History of Worthington, Massachusetts, USA

Worthington, Massachusetts
Hampshire county. This town has a good soil: it is pleasantly situated on elevated ground: it has some mineral treasures, and is washed by a branch of Westfield river. It is 103 miles W. from Boston, 55 E. from Albany, N.Y., and 17 W.N.W. from Northampton. Incorporated, 1763. Population, 1837, 1,142.

The manufactures of Worthington consist of leather, boots, shoes, curtains, children's wagons, and hats: annual value, about $50,000.

In 1837, there were sheared in this town 9,050 merino sheep: the wool weighed 27,000 pounds, and sold for $16,875.

This township is mountainous, the soil excellent, and fitted for grazing. It is well watered by the sources of Westfield river.

Agriculture, merino sheep, and leather, occupy the attention of the inhabitants.

Distance from Northampton, 17 miles; from Boston, 110

Worthington, a post-township of Hampshire co., Massachusetts, 100 miles W. from Boston. Population, 1134.

Three Young Ladies Drowned
We learn the particulars of a most painful accident at West Worthington, yesterday. It appears that Mr. Duane Beals, his young wife, Miss Cornelia Brown, and a boy of 14 and a girl of 11 years, named Jones, all of Worthington, and Miss Laura Beals of Hinsdale, were rowing in a boat on the pond in Worthington, when it was swamped from being too heavily loaded and the whole party were plunged into the water. Mrs. Beals and Misses Brown and Beals were drowned. Mr. Beals who was a swimmer escaped, bearing with him to the shore the boy and girl who clung to him. - The bodies of the young ladies drowned were recovered last night. The sad calamity has cast a gloom over the whole community where it occurred.

Worthington is a fine farming and grazing town lying in the northwesterly section of Hampshire County, on the eastern declivity of the Green Mountains. It is 143 miles west of Boston and 17 miles (by highway) west of Northampton. Its nearest railroad stations are at Hinsdale, Williamsburg and Huntington. The post-offices are Worthington (centre), West Worthington, Ringville and South Worthington. Four Comers is the other village.

This town is bounded on the north by Cummington, on the east by Chesterfield, on the south by Chester, and on the west by Middlefield and Peru. The assessed area is 10,825 acres; of which 5,189 are forest. The geological formation is the Quebec group, and calciferous mica-schist. Specimens of kyanite, in long-bladed crystallizations, are found. The surface is elevated, but there are few high hills. The several streams flow southeasterly, and are affluents of the Westfield River. They are well stored with trout, and have furnished power for many saw mills....

Worthington, a post-hamlet in Worthington township, Hampshire co, Mass., about 30 miles N.W. of Springfield. It has 2 churches, a cheese-factory, and a bedstead-factory. Pop. of the township, 818.