The Journey Begins

Following the weeks of preparation the day of their departure in early August arrived. The weather was fair, which they took to be a good omen for the journey. In the early morning hour, when George and his family arose, the air was still cool with just a hint that the warmth of the season would soon be upon them. With all in readiness six year old Polly jumped up onto the wagon excitedly chattering about the adventure that lay ahead. Three year old Orrin and his year younger brother George were not so sure about all of this. They were fretful that the world they had known in their short lives was going to disappear. However, they felt a bit better when they saw that their favorite toys had truly been stashed away in the wagon. Finally, George helped Lydia on board.  Clutching two-month-old infant Sally to her bosom she tried to settle into the somewhat comfortable nest that she had created for them among the quilts and blankets. Farewells were said, tears were shed and they were ready at last. George yoked up his steadfast oxen and mounted his horse. A last few tearful words were said, a final wave was given to family and friends, and they were on their way.

By talking to others who had recently travelled further afield than he had, George had been able to work out a tentative route north.  He had been told that the roads he planned to travel over were fairly well maintained, and there was enough vehicular traffic to ensure some degree of safety from marauders, although he knew that one was never really safe on the road.  There would still be the need to be constantly vigilant for attacks by wild animals that could hurt them and their animals.  

Initially, he planned to go from Canaan through Ashley Falls in Massachusetts and on into Great Barrington. From there he would proceed further north through Stockbridge and, finally, to Pittsfield where he would need to make a decision about the next leg of his journey.  Based upon what information he had been able to glean, George figured that they would need to cover about 40 miles or so to get to Pittsfield.

Ashley Falls, Massachusetts (1839)
Source: Smunsonft.blogspot

After getting a bit later start than anticipated on this, the first day of their journey, George decided to head straight north to Ashley Falls on the Housatonic River which lay just 12 miles away. Fortunately, at this time of year the sun did not go below the horizon until quite late and the roads, although rutted, were in fairly good condition so that made their travels easier.

They passed through Ashley Falls, and just on the other side of the village they found a quiet place just off the road on the banks of the Housatonic. Everyone was tired and the children were a bit cranky after being cooped up in the wagon. Even this short distance was far longer than any time that they had ever had to spend in a wagon.  George quickly helped them down from the wagon, and even little George was permitted to get down so long as he stayed close to his father.  

George’s next task was to build a fire on which Lydia could cook their evening meal.  First, he gathered small branches and twigs and put them in a circle in a clearing a short distance away from the wagon and other trees. With this done, he put small bits of twigs in the tinderbox that he carried with him and struck a piece of flint to his steel until he had enough spark to ignite the fire he had laid. He then turned to tend to his other chores.  Lydia made sure that baby Sally was asleep and then went about setting up her portable kitchen.  If they were at home they would have had their main meal of the day at midday.  However, this was not practical when one was traveling. During their journey it would be necessary to have only a light noon repast consisting of dried fruits, nuts, bread and an occasional bit of fresh wild fruit, if they were able to find any.  This would enable them to keep traveling throughout the day without interruption except to water and rest the animals, let everyone out of the wagon briefly to stretch their legs and make any adjustments to the wagon and its load.

Cooking on the Trail
Source: Classroomclipart.com

George went about the business of seeing that his animals were secure.  He tied them to some nearby trees where they could graze peacefully and hung a lantern that he would light later.  This would provide light throughout the night so the he could see any animal or person approach. With no rain in sight they could partake of their evening meal outdoors instead of being cramped in the wagon or under the small bit of canvas George had brought for a makeshift tent.  He found a couple of old logs on which they could sit while Lydia finished the final preparations of the stew she had prepared of slabs of salt pork, some carrots and onions from the garden back home, a big chunk of bread that she had stowed in the wagon.  They huddled as close to the fire as possible to ward off the mosquitos that inevitably assembled around them at dusk.  After the evening’s repast Lydia took the cooking and eating vessels and utensils down to the water’s edge where she could clean them off in preparation for the next evening’s meal.  Finally, everything was set for the night and George wearily climbed into the wagon to settle next to Lydia and the baby.  Each of the children found his or her special place to spend the night.  George got as much sleep as he could but he could not help worrying about his animals that were outside the the next day’s travel.

At dawn they arose and eating some of Lydia’s delicious bread with jam and a bit of butter they set for on the day’s journey. At Ashley Falls they had picked up the Greenwood Road that they had been told had just been built two years before and therefore was in excellent condition.  Because of the better road, and another sunny day, George hoped to be able to travel through Great Barrington and on into Stockbridge in one day - a distance of about 20 miles.

