USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Amherst > The history of the town of Amherst, Massachusetts, pt 2 > Part 2
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The town, at its annual meeting in March, 1890, voted to give the use of a part of the school-lot purchased at the " City " to the society. During the year 1890, the town paid $50 for street-lamps at the "City." At a meeting held Feb. IS, 1890, it was voted to buy five lamps. A committee was appointed to solicit money for concrete walks. April 9, 1890, the executive committee was instructed to build a sidewalk "from the railroad crossing north to the north line of Mr. Chandler's land." Nov. 11, 1890, it was voted to use the money received from sale of grass on the school- house grounds to fit up the grounds.' Voted, also, to continue the side- walk south from the railroad crossing. During the year the society spent $82.94 for street lamps and $116.86 for sidewalks. The town, at its annual meeting in March, 1895, voted to give the use of the common at the " City " to the society; the society voted to accept the trust under the conditions imposed. The society has continued, from year to year, the building of sidewalks as its funds permitted.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF AMHERST, MASS.
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CHAPTER XLVIII.
PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS .- STREET LIGHTING .- THE INTRODUCTION OF GAS .- THE AMHERST GAS CO .- ELECTRIC LIGHTING .--- CON- CRETE WALKS .-- WATER SUPPLY .- THE FIRST SURVEY .- THE AMHERST WATER CO .-- SPRING WATER CO .- SEWERS.
In glancing backward, it is interesting to note how short is the period of tinie covering the introduction into Amherst of a series of public improve- ments and conveniences which, unknown till recent date, are now accounted indispensable to the welfare of the town and its inhabitants. Street-lights, concrete walks, running water, sewers, a town hall, street-sprinkling. all these are, in Amherst, the products of the last quarter century.
Up to the year 1873, Amherst had no system of public street-lighting. A few public-spirited individuals maintained at their own expense oil-lamps in front of their residences, which served but to accentuate the surround- ing gloom. As the Amherst Gas company has been a prominent factor in solving the problem of street-lighting, it seems advisable to give a brief sketch of that organization in connection with this subject. The Amherst Record, under date of Aug. 6, 1868, announced that some months since a number of citizens had met and talked over the subject of introducing gas in the village. A committee was appointed to see if the trustees of the two colleges would introduce gas in the college buildings. At a meeting held Sept. 4, 1868, a committee was appointed to canvass the village and ascertain how many lights would be taken. The business was placed in charge of C. L. Storrs. March 3, 1870, the Record announced that move- ments were in process to secure from the Legislature authority for formning a gas company in the village. March 23, of the same year, the General Court passed an act incorporating Edward Dickinson, W. S. Clark, H. F. Hills and others as the Amherst Gas Light company. So far as can be ascertained there was no organization effected under the charter.
At a special town-meeting, held Sept. 13, 1873, the town instructed its selectmen to purchase lamps and lamp-posts, to be erected at their discre- tion in the center village, at a cost not exceeding $200. The selectmen announced, in their report for the year ending March 1, 1874, that they had put in ten lamp-posts and lamps. The latter were kept lighted every night except when the moon was bright. To quote from the report : " We
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AMHERST GAS COMPANY.
find they are a great comfort to our policemen in their perambulations, and a convenience to the citizens outside, as well as to those living in the imme- diate center." The expense of the ten lights was $206.46 ; the selectmen recommended that six more be put in. Oil and gasoline were burned in these lamps. The next year, and for several years thereafter, the appro- priation for street lights was joined with that for night police, and a part of the policeman's duties was to light, care for and put out the lamps.
Aug. 19, 1875, a meeting was held at the office of W. A. Dickinson to consider the matter of introducing gas in town. Several thousand dollars were subscribed and a committee was chosen to circulate subscription papers. It was proposed to organize a company with a capital stock of $15,000. The necessary capital could not be secured and the project was given up for the time. Aug. 20, 1877, a memorandum of agreement was drawn up and signed by 14 persons, who proposed to form a corporation under the name of the Amherst Gas company, for the manufacture and sale of gas. The capital stock was placed at $5,000, divided into 50 shares of SIoo each ; the number of subscribers to this stock was 17. An organ- ization was effected Sept. 24, when the following officers were elected : Directors, H. F. Hills, L. D. Hills, J. H. Seelye, D. W. Palmer, W. A. Dickinson ; clerk and treasurer, C. H. Mann. The directors met the same day and elected H. F. Hills president of the company. By-laws were adopted, and it was voted to buy of H. F. Hills land on College street for a station. At a meeting held Oct. 1, it was voted to employ N. H. Lee as superintendent. Work on the mains was begun immediately. The direc- tors having carefully considered the matter, decided to use oil instead of coal as gas-producing material. The main pipe first laid was a little more than one mile in length. The gas was let into the main for the first time Nov. 1, 1877, and that evening there was a grand illumination of the straw hat factories. The works cost about $2,500, the mains about as much more. The oil-tank held 30 barrels of naphtha, the gasometer had a capacity of 32,000 gallons. In August, 1879, the company voted to extend its mains to College hall. July 12, 1880, it was voted to increase the capital stock $5,000, subscriptions to the increase being open only to those who were then stockholders. In September, 1881, it was voted to extend the mains north on Pleasant street.
