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 THE HISTORY 
 
 OF THE TOWNS OF 
 
 PlAlFIELD, ^trn^ AfiD FAY^TOpl, 
 
 [Fkom Vol. IV, of the Vermont Historical Gazetteer, now in press.] 
 
 With Makshfield or Middlesex Papers in Fifty Copies. 
 
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 COMPLETE IN ONE NUMBER. 
 
 Price, Fifty Cents per Copy 
 
 MONTPELIER, VT : 
 
 PUBLISHED BY MISS A. M. HEMENWAY. 
 
 1882. 
 
 Printed by Joseph Poland, Montijelier, Vt. 
 
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 THE VERMONT CAPITOL. 
 
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 THE STA]E FLAG 
 
PLAINFIELD. 
 
 713 
 
 PLAINFIELD. 
 
 BY DUDLEY B. SMITH, M. D. 
 
 Plainfield is a small township, which 
 contained, before the annexation of Goshen 
 Gore, about 9,600 acres. Its surface was 
 uneven, but no more so than the average 
 of Eastern Vermont. It contained but 
 little waste land, and was upon the whole 
 a productive township. 
 
 Goshen Gore, by Plainfield, was about 
 3.^ miles long by i^ wide, lying east of 
 Plainfield, and containing 3,000 acres. 
 But very little of it is suitable for tillage. 
 At one time it contained several families, 
 but now has none. It formed a part of 
 the town of Goshen until 1854. 
 
 It was annexed to Plainfield in 1874. It 
 was embraced in the Yorkist town of 
 Truro, and its highest mountain, which is 
 called from that circumstance Mt. Truro, 
 was measured by the writer, and found to 
 be 2,229 f^st above Plainfield station, or 
 about 2,984 feet above the sea. 
 
 Winooski river flo.ws about ij mile 
 through the north-western corner of the 
 town. Soon after it passes the line into 
 Plainfield, it runs through and over a ledge 
 of rocks, making an excellent mill priv- 
 ilege, around which has grown up the vil- 
 lage of Plainfield. 
 
 By the canal survey of 1826, thi.s stream 
 at the west line of Plainfield was 152 feet 
 above Montpelier, 546 above Lake Cham- 
 plain, and 636 feet above the ocean. By 
 the railroad survey, the station at Plain- 
 field is 264 feet above the meadow near 
 the mill-pond at Montpelier, or about 755 
 feet above the ocean. 
 
 The Great Brook rises in the eastern 
 part of the town, and in Harris Gore, 
 passes into Orange and returns, flowing 
 northerly through the town, and enters 
 the Winooski in Plainfield village. Gun- 
 ner's Brook is a small stream, that rises in 
 the southern part of the town, and empties 
 into Stevens' Branch in Barre village. 
 
 In the southern part of the town on the 
 banks of the Great Brook, is a medicinal 
 spring, which is very efficacious in the cure 
 of cutaneous and other diseases. Its vir- 
 
 tues are largely owing to the presence of 
 sulphuretted hydrogen gas. 
 
 The town of Truro, which was chartered 
 by New York, contained 22,000 acres. Its 
 form resembled a carpenter's square, each 
 limb being a little over 3 miles wide, and 
 on its outer or longest side, nearly 6 miles 
 long. The northern part of what is now 
 Barre formed the southern limb. The 
 eastern part of Plainfield, with a corner of 
 Orange, t.he eastern or northern limb. The 
 western part of Plainfield, with Montpelier 
 and East Montpelier, was embraced in the 
 town of Kingsboro, and contained 30,000 
 acres, and was chartered to John Morin 
 Scott. 
 
 In 1773, Samuel Gale commenced the 
 survey of one or both of these townships, 
 and this was the first party of white men 
 known to have passed through Plainfield. 
 [For a biography of Gale see Hall's His- 
 tory of Eastern Vermont, p. 643.] In Ira 
 Allen's History of Vermont he says : "In 
 the summer of 1773, ^^^ Allen, learning 
 that the land jobbers of New York were 
 engaged in surveying near the head of 
 Onion River, started with a party from 
 Colchester in pursuit of them. He passed 
 through Middlesex, Kingsboro and More- 
 town to Haverhill, when learning of the 
 whereabouts of the surveyor, he returned 
 and found his lines, which he followed to 
 near the north-east cqrner of Montpelier, 
 where he found the surveyor had just de- 
 camped, having been warned, he supposed, 
 by a hunter Allen had met. According to 
 Allen's field book the surveyor's camp was 
 on a meadow near the north-east corner of 
 the old town of Montpelier. Kingsboro 
 was the Yorkist name for Washington. 
 Moretown, or Moortown, is now Bradford, 
 and not the present town of that name. 
 
 Allen then passed through Barre and 
 Washington to Bradford, and returning 
 with a knowledge of where the surveyor 
 was to be found, passed through Plainfield 
 on his return. As the line between Truro 
 and Kingsboro passed nearly through the 
 center of Plainfield, a large part of Gale's 
 surveys must have been in this town. 
 John Morin Scott, the grantee of Kings- 
 boro, was a member of the New York 
 
 90 
 
714 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 Legislature in the Revolution, and on ac- 
 count of his ownership of this town, was 
 made a member of the New York council 
 of safety, to represent this section of Ver- 
 mont. He received $49.91 of the $30,000 
 which was paid by Vermont to New York 
 to indemnify the New York claimants. 
 
 In Aug. 1788, James Whitelaw, of Rye- 
 gate, James Savage, of New York, and 
 William Coit, of Burlington, caused the 
 tract of land lying between Barre and 
 Marshfield, Montpelier and Goshen Gore, 
 to be measured and the bounds marked, 
 and at that time or before, it received the 
 name of -St. Andrew's Gore. 
 
 They also measured a gore near Cam- 
 bridge, of 10,000 acres, one near Calders- 
 burg, now Morgan, of 1,500 acres, some 
 islands in Lake Champlain, containing 
 1,500 acres, also islands in Otter Creek, 
 containing 30 acres, making 23,030 acres, 
 or about the usual size of a township, St. 
 Andrew's Gore being reckoned at 10,000 
 acres. These tracts were never incorpo- 
 jated into a town ; like Goshen, which 
 was composed of widely separated por- 
 tions. The different parts of Whitelaw's 
 grant, as it was called, had no connection 
 with each other. 
 
 The charter of these lands was granted 
 Oct. 23, 1788. In 1788, '90 and '92, 
 Whitelaw, Savage and Coit deeded their 
 claims to Ira Allen, of Colchester, brother 
 of Ethan, and to Gamaliel Painter, of 
 Middlebury, the chief founder of Middle- 
 bury College. Allen and Painter gave a 
 verbal agency to Col. Jacob Davis, of 
 .Montpelier, who, upon this authority, in 
 May, 1793, began giving warrantee deeds 
 of these lands in his own name. The 
 following letter is recorded in the Plain- 
 field land records : 
 
 Mjdulebuky, Apr. 5, 1795. 
 Sir: — On my return from your home, I 
 called on General Allen. He seems to 
 think that it would be altogether guess- 
 work to divide the land without seeing of 
 it, but agreed that I might sell adjoining to 
 the land sold sufficient to make up my 
 part reckoning of it in quantity and qual- 
 ity. And I wish you to sell to any person 
 that wants to purchase and make good pay. 
 You know my want in regard to pay better 
 
 than I can write, and for your trouble in 
 the matter, I will make you satisfaction. 
 I am, sir. Your most obedient. 
 
 Humble servant, 
 Gam.a.. P.\ixter. 
 
 This letter proves that Allen and Painter 
 then recognized Davis as their agent to 
 sell and to convey ; for no deeds had then 
 been given by Allen or Painter to any one, 
 under their own signature and seal. One 
 of the old settlers claimed that once when 
 Ira Allen was in Plainfield, he asked him 
 to give him a deed of a lot that he had 
 bargained for of Davis, and that Allen 
 said, " Let Davis give the deed, he has 
 the rest."' 
 
 At last differences arose between Davis 
 and Allen, and in 1799, Davis ceased to 
 act as their agent, and sued Allen before 
 the county court at Danville, and in 1804, 
 recovered $2,500 on this suit, and a part 
 of the town was set off to him on this ex- 
 ecution, and Davis from Burlington jail- 
 yard conveyed it over again to those to 
 whom he had previously given deeds. 
 About the same time the University of 
 Vermont recovered $15,000 of Ira Allen, 
 and the remainder of the town was set off 
 to them. To strengthen their title, Davis 
 and the settlers twice allowed nearly all 
 of the town to be sold for taxes, once on a 
 State tax, and once on a Lf. S. tax, each 
 man bidding off his own farm. 
 
 In 1802, Ira Allen Cjuit-claimed his rights 
 in this town to Heman Allen, of Col- 
 chester. This was some 2 years before 
 the lands were set off to Davis snd the 
 University on executions against Ira Allen. 
 Davis and the settlers held their own 
 against Heman Allen until Aug. 31, 1807, 
 when Allen purchased the claim of the 
 University, and five days after, deeded the 
 whole to James Savage, of Plattsburg, 
 N. Y. Three days after this, Savage gave 
 Allen a power of attorney to dispose of 
 these lands. This gave Allen, in the 
 name of Savage, an opportunity to com- 
 mence suits of ejectment against the set- 
 tlers before the U. S. Courts at Windsor 
 and Rutland. For, by the constitution, 
 citizens of one state may sue citizens of 
 another in the V. S. Courts. Probably 
 
PLAINFIELD. 
 
 715 
 
 the transfer to Savage of this claim was a 
 sham, to enable Allen to bring his suits 
 where the court, and especially the jury, 
 would not have so much sympathy for the 
 settlers as they would in the county where 
 they resided. This trick, if trick it was, 
 decided the contest. In 1808, Allen, in 
 the name of Savage, got a decision of the 
 circuit court in his favor. By a law of 
 1785, a person making improvements on 
 lands to which he supposed he had good 
 title, had a claim for his betterments, and 
 for one-half of the rise in value of the 
 property while in his possession, that there 
 would have been had there been no im- 
 provements. The settlers, therefore, did 
 not have to pay very much more for their 
 lands the second than the first time of 
 purchase ; often not more than one-fourth 
 of its value at that time. The price paid 
 to Davis for land from 1793 to 1799 av- 
 eraged about $1.25 per acre. The price 
 paid to Allen in 1808, for the second pur- 
 chase, averaged a little less than $3 per 
 acre. 
 
 Davis died within the limits of Burling- 
 ton jail-yard in 18 14, having been sent 
 there for debt about the year 1802. As 
 this was several years before the Plainfield 
 suits were decided, it could not have been 
 on account of them that he was sent there. 
 
 It is the opinion of Hon. C. H. Heath 
 and others who have investigated the 
 matter, that as the laws are now adminis- 
 tered, the settlers would have saved their 
 lands by a suit in chancery ; but at that 
 time very little was done in this court, the 
 powers of which have now grown to be so 
 e.\tensive. 
 
