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Loudville and the Lead MineE i n "Loudvi lle once was a busy, booming place," said one of .the that little community that boasts occupying pasts of threi= J Easthampton, Westhampton and Southampton,to a. Union reporter or,6 °3O W eek;. "But it's about . as dead as death itself, today," adc d � timer, sadly. ` >,< From 'all appearances the old timer was right. The impress' io T of .houdv'ille today is similar to the one Goldsmith must. have-'had'^ F V ed the inspiration to write "The Deserted Village." Weld btu rs. ¢r °that a.. few- ,years a,go harbored_ families that were well_ off, safa . ,re concerned are today toppling D. hA' eaten r g � Y pp � over, ; the shingles of more than a dozen homes, the cellars have fire demon has destroyed the mills Desolation is the feature: ofd ,z `1'he•re are... probably a. dozen occupied houses in the hamlet, but - ter 't years" ago. this' little village on the banks of the 1, anhan had a po PM of several hundred. There are not more than 50 persons in it todm, end why is this so? The old timer couldn't tell just why "it ' h supposed it was because the railroad is five miles away, becau eo 1e of the present time do not like to be shut-up in h�C t j p x�e 'are- no educational: adventage_s, $ "life," and no chance f� l ou . ma.n or women shut u i a, place like I,oudville 'm y . ng p .. _ 4 ay .of adolescence must sureey be more than a century behind :'`the` g'�ae to the city and competes with others of his own age. ­ . J to make money. The owners of the industries got _ ave d a.wa.y -and the mills that didn't burn down were s r t ze oises`� were deserted. It did ni t pay to keep them in" repay cte..,to occupy them. The rain beat through the windows� r .:Bad ,b3 6 n with stones. The plaster fell, and finally the rr ' a a.n-til.. at ,'•la, , st half of the town has become a ruin —a modern i ��7 great possibities in Doudville. First, 1et this little hamlet is It is ituated exactly F `�esampton, Southampton and Northampton meet. The old Caleb ~ fi BS r t e ; q late_ -z of the village, occupies land in all three -- towns: " wt*ry t*orrent in early spring, and always a fast flowing 'though: the village. Within a: half mile of its length are thr .* ; xa cemb nee, give something ikex4� horse - power. Only one of g C n) ,,,? "• t t.Qday",;, 'The other two are gradually breaking away, and in_ r will: belittle or nothing le of them. The ruins of z like 'theMhouse s and it will not be very long before the w `be deserted... { Z has been stated, -there are great possibilitxes in Lout h' ._ The i4ia ,roman ha.s a fa,11 0 someth' f oud in the ,.water power.. lt`eet`',within half rile, end there is plenty of power f'�3Tm��` ri ti t r k might sts.rt u1)._' 1 t� �.' But the attainment of #these I �ossibilites depend.s more upon the provison o' railroad facilities than the acouirement of capital. Then there are nat ural gifts given to Loudville, 'There is a lead a.nd silver mine iri th '30 e►r that in years gone by furnished work for a hundred. hands and the valueasgf whose yearly output was estimated in five figures. Today nothing remains °;: the mine or its costly buildings but a. single shed- on the road from Y,. f to Southampton, where once the lead was prepared- ��� for shipment, but . - ,wh was i is now used as a tobacco shed.. There is Duch of interest connected with the history of this lead. mne It is at once one of the most valuable mines in t.:a.s ::�3chusetts and one of ...N the least profit a ole, accordirig, to geologists. The T a"ssa-.chusetts lead = :ve-iz runs through the Hampshire hills iron Leverett to R . Lead is found,:, in Northampton, Southampton, �Nestha.mpton, V-Iilliamsburg, Hatfield, Goshen,.. Whately, Leverett and. Russell, but the only mines thra.t have been worked: av those in Leverett and Loudville. The Loudville deposit was discovered in 1679, according to old.records1 It was then located in the town of Nonotuck, now Northampton, and Robert. Lyman was the discoverer. The town vothd that it would operate the mine and all private holders were ordered to dispossess themselves of any" r g to the land through which the vein might run. Nobody seems to know then mine was first opened, but it is known that lead dug from the sides o Pomeroy mountain was used in the making of bullets during the Revolut ' war, and the tradition has it th the Indians used the