USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Wilbraham > The history of Wilbraham, Massachusetts; > Part 15
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CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH. Built 1877. Burned 1911.
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH. Built 1857. Burned 1877.
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were not discouraged, and entering upon the task with some such energy and zeal as had characterized the fathers, subscriptions for about $9,000 were secured, which, with about $8,000 derived from the insurance and interest on the same, was sufficient to erect a new meeting house at a total cost of about $17,000, which was dedicated Sunday, May 11th, 1913, with all bills paid. And again the members of the old First Parish have a church home of their own. By the kindness of the Methodist society, union services have been held in their church for the past two years, which it is expected will be con- tinued, a part of the time in each church. On May 25, 1817, twenty-seven children were baptized at one service, by a visit- ing pastor, Rev. Mr. Colton of Palmer. Nine families were represented; only one of them now residing in town, as follows: "Lorin, Sarah, Ann, & Lucinda, children of Roswell Phelps were baptised."
There were also six children of Samuel Warner.
On April, 29th 1799, occurred the sad tragedy of Nine Mile Pond, when five of the young people of Wilbraham, and a Mr. Guy Johnson of Tolland, Conn., were drowned there, by the overturning of a boat in which they were sailing. The house where they were having the "Merry Making," is still standing on the west side of our Main Street, about half a mile south of the B. & A. R. R. Station, and is now owned by William V. Patch. The land, on which the house stands, is probably part of the ministry lot in the second division, for on June 8, 1772, Levi Bliss purchased the entire width of the ministry lot from the "principal road in said Wilbraham westward to the inward commons." The width was 37 rods and 4 feet, and the lot con- tained about 161 acres. I have found the deed recorded with the Registry of Deeds in Springfield. Levi Bliss was father of three of the young people who were drowned.
The story is well told by copying, in part, the account written at the time and published, with three of the funeral sermons, in a small volume, "Printed at Springfield" in 1799. The title page of this volume is as follows:
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"THE LIVING WARNED TO BE PREPARED FOR DEATH.
A SERMON
Occasioned by the
DEATH OF SIX YOUNG PERSONS
Who were drowned in a pond in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, April 29, 1799:
And Delivered May 2 when the funeral of five of them was attended
By CHARLES BACKUS, A. M.
Pastor of a Church in Somers, Connecticut. To which is subjoined Two Discourses.
Delivered in Wilbraham May 12, '99 on the Same occasion
BY REV. MR. WITTER
Pastor of the North Church in Wilbraham Together with an Appendix giving some account of the particulars of the Melancholy Event."
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The Appendix is as follows:
"In a circle of young ladies assembled for the purpose of spending the afternoon of the 29th of April 1799. at the house of Mr Levi Bliss in Wilbraham, a proposition was made and agreed to by some of the company to form a sailing party on a pond at a little distance. After tea they repaired to the pond, some on foot, by a short route, and some on horseback. Mr Gordon Bliss, Miss Asenath Bliss, Miss Nabby Merrick and Miss Mary Warriner, who walked, and Mr Leonard Bliss who rode before the others, reached the pond first. When the young ladies on horseback, who kept the road and who were accident- ally delayed a little on the way, arrived at the pond they dis- covered their companions above mentioned, and a Mr Guy Johnson, already in the boat, under full sail. They retired to a house a few rods distant, where they witnessed the distressing scene that followed. The wind was high and flawy. The boat had not proceeded far before it was careened down by a strong gust so as probably to dip water. The young ladies immedi- ately sprang to the upper side of the boat. As the wind slack- ened, the boat righted, and stood with rapidity, across the pond. When within a little distance of a point of land projecting from the opposite shore, it came within the influence of a strong current of wind which, when high and blowing in the direction it then did, necessarily passes, from the situation of the adjacent lands, with considerable violence over that region of the pond.
"Whether attempting to heave about, to tack in order to avoid the point, or in a direct course is uncertain; but the boat immediately caught the gale, leisurely overset, filled and sank. The distance, the foaming of the water, and more particularly the terror and consternation of the young ladies in the house, prevented their observing with accuracy the remaining part of the distressing scene. They well remember, however, to have seen a part, at least, of their companions floating for some time on the water. They noticed particularly the red skirts and white bonnets of one or two of the young ladies. But whether they. sank and rose again, and how often, they cannot with certainty determine.