 It is a singular coincidence, perhaps an 
 example of retributive justice, that in the 
 same year that Jacob Davis died in the 
 jail-yard at Burlington, Ira Allen died in 
 poverty at Philadelphia, where he had 
 gone to escape being imprisoned for debt 
 in the same jail. 
 
 In the autumn of 1791, Seth Freeman, 
 of Weldon, N. H., and Isaac Washburn, 
 of the adjoining town of Croydon, came 
 into town by the way of the East Hill in 
 Montpelier. When they came to what is 
 now the Four Corners near L. Cheney 
 
 Batchelders house, Washburn decided 
 that there should be his pitch. They 
 camped for the night by the side of a hem- 
 lock log in the hollow between the south 
 district school-house and Lewis Durfee's. 
 Freeman chose this location. The next 
 year they returned and made these pitches. 
 When a man made a clearing before the 
 land was surveyed, it was usual when the 
 lines were run to survey him out a farm 
 that would include all of his clearing with- 
 out regard to the regular lot lines, and 
 such a piece of land was called a " pitch." 
 
 Before the town was surveyed by Jacob 
 Davis in the .spring of 1793, there were five 
 such pitches made. They were Hezekiah 
 Davis' pitch, 304 rods long, 31 wide, 
 which adjoined his farm in Montpelier. 
 Joseph Batchelder's pitch of 650 acres, 
 mostly lying in the S. W. corner of the 
 town, Theodore Perkins' pitch of 100 
 acres, Isaac Washburn's pitch, 320 acres. 
 Seth Freeman's pitch, 300 acres. 
 
 There was also a gore between Free- 
 man's pitch and the 5th range of lots, 34 
 to 40 rods wide. They all lay in the S. W. 
 corner of the town. The clearings of 
 1792 were made by men living in shan- 
 ties, who abandoned the town in the fall. 
 In 1793 they returned, and perhaps some 
 of them brought their families ; but they 
 all removed in the fall excepting the fam- 
 ily of Theodore Perkins, and Alden Free- 
 man, a widower, who boarded with them. 
 
 Theodore Perkins and his wife, Martha 
 Conant, were from Bridgewater, Mass. 
 They removed to Pomfret, Vt., and from 
 there to Plainfield, Mar. 10, 1793, on to a 
 clearing said to have been begun by Ben- 
 jamin Nash. The town being surveyed 
 soon after, this clearing received the name 
 of Perkins' pitch. July 8, Perkins built a 
 log-barn ; but his house seems to have 
 been built before he moved into town. In 
 Dec. 1793, Alfred Perkins was born — 
 the first birth in town. The last that was 
 known of him he was living in the State of 
 New York. 
 
 In the spring of 1794, Isaac Washburn's 
 family moved into town, bringing with 
 them Polly Reed, who afterwards married 
 Benjamin Niles, and was grandmother to 
 
7i6 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 the present Geo. Niles She went over 
 to Perkins" house, and \va§ the first woman 
 Mrs. Perkins had seen for several months. 
 Whatever scandalous stories may have 
 been told by or of the fair sex of Plain- 
 field since that time, that winter it was 
 certainly free from gossiping and tattling. 
 
 Nov. 1794, Perkins sold his claim to 
 Joshua Lawrence, who procured a deed of 
 it from Jacob Davis. Perkins removed to 
 Montpelier, and in 1798 went to Kentucky 
 to look after a tract of several thousand 
 acres of land that had fallen to him. He 
 wrote home that his title was good, and 
 that he was coming after his family. Noth- 
 ing more was ever heard from him. His 
 friends think he was murdered. His widow 
 removed to Lyme, N. H., in 1800. 
 
 Theodore Perkins left four sons and one 
 daughter: Thomas, who died at Lyme, 
 N. H., in 1871 ; Martin P., who lived at 
 Shipton, Canada; Elinas P., lived in 
 Scituate, Mass. — one of his sons, Thomas 
 Henry, is a broker in Boston. The wife 
 of Rev. A. S. Swift, formerly in charge of 
 the Congregational church in Plainfield, 
 was Theodore Perkins' grandaughter. 
 ; The Perkins house was on the flat, east 
 of the Joshua Lawrence house, and south 
 of the present road. 
 
 Seth Freeman made a pitch of 300 acres, 
 and purchased lot No. i, in the fourth 
 range, which made him a farm of 430 
 acres. This he divided among his broth- 
 ers, apparently as he thought they needed 
 and deserved. He was one of the two 
 men who purchased their land of Davis, 
 who did not have to buy it again of Allen, 
 having gained it by possession, and was 
 for a time called rich, but became poor 
 and moved away before his death. 
 
 He was not the oldest of the family, but 
 like Abraham was the head of it. Unlike 
 that patriarch, however, he cannot be the 
 founder of a nation, for he left no children. 
 His father, Ebenezer, lived with him. 
 
 Alden Freeman was the oldest of the 
 family. He married for his second wife, 
 Precilla, daughter of Isaac Washburn, 
 which was the first marriage in town. He 
 lived at first on the Courtland Perry place, 
 (lot I, range 4,) but removed to the N. 
 
 W. corner of Freeman's pitch, where he 
 built the Thompson house, now in ruins 
 and owned by Alonzo Batchelder. 
 
 He had a large family; Sally, widow of 
 Thompson and of Larabee, of Barre, and 
 Lucy, widow of Lawson, of Barre, and 
 mother of George Lawson, were his 
 daughters. 
 
 Ebenezer Freeman Jr. lived on the Court- 
 land Perry farm. In his barn was kept 
 one of the first schools in town, — perhaps 
 quite the first. He was the father of the 
 late Mrs. Freeman Landers. 
 
 Edmund Freeman lived on the S. W. 
 corner of Freeman's pitch, — the farm now 
 owned by his son Edmund. 
 
 Isaac Freeman built the house now 
 owned by Elias Gladding, in 1806. It is 
 on the N. W. corner of the Freeman lot 
 (No. I, range 4). He taught the first 
 school in town. Mrs. Daniel A. Perry is 
 his daughter. He died in 1813, and his 
 widow married his brother Nathan, who 
 owned the S. E. corner of Freeman's 
 pitch, next to Barre line, and to J. Wesley 
 Batchelder's farm. Isaac Freeman, Mrs. 
 N. W. Keith, and Mrs. Carrol Flood are 
 his children. 
 
 The Batchelder brothers, Joseph, Moul- 
 ton and Nathaniel, came from Lyndeboro, 
 N. H. Nathaniel lived and died in Barre, 
 and was the grandfather of the late J. 
 Wesley Batchelder, of Piainfield. Lieut. 
 Joseph Batchelder, then 42 years of age, 
 commenced his clearing in the S. W. cor- 
 ner of the town, in 1792, and moved his 
 family permanently on to it in 1794. 
 
 Nathaniel Clark had commenced a clear- 
 ing in Montpelier, on the farm lately owned 
 by his son George. Neither knew of the 
 neighborhood of the other until Clark one 
 day, hearing the sound of chopping, start- 
 ed toward it, and found Batchelder with a 
 company of stalwart boys, who had already 
 made a large slash. 
 
 Lieut. Joseph Batchelder had two daugh- 
 ters, of whom Mary or Polly was born in 
 Plainfield, July 26, 1795, and was the first 
 girl and the second child born in town. 
 She married Henry Parker, of Elmore. 
 The other daughter, Nabby or Abigail, 
 married Joseph Glidden, of Barre. 
 
PLAINFIELD. 
 
 717 
 
 The Lieutenant's sons were : Nathaniel, 
 Isaac, Joseph, Jr., Alpheus, William and 
 Josiah. Of these Nathaniel lived for a 
 time on Batchelder's pitch, near the Four 
 Corners, next to Montpelier. He after- 
 wards lived on the spruce flats in East 
 Montpelier, but died at Seneca Falls, 
 N. Y., in 1843. The late Mark Batchel- 
 der and Mrs. Sally McCIure were his chil- 
 dren. 
 
 Alpheus lived near his father. Ambrose 
 Batchelder, now of Barre, is his grandson. 
 Isaac also lived on Batchelder's pitch 
 for a time, and had a son, Josiah, 2d, who 
 was the father of the late Harvey Batch- 
 elder, of Plainfield. 
 
 William forged a note, intending to take 
 it up before it became due, but failed to do 
 so. He was arrested, and when the offi- 
 cers were taking him to Barre, cut his 
 throat at Joseph Glidden's, and only lived 
 a few days after. I should not have men- 
 tioned this, had not the family been so 
 numerous that the disgrace if divided 
 among them will not be much for each one 
 to carry. 
 
 Josiah is said to have been the first man 
 in Plainfield who paid taxes on interest 
 money. He got thoroughly rid of that in- 
 cumbrance, however. He was the " Siah " 
 Batchelder who lived and died at Daniel 
 Lampson's. 
 
 Joseph Batchelder, Jr., lived for a time 
 on that part of Batchelder's pitch after- 
 wards owned by Abram Mann. His chil- 
 dren were : Alice, wife of Stephen, and 
 mother of H. Quincy Perry ; Joseph Batch- 
 elder, the 3d ; Nancy, wife of Levi Bart- 
 lett; Fanny, wife of Jonathan Blaisdell, of 
 Albany ; Abigail, wife of Asa Foster, of 
 Marshfield ; Judith, wife of Wm. B. Foss, 
 and Elijah A. Joseph, the 3d, was killed by 
 his horse running away on the Lampson 
 Hill, in 1841. He was living at that time 
 on the Ebenezer Freeman place. His 
 children were : Elvira (Mrs. Arouette 
 Gunnison), Charles T., L. Cheney, Eras- 
 tus B., Adeline (Mrs. K. P. Kidder, of 
 Burlington), Sewell, killed by accident in 
 1856, near the place where his father was, 
 Alpheus, Harriet (Mrs. Ira Nichols), and 
 Wheeler J. 
 
 The Lieutenant's brother, Moul ton Batch- 
 elder, about the year 1795 settled upon 
 that portion of Batchelder's pitch now 
 owned by the family of Wm. B. Foss. He 
 began work upon it in 1794, his family 
 living in the Wheaton district in Barre, 
 and he, passing to and fro by the guid- 
 ance of marked trees. His children were : 
 Nathaniel, called the Captain ; James, born 
 in Barre, but at his death the oldest resi- 
 dent, but not the oldest person in Plain- 
 field ; Jeremiah, called Jerry, of Barre ; 
 Jonathan M., called Jack, who died on the 
 old farm ; Olena, wife of Sewell Sturte- 
 vant, the veteran schoolmaster of Plain- 
 field and Barre. 
 
 Capt. Nathaniel had three children, 
 now residents of Plainfield: Alonzo J., 
 Elvira (Mrs. Mack), and Bridgman. 
 
 James had 3 children: James Merrill, 
 Daniel, and Mariam, (Mrs. Boyce, of 
 Waitsfield.) 
 
