Hadley (Kingsley)/Memorabilia

by Elbridge Kingsley

Memorabilia

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It was not a mere whim which led the comrades of General Hooker to plan their pilgrimage to this New England Mecca; an honored citizen of Hadley, Dr. Franklin Bonney, one of the oldest physicians in this section of the state, was the unwitting means

First church and town hall

of bringing about the visit. Sometime ago Dr. Bonney contributed some interesting reminiscences of the early life of Gen. Hooker as a Hadley boy, which were read at a meeting of his comrades, and this led to inquiries as to fitness, convenience and the general acceptability of the old commander's birthplace for the next place of meeting. The town authorities informally encouraged and welcomed the project, and at the last town meeting the citizens passed cordially approving resolutions.

Hopkins Academy

General Hooker was born in Hadley in 1814 and died at Garden City, L. I., in 1879, being buried at Cincinnati, by the side of his wife. He was often called the handsomest officer in the United States army, was possessed of intrepid courage and was widely known in the army as "Fighting Joe" Hooker. He was badly wounded at the battle of Chancellorsville, and paralysis, on that account undoubtedly, benumbed his left side the latter part of his life. The story of his early career and his connection with the greatest war of modern times will be told by his comrades at the exercises of May 7.

A pleasant incident related of General Hooker, showing what manner of man he was at heart, is related by his old comrades with deep appreciation. After a reception and banquet tendered him by them, a few years ago, and the usual cheers had greeted his rising to speak, he said, "Boys, you do me too much honor. It was you who made me what I am."

"The Angel of the Lord"
Hadley, 1675

Residence of General
Burgoyne's entertainment

Hadley is noted not only as the birthplace of General Hooker and other important men, but, as already related, was an important seat of warfare and defense against the Indians. Even natives of the present time can hardly realize that the whole of the great "front" or West street was once palisaded eight feet high. This was in 1675 and it thus continued for many years thereafter, the inhabitants being forbidden to go outside the stockade except with regularly organized bands, and then rarely but for any other purpose than work in the fields.

This remarkable West street, so great in history as well as area, was the scene of many imposing old-time musters, and General Ebenezer Mattoon, an officer at the battle of Saratoga, once ordered out and brought here all the militia of western Massachusetts, then over 10,000 in number. The first and second churches of the town were built here and the exercises of the successful 200th anniversary celebration of the settlement of the town were held on this ground in 1859.

Winter in Aqua Vita Meadow

Residence of Dr. Franklin Bonney

It was on this street and at the home of Col. Elisha Porter, the site of the present residence of Samuel D. Smith, that Burgoyne left his tent and sword as a token of regard, being escorted to Boston, through this town, as a prisoner of war, with one half his army, by Colonel Porter.

Those who view for the first time the copper weather-cock at the top of the spire on the church in Middle street will be interested to know that this unique weather-vane has breasted every wind that has blown for nearly a hundred and fifty years. This antiquity, too, originally stood on the church in West street, and was the nucleus of several reckless feats of the young people of the town. Once two young men climbed to it by night and removed it, as a feat of pure mischief and in earlier years it is said that Christopher Smith, a home-coming sailor boy, climbed to the weather-cock and sat astride it, to the great admiration of those who "dared" him. The youngest lad who attempted the feat successfully was probably Nathan Seymour, eleven years old, and he was an uncle of Gen. Joseph Hooker.

The Indian name of Hadley was "Norwottuck," or "the town in the midst of the river," a title-feature which will be easily explained to the visitor by reference to the first large illustration, showing the peninsula, around which the Connecticut river runs six miles to gain one. This peninsula has been many times in danger of extinction as such, from the heavy floods, and the state has expended many thousands of dollars to prevent the river making an economical short cut through the centre of the town.

One of the features of illustration in this leaflet is very properly Hopkins Academy. There is hardly a town in the

Studio and home of
Elbridge Kingsley

Commonwealth, with the population and property characteristics of old Hadley which can boast such a handsome and useful institution as this. The population of the town is not quite 1,700, and mostly agricultural at that, and yet its interest in the cause of education is and has been intense, from the days when (in 1669) the entire colony of Massachusetts Bay was appealed to for subscriptions to Harvard college. From the annals of this institution it may be seen that the people of Hadley gave £33, 15s., 3d., which was more than any other town west of Watertown gave and nearly twice as much as Springfield or Northampton.

Artist Elbridge Kingsley, the painter-engraver, lives in Hadley's historical street and is principally known through his engraving of "New England Elms," which was awarded a gold medal at the Paris exposition. The illustrations for this Souvenir were furnished by him, and his impressional retouchings in them show his love for color and character in Nature. Clarence Hawkes, the blind poet, resides on the same street with Kingsley. Artist Clifton Johnson also resides in this town and John Howard Jewett, the poet of the day (May 7) now of Worcester, was a native of this place.

The publishers are indebted to the painting by Chapman for the reproduction of his conception of the perils of the forefathers of Hadley. The story is told elsewhere.

"Snow bound"
on the road to the cemetery

Hadley Cemetery
—"Where the rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep."

Winter frost on West Street