History Brookfield, Massachusetts

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1 history

1.1 bathsheba spooner
1.2 washington s visit
1.3 other brookfields





history

capture of brookfield nipmucks in 1675


brookfield first settled in 1660 , officially incorporated in 1718. town settled men ipswich part of quaboag plantation lands.


in august 1675, king philip s war reached central massachusetts. brookfield, 1 of isolated settlements in colony, attacked nipmuck forces. after ambush town besieged. 2 days townsfolk, consisting of 80 people, sought shelter in garrison house while rest of town destroyed. settlement lay abandoned twelve years.


during winter of 1776, general henry knox passed through town cannon fort ticonderoga end siege of boston. marker along route 9 commemorates route.


bathsheba spooner

in march 1778, joshua spooner, wealthy farmer in brookfield, beaten death , body stuffed down well. 4 people hanged crime: 2 british soldiers, young continental soldier, , spooner s wife, bathsheba, charged instigating murder. 32 years old , 5 months pregnant when executed. newspapers described case extraordinary crime ever perpetrated in new england.


bathsheba mother of 3 young children, , in own words felt utter aversion husband, known abusive drunk.


a year before murder, took in , nursed sixteen-year-old continental soldier returning year s enlistment under george washington. 2 became lovers , conceived child.


divorces impossible women @ time, , adulteresses stripped waist , publicly whipped. bathsheba s pregnancy occasioned series of desperate plots murder husband, brought fruition aid of 2 british deserters general john burgoyne s defeated army.


as daughter of state s prominent , despised loyalist, bathsheba bore brunt of political, cultural, , gender prejudices of day. when sought stay of execution deliver baby, massachusetts council rejected petition, , promptly hanged before crowd of 5,000 spectators.


washington s visit

across former brookfield inn on west main street (route 9) memorial designates part of road george washington memorial highway. in 1789, first president of united states traveled through 5 of new england states. tour has become basis of “george washington slept here” claims—and although washington watered horses here, never slept in brookfield. seems party have spent night in brookfield except innkeeper, mrs. bannister, in bed terrible headache. when awakened, mistook him college president , sent him on neighboring town of spencer. on learning of mistake, supposedly said: bless me! 1 @ man have cured aching head.”


other brookfields

lands of town have given rise 3 others - north brookfield in 1812, west brookfield in 1848, , east brookfield in 1920.








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