 Jonathan's children were : Ira, Harrison, 
 Adehne (Mrs. Levi Martin), Susan (Mrs. 
 Arthur Colburn), Mary (Mrs. Wheeler), 
 and Moulton, now of Lowell, Mass. 
 
 Isaac Washburn had one daughter, Pre- 
 cilla, and 4 sons: Isaac, Jr., Miles, Asa 
 and Ephraim. 
 
 Isaac, Jr., lived with his father, and 
 opened the first tavern in town. It stood 
 at the Four Corners, near L. C. Batch- 
 elder's present residence, and was a large, 
 two-story house, never entirely finished. 
 
 Asa lived north of his fathers, at the 
 top of the hill, on the place now owned by 
 Nathan Skinner. It was the northern part 
 of the Washburn pitch. He married Polly, 
 daughter of Esek Howland. 
 
 Miles first .settled on lands of his own in 
 1798, when he bought of Esek Howland 
 the southern part of lot 3, range 2, where 
 he built the first blacksmith shop in town. 
 It stood near the angle of the road that 
 now leads from Willard Harris' to the 
 Barre road. In 1803, he sold this farm 
 and built a house and shop in the village, 
 on the north bank of the Great Brook, 
 near the present tannery. This was the 
 first shop in the village. Gamaliel Wash- 
 burn, of Montpelier, was his son. Miles 
 
7il 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE 
 
 died at New Bedford in 1823. He was for 
 many years constable of the town. 
 
 Ephraim built a barn west of his father's, 
 towards East Montpelier. He was en- 
 gaged to be married to a daughter of 
 Esek Howland. To get money to build a 
 house, he went to sea, and the ship was 
 never heard from. It was supposed to 
 have been wrecked, and that all on board 
 perished. 
 
 The Washburns were not able to pay 
 for their lands twice, perhaps not once, 
 and in 181 2, Isaac, Jr., and his father sold 
 their farm and went to Lisle, N. Y.,and 
 from thence to Indiana, but never again 
 possessed much property. Asa Washburn 
 followed them soon after. Of the four 
 families who commenced the settlement of 
 the town, Perkins soon moved away ; but 
 some member or members of each of the 
 others came to be a public charge. 
 
 Elijah Perry, of Middleboro, Mass., 
 bought 100 acres of Batchelder's pitch next 
 to lot I, range 3. June, 1823, his daugh- 
 ter, Sally, committed suicide by hanging, 
 the only suicide ever committed in town. 
 He was a brother of Elder James Perry. 
 His son Daniel was the father of John 
 Perry, of Rosette, wife of Charles T. 
 Batchelder, and Harriet, wife of Daniel 
 Batchelder. 
 
 The five pitches of the town all lie in its 
 south-western corner. The remainder of 
 the town was divided by the survey of 
 1793 into 9 ranges — the first range lying 
 next to Montpelier. Each range is 160 
 rods wide excepting the 9th, which is next 
 to Goshen Gore, and is about 90 rods 
 wide. The first four ranges being short- 
 ened by the pitches, contain but 6 lots 
 each, lots No. i in these ranges lying next to 
 the pitches, their south-western lines are 
 irregular. No two lots in town whose 
 number is one, are of the same size. In 
 range 5 they commence to narrow, until 
 in the 9th they come to a point at the 
 corner of the town. All the lots adjoin- 
 ing Marshfield are no rods wide. 
 
 THE ORIGINAL SETTLERS 
 
 upon each lot in town ; also the present 
 owner of a part of the same, not with the 
 same, bounds then as now, for the farm of 
 
 Allen Martin was the last one in town, 
 sold before 1800, that preserved its bound- 
 aries unchanged. 
 
 Lois hi Range i. — No. i was first owned 
 by Samuel Nye, of Falmouth, who sold 
 the southern portion to Hezekiah Davis. 
 It is now owned by Nathaniel M. Clark, 
 whose wife is a grand-daughter of Davis. 
 
 Elijah Nye, of Falmouth, Ms,, settled 
 upon No. 2. He sold to John Chapman 
 in 1808 and moved to Calais. His daugh- 
 ter Nabby, born Sept. 28, 1796, was the 
 3d child born in town. This lot was di- 
 vided into the Thomas VVhittregeor Dennis 
 Vincent farm, and the Holmes or Dix farm. 
 
 Lot No. 3 was purchased by John Chap- 
 man, of Montpelier. When St. Andrew's 
 Gore was incorporated into a town, he 
 gave a set of record books to the town to 
 have the name changed to Plainfield. He 
 was originally from a town of that name. 
 The northern part of this lot he sold to 
 Benjamin Niles, Jr., father of Albert, and 
 grandfather of George Niles. 
 
 The southern part Chapman sold to 
 Levi Willey, of Deerfield, Mass. This is 
 the lower, or old Ozias Dix farm. 
 
 About 1811, Willey, after a visit to 
 Montreal, was taken sick with the small 
 pox, of which he died. His attendants 
 buried him near the top of the hill, close 
 to a large stone near Montpelier line ; then 
 killed his dog, and the alarm in time 
 abated. 
 
 The southern part of No. 4, now owned 
 by Ira Grey, was cleared by Benjamin 
 Whipple. He was town representative, 
 and held other offices in town, and was 
 much respected. He removed to Middle- 
 sex, Vt. 
 
 John Mellen cleared portions of lots 4, 
 5 and 6, including the meadow now owned 
 by Prentiss Shepard ; but he lived on the 
 eastern part of these lots, where Willard 
 S. Martin now lives. The late John Mellen 
 was his son. 
 
 Benjamin Lyon settled in the corner of 
 the town, on portions of lots 5 and 6, 
 which is now called W. S. Martin's Enoch 
 Cate place. 
 
 Range 2 — lot i was nearly obliterated by 
 Washburn's pitch, and was never by itself 
 
PLAINFIELD. 
 
 719 
 
 a farm. Its form is like a Carpenter's 
 square, each limb being about 30 rods 
 wide and half a mile long. 
 
 Lot 2, now owned by Mrs. Bridgman 
 Batchelder, was settled by Thomas Vin- 
 cent, of New Bedford, in 1796. He was a 
 prominent business man, was the isttown 
 clerk, 4 years representative, and became 
 the richest man in town. He was a very 
 zealous member of the Methodist church. 
 He died in 1848, aged 79. 
 
 Lot 3. The southern part was settled 
 by Esek Howland, in 1797, who built a 
 log-house, but was unable to pay for it, 
 and sold the next year to Miles Wash- 
 burn. When Harvey Bancroft was fatally 
 injured, Howland was with him, and car- 
 ried him on his back 100 rods to the house. 
 Mrs. William C. Bartlett is his grand- 
 daughter. The northern part was settled 
 in 1 80 1, by Ebenezer Bennett. He es- 
 tablished the first tannery in town, be- 
 tween the Ezekiel Skinner house and the 
 little rivulet, now often dry, just north of it. 
 
 Lot 4 clearing was begun by Asa Co- 
 burn, who sold to John and Thomas 
 V^iNCENT, and removed to Cabot, but had 
 to pay Allen for it in 1808. John was a 
 less active business man than his brother, 
 but was much respected, and was 3 years 
 representative. His children were : John, 
 Dennis, Stephen, of Chelsea, and Desire 
 (Mrs. Coolidge Taylor.) 
 
 Lot 5. The south-western part was first 
 owned by Chester House, then by Benja- 
 min P. Lampson, who built what is now 
 S. B. Gale's farm-house. Charles McCloud 
 settled upon what was recently Allen 
 Martin's farm. His house was in the 
 pasture north of Martin's house. This is 
 the north-western part of lots 5 and 6. 
 
 Robert Mellen was a brother of the 
 first John Mellen. He owned the eastern 
 part of lot 6 ; also lot 6 in the 3d range, and 
 in fact nearly all of what is now Plainfield 
 village. In Sept. 1805, as he was riding 
 home from North Montpelier, he fell from 
 his horse, near the present residence of 
 Alvin Cate, badly injuring his ankle. As 
 they were carrying him home on a litter 
 made of a straw bed, he said, "You will 
 have to bring me back in a few days," and 
 
 they did so, burying him in the graveyard 
 there. The Mellens were from the old 
 town of Derry, N. H., and they were one 
 of the Scotch Irish families who came 
 from Londonderry, in Ireland. Robert 
 Mellen's house was where the Methodist 
 parsonage now is, and his log-house was 
 the first house built in the village. 
 
 Range 3 — lot i was first owned by Lieut. 
 Joseph Batchelder, but was first settled 
 upon by Jonathan White, of Montpelier, 
 who afterwards lived in various parts of 
 the town. It is now owned by Nathan 
 Skinner. 
 
 Lot 2 was first settled by Cornelius 
 Young, near where Willard Harris now 
 lives. His father, Ebenezer Young, broke 
 into a store at North Montpelier, and was 
 sent to the state prison at Windsor. 
 
 At the time of the Plattsburg invasion, 
 Cornelius borrowed a famous fleet horse of 
 Willard Shepard, Esq., and passing every- 
 thing on the road, was present at the 
 battle. When the British retreated, he 
 followed after, and seeing three of them 
 leave their horses, he dashed in among 
 them, pistols in hand, and compelled the 
 whole three to surrender to him alone. 
 At least one of them was an officer, and 
 his sword, brought home by Young, is 
 now in the possession of Dudley Perkins. 
 
 His last days were less glorious. He 
 was appointed a custom house officer, and 
 had various encounters with smugglers, in 
 one of which at Cabot, vitriol was thrown 
 upon him, spoiling his clothes, but not 
 injuring his person. His ignorance of the 
 law caused him to commit some illegal 
 acts in the discharge of his duties, and 
 the resulting lawsuits ruined him pecun- 
 iarily and morally. He removed to the 
 State of New Y'ork, and for some felony 
 was sent to Clinton prison. 
 
 Lot 3. The south part was first pur- 
 chased by Josiah Freeman, and is now 
 owned by Elijah A. Batchelder. The north 
 part was first leased by James Perry ; now 
 by Daniel Batchelder. 
 
 Lot 4 was settled by Dea. Nehemiah 
 Mack, whose house was in Ira F. Page's 
 pasture, east of his house now occupied 
 by his son Dan. Page. Russell Young, 
 
720 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 brother of Cornelius, owned 45 acres next 
 to Lampson's. He went to New York, 
 and was drowned in North river when 
 trying to escape from the police. 
 
 Lot 5. The western part was settled by 
 Joseph Lampson, who was for many 
 years constable of the town. He was a 
 weaver, a large part of the cotton cloth 
 used in town being woven by him. Dan- 
 iel and Benjamin P. were his sons ; Mrs. 
 James Batchelderand Mrs. Jeremiah Batch- 
 elder his daughters. His farm is now 
 owned by Charles Bancroft. 
 
 Lot 6 is in the village, and was pur- 
 chased of Robert Mellen by Charles 
 McCloud, 2d, and mills erected in 1798, 
 which were burned the same year, and re- 
 built by McCloud. The first framed house 
 in the village was built by him, where the 
 Methodist church now stands, and is the 
 old house back of it now owned by Wm. 
 Bartlett. 
 
