xt72804xkt4f https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt72804xkt4f/data/mets.xml Historical Records Survey (Mass.) United States. Work Projects Administration. Division of Community Service Programs. Massachusetts Historical Records Survey (Mass.) United States. Work Projects Administration. Division of Community Service Programs. 1942 97 p.: ill. 28 cm. UK holds archival copy for ASERL Collaborative Federal Depository Library Program libraries and the Federal Information Preservation Network. Call Number FW 4.14:M 382/3/no.7/v.8 books  English Boston, Mass.: the Survey  This digital resource may be freely searched and displayed in accordance with U. S. copyright laws. Massachusetts Works Progress Administration Publications Hampden (Mass.: Town)--Archives--Catalogs Public records--Massachusetts--Hampden (Town) Hampden (Mass.: Town)--History--Sources Inventory of Town and City Archives of Massachusetts. No. 7, Hampden County, vol. 8 Hampden, 1942 text Inventory of Town and City Archives of Massachusetts. No. 7, Hampden County, vol. 8 Hampden, 1942 1942 1942 2020 true xt72804xkt4f section xt72804xkt4f TOWN AND CITE
ARCHIVES

of

MASSACHUSETTS

No.1. HAMPDEN COUNTY
VOL.XZ]]I.HAMPDEN

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Boston, Massachusetts
THE HISTORICAL RECORDS SURVEY
Division of Community Service Programs
Work Project's9 Administration
42

 

 "To bring together the records of the past and to

house them in the buildings where they will be preserved

for the use of men living in the future, a nation must

believe in three things. It must believe in the past.
It must believe in the future. It must, above all,
believe in the capacity of its people so to learn from
the past that they can gain in judgment for the creation

of the future." ——————————— Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

 

 INVENTORY OF TOWN AND CITY ARCHIVES

OF MASSACI‘EJSETTS

1-:.;‘ Hampdcn county

Vol. 8'. Hampfzen

Prepared by
The historical Records Survey
mvision of Community Service Programs
Work Projects Administration

*****

The Historical Records Survey
Boston, Massachusetts
1941

 

 

  

The Historical Records Survey Program

Sargent B. Child National Director
Carl J. Wennerblad State Supervisor of Research and
Records Programs in Massachusetts
Mary Elizabeth Sanger State Supervisor of the Historical
_ Records Survey in Massachusetts |
‘ »‘-c\.%~ ‘ 3";

Division of Community Service Programs

Florence Kerr Assistant Commissioner
Robert Y. Phillips Regional Supervisor
Harold G. Dunney State Director

George F. Burrows Administrative Assistant

Work Projects Administration

Howard 0. Hunter Commissioner
John J. McDonough Regional Director
Denis W. Delaney State Administrator

Sponsor of the Historical Records Survey in Massachusetts

Frederic W. Cook Secretary of the Commonwealth

 PREFACE

This inventory of the town records of Hampden is one volume in a
series bearing the title Inventory 9: the Town gpd City grghiyes p:
m§§§achusetts. It is anticipated that eventually in such series will be
listed the records cf every governmental unit in the State. Copies of
this volume and of every publication of the Massachusetts Historical
Records Survey are distributed to prominent libraries of the nation and
to the larger and more centrally located libraries of Massachusetts.

he purpose of the project is to survey, preserve, and render accessible
historical source materials of all kinds. The work is divided into the fol—
lowing main classifications: Public records, private manuscripts, church
records, early American imprints, historical portraits and newspapers. In
the development of this survey, certain techniques have been found practi—
cable, depending on the nature of the subject matter, such as the methods
f the inventory, the guide, the calendar, the check list, and the index.

