill, the gristmill, and one third part of the saw mill. for on that date he conveyed the same to John Filer in part. On October 28, 1803, he conveyed the other part to Eli Dickinson and John Filer. In this conveyance reserve is made of a still room situated under the shearing room at the south end of the mill, with water sufficient for use. November 19, 1803, David Carver, Jonathan Carver, Aaron Carver, and John Filer gave a lease to Joel Eastman, the consideration being $150.
May 6, 1804, Dickinson and Filer conveyed the gristmill to Joel Eastman and on April 15, 1807. Joel Eastman conveyed the same property to Joseph Eastman. On October 4, 1804, Dickinson and Filer
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INDUSTRIAL. HISTORY
conveyed the fulling mill to Gustavus Pinney, and January 28, 1806, Pinney sold to James Kendall, Jr., the goldsmith's shop of Asa Munger.
November 1, 1824, Asa Damon sold to Aaron Carver all the land " I have in Springfield, Ludlow and Granby, together with all the buildings thereon: also a sort of Still and Cyder Mill with the privileges belonging thereunto." March 23, 1836, Amos Kendall transferred to Aaron Carver land and "also a Distillery a few rods easterly of Hezekiah Fisk's dwelling house, together with the buildings thereon and all privileges belonging: likewise a still and worms." Carver deeded the same to Simeon Pease, August 18, 1837.
On May 19, 1812, James Kendall, Jr., sold to William Pease his holding on the west side of the brook, and on April 1, 1825, Pease con- veyed the property to Harry Witt and Eleazer Owen.
March 9, 1820, Joseph Eastman conveyed his interest in the property, being the mill privilege and part of the mills, to William Hezekiah Fisk of South Brimfield, and in 1826 Witt and Owen conveyed their right to the said Fisk. At this time there was a sawmill on the east side of the brook and a clothing mill and gristmill on the west side. Mr. Fisk used the privilege for fulling cloth and operating machinery for picking and dressing. He also had a carding machine, a turning machine for turning spokes, and a machine to cut out fellows.
The old dam went off in September, 1828. Mr. Fisk then built a canal and at this time put up another building on the west side of the brook (Stony Brook so called), and put in a carding machine. He then built a dam about fifty rods above the old dam and dug a ditch from the dam to the mill. About three years after this, Mr. Fisk secured the right to dig a ditch about twenty-five rods above the dam, through land of Stephen and Pliny Chapin, into which the water was turned without any flowing, by building a dam across the brook.
A year after the old dam went off the sawmill was sold to William Carver of Granby, who with other parties moved it to Turkey Hill, about one and a half miles almost due east. They canalled the water to a twenty-foot overshot wheel. Finding the natural stream would not run the wheel, they built a dam about forty rods above the mill and by pulling a wire could let the water into the canal. Only lumber enough for three dwelling houses was sawed. The mill remained there about ten years and then Mr. William Carver moved it to Granby, one half mile above where it originally stood in Ludlow.
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HISTORY OF LUDLOW
In January, 1828, Fisk conveyed the property to Henry Barton and Lewis Marsh and entered into an agreement with them to erect a two- story building about thirty-five feet square for the manufacture of paper, in which he was to have water power sufficient to run a fulling mill, a clothier's shop, and a carding and picking machine. In September of the same year the dam went off, and all agreements between Barton and Marsh and Fisk seem to be ended, as the dam was not rebuilt while owned by the above parties. In 1829 Barton and Marsh conveyed a part of the property to Simeon Pease and the same year the remainder to Josiah Simms. In 1830 the said Barton and March were arrested in Lud- low for passing counterfeit money. It seems the sheriff had some difficulty in arresting them as the house was partly in Hampden County and partly in Hampshire County They were tried and convicted and imprisoned for one year. It is said that when the sheriff was taking them from the house to the road one of them threw his pocketbook back of him, and his wife picked it up. put it in the stove and burned HENRY INGALES ( ARVER it. In the pocketbook was five dollars of good money.
Going back to 1798 we find there were other owners to the different works at the Stony Brook privilege not mentioned in the above records. which are given in the following record of conveyances.
