Hatfield Town (part 10 of 16)

The General Court, June 9, 1704, ordered that the losses of the soldiers, amounting to ;^34. 17.0, should be made up; that each of the four widows of soldiers slain should have 5 pounds; and that though only one scalp was obtained, the survivors of the 57 should have ;{^6o equally divided, and the plunder taken from the enemy, which amounted to ;{^i6.i2.io, and consisted of guns, blankets, hatchets, &c. The articles which the soldiers lost were coats, jackets, hats, &c.f

*A petition of some of the survivors in 1735, stated that "the light of the burning buildings at Deerfield, gave notice to the towns below, sometime before we had news from the distressed people." - John Stoddard of Northampton was at the house of Mr. Williams in Deerfield, and he leaped from a chamber window and ran to Hatfield with the news.

-j-In January, 1705, payment was requested for losses in the "Deerfield Fight," meaning the fight in the village, for nine men. One of them was Sergt. Samuel Boltwood, several were from Northampton, and some were taken. Two Hatfield men requested a reward for killing an Indian in the same fight. These may all have belonged to the garrison. The petition was not granted at that time.

Deerfield was soon filled with soldiers from the towns in Hampshire and from Connecticut. A post was sent to Hartford, and 147 men came up from that colony on the first of March, who remained at Deerfield only 4 or 5 days. They could not pursue the enemy for want of snow shoes, the snow being deep. The French and Indians had snow shoes. Capt. Newberry came up in March with 62 men and remained until September.

The Deerfield people who remained, were about to desert the town, and seek safety elsewhere. To prevent this, Lt. Col. Partridge of Hatfield, on the second of March, impressed the men into the service, and posted them at Deerfield as garrison soldiers. Pay and subsistence were allowed to them for fifteen months and perhaps longer.*

On the 13th of May, 1704, a party of Indians attacked a hamlet of five families, at Pascommuck, near the north-east end of Mount Tom in Northampton, and killed or captured not less than 33 persons. Of these, 19 were slain, viz., Samuel Janes, his wife and three children, four children of Benjamin Janes, Benoni Jones and two children, John Searl and three children, Moses Hutchinson and one child and Patience Webb; and three escaped, eight were rescued, and three were carried to Canada.")" - Capt. John Taylor of Northampton, who pursued the Indians with a company of horsemen, was slain. - A post was sent to Hartford, and the next day. Major Wm. Whiting came up with 192 dragoons; they pursued the Indians at first on horseback, and next on foot, on account of mountains and swamps, but did not overtake them.

Before the middle of June, there was a credible report that an army of French and Indians had marched from Canada, to attack Northampton, or some other Hampshire town. Major William Whiting came up at the head of 343 men in 5 companies,

*There may have been about 25 men remaining, and 50 or 60 women and children. Samuel Partridge, in Oct. 1704, estimated that "half who were to pay the Deerfield tax in May last, were killed or captured." The other half of the taxable persons seem to have been left. Some houses within and without the palisade were not burnt.

were found alive, knocked on the head, and one of them scalped. They all recovered. The wife of Benjamin Janes, who was scalped, was under the care of Dr. Gershom Bulkley and others, at Wethersfield, several years. Her husband lived in Wethersfield with her, and the governor and council kindly gave him a brief, May 8, 1707, craving the charity of the people of Branford, Guilford, Killingworth and Saybrook. She was finally cured and they settled in Coventry. - Those carried to Canada were Elisha Searl, son of John, aged 9 years, Esther, wife of Benoni Jones, (an Ingersol,) who died in Canada, and her niece, Margaret Huggins, aged 18, who returned. Elisha Searl came to Northampton in 1722, and was reluctantly induced to remain, the government aiding. He, like some other New England children, had been strongly attached to the Catholic religion and to the Indian mode of life.

History Of Hadley 267

from every county and almost every town, in Connecticut, and they remained many wrecks. His head-quarters were at Northampton, There was intelligence of the approach of the enemy three times in June and July, and other troops came up each time, and remained a few days. The French and Indians, finding these towns prepared, went eastward and fell upon Lancaster. The county was more full of troops in 1704, than it had been since 1676. Many of the county soldiers were in arms. There was frequent marching and constant scouting. Several persons were slain in the county. May 11, John Allen and wife were slain at Deerfield. July 19, Thomas Russell of Hatfield, was slain above Deerfield, and a friendly Indian near Hatfield mill. July 29, Thomas Battis of Brookfield coming to Hadley as a post, was killed in the present Belchertown. July 31, Capt. Allen of Connecticut lost two men, Benton and Olmstead, between Northampton and Westfield, and killed two Indians. - John Hawks of Deerfield wounded. 1704 was an expensive and calamitous year.

On the 5th of June, 1704, Caleb Lyman of Northampton, with five Connecticut Indians, left Northampton to go up and attack some Indians who had established themselves at Cowas of Cowasset.* In nine days, they came near an Indian wigwam in the evening, in which were nine Indians. They rushed upon them and killed six men and one squaw, and two escaped. They returned to Northampton on the 19th or 20th of June, with six scalps and some plunder. The General Court gave Caleb Lyman £21, and the five Indians ;^io, each.

Snow Shoes. - It was not until the enemy made attacks in the winter, and could not be pursued, that snow shoes were deemed of importance. The Massachusetts General Court, March 13, 1704, ordered 500 pairs of snow shoes and as many moccasons, for the frontiers, one-fourth of them for Hampshire. The snow shoes or rackets were not used with common shoes, but with Indian shoes or moccasons. The province allowed only five shillings for a pair of each, for some years, though men in Hampshire and elsewhere affirmed that good ones cost ten shillings in money. The price was raised to seven shillings in 1712, and in April, 17 12, Col. Partridge sent the names of 463 soldiers in Hampshire, who had provided themselves with snow shoes and "mogginsons," and each was allowed seven shillings. f

*This Cowas, or region of white pines, was, in later times, a part of the Lower Coos, now in Newbury, Vermont. Tlie wigwam was supposed to be 20 miles below Cowas.

Indian inventions for traveling on deep snows, were noticed by Champlain ir Canada in 1603. Josselyn found them among the Indians of Maine. A few Englisu hunters and soldiers in Massachusetts used them in the 17th century.

But little damage was done by Indians in Hampshire in 1705. A winter attack upon some of these towns was expected, and 200 men from Connecticut with snow shoes were posted at Westfield, Northampton, Hadley and Hatfield, in January, February and part of March. Garrisons were kept also at Deerfield and Brookfield. There were in the year several reports of the approach of Indians, and many men were in the public service. - In 1706, Samuel Chapin of Springfield was wounded, July 31; widow Mary Tosh, or Mackintosh, was killed at Brookfield; and Judah Trumbull of Suffield was slain in July. A company from Connecticut was in garrison three months or more. - In July, 1707, Edward Bancroft of Westfield, aged 19, was mortally wounded, and died Sept. 10. No other harm from Indians in this county in 1707, is recorded. An unsuccessful expedition against Port Royal cost Massachusetts above ;;(^i 6,000.

In 1708, several lives were lost in Hampshire. July 9, Samuel and Joseph Parsons, sons of Capt. John Parsons of Northampton, were slain in the woods. July 26, seven or eight Indians rushed into the house of Lt. Abel Wright of Skipmuck in Springfield, and killed two soldiers, Aaron Parsons of Northampton and Benajah Hulbert of Enfield; scalped the wife of Lt. Wright, who died Oct. 19; took Hannah, the wife of Lieut. Wright's son Henry, and probably slew her; killed her infant son Henry in a cradle, and knocked on the head her daughter Hannah, aged 2 years, in the same cradle; the latter recovered. In August, a son of Josiah Barber of Windsor was slain and Martin Kellogg, Jr. taken "100 miles up the river." Oct. 13, Abijah Bartlett was slain at Brookfield, John Wolcott taken and three Brookfield men wounded. Oct. 26, Ebenezer Field, son of John Field of Hatfield, was slain at Muddy Brook in Deerfield. Some Connecticut soldiers were in Hampshire in 1707 and 1708.

Excursions to Lake Champlain and Cowasset. - Capt. John Stoddard of Northampton, with 12 men, crossed what is now Vermont, in May, 1707. They killed no Indians. It is supposed that this was the first party of soldiers that went from Connecticut River to the lake. - In February, 1708, Capt. Benjamin Wright of Northampton, with a company, ascended the river to Coasset or Cowasset, (now Newbury, Vt.) They found no Indians. Soldiers extended their excursions much farther than in the last war. - In 1709, Capt. B. Wright, with about 10 men, crossed the wilderness to Lake Champlain. On the 20th of May, they killed one Indian and wounded others near the lake. On their return they had a skirmish with a party of Indians on Onion River, and

History Of Hadley 269

Lt. John Wells of Deerfield was slain, John Burt of Northampton was slain or perished in the woods, and John Strong of Northampton was wounded. The General Court gave to Capt. Wright ;^I2 and to nine men £b each. They had a pocket compass to guide them.

In 1709, the English government directed the northern colonies to raise forces, to unite with those of England, and attack Canada by sea and land, but the promised fleet and troops from England did not arrive, and the enterprise failed. Massachusetts had 900 men in arms near Boston, and many vessels employed, from May to October, and the expense to the province was above 20,000 pounds.

April II, 1709, Mehuman Hinsdale of Deerfield, was captured in the road above Hatfield.* June 23, Joseph Clesson and John Arms were taken near Deerfield, and the next day, Jonathan Williams was killed, Matthew Clesson mortally wounded, and two others wounded. Aug. 8, John Clary and Robert Granger were slain at Brookfield.

