SPRINGFIELD.
Valley of the Connecticut.--Location of Springfield.--The United
States Armory.--Springfield Library.--Origin of the Present
Library System.--The Wayland Celebration.--Settlement of
Springfield.--Indian Hostilities.--Days of Witchcraft.--Trial
of Hugh Parsons.--Hope Daggett.--Springfield "Republican."
A journey up the Valley of the Connecticut at this season of the year is
a positive luxury to the tourist or professional traveler. It is a
broad, beautiful road, winding through hill and dale, with grand old
forests and mountains in the background, their foliage tipped with
variegated colors by the fingers of Autumn, as an artist would put a
finishing touch to his landscape.
A ride of twenty-five miles northward from Hartford brought us to
Springfield, the most enterprising and important town in Western
Massachusetts. The United States Armory, located here, gives to the city
a national consequence. No city in the Union did more to crush out the
Rebellion than Springfield, through her Armory. Two or three thousand
men were kept constantly employed here during the war, turning out the
various arms used in the Federal service. The force now employed is
considerably less than in war times. All hands are engaged just now upon
the Springfield rifled musket, which has recently been adopted by the
Government. The military precision with which every detail is attended
to is the admiration of all who are shown through the Armory.
A visit to the City Library, on State street, cannot fail to interest
every person who feels a pride in the public institutions of New
England. A fine, large, brick and stone building, with plain exterior
and artistically finished interior, is the Springfield Public Library.
Over forty thousand volumes cover its shelves, and are so systematically
arranged that the librarian or his assistants can produce at once any
work named in the catalogue. The oblong reading room is furnished with
black walnut tables; and winding staircases, painted in blue and gold,
lead from the columned alcoves to the galleries above.
The library owns some very old and valuable books of engravings. A room
on the first floor is devoted to stuffed birds, geological specimens,
preserved snakes, and a wonderful assortment of curious relics obtained
from all parts of the world. Icelandic snow shoes and Hindoo gods occupy
places on the same shelf, in peaceful proximity, and catamounts,
paralyzed in the act of springing, glare at you harmlessly behind their
glass cases. Patriotic mementoes are not wanting, as the bullet-riddled
battle-flags of Massachusetts regiments will testify.
The free public library system is distinctively a New England
institution, and wields a mighty influence for good. It was originated
in 1847, by Rev. Francis Wayland, President of Brown University,
Providence, Rhode Island. On Commencement day of that year Mr. Wayland
expressed a wish to help the inhabitants of the town of Wayland,
Massachusetts, to a public library, and tendered a donation of five
hundred dollars to the town for that purpose, upon the condition that
another five hundred should be added by the town. The required fund was
quickly raised, by subscription, and President Wayland immediately
placed his donation in the hands of one of their prominent citizens,
Judge Mellen. This was the beginning of the movement which resulted in
the "Library Act," of May, 1851, in the State of Massachusetts.
The people of Wayland bought their library and provided a room in the
"Town House" for its safe keeping. A librarian was chosen, whose salary
was paid by the town, and the institution made its first delivery of
books August seventh, 1850. Rev. John B. Wright was a member of the
Massachusetts Legislature, from Wayland, during the session of 1851, and
through his agency the Act "to authorize cities and towns to establish
and maintain public libraries" was passed. A "Library Celebration" took
place in Wayland, August twenty-sixth, 1851, and was a most interesting
affair. Thus it came to pass that through the practical working of this
man's idea public libraries were established, not only all over the
State of Massachusetts, but throughout New England.
Springfield was founded in 1636 by William Pyncheon, who with seven
other men settled here, with their families, on May fourteenth of that
year. They were bound together by mutual contract, with the design of
having their colony consist of forty families. There was an especial
provision that the number should never exceed fifty.
The early prosperity of Springfield was considerably retarded by Indian
hostilities.
In October, 1675, the brown warriors of King Phillip made a descent upon
the place, burning twenty-nine houses and killing three citizens--one of
them a woman. The timely arrival of Major Pyncheon, Major Treat and
Captain Appleton, with their troops, prevented further destruction and
repulsed the attack of the Indians. Springfield was also the scene of
operations during the troubles of 1786-87. At that time, General
Shepperd was posted here, for the defence of the Armory.
Thus, through much tribulation, has the thriving town attained its
present prosperity.
In its infant days, Springfield cherished a strong belief in witchcraft,
as the following incident will testify: In the same year that Hartford
set such a bad example to her northern neighbor on the Connecticut, by
hanging Mrs. Greensmith, Springfield, not to be outdone, preferred a
charge of witchcraft against one Hugh Parsons--a very handsome and
pleasing young man, it seems, with whom all the women fell in love. Of
course, this was not to be tolerated by the male population of the
place, who hated him, as a natural consequence; and, accordingly, the
handsomest man in Springfield was indicted and tried, on the grave
accusation of being in league with the powers of evil. It is not
surprising that the jury found him guilty. But, through some influence
not explained, the judge, Mr. Pyncheon, stayed proceedings in his behalf
until the matter could be laid before the General Court, in Boston.
There the decision of the Springfield jury was reversed, and Mr. Parsons
set at liberty. Whether after this his dangerous attractions were duly
husbanded, or whether he went on, as of old, winning such wholesale
admiration, we are not informed.
One of the sensations of the hour during my sojourn in Springfield, was
an encounter between the State Street Baptist Church and Hope Daggett,
one of its members. The disaffected sister had at sundry times and in
divers manners made herself so obnoxious to the congregation, by her
strong-minded peculiarities, that an officer was called upon the scene
and requested to eject by force, if necessary, the eccentric and
uncompromising Hope. Officer Maxwell, suiting the action to the word,
seized the unruly sister, and without stopping to consider the sudden
fame which this act would launch upon him, thrust her into the street,
amid the cheers and taunts of friends and enemies. Now it was the
peculiar misfortune of Miss Daggett to have a wooden leg, and on the day
following this tragic affair the press of Springfield was devoted to
various accounts of the engagement, in which Maxwell and the wooden leg
figured alternately.
I cannot leave Springfield without some mention of its leading paper,
the Springfield _Republican_, which for many years has been one of the
solid papers of the Bay State, and a representative organ in politics
and literature. Its editor, Samuel Bowles, is an energetic business
manager and a stirring politician, who has fought his way up from
obscurity to a position in the front rank of American journalism.