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

1769.] POLITICAL MATTERS—CENSUS—JAIL—NEW TOWNS. 329
£3. Houses were valued in 1761, from £2 to £7 ; barns and
lots on Hawley Street,
shops, at 50s., 40s.. and 30s. ; home
from £3 to £4 ; on Main and Pleasant Streets, £4 to £7 ;
on South Street, at £3. The best meadow-land was valued
at 65s. per acre, and varied from 45s. to 50s., and on South
Street at 40s. per acre. Improved uplands were commonly
valued at 20s., and some nearest the home lots, at from 25s.
to 30s. Oxen were valued at 40s. each ; horses, three years
old, 40s. ; cows, three years old, 30s. ; swine, one year old,
8s. ; sheep and goats, at 3s.
A Severe Storm. A terrible stomi of rain, accompanied by
tliunder and lightning, occurred on the 5"'
of July, 1769. For several hours the rain fell in torrents,
and the meadows were covered with water to the depth of
three or four feet. Much damage was done to the roads
and bridges, and large quantities of hay were carried off
by the flood. During the storm the house of Dea. Jonathan
Hunt was struck by lightning. The fluid entered at
the top of the chimney, and descended to the lower floor,
where two of his children. Jonathan, aged 15, and Thank-
ful, aged 7, were standing. Both were instantlj^ killed.
The house was but slightly damaged.
An Extensive Flood.
January of the following year was made
memorable by a great flood. The streams
were all raised above their banks, and many bridges were
carried away. Dea. Ebeuezer Hunt, who occupied the
property east of the present City Hall, extending from
Main Street to Mill River, has left the following account
of it : —
" Jany 7, a great rain with South wind, the Mill river broke up. and
the ice canned off Lickingwater bridge. It was one of the highest
floods that anj- person remembers in Mill River, when the Great River
did not set up. It was soon over the bank in my home lot."
Within a few days a town-meeting was held, which voted
*' almost unanimously," to rebuild the bridge, as the records
read, "in the road to Lickingwater." The committee was
instructed to build it " in the new form and method of con-
structing bridges lately gone into by the town." A footbridge
was constructed for use while the other was in
building:.