About Haydenville & Williamsburg

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Books, Reports, Studies:

An Historical Sketch of Haydenville and Williamsburg Established in Massachusetts Bay Colony in New England From the earliest times to 1861 - Written by residents of the district, Prepared expressly for the Hampshire Gazette & Northampton Courier, Edited by Henry S. Gere
A History of Williamsburg in Massachusetts - compiled by Phyllis Baker Deming - word searchable!
Town of Williamsburg Open Space and Recreation Plan - 2011
Williamsburg Grange and Community Cook Book - 1952
Williamsburg Healthy Aging and Community Design - 2016 - PVPC collaborated with the Town of Williamsburg's Elder Services/Council on Aging, Healthy Hampshire and WalkBoston on a project that examined how healthy aging in Williamsburg is affected by the Town's Community Design.
A Half Century of Church Life: Haydenville Congregational Church 1851-1901. Prepared for publication by the Pastor Rev. Sanford S. Martyn.

Events:

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1874 - Dam Failure causing the Flood of 1874
- The Failure of the Dam on Mill River - a report adopted June 10th, 1874, and published in the journal: Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers Vol. 3 Issue 4 1875.
- Victims of the Flood of 1874
  - Village of Williamsburg
  - Village of Haydenville
2006 - Commemoration of the Flood of 1874 (May 16, 1874)
- Spring 2006 - Williamsburg Reads: In the Shadow of the Dam by Elizabeth M Sharpe followed by multiple events.
- Events at the Haydenville Congregational Church
  - On the Eve of Destruction: a talk by Elizabeth M. Sharpe (April 8, 2006)
  - Williamsburg Flood Chorus (May 16, 2006)
  - Legacy of the Flood: a talk by Elizabeth M. Sharpe (May 16, 2006 - preceeded by the Williamsburg Flood Chorus performance)
- Event at the Hilltown Cooperative Charter Public School, Haydenville, MA
  - The Mill River Flood - a play performed by HCCPS (Hilltown Cooperative Charter Public School) Greens (Spring, 2016)
- Interview with Elizabeth M Sharpe
  - Flood of 1874 and the Meadows area of Florence
2011 - Hurricane Irene (8/28/2011)
- Williamsburg, MA Tropical Storm Irene Flooding in the center of Williamsburg. Filmed by Tom Adams of Reelife Productions.
- Mill River Brass Works Library Bridge Haydenville MA YouTube posting by vincentvanvideo.
2019-? - COVID-19 Pandemic
- Chronology (evolving)
- Images
2024 - Mill River Flood 150 Year Commemoration
- Event Schedule: Two event bulletins were circulated for the 150th Commemoration. Click on the following links to view them: event bulletin #1 and event bulletin #2.
- Cascade of Bells: Schedule for the Cascade of Bells to honor victims of the 1874 Mill River flood.
- Leeds Commemoration: A scan of the programming leaflet from the Mill River Flood 150 Year Commemoration held in Leeds.
- Mill River Flood 150 Year Commemoration Video: The program features new musical compositions by Nick Reid and Louise Mosrie, the “May 16th, 1874” ballad by Lynne Bertrand and Penny Schultz, with cellist Stephen Katz, and the story of the disaster in the words of witnesses (arranged by Elizabeth Sharpe) with a reading of the victims’ names. Youtube posting made by Collin Black.
  - Mill River Flood 150 Year Commemoration Program: A scan of the programming leaflet from the Mill River Flood 150 Year Commemoration.
- Mill River Disaster - Paintings by Frances Kidder: Frances Kidder's paintings of the Mill River Disaster are available for viewing on her website. Read the artist statement here.
- Follow the Flood - 76 Historic Markers and Online Story Map: An interactive, online story map shows the length of the Mill River, the span of the flood, and the locations of 76 historical markers that describe what happened at each site. An additional PDF of the flood marker locations is available here. View the markers by clicking on the links below.
  - Florence
  - Haydenville
  - Leeds
  - Northampton
  - Skinnerville
  - Williamsburg
  - Points of Interest
  - Cemetaries

Maps:

Maps
- Old Village Hill Cemetery map (2000)
- Places of Historical Interest in the town of Williamsburg, Massachusetts Including the Villages of Haydenville, Skinnerville and Searsville - 1999 - over seventy sites of interest to explore
- Plan of Williamsburg surveyed by Nehemiah Cleveland, dated May 5, 1795
- Plan of Williamsburg, surveyor's name not given, dated June 1831

Memoirs:

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Looking Back: Essays on Country Life - by Anne Sabo Warner

Objects:

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Haydenville Congregational Church Tower Clock
- Winding the Tower Clock - by Collin Black
Mantel Clock - by Daria D'Arienzo
Quilt - USA Bicentennial - Designed by Greta Carey and created in 1976 by the collaborative efforts of Williamsburg women to honor the 200th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America.
Steel Pens
Weights and Measures
Weighed in a Just Balance: Weights and Measures at Meekins Library Williamsburg, Massachusetts - by George Fleck (As of 2017, Mr. Fleck does not plan to update this draft.)
MAPS
- Williamsburg Town Survey Plan- 1795
- Williamsburg Town Survey Plan— c. 1830-36

People:

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1832 Temperance Pledge, Signers of - Signers of the 1832 Temperance Pledge - by Eric W. Weber
Adams, William Henry (1823-1874) - William Henry Adams - biography by Eric W. Weber. Original discussion on Williamsburg Historical Society Facebook page on July 12, 2019.
Alexander, Hazel Louise (1886-?) - Hazel Louise Alexander - biography by Eric W. Weber. Original discussion on Williamsburg Historical Society Facebook page on July 29, 2019.
Bailey, Adelbert (1843-1932) - Adelbert Bailey - biography by Eric W. Weber. Original discussion on Williamsburg Historical Society Facebook page on July 24, 2019.
Beals, Jessie Tarbox (1870 – 1942) - Jessie Tarbox Beals - by Ralmon Jon Black (from the Pioneer Valley History Network's Women in the Valley series)
Bodman, Sylvester (1781-?) and Theophilus (1793-?) - Sylvester and Theophilus Bodman - biography by Eric W. Weber. Original discussion on Williamsburg Historical Society Facebook page on August 18, 2019.
Carter, Thomas Marshall (1832-1899) and daughter Carter, Mary Lemira (1859-1924) - Thomas Marshall Carter - biography by Eric W. Weber. Original discussion on Williamsburg Historical Society Facebook page on January 20, 2020.
Chandler, Edgar M. (1831-?) - Edgar M. Chandler - biography by Eric W. Weber. Original discussion on Williamsburg Historical Society Facebook page on August 20, 2019. See also Spencer Bartlett.
Cheney, George (1844-1918) and Cheney, Elizabeth Jane Alvord (1847-1922)
- George Cheney - biography by Eric W. Weber. Original discussion on Williamsburg Historical Society Facebook page on October 13, 2019.
- Cheney Home (post 1874 Flood) - Facebook posting of 1874 stereograph from the collection of Peter Banister
Dansereau, Frederick J. (1882-?) - Frederick J. Dansereau - biography by Eric W. Weber. Original discussion on Williamsburg Historical Society Facebook page on July 21, 2019.
Dunphy, Anne T. (1890-1956) - Anne T. Dunphy - by Ralmon Jon Black
Dwight, Josiah (1747-1796) - Josiah Dwight - biography by Eric W. Weber. Original discussion on Williamsburg Historical Society Facebook page on November 6, 2019.
Everett, Edwin Henry (1928-?) - Edwin Henry Everett - biography by Eric W. Weber. Original discussion on Williamsburg Historical Society Facebook page on July 13, 2019.
Graves, Eunice Belden (1815-1860) - Eunice Belden Graves - biography by Eric W. Weber. Original discussion on Williamsburg Historical Society Facebook page on August 19, 2019.
Hayden, Joel III (1869–1912) - Joel Hayden III - biography by Eric W. Weber. Original discussion on Williamsburg Historical Society Facebook page on July 30, 2019.
Hayden, Josiah III (1802-1877) - Josiah Hayden III - biography by Eric W. Weber. Original discussion on Williamsburg Historical Society Facebook page on August 15, 2019.