July 22, 1710, six men, who were making hay at Brookfield, were surprised and slain. A great loss for that small place. There is no account of any attack near Connecticut River in 17 10. Penhallow's History states that a post was slain between Brookfield and Hadley in 17 10. The Indians did mischief at Waterbury, Conn. The capture of Port Royal in 17 10, cost Massachusetts about 20,000 pounds.

Aug. 10, 171 1, Samuel Strong of Northampton was taken, and his son Samuel slain, as they were going into the south meadow gate. The father was carried to Canada, but returned. f

In 171 1, an expedition fitted out by England and the northern colonies, against Quebec, was a failure. This was the third attempt to conquer Canada. The expense to Massachusetts was near 21,000 pounds. Soldiers had not before been drawn from Hampshire for distant expeditions, but one of the 18 companies of Massachusetts that embarked at Boston in July, was from this county, and commanded by Capt. Ebenezer Pomeroy of Northampton. He must have had men from all the towns in Hampshire, except one or two. Their pay from June 23 to Oct. 26, 171 1, amounted to ;^367.2.io. Their names are not found.

*He thought he was in no danger because the leaves were not out. The Indians seldom appeared in the spring till they could be hidden by the leaves.

On the 9th of January, 1 712, the lake and rivers being frozen hard and the snow deep, Col. Partridge levied 100 men from his regiment to strengthen Deerfield and other exposed places. The men had snow^ shoes, and made some excursions on them.

In April, 17 12, Lieut. Thomas Baker of Northampton, vi^ith 32 men, passed up the Connecticut, and crossed it south of Cowasset, and proceeded to the Pemigewasset, w^here they found a party of Indians, and killed one, and mortally v^^ounded others as they believed. They took as many beaver skins as they could carry, and went down near the Merrimac to Dunstable, and thence to Boston. The General Court gave them 30 pounds besides their wages.

July 29, 1712, Benjamin Wright, aged 18, of Skipmuck in Springfield, was taken, and afterwards killed, July 30, a scouting from Connecticut, was attacked west of Deerfield, and Samuel Andrus of Hartford slain, and two taken.

This second ten years war, called Queen Anne's war, was much more expensive than King William's war. The expenditures of Massachusetts, civil and military, from May, 1703 to May, 1713, amounted to 370,000* pounds. Of this sum, at least 285,000 pounds, or 950,000 dollars, were for war. The war was excessively burdensome to Massachusetts. In 10 years, taxes were laid upon the people to the amount of 227,000 pounds, or about 75,000 dollars yearly. The polls were taxed 10 shillings yearly. The impost and excise in ten years produced about 35,000 pounds. Province bills were issued every year, and in May, 17 13, the amount of unredeemed bills was 127,000 pounds, and the debt of the province was not much short of that sum.f

-j-The military expenses in Hampshire county in this war were between 2500 and 3000 pounds in a year, including the subsistence of Connecticut troops. The pay of these troops cost Connecticut large sums.

The pay of soldiers in this war was generally six shillings per week; for a time, those in garrisotis received only five shillings; in the Canada expedition, 171 1, they had eight shillings. Their food was from three shillings to four shillings and eight pence per week. In 1704, the allowance to a man per day, in a fort or garrison, was one pound of bread, two-thirds of a pound of pork or sometimes one pound and a third of beef, half a pint of peas, and two quarts of beer. The Connecticut allowance was nearly the same. Marching soldiers had a little more food. The ration of provisions down to the Revolution did not differ much from that of 1704.

The first regular allowance of rum to soldiers, that I have noticed, was one gill per day, instead of beer, in the Port Royal expedition in 1707. Connecticut allowed the tame, in a

History Of Hadley 271

Many of the Hampshire soldiers were employed in scouting and garrisoning. Capt. John Stoddard of Northampton, commanded a large number of soldiers many years, who were in several towns, and moved to places that were threatened, and ranged the woods.

The Hampshire province tax in 1708 was ;^I046, los., and it was the same for several years, thus proportioned: - Springfield, £^']^, Northampton, 220.10, Hadley, 157.10, Hatfield, 136.10, Westfield, 100, Suffield, 70, Enfield, 60, Deerfield, 30, Brookfield, o.

During this war, 103 persons were slain in this county, or in excursions from it, viz., 47 at Deerfield in one day, 20 at or near Pascommuck,and 36 in various places. 123 were taken, of whom 22 were slain or died on the way to Canada, and two died in Canada.*

There were 187 captives in Canada from New England, early in 1706, after a number had returned, and many were captured after 1706. Messengers were sent from Hampshire county to Canada by way of Albany, five times to redeem captives, and from Boston to Quebec by water twice, from 1705 to 17 13. In 1706, John Sheldon of Deerfield, brought to Boston 44 captives and Capt. Appleton, 57; among the latter was Rev. John Williams of Deerfield. Many came at other times. Much of the difiiculty in recovering captives was owing to the Catholic priests who were more inhuman than the French governors and people. The captives who remained in Canada were lost to their friends. They were ignorant Catholics, and many differed little from the savages. f

*To those who had been in Canada, may be added William Boltwood, son of Sergeant Samuel Boltwood of Hadley. He died below Quebec, Aug. 27, 1714, on his return. He had been a captive, or perhaps an aid in recovering captives.

-j-Several unsuccessful attempts were made to redeem Eunice Williams, daughter of Rev. John Williams of Deerfield. May 26, 1713, John Schuyler of Albany, visited her among the Cagnawagas or French Mohawks in Canada, with a priest and an Indian interpreter. She had recently been married to an Indian who was present. Neither Mr. Schuyler nor the priest nor the interpreter could persuade her to talk with Mr. S. or answer his questions. The only words she uttered in almost two hours were jaghte oghte, which meant a denial. She was a besotted. Catholic Indian. [Mr. Schuyler's letter is in the Massachusetts Archives.]

Rev. Eleazar Williams, whom all believed to be a descendant of Eunice Williams, until recently some have supposed him to be the Dauphin, or son of Louis XVI., died at Hogansburg, Franklin Co., N. Y., Aug. 28, 1858.

and in some cases, i^20. Volunteers who went out at their own expense, received ;^ioo for a scalp, after March, 1704. Not many Indians were destroyed. Penhallow said thechargeof thewar was so great, that every Indian killed or taken cost 1000 pounds.

Dogs. - In November, 1706, Massachusetts passed an act "for raising and increasing dogs, for the better security of the frontiers." In 1708, the sum of 41 pounds was paid for "trailing of dogs" on the frontiers of Middlesex. Dogs were employed on the western frontier in 1746, and Gideon Lyman of Northampton, was allowed ;^I2, 13s. yd. for purchasing dogs. - Connecticut, in October, 1708, appropriated 50 pounds to bring up and maintain dogs to hunt after Indians. New Jersey, in 1758, proposed to procure 50 "large, strong and fierce dogs," for the service. It is not known that any Indian was harmed by the dogs. Perhaps the main object was to trace the Indians to their hiding places. (See page 167.)

The Dutch at Albany. - The Five Nations made a treaty of neutrality with the French, which enabled the latter and their Indian allies to direct all their efforts against New England. Grahame's History of the United States affirms that the Dutch merchants at Albany purchased in the most open manner of the Canadian Indians the plunder they had taken from the people of New England, thus encouraging them in their depredations. Some respectable citizens of Albany detested this base policy, especially Col. Schuyler. Kalm, in his Travels in North America, in 1749, relates similar things of the Dutch at Albany.

The Mohaw^ks or Maquas. - Massachusetts made presents to the Mohawks in 1704 and 1708; and entertained some of them in Boston, and gave gifts to them in 1709. The four Mohawk sachems, who sailed for England with Col. Peter Schuyler, in February, 1710, were supported in Boston and the vicinity about five weeks, in the usual style. (See pages 124, 125.) They went out to Dunstable to hunt several times, and Josiah Parker accompanied them, and furnished them with horses, rum, tobacco, &c. The General Court voted £^0 for Col. Schuyler and these chiefs on the voyage. They attracted the attention of the English, were feasted by the nobility and had an audience with the queen. They returned to Boston in July, 17 10, and Gov. Dudley furnished Col. Schuyler and the sachems with 9 horses for themselves, and a guard of 10 troopers to Westfield.

The objects of this embassy were to impress the Indians with an idea of the power and greatness of England, and to solicit the aid of a British force to conquer Canada.

History Of Hadley 273 Chapter Xxv

Common lands - Division of Hadley lands now in Amherst - Division of Hadley lands now in South Hadley and Granby - The Crank - Highways and Paths - Division of the Inner Commons in Hadley - Summary of Grants and Distributions - Hockanum - Peter Domo.

