The following is from a packet entitled The History of North Adams. Read about the first two cotton mills in the town, the first stage coach and post office. Part 8: The “Old Brick Factory” was erected on a site between Marshall Street and the river in 1811 by an incorporated joint stock company of 20 people each holding a $1,000 worth of stock. The business managers of the company were J.Q. Robinson, Dr. James Cummings, Nehemiah Allen and George Lapham. This was the first cotton mill in North Adams and one of the first in the country. The second cotton mill in town was built in 1813 by Giles Tinker, W.E. Brayton, Benjamin Sibley, William Bradford and Henry Remington. It was called the “Eagle Mill” and was of frame construction, four stories high and of a size 82 by 45 feet. Mr. Tinker built the machinery for this mill also. It thrived for a short time, eventually changed hands and was destroyed by fire in 1845. The first stagecoach to pass through North Adams for the conveyance of mail and passengers was established in 1814 by a Mr. Phelps of Greenfield. The coach ran once a week between Greenfield and Albany via North Adams and Williamstown. The arrival of the uncovered wagon, drawn by 4 spirited horses, in town was announced by the blast of the driver’s tin horn as it pulled to a halt in front of the Old Black Tavern. The weekly trips became a focal point for the citizens of the area. In the year 1814, the first post office was established in the town with an office in the upper story of a building owned by Giles Tinker. Nathaniel Putman was the first postmaster and receipts for the first quarter amounted to $1.50. The attached picture is what the stage coach might have looked like. I could find no etchings or wood block carvings of such a coach in North Adams. It must have been quite a ride for its passengers traveling through the back roads without the aid of the Mohawk Trail. I could not find what the original post office may have looked like either.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Mar 2014 11:05:31 +0000