Springfield 1636-1886, History of Town and City, by Mason A. Green ...

SPRINGFIELD, 1636-1886. 129
It was not until February, 1659, that the struggling inhabitants
renewed the hope of settling a minister ; but he, Mr. Hooker, son of
the famous Thomas Hooker, of Connecticut, who had been drawn
into the controversy with William Pynchon, remained a few mouths
only. There seemed to be some fatality about securing a minister ;
but after a vacancy of over nine years, the right man appeared. Nearly
two years after Mr. Hooker's candidacy, a young minister named
Pelatiah Grover preached here, and in September of the year follow-
ing, 1661, he was settled over the Springfield church. He was some-
what of a student, and was well calculated to take up the line of
theology abroad in the valley. He was a worthy instrument in the
hand of Providence for the advancement of the comnuinity. The
dark interim had closed, and the people must have felt the old con-
fidence return with the renewal of the stated means of grace. They
were not able to give Mr, Glover a liberal support in money, but they
made free to supply him with valuable lauded property. Here is the
list of lots made over to him, and it is incidentally interesting as in-
dicating the various sections subject to allotments. The town com-
mittee having the matter in charge did not record their deeds until
the spriug of 166o, for the follo\Ying parcels of land :
(1.) House-lot, 7 acres from Main street to river, l-t rods wide.
(2.) Wet meadow, 4 acres, corresponding to house lot on East side of Main
Street.
(3.) Wood-lot, 7 acres, abutting the Wet meadow to the East.
(4.) Meadow, 7 acres, West side of Connecticut river opposite home lot.
(5.) Meadow, 5 acres, second division, 80 rods West of river.
(6.) Lot in 3d division. West of river, 16 acres.
(7.) Lot on the plaine above the End brook, 16 acres.
(8.) Meadow, in the " house meadow," 9 acres.
(9.) Meadow in Indian fields on Agawam river, 4 acres.
(10.) Lot on East Branch of Mill river, 2 acres.
Year after year the selectmen and deacons, or some committee
chosen in town-meeting, assigned the pews or " dignified " the
—