The division of the common uplands, or outer and inner commons, was a most important and exciting subject, in a great number of New England towns, for a long time. It was a question of property, in which men are always interested. The more wealthy inhabitants desired a distribution of the commons according to the estates or valuations of men; those of small estates contended for a more equal division, having more regard to persons. Men of middling estates were seldom united, and many of them acted in concert with the first class. In these river towns, the subject of dividing the commons was not much discussed until the latter part of the 17th century; the agitation continued at times for half a century or more.*

Hadley ordered no general division of a tract of upland until 1700. On the fourth of March, 1700, the town voted that all the land from Mount Holyoke to Mill River, west of a line three and a quarter miles from the meeting-house, should lie as common land forever, "supposing (they say,) that this line will take in the whole of the New Swamp," that is, leave the whole west of it. And they voted that the commons east of that line, should be laid out in three divisions, between the Brookfield road and Mill River; leaving forty rods between the divisions for highways, and what was necessary for east and west highways.f Every one was to have a proportion in the first or second division, and every

*Rev. Jonathan Edwards, in a letter written in 1751, said there had been in Northampton for 40 or 50 years, two parties, "somewhat like the court and country party of England, if I may compare small things with great." The first party embraced the great proprietors of land, and the parties contended about land and other matters. There were similar parties in other towns.

is supposed that the highways were left 40 rods wide, to enable the future inhabitants to deviate many rods from a straight course, on the public land, in forming the ways for travel, and thus avoid swamps, steep ascents, and other bad places. In 1754, Hadley reduced the western highway to 20 rods in width, and the eastern to 12 rods, most of the way. They also reduced the width of the cross highways. In 1788, Amherst narrowed the highways to 6 rods, and some to 4 rods in width, and sold the land thus gained to the owners of adjoining lots.

one in the third division. Every householder to have a 50 pound allotment, and parents or masters to have a 25 pound allotment for each male minor above 16. The town voted, March 3, 1 701, that the rest of these commons should be laid out according to the meadow land each man possessed. In drawing, the first lot, or No. I, was to be next to the Brookfield road, in each division, and the numbers were to proceed northward. They then drew lots.* Wood and timber might be cut on the lots as long as they were unfenced. The town measurers, Capt. Aaron Cooke, ^ Cornet Nehemiah Dickinson and Mr. Samuel Porter, were not ordered by the town to lay out the east commons until March i, I703,and they reported on the 3d ofMay ensuing, thatthey had laid out thethree divisions. Theywerenotaidedbyasurveyor'scompass. The number of persons who drew in the first and second, or west and middle divisions, were 97, or 60 in the first and 37 in the second. Of these, 16 were Hatfield men, who owned land in Hadley meadows, chiefly on the west side of the river, and three more were non-residents, leaving 78 lots for the inhabitants of Hadley.f Apparently, the head of a family drew 17J rods in width, or 26^ acres, for himself, and half as much for each son between 16 and 21 years of age. Men over 21, and not householders, seem to have had no more than minors. The rest was drawn for meadow land - more than half of the whole. These two divisions were 240 rods wide each, and the lots were 240 rods long. The first division extended from Brookfield road to Mill River, and according to the measurers, the distance was 1 96 1 rods, or the width of 60 lots 1841 rods, and of three highways 120 rods. The land in the 60 lots was 2760 acres. - The second division extended north from the Brookfield road 1674 rods, or the width of 37 lots was 1562 rods, and of 3 highways, 122 rods. Land in the 37 lots, 2343 acres. This division stopped far short of Mill River.

"Here foUoweth an account of the wood lots laid out in April, 1703, the first lot beginning at Brookfield road, and each lot in the first and second divisions to run 240 rods in length, due east of the stakes and marks at each corner," of the west end. The breadth and acres

*In a division south of Mount Holyoke, lots were drawn in this manner. As many papers as there were proprietors, were numbered and put into a box and well shaken. Each proprietor drew out one of these papers, or if any were absent, the moderator drew for them.

number of families in Hadley in 1701, may have been 70, and they all lived on the old broad street, and the highway at the north end, except perhaps the miller. 78 persons in Hadley drew two lots each in the Amherst lands, and many of the lots were extensive enough for farms, and much of the soil was good.

The laying out in 1703, was according to polls and meadow land in 1701, and to the drawing of 1701. In the following list of names, those of Hatfield men have this mark,*, and of other non-residents, this mark, -j". Samuel Crowfoot was casually omitted, and had

The third or eastern division, was called two miles in width, or the lots two miles in length. The number of lots was 93; two persons in the other divisions received an equivalent elsewhere, and three others drew as one. The head of a family seems to have drawn 10 rods and 6 feet in width or 41 J acres, for himself, and half as much for sons between 16 and 21, besides what he drew for meadow land. The width of the 93 lots, according to the measurers, was about 1971 rods, and there were no cross highways. A rod in width made four acres, and the division contained 7884 acres, as laid out, but the west line of the equivalent lands cut off about 3000 acres. There still remained in the three divisions about 10,000 acres, besides the highways.

The Hadley measurers began the west line of the tract they were to lay out at the Brookfield road, and in order to not include the New Swamp and some other lands, they, in running northerly, inclined 13 or 14 degrees easterly of the course of the east line of Hadley. This west line determined the direction of those east of it, and carried the east division beyond the east line of the town,* into province land, afterwards called equivalent land, now in Belchertown and Pelham. When the line between Hadley and the equivalent land was fixed by the compass, it did not reduce the width of the east division at the south end, very much, but at the north end, it was reduced to half a mile. - In 1738, the town granted to 31 persons, whose lots were in the northern part of the east division, and who had lost the most by the equivalent line, about 600 acres, on the Flat Hills, so called, and west of them, between the second and third divisions and Mill River, and there were a few grants to others in this tract. f

Amherst was not settled as early as South Hadley. There was an Indian war from 1722 to 1726, and perhaps it was deemed hazardous to remove families to either place, especially north of

There had been grants in or near the east division in 1698, viz., 38 acres to ten men, southwest of Lawrence's Swamp; and a tract to Samuel Boltwood northward of Foot's Folly Swamp. These grants were not regarded in the distribution of 1703.

-{-Prices of Land. - After the lands in Amherst were laid out, there was an Indian war for ten years, and outlands were of little worth. In inventories, land in the first and second divisions was valued at about one shilling per acre, and in the east division at six pence, and even as low as four pence. From 1713 to 1722, the value of the best lots of land increased, to two shillings and sixpence or three shillings per acre, and of the poorer to half as much. After settlements were made, or from 172S to 1731, the more desirable lots seem to have been worth from six to ten shillings ($1,00 to $1,67) per acre, and those less favorably situated, from three to five shillings per acre. These are prices in proclamation money, six shillings to a dollar. In province bills, the nominal value was much higher.

History Of Hadley 277

The first grant of land by Hadley south of Mount Holyoke, was in February, 1675, when Thomas Selden had six acres at the mouth of Dry Brook, adjoining the Connecticut, below the present Rock Ferry. In 1682, Timothy Nash had a grant of a parcel of land between Bachelor's brook and Stony brook, adjoining the great river, "at the southernmost part of our bounds." This land is now owned by Emerson Bates and H. Moody. In 1680, the town granted 20 acres each to David Hoyt, Thomas Wells and Joseph Hovey, "beyond Mount HoUiake, on Bachelor's brook;" and in 1688, John Lawrence had a grant of 3 or 4 acres towards Bachelor's brook. The grants to the four men last named, seem to have become void. - In 1684, four men had liberty to set up a saw-mill on Stony brook or Bachelor's brook, and the right to cut timber. In 1699, four other men had permission to erect a saw-mill at the falls of Bachelor's brook, below the former grant, with the frame and right to timber. The mills erected under these grants are not known. In the proprietor's records in 1721 and 1722, the "old mill place" on Bachelor's brook is mentioned, which was above Allen's present papermill; also the "old mill pond" on Stony brook, which was below Smith's present grist-mill, and a saw-mill below the pond. When Hadley had been settled 60 years, there had been no grants south of Holyoke but those noticed, and the only building was a sawmill. The lands belonged to the great horse and cattle pasture of Hadley, as well as most of those north of the mountain. Deer also fed in these open, park-like forests.

On the 25th of January, 1720, Hadley voted to lay out the land on the south side of Mount Holyoke, according to the list of estates and polls, taken in the same month; and to add to them, for the proprietors or town an estate of ;^I50, the head and estate of Mr. Chauncey, and the polls of some aged* or infirm men, whose heads were not taxed. The amount of estates and polls was ;^6o63, 8s. How polls were estimated does not appear. The number of those who were entitled to lands south of Holyoke was 117. Of these, 95 belonged to Hadley, 21 to Hatfield, and the heirs of Thomas Dickinson to Connecticut.

the aged men were two of the first settlers of Hadley, viz., Ens. Chileab Smith and John Ingram. Ens. Chileab Smith let his sons draw his shares, and his name is not in this list of proprietors.

The rule for dividing the lands south of Mount Holyoke was the following list which was taken in January, 1720, with a few additions made by the town. 117 names. East side of the street, beginning at the

History Of Hadley 279

Falls Woods Field was the only general field laid out south of Holyoke. It was named Falls Woods, because it was wood-land, near the falls. This field was voted March 14, 1720, and every proprietor of Hadley was to have his share. The western boundary 'was the great river, the southern was Col. Pynchon's north line; and the eastern line began 361 rods and 9 links from the great river, on Col. Pynchon's line, and ran north to Stony brook, and this brook was to be the northern limit. The lots ran from the great river to the east side. Every man was to fence in proportion to the acres he had in the field. The whole fence was above HOC rods, and was to be made up by the last of May, 1721. One pound of estate drew between 46 and 47 rods of land, and the whole field contained about 1775 acres.

Homelots were voted March 14, 1720, and they were laid out in 1720 and 1721. Every man drew a homelot according to his estate. These lots were in nine places or divisions, and they selected land which they considered proper for houselots and homesteads, avoiding pine plains, and low, wet lands. They did not reject elevated situations, as Chileab's hill and Cold hill. Sandy hill, so called, a central place on the roads to Springfield,

In 1701, the eight men in Hadley who drew the most land, were Samuel Porter, Daniel Marsh, Nehemiah Dickinson, Peter Montague, Samuel Partridge, Jr., Westwood Cook, Nathaniel White and Thomas Selden. - In 1720, the eight men highets in the valuation, were Samuel Porter, Westwood Cook, Peter Montague, Daniel Marsh, Nathaniel Kellogg, Nathaniel White, Experience Porter and Luke Smith.