The actual work of gathering information concerning historical
materials at their place of storage or custody has in most cases been pre-
ceded by the necessary task of putting records in order, of cleaning,
dusting, refiling, and treating them. This function of the project, often
performed by its workers under very difficult conditions, may well be
regarded by future generations as a most important contribution of th
survey Scarcely less important, however, are the editorial processes to
which all information must be subjected before publication. As a result
of such editing, gaps and inadequacies are spotted, inconsistencies rec-
onciled, and order brought out of chaos,

In the field of public records it has been found necessary not only
to sketch briefly the history of the county or town and its government
but also to preface the inventory of each subordinate office or institution
with an outline of its development based upon its own records or upon
statutory or other sources. In the inventories of church records, similarly,
the preparation of the history of each church constitutes a task equally
arduous with that of locating and listing its records In Massachusetts
two broader works have been undertaken. The general historical background,
statutory origin and functioning of county, city, or town offices have
been studied with a view to providing satisfactory accounts of the develop—
ment of county and municipal government generally. These latter under—
takings are now happily nearing completion.

The inventory of the town archives of Hampden is the second in the
series of such inventories covering the towns of Hampden County: The
Survey is indebted to the town officials of Hampden for their cooperation
and to the Secretary of the Commonwealth, Frederic W Cook, Without whose
sponsorship this project.would not be possible.

Mary Elizabeth Sanger
State Supervisor
Historical Records Survey

 

 FOREWOEU

The Invent
of a number of hitii
the United St:teq
Projects

0: liassachusetts is one
”als prepared throughout
1 ,; cords Survey of the Work
ZLe puelica ti :n herewith presented, an inventory

 

 

of the _ en in Eampden County, is volume VIII of number 7
of the Roosiclusetam series.
The I ut'ricwi ‘wc'rds Survey was underta.{en in the winter of 1935—36

 

for the pur,
rians, liuycrs‘ it:
t

‘S 00" CCU: Tr‘ .

  

7ment to needy unemployed histo-
lerical workers. In carrying
ed to compile inventories of
lisned government documents
at ion of local government, and
f political economic, and

Mm tely 1400 publications
ihe “Country. The archival guide
ecuirements of day—to—day ad—
the needs of lawyers, business

,,

iron the public records for the

so at “ “ (,1; useful emplc;

 
 
 
   
       
 

 

   

 

proper i 11 is so designed that it can
be used ‘ L in unprinted sources in the same
uiy 'o :~ for printed sources.

T“C Lu out ~1e» A E1$TOTiCnl Records Survey attempt to
do mcre tlmn give n~s ecords——they attempt further to sketch
in th‘ Li: UN :1. is 1 county or o her unit of government,
and to describe p???1591j and in d-t il tie organization and functions

T‘

of the governmou' agencies wlcse
and city inTcH " ‘ “ “
stitute an
local archives.

they list, The county, town,
'ry wil , when completed, con—
t as well as bibliography of

 

’10
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LL10)
(Dd

1‘

(D (D C)
O

(I) O C L57
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pi

 

The successful canclusion of the worn of the his torical Records
Survey, even in a sing e town, would not be possible without the support
of public offgcialg. LidtCTiCQl and legal specialists and many other
groups in the community. Their cooperation is gratefully acknowledged.

   

 

The survey wee tiirected by Luther H. Evans from its inception in
Tanuary 1936 to Larch it l910 when he was succeeded by Sargent B. Child
formerly Fationil Eieli SdpL rvisor It operates as a nation—wide project
in the Division of Professional and Service Projects, of which Mrs.
Florence {err‘ Ass iotant Commissioner, is in charge.

 

Howard 0. Hunter
Commissioner of Work Projects
Administration

 

 n

‘1.

VI.

VII.

VIII.

 

X.

X1.
XII.
X1 1 l .
XIV.
XV.
XVl.
XVll.
XVI I: l .
XIX.

TthL OF CONTENTS

Preface ................................... . ...... ..........i
Foreword ............................................ .....iii

c+

Par ‘11pden and 1ts Records System

 

3 1r of Town Covernmont..... ............... . ............2

Governmental Ovranifation and Records System. ...........21
Lansing, Care and Accessibility of the Records............24
‘ ‘ -‘ Symbols and Explanatory Notes...... ..... ...27

 

 

 

Minutes 5nd Reports: Vitnl

Liceiles 3nd Pernits: Hisoell
Board of '
Board of

 

ts and prenditu res; Bills, Vouchers,
Warrants; borls and Tax Ti ties; Miscellaneous
TOHn Boo  - ' writ-2111:?

