History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

108 HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON. [1746.
to ""Secure the watcli and Ward from Rain," and to be
"Speedily Effected at the Cost and Charge of the town."
" The Town then voted to make Some mounts and adjoining to the
Houses they are made at and So to be made in the body of the Town
and to be places Convenient to fight in ; and the Houses where the
mounts are made at, to be places of Refuge for the Women & Children
to Resort to in Case of an Alarm."
A committee was appointed to determine the respective
places where these mounts should be built, and what houses
should be fortified in the several squadrons of the town.
In September still further action was taken and "flankers
and fortifications were ordered to be made with boards or
piquets."^
Remote Places Tliis work was entered upon at once, and
Fortified. bcforc wiutcr set in the town must have
presented somewhat the appearance of a
military camp, with mounts and picketed houses in every
direction. As nearly as can be ascertained at least
thirteen of these structures were erected. The vote in May
directed that mounts should be built in the " remote parts
of the town," One of them was to be placed near Eliakim
Clark's house, on the south side of Mill River. There is no
record of any fortification at Clark's house, and this one
was undoubtedly constructed at the house of Roger Clapp,
afterwards known as the Warham Clapp property. The
lot is now owned by C. N", Clark, Esq. Another was to be
built " in the street near Moses Clark's house." He lived on
Elm Street, in the section since known as "New Boston."
From accounts rendered it is shown to have been built " at
the end of the town by Mr. Hunt's " and must have been
near the homesteads of the late Luther Bodman and S. E.
Bridgman, then owned by Joseph Hunt. A third was to
be placed "in the street near Mark Warner's house," at
"Black Pole," near the upper end of Prospect Street, and
in the vicinity of the present "Poor House," a short dis-
tance west of that building on the opposite side of the
street. Still another was placed " in the Street between
Hope Root's House and Eben' Miller's house.'' This was
] The pickets were to he six inches in diameter, nine and one half feet long,
sharpened at the upper end, set eighteen inches in the ground, and fastened \)j a rib
extending across about midway, pinned to each picket.