This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/4EB.2ACE/891 Message Board Post: Holland, Josiah Gilbert History of Western Massachusetts. The Counties of Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin & Berkshire Springfield, MA: Samuel Bowles & Company, 1855. Vol. I, 520 pp; Vol. II 619 pp, three parts. Call number 974.4, H71 History of Deerfield by Josiah Gilbert Holland, 1855 Vol. II, Part III. pages 351 - 362 Names found in this transcription: Aldrich, Allen, Allis, Amsden, Arms, Ashley, Austin Barnard, Beckwith, Bennett, Bijah, Bills, Blodget, Bradley, Braman, Buffington Calvin, Catlin, Chandler, Chase, Clark, Clarke, Cole, Cross Dalrympale, De Rouville Edwards Fairbanks, Fessenden, Field, Fisher, Frary Gillett, Green Griswold Hamilton, Hawks, Hildreth, Hitchcock, Hoyt, Hubbard Ives Jackson Lecount Martin, Moors Newton Orra Packard, Parkhurst, Pease, Perry, Pynchon Rice, Richards Sadler, Sewall, Seymour, Smith, Strong Taylor, Tyler Wells, Willard, Williams DEERFIELD. page 351 ....The history of Deefield extends back to 1663, when Eliot, the apostle to the Indians, obtained a grant from the page 352 General Court of 2,000 acres of land, now within the bounds of Natick, as a permanent settlement for his Indian converts. This tract was then within the boundaries of Dedham, and, as a compensation to the proprietors of that town, the General Court gave them 8,000 acres of unloacted land, any where they might choose, within the colony. The Dedham proprietors having entered into this agreement, sent out a committee to explore the country, and make a selection for the location of the grant. Their exploration extended over the Western part of the county of Middle- sex, and the Eastern part of the county of Worcester, but they were not satisfied with the land they found, and thus reported. Soon after this, the selectment of Dedham were miles North of Hadley, where the 8,000 acres might be located; whereupon they dispatched John FAIRBANKS and Lieut. Daniel FISHER "to discover the land, and examine it." They reported favorably, and urged that it should be taken possession of under the grant, as early as possible. The town then chose a committee to repair to Pocumtuck, (the Indian name of the locality,) and to cause the 8,000 acres to be located there. In 1665, this committee em- ployed Maj. PYNCHON of Springfield to draw the boundary near Deerfield river, a little West of the present Cheapside bridge, he continued Southerly nearly on a line now defined by the Connecticut River Railroad to the Hatfield line, thence Westerly on the Hatfield line (which was about a mile and three quarters South of the present South line of Deer- field) to the foot of the Western hills; thence Northerly, in a course parellel to those hills to Deerfield river, near "Old Fort;" thence on the river, to the point of departure. This tract was purchased of the Indians my Major PYNCHON, and conveyed in four deeds, the consideration for the sale being £94 10s. paid by the people of Dedham. In the Outline History, this grant is stated to have been made in 1669, but it would seem that the action of the General Court upon the matter that year was simply confirmatory. In 1672, it was discovered that the survey had encroached upon Hatfield, to the extent of one mile and three quaters, through the width of the grant. In accordance with a pe- tition of the people of Hatfield, the General Court that page 353 year established the South line of Deerfield where it this day remains. As a compensation for the loss thus sus- tained by the Deerfield people, the General Court granted them a tract on the North of the original grant, bounded as follows: from the mouth of Green river East one mile, and West one mile, North from each teminus three quar- ters of a mile, then directly across, inclosing a tract two miles long and three quaters of a mile wide. For the remainder, a line was begun on Deerfield river at the mouth of Plain Swamp brook, (just West of Cheapside bridge,) and then extended on a South line two miles. It will be observed that only the North and East lines are given, and it may be inferred that the design was to run the South line from the point named on Connecticut river, to the original Pocomtuck grant. A further grant was made in 1673, when, in answer to the petition of the in- habitants, the General Court granted them such an addition of territory to the original 8,000 acres, as should make a township seven miles square, "provided that an able, or- thodox minister within three years be settled among them, and that a farm of 250 acres be laid out for the country's use." The same act appointed Wm. ALLIS and others to lay out the farm, admit inhabitants, grant land, and order all their prudential affairs "till they shall