lead found-.or'the mountain long before the white men found it. Pomeroy mountain, on whose side th mine is located, is one of the•. :mo$ interesting of the Hampshire hills to the geologist- % It is a, verity e< mass of minerals. `dhen the United. States surveyors were obtaining a1 Vii` and mapping out this part of the country, they found it impossible t6''4e accurate maps, because the needles of - their compasses were affected byb Magnetic iron in Pomeroy I:iountain. The mountain has. a... b1:60" 5 history, It was the scene of severa•1 Indian massacres. The lead mine lies on the east si &e of the mountain. It is rem arka`� the fact that several fortunes were stunk in it and never recovered;._ ; ?€ lead is found in quartz, and the ore appears to be very rich. Beeaer� the fact that the vein goes right doom into the heart of the rnaunttin -�,: mosV�� perpendicularly, the early miners soon encountered water., wh1b ,. stopped development of the deposits. The old shaft is still to be seen within a few feet of the road from Loudville to Southampton, flled,,vv3. all kinds of rub�ish. This labct caused the owners to decide upon tt tt under the mount fror. -. t1le easterly side, in the attermbt to reach tr This tunnel, or a.dit, a:.s it is c 'led by ;eolo;ists, is fr0i'1�-�. feet in c�.ia,mreter, ra!?d: T�ra7 k,l_ ;1, ._ a t;��rou;h s ^1_ic? rock. It is- widh admita large boat (for t11e va,).ter in it is sever<.1 feet deep),, but been in it for number of years, the wells having c :A.ved in a darLg�ra�� m ner, and the �x entrc nee having _. r Cher fort,i ap e: rance� ^ ::., 1 F a' smelter -was construcIea, euti i never way ��c�auGU� �� i a ", The waste :pile of -'the lead `mine has " >been visited °;by kuncreclsti :hunters. .John Dickinson, ':the caretaker of the ,property; sayF �t he first ,came to Southampton, 27 years ago, there was a pile ^af�ai building 15 feet high. "Tts all gone away �:n buggies," saz3 .I x x� ' the o theme day. �r, "These, specirner hunters :got ;it,' There are s g :e Z.roml. 'thi's mine In -every college in:.the United States. Geolbgt where' have been here, J,and _ they --- -still keep ;coming every sa o ten►, Dzcki:nson; had a collection` oz hammears that absent minded ges�ag "JI aboutthe mine in their` excitement over the d recovery of �raZua 4i =He also, has a ,va,luable..collection flf ores from the mine Thegu { fouM here are especially beautiful. k 1Vhile the mine is' the 'most a ure of interesting fet i,oudvllle t� visitor,• the decudence of the whole - section, is of more intereat who is interested in gnaoblenms of the development of the .nation. :l{ �i or the last he and riso -err -v - n,in- h;' ".c.ircry liars rnnm blackened, ruins ot, mills that once :employed :many hands, and t-a lorkks t j 4 place denied o f A eve rything it sh uld . have The problem of vice .`places: a difficult. one. -. Probably : it 'will `not`be solved until of genuis cheapens the auto so that it.will be an econiomical.freaght C ,� o until the dG, of` the �irshi as a freight carrier is a hand, 'F r _ Y P r } a ' y . Loudvzlle conit even cl�tlm: distinction as a ,place for summer �l b t 7 1 • although) t' is as ;Jazr a p7.tice as orre could wz.h to 'see.` Rroin "the � �L� f! J IVIt along the, sire of;; Pomeroy . rol t�t��zn.;one . maY obtain one of ,the gra ey , ��"R ' ' in .the 8onnecticut valley.' •The whole rsnge .: of mountazns;; to e ther in plain_ viw on cl ear :d� y s. Tom, with i s e its long "back" mountain o-- `them 'all..` 'Then there is hit Nonotuck, Mt. T�Iinas 'and M�;�;� � : a z Together they rria.ke as fair a: : picture �a s one ;could wish t o see. into Loudville from EasthaniL�ton one. gets a. wonderful view of .Pomeroy other hills in the vicinity. The sunsets and. sunrises are g.orgeous,�nd,}� life is well worth - the living in Loudville- -when one comes o spend, :day or so, the effects of more than one day's stay in Loudville must `be de ' es� L zng and gloomy in the extreme ONE Or THE HEADLINES. IN THE SPRINGFIELS UNION #�SUP?DhY, brlIItr r1T LOUDVILLE 111iAY RE WORKED GAIN Y} k G.ORG1\IZED TO:: RE UT L y 9, NEW COriIPANY 73E!iT T � .E OPER�T EONS- IT LEAD FOR BULLETS ITT. REVOLUTIOI 11D CIVIL lit1ARS; COL:.' y r :A LLEN.. TRIED ..TO P:syKE HIS FORTUNE THERE: W, THIS FOLLO4VII?G �R'11CL� �l?S- ,lLtlTl'E'_d :.1rI 1921 ;3Y ��R <1 tY� 1 + y r �1C . CARTRY I at ion that stock ,'the bnczent .lead : mame atTloudville s r ` fif arm