Rumba: has fine. yum.

Mass. GeodeKW; 5 larva

'Bos‘ton NIQSS‘

 

 

 1'.

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PART A HAHPDEN AND ITS RECORDS SYSTEM

Historical Sketch

The town of Hampden, in Hampden County on the Connecticut border, was
incorporated in 1878, but it had been settled for almost 140 years before
that time The orieLnal settlers, headed by Stephens Stebbins, moved inr
to what was ther ,ne fourth precinct of Springfield about 1741,,1 These
early settler: were farmers, but in 1750 a sawmill was erected on the F
Scantic,2 an‘ in 1764 a gristmill was established on Twelve Mile Brook a
Soon the area had been sufficiently freed from woods and forests to enable
the scattered inhabitants to grow enough wheat, rye, and corn to meet their

needs 4

The town of Wilbraham, which developed from the fourth precinct, was
incorporated in 1763.5 By 1775 there were four school districts in the
southern part of the new town which, in 1782,6 became the "South Parish of
Wilbraham, "and eventually the town of Hampden The south parish did not
win this degree of autonomy without a struggle The initial move for
separation took place in 1772,? and it necessitated arbitration by a com—
mittee of out—of—town residents before the south parish came into existence.
It then took more than a century before the south parish gained political
as well as religious autonomy,

The people in the south parish lost little time in using their newly-
won authority. In 1783 the erection of a meetinghouse was begun, but it
x; 3 10 more years before the parish appropriated 246 pounds 15 shillings
to finish the church and to "see it glassed."

Possibly to save the expense of a lot, this building was erected in
the road running through the south village, a short—sighted action, which
brought much trouble in later years_ After many unsuccessful attempts to
move it to a more desirable situation, the present lot was purchased in
1834. At the time of removal the church was remodeled and in 1869 the ex-
penditure of $3,000 made possible a complete modernization of the structure.
The Reverend Moses Warren, who had been ordained in 1788, served as the first

 

l. Rufus P, Stebbins, Historical Address Delivered“..June IQ, 1865,

pp. 70, 71.

Ibid., p. 157.

Wilbraham, Town Clerk, Town Records, 1, 15.
Stebbins, op. £11,, p, 164.

Province Laws, IV (1757—1768), 1763, ch. 9.
Acts, 1782, ch 1.

Wilbraham, Town Clerk, Town Records, I, 196—197.
Ibid., II, 12‘. 128

Stebbins, 92, 3;; , p 144.

Wilbraham, Town Clerk, Town Records, II, 149.
Stebbins, 92, 913,1). 146,,

F‘H
E Q m m q a m a 01m

 

  

First entry p. 52 Historical Sketch

minister from that time until his death in 1829 1

For almost half a century the Congregational Church remained the
only religious society in the south parish In 1850, however, a Methodist
society was established. drawing the membership partly from the parish
church and partly from new settlers of that faith 2 Prior to this time
the Methodists had been obliged to travel to the north parish. where a
Methodist society had been founded as earlv as 1791 Services in the
south village were originalIv held in the schoolhouse, but the society
soon became sufficiently strong. both numericallv and financially, to
erect its own place of worship A harmonious relationship seems to have
existed between the Methodists and those of the "standing order", as no
serious doctrinal disturbed the peace of the community

The Baptists did not establish themselves officially in the south
parish until 1854 Many of their members had been formerly affil ated
with two Baptist churches in Wilbraham which had become inactive

Two other religious denominations flourished for a time One of
these, the Universalists, organized a society in 1826 but never gained
sufficient strength to erect its own church building, various school—
houses serving for meetings For a few years prior to 1843, the
"Millerites" had also been active, arousing no little comment by their
"demonstrations" and prophecies that the end of the world would arrive
in April 1842 The members, finding themselves and the world still intact
when the predicted day of judgment had passed, quickly lost interest, and
the majority transferred to more orthodox denominations