Feb. 27, 1882, the company voted to authorize its president and treas- urer to make a contract with the town to furnish gas for street-lamps on such terms as they deemed advisable. The town, at its annual meeting in March, 1883, voted to authorize the selectmen to contract with the Amherst Gas company for gas for street lamps at a cost not exceeding $8 per post per year, the town to pay the expense of making connection with the gas-
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF AMHERST, MASS.
mains. During the year next succeeding, thirteen oil-lights were changed to gas and five new lights put in at an expense to the town of $106.36 for making connections. The selectmen adopted the policy of making con- nections wherever petitioned for when the lamp-post was furnished at expense of the petitioner, if the public convenience would be promoted thereby. The town paid to the Amherst Gas company, for street lights, in 1884, $216.15; in 1885, $241.71 ; in 1886, $254-34 ; in 1887, $302.38 : in 1888, $419.70. At a special meeting held April 17, 1888, the town voted to put in ten additional street lights, appropriating $100 to defray the expense. The selectmen. in their report for the year ending Feb. 15, 1889, stated that there were at that time 42 gas street-lamps, and that by agreement among themselves $16, the price of two gas-lights, had been allowed to North Amherst, and the Village Improvement society had main- tained 20 street-lamps at that place.
At a meeting held Nov. 10, 1884, the Amherst Gas company voted to increase its capital stock 60 per cent .; this vote was rescinded at a meet- ing held Nov. 9, 1885, and again passed, Nov. 14, 1887. A meeting of the directors was held Nov. 19, 1888, to discuss the matter of engaging in the electric light business. This was followed, Dec. 10, by a stock- holders' meeting, when it was voted that the company would engage in the business of generating electricity for light and power if authority for so · doing be granted, and the clerk was directed to petition the gas commis- : sioners for that authority. In December, 1888, the selectmen granted permission to the Thomson-Houston company to erect poles and string wires in the town streets and ways, on condition that they should maintain, free of expense to the town, one arc-light of 1200-candle-power, to be located by the selectmen. The plant was put in in the spring of ISS9. and the electric current was turned on for the first time April 13. The company furnished for several months four arc-lights without expense to the town. In January, 1889, the Amherst Gas company petitioned the gas commissioners for permission to engage in the business of electric lighting. The petition being granted, the company applied to the selectmen for a street franchise to erect poles and string wires. A similar petition was presented by the Weston Electric Light company. After exhaustive hear- ings the selectmen decided in May to grant both franchises.
The Amherst Gas company voted, Feb. 9, 1889, to reduce its capital stock to $10,000. May 17, 1889, the treasurer was directed to arrange for an agent of the Westinghouse Electric company to come to Amherst and give estimates on the cost of putting in a lighting plant under that system. May 25, the company voted to buy the property of the Thomson-Houston Electric company if a price could be agreed upon, or to sell its own prop- erty to the latter company at an agreed price. June 11, 1889, the Gas
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ELECTRIC LIGHTING.
company appointed D. W. Palmer, H. F. Hills and E. D. Bangs a com- mittee, with power to buy the property of the Thomson-Houston company, or to contract with the Westinghouse Electric company and the Otto Engine company for an electric plant and power, also to contract for buildings for the same. At a stockholders' meeting held Aug. 5, the president was authorized in the name of the company to make a contract for an electric lighting plant of a capacity of not less than 300 lights of 16-candle-power each, at a cost not exceeding $S,ooo, and to lease land for a building near the gas-works.
