This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Too Numerous To List Here Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/4EB.2ACE/887 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 Conway by Josiah Gilbert Holland, 1855 Vol. II, Part III. pages 346 - 351 Names found in this transcription: Adams, Allis, Amsden, Arms, Baker, Billing, Boyden, Buckbee, Byrne, Catlin, Catling, Clark, Clary, Crosby, Dickinson, Emerson, Fields, Flagg, French, Gates, Goddard, Gould, Grant, Hamilton, Harris, Hayden, Himes, Hitchcock, Howe, Kenney, Keyes, Lecount, Leland, Lentil, Mather, Oaks, Oliver, Parsons, Pease, Pulsifer, Rice, Rouse, Sanderson, Sharp, Shevi, Todd, Ware, Wells, Wheeler, Whetmore, Whitney, Whitton, Wilder, Wright CONWAY. page 346 ....The territory of Conway originally belonged to Deer- field, and had no settlers previous to 1763. During that year, Cyrus RICE became the first settler, and his daughter Beulah, born the next year, was the first child born in the town. Other early settlers were Isreal GATES, Ebenezer ALLIS, Consider ARMS, Elias DICKINSON, Jonathan WHITNEY, Thomas FRENCH, Isreal WILDER, Elisha AMSDEN, Solomon FIELDS and John BOYDEN, whose son John, now living, was the first male child born in Conway. Deerfield, Grafton, Barre, Leicester and Rutland furnished the first settlers. On the 16th of June, 1767, "Southwest," as it was known, was incorporated as a town with the name of Conway. The first twon meeting was held at the house of Thomas FRENCH, Aug 24, of the same year, when Thomas FRENCH, Consider ARMS and Samuel WELLS were chosen selectmen, and Consider ARMS, clerk. At a meeting held at Joseph CATLIN's, three weeks later, measures were taken to procure preaching, and "to purchase law books." A committee was also appointed to find the center ofthe town, with refer- ence to building a meeting house. The committee made a report, at a subsequent meeting, which was "excepted," but it was not until after nuch contention, and the passage of nearly two years, that the site was fixed upon, -about 80 rods South of the present Congregational Church. ....December 28, 1767, the first appropriation was made for a public school, to be kept five months by "a dame," which dame, Ebenezer ALLIS, Nathaniel FIELDS, and Bemja- min PULSIFER were instructed to provide. There was no school house until 1773, when one was built a few rods Northeast of the meeting house. The annual appropria- tion of money for schools, for the first 6 or 8 years was about £10. In 1774, £30 were voted, but the next year no appropriation was made, doubtless in consequence of the war. This is the only instance, however, of failure to provide annually for schooling. The amount has been in- creased, from year to year, until, in 1854, the appropria- tion amounted to $1,200 for public schools, with an addi- tional provision for scholarships in the Academy, bestowed upon the most deserving pupil selected from the common schools. The town is divided into 15 school districts. page 347 A select school has been maintained in the town for many years, and was taught through 29 terms, by John CLARY. In 1853, a handsome building was erected by subscription, and is now occupied by a large and flourishing school. ....The first meeting house, to which reference has already been made, was erected during the Summer of 1769, but remained for a long time unfurnished, except with a pulpit and a pew for the family of the minister. The internal arragnements of the house were not completed within 20 years. As the house was not warmed, a lodge was con- struced within a short distance, at which a prodigious fire was kept on Sundays, that was resorted to in the morning and at noon. Previous to the erection of the building, the town meetings were usually held at the houses of Jonathan WHITNEY (near where Charles PARSONS now lives) and Capt. FRENCH; while the religious meetings were held at the houses of Jonathan WHITNEY, Nathaniel FIELD and Joseph CATLIN. ....The first minister settled in Conway was Rev. John EMERSON, who was ordained as the pastor of the Congre- gational Church December 21, 1769. The church itself was orgaized July 14, 1768, with 32 members. Mr. EMERSON was a native of Malden, and a graduate of Harvard in 1764. He died while in the pastoral office in Conway, June 26, 1826, at the age of 81. During his life, he ad- mitted 580 persons to his church, wrote about 3,500 ser- mons, followed 1,037 of his people to the grave, and in fifty years, administered baptism to 1,219 subjects. Rev. Edward HITCHCOCK, D. D., LL. D., was ordained pastor June 21, 1821, and was dismissed October 25, 1825. He was born in Deerfield May 24, 1793. After his dismission from Conway, he became professor of Chemistry and Nat- ural History in Amherst College, and