By 1875 Wilbraham was divided into twelve school districts, four of
which (numbers 3, 4, 5 and 6) lay within the south parish In its report
for 1877, the last year before the incorporation of Hampden, the Wilbraham
school committee presented educational statistics showing a total of 369
pupils, 97 of whom lived in the south parish Of the $2,957 49 expended
in the town, $1,107 was charged to the southern area

No attempt seems to have been made to establish a public high school
in the south parish, but secondary education was not forgotten In 1844
the southern inhabitants organized the Hampden Academy and erected a small
but well—equipped building, the whole enterprise financed by local sub—
scription An association of public—spirited people controlled the academy,

 

"""'1'..§i?_1‘7'ia7'13f7"‘""'
2 Alfred Minot COPeland, 1.x Eistgrr. 9f harness .quiltr, Massach s tts,
III, 555
Stebbins, 9p git , pp 137, 138
This. , pp 135, 136
1918 , P- 138
Wilbraham, Selectmen, Anpggl ngggts, 1877, p 23

0501me

  

Historical Sketch First entry p. 32

which supplied a well—balanced curriculum at an annual cost of $88.50
per pupil The academy prospered for about 50 years, but the opening
of public high schools provided competition which it could not meet
The building was later used as the Hampden Town Hall

Like virtually all early New England settlements, argiculture was
for many years the principal occupation of the people Although limited
in area, because u: the proximity of the adjacent hills, the valley of
the Scantic pr Jed fertile and provided some of the most productive land
in the whole town As in the north parish, the settlers raised wheat,
corn, and rye; then in the early nineteenth century dairy products began
to gain ascendanqy and the dairy business has since become the most
lucrative pursuit of Hampden farmers At the time of the incorporation
of the town in 1878, vegetable growing and poultry farming had acquired
a place of importance, while fruit growing, an earlier development, was
still carried on to some extent The natural timber which covered the
south parish constituted an important product until after 1880 Since the
development of the great wheat fields of the west, however, wheat raising
has proved unprofitable and rye is seldom seen, but corn and hay still
grown in considerable quantities to provide fodder for cattle Although,
for a few years at the close of the nineteenth century, tobacco was
raised with some success this eventually gave way before the competition
of planters in the more suitable lower Connecticut Valley

While agriculture has always provided the principal source of liveli—
hood for the people of Hampden, a few industries, not to be included in
the small enterprises which formed necessary adjuncts to early New England
communities, sprang up during the parish period Following the establish—
ment of the first sawmill on the Scantic by Lewis Langdon in 1750, another
was erected two decades later by Abner Badger on Third Brook During or
shortly prior to the Revolutionary War, Langdon also started a gristmill
a short distance below his sawmill, which stood near the spot later occupied
by the Ravine Mill This was followed by two gristmills, one erected by
David Burt in the southeast part of the town, the other by a man named
Wright on Middle Brook 3 A settler named Bacon from Brimfield built a
third gristmill on the Scantic a short distance above Langdon s two mills,
but soon sold out to Christopher Langdon, grandson of Lewis The business
afterwards passed into the hands of William Moseley, who rebuilt both the
mill and the dam, adding a sawmill and a shingle mill Later the establish-
ment burned down and the Ravine Hill was erected on the same site

About the turn of the century, Burt added a sawmill to his gristmill,
while Charles Sessions built still another sawmill on the Scantic, which
he afterwards abandoned to erect one on the site later occupied by the
South Wilbraham Manufacturing Company About 1850 a sawmill and a grist~
mill appeared to the west of the mountain, where the Lacousic Woolen Mill

 

Edward A Chase, gigggéric‘ai'lgggggg’g Delivered T Ugvem‘gerié, i885,

Stebbins,_gp

1

pp 39—40

2 <2;
3. Stebbins, 99 g;

't‘, pp 164, 165; Copeland, gp git_, III, 549
t , p 157

 