A miles out zn the hills west oi'; idorthamton, zs riow offered fors.e j New York :city, has aroused much interest zn this region. The prQsgec� Loudvzlle, which is now only a` typical 1 Massachusetts .. ;, s `F of a ` dozen families, : ,once more. end oy a -boom . such_ as it has p r�.t �o � . experienced ince lee.d .was first discovered there more than 200 is the chief topic of ;discussion about '`.the firesides. of Lauduzlle '��� � „and `as well . some among of : ,the men `o more or less r��oney in Phis te;',` n v ` r y ? I who are wonderinb if outsiders are coming profit on the , au-t fi a NF j old mine °whzeh hais la in Tip, 's t ,the door of local rove stors half a centui " the last time z t was worked ' bezng when zt paeodtxCed3 , S' fired by the ��rmy into ,the Confederate rank's diarzng 0 . � . Additional znterest zs added b,� tne: rumor that assa `s made h y °r romoters snowed;:tllat��� ' , rorl` tree` LoucIV . 1 , 1 e mine no't onl assa $ +x k P ­ore y A l 1 heavy quantity of` lead ad ton that its development wouldlzer3 f Q f tremly pr. ofitable'' but that presence of a considerable ` quantf� E z was :dzscIosed. It v�as� of course, not :°the first znformatzan'thath Y . -. S .sY• I Y. J J i • b 1 ' vzlle ore assayed:- a) quantity of silver :for it was at one t tune Rrprt,,� ` 'the name` of -the - 4Jilliston' Sit ver 1i -ad• 1 inzng Company, tY l be zng°� ti at .which. time the mine was capitalized :for `a quarter of a millioxiFt, ,r2 Y � '�� a .stupendous': sum.. of 'mo�iey „zn i hat 'far -off day, SiriGe' tY a news I,oudvzll'e stock . is once. more on the market :there has been a eho�us r� y "I= told— you- so' -s!' from those who have always contedded that with :she ^3z� � stalation of the mining methods of today the property would yield I.1I7QS : :; 111 .l,ll@ ,II11ill{ t,@ 5 VU l,ll( . 6UVYi1 LllCC 1a1.11g} U1 v - ut, V • ., LV, '; +— meeting held this day, a, further con._ference and �iscussian about 4 m� ne which Robert Lyman f ound out , was had Thd y •' then- voted that 1 ! all auch Persons as would josn in the carrying on of that design should meet on trie 23rd of th1.6 stat one hour,:high `at night`, then to give in', a list of their names; aand r or to`: those ersons that ski. 11 then a ear. " `2he' �owri do herb 4 z� all right in that m1ne, lying about six miles off at the west ` fide 'cs r u 4_ QA �� t own. • t y , On' 23, 1b79, + .was farmed what was called "The Pfizneral�sC`omp1�4r f_': j which', ''according , `o the minutes of that :meeting, Awas .composed of w { - ng men:dilliam;Clark, Sr:, John Strong, Samuel Davis, :Israel�Rus J 5 Parsons Sr. , Robert Lyman, Joseph:- Hawley, a �7`ohn 'King; Joseph S P,ann Preserved' Clapp, John I,yma.n, Sr.,:.lYartyn Smith, Samuel Bartle t, � Lyman, °bled.ad I?omeroy. �, Tt was an ambitious project and the met leave``: no doubt- of the enthusiasm of `these sturdy yeomen vvh r; x ng to gather wealth from the ;rocks of Loudvslle' in mud hgreaterzuan.' with. mucY le ss effort than:', it seemed likely .,that; they would findx n own •fertile mea. dow s. :But ,the Indians .were . espec,ially active at and for 'the `following ;five years none 'of towns which : composed a th ; he y`Vesterri frontier of the country', ;were . safe. night : ,day. Th1se culminated in the terrible . raid on Old Deerfield. in 1704. The; men of � s pum - ' r va er ough t i M mi e ­ 'h of P_r ' m�l' B R the:' so own. s !�frot roo c "I u :: swamp 'm'p ittle the f . . . �`h46f 'h " -mdrltd - wa ex-vad carried.. into so uth e oi Ju dd, . "It* theh course -, f'ollowed: he.:� (i.y.%of t y -v _e dter'- ;'' Sr R a�- rendf,4 _._ ed'l rom ib,"pt6tly ..par of -�the swqnp� :is the t e , E.,. _­ L'ong, wps ;dug -.�to-�. the l-' Tlt a c e s: f- this '- t rend h ­remained en t 6ijjwaf§�: anZard t im .1 �Eei,.i. 'SY EUif para., 761Y, .,a. ,.e---pe,ri(jd w �re lion r'y 'q',r' rn6d't6_- �s -­ said long ciri a.n effort - theA, l 1ft6Wlut a e )UL it - n .,g f some ind- to .- ­m6th8d `of ge :;'- i: t the lead F from h. f - :Lord,'Howe.s. - '.t 9 :obut ans ea. vih .3, the use o roopq 0 ni j� in&'. A u . .the ;war in. a the f lin lo. th t!6ck, s - . :"S o:'. f a ,-a worked f or ., r as C n bb ascertained the mine: was not� the '.Revolutionary War. Y "- c r ., . t _. ._ - i y ` } . .