be in capacity of meet persons among themselves to manage their own affairs." May 28, 1712, in answer to a petition of Rev. John WILLIAMS in behalf of the town, praying that the bounds of the town might be extended Westward nine miles into the Western woods, or "as far as Northampton and Hatfield do," that extent of land was granted. At the same time the island in the Connecticut opposite the town were granted to Mr. WILLIAMS and his heirs forever. These four grants covered 63 square miles, and included the territory now covered by Deerfield, Greenfield, Gill, Shelburne and Conway. Ashfield and Whately also are indebted to Deerfield for small portions of their ter- ritory. ....The first white settler in Deerfield was probably Sampson FRARY. He built the first house at the North end of the main street, facing the South, in 1670, or 1671. The number of original proprietors of Pcoomtuck was 27, and 30 page 354 all but five of them were from Dedham. At their first meeting held in Dedham, June 23d, 1670, a committee was chosen "to procure an artist, upon as moderate terms as may be, to lay out the losts at Pocomtuck to each proprie- tor, according to their lawful interest in each sort of land, to appoint the highways and lay out a place for the meet- ing-house, the church officers' lot," &c. The plan adopted by this committee, for laying out the house lots, and Main Street, was as follows, as it appears on the town records: - -"1st. For the situation of the town plot, it shall be on that tract of land beginning on the Southerly side, at a little brook called Eagle brook, so to extend Northerly to the bank at Sampson FRARY's cellar, so to run from the bank fronting the meadow land, Easterly to the mountain. --"2d. There shall be a street laid out, six rods in breadth, about the middle of this tract, running North and South, on both sides whereof the house lots shall be laid out, one tier of lots on said street Easterly, and another Westerly, the measure of the house lots to begin on the West range, at the North end. --"3d. There shall be three highways laid out, one at each end of the town (street) three rods in breadth, running Easterly to the mountain, and Westerly into the meadows. Another running from the middle of the town (street) Easterly into the woods and Westerly into the meadows." ....The interval land was divided into two parts, know to this day as the First and Second Divisions. These were so subdivided that each proprietor should have a just share of each. If the best parcel in the first division fell to his lot, he was to have the poorest - that is, the most remote and inaccessibel - parcel, in the second division. ....During the long period of the Indian, and French and Indian wars, Deerfield suffered more, perhaps, than any other town in the Commonwealth. The events of that peroid, in their connection with the early history of Deer- field, have been fully narrated in the Outline History, and even a recapitulation of them here would be a useless repe- tion. [*See vol. 1, pp. 84; 88 to 94; 135-6; 141-2; 148 to 157; 175-6] They were drawn almost entirely from Gen. HOYT's "Antiquarian Researches," and Rev. John WILLIAMS's "Redeemed Captive," both of them Deer- field productions; and are deemed suffciently full and re- liable. King Phillip's war drove the settlers from the town, and though, at its close, they returend, no order for its re- page 355 settlement was passed by the General Court until 1682, which is the year given as the date of the incorporation of the town. In 1703, occurred the destruction of the town, and the slaughter or captivity of its inhabitants by a force of French and Indians under Major Hertel DE ROUVILLE. The "Bars Fight" occurred in that part of Deerfield known as "The Bars" in 1746. ....The first meeting-house in Deerfield was doubtless built of logs, on a site now unknown. In 1694, it was voted to build a house "of the bigness of Hatfield house," and £140 were raised forthe purpose. This house received the wor- shippers in 1698. The people were seated by the selectmen according to their age, estate and dignity. This house stood a few rods West of the present brick church, and escaped the conflagration of the town in 1703-4. In 1728, the town voted to repair the meeting-house. In the follow- ing year, a vote was passed to build anew, and a committee was chosen to procure cake and drink for the raising. This new building stood on the common, the front being nearly on a line with the West side of the street. In 1767, it was voted to build a steeple, at the North end of the meeting- house, to be adapted to the body of the house "in the same porportion as the Northfield steeple is to the body of that house." In 1768, it was voted "that if any generous dis- posed persons are