 The first store was a small one, opened 
 by Joseph Kilburn, in 1803 or '4, on the 
 Silas Willis place, near the Great Brook. 
 The building was owned by Elias Kings- 
 ley, the miller, and when sold to Ira Day, 
 of Barre, in 1807, there was a kiln for 
 making earthen ware between that and 
 the brook. The next store was opened by 
 Philip Sparrow about 1804, upon the place 
 where Andrew Wheatley built the large 
 brick store on the north side of the Meth- 
 odist church common. 
 
 Silas Williams built and opened the 
 first tavern in the village, which is now 
 the southern part of S. B. Gale's house. 
 
 Shubael Wales, from Randolph, fath- 
 er of George C.Wales, built the first cloth- 
 ing works, below the mills, in 1805 or '6. 
 
 Amasa Bancroft, in 1809, built the 
 first trip-hammer, south of the Great Brook 
 and just above the present tannery. He 
 was a son of Lieut. John Bancroft, an of- 
 ficer in the Revolution. 
 
 There have been three distilleries in the 
 villao-e — one on School street, in Mrs. 
 Chamberlain's garden, one on High street, 
 inWm. Park's garden, and one east of 
 S. B. Gale's house. 
 
 The cemetery in the village was at first 
 just S. W. of the railroad station. Among 
 
 those buried there was Parnel. daughter of 
 Joseph Lampson. She was the betrothed 
 of Geo. Rich, who disliked the place, and 
 gave the land for the present cemetery, 
 and those interred in the old one were re- 
 moved in 1 8 14. 
 
 Range ^ — lot i, was settled by the Free- 
 mans, as mentioned. 
 
 Lot 2. Clearing began by John Nye, of 
 Falmouth, but first settled upon by Rich- 
 ard Kendrick. The eastern part is now 
 owned by H. O. Perry; the western by 
 Hartwell Skinner and Enos P. Colby's 
 estate. 
 
 Lot 3. The southern part was settled 
 by David Kinney, and- is now owned by 
 Edward Bartlett. The northern part at a 
 later date was settled by Jonathan White, 
 and is now occupied by Solomon Bartlett. 
 
 Lot 4, now owned by Curtis Bartlett, 
 was settled by Willard Shepard, of 
 Sharon, about 1796. The first spring he 
 had a yoke of oxen and was out of hay. 
 He took his oxen and sled, went to the 
 Four Corners near Freeman's, thence to 
 Montpelier, and up Worcester Branch 2 
 miles, where he got a load of Col. Davis. 
 By the time he got home nearly one-half 
 of it had been shaken and pulled off by the 
 bushes, which so disgusted him with that 
 business that during his long life he never 
 after bought a. load of hay. 
 
 He had a small flock of sheep which he 
 kept near the house for safety. One night 
 he heard tlie wolves howling, and in the 
 morning found they had killed every sheep. 
 
 He took a prominent part in town af- 
 fairs, and did a large part of the business 
 of justice of the peace. He removed to 
 the farm partly in East Montpelier, now 
 owned by his son Prentice, where he died. 
 
 Lot 5 is divided by the Great Brook. 
 The eastern portion was settled by Nathan 
 Jones. The lot is now partly owned by 
 N. C. Page and George Huntoon. 
 
 Lot 6, now owned by Orrin Cree, was 
 cleared by John Chase, who, unable to 
 pay for it the second time, went West, but 
 returned and died in Calais. 
 
 Range 5 — lots i and 2, were settled by 
 Judge Bradford Kinne, about 1795. 
 The northern part he deeded to Philoman 
 
PLAINFIELD. 
 
 721 
 
 and Stephen Perkins in 1803, but they oc- 
 cupied it in 1801. This part is now owned 
 by A. Gunnison; the southern by J. Batch- 
 elder. Judge Kinne was born in Preston, 
 Conn., but moved here from Royalton, 
 V't. He was the most prominent man in 
 town, and with good advantages might 
 have become a distinguished lawyer. The 
 story is well known of his defending Fisher 
 in the suit of Cairnes v. Fisher, for assault, 
 at the Caledonia County Court, where he 
 directed his client to cry, when he himself 
 did. Kinne made a pathetic appeal to the 
 jury in favor of his client, who was a poor 
 man, assuring them that "every dollar 
 they took from him, they took from the 
 moutiis of babes and sucklings," at which 
 dismal prospect Kinne burst into tears, 
 and was followed by such a tremendous 
 boo-hoo from Fisher, that the damages 
 were assessed at a trifling sum, although 
 the assault was a severe one. He re- 
 moved on to the Washburn pitch in 18 12, 
 where he died in 1828, aged 64. Brad- 
 ford Kinne Pierce, the distinguished Meth- 
 odist clergyman, is his grandson. 
 
 Lot 3 was settled by James Perry. He 
 was one of the first deacons of the Con- 
 gregational church, but became a Metho- 
 dist preacher. His farm is now owned by 
 his grandson, Daniel A. Perry. The 
 northern part of this lot was settled by Ja- 
 cob Perkins, about 1799. ^^ is now owned 
 by Emmons Taft, who married his daugh- 
 ter. 
 
 Capt. Jonathan Kinne was born in 
 Preston, Conn., where he married, and mov- 
 ed to Bethel, Vt. He lived there 10 years. 
 .1 1793, he commenced clearing lot No. 
 4, living in a shanty through the week and 
 going to Seth Freeman's on Sundays. He 
 lived thus for two summers, and built a 
 framed house in 1794, the first in town, 
 which stood nearly opposite to H. Q. 
 Perry's present residence. He moved his 
 family here in Feb., 1795. The death of 
 their little boy, Justus, Mar. 6, 1796, was 
 the first death in town. He was the first 
 minister in town, and preached for the 
 Congregational church many years. He 
 died at Berlin, in 1838. His son, Dea. 
 Justus Kinney, lives upon this farm. 
 
 No. 5, is lease land. The southern 50 
 acres was leased by Dea. George Ayers, 
 who was the progenitor of all of that fami- 
 ly in this town. This place is now occu- 
 pied by Ira Stone. The middle 50 acres 
 of this lot was first leased by Elder James 
 Perry's son, Elijah. The northern 50 acres 
 was leased by Aaron Whittlesey. The 
 last two portions are now leased by Levi 
 Bartlett"s estate. 
 
 Lot 6 is lease land. The eastern por- 
 tion was first leased by John Moore, now 
 by Hiram G. Moore. The western portion 
 was first leased by Levi Bartlett, now in 
 part by Lee Batchelder. 
 
 The southern 100 acres of lot 7 was 
 settled by Asa Bancroft, of Warmouth, 
 Mass., about 1797. About the year 1801, 
 as he and his wife were coming home, one 
 evening, from Jeremy Stone's the wolves 
 began to assemble in their rear. His wife 
 was on a horse carrying their infant son, 
 Tyler. They hurried on as fast as possi- 
 ble, but the wolves came so near, that they 
 abandoned to them a piece of fresh meat 
 that Mrs. Stone had given them, and 
 reached home safely, the wolves howling 
 about the house as soon as they entered 
 it. Mr; Bancroft was frequently elected 
 to town offices, and died in 1856, aged 87. 
 His children were, Tyler, William, John, 
 Eunice (Mrs. Ira F. Page) and Mrs. Reu- 
 ben Huntoon. When it began to be ru- 
 mored that the settlers' titles were not 
 good, he went to Jacob Davis', who gave 
 him security on other property, and sent 
 word by him to the other settlers, that if 
 they were frightened he would secure them. 
 This quieted their fears, and only one or 
 two went. 
 
 No. 8 was settled by John Moore. 
 His son, Heman Allen Moore, born here, 
 was elected a representative to congress 
 from Ohio, in 1844, but died the next year. 
 Wm. Huntoon now owns this farm. 
 
 Range 6, lots i, 2 and 3, were settled 
 by Joseph Nye, of Falmouth, Mass. 
 Several members of this family settled in 
 Plainfield, or owned land in it. They 
 were of Welch descent, and when they first 
 came to Falmouth wrote their name Noye. 
 Joseph Nye was representative 5 years, 
 
 91 
 
72: 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 justice of the peace a long time, &c. His 
 son, Vinal, died many years since, leaving 
 several children, Irving, George, Alanson, 
 and Mary, wife of Edward Bartlett. Jo- 
 seph's daughter, Sally, married Nathaniel 
 Townshend, Cynthia, Daniel Gunnison, 
 Augusta, Elijah A. Batchelder. Lots i 
 and 2 are mostly owned b)- Dudley 13. 
 Smith. Seth F. Page lives upon No. 3. 
 
 No. 4 was settled by Elder James Ferry's 
 son Stephen, in 1818, who built the plas- 
 tered house standing upon it, now owned 
 by Alba F. Marty n. 
 
 No. 5, the southern part now owned by 
 A. F. Martyn, was settled by Joseph F. 
 Ayers, who moved to Thetford, and thence 
 to Manchester, N. H. The northern part, 
 now owned by Nathaniel Townsend, was 
 settled by Gideon Huntington, father of 
 Amasa, and of Mrs. Leonard Moore, and 
 uncle to David and Samuel Huntington, 
 of Marshfield. 
 
 No. 6 was settled by Frank Crane and 
 Joseph Deering. It is now mostly owned 
 by N. Townsend. 
 
 Harvey Bancroft, from Ware, now 
 Auburn, Mass., settled upon lot 7, in the 
 6th range, part of lot 7 in the 7th range, 
 and a part of lot 6 in the 8th range, next 
 to the Bancroft pond. He was clerk under 
 the attempted organization of St. An- 
 drews Gore as a town. His house was 
 opposite to the burying - ground near 
 Newcomb Kinney's. While clearing some 
 land, about 20 rods easterly of Benjamin 
 F. Moor's present residence, he fell a tree 
 upon a small one, which fell across another. 
 The small one flew up striking him on the 
 chest. He died July 8, 1797, a few days 
 after the injury, aged 27. He left a wife 
 and two small children. One died young, 
 the other was Dr. Nathaniel Bancroft. 
 His widow, Polly Carrol, married Sanford 
 Kinne, a brother of Jonathan and of Brad- 
 ford Kinne. Sanford purchased nearly all 
 the land formerly owned by Harvey Ban- 
 croft, but upon the death of his wife, in 
 1 8 14, he went West, and his fate is un- 
 known. Newcomb Kinney is his son. 
 
 No. 8 was settled by Ezra Bancroft, 
 father of Horace Bancroft, now of Barre, 
 but it was first owned by his brother, 
 
 Aaron, of Boston. It is now occupied by 
 Duron Norcross. 
 