Sept. 2, 1889, at a stockholders' meeting, the Gas company voted to buy the plant of the Thomson-Houston company for $17,000. The plant as bargained for did not include the boiler, engine or arc-light dynamo. Sept. 4, it was voted to issue $15,000 in bonds, secured by mortgage on all the company's property. Sept. 16, at a stockholders' meeting, it was voted to increase the capital stock to $25,000, the 150 shares of new stock to be sold at auction and the proceeds used in paying for the electric light plant. The directors were authorized to issue bonds of the company to an amount not exceeding the capital stock, the proceeds to be used in the extension and improvement of the company's works and in paying the funded debt. Oct. 7, the new stock was sold at auction, at $100 per share, the par value. Oct. 8, the Gas company voted to offer the town a system of incandescent lights of 25-candle-power, to burn, except on moonlight evenings, until II P. M., for $12 per light per year. Oct. 22, this proposi- tion was again voted, with the added specification that 50 lights be taken, that if used until morning the price should be $16 per year, and that the company should give the town free of expense ten per cent. of the lights contracted for.
Oct. 26, the company authorized its president to build and fully equip a central station for electric lighting, having a capacity for a 1500-light apparatus. It was also voted to offer the town five 25-candle-power incan- descent lights in place of the one arc-light, which the Thomson-Houston company guaranteed to maintain in return for its street franchise. The selectmen made the counter-proposition that the company should furnish seven 32-candle-power lights in place of the one arc-light; this was accepted by the company, Dec. 13. Sept. 29, 1893, the company authorized its president to make a contract for the rental of an arc-light apparatus. This apparatus was secured and put in, and shortly afterward the company made a proposition to the town to furnish nine arc-lights, to be located at different points in the center village, to burn from sunset until midnight, for six months, dating from Dec. I, for $475. The selectmen accepted the proposition, the newlights enabling them to dispense with 14 gas-lights. During the year 1893, the town expended the following sums for street-
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF AMHERST, MASS.
lighting : At the center, including arc-lights for six months, $1,012 : at North Amherst, $200 ; at North Amherst " City," $100 ; at South Amherst, $30 ; at East Amherst, $60; at Mill Valley $6. At a special town-meet- ing held April 21, 1894, the town authorized its selectmen to make a five- years' contract on behalf of the town, with the Amherst Gas company, for lighting the principal streets. The selectmen signed a written contract providing for 21 arc-lights at $90 each per year ; they also made a verbal contract for 22 incandescent lights, for $450 per year, the latter to take the place of the gas-lights. The new incandescent lights were put in in June, 1894. During the year 1895. the town expended $2,807.96 for street lighting, of which sum $2,530.30 was paid to the Amherst Gas company. At the annual meeting in March, 1896, the town appropriated $2,900 for street lights, and a special appropriation of $400, or so much as might be needed, for putting in arc-lights on High, Gray and Pleasant streets. The Gas company's office, which was located for many year in the Savings bank building, was removed in March, 1896, to convenient and commodious quarters in Hunt's block.
CONCRETE WALKS.
While the matter of highways was one of the first to engage the attention of the settlers in Hadley Third Precinct, neither they nor their descendants for several generations gave time or labor to the construction or repair of sidewalks. Highways were a necessity, sidewalks a conven- ience. Doubtless there were individuals who, even in the earlier years of the settlement, built and maintained good sidewalks in front of their residences, but the town, as a town, gave them no assistance. There is no mention of public sidewalks in the town records until 1869 ; the town, at its annual meeting in March of that year, appropriated $500 for side- walks, of which sum only about $70 was expended during the year. The following year $500 was appropriated and $511.28 expended. In 1871, the appropriation for sidewalks was $300, the money being spent in con- nection with the work upon the highways. During the year 1871, over $1, 100 was spent by the town upon its sidewalks; the amount expended during the year ending March 1, 1874, was about $300.
The first public concrete walks in Amherst were laid in 1876. The selectmen, in their report to the town for the year ending March 1, state that some enterprising, public-spirited person had offered to donate $500 for concrete walks if the town would raise and appropriate a like amount. The sum of $1,000 thus secured was to be used in paying one-half the expense of concrete walks, the other half to be paid by owners of property abutting on the walks where laid. The citizen to whom Amherst is indebted
مكة هند سه
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CONCRETE WALKS.