The four John Smiths in the roll of names in 1720, were Deac. John Smith, son of Philip; John Smith, orphan, son of John who was slain in 1676; Lt. John Smith, son of Chileab; and John Smith, son of Deac. John. A fifth John Smith, son of Ebenezer and grandson of Chileab, arrived at the age of 21 years in 1720.

and the site of much of the present village, had no homelots on the west side. All the homelots contained looo acres; 6 pounds of estate drew about one acre.

Meadow land was voted in February, 1722, and was laid out the same year, in six meadows, named Stony brook meadow, Chapin's meadow, Great meadow. Little meadow, Long meadow on Taylor's brook, and Pichawamiche meadow. Most of these meadow lots were within the present limits of Granby, and some were swampy. There were similar mowing lands on Bachelor's brook and elsewhere. In those days, the hay was all obtained from low grounds, many of them marshy. The meadow land distributed was 500 acres, and 12 pounds of estate were entitled to about one acre.

Five more distributions were voted in half a century, viz., one of 5000 acres in 1722; one of 4000 acres in 1731; one of 3000 acres in 1752; one of 2500 acres in 1770; and one of 2000 acres in 1772. Each of the 117 proprietors, or his heirs or assigns, had a first and second choice, or two lots, in each of these five divisions, all of which contained 16,500 acres.

These five distributions of land were made in a very singular manner. Each proprietor selected his lots where he pleased, in any part of 16,500 acres not already taken up, with some slight limitations. The number on the paper which a man drew from the box, did not designate his lot of land, but his turn for choosing a lot, If he drew No. 40, he knew that 39 men had a right to select their shares, and cull the best unappropriated lands they could find, before his turn came. Many inconveniences resulted from this skipping and culling. The later locations of land often over-lapped those made many years before. Many lots in the later distributions were not surveyed and bounded for many years, and not a few have been laid out since 1800, especially on the mountain.*

There were 19,775 ^^res of land in the 8 divisions, and a few pieces were sold by the proprietors. Every pound of the 117 estates was entitled to a little more than 3I acres of land, good and poor, in 52 years.

The Crank. - The tract of land in the south-eastern part of Granby, granted to the inhabitants south of Holyoke in 1727, and noticed on page 187, was called the Crank in old land records and deeds. I find no account of the division of this tract. It was not considered very valuable. In 1736, nine proprietors

*The surveyors employed to lay out the lands south of Holyoke, were first, Timothy Dwight of Northampton, in 1720; 2d, Nathaniel Kellogg of Hadley; 3d, Eleazar Nash of Granby; 4th, Gardner Preston of South Hadley.

History Of Hadley 281

Highways. - Northampton and Hadley, in early days, had a cartway to Springfield through the territory that is now South Hadley. In 1662, there was an "old cart bridge" across Bachelor's river or brook. The highway laid in 1664, went "as the cartway now runs, in breadth 20 rods." It was laid again in 1710, "as the road now runs 10 rods wide." Long before 1710, two ways, the western and eastern, were traveled from Dry brook easterly of Rock ferry, to Sandy hill, where they came together, a little north of the Female Seminary. It is not known which was the original road. The western road could not have been traveled in high water, but it is more often called the Springfield or country road than the other in the land book, in 1720 and after.*

*These two roads have been continued to the present day, with some alterations. The western traveled way, after crossing the valley or dingle called by the odd name of Lubber's Hole, near the present village, passed west of the buildings now on the west side of the street, to near the north-east corner of the burying yard. The eastern road has always passed over the elevation called Chileab's hUl.

In 1720, there were various paths in the scattered woods, on both sides of the mountain, made by men and animals. Hunters and other men, domestic animals, deer and turkies crossed the mountain in those low places called "cracks'" by the fathers, especially at the Round Hill Crack, where is now the road between Amherst and Granby and South Hadley. Here was a beaten path which extended southerly and crossed Bachelor's brook, before there were any settlers in Amherst or South Hadley. At a later period, the hunters sometimes called this Crack, or a low place west of it, the Turkey Pass. Another path passed over Cold Hill, and extended to the eastern limits of the township.

The prices of a few pieces of land in the early divisions of South Hadley, have been obtained. In 1722, some lots in Falls Woods Field were appraised at two shillings per acre, and homelots and meadows from six pence to a shilling more. In 1725, a few lots in Falls Woods and Great Meadow were as high as four shillings and six pence per acre. In 1728 and 1729, good lands in Falls Woods had advanced to seven and eight shillings per acre; and some large lots in the division of 5000 acres were valued at various prices, from four to six shillings an acre. Choice meadow land, not very distant from houses, was as high as eighteen shillings an acre. As settlers became more numerous, the price of lands advanced. The prices mentioned refer to dollars at six shillings, not to province bUls.

There is a tradition that parents in Hadley shed tears over their sons and daughters, and implored the blessings of Heaven upon them, when they left the old village to settle in the woods south of the mountain. Some of the new settlers, both south and east, returned to the old homes every S abbath, and attended meeting in the old place, and heard Mr. Chauncey preach.

Many elderly men, who had always cultivated the intervals of Hadley, doubted whether families could get a living on the uplands of South Hadley and Amherst, and talked discouragingly to the young people who proposed to remove to those places.

The south settlers increased faster than those east. In 1 73 1, the taxable "South Inhabitants" were 37, and the taxable "East Inhabitants," 18. The south inhabitants on page 284, are arranged with some regard to residence. Several were single men. The five Taylors at the beginning of the list were not very far from the Springfield line, on the plain and on the Pynchon lot. Most of the next i6 were on the old road between Stony brook and the top of Chileab's hill; the last 16 and perhaps 2 of the preceding 16, were on the other roads, east of this m ain road. About eight were within the present limits of Granby. Thos. Goodman, Jr. and William Gaylord were early settlers in Falls Woods, but may not have been there in 1731.

Early in 1722, Samuel Porter, Esq., Lt. John Smith and Experience Porter laid out for the proprietors 21 highways, most of them 8 rods wide, which are all recorded. The two Springfield roads to Sandy hill, and one thence to Springfield line, remained as before. A road from Cold hill easterly to the end of their bounds, was called by the name of "Pichawamiche road."

Hadley, having disposed of the Outer or Outward Commons, voted, on the lOth of May, 1731, to divide the Inner or Inward Commons among the inhabitants; and that each should have his proportion in these lands, according to his real estate, as it stood in the list taken in January, 1731. Rev. Mr. Chauncey's real estate was to be taken into the list, and each poll to be estimated at three pounds estate, and all Indian, mulatto and negro servants to be estimated as polls.

The attempt to divide the Inner Commons did not then succeed. The proprietors of the undivided lands between Mount Holyoke and Sunderland, assumed the management of them, and held meetings. In August, 1733, they decided that it would be advantageous to improve the lands for the growth of fire-wood and timber, "which is the principal thing, they said, that said commons are needed for." They deemed them unfit for cultivation. They ordered that walnut and oak trees less than 12 inches in diameter at the stub, should not be cut for fire-wood, but they might be cut or timber. There were similar votes in 1740 and 1741. In 1737, maple and elm staddles under 8 inches in diameter might not be cut, but in 1741, they were free for all. In 1739 and 1741, each proprietor had liberty to take one pine tree for boards to every 15 pounds estate.*

November 30, 1741, after a delay of 10 years, the proprietors voted to divide the commons according to the rule of 1731, and chose a committee to get the lands surveyed. Nathaniel Kellogg, Jr. was the surveyor.

17 1 3, by an order of the town, oak staddles under 12 inches in diameter might not be taken from the commons. In 1726, walnut and oak staddles under 8 inches at the stub might not be cut, except for timber. In 1727, oak and walnut staddles under 10 inches at the stub were not to be cut, except for timber.

It may be inferred from these votes, from 1713 to 1741, that good timber was not plenty on the Hadley commons, in consequence of burning the woods.

The New Swamp of the Hadley records was divided as Inner Commons, except some on the east side, which was included in the first division of East Hadley. The old north road from Hadley to Amherst, crosses this swamp. - After East Hadley was settled, the plantation was sometimes named New Swamp.

A list of the real estate of each inhabitant of Hadley, in January, 1 731, with the addition of three pounds for each poll, and servant. The Inner Commons were divided according to these sums.*

Cotton Partrigg, Westwood Cook, Jr. Peter Montague's heirs, Ja's Smith, son of Preserved, John Smith, 3d, son of orphan, Hezekiah Smith, Noah Smith, Lt. John Smith, Ichabod Smith, John Montague, Jr. Nathaniel Montague, Heirs of John Montague, Jr. Heirs of John Marsh, and widow Sarah Marsh, Samuel Porter, Eleazar Porter, Esq. Joseph Hubbard, William Fargeson, Daniel Hubbard, Town Lot. Mr. Isaac Chauncey,

Middle Highway. Samuel Barnard, Deac. Samuel Dickinson, John Smith, son of Deac. Joseph Smith, son of Deac. Daniel Smith, shoemaker. Job Marsh,

*Tlie names of men iii Hadley were formerly placed on valuations and tax bills according to their dwellings. (See page 204.) The assessors, in entering the names on the list of 1731, proceeded down on the east side of the main street, and up on the west side; then through the north highway, and down in the back street. Probably there were some deviations. Nathaniel Ingram and Aaron Cook may not be in their places. Some buildings at the north end had been swept away or endangered by the river.

The residence of the 147 persons in the list of 1731, was as follows; - 90 in the old town, 2 near School meadow, 37 in the second precinct, south of Holyoke, and 18 in what was afterwards the third precinct and Amherst. The latter marked H. were from Hatfield.

^5' I 3 In the year 1742, the first, second, third and fourth divisions of the Commons were allotted and surveyed, each division having several distinct tracts, and all those whose names were in the list of real estate and polls in 1731, or their successors, in their names, had a lot in each division. Many highways were reserved across and between the rows of lots. Excepting the Pine Plain west of Spruce Swamp, these four divisions comprehended the commons in Hadley, from near the foot of Holyoke to Sunderland line, and included the land north of Mill River, which is now in Amherst. Mount Warner was in tracts 3 and 4, in the first division.