 Raiigc 7, lots I, 2, 3 and 4, were pur- 
 chased of Davis by Enos Colby, of Hawk, 
 N. H. He made a clearing and built a 
 house in 1800, some fourth of a mile west 
 of the Great Brook, on land now owned 
 by C. H. Heath. He stayed in it one 
 night, and then went back to N. H., leav- 
 ing it in care of Moulton Batchelder. One 
 Currier without leave moved into the 
 house, and was sued oft" by Heman Allen, 
 who found when too late that Currier was 
 not holding under Colby, who thereby got 
 it by possession against Allen. Lots i 
 and 2 are now mostly owned by his grand- 
 son, Moses Colby. No. i is only 20 rods 
 wide ; 3 and 4 are partly owned by Henry 
 Camp, whose wife is Colby's grand- 
 daughter. 
 
 Lot 5 is mostly lease land, and portions 
 of it were rented to Eli Boyd, Isaac Perry, 
 James Perry, Jr., and the N. E. corner 
 next to Moses Bancroft's was sold to 
 Patrick R^ed. It is now leased to Nathan 
 Hill, Seneca S. Bemis and Lyman Moore. 
 
 No. 6 was probably first owned by 
 Harvey Bancroft. It was on the north- 
 east corner of this lot that he was at work 
 when fatally injured. It is now owned by 
 Joel Sherburn, Baxter Bancroft and Henry 
 Moore. 
 
 No. 7 was first owned by Harvey Ban- 
 croft and Charles Bancroft. Lee Martin's 
 farm is a part of it. 
 
 No. 8 was settled by Zopher Sturte- 
 VANT, of Worcester, Mass. He was per- 
 suaded by his friend Harvey Bancroft to 
 come up and buy a farm next to him. He 
 returned to Mass. to earn money to pay 
 for it, and while there heard of Bancroft's 
 death. Sewell Sturtevant was hisson. It 
 is now occupied by Newcomb Kinney. 
 
 Range 8 — lots i and 2, were purchased 
 and settled by Stephen Perkins, who 
 built a saw-mill in i8i2-'i3. He also had 
 one set of mill-stones. In the summer of 
 1S57, the banks by the side of the dam 
 gave way, and the pond of about 7 acres 
 was discharged in a short time, carrying 
 off" every bridge on the Great Brook. It 
 was repaired, but gave way again before 
 
PLAINFIELD. 
 
 723 
 
 the pond was quite filled. It was again 
 repaired more thoroughly, and held until 
 a heavy rain in the spring of 1869 carried 
 off the new dam and all the bridges below. 
 It was repaired, and when the pond was 
 about half filled it burst through the quick- 
 sands under the dam, and no more efforts 
 to repair it were made. R. L. Martin then 
 put in a steam-mill, which was burned in 
 1871, and he removed the remains of it to 
 Harris Gore. Dudley Perkins and Silas 
 Worthen occupy portions of these lots. 
 
 No. 3 was settled by Ralph Chamber- 
 lain, of Hanover, N. H., and is now owned 
 by his grandson, Jeremy Stone Chamber- 
 lain. Plainfield Sulphur Springs are on 
 this lot. 
 
 No. 4 was settled by David Benedict, 
 of Randolph, who sold the southern part, 
 now owned by Scott and Smith, to Amasa 
 Bancroft, and the northern part, now 
 owned by Goodrich, to Robert Carson. 
 Feb. 29, 1 8 16, an old house on this lot, 
 occupied by Moses Reed, and used for a 
 school-house, caught fire, and a little son 
 of Reed was burned to death. David, 
 Patrick and Woodman Reed were his 
 sons ; Joanna (Mrs. William Parks) his 
 daughter. 
 
 No. 5 was settled by Charles R. Wool- 
 son, who sold the northern part to his 
 wife's father, Moses Bancroft, of Ward, 
 Mass., in Nov. 1796. Woolson was not 
 able or willing to pay for his land the sec- 
 ond time, and removed to New York, 
 where he became rich. His son Ephraim 
 getting homesick, returned, and bought 
 back the old farm, on which he died. It 
 is now owned by Erastus Batchelder. 
 Mary, wife of S. O. Goodrich, and Sarah, 
 wife of Joseph Lane, are Ephraim's daugh- 
 ters. 
 
 Moses Bancroft had 4 sons : John, 
 Charles,. Chester and Baxter. John had 
 2 sons: Lewis, of Calais, and Preston, of 
 Marshfield. Charles had a son Charles, 
 and Mrs. Wm. Skinner and Mrs. Lewis 
 Wood are his daughters. Baxter had but 
 one child, Moses. 
 
 Baxter has resided in Plainfield longer 
 than any other person — 84 years. He says 
 that as late as Oct. 1804, neither his father 
 
 nor any of the neighbors had chimneys to 
 their houses. Stones were laid up into 
 some form of a chimney for a few feet, and 
 the smoke allowed to go out, if it would, 
 through a hole in the roof. The roof for 
 years was made of large pieces of elm 
 bark, tied on with strings of the same. 
 Sometimes a storm in the night would 
 blow off these pieces, and his father would 
 get up and tie them on again. It would 
 often get on fire, and once the house 
 burned down. 
 
 One summer they had nothing to eat but 
 milk for a long time, until Willard Shep- 
 hard gave them a bushel of rye very badly 
 sprouted, but some of this ground and 
 cooked tasted the best of anything he 
 ever ate. 
 
 The senior Moses had a brother, Lieut. 
 John Bancroft, a Revolutionary soldier, 
 who began a clearing on Prentice Shep- 
 hard's farm (lot 5, range i), but soon re- 
 moved to the village. Amasa Bancroft 
 was his .son. C. Watrous and Carlos Ban- 
 croft, of Montpelier, were his sons. 
 
 No. 6 contains the Bancroft Pond, and 
 was purchased by Harvey Bancroft. 
 
 No. 7 was settled by Charles Bancroft, 
 and is now owned by Gardner Heath. 
 
 No. 8 is mostly a swami?. 
 
 i\aiige 9. Lot I is no rods long, and 
 7 rods wide at one end, and a point at the 
 other. It was never sold by the original 
 proprietors. 
 
 No. 2 was a part of Stephen Perkins" 
 purchase, and is now owned by his grand- 
 son, Emory F. Perkins. 
 
 No. 3 was settled by David Reed, of 
 Hanover, N. H., in 1809, and is now own- 
 ed by David Perkins. 
 
 David Reed and Ralph Chamberlain 
 married sisters of Israel Goodwin, who 
 lived many years in this town, but remov- 
 ed to East Montpelier. T. Goodwin 
 Reed is David's son. 
 
 No. 4, now owned by Erastus Batchel- 
 der, was settled in 1796, by James Bout- 
 well, of Barre, a relative of Col. Levi 
 Boutwell, of Montpelier. 
 
 Oct. 9, 1804, snow fell to a great depth, 
 some 3 or 4 feet. One Richardson, of 
 Orange, started a bear out of his corn- 
 
724 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 field, and followed it to Capt. BoutwelPs 
 and returned. Boutvvell, Robert Carson, 
 and Jeremy Stone, pursued it to the round 
 mountain, north or east of Pigeon pond, 
 where they treed her. Boutwell fired, 
 wounding it in the neck, it ran by Carson 
 who fired and missed. Stone followed 
 after with an ax, having no gun, setting on 
 the dogs. Stone soon saw the bear re- 
 turning, perhaps to defend her cubs, and 
 got upon a rock, and when the bear at- 
 tempted to get on, tried to split its head 
 open with the ax, but the bear instandy 
 knocked it from his hand, mounted the 
 rock, pushed Stone off from it into the 
 snow, and then over on to his back, 
 getting top of him. Stone put up his hand 
 to push its head away from his, when his 
 litde finger went into the bear's mouth, 
 which began to chew it. At this moment, 
 Boutvvell, who had reloaded and come up, 
 fired, the bear's head being only a few 
 inches from Stone's, and bruin fell dead. 
 
 Another time Boutwell went up on to 
 the high, round topped hill north-east of 
 his house, after partridges. He found a 
 bear up a tree. His gun was loaded with 
 shot and he had no ball. He drawed the 
 shot and whittled a beach plug, with the 
 end pointed, and loaded with this. The 
 first shot had no effect, but the second 
 killed the bear. 
 
 He was captain of the first militia com- 
 
 when the dog, probably thinking that it 
 was not Sunday after all, followed. Bout- 
 well was justly punished for his duplicity 
 by not getting the bear. The dog after- 
 ward followed a deer into the woods, and 
 was never seen again. 
 
 Lot 5 was first purchased of Heman 
 Allen by Eathan Powers, who hired men 
 to cut and burn wood for the ashes. Syl- 
 vester Grinnel, a quaker, first resided up- 
 on it. 
 
 Lot 6 was settled by Moses. Bancroft's 
 son, John. Charles Morse owns a portion 
 of it. 
 
 No. 7 was settled by Jeremy Stone, of 
 Ward, Mass., in 1796. He chose this 
 place because he expected it would be near 
 a good road. The legislature, in 1797, 
 appointed a committee to work a road from 
 Chelsea court house to Danville court 
 house. This committee reported to the 
 county court at Chelsea, in 1799, that they 
 had built the road through Washington 
 and Orange. A little work was done on it 
 in Goshen gore, near Plainfield line, and 
 the work abandoned. Ira Stone, Rev. 
 Jesse Stone of Maine, and Jeremy Stone 
 are his sons ; Mrs. Hial P. Chamberlain 
 and Mrs. Marian Stone Tarbell, his daugh- 
 ters. His farm is now owned by Ira Rob- 
 inson. 
 
 Lot 8 was settled by Daniel Rice, of 
 Barre, in 1825. Dudley Marshall now re- 
 
 pany in town ; was one of the selectmen sides upon it. 
 
 from 1799, until his death, in 1813, of 
 typhoid fever, at that time very prevalent 
 and fatal. He was a man whose character 
 was almost above reproach ; but his dog 
 was even more strict in his faith and prac- 
 tice than his master. The dog had learn- 
 ed to observe the Sabbath, as intelligent 
 dogs in Christian families often do, and 
 never attempted to follow his master on 
 that day. Once when Boutwell was on 
 his way to church, he met a party in pur- 
 .suit of a bear, and they wished for the 
 dog, which was a famous hunter. Bout- 
 well went back with them to the house, 
 and ordered the dog to follow them, but it 
 refused. He called it to follow him, but 
 it would not. He then took off his Sun- 
 day clothes and put a gun on his shoulder. 
 
 According to Thompson's Gazetteer, the 
 town was organized Apr. 4, 1796, under 
 the name of St. Andrew's gore, and Har- 
 vey Bancroft elected town clerk. This is 
 probably true, but it was illegal, a gore 
 not having the power to form a town or- 
 ganization. Nov. 6, 1797, the gore was 
 incorporated into a town by the name of 
 Plainfield, and the town meeting held at 
 James Perry's, in Mar., 1798,15 the first of 
 which there is now any record, but was not 
 the first, because called by Joshua Law- 
 rence, James Perry, Moulton Batchelder, 
 as, selectmen of Plainfield. At this meet- 
 ing, Thomas Vincent was elected town 
 clerk. Town meetings after this were held 
 at Capt. Jonathan Kinne's until 1823, 
 when they were held in the village. 
 