for the foundation of its present very excellent system of concrete walks was Julius H. Seelye. The selectmen were overwhelmed with petitions from persons who readily agreed to pay one-half the expense of construct- ing sidewalks in front of their property. As these petitions called for more walks than money had been raised to build, the selectmen used their discretion in granting them, laying the walks in different parts of the town where it was thought the public convenience would best be served. During the year over 3,000 yards of walks were laid, besides a walk across the common from the post-office to Spring street, which was paid for by private subscription. The work was done by C. W. Lyman & Co. of Brookline. During the year ending March 1, 1878, 2,400 yards of con- crete walk were laid. The town laid a walk on Main street from the First National Bank building to the residence of Mrs. Stevens, which was con- tinued by private enterprise to the Second Congregational church. A walk was laid by individuals from W. W. Hunt's store to College hall. During the year next following, over 3,000 yards of walks were laid, on Pleasant, Amity, Main and Northampton streets.' Several street cross- walks were laid, including one at North Amherst. The work for the year was done by J. M. Harris, a local contractor. In 1879, walks were con- structed on Pleasant, Amity and College streets.
The town, in 18So, appropriated $1,000 for concrete walks. During the year over 4,000 yards of new walks were laid at the center village, 600 yards at North Amherst and 700 yards at East Amherst. The share of the appropriation intended for use at South Amherst was not expended as no petitions were received for walks in that section. Of the walks laid at the center, individuals paid three-fourths of the expense. The town accepted the sidewalk law passed by the General Court in 1874, confer- ring upon the town the privilege to assess upon abuttors a percentage of the cost of walks. Under this act the adjoining real estate may be held for the payment of a sidewalk assessment if the latter does not exceed one per cent. of the property's valuation. In ISSI, the sidewalk appropriation was but $500, so less work was accomplished than during the preceding year. In 1882, the appropriation was $500, of which sum $1oo was spent at North Amherst and $67 at East Amherst, the remainder at the center. A walk was built in front of the Amity-street school-house lot. In 1887, the town appropriated Sioo for concrete walks at South Amherst. In 1888, the greater part of the appropriation was spent in repairs, many of the walks having been badly injured by frost. In 1889, extensive repairs were made on old walks, and new ones were laid on Amity, Mcclellan, Orchard, Triangle and South Pleasant streets at the center, and at North Amherst. In 1892, several new walks were laid. At the annual meeting in March, 1896, the town appropriated $1,000 for concrete walks. A town
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF AMHERST, MASS.
by-law was passed in 1881, compelling abuttors to remove ice and snow from the concrete walks in front of their property.
WATER SUPPLY.
The matter of procuring for the town a supply of running water, to be used for domestic purposes and for extinguishing fires, was first brought before the town in 1870. At a special meeting held Sept. 6, a committee of six was appointed to consider the matter of providing suitable apparatus for extinguishing fires for all parts of the town ; also to consider the feasibility of bringing water into the town by aqueduct, for the use of a fire depart- ment and other purposes. The members of this committee were Ransom Cowles, E. F. Cook, O. S. Longley, William Conkey, Prof. J. H. Seelye, Prof. S. F. Miller. The Amherst Record, under date of Jan. 25, 1871, contains an abstract of this committee's report, prepared by Prof. Miller. Four plans were submitted for introducing running water in town. The first was that water should be obtained from a spring in Pelham; the second, to force water from the river at Mill Valley by means of a hydraulic ram ; the third, to force water from the river near Burnham's mill at East Amherst ; the fourth, to put in an artesian well. The expense of either one of the first three plans was estimated at from $20,000 to $25,000. The committee presented their report to the town at its annual meeting in March, 1871. Of the four plans suggested they favored that of procuring water from certain springs in Pelham. These were three and one-third miles from the Amherst house, afforded a supply of So gallons per minute, and were situated at a sufficient height to carry water 15 feet above the top of the Amherst College chapel tower. A reservoir could be built for $5,000, and the expense of bringing the water into town would be from $20,000 to $30;000. After this report had been considered and discussed, a motion was made that the General Court be petitioned for authority to purchase the water privilege in Pelham and introduce the water in Amherst, but it was voted down.
It was not until the great fire of 1879 had demonstrated how power- less the village was to protect itself against conflagrations that the project of introducing running water into town was revived. The fire occurred the morning of July 4; on the evening, of July 15 a mass-meeting of citi- zens was held in Palmer's hall to consider the water question. The principal address at the meeting was delivered by Julius H. Seelye. He presented a statement of the results of the investigation undertaken by the committee appointed by the town in 1870. He was satisfied that an abundant water supply could be obtained in Pelham. Since the fire he had written to Messrs. Goodhue & Birnie of Springfield, who made a business of constructing water-works. They had visited Amherst and made a survey
CHASE'S BLOCK.
CASH ROW.
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AMHERST WATER CONPANY.