In 1798 Elijah Washburn sold a house and blacksmith shop near Joseph Manger's in Ludlow to David Bullard for E50. In November, 1799, Bullard transferred the same by deed to Jonathan Carver for the Same price, and in February, 1804. Carver transferred the same to Thomas Washburn. In March of the same year Washburn sold to Timothy Root. There was some trouble over this conveyance, as the matter
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INDUSTRIAL. HISTORY
came before the Supreme Judicial Court of Norfolk County in March, 1805, when proof of the signing and delivering of the deed was produced. To whom Root sold the records do not show. In 1829 we find that all the property of this privilege came into the hands of Simeon Pease and Josiah Simms, each having a separate deed for his part. In 1836 Simeon Pease and Josiah Simms each deeded his part to Jefferson Alden. Mr. Alden soon after commenced the manufacture of weaving reeds at this place and continued the business there for about ten years, when he
HI.SRY 1. CARVER'S MILL, LUDLOW CHIY
moved to Chicopee and manufactured reeds for about six years. He returned to Ludlow in 1853, built a dam and installed a gristmill in the Barton and Marsh building. In 1857 Rufus Kimball came into posse -- sion of this property by foreclosure of mortgage. In 1860 he conveyed to Alden Damon the property, containing about twelve acres, which was all the land and privileges mentioned in the above deed.
Alden Damon conveyed the said property to H. I. Carver in 1866. In June of the same year the Barton and Marsh building was taken down and removed. The same month Mr. Carver built a stone and cement
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HISTORY OF LUDLOW
dam on the foundation of the old dam and erected a sawmill to feet long by 205 feet wide, and during the same year & shingle mill. The saw- mill was started January 2, 1867. In 1879 one story was added to the sawmill, for the manufacture of a patented butter worker and mokl combined, under the name of H. I. Carver & Co., which was continued for fifteen years. From that time to the present patented butter molds and stamps combined have been manufactured. For the last four years the industry has been carried on by Elmer H. Carver, son of H. I. Carver, under the name of H. I. Carver & Co.
THE LYMAN BURR INDUSTRY
About 1845, Lyman Burr began the making of coffins. Previous to that time, John Moody, a carpenter and a resident of Ludlow, used to make them after the person's death, which was probably the custom in other places. Probably there were no undertaking rooms in Springfield at the time. Mr. Burr began by making different sizes and keeping a stock of them on hand, which was a convenience, as the stains and varnish were dry and the coffins ready to be trimmed when ordered. At that time, if there were handles they were black and made of iron; iron butts were used to hang the lid. and common screws to put on the top. In a little while Mr. Burr began to fasten the lid with a metal hook and eye: then he began using brass handles, and butts for the lid. Brass tacks were the first materials employed for putting the name and age upon the coffin, but very soon he used the round head or gimp tack -; the first were black, then they were galvanized, and from that Mr. Burr advanced to the name plates, and afterwards to plated handles and tacks for trimmings.
As the coffin shape was growing in disfavor, Mr. Burr began to make the casket shape, and then the covered ones, using black velvet and broadcloth for draping them. At first he made them of white- wood, then of butternut and black walnut. His wife soon made robes; and after a while they began to stuff and line the coffins, using at the head white cashmere. Later Mr. Burr secured what is called a cooler in which to use ice to help preserve the bodies. This was superseded by embalming. He sometimes used a board to put on the top of the coffin after it was lowered into the grave, but soon substituted boxes in place of the board.
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INDUSTRIAL. HISTORY
About 1875 Mr. Burr ceased making caskets, but people did not want him to give up the business, and came to him for assistance; so he made arrangements with the undertakers in the city to give him a commission, with the agreement that they would do all the embalming. He bought caskets, delivered them and assisted at the funeral services for the price of caskets in the city. At first the prices for coffins varied from one to six or eight dollars, according to size, except those made of black walnut, which cost from ten to twelve dollars.
Mr. Burr died in 1880, and his son, Benjamin F. Burr, as the people continued to come to him, kept up the business until 1895. Mr. Lyman Burr's trade extended over a large territory for many years, into all the surrounding towns, Belchertown, Granby, Wilbraham, Palmer, Long- meadow, Chicopee, and also Springfield. Probably B. F. Burr has attended, assisted, and sung at more funerals than any other person in town. There are not many houses up town which he has not entered in times of bereavement and some of them three or four times. The record book which was kept, he considers valuable for reference.
THE JENKSVILLE MILLS
An account of the transfer of the property of Capt. Abram Putnam to Benjamin Jencks (later Jenks) in 1812 is found in the Historical Address of Rev. Mr. Tuck. Mr. Jencks gave as his reason for not selecting Rochester as his place of business that it was located among the Mohawk Indians. A company was formed in 1814, consisting of Benjamin Jencks, Washington Jencks, Joseph Bucklin, and George Wilkinson of Ludlow, and Stephen 11. Smith of Providence, R. 1. Smith in a little while sold his shares to Samuel Slater, afterwards so famous as a manufacturer. The original capital is not stated, but provision was made for an increase to $32,000. The property has since been sold for five times that sum The grantors of deeds were Sylvester Moody, Abner Putnam, and Levi Pease. At one time the company hekl twelve hundred acres of land.
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