History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;
History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654; History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;
416 HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON. [1778. Necessity of Con- One of tliG most pressmg needs of the counfederation. -^py after tliG Declaration of Independence, was a general bond of union, a system of confederation, that should unite all the colonies so that their energies should not be ill applied, nor frittered away in individual and ineffectual efforts. To this end Congress, in the midst of the absorbing struggle, prepared and presented to the colonies for their consideration a system by which all should be brought together under one general government. It was not deemed sufficient that these arti- cles should be ratified by the Legislatures of the different states, but they were submitted to the scrutiny, criticism, and approval of each town. Articles of Confed- I^ January ' ' the articles of confederation eration Approved and Perpetual Uuiou proposed by the byt e own. Hou'ble Continental Congress," were brought before the town. How far they were discussed or whether any opposition to them was manifested cannot now be known. The verdict as recorded by the clerk was that "they [the town] approve of the same and direct their Representatives in the General Court to act accordingly." Ithamar Strong was given liberty in March Cider-Mill Privilege Granted. to build a " Cyder Mill" on the town's land near the former home of Bathsheba Hull, who had been dispossessed of the property by the town a short time before. He was to pay to the town annually "the full value of half of the cyder which he shall make from the apple trees that are upon the town's land at that place so long as he shall enjoy the same," Some one of the occupants of this land, while the town's right of ownership was in abeyance, set out and cared for the orchard, and now the town was profiting by his labors. To Mrs. Hookcr, after the death of her hus- Generous to Mrs. Hooker. band, the town was generous and sympa- thetic. For a number of years she was per- mitted to use about one quarter of the sequestered land, wood was provided for her, and she was paid for supplying the pulpit, " a.t three times the nominal sum that was settled upon Mr. Hooker, as his salary according to the time the Pulpit was supplied by her."
1778.] REVOLUTION—REV. SOLOMON WILLIAMS. 417 Westhampton Seeks The oiitlyiiig (listricts Were filling up with Municipal p r i v 1 - inhabitants, and each and all of them were ^^''^' desirous of assuming municipal responsi- bilities as soon as possible. Unlike the practice of the pres- ent day which is towards annexation and the absorption of the smaller by the larger places, the tendency then was towards the dismemberment of the older towns and the erection of new ones at the earliest possible moment. Already a large slice of territory had been cut off and the town of Southampton formed. Another project for the formation of the district of Easthampton had failed because of the opposition of the former town. Now the peo- ple living in the westerly section of the town pressed for civic honors, and proposed to set up for themselves. But eleven years had elapsed since the first settlers established themselves in the wilderness there, and their numbers had increased during that period only to about sixty families. Six years before they had petitioned the town to be allowed their "ministers raits," and " Sumthing relitive to School- ing," and since that time they had been supplied with their share of the town funds for the support of preaching and schools and the care of highways. Now deeming them- selves capable of sustaining these institutions, they petitioned the General Court to be set off into a separate town. The parent settlement never discouraged the formation of these offshoots, and not only voted in favor of their estab- lishment, but divided the paternal resources with them in a liberal manner. It was ever ready to encourage the young folks to set up for themselves. No opposition was made to the petition of Southampton ; that of Easthampton was treated with equal favor, and when the j)roposition for the formation of still another town came up for consid- eration at a meeting held in September, the following vote was passed with apparent unanimity — : " voted, That they did Consent that four miles in length at the "West end of the Town & the full breadth thereof, with the Inhabitants on sd Land should be set off from Northampton & Incorporated into a sepa- rate Town or District." 21
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416 HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON. [1778.<br />
Necessity <strong>of</strong> Con- One <strong>of</strong> tliG most pressmg needs <strong>of</strong> the counfederation.<br />
-^py after tliG Declaration <strong>of</strong> Independence,<br />
was a general bond <strong>of</strong> union, a system <strong>of</strong><br />
confederation, that should unite all the colonies so that<br />
their energies should not be ill applied, nor frittered away<br />
<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>dividual and <strong>in</strong>effectual efforts. To this end Congress,<br />
<strong>in</strong> the midst <strong>of</strong> the absorb<strong>in</strong>g struggle, prepared and presented<br />
to the colonies for their consideration a system by<br />
which all should be brought together under one general<br />
government. It was not deemed sufficient that these arti-<br />
cles should be ratified by the Legislatures <strong>of</strong> the different<br />
states, but they were submitted to the scrut<strong>in</strong>y, criticism,<br />
and approval <strong>of</strong> each town.<br />
Articles <strong>of</strong> Confed- I^ January '<br />
' the articles <strong>of</strong> confederation<br />
eration Approved and Perpetual Uuiou proposed by the<br />
byt e own.<br />
Hou'ble Cont<strong>in</strong>ental Congress," were<br />
brought before the town. How far they were discussed or<br />
whether any opposition to them was manifested cannot now<br />
be known. The verdict as recorded by the clerk was that<br />
"they [the town] approve <strong>of</strong> the same and direct their<br />
Representatives <strong>in</strong> the General Court to act accord<strong>in</strong>gly."<br />
Ithamar Strong was given liberty <strong>in</strong> March<br />
Cider-Mill Privilege<br />
Granted. to build a " Cyder Mill" on the town's land<br />
near the former home <strong>of</strong> Bathsheba Hull,<br />
who had been dispossessed <strong>of</strong> the property by the town a<br />
short time before. He was to pay to the town annually<br />
"the full value <strong>of</strong> half <strong>of</strong> the cyder which he shall make<br />
<strong>from</strong> the apple trees that are upon the town's land at that<br />
place so long as he shall enjoy the same," Some one <strong>of</strong> the<br />
occupants <strong>of</strong> this land, while the town's right <strong>of</strong> ownership<br />
was <strong>in</strong> abeyance, set out and cared for the orchard, and<br />
now the town was pr<strong>of</strong>it<strong>in</strong>g by his labors.<br />
To Mrs. Hookcr, after the death <strong>of</strong> her hus-<br />
Generous to Mrs.<br />
Hooker. band, the town was generous and sympa-<br />
thetic. For a number <strong>of</strong> years she was per-<br />
mitted to use about one quarter <strong>of</strong> the sequestered land,<br />
wood was provided for her, and she was paid for supply<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the pulpit, " a.t three times the nom<strong>in</strong>al sum that was settled<br />
upon Mr. Hooker, as his salary accord<strong>in</strong>g to the time<br />
the Pulpit was supplied by her."
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