The son of William and Prudence (Shumway) of Sturbridge, Mass., Amasa came to Brookfield at the age of two when his parents purchased farmland. In 1798, Amasa purchased land and built a house at the time of his marriage to Fatima Cheney, who was also originally from Sturbridge. A farmer, Amasa supplementing his income as a cabinet and chair marker, which family letters state he learned from Oliver Wight in Sturbridge. According to his day book, he also crafted coffins, many made for the town to bury the poor. Amasa also served as the town's Surveyor of Lumber, overseeing the cutting of trees for lumber according to size and location.
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