Clark W. Nicholls Family Tree information – some special photographs.

This coming from the Pierce branch (which goes back to Mayflower days in the USA).

This page last edited  Saturday, February 27, 2021

 

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Much more Pittsfield history at my webpage: www.phs1968.com 

 

Family Tree information (further information may be found at cwnicholls.com )

My Family Tree main page - Here

Read the Pierce tree for more details, obituaries, etc. - Here

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50 Years on Union Street.

 

The William Pierce (my GGGrandfather) home on North Street on the south corner of Union Street, Pittsfield MA. Year unknown (late 1800s). William came from West Boylston at age 28 with 1-year old son William Alton Pierce in 1850. He had a business building Melodeons, a keyboard organ type of instrument cheaper than a piano. The melodeon at Arrowhead is attributed to his business.
The land was sold to build the Brackin Block (then renamed the North-Union block) ~1890, a 4 story business block with offices and rooming quarters in upper floors in addition to the Spa theatre in the center of the 2nd floor in the building's second iteration (more history later on this page).

 

Pierce Union Street.jpg

 

1865 Massachusetts Census.

Fanny Henderson is Elizabeth's mother, Jane Pierce Newton is William's sister.

Henry G. Pierce at some point was recorded as Harry G. in later years…

 

1880 United States Census of North Street showing the Murrays next door.

George Arthur Pierce, the Physician, Married Marilla Gates and was the doctor (probably practiced with his uncle Dr. Almon N. Allen across Union St.) in Lebanon Springs, NY from 1880 to his death of Pneumonia in 1890. Marilla predeceased him and their 2 daughters returned to live with their grandfather William in Pittsfield.

 

1876 Artist's depiction of the neighborhood:

Pittsfield-MA-1876-SM2.jpg

 

1876 Map (below) of the Neighborhood. Note W. Pierce house on corner of Union and North, Dr. Almon N. Allen across Union Street. Both were demolished around 1890 for development by Dr. Brackin, a prominent Pittsfield Veterinarian.  Also note W. Pierce building on the East side of North Street, south of Melville St. That is his business block, located where the addition to the YMCA is now. Also note some of the neighbors on Union St. M(oses?). England amongst them. Railroad St then is Columbus Ave now. Note the residences on Cottage Row (now Eagle St) where the Eagle building is now.

 

1889 Sanborn Map (below) showing Pierce property on the corner of North and Union Streets.

The first Burns Block is present on the corner of Summer St.:

1889 Sanborn Map.JPG 

 

1895 Sanborn Map (below) showing the Brakin (North-Union) blocks on the corners.

The Pierce family moved to #37 Union St from their former home on the corner.

The Burns New Block had been built adjoining the original Burns Block on the corner of Summer. These 2 Blocks now make up the Hotel on North.

2 spectacular and devastating fires consumed the one on the South corner (labeled as Colt Blk, which later was known as the North-Union Block). Wollisons lived in the Octagon house on the west corner of Union and Northrup (quite a story about them!).

1895 Sanborn Map.JPG

 

Between 1889 and 1895, 2 houses were built on Union Street between the Pierce house and #51 as shown in the above maps. I believe by my GGGrandfather in preparation for selling the homestead on North St for development in 1890. The Pierce family then moved to #37.

 

UnionStreet1.PNG

1902 Map (above) of the neighborhood. William Pierce died in 1901 and his properties (2 houses, one where the Elks was built, the other is now the Elks parking lot) on Union St are labeled as W. Pierce Est(ate). The block we have discussed is labeled as Ryan's Block and Brackin's other block is across Union St. The Mills property shown to the north and across North St. Pierce's Block also shown on the East side of North St a few buildings south of Melville St.

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This house in the post card below was located west of the Elks Lodge (#27-#29). The house I believe was #37 and removed/torn down around 1955 based on Pittsfield city directories (owned by Michael Harrington of Harrington Plumbing carried on by his sons and grandsons). #35 was occupied by Frank P. LeClair and #37 by Michael J. Harrington (founder of Harrington Plumbing, later Yankee Plumbing) in 1951. I think that #35 and #37 were the same house as a 2 family house. Based on house numbers today (2014) there was a 51, 51a, 53, 61, 63 after 37 in 1953. The Pittsfield Visiting Nurse Assoc. was located at 37 Union around 1920s with Mrs. Phoebe W. Frost in #35. #37 was Mindlins Home Dining Room in 1930 (rooming/boarding house) with LeClair at #35.

Dad would park in the Elks lot when we went to see a movie at the Union Square Theatre, saying that he could because it was family property. I should have asked for more information!

 

UnionStElks1.jpg

William Pierce owned from North Street to past #37 Union Street. He sold the family home and land on North Street for the 4-story (now 2-story due to a fire in the 1930s) brick building on the corner, more recently referred to as the North-Union Block. That was the second building on the corner as the first, the 4-story Brackin Block, burned in 1891 shortly after being built. The second 4-story iteration in 1932 also suffered a huge fire. It was repaired as the 2-story building that is there today. See further below.

