History of Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

Amherst, Massachusetts
Hampshire county. The college and village in this town are on elevated ground and command a very beautiful prospect of the surrounding country. Amherst was taken from Hadley and incorporated in 1759. Population, 1837, 2,602. It lies 7 miles E. by N. from Northampton, 108 S. from Dartmouth college, and 82 miles W. from Boston. There are good mill sites in this town on two streams, which empty into the Connecticut at Hadley. Its manufactures are various, consisting of woollen cloth, boots, shoes, leather, hats, paper, chairs, cabinet ware, tin ware, axes, ploughs, palm-leaf hats, carriages, wagons, (large and small) joiners' planes, stoves, steel hammers, pistols, and bowie knives. Total annual amount of manufactures, about $200,000.

Amherst was once the eastern part of Hadley.

A flourishing college was established here in 1821.

Two small streams that fall into the Connecticut afford excellent
mill-sites, and the manufactures are valuable and numerous.

The town was probably named in honor of the celebrated British General Amherst, who was commander-in-chief of the British forces
in America, and who conquered Canada from the French in 1760.

Distance from Northampton, 7 miles ; from Boston, 82.

Amherst, a post-township of Hampshire county, Massachusetts, 82 miles W. of Boston, intersected by two branches of the Connecticut river, affording good water-power. It contains a number of manufactories of cloth, leather, ploughs, &c. Amherst College, a very flourishing institution, incorporated in 1821, is situated in this township ; the buildings are on an elevation commanding a beautiful view of the surrounding country. 2 papers are issued here. Pop. 8057.

Amherst College, Mass., Tuesday, Jan. 20, 1857.

Last evening, (Monday), Amherst was the scene of a sadly destructive fire. At twenty minutes past 8, P.M., it was discovered that the room, southeast corner, third story, North College, was on fire. The alarm was immediately given, and forthwith the hall was thronged with students, whose first attempts were to extinguish the fire. But all to no purpose. The flames bursting out through the opened door into the hall, soon set on fire the castings of the door opposite, and in less than three minutes the smoke had so filled the halls, in the third and fourth stories of the east end of the building, and the loft above -- the all communication between the rooms above and the students assembled below was entirely cut off. Seeing that the building must go, the students next directed their efforts to the saving of property. In half or three quarters of an hour after the alarm was given, the halls in the west end were filled with smoke, and, no ...

AMHERST, a township in Hampshire, co., Massachusetts, 7 m. E by N of Northampton, 82 m. W of Boston; in N lat. 42 22 15, W long. 72 31 28. Pop. 2,550. It is the seat of Amherst college, founded in 1821.

University of Massachusetts chartered at Amherst.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., July 5. - The incendiary fire at Amherst yesterday morning burned propery[sic] valued at from $75,000 to $100,000. The property destroyed is the Amherst House, the Post Office, the Savings Bank, town offices, the Public Library, one of the largest livery stables in Western Massachusetts, two college secret society lodge-rooms, and the stores of a number of mercantile firms. The fire leveled everything between the north-east corner of the Amherst House, and W. W. Hunt's tin shop, near the Baptist Church. The distance burned over is about 20 rods in length. The Amherst House was a large building of three stories and basement. Attached to it by a shed were three large barns, one for the accommodation of Stebbins's livery stable, where 38 horses were kept. These barns formed, with the hotel, three sides. The Savings Bank block helped to make up a square. The bank building was occupied: First floor, Post Office; E. Nelson, books; J. H. Starbuck, jeweler; second floor,...