"The woman of the house, less affrighted than her agitated guests, encouraged them for some time, with the undoubted prospect, as the gentlemen were swimmers and they appeared to be nigh the shore, of their getting safe to land. They soon, however, lost all hope of their escape-for, to their inex- pressible astonishment, they perceived them beginning to
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disappear, one after another, till at length nothing was to be seen but a solitary hat or two floating upon the surface of the water.
"They were overset about 6 o'clock. There was no help at hand, the place where they were was difficult of access, on account of swamps and brush, and there being no boat short . of an adjacent pond. In consequence of these and other im- pediments, the bodies all lay in the water till nearly 8 o'clock, when Mr. Leonard Bliss and Mr Johnson were taken out, and a short time after Miss Warriner. But with all the remedies resorted to under existing disadvantageous circumstances, no signs of returning life appeared. In the morning of the next day, Mr. Gordon Bliss and Miss Asenath Bliss were found. Constant search was made for Miss Merrick. On the second day of May the five above mentioned were interred. The most unwearied exertions continued to be made for a number of days by a large body of men, with a variety of instruments. Their uncommon and persevering engagedness urged them to the herculean labor of draining the pond of its vast quantity of water; but all in vain. At length, on the morning of the 15th of May, when all attempts to recover her were in a great measure given over as fruitless, the body was discovered by travelers, drifting before a gentle breeze toward the shore where it had a short time before taken its fatal departure. The body was entire, but had become very tender, none of the features of the face were retained, and soon after exposure to the air it became bloated and discolored. It was interred the morning after.
"The depth of water where the boat went down was more than 20 feet, and the distance from shore about six or seven rods. Why three swimmers, and two of them good ones, should not only suffer the three young ladies to drown, but likewise to drown themselves so nigh land, has been a subject of various conjecture. It has been thought probable, by some, that one or two, at least, of the gentlemen were impeded in their exer- tions, by attempts to save the ladies, and some circumstances seem to favor the supposition, but no decided evidence of it was discovered. Mr. Johnson belonged in Tolland, Conn., the others were all of the North society in Wilbraham. Three of them were children of Mr. Levi Bliss, and were buried in one grave; one of them a daughter of Dr. Samuel F. Merrick, and the other a daughter of the Widow Mary Warriner. The young men were between 20 and 30 and the young ladies between 15 and 16 years of age. Man also knoweth not his time; as the
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fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them."
So runs the story of the great tragedy of Wilbraham. All the surrounding towns sent help to assist in recovering the body of Abigail Merrick of whom it was said "The Lord hath given her burial; let be." A ditch was cut through the open fields, leading off to the west, which must have lowered the water at least one foot, and still remains as an outlet to the pond. The water now flows into the Chicopee, instead of the Connecticut River. A heavy cannon was drawn from Springfield with the hope that the concussion caused by firing it might bring the body to the surface. The shadows of mid-afternoon were lengthening across the fields, when the lolling dust-covered oxen dragged the heavy cannon on to an elevation west of the pond, and its mighty voice called again and again across the dark waters for the dead to arise. The long reverberations, rolling far away to the south- ward, sounded to the listening dwellers along the mountain side, like the tolling of some monster funeral bell, for the buried of the Lord. But the sleeper heeded not, nor heard the call and undisturbed slept on. The waters were not yet willing to give up their secret. The excitement wore itself away in the general conviction that Abigail Merrick had found her final sepulcher. On the morning of the sixteenth day after the accident, two travelers passing along the old Bay Road, saw something float- ing out in the center of the pond. A gentle south wind was wafting it slowly shoreward, and the long-hidden body was soon brought, by willing hands, safely to land, and is now laid side by side with much kindred dust.
To add to the woe of this God-fearing people, their pastor was absent, and the funeral services for the five were conducted by Rev. Charles Backus of Somers, Conn. Rev. Mr. Witter, the pastor, preached two memorial sermons the following Sunday, May 12. Sickness prevented his being with Dr. Merrick's family when Miss Merrick was recovered from the water, and her funeral was conducted by a Rev. Mr. Vermilyes
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the morning of May 16. This event made such a profound impression throughout this region, that the boat was placed on a wagon, draped in black, and taken through many of the towns of the Connecticut valley.
If you will search among the headstones near the center of the old Adams burial ground, you may there read on the moss- grown lettered stones, this same story.
"In memory of Miss Mary Daughter of Dn. Noah and Mrs Mary Warriner Was drowned in a pond in Wilbraham together with five others on the 29 of April 1799 in the 16 year of her age. Bost not thyself of tomorrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth."
The footstone bears a carved six-petaled flower about the following inscription :-
" Miss M. W. 1799."