  

  

Historical Sketch

 

First entry p. 32

afterwards stood This was the property of Hilton Stebbins Although details
are lacking it is known that tanneries were once Operated in the south

parish by a man named West, and by Daniel and Jonathan Chaffee Walter

Burt and Jonathan Flint each had fulling mills, while small potash workers
were owned by Paul Langdon and William King, both of whom Were conspicuous
figures in the early life of the settlement

During the early part of the nineteenth century, a greater variety in
manufacturing activities became apparent About 1800 a factory was estab—
lished on the Scantic by John Roper for the manufacture of chains for farm
use Also about 1800 Stewart Beebe erected a cider distillery of consider-
able size A few years later paper—making was carried on for a time in the
sawmills and gristmills built by Moseley, but this industry failed to survive.

An important new development in the industrial life of the south parish
began in 1843 As the successful fabrication of textiles in many parts of
New England had brought prosperity hitherto unknown, Summner Sessions, an
influential business man, determined to establish a woolen factory in the
parish Accordingly he built a mill on the Scantic, renting it to Bradford
anxl Scripter, who commenced the manufacture of woolen goods in 1844 Levi
Bradford retired in 1847 and the firm then became a partnership composed of
Luther E Sage, William Sessions, and Sam e1 Beebe They in turn were
succeeded by Scripter, Sage, and Company The capacity of the plant in—
creased steadily, and in 1854 it incorporated under the name of the South
Wilbraham Manufacturing Company, with holdings of $50,000 In addition
to the original satinets, the plant turned out tweeds, cassimeres, and
doeskins, and for some years did a flourishing business, which led to its
expansion in 1862 Later it passed into the hands of the Lacousic Woolen
Mill Company, but failed after a few years and was then taken over by

Brown and Chapman

Another woolen factory, established in 1858, became known as the Ravine
Mill Although it had been built by Eleazer Scripter, Luther Sage soon
acquired the establishment and prosperity during the Civil War made a larger
factory necessary in 1868 Soon afterward, however, profits began to
decline and the plant passed into the control of outside interests Mean-
while in 1865 Luther Sage, ever active in the industrial life of the village,
had promoted the Scantic Woolen Mill Company, which for 10 years manufactured
fancy cassimeres, but in 1875 came into the hands of Judson Leonard

Ibid , p 158

121g , p 159

Copeland, op cit , III, 551
Apps, 1854, ch 233

Copeland , 9p git , III, 551
ibis , p 552

Ibid

\‘IO‘IUlI-POJNl-J

  

 ails

'ive.

;er

1-

186.
ired

Historical Sketch First entry p. 52

The plow works of Marcus Beebe, another industry which at one time
flourished in Hampden, was established about 1850 and soon developed a
conSiderable market in the south, where Beebe’s brothers had established
themselves in business It was said that his plows were designed to be
"drawn by slaves " As support for this theory may be cited the failure
of the business soon after the Civil War

In view of the industrial activity of the south parish, which greatly
overshadowed that of the north, it is surprising that complete separation
Should have been so long delayed and that the continued Opposition of the
northern village checked early attempts to divide the town of Wilbraham
However, by 1820 town meetings were held alternately in the two parishes.

On January 19, 1824 a proposal to divide the town was defeated at a
regular meeting in the south parish by 119 to 67 3 On December 14, 1829
the matter was again broached by inserting an article in the warrant to
choose a committee to consider the division of the town The article was
"passed in the negative "4 In 1840,5 again in 1844,6 and subsequently at
various intervals, attempts to secure civil independence for the south
parish met defeat with monotonous regularity As late as November 7, 1876,
a year before success was finally achieved, there was "no action on dividing

the town "

Town meetings continued to alternate fairly regularly between the
meetinghouses in the north and south parishes until 1840 By that time the
old meetinghouse of the north parish had become inadequate and a committee
was appointed to secure terms for the rental of suitable quarters On
April 16, 1840 the committee reported that the Methodist church in the
north village could be obtained for $25 a month, while the south parish wanted
$300 for the use of its meetinghouse 8 Shortly afterward, however, the south
parish relented, offering the quarters gratis to the town.9 Consequently
on November 8, 1841, it was decided to hold all meetings in the south parish,
"unless a place could be found in the center village free of expense " 0

