The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-10-24

nc Herald Comrrissioncr's Report.

NEW LNOlhNO,
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The Herald Com rsissloncr's Report.
FRANKLIN COUNTY, MASS, August 20, 1853.
IRE County of Erdnkiia-Hs Orig,n-OM Totons--
Indian WaYs-Bioody Brook-De1fcld- Gill
Population Of The Ccunty-Gro,oth Of ISscns--
Value of Proroty--Ks Increase IN Different
Agricultural Industry and Productions,
Indian Corn, Rye, Oats, Barley, Wheat, Bufer'
Cheese, Mopic Sugar, Broom Corn, Sc.' Sc.-
Ma, afactNwes-- Cotton Fdciories-UooHe" rae
tories miscellaneous MInutaeiwes-Vata" q
Varioxs articles Prod,tcsd-4fodes Of Property
Origin of Names of Io,ra,--DorreH and the Dor.
relites-Ihe Oldest Man Of New England, So.
The county of Franklin was Incorporated in 1911,
having previously formed the northern part of the
'old county Of Hampshire" II contains some of the
old settlements Of western Massachusetts,. Green
field. Montague and New Salem, are precisely CEN
tury old, a. they were incorporated in 1853. Sun
derlsnd dates from l7lS; Northfcld was commenced
in 1e72. But the oldest and NEST remarkable town
il Deerneld, which was founded in 1870. 1t is H.
aous from having been the Of the greatest dis
sster that ever beel the coonts in their long series
Of contests with the Indians. This occurred in Sep
TENDER, 1914, in Philips war. Captain Lathrop, at
the head Of sixtysix soldiers who are described a
80 choice company Of young men, the flower of the
county OF Essex, none Of whom were ashamed to
speak with the enemy in the gate,' was escorting
nom Deer6eld to Hadley large number of wagons,
laden with CON, and guided by eighteen teamsters
when he was assaied, near Muddy Brook, by seven
hundred Indians, who had placed themselves In am
bush for the purpose of surprising him. Thus taken
by surprise, the colonists were unable to make sys
tematic resistance but fought with individual brave
ry, until all but some seven or eight of the company
we're destroyed The commander was early slain. Cap
tain Mortly, who at DeeIeld, at the head OF an
other company, heard the firing and fastened to the
Se Of snG a,sr
mp Just after the second fight The l0dians
were severely punished, losing about as many men
as their foes but the whites felt that they bad ex.
perieHced great disaster, and to this day the de-
sructicn Of LathgoDs company is talked OF AS one Of
.1e most dhmal events Of colonial times, and one in
which people continue to have SORT of personal in
terest The stream near which the acton was
fought, is sometimes called Bloody BROOK, the Sdn-
gtslnett0 of Western Massachusetts,. In 1883 line
InG nument erected in honor OF Captain Lashrop
and his men, and on the hundred and sixtieth auni-
versary of the battle, (l835,) an Grafton was de-
lveed on the ground by Edward Everett, one Of the
very bsst Of his eloquent speeches.
Deeifeld was long exposed to the attacks of the
enemy. In the winter OF l704, q band OF Frenchand
Indians about three hundred AID ffty in number,
uLder tie command of M. de Ronvllle, very famous
character in those times, made march OF between
tso and three hundred miles for the purpose
of assalliDg the town. The assault was made
at midnight, and the surprise was as complete
as any that history mentions. Those who resisted
were in most ca es slain, to the number OF AZ, and
liz captives were made. A nall church bell was
carried of by the Indians and nov hangs in On In
dian church at st Regis This is exactly reversing
the order Of events in Ha wthorne's line sketch "
Bells Biography" Take it all in ali, Deerfe must
be regarded the most noted spot in the history Of
our fathers transactions with the Indians" the
dark and bloody quarrel" that existed long before
Kentucky was dreamed Of by the whites.
Gill; small town with less than thousand inha-
htants, and made out Of portion of Deerfeld sixty
years ego, was the scene Of hard fighting during
Philips war In May, 1916, Capt. Turner surprised
Turner'S Falls, in honor Of the colonial commander.