• .o Yb� ' ' 1:1 I3T I) S 11 • � f r F W�,gir i? S 7 / :. , 4 �•r sf E�l Y � al Ca. L Capital was mighty scErce during the years that fotlowPd the surre� s :�xs � �Er �.. :., i .: ,r n '. +a .. r >•a' 4: . LM�r> � ti Cornwallis at: YQr,I {town and the colonists were content, i' E'they fotxric�N j funds to'-keep ,body and soul together after the 'tremendous; saczfi :made to brine the `war - .`against - England to a successful' eons usiox�.j " tx believed `that the -_mine was. worked through a­ part of. tie' "War of I812 Etd� f '� that 'it furnished :lead for bullets,.ih ',the . � wax `:Record.a,�a,ke' mention: a� it' in de .through trie period .from' the Revolution to 1856.;. when a:- prospectus was issued by `thelilliston Silver head C.onpa' Y Ll advertising 10,000 shares of u25 each, making, a, capita lization of. 2.5(} 'Phe writer vra.s furnished: ti�ai to a n , 'oriinal editio�� of thus prose by Lennard Marshall Norton of Northampton, whose father was the firs'tROe! e f of •Loudvlle hSr.- rlorton also' has the 'old 7 edger used by his fatheF, 411 s Daance s I�orton; "who for many ye ors conducted wood mill in .Loudville�"and ' � this 'ledg'er are accounts with ,he ,various minlni companies who pperat mine :during the perioii of 10 to 15 `years following its repp - ing by tie' k Villiston Company in 1856. rr The �:1ill iston prospectus contains descriptive reports of : the prapy� -estimates of ;the proba.Ule `cost of opera.tion a:nd t�.e ;anticipated yieltul by Prof. Be nj<�amin rilTiman, Jr., of Yale College, C:.S.R chardson, a �` engineer,' from the great :Cornish T��ines `o E' En�;�aYid, and several ntendents of mines loc��.ted at that time in other Darts fir... Richardson's estirnaLe, relative to the amount of mine, was'that it would run ,a out 20 ounces of silver to the aon � J Y A tunnel, or as it i.s , called by geologists, .fin a.d1t, was driven� solid rock for a ;distance `of 1100 feet an at a. diameter varyangoii'4 4. 20 feet. ;This adit, so note�Cious to all who are fam�lia>^ with the r , Yk M C) f mining: in ;the United States, Zs ;now ;Uelieved to have degrees o'f the lode when the tremendous expense involved; in the cut r �} through solid: rock for such a -great distance - necessitated operations. •This ;was `put through tprevous to the taking ove�%�b ,` tY �; l by the Willist on Comva.ny. For °many z years after - the.ast Yattem�p eta ' r , + Y +• <- rF ' minerwaer to fee a depth of se�erl `t rem ained in this 'tunnelr` 'k` j man -used `to fake visitors :into ` the'Smine "shaft base iri an boat Prof ..E dVviA Hitchcock, famous geologist and president of :4mherst Colle e n'hs history of `ii4assachusetts geo u o s + t; hisregre.ts that ;this adit could 'not'have been put throgha dew e as he * felt sure that the rich I od would then have been 'struck. z� 4 x Edwin T�1cClellan a:ccaring to ;old records org e ii � the t. >: 4� Leacly::Company . in 1862 and sank X60,000 �n the mime. `Marge assay` were `put up, a modern `ore crusher established a G the mouth of,tbe s s� s reservoir built and ;every = possible ':manZng appi3.nceof of the `type ,th _ most modern at that t me wa.s 'purchased.•; The mine did a. °good;busznesur the Civil. Vas;' but a 'ter the via history repeated 'itself and, as was tie after the Revolutionaxy �va,r, there was;. no money a.vaila.ble tQ continue iaoera �yi .,.' `Not `many` men' U z e alvzng today , ;who worked in 7. e mine uri Period of activity when it was turner; out lead oP, :bullets for the Army. two men vrho worked; in .;it are �Pa-trick F*ynn.,of Easthampton' a ahoney,'. 'Sr of Florence: Mr. Idahoney was f orman in the :old m r, can ;today : give a; vivid picture o, :the "days o,� the Givil 4Jas Louclvilie 1t the 'time of ITr t6aYioney' s employment` there, the was Capt. Sam881` Pinch or( Finch) of almost boundTe ssE3# the :'dreen of. whone life wr s to see the mine become one pf thy: r ducers t of lead ire the United States. ��lr. T�I�Y� 01,16y says that } hP� churiks of le,4d on the , surface abo ;e the 'shaft that were n as b$ two :fists. I3e says that "`l$ha1'ts were'sunk in all , e se in depth from 11,5 feet to 125` feet, and No. ) shaft being the,dee For ;months they mine was worked at a monthl�r� cost off, wasp x�at 20 000 but ire P2r. .1Vlahoney� s .. o { on ;.,the 'yield of ;lead: t such pia anit -e s as -would make, this expenditure .-profitable ". when he `worked in the mine-' there 'were, about 500 employees , end t had; allu of :the . a ei arance that characterized the ;.mining boom ��V Colorado a.nd Cal�fornla during the period .following the d�.