willing to shingle the meeting-house at their own expense, they have full, free and ample liberty." This house stood until 1824, when the present brick church was built, at a cost of about $6,000. ....No record of the organization of the First Church has been preserved. Rev. T. PACKARD, Jr. in his history of the churches and ministers of Franklin coutny, says that is supposed that it was formed May 17, 1686: but in the New England Geneological Register, vol. 6, page 74, occurs the following, in a copy of a diary dept by "Judge SEWALL, under the date of October 17, 1688: "Church gathered and Mr. John WILLIAMS ordained at Deerfield." This is the most reliable record to be found. Mr. WILLIAMS was born at Roxbury, December 16, 1664, and graduated at Harvard in 1686. The Outline History has already made us acquainted with his character, and the principal events of his live. After his return from captivity, he preached at Boston a sermon from the text: "Return unto thine page 356 house, and show how great thing God hath done unto thee." In connection with this, tradition has preserved this char- acteristic anecdote of him. After preaching the sermon, he had something like a call to settle in the ministry in Boston, or its vicinity, but he replied: "I must return and look after my sheep in the wilderness." He did return, and labored with his flock until June 12, 1729, when he died. ....The second pastor of this curch was Rev. Jonathan ASHLEY, who was ordained November 8, 1732. Mr. ASHLEY was a native of Westfield, and graduated at Yale in 1730. In the controversy tha prevailed in New England during his ministry, he was opposed to President EDWARDS, on the question of the qualifications for church member- ship, and was a tory in the Revolution, occasionally intro- ducing politics into his sermons. During the 48 years of his ministry at Deerfield, he officated in 249 marriages and 1,009 baptisms, and admitted 392 members to his church. His Sabbath exercises were usually long and wearisome, though Rev. John TAYLOR, his successor, says of him that "he had a discriminating mind, independence of feeling, and was a pungent and energetic preacher." He died in the pastoral office at Deerfield August 28, 1780. Rev. John TAYLOR of Westfield, a graduate of Yale in 1784, succeded him, February 14, 1787, and was dismissed on acount of the failure of his voice, August 6, 1806. Mr. TAYLOR was a conscientious believer in CALVIN and the Westminister divines, and labored with zeal to impress his views upon his people. Many of them, however, were repelled, more perhaps by the confident and authoritative manner in which his views were urged, than by the doctorines themselves. They absented themselves from public worship, and the effect seems to have been to produce in the people a wish for a successor who should entertain sentiments deemed mor liberal. During his ministry, 138 were admitted to the church, and 186 were baptized. He also solemnized 152 marriages. ....The fourth pastor was Rev. Samuel WILLARD, D .D., of Petersham, a graduate of Harvard College. He preached in Deerfield first, in March, 1807, and in May of the same year, received a call from the church to settle in the min- istry. He accepted the call, but a council, of which Rev. Roger NEWTON, D. D., of Greenfield, was moderator, and page 357 Rev. Theophillus PACKARD of Shelburne, scribe, voted "that they could not proceed to separate Mr. WILLARD to the work of the Gospel ministry." The people were not satisfied, invited Mr. WILLARD to preach longer, then gave him another invitation to settle, and he was ordained by a coun- cil called from the Eastern part of the State, September 22, 1807. Mr. WILLARD was thus over the whole town, except a few Baptist families. Some years afterwards, however, the parish was divided, in accordance with the wishes of those living in the Southern part. A number of members who were dissatisfied with Mr. WILLARD with- drew, and joined other churches, in the neighboring towns. Mr. WILLARD was a Unitarian, and the church has since be- onged to that denomination. At the close of 1818, his sight became impaired to such a degree that he has not since been able to read or write, and, in 1832, his sight was wholly lost. He continued to preach until the 22d anni- versary of his settlement, when, in accordance with his re- quest, his pastoral connection with the church was dis- olved. Dr. WILLARD has been a busy writer and compiler of books, chiefly educational. He still resides in Deerfield, ion the enjoyment of a screne old age, a happy example of patience and trust, and the subject of universal love and reverence. ....Rev. John FESSENDEN was his successor, and was ordained May 19, 1830. He was a graduate of Harvard in 1818, Dismissed March 31, 