History Of Hadley 285

In 1743, the fifth or mountain division was laid out and divided. It extended from the equivalent land in Cold Spring, (Belchertown,) on the east, to the common fence of Hockanum and Fort meadow, on the west, 1750 rods, or almost 5I miles, comprising most of the northern declivity of Holyoke, and some land not on the mountain slope. The lots were opposite the south end of the third precinct, or Amherst, for 1200 rods, and farther west for 550 rods. The Bay or Brookfield road separated them from Amherst about 1 150 rods. The lots terminated on the top of the mountain, except a few beyond the east end of the mountain. The length of the lots was estimated, for it could not be measured, and varied in the surveyor's record,fromabout half amileto upwards of a mile, averaging about three-fourths of a mile. The lines between the lots were north and south by the needle. It was ascertained many years after that the eastern lot was partly in Belchertown.

Sheep pasture. - A cow or sheep pasture on the north side of Holyoke, was voted by the town in 1725. In 1737, they voted to fence in as a sheep pasture, the tract called cow pasture, to encourage the keeping of sheep. In 1749, the fence was rebuilt or repaired around the sheep pasture. These pastures were west of the common fence and mountain division. That of 1749 was on the northern and north-western slope of the mountain, and a part of it extended westward from the common fence above a mile, almost to the Hockanum highway. - In 1754, this sheep pasture was divided among the 147 persons in the list of 1731, making very narrow lots. Many of them ended on the top of the mountain, but some on the north-western side. A few lots were laid out north of the sheep pasture. There was to be a path two rods wide across the lots. This was called the sixth division of commons.

In 1754, lots were drawn in the 7th division, which was on the pine plain, east of the homelots and others granted on that plain, and west of Fort River swamp and Spruce swamp. This narrow, irregular division stretched northward, from the highway by Fort meadow fence, above two miles, to near the Stone Bridge, so called. The portions of men were small.

The real estates in the valuation of 1731, with three pounds for each poll, amounted to 3603 pounds in the town book. The surveyor's total seems to be three pounds less.*

Kellogg surveyed the lands and proportioned the lots; he registered the divisions and lots and drew plans of five divisions which are extant. He was a skillful surveyor, but not skilled in spelling. In 1742 and 1743, '^^ received 15 shillings a day for surveying, and chain-men had 6 shillings. In silver, his wages would have been not above five shillings, and those of the chain-men about two shillings. They boarded themselves.

The quantity of land drawn by one pound in each division, and the whole number of acres drawn by ;{^36o3, at that rate, in each division, were as follows: -

In 52 years, from 1703 to 1754, both inclusive, near forty thousand acres of land were divided among the inhabitants of Hadley, and a few non-resident proprietors, besides the land in the Crank, which belonged to the south precinct. In 1770 and 1772, four thousand five hundred acres of the poorer lands, south of Holyoke, were ordered to be distributed.

Those old Puritans, the first settlers of Hadley, in distributing lands, were more mindful of the interest of those who had but little property, than their descendants were in later divisions. The proportion of land received by those in moderate circumstances became less and less in the subsequent divisions. The head of a family without real estate, drew above 50 acres in 10,000 acres, in the Amherst divisions of 1703; he had not far from 50 acres in about 20,000 acres in South Hadley and Granby under the rule of 1720; and he received only 11 acres in 13,000 acres of commons distributed according to the vote of 173 1. The division of 1 73 1 must have been contrived by the large land-holders, and aided by a considerable portion of the middling class. Their rule was, - "whosoever hath, to him shall be given." The wealthy man received as much land on account of his slave, as the poor man on his own account.

Many persons obtained farms for themselves or their sons, from their lots in the commons, but the greater part of the first owners of the commons in the three parishes did not settle on any of their lots, nor did their sons. The land-holders did not become rich by these great accessions of land. The sales were too slow and the prices too low. Wild lands were very abundant, and the supply far exceeded the demand. The Inner Commons of the first parish of Hadley continued to be used chiefly for wood, timber and pasturage, for more than 30 years after 1743. There was much pine plain land, and this had always been despised by the people of Hadley. Good timber was scarce, especially white

History Of Hadley 287

It may be estimated that the old township of Hadley contained about 89 square miles, or 57,000 acres;f and that 42 square miles, or 27,000 acres, were south of the summit of Holyoke, and 47 square miles, or 30,000 acres, were north of the summit. The grants and distributions were nearly as follows: -

The highways and streams, the nooks and corners not distributed in the divisions, the grants to Hockanum people on the mountain, and some rocks and precipices on Holyoke not reckoned as land, may make 2300 acres.

24775 The highways, ponds and streams, lands sold by the proprietors, the rocks and steeps and corners not surveyed, may be 2225 acres. The Crank may contain more or less than 4500 acres. The extent of South Hadley and Granby may exceed 42 square miles.

*The value of the Inner Commons in inventories, down to 1758, was generally from three shillings to nine shillings per acre, in good money. Some lots were valued at less than two shillings per acre, and a few at twelve shillings or more. Some of the Mount Warner lots seem to have been accounted as valuable as any.

-j-The computed extent of Hadley on pages 186 and 187 is too small. Chandler in 171 5, measured from the line which the inhabitants of Hadley supposed to be the south line of their ten miles, 3 miles and 100 rods to Springfield line, making the township 13 miles and 100 rods in length. This south line of the ten miles must have been conjectural, and too far south. It is calculated from the statemap,and various measurements, that the entire township of Hadley was full 14 miles in length, and on an average, not far from 6| miles in breadth, making about 89 square miles or 57,000 acres.

It is not pretended that the estimates of the square miles in the old township, and north and south of the summit of Holyoke, are free from errors. The writer has not the exact measures that are necessary for accuracy. - An old estimate that the land in South Hadley and Granby was 24,000 acres, did not probably include the mountain.

Mount Holyoke is about 65 miles in length, and with the spurs and smaller hills connected with it, may average one mile and a third in breadth, making 8^ square miles or 5550 acres. The mountain occupies almost one-tenth of the old township. The summit in some places, is about 8^ miles south of the old Sunderland line and 55 miles north of the old Springfield line. Some parts of it are further from the Springfield line.

This hamlet in Hadley, between Mount Holyoke and the Connecticut, and about three miles south of Hadley village, was commenced by a few men from Northampton. Capt. John Lyman* and his son Zadok were the first settlers about 1744, and Ebenezer Pomeroy, the 3d, son-in-law of Capt. Lyman, joined them in a few years, and afterwards his brother, Stephen Pomeroy. Gideon Lyman, Esq., purchased lands at Hockanum, and his son, Gideon Lyman, Jr. lived there some years, and after his death, another son, Elijah Lyman; also Caleb Lyman, the youngest son of Capt. John, Israel Lyman, the oldest son of Zadok, and Ethan Pomeroy, son of Ebenezer. Stephen Coats, a native of Westfield, lived in a small house in the ferry lane, and took care of the ferry. These were all the heads of families previous to 1780.

The first settlers, with other proprietors, for their own convenience, opened a road through their own lands about three-fourths of a mile, from the highway into Hockanum meadow, southerly to the mountain gate; and travelers soon began to use the new road and to neglect the upper road, on the lower part of the mountain, which had been traveled about 85 years. In March, 1745, the town allowed Capt. Lyman to build a fence across the old Springfield road, provided he would keep a good gate.

The Hockanum men, having become inhabitants of Hadley after 1731, had no share in the commons. But the proprietors, in May, 1754, as an equivalent for the new highway and a little money, granted to Capt. John Lyman; Israel, Azariah and Luke Lyman, sons of Zadok deceased; Mr. Gideon Lyman of Northampton and Ebenezer Pomeroy, the land from the lower side of the old Springfield road to the top of Mount Holyoke, beginning against the south end of the skirts, and extending along the mountain north-easterly to the sheep pasture lots, perhaps near a mile. The Lymans were "to allow the highway across their land to lie open where it now is." In 1761, a county road was first laid through Hockanum street, from the mountain gate to Fort River bridge, 587 rods.f

*Capt. Lyman's house in Northampton was burnt Dec. 8, 1742, and two of his children perished in the flames. There is a tradition that he desired to leave the homestead where this afflictive event had occurred, and that this was one reason for his removing across the river.

The Lymans and Pomeroys had relatives and friends in Northampton, and for many years they had more intercourse with the people of that town than with those of Hadley.

-)-In 1761, Capt. Lyman lived on the east side of the way, 1 16 rods north of the mountain gate; his son Caleb lived on the same place, and the house still remains.

History Of Hadley 289

In April, 1750, Zadok Lyman purchased of Elias Lyman of Northampton, the island in Connecticut River, below Hockanum meadow, estimated at 2j acres, for £^, 6s. 8d. The island gradually increased and became valuable, and is now connected with the main land.

A ferry was first established at Hockanum by the county court in 1755.* There was before no licensed ferry across the Connecticut between Springfield and Hadley village. There were two ferries to accommodate the travel between this village and Northampton. There was no licensed ferry connected with South Hadley until 1770.

