by Sue Carbin

It’s a bit hard to describe Robert Lyman. He was a wanderer during the 1600’s, spotted everywhere. Many people thought he was a bit strange. And in truth he was a member of a prominent Northampton family and he was not poor. He had extensive land holdings in New Jersey and rode down to check them every so often. He also sold land and bought land. Robert is not mentioned much in the Lyman family history, most likely because he was thought to be “odd,” men of his station with a lineage back to England were not expected to be wanderers in the woods! However, Robert loved being outside in the woods and meadows. His favorite place was the “Long Division,” what most of Leeds was called way back then. After trips to check on his holdings he would return to his house lot on, what today is, Pomeroy Terrace, and soon head out with his dog and gun or fishing rod to the Long Division. He’d come up over his favorite hill (Robert’s Hill) and hunt or go down into the meadow and fish in the many little streams. He often wandered over into the Mineral Hills. On one of his adventures in the Mineral Hills he stumbled onto the Lead Mines, most likely his only claim to fame in Westhampton history.

In 1691 Robert sold his holdings in New Jersey and other places. When he returned he transfered all of his local property to his wife and eldest son. Court records indicate that Robert could no longer manage his affairs, but that didn’t stop him from wandering up into the Long Division. Its fascinating that these beautiful places in Leeds, Robert’s Hill, Robert’s Meadow, Robert’s Meadow Brook carry not the Lyman family name, but simply the wanderer’s first name, Robert. Robert Lyman died somewhere between 1691 and 1693. Still, after more than 320 years his name still graces some of the most beautiful areas in Leeds. Robert’s life ended while hunting in the place he loved best, Robert’s Hill.

In late Autumn when the leaves have fallen from the trees Hotel Bridge can be seen clearly from a certain spot on the bike path. Mounted on the railing at that spot is an 8 x 10 inch historical sign depicting the Hotel Bridge in the late 1800s. Another photo sign showing the 1904 electric trolley car heading north on River Road is now on the railing at the Beaver Brook arch bridge where River Road is visable across the river. The Burgy Bullet train accident sign will be mounted on a new railing this summer at the Haydenville town line, exactly where the 1902 derailment occurred. A fourth photo sign showing the Mulberry Street silk mill in the 1940s will be mounted on a post at the site where the photo was taken. We (LCA) hope you enjoy seeing these reminders of Leeds history as you walk and ride on the trail. You may also notice more color along the trail side this summer. Leeds Civic volunteers planted five pounds of wild flower seeds!

Time to take notice of what isn’t on Leeds road-sides. The soda and nip bottles, beer cans, plastic waste, styrofoam cups and to-go containers, pieces of house siding, old tires, debris and other trash that marred the beauty of the village are gone. Every Spring an effort is made by Leeds volunteers to clear the thoughtless disposal of other people’s trash. The volunteers listed below picked up nearly a dumpster’s worth of trash on Saturday, April 30th and Don Willard’s group picked up two truck loads on Sunday in the rain! Saturday’s volunteers filled large black bags which they left on the roadsides they cleaned. Sue Carbin and Marc Freedman rounded up the bags into Sue’s truck and hauled them to the DPW dumpster at Leeds School. Lynne Imre helped Sue sign people up in front of the PO. Please take notice as you drive or walk along the following roads and trails and if you see any of these helpful folks around the village give them a hearty “thank you.”

Driver & Trash Loader – Sue Carbin & Marc Freedman
Reservoir Rd – Bruce Walker, Rob Urbank, Tom Silliman & Arissa, Trish Reidy, Jason Johnson River Rd – Chart Pak employees
Arch St & trail – Singwen Mientka and Pine Forest Northampton Ueshiro Karate Studio members Spring & Dimock – Rondina family
Mulberry & Main – Margaret Aroj, Michael MacDonald
Lower Main Street – Jason Johnson
Florence, Bernache, Stowell, Heffernan Streets, Route 9, east side – Hodgson-Skantz family
Route 9, west side (E. Center to Scotti’s, Look Restaurant to VA) – Heidi Stevens, Justin O’Connor
Chesterfield/Kennedy/Reservoir intersection – Fran & Wayne Thibault
Yankee Hill neighborhood – Kim Wojcik and Steve, a new resident to Beaver Brook Extension
Mill River dirt trail (north) – Alisa Klein, Amy Stamm
Mill River banks – Penny, Leo, Otto and Juni Geis
Beaver Brook Conservation area on Rt 9 – Deb Jacobs
Sylvester Road and the intersection – Don Willard’s group had 21 volunteers