One hundred Indians were slain on the spot and
much larger number were carried over the falls.
The Indians, however, rallied and having received
yenf0rcements attacked the cOlonist5 as they Were
going home, and inflicted upon them severe loss,
Capt Turner seing among the slain. The whole party
would have been cut of but for the heroic exertons
Of Captain Holy0ke, great Indian tighter of those
scenes Of Indian warfare and the soil was fairly sa-
turated with the blood Of both the white and the
red races.
The population of Franklin county has not increas
cd much OF late years, and between 1920 and 1850.
Is actually experienced slight decline. In 1920 1t
was 29, 26S; in $780, 2S,759, and in 1850, 306S3.
The greatest increase between 1910 and 1850, wa
in the case of Greenfield the shire town. which rose
from 1,154 to 1888 Deerfel1 rose from 1884 to
2455. These are the only towns in the county that
have above 500 inhabitants though the nu nber Of
towns is 26. Twelve towns had less than one thou
sand Inhabitants each at the last census. Conway
increased from 1894 to 1888. Orange, from ,499
70 1,738, and Montague from l,2ss to l,5l5. Ash
field, auckland, Coleraine, Gill, HaWley, Heath,
Monroe, New Salem, Rome, Shutesbury, and War
wick, all lost In population.
Tn fhn ri w g..
e94; in 1850, it was gil ,2l1 ,302 Greenfield made
the greatest advance in wealth, having 1851, l25 ia
1910, and $1,072,sS9 in 1850. Deerfed ascended
nom $579 020 to 81 900 566; Orange from $3.50 1913
TO $3.50 ,974 Northeld from $43s, 1915 to s72s 6sl
Conway, from s422 ,55s to 1878 ,492; and AshHeld,
from 1868 to $525.9Ol. Every town added some
thing to its wealth.
In agriculture, this county enjoys an enviable
rank, The soil being generally 'rish and pro-
duciDg abundantly. The amount Of hllage
land, three years since, was 20493 ares A;
Of meadow land, so COG; Of pasturage, 1873;
improvable l472 l4; covered with water, e,2sl. The
number of horses was 1877; Of oxen, 4 us; OF
cows 10 1854; Of steers and hees, IL 46l; of sheep,
24,973; Of swine, 42l6. OF Indian corn there were
raised 242 245 bushels 1926; ofrye 40 3o4;
of barley, 769l Of wheat, 3099; ofhay, 506O6 tons;
hops, 40,l00 pounds; broom corn, $50 tons; pota-
toes, (about) $50 600 pounds; froit (abou) 100000
bushels. Deerfield excels in the production Of corn
and oats raising 4227O bushels OF the former in 1850,
and 81 ,347 bushels OF the latter. New Salem comes
next, though at considerable distance, in raising
corn, and then Greenfield, Whately, shutebury, and
Coleraine. Charemont is the principal hay pro
ducipg town, and is followed by DeeHiield, Ashield,
Mortified, Greenfield, oni Heath. Butter and
cheese are extensively made, not less than a million
pounds annually oftbe orner and about seven hun
dred aud fifty thousand Of the latter. The maple
sugar produced is not less than hslfa million pounds.
Almost every town produces some honey, and the
aggregate amount u large. Great quantities. OF
wood and bark are disposed of. Broom brush,
broom corn and broom corn seed are favorite arti.
Gle with the agrcultursts CT some Of the Franklin
towns. The Other agricultural articles are, wool OF
all kinds, buckwheat beans, flax, tobacco. charcoal
beef aud pork, beeswax, eggs poultry ssels, and
every description Of escrlent vegetable, and 80
forth, pre- per to the climate. Buckwheat aud
beans are exteosiv raised. Il will be seen that,
relatively 70 her size and population, Franklin is
singulariy rich in iocks aud herds The yearly pro-
The number of cotton factories Is seven, four OF
1shich a Crlaue inc and three ut Con alY. VIE