$eo�r in these St aes. Wit' one ; time 400' people, 'men;' women :arid childr r had been: �.t the lead mine it �:ctmn, Ca11., v�hich !ryas closed a- to `Loudville : in. a body and so' rapid had. been the deve�opmerit of that work wa.s found. for x.11 of the. men of the `party. `fhe old pump was worked dayond night pumping 60 gallons of wa minute 'from the base of the shaft. is 4". 4 1 0().t chim"ney Wa,s"",- A 0 ' I 'o , x t -7�IpQrs the td ng - , .: _ �. , b(4: nee idents this locality are - .wa ti. , . iri�eza eft ng Tn,:m ,5., A. uf t.hjj�, l ates t t "WR I T E S \1 TE I G - , A -'.EASTHAJ, RT I . 7, -.JOI-DTS,ON;, _ RESTI T Th XT_ M T Oi�A 4OUtING , D �a�thamDton May t6', 1935 _ No P e Mr b een : Ki le d mine " s �has b The f ollov�ing article on:..the 16�adville Chaxle s H. Johnson and is a U. timely because of the IvIassachuse ite of rocks and m i ne ral mat i onal outinp,, which is to be held Sunday, T? �R`i' °' 1.110 1 t �� T5d t NL .x R y ' including a trip , t o ` the ~lest P rm s home of Joseph D, S chranz 9 whers3" 'located part .'of the vein. - The . outip %vill,:'leave ZJonotuck hall a 4° r F - [k ,. r, r aF i J • l site, ; f of Lowing .a .prelinznary meets rig beginning at `Zr:©0,1,yil Kitsgn, Sr- is d1rector of ;l.Yie aut�ng. ';6 ,., 'f' ti. '. -. '.. :•: .t }f : r r •' " "' r t � •3��t .T' r �y e. dk � s lead. ore; � sul0 et,' known as' Galena, is Found zn .a nu>xibe .`ct in thus Connecticut valley, It `is known U s the bartytaleady `nt'', The :;opening in which" the most ha.s .been mined 1 s near, Zoudva 1Te. ridge-running northerly from Itilontgonery to Hatfield,. sometimes know Mineral Ridge, this lead ore crops 'out. I4�ore than 250 years °:agar °� F' was mined in this region. Off euid on up to. 1862, prospectors have for lead with its usual silver content accompanying sLime. � ;hum bers brNp���<�� large companies have begin orgonized to get out the ore. It is arable Dutch :rlioney �va.a put into it ;. at one time . Northamptan�: kno�"e z` Indians as I�Tonotuck, was :first settled :in 1653 by n few valiant so1 Wind and .other. Connecticut towns on the ,rea.t river 'also ;with`'�om� ff # ���a � L� , r Springfield pioneers. Robert .Lyman of Northp_..mpton, "when :` hunting x � ad outcpp g,t in his ; trave'ls. ' -s lead ,was very across some lero. s x?f . necessary for bullets .as' well +.s for other tnl�.;s, .considerable irate'' was stirred. up so as an early record of the town the then ha.v1 further a „ At ' legal meeting; O.ct. <16, 1F79, Y 4� about the le ad mine tvI h Robert Lyman. found out they voted ;that persons . as would : omn `ln the carrying on of that de szpn,' should meet,sr� 23d .'of this astant of Sure one 'hour h� gh at night, and to them r c z�h4 ;s,.'; c= t persons that shall then appear the fowr do hereby gzve up allthe in that mane lying about six ttlile s west `s� de ofQ ? �` It cUnnot be le, wn�t' came of =thie vote but bullets were, o4 from' lead smelted. Here durin;; the Revolution. The shalt was opened 1769, and again in October, 1809. It was :reported upon by r 3enj� = f 4 in Oetober 1810 and the rebort wss ��rinted ��� on article �n�B � M ' ���A� ;4 :Amer ?can` Tt�ine en rological Journal The sYGft :~vas ,th ``h0 feet feex =� .� j horizontal adst 25 to`30 feet,° �nd was: 5; ery magn`�4 { 6 to 8 feet a ri' dl:am In 1.815 the "tadit wa : feet.;heasr y t F "' :: 7.7 eying :'0.0' feet from the mouth was' g0 feet 81$ Amoe' ' scribed the rocks of $00 the alit carefully: It' wa s. ,then : fe lt} ltd a ; in sandst ane 13 f e Pt Zn, grt rig t e schist and se rpent.ne , ':c antair� hr earrying quartz, _fluor, calcite, chalcopyr.ite snd one smallv Y r .+ In ].823 the adzt :'wa s 9U feet long _end had cost X20,000�y r In 1827 druses containing more ar, les:s calcite crystall.ized� crystals of quartz had occurred in the last 20Q to feet ;vf :. { ;a `company opened „G new mine with a; drift on what : .vas supposed��`�� ve ri 3 or 4-ml : s sothwe st, ;t he ;vea n be zn�; 6: lnche s t o a foot }S Kr . y In '832 ' 'the. next yeas the vein was opened 7;ohe _holf mile, nofith. ; ra Hitchcock `of AmYierst College" mentions ;with; appG.rent regret :thata�w'� been : stopped on the s:dit. at 900 feet, ;la.rgely because `the �?rict� ofd s ' y ? F o+ decreased. 4jrea.t L ;!• 1 ' ok 2 1 . -.thePq.-are _'---. ead together t ; which °originally­w' .. 