The Berkshires in Summer
Source: Slowtrav.com

On the road north they picked their way through valleys that cut through the mountainous Berkshires. The number of sawmills, iron forges, and gristmills they passed by as they plodded along, following the course of the river amazed them. It was obvious that wood for building was in high demand in the neighboring towns and villages. Occasionally George would stop the wagon to water the animals in the river and let them rest a bit.  This gave Polly, Orrin and little George a chance to climb down for a little play before resuming the journey. From time to time, when Sally was asleep, Lydia would climb down also to stretch her legs or to wagon alongside the wagon for a bit. Despite the seeming paucity of buildings in the area, periodically they would see signs that settlers were beginning to take full advantage of the natural resources that even this rugged terrain offered them.  

Toward dusk they reached Stockbridge where they could rest for a bit after the long journey through some steep and often fairly rough terrain. Once again they sought a quiet place near the road to pull the wagon over and tie their animals so that they could graze during the night. They followed the routine of the previous evening just as they would for many nights to come.

At the first light of dawn the animals became restless and even the rooster began to crow loudly to announce the arrival of another day. After Lydia dressed the children for the day she let the them have an opportunity to run freely as long as they remain in her sight. While baby Sally slept Lydia stole these precious moments to tidy up the wagon as best she could.  Meanwhile George watered and fed his oxen and horse, as well as the hens that were squawking in their coops and refusing to lay a single egg.  With the chores done, the family came together for their usual brief morning repast. Soon the wagon was loaded, the oxen were yoked, the horse was saddled, and they were off once again. Fortunately, they were blessed with yet another fine day, this time with a light breeze that kept the flying insects away.

As they were becoming more accustomed to the routine of travel the hours and days began to slip away quickly.  The 15 miles between Stockbridge and Pittsfield were covered without incident, and soon they found themselves in a thriving community with an abundance of sawmills and gristmills along the banks of the Housatonic.  Here the Greenwood Road that they had been traveling on since they left Ashley Falls came to an end.

It had begun to drizzle soon after they got to Pittsfield and George decided that it would be best for them to seek one of the many taverns and inns in the town of 2,000 residents where  they would need for the next leg of their trip.  They slept in their wagon as usual and were grateful to spend the night in a place that would be secure for all of them, and George would not have to be on guard constantly.

Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Source: WAMC.org

Because the rain continued throughout the night and into the day they decided to spend an additional day in Pittsfield with hopes that the weather would clear before they proceeded on their journey. This seemed like a huge metropolis to them after Canaan. Lydia had a few things from the farm that she could trade in order to get the few provisions they needed. The children loved running through the streets and peeking into the windows of shops that were filled with delectable looking candies and cakes and other confections that made their mouths fairly water.  They came upon a shop with all sort of toys on display and after many entreaties George finally gave in and bought them each a small toy to help them while away the time during the long journey that still lay ahead of them.  Tired, but happy, with bellies filled with the food that they they had procured in the shops, the family curled up in the wagon for a good night’s sleep before heading on. [History of Pittsfield, Berkshire County Massachusetts vol. 1 by Joseph Edward Adams Smith, Lee & Shepard 1869]

Early turnpike
Source: American-historama.org

While Lydia and the children were enjoying wandering around the town a bit George thought about what he had learned from the innkeeper the previous night.  He was touting the virtues of the newly-constructed Rensselaer Turnpike that went from Pittsfield to Albany.  He assured George that this route would offer him and his family travel over a better and safer road than if he continued on his planned journey north.  As he thought about it he realized that going to Albany would take him west of where he wanted rather than north.  More importantly, he had been told that the turnpikes were built as money making enterprises by private investors and so they were costly.  After taking all of this into consideration George decided to continue as planned, heading on through Williamstown and on into Bennington. [Turnpikes and Toll Roads in 19th Century America by Daniel B. Klein, Santa Clara University and John Majewski, University of California Santa Barbara, EH.net Encyclopedia]

The Future Unfolds

Fort Anne Blockhouse
Credit: ibiblio.com

Here we must pause the story of George and his family and turn our attention to Levi Higby who would play a pivotal role in their lives in the near future. Like George, Levi had grown up in Canaan, Connecticut. They were almost the same age and together attended the small schoolhouse when family and farm chores did not intervene.  Their parents were close friends and they had worshipped together at the simple wood Congregational meetinghouse that was the only church in the town and also served as the community-gathering place. The boys had spent many happy hours along the banks of the Housatonic River that flowed through the town and supplied vital waterpower for the various local industries. 

