Shay's Rebellion




Stockbridge Great Barrington




Stones and Bones of New England

History of North Adams.



cooperage, about the year 1800, in a small building near where the American House now stands on Main street.

Paul Stafford opened a cooper shop about 1803.

Martin Salisbury, in 1809, opened a shop near Ivory Witt’s, on State street.

Several other shops were established prior to 1820. About that year Joel Fosket had a shop on Eagle street, which was afterward removed to Main street.


BRICK YARDS.

Among the men who were implicated in Shay’s rebellion, in 1786-7, we find recorded the name of “George Thresher, brickmaker.” He was pardoned and allowed to resume his business having failed in threshing the state government. It cannot be told whether he carried on business in the north or south village. At the March meeting in 1792, Jonathan Remington was chosen “sealer of brick moulds” for the town of Adams, showing that brick were then manufactured to a sufficient amount to require such an officer. The business was also carried on near the residence of Mr. Harrison, as many tokens of that branch of industry have been found there.

About the year 1800 Baker Jones established a brick yard just to the north and east of where the Freeman Print Works now stand. The brick for the old factory on Marshall street were made here. It was carried on by various individuals until the year 1825, when Benjamin F. Hathaway and Evenel Estes assumed the management of the yard. After a few years they were succeeded by Benjamin and James Hathaway, who were in turn succeeded by Benjamin Franklin Hathaway, who ran [sic run] the yard alone for a number of years. In 1859 he sold out to the firm of Homer & Hall, who conducted the yard until 1861, when their lease ran out and the property reverted to the owner. After the expiration of the lease in ’61 the sheds were destroyed and a building which stood on the eastern side of the property was moved down Union street and converted into a tenement, which is laid down as 32 Union street.


SADDLE AND HARNESS MAKERS.

Henry Evans established himself here in the above business about the year 1800. His shop was on the east side of Eagle street, near the site of Cody & Carpenter’s warehouse.

James Damon, about the year 1810, opened a shop on Main street, and afterward removed to Eagle street.

Levi W. Sterns, about 1826, opened a shop on Main street.


WAGON AND SLEIGH MAKERS.

Thomas Dickinson opened the first regular wagon shop in 1798, about twenty rods north of the Eagle bridge.

Samuel Brown commenced wagon making about 1808 on Eagle street. In 1812 he built a shop on Centre street, which was afterward altered into a dwelling.

Dudley Loveland occupied a dwelling and had a wagon shop on the site of J. H. Adams’ block, Main street.

From the best information that can be obtained it appears that no kind of wagon springs were in use in this town until the year 1808, when Shubael Wilmarth, Sr., purchased of the New Lebanon shakers a two-horse pleasure wagon, paying for it $84,having, what was termed “spring seats.” These springs were of the simplest, possible construction, being two pieces of ash timber, one on each side, bolted to a bed-piece in the wagon box. They run up at an angle of about 30 degrees, the seat being placed on them. The spring was imparted by the elasticity of the timber, and two persons found them easier riding than one. Similar springs are seen at this day on team wagons, but they are not considered “first class,” as they were eighty years ago.


CABINET MAKERS’ SHOPS.

The first cabinet maker’s shop was established about 1788 by a Mr. Veazie from Boston, and was located where the schoolhouse stands in the Braytonville district.

Christopher Penniman had a shop near the present residence of Mrs. Bradford Harrison.

About 1800 Mr. Isbell had a shop within the village limits.

In 1806 Christopher Penniman had a shop and kept the turnpike gate, located about at the entrance to the fair grounds.

In 1824 Daniel Remington opened a shop in a small building on the south side of Main street, near the corner of Pearl.

In 1827 John Krigger started a shop on the north side of Main street., nearly opposite the one above mentioned.

In 1830 Ezra Ingraham and William Shattuck opened a shop on Eagle street. Mr. Shattuck sold out and moved to Williamstown. E. Ingraham, and the firm of Ingraham, Isbell & Dewey afterward conducted the business. This shop was in a wooden building, now standing, just South of the Catholic church.

In 1847 Cyrus P. Isbell located on Eagle street, where his industry and accommodating spirit secured him a liberal patronage.

D. S. & J. H. Adams succeeded E. Ingraham in 1852 at the stand on the corner of Eagle and North Church streets. Being





Edited and adapted from the original by Laurel O’Donnell
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