'a . q I - pton as. II T brt iam. la g .0 is - thi s ,IT rt i��Iip'I;6p.'vein o , so i*. any near h CL xit ;, to be - vi vi 'site ' d of -Joe B ;Schram, p.rm s w lch- d. nines] , ivision an ­.rb.3 19th, by the Nlas f,;th*e,., 6c 0 1"g , son. -- i adirector. . -.:­-_. which t he pZ i�bout en years before 'h ,- Ca mine c f OW .: he'r--ipersons ' m ' 6n'd J"a t t ""'-pur r _Ie sinki . "thousands e an&".be'garl:.*exca,v,�)..t 1 .1 mg fo r ot her s. ose a 'r othe. ..1. 1 "'. , x 0 verno 0 g out t 0 eo*o e work in took -employed ma gre.b.t , .:6 arne st thd­ was slive-r-al so �vith�­,, exca vat e d ,A,, .: tir remove and tj o! v th'6., water �3 A RT "1.3" . L. t ? r. � t Jose h Allen of Northamnl.on': �'nout the led nine stead of sticky furnace ha saw ; pos, :ibiltes ofzfilver zn the 1 "ead'so fsolc + hisP� tbougYit'' mining ,]:and ' in North�amptori. ' TYiis `:was Ai�'176` `_ond,: he with,s`d friend , .t. s,' ourneyed to }take posses pion of ' the lecd mine, bri nging „wh three 'slaves, :Tom; C ato`' end Caesar.- =There is no` 'rec "ord who owned' they might`:have , beenn rented for,`the`bo ic_C_ ah ' 'Some' documents men iori Bronson as the owner. a.nd Ethan .e,s' the oversees.. 'He. bought'. iron, po i steel ` for the ` work, :paid the • miners and superinte ided the `excavation' : was extended to a 'depth of 50 :['ee t <i.nd dr,@.ined by a :pump worked by ' power. There were two taverns nearby,.the Pomeroy tavern. in S.outham p the Ma,j or Jonathan Cla.p� tavern. in Easthampton, Ethan seemed to have the latter where he made riends with the lla j or'.s, son.,. Jonathan Clap As . a smallboy,. with my father, I visltPd ` the . deep T oudvllle m� was then "in , opera.tion The' :build �n� , vaith a :; tower f or 'the pulley �o bring. up 'the` buckets' stood 'on Lrie opposite s'ide' 'of the ..Southampton 7-q the house occupied.. ,by 1. rs. Hartnett..” :around ;it , were great piles : y41 which the bla,cic specks .of lead shov�erl� plainly. Thzs .considered of sufficient value to crush and there was ' a lot of looked down into the deep Hole, >the _ if- hts o f: the miners below: fluke: a'most ,fascine.ting r�4y. �rhe noise of .:tYie picl�s�.nd the • pumps `came itg from a :no -ther world:' �On a flat ea trie bottom o t t�?e hill to the east,5 the Manhan. river, were other bu�3dings, tall chimney and, machanery. was a tramway --for czars to cross the river leadlna',tne =way znto a tom, I -went along way into that 'where men �tvere work�n and bringsg out `lead bearing'roek to be crushed'`amd smelted. the shaft went uriderne ; road going* down tkie h� Il into Loudvil16 from Easthdihp ton. Tts'entr` { be found • though, all caved in. now. plenty oz holes in that' vs.einX. where prospectors nave spent much tine a,nd la. bor., r The sucess` oz these undert, 1sn,;s, ho `ever, dscl not egLial the edge+ - of' the "projectors< I pre- ave h been` zn; these '250 sume there` years, if a hundred pits: th _ .. :.11 ..on 1 re roc L ec ors s sta.rte sn :the oudv p zes in o e 'deposited= mill ons .years ago' In ,the Trzas �r. :rocks. , w f In` 1841, Dr.. Edward` Hitchcock wrote: ` 6 r; v "The ':vein 'in `the northern part of Southampton _gat �Zoudv _ .�'ii_...a._ _._ 'a. ,..,.... ... ,., _�._- r i.7.:'.:..,,. , -...,, •.i- 1,.•... ,...:i;. -i`.,v,- - :. .v,.T Yi4 c•- ,'F\�crr ' -- Irk 1 H , i T 7.77 GEORGE F EV�a:> >TS 'sst. `Trea`surer _ >� ' Q. X14 ^ } , � yy -g t- , Y 0 �y � - }� . f T have been asked:.tol nut on paper an lm`'promptu meetsng of the rdo:rthainrton Hid- toricptl Society Vl c When I w s cui tP a srnali boy, �n the early "60' s" my father v�.et the le?d mi es ':at t�ouc�ville. I remember the buZ7.cla.ngs g at � of sth L vertical shaft °; th•ese were z on the opo si t e side l of the SQt# rt � `� road and somewhat South of the Hastings (now Iiartnett) houge���`h$z` C4 tower tfor the windlass', .by whsch:' the' bud kets of rock, toa �kxetWW `r e ' ' :hoisted to tkie surf a c . It ryas with mach avre a`nd� inter'e st' that b t r down into that sleep :P�t x= th glira ering of miners y bottom, :and the rumble of '.machinery, pumps;' and, the ° crush fig, pf41�'� . was deep, dark nd ;awesome sight and impressive to m boyish mx�ds�,�= y took quite some time ''to accustom my eyes to ,the : dankness; bq x 3 :? interesting. ` There. were high °piles of ` speckled } uar z was'e -fixer tr r tbuzldinga we collectors have `;lessened. vthese `1 —es The ;ne� Ala ce to visit v=ia s on. the opposite 'sid'e of :the rive the : hill and %a.st ro�YY the South sna _ t : 'lhi s was , a n acl�.t a hart # shaft dug from `the 1 an- river - aild udder the road `] ea5ding fromasf -: i Ti to : ZoudvllTe so: "these days neo nle drive � offer: this tunnel every •d�.t ran North *into the hill a: �d wa,s sir or seven -f eet in diameter, there= railroad track with _:cars and tools for excavating. r ' 4 4311 A E — . 