■Giles x;,:..- LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. PRESENTED BY UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. V. e.ji2_ O ty .fV-K. C«^--A^-v. ■> .^ >' s /v-e/o Greenfield was formed from Saratoga and Milton March 12, 1793. It contains 43.710 acres of land, and its assessed valuation in 1S75 was 13+4,244; and is embraced in the Kaya- derosseras jiatent, granted October 6, 1704. Among the farly settlers may be mentioned the names of William Scott, Nathaniel Sey- mour, John Pettitt, Dan Croukhite, Aaron Hale, Nathaniel Daniels, Israel Williams, Ste- phen Com.stack, John St. John, John and Eli- jah Smith, James Dunning, Jeremiah Wescott, Walter Hewitt, Prince Wing, Noah Weed, Lewis Graves, Jbilihu and Paul Anthony, Am- brose Cole, Nathan Medbury, .A.bner Williams, Charles Deake, Israel Young, Gershoni More- house, John Prior, Salmon Chikls, Daniel Scott, Isaac Keynold.s, Philip Allen, Joel Reynolds, ; Benjamin Worden, Jonathan De.uel, Asahel Porter, Adam Bookes, Ephraim Bullock, Giles Fitch, Joseph Hawley, Fredrick Weed, John Harris, Ezeldel Harris, and Robert Early ; nearly all of whom died in the town. The last two survivors were Elihu Anthony and Dan Croukhite, Anthony dying April 23, and Crouk- hite April 2.5, 18G3, their united agfes being 190 years ; each having resided in the town over 70 years. The first town meeting was held at a log house near King's station, on the Adirondack ] railroad, April 1, 1794 ; at which William Scott was elected the first supervisor, and the follow- ing laws were jjassed : Voted, that the constables shall give bonds for the faithful performance of their office. Voted, that the pathmasters shall return their warrants ten days before the next annual town meeting. Voted, that hogs that run on the common shall be yoked in the following manner : The yoke to be the width of the neck above the neck and half the width below, and the cross piece twice the thickness of the neck. At a town meeting held April 7, 1795, the following acts were passed : . Voted, that fences four feet uud a half high, and well built, shall be a lawful fence. Voted, that the fence viewers shall have six shillings per day when called to do duty in their office. Voted, that the law respecting hogs shall be the same as it was the year past. Voted, that the following men serve in the office set to their respective names : Zeuas Winsor, town clerk. John St. John, supervisor. Prince Wing, Jonathan Deuel, Charles Deek, juu., commissioners of highways. * , .• . i ' »^ < » r «- ! Jonathan Wood, Lewis Graves, Jonathan Deuel, James Dunning, John Prior, assessors. Eufus Price, Ezra Abbott, poormasters. Daniel Soott, Jonathan Deykinau, constables and collectors. Joseph Deuel, James Dunning, Benjamin In- graham, fence viewers. Israel Rose, Walter Hewet, Benjamin Grea-. nold, Eseck Whipple, poundmasters. John St. John, Abel Deuel, Benjamin Wor- den, Lewis Graves, Doe Tiffany, Aaahel Porter, Joel Eeynolds. given recognizance fgr keeping taverns, March 1, IT'JG. The first commissioners of highways, 179-t, were Jonathan Wood, Joseph Denison, Samuel Bailey. The first record of roads laid out by them ia dated May 2, 1794. The first religious society was The First Con- gregational church, organized 1790, with sixty- eight signatures ; first church erected 1793, re- moved to present site in 1832. The first pastor was Eev. Elias Gilbert ; present pastor, Eev. Z. T. Hoyt since 1855. Universaliat church at Porter's Corners, and Baptist church at Green- field Centre, 1816 ; first pastor at the Centre was Eev. Blakeman. It is said of the i carpenters who worked on the two last named I churches, but two would go upon the scaffold to shingle the steeples, Morris T. Carpenterjand Ebenezer Darrow. The next church built was the Second Baptist Church, 1836 ; next, the Baptist church at Middlegrove, 1838, with Eev. J. Goadby as the first pastor ; next, the Metho- dist Episcopal (jhurch at Greenfield Centre, 1810, Eev. David Poor first pastor ; and Meth- odist Episcopal church at [Porters