After some years a new meetinghouse was erected in the north parish
and meetings were again alternated, This practise apparently proved un—
satisfactory, for in 1874 a vote to hold all meetings in the center village
was passed by the narrow margin of 191 to 190, which seems to indicate a

 

Ibid , p 551,
Wilbraham, Town Clerk, Town Records, II, 470, 486
Ibid , p 518
Ibid , III, 99

 

 

 

 

 

 

H
0"

Ibid , p 239

id , p 349

Ibid , v, 359
Ibid., III, 223.

Ibid , p 238

1 Ibid , p 255

 

  

10
First entry p. 32 Historical Sketch

great gain in the numerical strength of south parish,l

The efforts of "South Wilbraham", as it was known, to secure complete
independence met with success on the 7th of November 1877 At a Wilbraham
town meeting held in the Methodist Church in the southern village a motion
to divide "at or near existing parish lines" finally passed by the decisive
margin of 184 to 19 votes ‘ On petition of the town of Wilbraham, the act
incorporating the south parish as the town of Hampden passed the State
legislature on March 28, 1878 3 The new township, roughly square in shape,
covered 11,281 acres, bounded on the north by Wilbraham, on the east by
Monson, on the west by East Longmeadow, and on the south by the towns of
Stafford and Somers in Connecticut The only irregular line is the one on
the north

The citizens of Hampden lost little time in organizing the machinery
of government Only 11 days after the act passed the legislature, they held
the first town meeting, where the principal officers were elected and a
committee was formed to draw up the proposed settlement with the town of
Wilbraham 5 This committee submitted its report on April 18. On acceptance
by the town, the selectmen with two others were authorized to proceed with
the settlement, provided that the proposals proved satisfactory to Wilbraham.
By the final agreement, with which the latter town concurred on November 5
of the same year, the allotment of property valuations gave $586,721 to
Wilbraham and $362,982 to Hampden On the other hand, a proportionate al—
location of the town debt charged Wilbraham with.$560 93, and Hampden with
$346 98, this town agreeing, moreover, to repay its share of the old Warriner
Fund Town-owned property, such as schoolhouses, fire equipment, the pound,
and furniture in the south parish became the property of Hampden, which
received quitclaim deeds for the school lands and burial grounds within its

territory 7

The first town meeting on April 8, 1878 was quickly followed by another
on April 18th; the remaining offices were filled and the collection of taxes
was let out to the lowest bidder — the customary procedure in those days
The citizens then proceeded to make the necessary appropriations These in—
cluded $1,100 for the support of the schools, to which the do fund was added;
$1,100 for the care of the poor, and $6,000 for highway work According
to the annual report for the first year, actual expenditures amounted to
$1,285 71 for schools, $918 75 for the poor, and $542 12 for highways, — the

 

lbig , v. 292

Wilbraham, Town Clerk, Town Records, V, 388

Acts, 1878, ch 88

Mass Secretary of State, Eistggiggl Qatalgelgtigg 39 Counties,
Ql____tie and Tennis, p 28 ,

Hampden Town Records, vol A, pp 3—6, see entry 13

This , p 21 '

Wilbraham, Town Clerk, Town Records, V, 414, 415

Hampden Town Records, vol A, pp 8—10, see entry 13

1131.9, , p 11-

UerCfiNH

LDQQO‘U]

 1d

C6

mar

11
Historical Sketch First entry p. 32

last figure only being very widely at variance with the approPI-iation,1
Lastly, to ensure funds for the necessary operating expenses of the town,
the.treasurer was authorized to borrow up to $2000 at any time It was also
decided to hold annual meetings on the first Monday in April