1840, he was succeeded July 21, 1841, by Rev. D. B. PARKHURST, a graduate of Yale in 1837. The settlement of Mr. PARKHURST was hailed with deep joy, which soon, however, gave place to mourning. He preached but four days and a half, and died of consumpton, Feb- ruary 16, 1842. He was succeeded by Rev. James BLODGET, a graduate of Harvard in 1841. Mr. BLODGET was ordained January 17, 1844, but his health was poor, and he was for- mally dismissed June 16, 1845. He died just a month after this, at Lexington, whither he had gone in the Spring. Rev. John F. MOORS, a graduate of Harvard in 1842, was ordained in his place January 28, 1846, and is still in office. ....The present Orthodox Church in Deerfield, as distinguished from the Orthodox Congregational churches in South Deerfield, was organized June 2d, 1835, with 18 members. Their meeting-house was built in 1838. For the first few 358 years, preaching was suppored partly by charitable aid. The first settled pastor was Rev. Henry SEYMOUR, who was settled March 1, 1843, and dismissed March 14, 1849. Mrs. SEYMOUR was a native of Hadley, and a graduate of Am- herst in 1838. He was succeeded by Re. Alfred E. IVES, September 5, 1849. Mr IVES was a native of New Haven, a graduate of Yale in 1837, and is still in office at Deer- field. ....The First Congregational Church in South Deerfield was organized June 30th, 1818, with 80 members, and built its meeting-house in 1821. The first pastor was Rev. Ben- jamin RICE of Sturbridge, a graduate of Brown University in 1808, who was installed February 10, 1819, and dis- missed June 31, 1827. He was succeeded October 3d, of the same year by Rev. Tertius S. CLARKE of Westhampton, a graduate of Yale in 1824. He was dismissed April 1, 1833, and was succeeded November 25, 1835, by Rev. Wm. M. RICHARDS of Hartford, a graduate of Williams in 1832, who remained until September 6, 1843. Rev. Abraham JACKSON of Carver was installed in his place October 22, 1845, and was dismissed June 7, 1847. He was succeeded September 4, 1850, by Rev. Moses K. CROSS of Danvers, a graduate of Amherst in 1838, who was dismissed April 30, 1854. ....The second church in South Deerfield, called the "Monument Church," was organized January 25, 1848, with seven members. Its meeting-house was built in 1848. The present number of communicants is about 80. The present pastor, Rev. David A. STRONG, was the first, and was settled March 21st, 1849. Mr. STRONG is a native of Had- dam, Ct., and graduated at Williams, in 1845. ....The Baptist Church in Deerfield was organized in that part of the town called Wisdom, February 26th, 1787, and in 1792, the church voted itself "The First Baptist Church of Christ in Deerfield and Shelburne." August 24, 1832, the church was divided, and March 25th, 1833, the Deer- field branch took the name of the Baptist Church of Deer- field. Among the preachers who early supplied the church were Rev. Messrs. BECKWITH, GREEN, COLE, HAMILTON and BENNETT. Since then, the following preachers have supplied the Baptists at Widsom: Rev. Messrs. Tristam page 359 ALDRICH, AUSTIN, ORRA, MARTIN, DALRYMPLE, George B. BILLS, Milo FRARY and W. A. PEASE. ....The Methodist Church at South Deerfield was organized in the spring of 1843. The following have been the preach- ers: Rev. Messrs. F. A. GRISWOLD, W. A. BRAMAN, L. B. CLARK, R. P. BUFFINGTON, C. A. PERRY, John SMITH, W. F. LECOUNT AND W. M. HUBBARD. ....In the Revolutionary struggle, the two parties in Deer- field were nearly balanced as to numbers, property and weight of character. By the town records, it appears that now the whigs, and now the tories, were in the majority. Mr. ASHLEY was a tory, as has already been stated, and when the whigs were in the majority, they refused to vote him his fire wood. It would appear that the town answered to the requisitions made upon it, by the usual votes. ....The men of note who have orginated in Deerfield have been many, but only a few can be noticed. Rev. Stephen WILLIAMS, D. D., the first minister of Longmeadow, was a native of Deerfield. Rev. Aaron WILLIAMS, son of Rev. John, graduated at Harvard in 1719, and was a minister in Waltham until his death in 1751. John WILLIAMS Esq., graduated at Harvard in 1769, was a very useful man in forwarding plans of public improvement, was a member of the state Senate and of the Governor's Council, and be- queathed his money to the amount of nearly $10,000, to Deerfield Academy. Mr. WILLIAMS was a tory in the Rev- olution, came near being mobbed by his own townsmen for it, and in 1782 was indicted for sedition. He died in 1816. Ephraim WILLIAMS Esq., an eminent lawyer, a profound scholar, and the first reporter of the decisions of the Su- preme Court, was born Nov. 19, 1760, and died Dec. 27, 1835. Major Salah