The inscription on Miss Merrick's stone reads :-
"Abigail Dautr of Doc Samuel F. Merrick & Mrs Sarah his wife was drowned with five others in a Pond three miles from this place April 29th 1799. In the 16 year of her age, and after lying in the water more than fifteen days was taken out and is here interred."
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The inscription on the stone of the Bliss children follows :-
"In memory of three unfortinate Children of Mr Levi and Mrs Martha Bliss. Viz Gordon aged 28 Leonard 22 Asenath 16 years who were drowned in nine mile pond in this town April 29. A. D. 1799.
Pleasant they lived, nor did their pleasure cloy;
Each day presented some new scene of joy.
By nature near, nearer by love allyd, No chance could part them nor stern death devide. Together they their hapless fate bemoaned.
Together languished and together groaned:
Together too, the unbodied spirits fled,
And sought the unknown regions of the dead."
About 1870, I discovered a copy of the following "Ode," in an album once owned by Esther M. Isham and probably copied into it about 1850. About 1860, I saw another copy, which I think is the same, then in the possession of Gilbert S. Atchinson.
AN ODE
Hark! hear the tidings, Wilbraham in mourning. Girded in sackcloth, and her cries ascending;
Fathers and mothers weeping for their children, Deep in the billows.
Six youthful persons, for their own diversion, See them a-hastening to a pond for sailing; As soon embarked, see them plunged headlong; Sight how affecting.
Oh the distraction of the few beholders, Just now a-pleading for a passage with them, Now hear them screaming, running, crying, Cannot relieve them.
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Now see them sinking, rising, floating; Death seizes on them, tender life is yielding; Now see them sinking watery tombs receive them; Rising no more.
Now tidings spread, now clothes the street in mourning; See horses running, men and women flying; Each heart is pained and the ground bedewed With flowing tears.
Oh the distraction of the tender parents! See them advancing, overwhelmed in sorrow; Read in their faces anguish in their bosoms, Pleading within them.
See them in anguish walking the mournful shore, Looking and wishing, had they arms to reach them, Willing to plunge the watery mansions for them. Prudence refuses.
Now grief within them struggles for a passage; Crys out in anguish, Jesus send thine angels With some refreshing waters from the fountain, Or we shall perish.
While some are mourning others are a-sounding, Searching the bottom for the drowned bodies; Deep from the watery tombs they quickly raise them. One still remains.
Now on the mournful shore the corpses are lying, Just now all action, little thinking danger, Now hearing judgment from the great Redeemer, Not to be altered.
Oh see the parents bending o'er the bodies; See tender mothers wipe their drowned faces. Oh say, Spectators, did you read the anguish Wrote in their faces?
Are these our children? Oh how cold and lifeless, Death, dust and ashes, cold as clay their faces. Mothers sit in silence, sleep in death's embraces But still our passions.
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Wisdom hath mingled this cup of trembling; May we not murmur, but with patience drink it; Parents of heaven, while we wade the billows, Hold us from sinking.
Just are Thy dealings, Thy decrees eternal, Let not sinful mortals question wisdom; Never wish to turn a leaf of heaven's secrets, Waiting contented.
Graves are prepared and the day appointed, Thousands attend the solemn day of mourning, While from the desk a solemn warning given, Each heart is bleeding.
Once more behold the poor, distressed mourners; See them approaching near the breathless bodies; Read in their faces the tender ties of parents, Mingling their sorrows.
See them advancing to the silent mansions. In solemn order see the string of coffins Borne up by bearers and a train of mourners Following in tears.
Farewell our children, till the great archangel Shakes the creation with the trump of heaven, Then hope to meet your children, joined with saints and angels, Hail the Redeemer.
In an account of this sad event, written by Miss E. O. Beebe, and published recently, is the following "Ode."
Behold God shake His awful hand Over the town of Wilbraham. And there He let stern Justice fly And winged Vengeance from on high. He makes ye mortals for to know Where He commands His wrath shall go; And may ye tremble at that day When He did snatch your friends away.
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That day the sun in splendor rose To wake each soul from its repose. It was in April ninety-nine, These few young maidens did combine. A visit they had planned to make And for that end their way did take To Mr Bliss's in the street Where they in harmony did meet. And being young they sought to speed Not knowing what God had decreed. A sailing voyage they did propose And there each one their party chose. Now Mr Gordon Bliss made one, With him Miss Nabby Merrick run. And Miss Asenath Bliss made three, With her Miss Warriner did agree.