A few years before 1719, a man named Peter Domo or Domer appeared in Hadley. In 1 719, he married Mary Crowfoot. He lived some years in a small house on the pine plain street, near where Cook's brick blacksmith's shop now stands,-j- and had four or five daughters and one son. He was poor and industrious, not ambitious, and, according to tradition, his wife governed him and the family, which gave him no uneasiness except when excited by the sneers and sarcasms of mischievous wags. After a sheep pasture had been enclosed on the side of Holyoke, as early as 1737, Peter is found living in a log house west of the meadow fence, and north of the sheep pasture fence, near the corner where they intersect, and but few rods from either. It is supposed that the owners of the sheep induced him to establish himself in that solitary place, and paid him for taking care of the flock. His house was on the south-western part of a high plain, called Lawrence's plain, near where the gentle slope of the mountain begins. There were many acres of this plain within the meadow fence, unappropriated, and Peter could use as much of it as he chose to clear. He made an opening of considerable extent, and raised wheat, rye, corn and garden vegetables. He

Zadok Lyman lived on the west side of the way, a few rods south of the present house of Samuel Russell, and there he kept a public house from 1746 until his death, the latter part of 1753. ^'^ widow was licensed in 1754. Ebenezer Pomeroy, who lived in the house next north, where the Pomeroy house still stands, was the next innkeeper in Hockanum.

E. Pomeroy's tavern had the sign of the White Horse. At the August court, 1759, Joseph Hawley complained of Pomeroy for misrule and disorder in his house, on the 6th of August, in suffering young people of both sexes from Northampton, to sing, dance and revel in his house, to a late hour. He confessed and was fined ten shillings. The young men were also complained of for drinking and tippling some hours, and for fiddling, singing, dancing and reveling "for three hours after nine o'clock," at Pomeroy's. Charles Phelps of Hadley appeared as counsel for the dancers, at the February court, 1760, and the indictment was quashed. Seven of the young men were from Northampton and one from Hockanum.

*Gideon Lyman, Jr. was first appointed ferryman, in 1755. Stephen Coats was appointed in 1759, ^^'^ many years after. He conveyed people across the river before 1755. Israel Lyman began to keep the ferry soon after the Revolution commenced, and continued a long time. The fare in 1756 was five coppers, (3 J pence,) for man and horse, between May 15 and Nov. 15, and six coppers, (4 pence,) for the rest of the year. For a single person, one penny from May 15 to Nov. 15, and one penny and a third, or two coppers, for the rest of the year. Coppers were estimated at two-thirds of a penny. The fare for man and horse at Hadley village was a little less.

-j-Peter had a small house and orchard on this sandy place, which James Kellogg bought. In 1759, they were still called "Domer's orchard and old house," and were appraised at 40 shillings; the land was supposed to belong to the town.

was aided by his wife and children. The cattle that roved in the woods came and looked wistfully through the common fence at Peter's corn and cabbage, but the spacious ditch, high bank, and strong post and rail fence were an effectual barrier against them. The wild animals gave him more annoyance. The howling of the wolves was sometimes heard in the night, but if they approached too near the sheep-fold, the faithful dog gave an alarm. The raccoons plundered Peter's corn-field, and the woodchucks sometimes came into his garden, and the foxes, hawks and owls carried off his fowls. He destroyed some of the depredators with his trap and gun, and he shot partridges and turkies on the side of the mountain, and rarely a deer. Peter lived a number of years in quietness and peace in this sequestered nook, about two miles from all human habitations. But changes and improvements were approaching, and they never come without bringing discomfort to some. The talk of dividing the sheep pasture and the land adjoining foreboded ill to Peter, for he was only a squatter on public land. It is believed that he foresaw the evil and removed to Granby, then a part of South Hadley, before the division took place. The records show that the land he had occupied, called "Peter Domo's Improvements," was allotted to other men in 1754. He died in 1763, and his grave-stone may be seen in the South Hadley burying yard. He left some property to his children.

"Peter Domo's House" was a famous landmark in the division of the commons, in 1742, 1743, ^^* ^'^^ '^ several times mentioned. The corners of two or three divisions were a certain number of rods from this house.

When I cross this plain, I sometimes linger awhile near the spot where stood the lonely dwelling of Peter Domo. The hole which he used for a cellar is almost filled up, but pieces of brick still indicate that civilized man has lived there. In a near ravine, is the same spring of water that supplied Peter's family. There is now a fence where the sheep pasture fence was, and the ditch of the old common fence still stretches up the mountain side. Most of the old sheep pasture is now wood-land. Stately trees have grown there since Peter guarded the Hadley flock.

About three-fourths of a mile north of Domo's house, by the side of the common fence, is the place of the old Indian fort, which has been before noticed. 220 rods south of Domo's house, where the mountain is steep, is the south end of the common fence.

When I was young, I heard the expression, "as silly as Domer," and it was used in some of the river towns. This is said to have come from a foolish remark which Peter made to his wife, after some mischief-making young men had been joking and jeering him because he was governed by her.

Chapter Xxvi

Equivalent Land - New Towns - Land Speculation - Tar and Turpentine - Candlewood - Scarcity of Timber - Floating timber down the Connecticut - Logs on the meadows - Rafts of boards - Carting by the Falls - Hadley Landings - Island between Northampton and Hadley.

EQUIVALENT Land. - Massachusetts, adhering to a wrong south line, which was run in 1642, and crossed Connecticut River several miles too far south, granted south of the true line 105,793 acres of land, mostly to Suffield, Enfield and Woodstock, but partly to individuals and other towns. After a long controversy, it was agreed in 17 13 that Massachusetts should give to Connecticut the same number of acres as an equivalent, and that the towns named should remain to Massachusetts.* In 1715, two men from Connecticut and one from Massachusetts laid out for Connecticut 105,793 acres, viz., 51,850 acres east of Hadley, afterwards in Belchertown and Pelham,f 10,000 acres afterwards in Ware, and 43,943 acres at Coasset, above the present village of Brattleboro', Massachusetts then claiming the lower part of Vermont and New Hampshire.

In April, 1716, the agents of Connecticut sold the 105,793 acres, at auction, in Hartford, for 683 pounds, or a trifle more than three half pence per acre. The land was held in 16 shares.

New Towns. - After the peace of 1713, permanent settlements were begun at Northfield and Swampfield,t (Sunderland,) in 1714. The inhabitants of the latter were chiefly from Hadley and Hatfield. Brimfield was settled about the same time, and there were twelve towns and plantations in the county. All but Enfield and Brimfield had been commenced previous to Philip's w\ar, forty years before. After the close of the fourth Indian war in 1726, there was peace until 1744, and many new settlements were commenced in Hampshire. There were inhabitants at Cold Spring, (Belchertown,) about as early as at East Hadley, (Amherst,) and Aaron Lyman was a licensed innkeeper at Cold Spring in 1728, indicating that there was considerable travel between Hadley and Brookfield.

Land Speculation was known in New England in the 17th century. Roger Williams said in 1670, that there was a great desire for getting large portions of land in this wilderness. The reforming synod of 1679, noticed among the evils, "an insatiable desire after land in many professors." Land speculation was much more common in the i8th century, especially after the peace of 1726. Many men in Boston, Salem and in country towns made extensive purchases of wild lands in the new towns and in the outward commons of old towns; generally in Hampshire at prices equivalent to from one shilling to three shillings per acre,

*In 1747, these towns, and Somers which had been set off from Enfield, requested the General Assembly of Connecticut to take them under that government, and they were received in 1749. ^y *1"^ revolt, Massachusetts lost four towns, three of them in Hampshire.

jMuch work must have been done at Swampfield by Hadley men and others, before Philip's war in 1675. They were fencing in 1674 and 1675. I" 1685, Joseph Hawley mentioned that there was an old ditch for a fence four miles long, on the outside of the swamp, and that above 100 acres of plow-land had been formerly broken up. Old chimneys and cellars are noticed in some records. See page 181.

in money at six shillings to a dollar. Before 1745, much land in the Hampshire towns was held by speculators. Ezekiel Kellogg, a trader in Hadley, was a noted land-jobber. In 1729 and 1730, he bought 25 lots in the Amherst Divisions, and sold them to Col. Samuel Brown of Salem and others. He purchased in Sunderland Addition, (Leverett,) 17 lots containing 3128 acres and sold them in 1731 to Wm. Brown of Salem, for four shillings per acre in province bills, equal to 25 cents. In 1734, he sold 2124 acres in the eastern part of Northfield to James Brown of Newport, R. I., at a sum equal to 22 cents per acre. He bought and sold land south of Holyoke and in other places. There was much buying and selling of the equivalent land at Cold Spring. In 1722, twelve men, seven of them Northampton farmers, bought 8400 acres at Cold Spring at three shillings per acre in bills, equal then to half the sum in good money or 25 cents. Those who sold in a few years gained little or nothing, and some lost.*

Tar was early made in New England. John Tinker from Massachusetts, and John Griffin and Michael Humphrey of Windsor, first made tar in Connecticut, at Massaco, (Simsbury,) in 1643. Some years after, much tar was made at Windsor. In 1646, John Clarke and others of Springfield were gathering candlewood on the plains to make tar. In 1650, it was ordered by Springfield that no person should gather and burn candlewood for making tar, pitch or coal within six miles east of the great river, but every inhabitant might gather candlewood for his family use where he pleased. No records show when the people of Northampton, Hadley and Hatfield began to make tar. In Hadley in 1704, all persons were forbidden *'to draw candled wood for tar," in the bounds of the town, without liberty from the selectmen. In 17 14, all that drew candlewood for tar without liberty, were to be prosecuted. The candlewood seems to have been needed for light. f

*In 1738, John Stoddard of Northampton, sold to the Scotch, (often called Scotch-Irish,) who were about to settle at Pelham, 14,137 acres of the northern part of the equivalent land, for 7300 pounds in bills of credit, equal to 2s. 7d. an acre, in proclamation money, or 43 cents. This land was bought for settlement.

After Canada was conquered, and there was no fear of Indians, vast quantities of land in New England and other colonies were laid open to the farmer and speculator. But all the land speculation in the colonies was trifling in comparison with what has taken place since 1783 in the United States. Our laws and government often practically favor the sharper and the speculator.