PLAINFIELD. 
 
 725 
 
 In 1798, '99 and 1800, the road tax vo- 
 ted was 4 days work for each poll. In 
 
 1798, the General Assembly, at the request 
 of the town, voted a tax of one cent per 
 acre, which was to be used to build roads. 
 In 1807, another of three cents per acre 
 was laid upon Plainfield. At that time, 
 improved lands were listed at $1.75 per 
 acre, unimproved not at all. Polls at $20, 
 a yoke of oxen $10, houses worth less than 
 $1000, 2 per cent, over $1000, 3 per cent. 
 Interest money 6 per cent. 
 
 The first road in town was worked from 
 Seth Freeman's north westerly to Hezekiah 
 Davis' in Montpelier, as early as 1794, but 
 no highways were laid out until June, 
 
 1799, when this and several others were 
 laid. 
 
 In 1798 and 99, the town sent no repre- 
 sentative, probably because a town with a 
 grand list of less than $3,200 was not 
 " doomed" to pay a state tax, if it sent no 
 representative. 
 
 Thomas Vincent was a federalist. All 
 the other representatives were republicans, 
 until the reorganization of the parties 
 under Jackson and Adams. After that 
 they were all democrats except John Vin- 
 cent, antimason, until the formation of the 
 antislavery party, which elected D. A. 
 Perry. Frank Hall was the only whig. 
 
 In Sept. 1801, Isaac Tichenor received 
 10 votes for governor — all that were cast. 
 In 1802, Isaac Tichenor had 25, Jonas 
 Galusha 23, which was the largest vote 
 cast for several years. 
 
 PHYSICIANS. 
 
 The first physician in town was Am- 
 herst Simons, from Windham, Ct. He 
 studied with Dr. Glysson, of Williams- 
 town, and came to Plainfield in iSor. 
 For many of the last years of his life he 
 was blind. 
 
 Dr. Ebenezer Conant studied with 
 Dr. Robert Paddock, of Barre, and came 
 to Plainfield in 1809. In 1832 he remov- 
 ed into Marshfield, about 2 miles from 
 Plainfield village, near Perkins' mill, but 
 returned to Plainfield after a few years, 
 where he died. 
 
 Dr. Nathaniel Bancroft was brought 
 to Plainfield by his father, Harvey Ban- 
 
 croft, from Ward, Mass., when an infant. 
 When 12 years old he went to Montpelier, 
 where he attended school, and at last stud- 
 ied medicine with Dr. Lamb. About 1822, 
 he came to Plainfield to practice, where he 
 remained until 1851, when he went to 
 Ohio, where he stayed 2 years, thence to 
 I5elvidere, 111. His pungent and witty 
 sayings are still often quoted by his old 
 friends in Plainfield. 
 
 Dr. Daniel Kellogg came to Plain- 
 field in 1834, and built the brick house 
 east of the hotel. His health failing he 
 removed to Berlin in 1836, where he soon 
 died. 
 
 Dr. Jared Bassett came to Plainfield 
 in 1839, ^"d removed to Northfield in 
 1843, and thence to Chicago. 
 
 Dr. Daniel Bates was here from 1845 
 to 1851. 
 
 Dr. Stephen Bennett from 1851 to 
 1856, when he removed to Ohio. 
 
 Dr. Phineas Kellogg, of Brookfield, 
 commenced practice here in 185 1. He 
 died of diphtheria Apr. 10, 1862, age 39. 
 
 Dr. Walter S. Vincent, of Chelsea, 
 now of Burlington, had his residence here 
 for several years, but a large part of the 
 time he was surgeon in the Union army in 
 the war of the rebellion. 
 
 Dr. Dudley B. Smith, of Williams- 
 town, came to Plainfield in 1856, and Dr. 
 W. F. L.'VZELL, of Brookfield, came in the 
 fall of 1867. They remain here now. 
 lawyers. 
 
 The first lawyer in town was Charles 
 ROBY, who came about the year 1812 — 
 not long after the result of the Allen law- 
 suit had put a mortgage on nearly every 
 farm in town. Probably the people had 
 no desire or money for any more lawsuits 
 at that time, as he left soon. 
 
 In 1828, AzEL Spalding, of Montpe- 
 lier, now of Kansas, was here one year. 
 
 In 1833, Sylvester Eaton, of Calais, 
 came and stayed until 1838. 
 
 Stillman H. Curtis was here from 
 1838 to 1843. 
 
 J. A. Wing was here from 1836 to 1852. 
 when he went on to his farm on Maple 
 Hill, in Marshfield, where he stayed about 
 
726 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 3 years, then moved to Plainfield, and 
 from here to Montpelier in 1S57. 
 
 In 1S43 Lewis Chamberlain came. 
 He died in Aug. 1863, of dysentery, which 
 was very prevalent and fatal at that time, 
 there being 18 deaths from that disease, 16 
 of which were within or near the village. 
 
 Charles H. Heath came here in 1859, 
 and removed to Montpelier in 1872. 
 
 S. C. Shurtleff commenced the prac- 
 tice of law here in 1864, and removed to 
 Montpelier in 1877. 
 
 O. L. HoYT came here in 1873, and 
 still remains. 
 
 the first church 
 was organized Nov. 13, 1799, at Jonathan 
 Kinne's, under the name of 
 
 the church of CHRIST IN PLAINFIELD. 
 
 The council called to organize this 
 church was composed of Rev. Richard 
 Ransom of Woodstock, Rev. John Ran- 
 som of Rochester, Rev. James Hobart of 
 Berlin, Dea. William Wood of Wood- 
 stock, Capt. Peter Salter of Orange. Dea. 
 Judah Willey, Henry Taft and Joseph 
 Sterling, of Barre, were invited to join the 
 council. The members embodied into a 
 church were only six : Capt. Jonathan 
 Kinne, James Perry, James Boutwell, Mrs. 
 Esther Perry, Deborah Boutwell, Judith 
 Batchelder. Others joined soon after. 
 In June, 1801, they passed this vote : 
 
 " Whereas some members of the church 
 are dissatisfied with the articles of faith, 
 Therefore, Voted that the aggrieved mem- 
 bers have liberty to select such articles as 
 they are satisfied with, which when select- 
 ed shall be considered the church articles 
 of faith, not to prevent any from believing 
 them as they now are.'' 
 
 This compromise did not prevent the 
 Methodist portion of the church from 
 seceding in June, 1802, and forming anoth- 
 er church. Those who left to join the 
 Methodist were, Dea. James Perry, Esther 
 Perry, Bradford Kinne, Ebenezer Free- 
 man, Esther Freeman, John Chase, and 
 Richard Kendrick. Those who remained 
 with the original church were, Dea. Nehe- 
 miah Mack, Moses Bancroft, Sally Ban- 
 croft, James Boutwell, Deborah Boutwell, 
 Jonathan Kinne, Lydia Kinne, Sanford 
 
 Kinne, Polly Kinne, Zopher Sturtevant, 
 Polly Sturtevant, David Bancroft. 
 
 The same year Charles R. Woolson 
 was unanimously expelled from the church 
 for " neglect of family prayer, and public 
 worship on Sunday and church meetings." 
 Moulton Batchelder having joined the 
 Methodists, on Sunday, Jan. 22, 1816, the 
 following sentence of excommunication 
 was read before the assembled congrega- 
 tion : 
 
 " Whereas our brother, Moulton Batch- 
 elder, has violated his solemn covenant 
 obligations by neglecting the stated meet- 
 ings of the church on the Sabbath and at 
 other times, and going after, as we think, 
 false teachers, and embracing dangerous 
 errors and sentiments, derogatory to the 
 character of an infinitely wise and holy 
 God, We now, under the pressing obliga- 
 tion of duty we owe to our Lord and Sav- 
 ior Jesus Christ, have undertaken this 
 painful and bitter labor, and we hope in 
 faithfulness and prayer, but without suc- 
 cess. Therefore, according to the rule of 
 Christ's family, we are under the painful 
 necessity of saying unto you, and that in 
 this public manner, that for these reasons, 
 the door of our fellowship and commun- 
 ion is closed against you, and you are no 
 longer to be considered of this church and 
 body ; but as an unprofitable branch, and 
 therefore are now severed from this body. 
 It is our humble prayer, that God will 
 bless this our unpleasant, but plain duty 
 to you, and open your understanding that 
 you may see your error, and give you re- 
 pentance, that you may enjoy his favor at 
 last, and be gathered with all of the re- 
 deemed from among men, to inhabit the 
 new Jerusalem, where Jesus Christ is the 
 joy and the light thereof.'" 
 
 I do not give these facts to increase the 
 self-complacency of those at the present 
 time, who are inclined to plume themselves 
 upon their own superior liberality, and 
 tolerance of difterences of opinions. Such 
 should consider, that people who thought 
 their peculiar tenets of such vital impor- 
 tance, that they incurred the dangers and 
 hardships of a settlement in New England 
 to establish them, could not be expected 
 to see the result of their labors impaired or 
 destroyed, with indifterence or equanimity. 
 
 Jonathan Kinne preached to the church 
 until 1826; but was not ordained because 
 he disbelieved in infant baptism. 
 
PLAINFIELD. 
 
 727- 
 
 Nathaniel Hurd was the acting pastor in 
 1826. [For his biography see Tinmouth, 
 vol. III.] He was succeeded by John F. 
 Stone. 
 
 In 1829, Joseph Thatcher became the 
 first settled minister. He removed to 
 Barre in 1834, and was succeeded by Mr. 
 Hadley in 1836, by John Orr in 1839, Sam- 
 uel Marsh in 1842, Calvin Grangerin 1846, 
 and A. S. Swift in 1849, — none of whom 
 were settled ministers, however. 
 
 Rev. Joel Fisk was .settled as pastor in 
 May, 1855, and died Dec. 16, 1856. Soon 
 after Rev. Horace Herrick became acting 
 pastor, who was succeeded in 1861, by 
 Rev. C. M. Winch, who remained until 
 Nov., 1868, when he was succeeded by 
 Horace Pratt, who removed in 1871. 
 
 After an interval of nearly 2 years, 
 Charles Redfield became acting pastor, 
 and in 1877, C. E. Ferrin was settled, 
 and remained until his death, in 1881. 
 
 The deacons have been James Perry, 
 Nehemiah Mack, George Ayers, Dan. 
 Storrs, Justus Kinney, Emmons Taft. 
 
 Their first meeting-house was built in 
 1819, the second, on the same site, in 
 1854. Until the building of a church their 
 meetings were usually held at the dwelling 
 house of Jonathan Kinne. 
 
