Rowe — Hamlets
Extracted from "History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, Volume II," by Louis H. Everts, 1879.
The pioneers of Rowe endeavored to locate the business of the town at or near the geographical centre. There the first stores and taverns were kept until more important industries attracted them to points better adapted for business centres.
The geographical centre of the town is north of the present village. There the first church was erected, and there is now located the Unitarian Church, around which are clustered half a dozen buildings. The place was formerly much larger than at present, and was locally known as
Middle Rowe.
Here, before 1790, was opened the first store in town, by a man named Ransom. The business was continued by William Langdon. Afterward the Tuttles put up a large building for mercantile purposes, a part of which yet remains, and forms the public-hall. In this have traded Langdon & Bradley, Olds, Barrett & Hall, Reed & Chandler, Reed Bros., S. R. & J. C. Drury, Ruel Darling, and John Ballou, being the last, about 1863.
Ambrose Potter had the first public-house in town, near where Dr. Gould afterward lived, as early as 1780. At the centre, Ezra Tuttle kept an inn, and was followed by Thomas Riddle. On the road east, the Langdons and others kept taverns.
Rowe Village
Rowe Village is pleasantly situated a mile south of the centre, on Pelham Brook, and contains a Baptist Church, a good school-house, a store, factory, tannery, and mills. The population is about 125. A store was opened here about 1845, by Cyrus Ballou, in a building which has been occupied since 1833 by E. E. Amidon, at present one of the oldest merchants in the county. A "Sovereigns'" store was kept a short time, under the management of H. E. Nelson.
The post-office was established at the centre, and remained there until 1874, since which it has been kept at the village by E. E. Amidon. The postmasters at the centre have been Solomon Reed, Samuel Reed, Solomon R. Drury, J. C. Drury, John Ballou, Edward Wright; George Ballou is the present incumbent. A daily mail is supplied from Zoar, in Charlemont At the Hoosac Tunnel a post-office has lately been established in connection with a hotel.
The people of Rowe were at first dependent on Charlemont for the services of a physician, employing Dr. Moses Heaton about 1780. A few years later, Dr. Isaac Ward Clary, living in the eastern part of the town, was the practitioner. From 1790 until his death, in 1834, Dr. Pardon Haynes was the regular physician. He was succeeded by Dr. Humphrey Gould, who settled here in 1832, and also remained until his death, a few years ago. He was born in Berkshire County in 1797, educated at Williams College, and studied medicine at Boston. He was an excellent physician, and for many years one of the prominent men of the town. Drs. Wheeler, Reed, Sheldon, and Barber were also in practice a short time, but did not remain long enough to become identified with the town.
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01 Ju1 2005
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