-j-Governor John Winthrop of Connecticut, being in England, read a paper before the Royal Society in London, July 9, 1662, on "Making Pitch and Tar in New England." He noticed the pitch pines that grew on barren plains, from which the tar was made, and described the pine knots and the tar kilns. He said many old trees had been blown down ages

History Of Hadley 293

Turpentine was not gathered for market until many years after tar was made. It was procured from live pine trees, chiefly pitch pines; and the business may have been begun in Hadley as early as 1685. The trees were boxed, that is, a hollow place was cut in them with an axe, and the turpentine that collected in these boxes was dipped out and put into barrels and sent to Boston. The town regulated the boxing, intending to prevent damage to valuable pine timber, and did not allow any to box trees on the commons without leave. In 1701, the penalty for boxing without liberty was 2s. 6d. a tree; in 1 702, 5s. a tree. Pine trees were let for one year or more. In 1696, three men had the liberty of the pine trees west of Spruce hill, and others might use the pines near Partrigg's swamp. In 1703, the town voted to sell the pine trees for three years, between the Brookfield road and Bachelor's River, north and south of Holyoke, to those who would give the worth of them; and all other pines on the commons that were not likely to be beneficial for timber. In 1708, Westwood Cook had the use of the pine trees for turpentine, between the mountain, Bay road and certain brooks, one year, for 40 shillings. In 17 14, Joseph Nash had the liberty of pine trees enough to cut 1000 boxes, on the south side of Stony brook, towards the mouth. He paid for them. In 1723, the pine trees on Lawrence's plain and some lands adjoining, were let to Luke Smith "for the drawing of turpentine," three years, for 28 pounds. A committee was chosen to lease the pines at the north-east and south-east corners of our bounds.* In 1726, the town voted to lease the trees on Lawrence's plain, after Luke Smith's time was out.

before, and had all perished except the knots where the bough was joined to the tree, and some of the body towards the root which was full of turpentine. The fires of the Indians that burnt up the dry and rotten parts of the old trees, only scorched the knots and wood full of resinous matter. Tar had been made in Massachusetts, Plymouth and Connecticut. Pitch was made of tar by boiling.

*In 1723, Timothy Dwight of Northampton, and Ebenezer Marsh of Hadley, were appointed by the General Court to let out the pine trees on the province lands in Hampshire. Dwight leased trees near Hadley, which he believed to be on province land, for 63 pounds. He reported that Hadley claimed the trees, and violently opposed the gathering of turpentine there by others. The General Court did not yield, and Hadley doubtless gave up the contest. It is supposed that most of the trees in dispute were near the south-east corner of Hadley, on land that was granted to the south precinct in 1727, and named the Crank.

-j-The turpentine was distilled in Boston, and Doct. Douglass says 112 pounds yielded about three gallons of oil, (spirits of turpentine,) and the residue was rosin. In 1750, when Douglass wrote, the business of making tar, and gathering turpentine, was nearly at an end in New England.

more turpentine than tar was sent from these upper towns. Joseph Parsons sent down from Hampshire above 500 barrels of turpentine, from 1696 to 1706, and much was sent from Hadley by Samuel Porter and others. Many of the turpentine barrels contained about 300 pounds. The price here for a few years after 1708, was 5s. 6d. to 6s. per 112 pounds, and in Boston about two shillings more. As province bills depreciated, the nominal price was higher. Tar was not worth as much as turpentine. The premium granted by England in 1703 and after, to those who imported tar and turpentine from America, seems not to have affected the price upon Connecticut River.

Candlewood was so named because it was a substitute for candles.* It was first used in this country for light by the Indians. A writer in 1624 said the pieces of resinous pine, used for candles, smeared one badly. Higginson in 1629 commended them for giving a clear light. Wood in 1634 disliked the candlewood because it was sluttish, dropping a pitchy substance. Gov. Winthrop, in his communication to the Royal Society, in 1662, said the pine knots and resinous wood were split into shivers, and burnt instead of candles, giving a good light, and were much used in New England, Virginia and among the Dutch; to avoid the smoke, the candlewood was usually burnt in the corner, upon a flat stone or iron, except sometimes a stick was taken in the hand to go about the house.

This torch-wood was used by farmers and others in many towns of Massachusetts from 100 to 140 years after Winthrop's description. Farmers generally had tallow candles, but they were used sparingly, and oil was not burnt in the interior towns. The candlewood was used also for kindling fires, when few people had wood-houses and dry wood. That families might be well supplied with candlewood, tar-burners for many years were restricted, and not allowed to collect candlewood every where. It appears from the account books of Deac. Ebenezer Hunt of Northampton, that he bought a cart-load of candlewood every year from 1739 to I776.t Many others on both sides of the river had a load yearly.^ Some men belonging to Northamp-

*Pine lights were not peculiar to America. They were used by the ancients. Were used by the Germans 300 years ago. Our missionaries in Asia Minor report that a pine torch is a common evening light of the Armenians. Lamartine, in his Genevieve, notices the use of pine knots and pine splinters for light, in France.

-j-The price of candlewood was always much higher than that of walnut wood. In 1750, it was 6s. 8d. per load; in 1776, from 10 to 12 shillings.

jThat eccentric man, Grindall Rawson, the first minister of Ware, was fond of jokes and sarcasms, even in the pulpit. In a sermon from Matt. 5: 15 - "neither do men light a ton, Hadley and Granby, born between 1780 and 1790, affirm that when they were young, many farmers got a quantity of candlewood from the pine plains every year, both knots and pieces of fat wood, for lights and kindlers. They were burnt in the fire-places; some splinters were used for candles, to go into the cellar for cider, apples, &c.*

Scarcity of Timber is noticed on pages 99 and 282, from records. Tradition corresponds with records. The fathers of elderly men now living, represented that small trees or staddles were plenty in Hadley, 80 or 90 years ago, having grown after the fires ceased, but larger trees fit for frames of buildings and for fences, and white pinesf for boards, were deficient, and timber and boards were sometimes brought several miles. Oak-sills had been conveyed from Belchertown. Large yellow pinesj were more plenty, and many rooms in those days were lined with yellow pine boards, and some of these rooms remain. Much yellow pine was used in frames. There were some large chestnut trees on the mountain, § but chestnuts for rails have since been more abundant. Aged men say that large and middling trees were more plenty in many places of the Inner Commons, 25 years ago than 70 years ago. White pines had increased on both sides of Holyoke.

Floating timber down Connecticut River, did not commence apparently, till after peace with the Indians in 1726. The first notice that is found, states that several persons assembled on the bank of the river, Aug. 31, 1732, to see 25 masts float down Enfield falls, and that one mast struck a rock, was turned from its course, and killed a boy of Windsor. || candle and put it under a bushel," he told the people that they would understand the text better, if the word pine-torch was substituted for candle - "neither do men light a pine-torch, and put it under a bushel." Yet Ware was not different from many other towns in respect to candles and torch-lights.

*George Bliss, in his Sketches of the History of Springfield, in 1828, says of the candlewood: "Till within 50 years, it was the custom of the people, to have gathered, every fall, for family use, a quantity of pine knots and hearts of trees. A prudent farmer would almost as soon enter upon the winter without hay, as without pine."

-j-There was a scarcity of large white pines in other towns. When a court liouse was built in Northampton in 1767, the pine boards, common and clear, were mostly brought from Bernardston and Deerfield. When Deac. Ebenezer Hunt of Northampton, built his house in 1772, which is now near the Edwards Church, his pine boards were brouglit from Bernardston and Montague.

f The tall, yellow pine is only a variety of the pitch pine, according to botanists. The Norway or red pine is not found on Mount Holyoke, though many are on Mount Tom.

§Some men born before 1750, used to say that they could remember when a deer or other object, could be seen forty rods, on the side of Holyoke.

A company had been formed in 1732 or before, of several men in Connecticut, and four belonging to Suffield, Westfield and Deerfield in Hampshire, for the purpose of cutting and floating down the river, white pine logs, suitable for masts, booms, yards and bowsprits, for the British navy, having made an agreement with the king's contractor at Boston. In October, 1733, they said in a petition that they had floated down and got to New London, one ship load of timber, and had then "in the woods, near seventy miles above Fort Dummer, a considerable number of men cutting and preparing another ship load," and had expended 1200 pounds.* The company continued the business in 1734 and 1735. Two logs that lodged upon the river bank in Saybrook were three feet in diameter at the large end and 80 feet in length, and were valued at 162- pounds each.

English laws prohibited the cutting of pine trees fit for masts, 24 inches or more in diameter, 12 inches from the ground, and not private property, in the colonies north of Pennsylvania. Such trees were reserved for masts, in the charter of Massachusetts, 1 69 1. The pine-tree laws were off'ensive to the people and produced tumults in other parts of New England, long before sawlogs were floated down the Connecticut.

It is not known when men began to send logs for boards down the Connecticut, After the conquest of Canada, and the settlement of towns far up the river, great numbers of logs were floated down in freshets, and many lodged on intervals and lowlands, in various towns. Benning Wentworth of New Hampshire, the Surveyor General of the King's Woods, had agents upon Connecticut River, and in April, 1763, 960 logs and 14 masts were seized in several towns above Northfield, 266 logs at Northfield, and 140 at Northampton. In May and June, 1763, more logs were seized, viz..

History Of Hadley 297

In December, 1764, 733 logs were seized in Hampshire, between School meadows in Hadley and Connecticut. 27 were in Hadley, from 19 to 34 inches in diameter, and 143 in South Hadley, from 12 to 44 inches in diameter.