 THE METHODIST CHURCH 
 
 has no early records in Plainfield, and I 
 am obliged to glean this account from va- 
 rious sources. The first Methodist ser- 
 mon preached in Plainfield was by the 
 Rev. Nicholas Sneathen- or " Suethen," 
 as his family write it — a very able man, 
 who was chaplain of Congress in 1812. He 
 came to Seth Freeman's, made known his 
 name and occupation, and succeeded in 
 attaching nearly all of the people in the 
 southern part of the town to the Methodist 
 church, including Dea. James Perry, who 
 afterwards became a Methodist preacher, 
 the first probably that resided in town. 
 
 A church was organized in 1801, or '2. 
 It formed a part of Barre circuit. The 
 first Methodist minister stationed at Plain- 
 field that I can learn of was David Kil- 
 burn, who was here in 1812 and 1825. 
 
 Rev. Thomas C. Pierce, who was mar- 
 ried to Judge Kinne's daughter, Sally, 
 
 lived upon the Asa Washburn place ii-j 
 1820. This, with 15 acres of land, was 
 given to the Methodist church for a par- 
 sonage by Judge Kinne. It was after- 
 wards sold and the parsonage in the vil- 
 lage bought. 
 
 Rev. John Lord was stationed here in 
 
 1823; Harvey in 1827, '28; R. H. 
 
 Deming, '30, '31 ; John Nason, '^^^ *34; 
 N. Stone, '35; David Wilcox, '36, '37; 
 Jacob Boyce, '38; Daniel Field, '39; J. L. 
 Slason, '40: John W. Wheeler, '41 ; Rich- 
 ard Newell,. '42, '43; Otis M. Legate, '44; 
 H. P. Gushing, '45, '46; J. W. Perkins, 
 '47, '48 ; Homer T. Jones, '49, '50 ; Mul- 
 fred Bullard, '51 ; Peter Merrill, '52, '53; 
 Alonzo Hitchcock, '54, '55, '62, '6^ ; W. J. 
 Kidder, "56, '57 ; Edmund Copeland, '58, 
 '59, '69, 70 ; P. P. Ray, '60, '61 ; Joshua 
 Gill, '64, '65 ; S. B. Currier, '66, '67 ; Andes 
 T. Bullard, '68; Thomas Trevillian, '71; 
 Joseph Hamilton, '72, ''72, '74; Joseph O. 
 Sherburn, '75, '76; W. H. Dean, 'jj, '78; 
 Elihu Snow, '79, '80, '81. 
 
 Before the erection of a church their 
 meetings were usually held at Elder James 
 Perry's, or at Lieut. Joseph Batchelder's. 
 In 18 19 a house was built for the Metho- 
 dist society in the village, with an agree- 
 ment that when they had no preacher, 
 "any other Christian denomination, such 
 as Calvinists, Anti- Baptists, Freewill Bap- 
 tists, Friends, so called, Universalists, etc., 
 who had a preacher, might occupy it." 
 
 The following is a list of the contrib- 
 utors to the building of this church : 
 
 Thomas Vincent, $100 ; Moulton Batch- 
 elder, $100; Harvey Pitkin, $75; John 
 Vincent, $60 ; Seth Cook, $50 ; Bradford 
 Kinne, $50 ; Amherst Simons, $50 ; Seth 
 Freeman, $50 ; Asa Bancroft, $30 ; Eben 
 Dodge, Jr., $25 ; John Moors, $25 ; Eben- 
 ezer Lyon, $25 ; Matthew Jack, $25 ; Na- 
 than Freeman, $25 ; Benjamin F. Lamp- 
 son, $25 ; Laomi Cree,''$25 ; Enoch Gate, 
 $25 ; Ebenezer Freeman, $20 ; Samuel Wil- 
 son, Jr., $20; Benjamin Whipple, $20; 
 Earl Gate, $15; James Batchelder, $15 ; 
 Joseph P. Page, $12 ; William Moors, $10 ; 
 Friend M. Morse, $10; Solomon Bartlett, 
 $10 ; Duron Whittlesey, $10 ; Andrew Jack, 
 $10; Nehemiah Mack, Jr.. $5; Charles 
 
728 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 Patterson, $5 ; Allen Martin, $5 ; Eben 
 Martin, $5 ; Richard Kendrick, $3 ; Elisha 
 Mack, $2; total, $947. $100 was paid for 
 the site, leaving the cost of the house 
 about $850. 
 
 In 1852, this was sold to the Baptists 
 and removed, and another built at a cost 
 of a little less than $1,600. 
 
 The Vermont Annual Conference was 
 held at Plainfield in 1855, Bishop Edward 
 R. Ames presiding. 
 
 The present number in full member- 
 ship, 132 ; probationers, 14. 
 
 FROM REV. J. R. HARTLETT, OF BARRE. 
 
 Rev. Nicholas Snethen, who is men- 
 tioned as the first Methodist preacher who 
 visited Plainfield, was the pioneer Metho- 
 dist preacher in this State. His appoint- 
 ment to Vermont was in 1796, and as he 
 labored in this State but one year, it must 
 have been at that time that he appeared in 
 Plainfield. The records of " Vershire cir- 
 cuit," which was the name of the appoint- 
 ment in the earliest days, are probably not 
 now in existence; but those of " Barre 
 circuit," formed in 1S04, are still preserv- 
 ed, and state that the first "quarterly 
 meeting" for Barre circuit was held in 
 Plainfield, Aug. 4th and 5th, 1864, and in 
 Plainfield a little later. The records give 
 Bradford Kinne, Richard Kendrick and 
 Ebenezer Freeman as leaders, 17, 16 and 
 II members, respectively, and four "on 
 trial." Mr. Kinne was also a local preach- 
 er, and a very active man in the church, 
 and the Rev. Bradford Kinne Pierce, D. D., 
 now the editor oi ZioiCs Herald, published 
 in Boston, was named for him, being the 
 son of Rev. Thomas C. Pierce, and there- 
 fore the grandson of Mr. Kinne, who is 
 mentioned in the foregoing sketch as 
 " Judge " Kinne. 
 
 This town was included in Barre circuit 
 until 1838, and hence was visited by the 
 appointees to that circuit at stated inter- 
 vals as a regular preaching place. The 
 names given in the foregoing sketch as 
 Methodist preachers stationed here, are, 
 in several instances at least, of appointees 
 to Barre circuit, there being each year 
 two or three such appointees, and one of 
 
 them usually resident at Plainfield. On 
 and after the conference of 1838, this sta- 
 tion lost its identity with Barre circuit, 
 and the preachers were appointed directly 
 to Plainfield. The complete list of Meth- 
 odist preachers on Vershire circuit to 1804, 
 and on Barre circuit from that time to 1838, 
 may be found in the history of Barre. 
 The condition of this church has been par- 
 ticularl}- prosperous during the last three 
 years, about one-third of its present mem- 
 bership having been added during that 
 time. 
 
 Barre, Feb. 3, 1882. 
 
 THE BAPTIST CHURCH 
 
 was organized Oct. 17, 1809, at the school- 
 house near Dea. James Perry's (South 
 district.) The members were: James 
 Boutwell and wife, who withdrew from the 
 Congregationalist church for that purpose, 
 Jacob Perkins, Stephen Perkins and his 
 wife Nancy, John Bancroft and his wife 
 Phoebe. Elder Jabez Cottle and Elder 
 Elijah Huntington were the clergymen 
 present. 
 
 At the next meeting Philip Wheeler 
 made a profession of religion, and joined 
 the church . He became pastor afterwards, 
 living near the center of Montpelier, but 
 in 1826, sold his farm, and a house was 
 built for him near the Plainfield Springs. 
 In a few years after this, Stephen Perkins 
 refused to commune, for the reason that 
 Elder Wheeler had said that " he would 
 not baptize a person that he knew intend- 
 ed to join another church." Soon after 
 this, he and his brother Jonathan with- 
 drew from the church. The result of this 
 dissension was, that Elder Wheeler soon 
 closed his pastoral labor with this church, 
 and removed into Marshfield, one half 
 mile east of Plainfield village, where he 
 died. 
 
 After Elder Wheeler's dismissal, they 
 were supplied at intervals by different cler- 
 gymen, none of them living in town e.x- 
 cept Rev. Friend Blood. 
 
 In 1852, the Baptist churches in Plain- 
 field and Marshfield united, and Abraham 
 Bedel became their pastor, residing in 
 Plainfield. The Methodist church was 
 purchased, removed and repaired. Mr. 
 
PLAINFIELD. 
 
 729 
 
 Bedel was succeeded in 1858 by Mr. Kel- 
 ton, he in 1859 by S. A. Blake, and 
 he in i860 by N. W. Smith, who removed 
 in 1862. After that they had only occa- 
 sional preaching, and in 1871 their church 
 was sold and converted into stores. 
 
 THE RESTORATIONIST SOCIETY 
 
 was organized in 1820, but had only occa- 
 sional preaching until in 1840, Rev. L. H. 
 Tabor came to Plainfield, and a church 
 was erected costing $1,770 above the 
 foundations, exclusive of furniture and the 
 bell, the whole amounting to about $2,300. 
 
 Mr. Tabor remained 3 years only. The 
 pulpit was afterwards supplied a part of 
 the time by Mark M. Powers, of Washing- 
 ton, and Rufus S. Sanborn, of Barre. 
 They were succeeded in 1854 by William 
 Sias, who remained one or two years. 
 
 Rev. Joseph Sargent resided here in 
 1858 and 1859, Rev. Thomas Walton in 
 i860 and 1861, after which they had no 
 stated preaching until in 1872, Rev. Les- 
 ter Warren commenced to preach one half 
 of the time. He was succeeded by Rev. 
 George Forbes the next year. In 1876 L. 
 S. Crossly removed here, and remained 
 one year, since which they have been sup- 
 plied a part of the time by non-resident 
 preachers. 
 
 SCHOOLS. 
 
 In 1787, the General Assembly enacted 
 a school law that authorized towns and 
 school districts to build school-houses and 
 support schools by a tax on the grand list. 
 A majority of a town might do this, but it 
 required a two-thirds vote of a school dis- 
 trict, and neither a town or school district 
 could tax the property of non-residents for 
 this purpose. This law provided that 
 schools might be supported by subscrip- 
 tion, and the district collector had the 
 same power and duties in collecting a sub- 
 scription that he had in collecting a tax. 
 
 In 1803, Plainfield was divided into 5 
 school districts. The town never voted a 
 tax for schools, and probably none of the 
 districts did for several years. The north- 
 west, or village, district schools were sup- 
 ported by subscription until 1809. They 
 commenced to build a school-house in 
 1803, finishing it in 1804. It stood just 
 
 east of the present hotel, in James Martin's 
 garden. This was the first built in town, 
 and was paidforby a tax, one-third payable 
 in money and two-thirds in wheat. This 
 house having been burned in the winter of 
 1806-7, another was built in 1807, over 
 by the present residence of Geo. C. Wales, 
 near the railroad bridge. In 1826, this 
 district formed a unison with an adjoining 
 district in Marshfield, and a school-house 
 was built near Marshfield line north of the 
 river. In 1866, this district built another 
 school-house near the old one, at a cost of 
 $6,000, exclusive of the site. 
 