For the first few years all town meetings were held in either the Con~
gregational or the Methodist Church but in 1885 a committee was appointed to
investigate the feasibility of building or of purchasing some structure suit—
able for this purpose, Possibly as an experiment, the next annual meeting
gathered in Academy Hall, which had been used by the Hampden.Academy and now
belonged to an organization known as the South Wilbraham Educational Society.
The hall evidently proved satisfacto for it was decided to take no action
on matter of securing other quarters However, in 1889 the selectmen
were instructed to consider the question again and to report a year later,6
with the result that the town, on their recommendation, voted not to buy or
build a town hall 7 Thus, Academy Hall became firmly established as the
official quarters, although ownership was not acquired until 1909, when the
town secured a partial title from the society 8 In the following year the
voters appropriated $400 to put it into good repair and in 1895 Egey equipped
the office with safes for the proper preservation of the records

Throughout the history of Hampden, in their conduct of municipal
affairs the citizens have been "cautiously progressive " Never wealthy, the
town has perforce delayed various moves for the public good. Moreover, the
voters have always upheld a "pay as you go" policy While postponing civic
improvements, this has kept the town solvent and free of burdensome public
debt. Innovations have never been adopted spontaneously or on sudden impulse,
and it is seldom that any radical change has been passed by a town meeting
the first time it appeared on the warrant Hampden had inherited a small debt
from Wilbraham, but the entire amount of $725 was paid off by 1881 11

$ge adoption of gaslights along the main street of the village came in
1890.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Annual Reports, 1878, p, 7, see entry 2,

2 Hampden Town Records, vol A, p, 11, see entry 13.
4. Ibid., p. 98.

5 191% . p 105

6. Ibid., p. 183

7. Ibi ., p 196.

8. Ibid , vol B, p" 8.

9‘ Ibid , p 13

10 Ibid , vol A, p. 310

 

ll. Annua Reports, 1882, p 7, see entry 2
12. Hampden Town Records, vol A, p 196, see entry 13

 

  

First entry p. 52 Historical Sketch

For these and for the installation of guide posts the town spent $113,08 1
At the same time a public watering—trough was set in the main street and
connect by a small aqueduct with a spring in the adjacent hills 2 Light
service has continued without interruption since that time, but 2 years
passed before electric lights were adopted

In 1896 cam' another important improvement when $500 was appropriated
to secure an extension of the telephone line lately installed in East Long-
meadow 5 At no time has a railroad or streetcar line passed through the
township, despite a number of serious efforts to obtain an extension of the
Springfield Street Railway from Longmeadow to the town The final attempt
to improve connections Occurred in 1913 when Hampden joined the Hill Town
Association, an Organization of smaller towns united for the specific purpose
of securing electric railroad communications 4 In the case of Hampden, how-
ever, this final effort proved of no avail Thus, a stage line connecting
with the trolley line in East Longmeadow remained the only available means
of public transportation In 1911, however, the horse—drawn vehicles were
replaced by automobiles5 and later a regular bus service was maintained
between Hampden and Springfield

Although electric current had been brought into Hampden in 1912, when
the Scantic Mill arranged with the Central Massachusetts Electric Company
to run its wires to that point,6 general public electric service and street
lighting were not made available until 1916 Then at the annual meeting
held on February 7 the citizens appropriated the first f five annual payments
on a contract for the installation of 50 street lights ' At the conclus1on
of that period an extension of the serv1ce was again voted

Road construction and maintenance gradually became more burdensome
during the first 40 years of Hampden s corporate existence The $542 12 ‘
expended in 18789 had increased in 1898 to $921 40,10 and in 1918 to $3,568.88L
Up to this time however, old style gravel roads had not been superseded by
modern heavy macadan ' The first heavy construction voted by the town did
not come until 1924, when a section of the main road to East Longmeadow was
modernized after an appropriation of $4,000 had been made for the purpose 12

1 Annual Reverie, 1891, p 18, see entry 2

2 rag

3 Hampden Town Records, vol A, p 327, see entry 13

4 lbig a V01 B) P 6'3 V ‘

5