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Below is the William Alton Pierce (my GGrandfather) home at 232 First Street, Pittsfield MA early 1900s. There was a barn in the back that held much of the William Pierce (d.1901) household. The barn burned losing much family history. W.A. Pierce lived at 3 Beaver Street (the section of East Street today that is beyond the Elm/Fourth Street intersection) in the late 1880s. At the corner of Brown's (Fourth) Street where St. Luke's Square is today. A Brown family owned the land from East to Fenn at that time.

Pierce 232 First Street.tif

This house exists - 2021
In the 1800s, First Street north of the RR was named North First Street. Same thing for Second Street.

 

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Pierce Coal and Wood

 

My Grandfather Samuel Newton Nicholls around 1920. Sam married my grandmother Clara Winthrop Pierce in 1918. Clara and her father William Alton Pierce bought what became W A Pierce Coal and Wood from the estate of Charles D. Beebe (son of Hosea Beebe of New Concord, NY) in 1906. Charles had committed suicide that year and had been moving his coal yard from the West Pittsfield RR depot on Cloverdale Street to downtown Pittsfield. 249 New West Street. We don't know if the business transaction was in process at that time. WA Pierce was a pall bearer for CD Beebe. WA Pierce died in 1925 but Sam and Clara had been running the business for a few years by then. Sam was the estate manager at Tor Court, the Salisbury Estate on West Street (starting in 1908 with the construction phase) where he probably met Clara. Prior to that he worked at the Blythewood Estate, also on the shore of Onota Lake, with his friend John Buckler who was the head guy there and brought Sam to work there. Both were from Canada and possibly met at the University of Iowa in Ames. Sam and Clara lived in the farmhouse at Tor Court for a few years before Sam went to work in the coal business and moving to 77 Elm Street.

 

Brightview Farm, the Nicholls farm (below), Caistor Centre, Lincoln County, Ontario, Canada.

That is Sam holding the horse.

 

Sam, third from the left, and crew at Blythewood Farm.

 

The Farm at Tor Court, The Salisbury Estate, now Hillcrest Hospital.

Sam Nicholls was the estate superintendant from Tor Court's inception and lived here in that capacity until ~1920.

 

Address copper plaque used on crates for shipping (by railroad) produce, flowers, etc. from the farm and greenhouses at Tor Court to Chicago and returning to Pittsfield.

 

Clara Winthrop Pierce and her father William Alton Pierce started Wm. A. Pierce Coal and Wood in 1906.

William probably took this photo of Clara about then.

The truck/wagon scales were in the shed to Clara's left under the sloped roof.

This was a post card. You could have post cards made of your photos back then.

Clara graduated from Pittsfield High School on Second St in 1901.

In her class were her cousin Eva Oatman and Charles White Whittlesey.

PierceCoalWood.jpg

 

Samuel Newton Nicholls in 1920s What's the car? Franklin?

CoalYard02.jpg

 

My mother told us that when she was pregnant with me she asked dad what he would like to have, a boy or a girl.

He replied "a collie dog". I'm sure dad loved this one, pictured with his father.

 

Sam and the fleet, late 1930s?

CoalYard01.jpg

 

Pierce Coal horsepower. My dad, George Alton Nicholls (b.1922), in the left photo. George is a Nicholls name passed thru the generations, Alton is his grandfather's middle name (William Alton Pierce) and his mother's brother's first name (Alton Reynolds Pierce, who was 20 when he tragically died). There are Reynolds in the family tree also, from the Petersburgh NY area. I visited Bill Reynolds there some time ago. RIP. Dad referred to Gordon Reynolds (Reynolds, Barnes and Hebb insurance company) in Pittsfield as his cousin. Sadly I didn't look into that till they had both passed away.

Pittsfield Grain (Wirthmore brand Feeds) in the back of Pierce Coal and Oil, sharing the New Haven RR siding, which continued onto a trestle over the coal bins.

 

 

Advertisement in the Berkshire Eagle newspaper

Buckwheat.jpg

 

June 5, 1956 Berkshire Eagle article.:

Letter to the Editor on June 13, 1956: "Because of the numerous inquiries at our office, we would like to describe in detail the picture of the team of horses and the steel wagon that appeared on June 5 in the Eagle. It was taken at the Dan Hanna estate barns in Stockbridge. The team, Chestnut Clydesdales, had just won first prize in a horse show there. The barns were used as dormitories in recent years for the Stockbridge School and burned down about two years ago. The Driver of the team, Peter Frye, was well known to us at the office and was not "unidentified" as stated under the picture. He drove and cared for the teams at the Pierce Coal Company from 1906 until trucks replaced the horses. Pete formerly served as coachman for wealthy families in the Lenox area. Pete Frye, of course, is well remembered by all of us. G. Alton Nicholls" :

 

The End of an era May 18, 1973 Berkshire Eagle article.