These four, they ran with hasty speed, While Leonard Bliss before did ride. And these across the lots set out While others went another route. How swift and dreadful was their flight From Mr Bliss's out of sight: At length they came unto the shore And viewed their pleasure as before.
These their companions did outrun. At length unto the boat they came And they with Johnson leaped in And hoisted sail up to the wind. With fresh delight and pleasant breeze They ran across their little seas. And in attempting to turn 'round A gale of wind did cast them down.
Oh solemn, solemn, solemn scenes! To hear their screeches and their screams While sinking down beneath the waves And drinking death in gasping graves! Oh, Lord, how must those creatures feel When their dear souls began to reel, And their companions on the shore, To see them sink to rise no more?
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There each of them they lost their breath In the cold, icy arms of death. And bid a long and last farewell To all this side of heaven and hell. To gain their lives was all their aim,
But all attempts did prove in vain:
It was an instance very rare That three good swimmers drownded there.
Not more than six yards from the shore On the next day they found two more.
From neighboring towns vast numbers met The sorrowing mourners for to greet
And take a final, last survey
Of the pale lumps of lifeless clay.
Now there is one was left behind,
Miss Nabby Merrick was confined.
Her body under water lay Until the revolving sixteenth day.
Both day and night they searched around But nothing of her could be found, Until some travelers passing by, They saw her on the water lie. She was conveyed back to the town And laid in the cold and silent ground.
And so the sad story is concluded.
A brief account of the efforts to increase the fish supply of this pond may be of interest.
On January 10th, 1871, the State of Massachusetts leased the pond to Mr. B. F. Bowles of Springfield for ten years. He put about 50 black bass, of small size, in the pond. The lease became void. On March 1st, 1877, the town took a lease for 15 years, and at the next town meeting appropriated $150 for stocking the pond with new fish, and elected a committee to attend to the business. On May 5, 1877, about 6000 land- locked salmon fry were procured from the State Commissioners and placed in the pond, and in October of the same year, 27 black bass, of an average weight of one and one-half pounds
1
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each, were procured of Mr. Robert Holmes of Wareham, Mass., and placed in the pond in good condition.
The total expense was $118.40. All fishing in the pond was prohibited for four years, and then only allowed to residents of the town who had procured a permit from the Fish Com- missioners of the town. In 1881, fishing was permitted on Thursday of each week from July 1st, to November 1st. One hundred and four permits were issued. Each permit included the family of the holder, and about two-thirds of those who received a permit made a return of the number of pounds of fish caught, with the following result.
Pounds of bass caught, 581/2 Pounds of pickerel caught, 121 Pounds of other fish, 84
Total amount returned, 26312 pounds.
Some very large black bass, weighing from five to twelve pounds, were caught in 1881 and 1882. I do not know that any land-locked salmon were ever caught there. After a few years the lease was abandoned.
The Fish Committee were, Chauncey E. Peck, Calvin G. Robbins, Samuel M. Bliss.
In the year 1894, The Springfield Bicycle Club erected a club house on the east side of the pond. The name of the club was afterwards changed to Manchonis Club. And so the original name of the pond, "Manchonis Pond," is preserved.
In recent years some ten or fifteen bungalows, or summer houses, have been erected on the westerly side of the pond, and on the northerly side of the peninsula which juts out from the east side of the pond, near its center, making quite a change in its general appearance.
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THE MARCUS LYON MURDER
Only a few months more than six years after the sad accident at Nine Mile Pond, occurred the horrid murder of Marcus Lyon.
None of the principals in the affair were residents of this town, but the crime was committed here, on the old Bay Road, about one-third of a mile east of the present Railroad Station.
The two men who committed the murder were traveling from Boston to New York. "They lodged in Western (now Warren) on the night of November 8th. On the forenoon of the next day they called at a Store in Palmer, near the meeting house, and took some spirit in a canister; about two miles from this towards Wilbraham they soon called at a Tavern and drank." (There was a tavern across the road from the "Washington Elm.") These two men were seen traveling with great speed towards Springfield, and when they arrived there, "they directed their course to the lower ferry. ... They called for some hasty refreshment at a tavern in the upper part of Suffield, and then pushed on to Picket's tavern in Windsor, where they remained over night. On Sunday morning they started early and had breakfast in Hartford. On Tuesday morning they were in Greenwich, and at Cross-Cob harbor, where they had bespoke a passage to New York, by water, to sail shortly. While they were there the pursuers came up and arrested them. ... They were from Tuesday until Saturday on their way from Boston to Wilbraham, a distance of about 80 miles. And from the afternoon of Saturday to the forenoon of Tues- day, when they were arrested, they had travelled about 130 miles. . .. (or) at the rate of nearly 50 miles a day. ... April 24, 1806, in the morning, the trial commenced in the meeting- house, in Northampton, which was insufficient to hold the crowd collected from various quarters." A preliminary hearing of the case was held in the "Town House" at Springfield on the Friday after they were arrested, where they were ordered to be committed for trial before a regular session of the Court. I have gathered the above items from a long account of the affair, published by Ezekiel Terry about 1810.
