Index
History Of North Adams, Massachusetts

Reminiscences Of Early Settlers.
-Extracts From Old Town Records.-
Its Public Institutions, Industries And Prominent Citizens,
Together With A Roster Of Commissioned Officers In The War Of The Rebellion.
By W. P. Spear.
North Adams, Mass.: Hoosac Valley News Printing House. 1885.

[Transcribed by Dave Swerdfeger]






  • Chapter I - East Hoosac
    • First Explored and Surveyed, 1.
    • Incorporation of Adams, 1.
    • First Town Tax, 2.
    • Early Town Meetings, 2-3.
    • Resolves of Early Town Meetings, 3-4-5.
    • Credit to South Village, 5.
    • Names of a few Early Settlers, 5-6.

  • Chapter II - Fort Massachusetts
    • Built, 7.
    • Location, 7.
    • The Attack and Capitulation of August 20, 1746, 8.
    • Rebuilt During Last French and Indian War, 9.
    • The Site of the Fort, 10.
    • The Burial Ground, 10.
    • Headstones Found, 11.
    • A Quaint Petition, 12.

  • Chapter III - The North Village
    • Village Proper, 13.
    • First Saw and Grist Mill, 13.
    • Barnes' Mills, 14.
    • Israel Jones, 14.
    • Village Site, 15.
    • Oliver Parker' Mills, 16.
    • Amos Bronson, 17.
    • David Estes, 17.
    • Jeremiah Colgrove's Oil Mill, 18.
    • Dwellings and Settlers in 1785 and 1795, 19.
    • Josiah Holbrook, 20.
    • Oliver Parker, Sr., 21.
    • Lack of a Circulating Medium, 22.

  • Chapter IV - Stores, Trading And Barter
    • First Traders, 24.
    • First Store, 24.
    • First for the Sale of Groceries, 25.
    • System of Bartering, 27.
    • Prices Paid for Calicos, Groceries and Grain in 1803, 27-28.
    • George Whitman as a Trading Man, 28.
    • Wool Carding, Cloth Fulling and Dressing, 29.

  • Chapter V - Early Industries
    • Blacksmith Shops, 30.
    • Carpenter and Cooper Shops, 31.
    • Brick Yards, 32.
    • Saddle and Harness Makers, 32.
    • Wagon and Sleigh Makers, 33.
    • Cabinet Shops, 33.
    • Water Works, Pumps and Lead Pipes, 34.
    • Stone Cutting and Marble Works, 34.
    • Hat Manufacturers and Hat Stores, 34.
    • Tailor Shops, 35.
    • Forge for Making Wrought Iron, 35.
    • First Cupola Furnace and Machine Shops, 36-39.

  • Chapter VI - Roads And Streets
    • Old Road Over Mountain, 40.
    • Highway Taxes, 41.
    • Road Surveys, 41.
    • Wages Paid for Labor on Roads, 43.
    • Laying Out of Streets, 41-43.
    • Early Stage Lines, 43.

  • Chapter VII - Schoolhouses And Churches
    • First Schoolhouse, 44.
    • Money Raised for Schools, 44.
    • School Districts, 45.
    • School Property, 45.
    • School Books, 45-46.
    • Teachers' Wages, 46.
    • Schedule of Property for Assessment, 47.
    • Drury Academy, 47-49.
    • Veazie Street and Union Street Schools, 49.
    • The First Churches, 49-51.
    • History of Baptist Church, 51-53.
    • Universalist Church, 53.
    • Methodist Church, 53-55.
    • Congregational Church, 55-56.
    • Episcopal Church, 56.
    • Blackinton Church, 56.
    • Roman Catholic Church, 56.
    • French Catholic Church, 57.

  • Chapter VIII - Public Houses
    • Old Black Tavern, 58.
    • Berkshire House, 59.
    • North Adams House, 60.
    • Wilson House, 60.
    • Ballou House, 61.

  • Chapter IX - Professionals
    • Lawyers, Date of their Settlement, 62.
    • Acting Justices of the Peace, 63.
    • Practicing Physicians, 64.
    • Representatives to the General Court, 64-68.
    • Postoffice and Postmasters, 68-70.
    • Telegraphy, 70.

  • Chapter X - Manufacturing
    • Arnold Print Works, 71.
    • Old Brick Factory, 71.
    • Eagle Factory, 72.
    • S. Blackinton Woolen Company, 73.
    • The Beaver, 74.
    • Estes Factory, 75.
    • Turning Shops, 76.
    • The Union, 76.
    • Union Woolen Factory, 77.
    • Johnson Manufacturing Company, 77.
    • Gould Mill, 78.
    • Stone Mill, 79.
    • Brooklyn, 79.
    • North Adams Manufacturing Company, 80.
    • Freeman Print Works, 80.
    • Greylock Mill, 82.
    • Wholesale Boot and Shoe Manufacturers-Edwin Childs and David C. Rogers, 82.
    • H. T. Cady's, 83.
    • W. G. Cady & Co., 83.
    • Whitman, Canedy & Co., 83.
    • Sampson Manufacturing Company, 83.
    • North Adams Iron Company, 84.
    • Tanneries, 86.

  • Chapter XI - Prominent Citizens
    • Captain Jeremiah Colgrove, 88.
    • Protection of a Fugitive Slave, 89.
    • Giles Tinker, 90.
    • Deacon Artemas Crittenden, 92.
    • Rufus Wells, 93.
    • Harvey and Oliver Arnold, 94.
    • Duty S. Tyler, 96.
    • William Wallace Freeman, 96.
    • Caleb B. Turner, 97.
    • William E. Brayton, 97.
    • Sylander Johnson, 98.
    • Amasa W. Richardson, 99.
    • Elisha Kingsley, 99.
    • Orson Wells, 100.
    • Benjamin Chase, 100.
    • Ezra D. Whitaker, 100.
    • Josiah Quincy Robinson, 100.
    • Dr. Edward Norman, 100.
    • Dr. Seth N. Briggs, 101. Dr.
    • N. S. Babbitt, 101.
    • Dr. E. S. Hawkes, 101.

  • Chapter XII - Miscellaneous
    • Division of the Town. 103.
    • Roster of Commissioned Officers, 104.
    • North Adams Fire District, 107.
    • Boston, Hoosac Tunnel & Western Railroad, 109.
    • North Adams Gas Light Company, 109.
    • Sketch of Hoosac Tunnel, 110.
    • Banks, 111.
    • Newspapers, 112.
    • North Adams Hospital, 112.
    • North Adams Library Association, 114




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