|
NAVIGATION
Massachusetts
Histories
Historical Sketches
Franklin County
Hampden County
Hampshire County
Middlesex County
Norfolk County
Worcester County
New York
Histories
Maine
Histories
History at
Rays Place
Also see [ Railway
Officials in America
1906
] NEW
Rays
Places
|
THIS town was incorporated in 1774. The first Congregational minister settled here was Rev. Antipas Steward,
who was ordained in 1793. He resigned in 1803, and died in 1814, aged 80 years. His successor, Rev. Ebenezer B.
Wright, settled here in 1819. Mr. Wright resigned in 1835, and was succeeded the same year by Rev. David R. Austin.
Besides the Congregational, there is now, in the central part of the town, a Methodist church.
This is principally an agricultural town; the greater part of the inhabitants live scattered about on their farms.
There is, however, a flourishing little village on the Chicopee river, which forms the southern boundary of this
town, dividing it from Wilbraham and Springfield. Jenks' cotton factories, two in number, are at this place. The
village lies on both sides of the Chicopee. In 1837, there were in this town 2 cotton mills, having 10,000 spindles;
500,000 lbs. of cotton were consumed; 1,600,000 yards of cotton goods were manufactured, valued at $160,000; males
employed, 88l females, 200; capital invested, $100,000. Population, 1,329. Distance, 10 miles from Springfield,
and 84 from Boston.
FROM:
Historical Collections Relating to the
History and Antiquities of
Every town in Massachusetts with
Geographical Descriptions.
By John Warner Barber.
Worcester
Published by Warren Lazell.
1848
|
|