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The men who found the body of the murdered man in the river, were M. K. Bartlett and P. Bliss. It was found "about 9 o clock in the evening of Sunday Nov. 10th 1805, and was conveyed in a waggon to the Stage house, occupied by Asa Calkins."
I now copy part of an account, published at, or near the time, and republished in a History of Massachusetts about 1835.
The following is from the Massachusetts Spy (Worcester) November 20th, 1805.
"Mr Thomas Jun. Sir.
I have written the following at the earnest request of the relatives of the deceased. Please to give it a place in your paper, and you will gratify the public, and discharge a duty which humanity imposes.
Your real friend Z. L. L.
HORRID MURDER AND ROBBERY
"Mr. Marcus Lyon, a young man of peculiar respectability, about 23 years of age, left his friends in Woodstock, Conn., last March, and went to Cazenovia, N. Y., and labored through the season. As he was on his return to his native place, mounted on an excellent horse, he was attacked by two merci- less ruffians in Wilbraham, on the Springfield turnpike road, between the gate and Sikes tavern, on the 9th inst, about 2 o'clock P. M., and there murdered in the most barbarous manner. The circumstances attending the awful scene are almost too shocking to humanity to relate. It is supposed from the best circumstantial evidence, that the unfortunate · young gentleman was first shot with a pistol; but the assassins, perceiving the wound not fatal (as the ball was afterwards found on the outside of his ribs) fell upon him like blood- hounds, and with a club and breech of the pistol mangled and lacerated his head in a most savage and barbarous manner. The upper part of his head over the cerebrum, and also over his left eye, was indented with wounds, evidently made with the cock of the pistol, and the back part, against the cerebellum, was all mashed to a pulp. They beat him till the guard of the pistol flew off and the ramrod was knocked out, which were afterwards found lying on the fatal spot. Having thus far gratified their infernal disposition, they robbed him of his
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pocket-book (how much money it contained we are not able to inform), then threw him over the wall, dragged him a few rods to Chicopee river, and there deposited him, and placed large flat stones upon his head to prevent his rising. Without delay they next conveyed the horse through a small piece of wood to a sequestered enclosure, and then turned him loose, with saddle, saddle-bags and bridle on, and then went on. Soon after the horse was found and taken up; the neighbors conjectured he had by accident gotten away from some place where his rider had hitched him, and supposed that inquiry would soon be made for him, it being Saturday in the afternoon. They waited till Sunday morning but, alas! no rider appeared! The alarm spread. The woods, fields, and every bye corner were searched, and át evening they found the corpse close by the edge of the river, with all his clothes on, mittens on his hands, and his great coat wrapped about his head, with a large stone pressing him to the bottom. The pistol was found on the brink, broken to pieces. The young man's hat, new and unharmed was discovered under a small bridge, near the spot. The corpse was conveyed to a neighboring house, and the inhabitants paid that peculiar attention which sympathy alone can dictate and gratitude reward. The remains were conveyed to Woodstock on Tuesday, and the funeral attended on Wednesday, when the Rev. Abiel Ledoyt addressed the assembly from Mark 13. 33: The grief of the mourners, the numbers convened, and the tears that profusely flowed, presented a scene which we con- clude has never had a parallel in these our inland towns. The villains who perpetrated the awful crime are supposed to be two foreigners in sailors dress, who were seen that day by a number of people making their way towards Springfield. One particular circumstance tends much to strengthen the sus- picion. A lad, about 13 years of age, being sent after some hogs in the woods, near the place of the murder, happened to come out into the road, within two or three rods of two men in sailor habit. He declared under oath before the jury of inquest, that before he got out of sight of them, he saw one mount the same horse which was afterwards found, and ride him up the hill into the woods, while the other stood with a new cudgel in his hand leaning upon the wall. The same persons, according to the description, were soon after observed travelling in great haste towards Springfield. We are happy to learn that his excellency Governor Strong issued a proclamation offering a reward of five hundred dollars for the detection of the villains, and that the high Sheriff of Hampshire County greatly inter-
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