Hillman, Dr. Roswell Smith (1815-1896) - Dr. Roswell Smith Hillman - biography by Eric W. Weber. Original discussion on Williamsburg Historical Society Facebook page on August 9, 2019.
James, Helen Eliza (Field) (1837-1930)
- Helen E. James - by Ralmon Jon Black
- Helen Eliza (Field) James (Intro to HEJ 1919 Page-per-day Friendship calendar)
  - HEJ 1919 Page-per-day Friendship Calendar (large file, may take a long time to download)
Meekins, Stephen (1812-1894) - Meekins Family (Stephen 8, Library Benefactor) - exerpted from Williamsburg, Massachusetts Families: Genealogical Outlines - by Eric W. Weber
- Key to Source Codes and Other Abbreviations from Williamsburg, Massachusetts Families: Genealogical Outlines - by Eric W. Weber
Meekins, Thomas W. (1855-1935) - Thomas W. Meekins - biography by Eric W. Weber. Original discussion on Williamsburg Historical Society Facebook page on July 13, 2019.
Nash, John (1736-1771) - John Nash - and Nash, Martha Graves (1736-1794) - biography by Eric W. Weber. Original discussion on Williamsburg Historical Society Facebook page on November 2, 2019.
Otis, John Lord (1827-1894) - Letters From a Civil War Soldier 1861-1864 / John Lord Otis, edited and published by his great granddaughter, Charlotte Preston Otis (be patient when opening this file...it is quite large and may take ten minutes to open!) (Additional discussion on Williamsburg Historical Society Facebook page on July 14, 2019).
Paine, Dr. Elijah (1724-1814) - Dr. Elijah Paine - biography by Eric W. Weber. Original discussion on Williamsburg Historical Society Facebook page on September 13, 2019.
Selected Individuals and Their Families - from Virtual Tour of Old Village Hill Cemetery (2013) - by Eric W. Weber
Spelman, Onslow Gross (1821-1905) - Onslow Gross Spelman - biography by Eric W. Weber. Original discussion on Williamsburg Historical Society Facebook page on September 11, 2019.
- Here's another short bio that includes some details I [Eric Weber] didn't know until just now, but which neatly skips over Spelman's role in the flood and its aftermath.
Thayer, Capt. Abel (1740-1814) - Thayer, Capt. Abel - biography by Eric W. Weber. Original discussion on Williamsburg Historical Society Facebook page on July 31, 2019.
Veterans
- Lives Lost in Military Service - by Dan Nye
- WWII Cadet Nurses - by Dan Nye
Walpole, Frank (1846-1917) - Walpole, Frank - biography by Eric W. Weber. Original discussion on Williamsburg Historical Society Facebook page on September 2, 2019.
Wheeler, Charles Holmes, M.D. (1879–1955) - and wife, Wheeler, Susan Hadley, Children - Eleanor B and Charles Hadley - Wheeler, Charles Holmes, M.D. - biography by Eric W. Weber. Original discussion on Williamsburg Historical Society Facebook page on December 20, 2019.

Places:

16 Main Street Williamsburg Mass. - by Ralmon Jon Black

Anne T. Dunphy School
- Bricks - by Harry Pomeroy
Cemeteries
- Cemeteries of the Town of Williamsburg - by Eric W. Weber - due to quirks in the system, some of the links embedded in this document will not load. Fresh links are listed below in the order in which they appear:
Maps
- Old Village Hill Cemetery map (2000)
- Places of Historical Interest in the town of Williamsburg, Massachusetts Including the Villages of Haydenville, Skinnerville and Searsville - 1999 - over seventy sites of interest to explore
- Plan of Williamsburg surveyed by Nehemiah Cleveland, dated May 5, 1795
- Plan of Williamsburg, surveyor's name not given, dated June 1831
Petticoat Hill reservation
- Petticoat Hill Reservation - compiled by Elizabeth Armstrong and Joan Hastings for the Trustees of Reservations - 2006
- Trail map
Williamsburg, MA
- A History of Williamsburg in Massachusetts, compiled by Phyllis Baker Deming - word searchable
Williamsburg High School
- Burgy High - by Anne Sabo Warner
- Helen E. James School - by David Bickford