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

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."
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