The_Berkshire_Eagle_Fri__May_18__1973_Endof theLine.jpg

 

RR map of area of Wm. A. Pierce Coal (upper left before the RR underpass on New West Street), it looks like we had our own trolley stop!

Melville Ice was across the street with their huge warehouse full of ice. Frumkin and Rivlin was the Berkshire Stove and Furniture Store at 288 North St. Complete House Furnishers. A bit north of the Pierce Block, where the YMCA addition is now.

 

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Sam and Clara Nicholls's house at 77 Elm Street. Today it is a childrens dentist office. I have some information of the previous owner, Eugene Smith who was in the Grocery business on West St., that I will add in the future.

100-0007_IMG.JPG

 

Dad and his parents, late 1920s. Dad was born Dec 23, 1922.

 

My father and his sled in the back yard of Elm Street. Possibly Christmas Day late 1920s.

One of my favorite photos. I still have the sled.

Al+sled.jpg

 

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This is the Pierce Block (below, with the Piano sign) on North Street just South of where the YMCA main building is now (not in this photo that predates the YMCA) on the SE corner of Melville. It is where the YMCA addition is now. William Pierce built Melodeons in Pittsfield and also sold pianos and music and ?. He died in his office there in 1901. Wood Brothers put him out of the melodeon business selling products manufactured elsewhere. Allen Dewey, memorialized on the Civil War monument at Park Square, worked building melodeons. He died in hospital in New Orleans.

Pittsfield Pierce Music Business.jpg

 

This is the Pierce Block (below) with the Uneeda Biscuit billboard on the roof, City Garage signage on the side. William Pierce died in his office there in 1901. The YMCA, built in 1909, is now in the photo as are the Mills Buildings further North. The Capitol Theater was built behind the northern-most of the Mills Buildings with the entrance to the auditorium taking you through the first floor to the back. The southern Mills Building was removed in the 1930s by fire. The 4th floor of the remaining Mills Building was removed due to that fire also.

Pierce Block Pittsfield01b.jpg

 

Pierce Block in 1914 postcard. Building with Lee Poy Laundry. See the mailbox and trolley car. YMCA to the left. Tompkins Building between YMCA and Pierce Block.

PierceBlock29July1914.jpg

 

Map showing the Pierce Block on North St. and vicinity. Probably late 1800s.

 

Anyone with other photos of the Pierce Block or Union Street or any of these locations, please contact me!

 

Postcard showing the 2-story North-Union block having been refurbished after the fire without the top 2 floors. Red brick bldg on the right.

These cards are hand colored and color may not be accurate.
Note that in both cards here that both Mills buildings exist and easily seen in the first one, there were 4 stories on both.
The remaining Mills building, which was in front of the Capitol Theatre auditorium, is now the Senior Center.

 

Postcard showing the Brackin/North-Union block before the fire. Tan brick building on the lower right.
The Pierce home was located where this building is.
These cards are hand colored and color may not be accurate.

 

July 16, 1891. First building on the corner, Brackin's Block, was destroyed by fire. Here is part of the clipping about the fire mentioning the Pierce property to the rear of the fire.

The new Burns Block mentioned is what now is the Hotel on North's northern building (greenish tint in the postcard above). The building to its south is the "old" Burns Block (tan with awning), built first. Located in which we may remember Besse-Clarke.

Dr. Brackin, who lived across Union Street in what had been Dr. Almon N. Allen's house and medical practice. Almon's wife Mary Knowlton was my grandmother's aunt, the sister of her mother Ellen Adelaide Knowlton (m. William Alton Pierce). The Allens and Knowltons were from Petersburgh NY (both families participants in the Revolution). Ellen was a school teacher in the Union Street School at the corner of Francis Avenue.

I'll add info about the 193x fire later.

 

The 2 Mills Buildings. The Mills family lived across the street, a bit north of Union Street.

The first Mills Building was the one to the South of the Auto Garage entrance, which I assume lead directly to the Elevator (and later thru to the Capitol Theatre auditorium). It burned and was removed in the 1930s. The 4th Floor of the Northern building also was burned and removed at that time.

This was the early location of the Johnson-O'Connell car business, which I believe started on Union Street towards Francis Ave.

From the 1908 Pittsfield Directory.

 

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Useful links:

Pittsfield Vital Statistics (finding relatives I didn’t know I had!) here

LOTS of information for Pittsfield and the Berkshires:

http://sites.rootsweb.com/~maberksh/towns/pittsfield/pittsfield.htm

http://sites.rootsweb.com/~maberksh/towns.htm

For Newspaper searches I have used:

http://www.genealogybank.com 

http://www.newspapers.com

 

Other interesting sources:

http://www.ancestry.com

http://www.heritagequestonline.com/hqoweb/library/do/index

 

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