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

478 SPRINGFIELD, 1636-1886.
spending secretary, E. AV. liond ; recording secretary, Samuel
Bowles, Jr.
The Hampden House was repaired in 1845 by O. M. Alden, and
the name clianged to the Alden House. The new hotel below the
depot (Pynchon House), built by Chester W. Chapin and kept by
Mr. Jennings, was called the City Hotel, in anticipation of a charter.
The work of removing the old cemetery was completed in 1848,
under the supervision of Elijah Blake. Some women formed an
association in October, 1840, to raise money to be devoted to the
project of opening a new cemetery. They opened a fair in Sep-
tember, 1841. Both tOAvn and Masonic halls were secured for the
exhibition of fancy articles, which were contributed by people of
all denominations and classes. The gross receipts were #1,300, and
thus netting over $1,100.
The concert of Jenny Lind, in July, 1851, is still treasured as one of
the happy memories of Springfield. Dr. Osgood's church was filled
with music-lovers, and those who had gone to Boston to hear her
pronounced her vocalization quite as good as it had been there. She
Avas entertained by a brother of Solomon Warriner, on Howard street.
Mr. Goldschmidt, whom she married shortly afterwards, was her
accompanist. The school children marched in procession to the
Warriner house, just east of i\Ir. Chai'les Merriam's residence, and
the distinguished singer appeared upon the balcony and acknowledged
their attention by bowing.
It was not until 1851 that the directors of the Western Railroad
ordered a new depot, but they appropriated the then fabulous sum of
$50,000. Chester W. Chaphi, once a driver of an ox-team, as was
AVillis Phelps, had, b}^ 1851, ])ecome the wealthiest man in Springfield.
He was president of the Connecticut River Railroad, and had fully
George Bliss's faith in Springfield as a railroad centre. As a matter
of curiosity we add a few names in the order of worldly possession, as
appears by the assessors' books :
Chester
W. Chapin, James B^^ers,
Cxeorge Bliss, Jonathan Dwight, James Barnes, M. and E. S. Chapin,