This Month in Western Massachusetts History: February

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BORN:

3 Feb 1894 - Norman Percevel Rockwell - (3 Feb 1894 - 8 Nov 1978) - Artist; Illustrator; Recipient, Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1977 - Lived and died in Stockbridge

5 Feb 1837 - Dwight Lyman Moody - (5 Feb 1837 - 22 Dec 1899) - Evangelist; Publisher; Founder of Northfield and Mount Herman Schools - Born in Northfield, where he died

9 Feb 1826 - Samuel Bowles - (9 Feb 1826 - 16 Jan 1878) - Editor of the Daily Republican Newspaper - Springfield native and resident

10 Feb 1974 - Elizabeth Banks, born Elizabeth Maresal Mitchell - (10 Feb 1974 - ) - Actress - Pittsfield native

11 Feb 1939 - Jane Hyatt Yolen - (11 Feb 1939 - ) - Award-winning Author; Editor - Resident of Hatfield

15 Feb 1820 - Susan Brownell Anthony - (15 Feb 1820 - 13 March 1906) - Temperance Activist; Abolitionist; Suffragette - Born in Adams

22 Feb 1881 - Joseph Buell Ely - (22 Feb 1881 - 13 Jun 1956) - Lawyer; Politician; 52nd Governor of Massachusetts - Born and lived in Westfield

23 Feb 1868 - William Edward Burghardt Du Bois - (23 Feb 1868 - 27 Aug 1963) - Scholar; Author; Civil-rights Activist - Born and raised in Great Barrington

24 Feb 1965 - Jane Maria Swift - (24 Feb 1965 - ) - Politician; First Female Governor of Massachusetts - Born in North Adams, resident of Williamstown

27 Feb 1807 - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - (27 Feb 1807 - 24 Mar 1882) - Professor; Poet, Paul Revere's Ride, etc. - Resided in Pittsfield

28 Feb 1747 - Justin Morgan - (28 Feb 1747 - 22 Mar 1798) - Composer; Horse Breeder, Morgan Horse - Born and lived in West Springfield

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DIED:

11 Feb 1963 - Sylvia Plath - (27 Oct 1932 - 11 Feb 1963) - Poet; Writer; Teacher, Smith College - Lived in Northampton

11 Feb 1982 - Eleanor Torrey Powell - (21 Nov 1912 - 11 Feb 1982) - Actress, Dancer - Born in Springfield

15 Feb 1967 - James Frank Duryea - (8 Oct 1869 - 15 Feb 1967) - Co-producer of first gasoline powered automobile; Co-founder of the Duryea Motor Wagon Co. - Springfield

16 Feb 1974 - John Cantius Garand - (1 Jan 1888 - 16 Feb 1974) - Firearms Designer, M1 Garand - Resided and died in Springfield

27 Feb 1864 - Edward Hitchcock - (24 May 1793 - 27 Feb 1864) - Geologist; Pastor; Professor; President, Amherst College; Author - Resided in Deerfield and Amherst

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HAPPENED:

Feb 1786 - Judgements are filed against an astounding 333 debtors in the current county court's term, a sign of the difficult financial times many citizens faced after the Revolution. These court actions and the numerous foreclosures farmers and others faced prompted men like Daniel Shays and Luke Day to question the practices of the court and lenders, and to demand answers.

4 Feb 1787 - Shays's Rebellion ends with Pelham resident Daniel Shays' and his mens' defeat in Petersham by General Benjamin Lincoln's militia, who manage to surprise the group while they are preparing breakfast. Shays and some of his men escaped to Vermont, and were assisted by the Ethan Allen, among others. Shays was later pardoned by Governor John Hancock.

4 Feb 1842 - Dana increases its land area, acquiring acreage from Petersham and Hardwick through an act of the Legislature.

7 Feb 1803 - 'The Belchertown and Greenwich Turnpike Corporation' is established by an act of the Massachusetts Legislature.

7 Feb 1842 - English author Charles Dickens travels from Springfield to Hartford via the Connecticut river on a steamboat, a popular method of transportation at the time.

14 Feb 1938 - Greenwich has its last town meeting. This date is taken from Walter E. Clarke's book 'Quabbin Reservoir,' and differs from the date of April 21, 1938 given by the author J.R. Greene in his book 'The Day Four Quabbin Towns Died.'

15 Feb 1816 - The Town of Enfield is incorporated, created from parts of the towns of Belchertown and Greenwich.

18 Feb 1801 - Dana is incorporated as a town.

18 Feb 1822 - Prescott holds its first town meeting.

23 Feb 1774 - The boundary between Springfield and West Springfield is established.

27 Feb 1906 - Wachusett Reservoir Dam on South Branch of Nashua River in Clinton is finished. Construction on the 114 foot high dam was begun in 1897. The Quabbin and Wachusett Reservoirs are linked by a 25 mile long aqueduct, and supply water to the residents of Boston, and other Massachusetts cities and towns.

28 Feb 1774 - The town of Ludlow is created from the Stony Hill section of Springfield

29 Feb 1804 - The Petersham and Monson Turnpike is established by an act of the Massachusetts Legislature. The toll road ran from the Fifth Massachusetts Turnpike in Athol to Monson, crossing the Sixth Massachusetts Turnpike west of Greenwich Village.