History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

86 HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON. [1738.
years there was no "bonesetter" in this section of the val-
ley. Some one attended npon those persons who were in-
jured at the raising of the meeting-honse, in 1730, l)ut his
name and residence are unknown. Three years afterwards
an attempt was made l)y a few towns in Hampshire County
to prevail upon a surgeon to settle in one of them. Northampton,
Hatfield. Hadley, Sunderland and Deerfield. each
agreed to offer a sum of money to induce Dr. Hezekiah
Porter of Farmington, Ct., to take up his residence in
either of the first three named towns. A conference of
committees from the several towns was held with Dr. Por-
ter, and an arrangement made by which he was to receive
£200 as a settlement. Hadley voted to give him £62 if he
would settle there, and £10 less if he went to either of the
other towns. Hatfield offered £42 " if he j^ractices for life "'
in either of the towns named above. Deerfield decided to
give £14, or "what part soever thereof shall be accounted
our proportion with y*^ rest of y*^ towns." Northampton
concluded that the town " would do something to encourage
Dr. Porter settling here or in the neighboring towns,
viz. : Hatfield or Hadley."' A committee was chosen to
confer with the committees of the other towns and with
him, in order to ascertain on what terms he would be willing
to "settle among them.'' At a subsequent meeting it
was voted to give '
' our part or proportion of £200, in Bills
of Publick Credit, first deducting what Deerfield and Sunderland
give, and £10 more than Northampton's proportion
In Case he the s'' Porter Settle in Northampton." The
committee was instructed to "take Sufficient Security for
his abode and Continuance among us Some years." Dr.
Porter came to Northampton, and in 1739, the town paid
him £72, in accordance with the above votes.
School-House Re- An Order was adopted in 1738, to remove
nioved. the school-house "from the place where it
now Stands to the Sand Hill, Near to Jonathan
Wright's House." This was undoubtedly the schoolhouse
erected in 1693, and the removal was from one part
of meeting-house hill to another, in order to make room
for the Town and County House that was built the following
year. Tins was x''i"obably very near the point upon