Like George, Levi was married in 1794, when he took the hand of Chloe Cobb, a resident of Attleboro, Massachusetts who came to visit her cousin, Mrs. Burt, in Canaan.  Levi and Chloe were married within a few months and settled into early-married life in Canaan. In 1796 they brought a daughter, Alanson, into the world and then Levi was born on September 17, 1797.  Soon after young Levi’s birth his father and mother decided to leave Canaan and to head west in search of more available and cheaper land.  For reasons that we do not know they stopped for a year or so in Fort Anne, New York where Levi was able to use the skills he had acquired as a farmer in Canaan, especially those involving blacksmithing. [History of an Old Home, Alice Higby Downs, 1929]

Then fate intervened and they were destined to move once again, this time to Willsborough, New York on the western shore of Lake Champlain. Although unknown to them at the time, Levi and Chloe’s lives were to be changed radically by an act of government far removed from their community. Between 1798 and 1800 Congress passed a series of bills that broadened the powers to protect American shipping interests from marauding pirates that had been given in the 1794 Naval Act, and on April 30, 1798 Congress passed an act that established the independent executive Department of the Navy. [Encyclopedia of the American Military, John E. Jessup, Editor in Chief. Vol. I, pp. 365-380. Copyright 1994, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1633 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.]

Charles Kane of Schenectady and Daniel Ross of Essex, New York, persons unknown to Levi at the time, had formed a partnership secured a lucrative contract with the Department of the Navy to build all of the anchors possible within the ten years following and to deliver these to Troy, New York. [The Story of Three Town, Morris Glenn, 1977] Their partnership would lead Levi and Chloe north to Willsborough, New York, a small village on the western shore of Lake Champlain. In order to fulfill the terms of their contract with the Navy Kane and Ross had to find an individual or individuals to run their business and decide upon the best possible place to establish their forge, which they referred to as the “anchor shop”. They also had to locate a reliable source of iron ore, and then engage capable men to run the forge operations.

Daniel Ross owned land on the Boquet River in the village of Willsborough and this seemed an ideal location for the anchor shop. As a direct descendant of William Gilliland, who was the first settler in the area and arrived in Willsborough in 1765, Daniel had been told how William quickly harnessed the river’s waterpower for the gristmill and sawmill that he intended to build.  With the location of the forge secured by the source of reliable waterpower they had to locate a reliable source of the iron ore that their operation would require. They knew that there were small deposits of bog iron near Basin Harbor on the Vermont shore as well as an ore bed formerly owned by Platt Rogers on the west side of the lake.  This would get them going until they could locate other, larger sources of ore. [200 Years of Soot and Sweat, The History and Archaeology of Vermont’s Iron, Charcoal and Lime Industries, Victor Rolando, 1992, p. 59 and Glenn, p. 265]

Next came the need to secure good management of the anchor shop.  In some way, as yet unknown, Charles Kane had become acquainted with Levi Higby and George Throop, both of who were residing in Fort Ann at the time. He heard that they were accomplished blacksmiths and very used to working with iron. Kane offered them the opportunity to move north to Willsborough and become part of this new venture. He also promised that if they proved worthy they could be engaged to run the shop.

Once Levi Higby and George Throop had familiarized themselves with the operation and won approval from Charles Kane and Daniel Ross they had to engage men who were skilled in working with iron ore. From their own experience they knew that farmers were an excellent source of the type of manpower they required since those who worked the land had to have blacksmithing skills in order to meet their own farming and household requirements.

Village Blacksmith (after Longfellow)
Source: cowhampshireblog.com

Levi thought of his friend George Clark, back in Canaan, Connecticut, whom he knew had blacksmithing skills and was an honest, hard-working man. He communicated with George regarding the opportunity for steady work over a long period of time, as well as the financial remuneration that his company offered. How all of this transpired we do not know.  We can only imagine that Levi’s offer was strong enough to make George decide to uproot his family from their ancestral home and move into a totally unknown area far away from family and friends.  We do know that exactly one year after the names of George Throop and Levi Higby appear in the Town of Willsborough Records George Clark’s name shows up in those same records on April 27, 1802. [Town of Willsborough Records, April 27, 1802.]