The Hunter, the Doctor, and the Blacksmith's Son
Henry N. Cowdery was a constant hunter, so it was common to see him walking around the Hilltowns of Western Massachusetts and northern Connecticut carrying his shotgun. In 1883, he shot and killed a massive four-foot, 22-pound wildcat in Hartland, Connecticut, where he lived before moving to Granville, Massachusetts, in April 1894.
After Henry's wife Hattie died in their Granville home on April 23, 1917, he briefly moved to Springfield before returning to Granville a short time later to start work on the new road the state was building.
George Oysler, who lived on Maple Street (modern-day Main Road) in Granville, saw Henry on November 8, 1917. And as usual, Henry was carrying his shotgun. The men conversed a bit, and Henry went on his way.
Like Henry, George Oysler was well known because he was the village blacksmith in Granville. He mainly did shoeing for horses. When cars replaced horses and wagons, George started welding and doing other ironwork.
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| George Oysler's House |
George's four-year-old son, Henry, died on July 1, 1886, after swallowing a horseshoe-button four weeks earlier. The medical examiner discovered the button in Henry's windpipe, which was severely inflamed. He believed that the button dislodged from its original position and suffocated the boy.
After their conversation, George watched Henry Cowdery go into the woods; he would later reflect that nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Later that day (about 5:00 p.m.), Wilbur Pendleton, who also lived on Maple Street, stumbled upon a grotesque site while walking cross-lots in Gaines' woods, a grove near the center of Granville.
It was the body of a man lying face down, shot through the head with his
brains blown out. Clutched in one of the man's hands was a crotched
stick; a shotgun lay at his side. It was Henry.
Wilbur notified authorities. Medical Examiner Dr. Edward S. Smith viewed Henry's body and pronounced death due to suicide.
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| Wilbur Pendleton's House |
Shootings have occurred in and around Gaines' woods before.
On November 5, 1913, Dr. Frederick Davis was hunting with three friends behind Wilbur Pendleton's property when he was accidentally shot in the back after William Colby tripped over a stump, discharging his gun in the process.
The hunting party carried Dr. Davis to the automobile they arrived in and rushed him to the hospital, where three doctors operated on him and removed about 25 No. 6 shots from his back. (Dr. Davis made a full recovery.)
Preceding photos are courtesy of our friends at the Granville Public Library Historical Room.
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Edited Out/Author's Additional Research Notes
Working Titles: The Last Hunt, Granville's Dark History, Shocking Discovery, Secrets of Gaines Woods, The Blacksmith's Son and The Hunter's End, The Hunter, the Doctor, and the Blacksmith's Son, The Last Hunt: Wilbur Pendleton's Shocking Discovery in Granville
Different branches of the family spelled their last name differently, with some using Cowdery, Cowdry, and Cowdrey.
Son Asa S. Cowdery
Henry Cowdery's mother died (cancer) inside her daughter's Granville home in May 1896.
Hattie was about ten years younger than Henry.
Two of Henry's children fell very ill in 1886.
Different branches of the family spelled their last name differently, with some using Cowdery, Cowdry, and Cowdrey.
Dr. Davis was a prominent doctor in Western Massachusetts. He specialized in genitourinary, skin diseases, and neurology. In addition to his private practice, he dedicated many years to public service.
Dr. Davis fell ill on Christmas Day 1938. He died on New Year's Eve at age 54. (He may or may not have had a heart attack on Christmas Eve.)
Dr. Davis's widow died in 1980.
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| Dr. Davis |
George Oysler was the village blacksmith in Granville for 58 years.
George Gaines was a wheelwright. He made and painted wagons in the building that became the Granville Grange.
The Gaines owned the corner on what today is Main Road and Granby Street. George Gaines's wife, Melissa A. (Phelps), sold part of their land to construct the Granville Public Library, completed and turned over to the town on January 15, 1902.
Some of the money used to build the library was referred to as "dog money" since the town appropriated funds using money from dog licensing fees.
Wilbur went trapping in November 1906. When he checked the trap, he was surprised that he caught an otter - a once abundant animal that was then believed to be extinct in Granville for nearly 100 years. In October 1914, several people at Charles Sheets' home were shocked to see a moose about thirty feet from the house.
The Granville Village (Consolidated) School (1933) sits on what was known as the Pendleton Lot (Wilbur lived across the street).
Wilbur Pendleton worked at the Noble & Cooley Drum Shop.
On September 11, 1918, Wilbur struck and killed Hazen Cross of Westfield, Massachusetts, as he walked down the road near the Crane Brothers upper mill. Mr. Cross was about 39 years old. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts suspended Wilbur's driver's license while the Massachusetts State Highway Commission investigated. It was determined that Mr. Cross was at fault because he walked into the road at a curve.
Fire destroyed Wilbur's house, all his outbuildings (tool shed, large barn, well house), farm equipment, 15 cords of wood, and four tons of hay on January 26, 1940. The cellar storeroom collapsed, destroying a winter's worth of food. The massive blaze required the help of Southwick, Westfield, and North Granby fire departments. The firemen prevented the fire from burning the home next door, which belonged to Wilbur's son. (Some sources incorrectly list the fire as 1939.)
Wilbur grabbed some clothing from a closet. He also got his bankbooks from his desk drawer. Once outside, Wilbur dropped the clothing on the ground, and they partly burned. ($100 in cash he had in a suit pocket went missing.)
Wilbur died in 1941.
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| Noble and Cooley Drum Factory |