held the professor- ship for twenty years, or until 1845, when he was chosen president of the Instituiion. He resigned the presidency in 1854. In his elaborate works on geology, he has taken the lead of all American writers. Rev. Daniel CROSBY of Hampden, Me., a graduate of Yale in 1823, was his suc- cessor, and was ordained Jan. 21, 1827. He was dismissed July 24, 1833. He was succeeded June 19, 1834, by Rev. Melancthon G. WHEELER of Charlotte, Vt., a graduate of Union in 1825, who was dismissed August 18, 1841. Rev. page 348 Samuel HARRIS was settled in his place December 22, 1841, and was dismissed February 11, 1851. Mr. HARRIS was a native of East Machias, Me., and graduated at Bowdoin College in 1833. He is now pastor of the South Church in Pittsfield. Rev. George A. ADAMS was ordained as his successor September 18, 1851. He was a native of Castine, Me., graduated at Bowdoin in 1844, and is still in office at Conway. .....The Baptist Church in Conway was organized October 3, 1778, with 29 members, dissolved March 24, 1819, and re-organized June 12, 1820. Among the preachers who [who] have supplied the church are Rev. Messrs. Adam HAMILTON, Amos SHEVI, John LELAND, Asa TODD, Calvin KEYES, Josiah GODDARD, HIMES, GRANT, Phineas PEASE, Abbott HOWE, Wm. H. RICE, David WRIGHT, Henry H. ROUSE, Joel KENNEY, P. P. SANDERSON, Richard LENTIL, C. A. BUCKBEE, M. BYRNE, and Phineas PEASE, the second time. The first meeting house was erected in 1790 or 1791, upon, or near, the site recently occupied by the Conway Tool Co., from which it was removed to the site of the present structure which replaced it in 1840. The church now numbers 105 members. ....A Methodist class was formed May 18, 1852, and was re- organized in September, 1853. Their preachers have been Rev. Wm. F. LECOUNT and Rev. A. S. FLAGG. ....The first notice of Revolutionary proceedings in the town occurs August 5, 1774. Captain FRENCH, Deacon WELLS, Robert OLIVER, Matthew GOULD, and Consider ARMS, were chosen a committee to prepare an answer to the Boston Committee of Correspondence. They forwarded to Boston the following: - - "Having read and considered the letters sent us from Boston, respecting the rights of the colonies, and the infringe- ments of those rights, we full agree with you that those right and privileges are invaded, and of this province in par- ticular. We shall join with you in all lawful and salutry measures for the recovery of those inestimable privileges, wrested from us, and firmly to secure those that remain; for we are sensible that, should we renounce our liberties and rights of humanity. We fully pay our porportion of money desired by the General Court, in order to the support of the Hon. Committees of Congress, greatly relying and depending on their resolutions." - - page 349 ....Consider ARMS, afterwards a tory, was chosen delegate to the provincial Congress, convened in Concord in Octo- ber, 1774, though it is probabe that he did not attend. In September of the same year, a committee of 13 was chosen, with power to "regulate mobs" for fourteen days, and with instructions to report in regard to the proper measures to be taken. This committee consisted of Samuel WELLS, Joel BAKER, Thomas FRENCH, Jonas RICE, Oliver WETMORE, Cyrus RICE, Consider ARMS, Robert OLIVER, James DICKINSON, Isreal GATES, Josiah BOYDEN, Elisha CLARK and Alexander OLIVER. This commitee subsequently made a report, of which the following is a copy: - - "1st. Resolved, that the Committy have power to Inspect, Judge and Determine with respect to ye conduct of any per- son or persons that shall Do or speak anything that tends to Hender uniting of the people, in opposing ye King's laws, yt Infringes on our Right Contrary to our Charter; that when any complaint shall be presented to sd Committy against any person or persons, sd persons shall appear before said com- mitty, and Upon Having good evidence, they shall have pow- er to appoint a certain competency of punishment to be in inflicted on them, not exceeding the Punishment of contempt and neglect, sd puishment to be ordered by the sd committy. - - "2d. Resolved, yt the sd Committy nor no other peson shall not have liberty to go out of this town, except it be to assist a mob in the General Good Cause, in prohipiting persons tak- ing or holding commissions under the present constitution, ex- cept it be for their own particular business. - - "3d. Resolved, with regard to the late acts of Parliament, we look upon them to be unconstitutional,tirranical and op- pressive, tending in their opperation to the Total Subversion of our natural and Chartered Rights; Do look upon it our duty from a regard to the true interests of our Selves, our country and posterity, to oppose ye sd cruil acts in every vertious manner, to