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along the route suggested by the committee in 1870. As a result of this survey they had made a proposition to build a reservoir, put in a 12-inch main from the latter to Palmer's block, lay other mains as per schedule, complete the plant and keep it in repair for three years at their expense, at a total cost of $40,000. Four plans were suggested to bring the water into town, first, that the town should do the work; second, to form a fire district ; third, to form a stock company ; fourth, to let outside parties put in the work on their own responsibility. President Seelye considered the plan of forming a stock company the most desirable. After considerable discussion subscriptions were called for and over $10,000 was subscribed. A committee of ten was appointed to investigate the whole matter of water supply.
As a result of this meeting a water company was organized in July, 1879, with a capital of $40,000. Goodhue & Birnie agreed to take any amount of the capital stock from $100 to $30,000, or would assume the whole expense conditionally and own the entire plant when completed. A little over $16,000 was subscribed to the stock by Amherst parties, leaving the controlling interest in the hands of the contractors. It was decided to build the dam for the reservoir on land owned by W. A. Magill, about one-half mile from the Orient house. The pipe to be used was a combination of iron and cement, which had been tried in other places with results that were considered highly satisfactory. It consisted of a thick sheet-iron plate, with cement upon both sides. Preparations were made in August for manufacturing this pipe in Amherst. A building 60 x 25 feet was erected south of the Amherst Gas company's plant and machinery put in for shaping the iron plates. The inner coating of cement was applied near the mill of Albert Clark at East Amherst. The work on dig- ging the trenches for the mains began Sept. 2 ; the work on laying the pipe began Sept. 10. During the month of September over 100 persons were engaged in the various departments of the work.
At a special town-meeting held Nov. 13, 1879, the water company submitted a proposition that the town should put in hydrants at its own expense, the estimated cost being $50 each, and that it should pay the company $1,500 per year for use of water. A committee of 25 was appointed to examine into the matter and report at an adjourned meeting. This committee reported at a meeting held Nov. 20; it recommended that the town should pay $1,ooo for hydrants if $700 was raised from other sources, and should also pay the company $1,000 per year for ten years for the use of water for fire and other public purposes. The report was not adopted ; in its stead a vote was passed authorizing the selectmen to nego- tiate with the Water company for the use of 34 hydrants, paying $600 a year for ten years for water for fire purposes. May 1, 18So, the 12-inch
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF AMHERST, MASS.
main from the reservoir to the corner by the Amherst house was completed. At a special meeting held May 1, 1880, the town authorized its selectmen to contract with the Amherst Water company, when organized, to furnish the town with water for ten years, the price to be $1,000 per year. It was also voted to appropriate $750 for hydrants when a like sum had been secured from other sources.
The Amherst Water company secured its charter in April, 1880. The officers elected at its first meeting were : President, W. S. Clark ; secretary and treasurer, E. D. Bangs ; directors, W. S. Clark, William Birnie, W. A. Dickinson, E. F. Cook, J. H. Seelye, L. D. Hills, D. W. Palmer. During the year ISSo, the town purchased and put in four hydrants for the protec- tion of town property, one located near the high school-house, one near the Amity-street school-house, one near the lock-up and one at East Amherst. Nearly $900 was raised by individuals to pay for hydrants, and 30 were purchased and located in different parts of the town. . Since that year, new hydrants have been purchased and set in many places along the line of the water mains. The cement pipe used in the construction of these mains proved too weak to stand the tremendous pressure at East Amherst, and as a consequence many breaks in the pipes have occurred. It is probable that in a few years the company will substitute iron for the combination pipe in sections where the pressure is most severe. On the night of Aug. 23, 1883, during a severe thunderstorm, lightning struck the main at West Pelham and badly damaged the pipes for the distance of nearly a mile. The town was deprived of its water supply for nearly two months, while repairs were being made. The severe and protracted drouth during the summers of 1892 and 1893 caused the managers of the company to take measures for increasing the water supply. It was determined to build a storage reservoir further up on the south branch of the stream which supplies the main- reservoir. Work on the dam for the new reservoir was completed in May, 1894 and the pond was allowed to fill. During the drouth that prevailed in August. water from the new reservoir was let into the mains, but being drawn from the bottom of the pond and containing vegetable organic matter it smelled and tasted badly and could not be used for drinking purposes. Subsequently the water was drawn out of both the reservoirs and their beds were thoroughly cleaned. In the fall of 1893, when the drouth was very severe, a puniping station was established on Fort river at East Amherst, but the completion of the new reservoir caused it to be discontinued.
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