5 , A..r h fiatk r x - '• J �. .. .. ¢ y r'S ;: r ` S. �`ic4�4}`'. N � ' ��T y �' { � - t � ' I �. W e took candleu 't0 3PC',_ �.Pl L "rrt ,1 d v 1 r e' y. n L od z e ttze cars, it was damp $Y ;7 smelled of blsstin{�, powder: '} It went In .under ,tY e hill at. lea'stR E - eet the refuse front this adst was. dumped from the roars, shore` of ,the ,1�nha;n;� wrl� le Lfte ;ood',ore ws s 'cr rried :across th6 'J �J-V� f� � Al tramway to the rnllls P Tn o s I t N. e a I, suppose ' there . are gore than f if ty ' e x ava.t'ions in the hfplla Ridge where ;outcroppmngs of, lead or'. other minerals, have °attract e p } •` 1 a `spec,tors and Heir hope o r .l inding the rich veins 'of lead and: silver: i 4 are so generally found together. ''These holes represent much 'labor ? u a quartz rock , is very ha-rd. Sometimes the veins 'are, a foot wade, sk ;` 66t1ide s� .four feet wide. _. - Eminent Bolo sts `h ^ve. r' x g avert strong encour���;ment : that an ex 6nti ere • ne y . > is somewh t o be _found ; ar. here buC :':while Revalutionar war bulle � wed' �r moulded. for the _coJ_onists from Chas mine, ,the que.ntiti.es obtained were} A it sufficzert and: other 1 6 a.litlec, riota,bly It:issouri, produced so much�mo that the`, price .went .c�.own a.rict no money w <�:s made, i:iore recent methoiiTs m u���n 3 �.gf'. bring success out of former f ^.ilures, and a•g; in �r�,1Le the :manes of Zoudtl boom again, as electricity ;not used ei years ;ago .in minimr�� The last men I knew that vrorlced in t ise lead mines was, James NM Easthampton, rho died several -"'ye`rs sanc6. He say d that when the iz cl f , osed down,. ^11 the cars, ._tools a}�d su�apl� e's were left where ast ust' x This adzt' ha s ;caved an `and .s fence kir, s been built to Ytirotect _anaman " a�a #Y" +f Bien from accadent. F�� Charles H. Johnson ��ast hampton x z a sl 1lI 4T ?FL Pt :3,E ^ D. TT i TTES 41G:�TT•T 1�T a�'OT7�It'rHT �= u� r a 4 z u "k iF'3#w4� 3 a3Y CL ORD H. LY[ )" TTa� MY " ig Any mayor war natur��lly rsvive s an intense J ntere "st an lead, '? ite ore for "gun fodder ". James R. :Trumbull in his, JIistory a � To h 4 i ,�•4 t c, r 3 ,,1' 4t „`• it speaking of- mineral 'deposats in ampshare'- County, ; ;says:s "Iri - h� Fifi s ', y - f Western Hampshire are fP.vr rr}zneral deposits of ' commeididi �,val� The most .,promssZng rare those eontaa.rii��g..:lead Weans of this . Iner��.,'e��� �� s in. nine different tovrns in : ;the Connecticut Velley. mostmpotant} t them are the `mines' In T�Torthempton $and vicinity. ,These were amoxlg of a ' known' M. worked ari this country. T3esides furnishing material Ufa . :.T t r durZrrg the ��lar of the Revolution, they passe`ss hzstorI intex�es . �" , � 3 , ytt� qtr a a Ir fact; it is my belief that .this - mina sec.:taori`; now little 'tou d " 4; ,.M : by commerce, is rich art trs:dationul lore`. I`�� fihe North4 on Lead I�`[ine :wa oraginaI_ly - discovered ; by Robert 3�yma r '' ' of the early_ = settlers of TJorthampton. He was a. hunter and 'a man,.of • rcr�7.n : -_� . -, Az� -M vi a S: r, 0 . r', T 11 d; 6 f f , i L1QV_6.L Aji t4, :7t 77 7: cone e r ne provi that iw6j�k.Ahoal& .;begin- h_ wa.s.', provi, t- fo un d ,, ,�inaTA , ,;� - uhe - y��.:neecLecL*. , ,riaore i-larid VIO",MZOMI ...... .... t he `' ­ ng ; acres f dr, prom otl 6. .6 ipr vemeri ac btherwi. own';. e =, q f .1 r M -b-doklAO wou -oviar se. It- wo ."A ' t & t mile !,jRtom �Ah s e s- - seven - e -abou: 1 ua t7 sou thwe st er l y I on very near t h­r&­the':.:-- eogL �,R point. e oun ra center fof No tells 'T T er y th' LA 'thai�'bton. - -those�:of ''th t owns �o -:Nbrth _dlSou �an pr f a, S _­ -aarrieid��.'on.ldn,'r. ou ` work' upon.J_ . - Years e Principa y, ecame dtssatis vners' Northamp_ f ied:'L -nd- - sold 'out h ' ton. o% 6f the .00 as shire.. X $6 lyn h _� , 6 var from re..:Colonel John c price paid - var f ed -interested in the. lead mines - )e- Springf field at one time apj ar that he had rendered t it 'Robert Lyma,n a:.you cow for same service n . M.. -connectio with t he mines. , �7­7777�7�77 - 7­7 7=77777 77' 7% -- oY + l 15 �.:tl.l. n171'• rt, 1 4 s � 1 , Wharton and Usher corric'd on mining o $or a dew veers w� t jjj� � F° parent success and aba,ndonecl it. 4!h hear nothan�,, more about it for", severitjr ears' �rhen Sam son .Simp;son, : a vre,A th' merchant of :New Yor it "' x with �otYiers` sn la�vsn�;, obtr7 ned rr�� o o ts',r`�S yt�if rm °;the : Crown" which mineral lands, work in the Northampton Lead T('inea was again resumes ' 11 : i t , Simpson was one of the comp .t.ny of 24 merchants of New organized- the 4;devu York ,Cha.mDer of Commerce. Trumbull's history - tells us that "on - the. 15th of 1 65,` Chaff 's Scott, . Etha.n Lien of Vermont, Denjainin 3tilesl Aram Bronson, Israel a i$ar John Frederick :Stendall Thomas Row 9a1d. three sla.ves, Tom, Cato and e s& . Roxbury, Connecticut for Northampton, took possesoon of the mines` an��� � r� 24' 1Y , work th em." °? " ^�� _ Thomas Row, .the mining engineer, wrote to hlr., Slrripson ;�.n New Yarl� .' _ "T have been an Northampton as you desired me and, fizid that part 3ooks: s though it .:would. produce a -,re deal ra of lea, ,.ore; the, T[ess 'B an" have > yZ t . rope cleared `,30(? :pound besides paying all ch, ,r ;e s I' was a t ve i ns which are very la.rae and_ are mixed with very rich ore; there <s ahe , vein about two miles from `13ronsons. This vein is the largest :I ever s (Southauip Le A lilies). 'i'he ba first stone token ;out gf r tYe ck - of weighed about 200 1�velgYit, lmost solid lei d." (End of I�1r._ Rows "The Company purchased and leased 12a1d of the frruers in Narthat Soutl2amptan. Gener��l Ethan rLl�en of Revolutonazy ;liar fame wa_s eng� f .mining operations He 1s, sold to have hived �n l`Iar�hamptan ar�d za-e t Southampton." .. r "ti�llthzn three years the above compa ny, of Le.r expanding a few tl�or: dollars, sold its hG. shares to 1 ill am Bowdoin, brother of Gover�aeK_ and .two other ;men from rVorcester County, ; IS7��ss. `these'; men engagecr:I ,'`� n . prise awitY much :ardor and resolution, exp�ndin�; 13r�;e sums of mor�e�'�y water ;needed arios brought from the northern branch of .the MenhartZVe { , y i i" rises ;near the SoLtharnpand �Je sthamp ton bounda ry Zine �,n whata�EG�„ X ; ' "Sodom ;swamp: �1" large bu : ilding wa's erected about s quarterArz�� �. mill c:alled kings P.Rill ; and -for: crushing W . stalled. "The ore 'pmts then carried by water from 'Kings 1�ZiI1''Fonc:t� "Six hammers of stamps 'were used for crushing the ore, antra 8' mace :was connected with the stamping mill Tk�e Sout11 lUline sha. 1 lei s v ar=m` ., be considerably over _.1Q0 .feet :deep. any person acreemployed� mine s' were being ®orked, the taverns of `fimothy Pomeroy andta� ave. quite' prosperous." The .manes :were operating at: their be in Solomon Pomeroy, Gershorn Pomeroy and Ss;muel Boiden 'of Southamptc�h A ' f or,.work�.ng :f:our hours on twa sabbaah days as the Porthampton: Lewd I "pumping water. .. °How long this riost 'prospe :conditi on continued w� n+• fi to]:d but. -in 1848 the mine �os:ed into the hands of Perkins Nichols T�?r�a�as H. Perkins Issas P. and David. Hinkley. o L Boston and by consent - .. • n parties the property was conveyed to Dr. Solomon Bruc�a z trust. 77 7— p roper erty: p assed �:��to ;y oossession of �e�wara jz:u ►, czuly V1 lYC YI iVi !�;y7iXri p p atte b mpt to expand to resources Zt `to 'the 3 "Nanhan'Siere�r g Ha.11', �sr, of I�Tew York who` conveyed ". This con an th same year, ;sold :the :Soutlxa� �, k ' $ 500 OOOj P y' z, �, 7 - T.ands, ° consisting of :83 scre,s to ,�homas Hast ?ngs for SQ,t�a K� 7 at s of which he had become , Ys . tramsferredathat and ;other mining rig i f Easton for` 4.59,oDa.f°n i the amptari' 14~ining ��nd , Smelting Co. "r -9 roGeeded ;to open the mineral lands hav�.ng obtained control° ofbo p ' wt ry t wp} N �i t feet of ` edit still t "xeme,n� a r mericed oper�7.tlons } an 1t�63 • N� ne J the F s Sz u F ~ completed and the work , wa:s carr�sd on upon' a much 1 anger sal s, a ' About 150 men, m ostly French Canadians, va employed, Ewa > -pawe engines`` were put into operation, .P�iac'nne, and blacksmith: shops an e- fic3eri s crushng macn�ne ht ;Jnto broug, use. Tie business Thomas ,E, .Ha.sti�;s end 0. V. Elton and for t�rJO years or more woY`k� t mime since their..discover mines was much more lively than at any - the lead was a sprirklin; of silver 4lna copper a. s well a S _ 4a�A �. with y i :