prevent their taking place, and we hereby manifest our Rediness and Resolution, Reather than submit to them, that we will resist them, even to the shedding of blood." ....Measures were taken to procure supplies of powder, lead, flints, bayonets, &c., and a committee chosen "to enforce the American Association." On the 24th of May, 1776, it was voted (86 to 6,) to sustain the Continental Congress in a declaration of independence, should such a measure be taken. August 27, 1777, it was "voted to proceed in 30 page 350 some measures to secure the Enemical persons called Torys amongst us." It was voted at the same time "to draw a line between ye continent and Great Britain." We quote from the record: - - "Voted that all those persons that stand on the line of the continent take up arms, and go on, hand in hand, with us, in carrying on the war against our unnatural enemies. Such we receive as friends, and all others treat as enemies. Voted the Broad ally be the line and the South end of the meeting house be the continent, and the North end the British side. Then moved for Trial and found six persons to stand on the British side, viz: Elijah BILLING, Jonathan OAKS, Wm. BILLING, Joseph CATLING, Joel DICKINSON and Charles DICKINSON. Voted to set a gard over those Enemical persons. Voted that the town clerk Emediately desire Judge MATHER to issue out his warrants against those enemical persons, erturend to him in a list heretofore." ....There were probably 20 tories in the town, but they were not active, and no severe measures were instituted against them. Their arms were taken away, but soon res- tored, and, in one instance, where this was not done, the man recovered payment for his musket. The records teem with the usual votes for supplies, and for the raising of men for the war. ....The first grist mill was built in 1774, by one SHARP, about 20 rods below the site of the present one. Each person bolted his own grist, in a hand-bolt. Eighty rods lower, on the same stream, Aaron HAYDEN erected a fulling mill, about 1780. Seventeen years later, his brother, Dr. HAYDEN, added an oil mill. At that time the oil meal was thrown into the river. In 1810, the establishment went into new hands, and a new building was erected for mak- ing broadcloths. -This business was ruined by the impor- tations at the close of the war. The concern changing owners twice more, was converted into a cotton mill, and is now under thecontrol of Gardner DICKINSON, as a seam- less bag manufactory. He is making 100,000 bags per year, worth $25,000, uses up 120,000 lbs. cotton annually, and employs 30 hands. ....The CONWAY MANUFACTURING COMPANY was incor- porated in 1837, with a capital of $60,000. It makes 300,000 yards cloth annually, worth $210,000, employs 60 hands, uses 200,000 lbs. wool, and pays for labor, $18,000. page 351 ....Half a mile North of the village, is a cotton mill, built in 1842, occupied by Henry B. WHITTON, where 300,000 yards printing cloth are made annually, worth $15,000. Mr. WHITTON employs 20 hands. ....Gen. James S. WHITNEY and Charles WELLS own a mill, erected in 1846, for the manufacture of seamless cotton bags, where they make 156,000 bags per year, worth $40,000. They emply 35 hands. ....The SOUTH RIVER CUTLERY COMPANY was incorpo- rated in 1851, with a capital of $40,000. They employ 135 workman, and turn out annually finished work valued at $100,000. ....Forty years ago, there were six distilleries in town, making cider brandy. This branch of manufacture is now abandoned. ....The Conway Bank, with a capital of $1000,000, com- menced operations in September, 1854. The Conway Stock and Mutual Fire Insurance Company commenced business Aug. 1, 1849. It has a guarantee capital of $50,000, cash funds, $34,000; deposite notes, $84,000. ....For many years Rev. Mr. EMERSON had the only pleas- ure carriage in town - a chair. Robert HAMILTON built the first one-horse wagon in town, about 1800, and Dr. WARE the first one-horse sleigh, about the same time. Mr. HAMILTON supposed himself the inventor of the one-horse wagon, and believed that his was the only one in America. The first inhabitants wore breeches of tow cloth, and checked linen shirts, put on clean for Sunday. On their way to church, they carried their shoes in their hands, until within the proper distance, when they put them on, removing them when walking home. The young ladies who pre- tended to be in the fashion, wore dresses of red flannel, or, more commonly, "butternut color," tied around the waist with a black ribbon, and gathered at the neck with a green one - absolutely without adventitious materials from polar seas or Southern plantations. ....The population of Conway in 1776 was 905; in 1840, 1,394; in 1850, 1,788. It is now probably upwards of 2,000.