Benning Wentworth alledged, after every seizure in Hampshire, that the trees grew in New Hampshire (which then included Vermont,) and not in any township. All interested were to appear at the vice-admiralty court in Boston, and show cause why the logs should not be forfeited. How many were forfeited, is not known.*

Eleazar Burt and Elijah Lyman of Northampton were appointed by Wentworth, Assistants to seize and mark pine timber. They engaged in this unpopular business, and marked 363 trees and logs in Northampton, but all were soon taken from them except 37. They applied to Samuel Mather, Esq. of Northampton, a magistrate, to aid them, but he refused. They then applied to Israel Williams, Esq. of Hatfield, and he would not give them a warrant to press men. They next wrote to the governor, April 24, 1764. The result is unknown.f

In an interleaved almanac of Josiah Pierce of Hadley, is noticed, Oct. 25, 1765, - "A mob in Hadley on account of logs." No particulars are given. Probably men from up the river with some Hadley people, took logs from Wentworth's agents, as at Northampton.

After the Revolution, pine trees were cut and sent to market without restriction. Before 1783, and for more than 30 years after, pine timber in abundance came down Connecticut River, and when there was a heavy freshet, a great number of logs and trees stopped on the intervals and flats of Hampshire; the logs were long, and some of the trees were above 80 feet in length. Great stories are told of the logs and trees left on the meadows of Northampton and Hadley, by high floods, especially by the Jefferson flood, so called, of 1801. It is said that a man could then walk 100 rods on logs in Northampton meadow; in some places they were heaped up one above another, and there were some extraordinary piles on Fort meadow in Hadley. When the freshet was not high, the river was sometimes so full of logs between Northampton and Hadley, that it seemed as if one could walk on logs across the stream. Some of those on the meadows were drawn to the river in the spring, and others in the fall. The owners of the land were entitled to compensation for the damage received, from the owners of the timber. Some of the logs were sold to owners of saw-mills; and some to men about to build houses, who bought a few logs for clear boards and for shingles; such excellent pine did not grow in these towns. All my informants say that there were some men who stole logs, and others who ingeniously obliterated marks; if a log had not been marked, the log-men could not claim it. The greater part of the timber reached Hartford and other places in Connecticut.

A few Rafts of Boards were conveyed down the Connecticut River, from the upper settlements, before 1755; there were not many until after the peace of 1763. Such rafts were safely guided down the falls or rapids of Willemanset and Enfield,* but all sawed lumber and shingles were carted by the falls at South Hadley, and Montague. The first notice of this business in Hampshire, is a petition to the Court of Sessions in February, 1754, for a road by the falls at South Hadley, for transporting lumber. South Hadley successfully opposed the laying of the road at that time. In March, 1755, they voted that Elijah Alvord might make an agreement with several persons, to cross their lands with lumber, in the Falls Field and Taylor's Field. After the close of the French war, there was another petition to the Court for a road by the falls, and in April, 1765, a road was laid from the head of the falls, (near the head of the subsequent canal,) to a landing place below the foot of the falls, about two and a half miles. The landing was 25 rods on the river and 10 rods wide. This new road was named the "Lumber Road."t Some rafts and boats stopped at the mouth of Stony brook, and boards, produce and other things were carted thence, some to the landing at the foot of the falls, and some to the landing below Willemanset rapids. Much merchandize was carried up by the falls to

this lumber road was laid in 1765, there was no house near the river or falls. On Taylor's field, as the old Pynchon grant, bought by the Taylors, was sometimes called, lived Joseph Taylor, aged 67, and his sons William and Joseph; and Samuel Taylor, aged 6a, and his sons Elisha and Samuel. On the eastern part of the field dwelt Titus Pomeroy from Northampton, and there may have been another family. Pomeroy was the first innkeeper in 1767; after his death, his widow kept an inn many years. William Taylor was a retailer in 1771. Daniel Lamb began to keep an inn in 1782. There were two saw-mills in 1 77 1, and a third one in Falls field, near the lumber road. After 1765, the transportation of lumber, and the taking to pieces and putting together of rafts, made some stir about the falls, and the quietness noticed on page 186, was interrupted about forty years after 1726. The number of families seems not to have increased much for 25 years after 1765.

History Of Hadley 299

The farmers of Falls Woods changed their employment in part, and were the carriers of lumber and goods by the falls for more than thirty years, or until the canal could be used; and at times many years later, when the canal or dam was not in order. They could not cart lumber and cultivate their farms, and their lands and fences had a neglected appearance. Sometimes farmers from other parts of the town were transporters of lumber. Occasionally, large quantities of boards were conveyed by the falls and rapids on the west side of the river.

In August, 1770, the first Elias Lyman was licensed to keep a ferry between Northampton and South Hadley, not far from his inn, where Smith's ferry now is. No one had been licensed before, though people had long crossed the river in boats, at this place. The river at the ferry was said in 1770, to be 45 rods wide. It is now above 50 rods wide.f

After Hadley had induced the county court to alter the road to Springfield, and lay it not far from the Connecticut River, in 1673, (pages 36 and 94) the people of Hadley obtained from some land-owner, a landing place on the river and a way to it, not far north of Chickopee River. Boats came up to this place, and the Hadley teams went down to it. About the same time, Northampton and Hatfield established a landing on the west side of the river. Both landings and the roads to them, were laid out by authority in 1730. The Hadley landing and road were taken from John Chapin's land, and the road was south of his house. He was allowed 20 pounds for damages. The place

*The inovith of Stony brook, where everything is now so still and quiet, was a bustling place, at times, more than half a century. It was a harbor for rafts and boats, and in freshets, great numbers of logs lodged on the adjoining lands. Immense piles of boards were sometimes on the south bank, and many men and teams. Elijah Alvord had a warehouse near the brook before 1765. He sold goods and kept a public house, more than a mile below. He was the first retailer in Falls Woods in 1754, and the first innkeeper in 1755- Noah Goodman succeeded him as innkeeper in 1770.

Some men relate that when the canal was in operation, and boats and rafts were daily passing through it, the rafts above, waiting their turns, were sometimes so numerous that they lined the shore from the head of the canal to Stony brook, above two miles,

-j"The fare at this ferry in 1770 was fixed at 3J pence for man and horse, for three summer months, and 4 pence for the rest of the year; for a man, 2 pence all the year. Gideon Alvord, who lived on the South Hadley side, was the ferryman many years. He was inquisitive, and when he carried a stranger across the river, he inquired his name, whence he came and whither he was going. This habit was not peculiar to Alvord.

It is said that formerly some females of Northampton Lower Farms, when they visited their friends in South Hadley, took a skiff and readily rowed themselves across the river.

was used by the people of Hadley and others about 30 years after 1730, when a new landing was prepared about two miles up the river, at the foot of Willemanset rapids, by Job Alvord, from South Hadley. In 1760 and 1761, he built a house near the county road and a wharf on the river, and he was licensed to keep an inn in 1761. His solitary house at Willemanset which is still standing, was two miles from inhabitants both north and south. In 1765, a court's committee laid out a place 6 rods by 18, "for landing, rafting, &c." and a road from it to the county road near Alvord's. There was so much business at this landing, that Alvord's inn did not lack customers. This was the Hadley landing place until the first canal was made in 1795, and the navigation of Willemanset rapids improved, and afterwards at times; and it was used by the people of other towns east of the river, and by the river-men of New Hampshire and Vermont.* The Island in Connecticut River, between Old Rainbow meadow in Northampton and Fort meadow in Hadley, was noticed in 1754, and was supposed by some to belong to the province. It was then said to contain six or seven acres, "which has been gathering about 30 years, whereon the brush begins to grow." After the grass began to grow, it was claimed by some persons in Northampton and some in Hadley, and one year the grass was mowed by a Brooks of Hadley, and the hay carried away by Nathaniel Day of Northampton."}" A committee of the General Court, appointed November, 1770, sold the island at public vendue, to Solomon Stoddard of Northampton, for 100 pounds, and he sold half to Noah Edwards. In 1803, it was all purchased by Levi Shepherd for 1200 dollars.

had boats and boatmen on the river, below the falls, when needed, for I zo years, before the first canal of 1795. They carried freight between "Hampton Landing," in West Springfield, and Hartford and other places below. There was a Hadley boat on the river in 1668, and it is believed that Hadley boats and boatmen conveyed loading between Hadley landing and Hartford, in most of the 120 years, though few notices of them are found. Boats continued to navigate the river half a century after 1795, until they were superseded by the freight-cars of the rail road. When the navigation of the canal was interrupted, which happened many times, teams were again necessary, and the lading of the boats and the lumber of the rafts were carried by the falls.

j-Is it to be inferred from this strife, that the island was then near the middle of the river ? Whence did the province derive its title to this new-formed island ? The province gave the 100 pounds to Hampshire county, to help maintain 6 or 8 county bridges.

Paper Money, or Colony Bills and Province Bills - End of Province Bills, 1750 - Old Tenor - The shad and salmon fishery at Hadley and South Hadley - Lampreys - Gatherings at the falls.

Massachusetts first issued paper money, or indented bills of credit,* in 1690, to pay the expenses of the unfortunate expedition against Quebec. About 40,000 pounds, in bills from five shillings to five pounds, Vv^ere emitted in 1690 and 1691, and taxes w^ere ordered for their redemption. They were received at the treasury for rates at 5 per cent, advance. They at first passed at a discount of near one-third, but when the amount in circulation was considerably reduced, they became current at or near par, and were convenient for the people, who had very little specie. A portion of them were reissued almost every year; 3000 pounds were ordered into circulation in February, 1702, and these were the last of the colony bills. Not many of these bills reached Connecticut River. Rates and debts continued to be generally paid in produce in the river towns.