BARNARD, Col. Daniel FIELD, and Ma- jor Seth CATLIN were all useful and noteworth men, in their day. Gen. Epaphras HOYT, whose published Anti- quarian Researches have been largely drawn upon in this work, was anative of Deerfield, and has bequeathed an invaluable historical legacy to the State and country. ....One of the most noteworthy characters in the early his- tory of Deerfield was a colored woman, known as "Luce BIJAH." She was the slave of Ebenezer WELLS, and was noted for her with and shrewdness. He house was the constant resort of the boys, to hear her talk. She removed page 360 with her husband and children to Vermont, and purchased a tract of land, the title to which proved imperfect. A suit was brought to dispossess her, and she argued her case against Stephen R. BRADLEY and Royal TYLER, (afterwards Chief Justice of Vermont) Judge CHASE, who held the court, said that Luce made a better argument than he had heard at the bar of Vermont. Luce was a poetess, and commemorated in verse the event of the "Bars Fight," [See Vol. 1, pp. 175-6.] as follows: "August 'twas the twenty-fifth, Seventeen hundred forth-six; The Indians did in ambush lay, Some very valient men to slay, The names of whom I'll not leave out. Samuel ALLEN like a hero fout, And though he was so brave and bold, His face no more shall we behold. Eleazer HAWKS was killed outright, Before he had time to fight, - Before he did the Indians see, Was shot and killed immediately. Oliver AMSDEN he was slain, Which caused his friends much grief and pain. Simeon AMSDEN they found dead, Not many rods distant his head. Adonijah GILLETT we do hear Did lose his life which was so dear. Joh SADLER fled across the water, And thus escaped the dreadful slaughter. Eunice ALLEN see the Indians coming, And hopes to save herself by running, And had not her petticoats stopped her, The awful creatures had not catched her, Nor tommy hawked her on her head, And left her on the ground for dead. Young Samuel ALLEN, Oh lack-a-day! Was taken and carried to Canada !" ....Among living men of eminence, originating in Deerfield, may be mentioned Dr. Stephen W. WILLIAMS, now a citizen of Laona, Illinois, Richard HILDRETH, author of an excel- lent History of the United States, President HITCHCOCK of Amherst, Bishop WILLIAMS of Connecticut, Amariah CHANDLER D. D., of Greenfield, and Rololphus DICKINSON. A large number of the natives of Deerfield have received a page 361 liberal education, but no accurate lest of them has been kept. ....The grandfather of Dr. Stephen W. WILLIAMS, men- tioned above, the father, and that gentleman himself have, in succession, practiced medicine in Deerfield more than 100 years, as follows: Dr. Thomas WILLIAMS, 36 years; Dr. William S., 42 years, and Dr. Stephen W., more than 40 years. ....Deerfield has enjoyed good schools. In 1698, the town voted to build a school house 18 by 21 feet, and to raise £20 annually for twenty years, but the vote was not car- ried out. In 1703, the sum of £10 was raised. In 1710, the town voted to give Honathan RICHARDS £25 for school- ing the children. In 1732, the town voted to hire a dame for Green River. In 1788, £80 were raised, of which £40 were appropriated to "the street," £10 to Bloody Brook, £5 to Great River. In 1853, the town raised $1,634, 50 for schools. ....Deerfield is almost exclusively devoted to agriculture, to which its soil is admirable adapted. ....In South Deerfield, Luman PEASE manuactures annually 1,500 gross of port monnaies, employing from 30 to 40 females, and 8 or 10 males. From 500 to 600 gross of wallets are also made yearly, employing from 10 to 15 hands. The whole value of stock consumed yearly is about $40,000. Mr. PEASE also employs from 20 to 30 females in stitching collars, of which he sends to market from 4,000 to 5,000 yearly. He also manufactures palm leaf hats, to the amount of some hundreds of dozens annually. - Messrs ARMS Brothers make port monnaies and pocket books, employing 250 persons (125 males and 125 females,) and, in busy seasons, giving employment to 100 or 150 more women and children, who take wallets to their houses to stitch. They produce 170 dozen port monaies daily, or 50,000 dozen yearly, and 20,000 pocket books and wal- lets, the proceeds of which amount to $180,000 a year. The stock consumed is valued at $95,000. A portion of the labor is performed by the inmates of the House of Cor- rection at South Boston. -There are about 25,000 brooms made in the town annually. ....At the time of the destruction of the town, the popula- 31 page 362 tion of Deerfield was abut 280; in 1763 it was 737; in 1800, 1,531; in 1830, 2,003; in 1840, 1,934; in 1850, 2,431. [*Those pages, from Vol. I, and have been transcribed and are posted separtely, to keep file size small.]