In the early days of colonial New England, William Pynchon moved west and founded Springfield in 1636. He gave rise to an English style aristocracy that would soon include the Ashley, Dwight, Partridge, Porter, Stoddard, and Williams families. These seven families, related by birth, marriage and religion would be joined by other families, particularly merchants and ministers, to become the Connecticut Valley River Gods. The Gods and their kin occupied pulpits in almost every city and town. Their influence was not confined to the Connecticut River Valley but flowed from far North to far South like the great Connecticut River itself. Soon their power attracted the attention of royal officials in the provincial capital of Boston. Rather than lose control and resources in the distant counties, royal officials in Boston decided to make the River Gods their chief advisors in western matters. They created a “patronage machine” in which royal…