Corners, in 1845, J. D- Buruham first pastor. Sixteen young men who were either born here or resi- ded here in their early years, have entered the ministry. Greenfield contains 22 district sohoolhouaes. Eminent members of the bench and bar of this and other states, also successful merchants and physicians, can point to Greenfield as their na- tive town. The first gristmill in town was built by Gershom Morehouse at Middlegrove ; the first machine for wool carding by Israel Young, at the same place ; the first sawmill was built by Benjamin Clinch, near Porter's Cor- ners, he having also kept the first store at that place ; the first apple trees are said to have been planted by William Scott on the farm now owned by Samuel Bailey ; the oldest deeds or leases are dated 1786 ; the oldest person now living in town is Mrs. Lydia Medbury, who is in her ninety-fifth year. Population of the town in the year; 1800 was 3,073, in 1810 3,087, attaining its highest num- ber (3,298) in 1825 ; in 1875 it was 2,G92. being lower than any preceding. There have been 35 dift'erent persons elected to the office of super- visor in 83 years— Asahel Porter, Jonathan Lap- ham, and Edwin C. Weed, five years each, (A. Porter chairman in 1801); Salmon Child, John Pettitt, and Nehemiah Wing, four years each ; John St. John, Adam Bockes, F. J. Wing, Freeman Tourtelott, H. G. Sweeney, and War- ren Dake, three years each ; William Scott, Asa C. Barney, John Prior, Samuel McCrea, Charles Deake, Henry Miller, Levi Smith, B. F. Prior, Lewis Wood, A. C. Allard, Alonzo Euaaell, I. G. Johnson, De Witt C. Hoyt, Warren Bockes, and J. v. Smith, served two years each ; Elihu Wing, Joseph Wood, Chester Foote, Calvin W. Dake, Oscar Granger, H. S. Freeman, and John H. Smith, one year each ; J. L. Eowland, pre- sent incumbent. Present justices of the peace, C. S. Latham, Theodore Comstook, B. S. Rob- inson, and Starks Dake, all under forty years of age- Mr. Dake being the youngest man ever elected to that office in town. Au item of in- terest conueoted with town officers is the fact that Dau Cronkhite voted at 70 consecutive town meetings. A very sad accident occurred in town September, 1812, Martin Blackmar be- ing a'ccidnetally shot by William Williams while hunting bears in a cornfield. The Adirondack railroad crosses the town, having two stations. South Greenfield and King's. There are five post-offices, Greenfield Centre, North Green- field, South Greenfield, Porter's Corners, and Middlegrove. In the eastern part of the town is a ledge of rocks in one of which is a large cavity, smooth as an earthen dish, which, tradition says, was used by the Indians for pounding corn in ; and an early settler in that locality has affirmed, as a fact, that it had been vised for the same pur- pose by white settlers. A number of societies exist in town— St. John's Lodge number 22. Free and Accepted Masons, organized in 1802 ; first presiding offi- cer was John St. John ; present presiding offi- cer, E. A. Rood, has 75 members. Greenfield Centre Lodge, Independent Order Odd Fel- lows, number 3()s ; first presiding officer was C. W. Mosher; piesent incumbent C. Brigham; was organized 1872, and has a membership of 80. Kayaderosseras Tent number 69, Kecha- bites, organized 1876, membership 20 ; first presiding officer, H. C. Hewitt ; present officer, J. D. Plummer. Empire Lodge number '.165, Independent Order Good Templars, instituted 1870; first W. C. T., Lewis S. Mills, who is the present incumbent ; number of members 108. Greenfield Total Abstinence society, | which this day commemorates, was organized April 1, 1809, at this place. First president. Rev. Elias Gilbert; present incumbent, H. C. Hewitt. Greenfield claims the honor of having the oldest temperance society that has main tained an unbroken organization from its com- mencement to the present time. Many other items of interest might be added, but time for- bids. Hoping this very brief history has not been wearisome, I now close this centennial sketch of the town of Greenfield. x.f tVKTfOVfFlVfKV