 The South, or Freeman, district did not 
 have the first school-house in town ; but 
 they had the first school-house quarrel. It 
 had been decided to build a school-house 
 at the Four Corners, east of Seth Free- 
 man's, to which the Freemans were op- 
 posed. The boys of Elder James Perry 
 and of Philemon Perkins, and others, made 
 arrangements to raise it secretly at mid- 
 night. The Freemans learned of the plot, 
 and appeared to help uninvited ; but they 
 spelled the word raze. The result was, 
 nothing was done at that time, but after- 
 wards, in the fall of 1805, the house was 
 built there. 
 
 Plainfield village is at the extreme north- 
 ern part of the town, and as incorporated 
 in 1867, includes a portion of the town of 
 Marshfield. In 18 12, it contained about a 
 dozen families, in 1881 about 80. 
 
 The first mills were burned the same 
 year they were built. The village suffered 
 no more serious loss by fire until May 16, 
 1877, when the saw and grist-mills, 4 
 dwelling-houses, 2 shops and 4 barns were 
 burned. James Richards was convicted 
 of being the incendiary, and is now in 
 prison. 
 
 The great freshet of Oct. 1869, carried 
 off the saw and grist-mills, the clothing- 
 works, machine-shop, blacksmith-shop, etc. 
 
 Railroad trains commenced to run from 
 Montpelier to Plainfield for traffic, Sept. 
 I?' ^'^ll)'-, to Wells River, Nov. 24, 1873. 
 
 It is said that a mail route was estab- 
 lished from Montpelier to Danville, via 
 Plainfield, in 1808, and a post-office was 
 probably established at Plainfield at that 
 
 92 
 
730 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 time ; but so little did it affect the daily 
 life of the people, that no one knows who 
 was the first postmaster. 
 
 As late as 1823, the fees of the post- 
 master at Plainfield were only $10.76; at 
 Marshfield, $3.48; Cabot, $6.81 ;atMont- 
 pelier, $138.81. As postage was then very 
 high, and the fees of the small offices about 
 one-half of the gross income, the amount 
 of mail matter must have been small. The 
 mail was carried on horseback until 1827, 
 then in a wagon until 1830, when a coach 
 was put on, which was almost as much an 
 object of curiosity and pride as was the 
 advent of the cars in 1873. 
 
 TOWN REPRESENTATIVES. 
 
 Bradford Kinne, 1800, '2, '3, '4, '5, '7, 
 '8, '9, '10, '11, '12, '13, '16, '21; Thomas 
 Vincent, 1801, '22, '25, '26; Jonathan 
 Kinne, 1806; Joseph Nye, 1814, '15, '17, 
 '18, '24; Benjamin Whipple, 1819, '20, '23 ; 
 Jeremy Stone, 1827, '28; Israel Goodwin, 
 1829, '30, 31 ; John Vincent, 1832, '33, '34; 
 Baxter Bancroft, 1835, '36; James Palmer, 
 1837, '38, '41 ; Harvey Bancroft, 1839, '40 ; 
 Mark M. Page, 1842 ; Ezra Kidder, 1843, 
 '44, '50, '60, "61 ; Nathaniel Townsend, 
 1845, '46; Reuben Huntoon, 1847 ; Daniel 
 A. Perry, 1848, '55; Francis Hall, 1849; 
 Lewis Chamberlain, 1851, '52; John Mel- 
 len, 1853, '54; E. Madison Perry, 1856, 
 '57 ; Dennis Lane, 1858, 59; Sullivan B. 
 Gale, 1862, '63; Willard S. Martin, 1864, 
 '65; Levi Bartlett, 1866; Julius M. Rich- 
 ards, 1867; Justus Kinney, 1868; Chan- 
 ning Hazeltine, 1869; Joseph Lane (bien- 
 nial), 1870; L. Cheney Batchelder, 1872; 
 Stephen C. Shurtleff, 1874; Nathaniel 
 Townsend, Jr., 1876; Frank A. Dwinell, 
 1878; Dudley B. Smith, 1880. 
 
 DELEGATES TO CONSTITUTIONAL 
 CONVENTIONS. 
 
 Lovel Kelton, 1814; John Vincent, 1822 ; 
 Nathaniel Bancroft, 1828; James Palmer, 
 1836; Nath'l. Sherman, 1843, '50; Reuben 
 Huntoon, 1870. 
 
 STATE SENATORS. 
 Nathaniel Bancroft, 1847, '48; Charles 
 H. Heath, 1868, '69, '70. 
 
 JUDGES OF COUNTY COURT. 
 
 Bradford Kinne, 1811, '12, '13; Israel 
 Goodwin, 1834, '35; Lewis Chamberlain, 
 
 185s, '56; Willard S. Martin, 1874, '75, 
 '76, 77- 
 
 TOWN CLERKS. 
 Thomas Vincent, 1798, '99, 1800; 'i,'2, 
 '3, '9, '10, 'II, '12, '14; Bradford Kinne, 
 1804, '5, '6, 7, '8, '13, '15, '16; Silas Wil- 
 liams, 1 8 17 to '2,T,-^ James Palmer, 1834 to 
 '41 ; Ezra Kidder, 1842 to '51 : Mark M. 
 Page, 1852 to '60; Phineas Kellogg, 1861, 
 '62; Walter B. Page, 1863 to '76; Mason 
 W. Page, 1877; Frank A. Dwinell, 1878. 
 TREASURERS. 
 
 Moulton Batchelder, 1798, '99, 1800; 
 Thomas Vincent, 1801, '08, '09, '10, '11, 
 '12, '14; Ebenezer Freeman, 1802; Brad- 
 ford Kinne, 1803, '04, '05, '06, '07, '13, 
 '15, '16; Silas Williams, 1817 to ''■i-^; 
 James Palmer, 1834 to '41 ; Ezra Kidder, 
 1842 to '51 ; Mark M. Page, 1852 to '60; 
 S. B. Gale, 1861 to ''jo; Ira F. Page, 1871 
 to '74 ; Dudley B. Smith, 1875 ; F. A. Dwi- 
 nell, 1877 to '81. 
 
 1ST SELECTMEN. 
 
 Joshua Lawrence, 1797; Thomas Vin- 
 cent, 1798, '99, 1800, 'oi, '02, '03, '10, '11, 
 '12, '14, '18; James Boutwell, 1804, '05. 
 '06, '07, '08, '09; B. Kinne, 1813; Asa 
 Bancroft, 181 5, '16, '17 ; Willard Shephard, 
 1819; John Vincent, 1820; Benjamin 
 Whipple, 1821, '22, '23, '24, '25 ; Jeremy 
 Stone, 1826, '35, '36; Andrew Wheatley, 
 1827, '28, '29; Jabez L. Carpenter, 1830; 
 Elijah Perry, 1831, '32, '33; Baxter Ban- 
 croft, 1834; Mark M. Page, 1837 to '41 ; 
 James Palmer, 1842, '43; Levi Bartlett, 
 1844; Nathaniel Sherman, 1845; Nathan- 
 iel Townsend, 1846, '58; E. Madison Per- 
 ry, 1847, '48, '49; Daniel A. Perry, 1850; 
 Amherst Perkins, 185 1 ; Joel Sherburn, 
 1852, '53; Dudley Perkins, 1854; Allen 
 Martin, 1855; Ira Stone, 1856; Harrison 
 Ketchum, 1859, '60; Charles T. Batchel- 
 der, 1861 : L. Cheney Batchelder, 1862, 81 ; 
 Joseph Lane, 1863, '64, '65, '75 to '79; 
 Willard S. Martin, 1866, '71, '72; Heman 
 A. Powers, 1867; Orrin W. Cree, 1857, 
 '68, '70; Thomas P. Bartlett, 1869; Jere- 
 my S. Chamberlain, 1873, '74, '80. 
 
 OLD PEOPLE 
 
 Who have died hi Plainfield. 
 Mrs. Joseph Lampson, 95 ; Mrs. Isaac 
 Mann, 94; Moses Bancroft, 87; Mrs. M. 
 
PLAINFIELD. 
 
 73^ 
 
 Bancroft, 92 ; Jonathan Perkins, 89 ; Spen- 
 cer Lawrence, 81 ; Mi^s. Spencer Lawrence, 
 89 ; Asa Bancroft, 88 ; Jane (Cams) 
 Hatch, 88 ; Mrs. Jacob Perkins, 89 ; Ly- 
 dia (Cams) Perkins (Mrs. Jonathan), 83; 
 Chauncy Bartlett, 86 ; Mrs. C. Bartlett, 85 ; 
 Edmund Freeman, Charles Bancroft, 84 ; 
 Mrs. N, Townsend, 83 ; Levi Bartlett, 80 ; 
 Benjamin Niles, 84 ; Nathaniel Sherman, 
 80; Mrs. N. Sherman, 81 ; Eliza (Cams) 
 White, 80; David Reed, 82; Mrs. D. 
 Reed, 81 ; James Allen, 84; Roderic Tay- 
 lor, 83; John P. Avers, 82; James Batch- 
 elder, 81; Allen Martin, 82; Isabella 
 (Nash) Powers, 80 ; Coolige Taylor, 83 ; 
 C. W. Alvord, 82 ; Asa Fletcher, 82 ; Mrs. 
 A. Fletcher, 85 ; Daniel Lampson, 80 ; 
 James Perry, 80 ; Isaac Mann, Nathan 
 Hill, 82. 
 
 OLD PEOPLE LIVING. 
 
 Daniel Spencer, 91 ; Susan Collins, 88; 
 Baxter Bancroft, 87 ; Mrs. B. Bancroft, 
 82 ; Mrs. John P. Ayers, 86 ; Eben Mar- 
 tin, 85 ; Mrs. Nathan Parker, 85 ; Justus 
 Kinney, 83; Mrs. J. Kinney, 80; Susan 
 Corliss, 82; Mrs. Roderic Taylor, 81; 
 William Parks, 81 ; Benjamin F. Moore, 
 81 ; Alex Woodman, 80; Mrs. Levi Bart- 
 lett, 80; Nathan Hill, 82. 
 
 MASONIC. 
 
 Rural Lodge. — The records of this 
 Lodge having been lost or destroyed, no 
 extended history can be written of it or of 
 its early members. The only authentic 
 papers belonging to it are the original by- 
 laws in manuscript form, from which we 
 learn that a charter was granted by the 
 Grand Lodge at its annual session in 
 Montpelier, Oct. 12. 1825. 
 
 Charter Members. — Horace Pitkin, 
 Marshfield ; Alden Palmer, Montpelier ; Ja- 
 bez L. Carpenter, Plainfield ; Stephen Pit- 
 kin, William Martin, Marshfield ; William 
 Billings, Nathaniel C. King, Montpelier ; 
 Charles Clark, Calais ; Nathaniel Bancroft, 
 Silas Williams, Jr., A Simons, Plain- 
 field ; Merrill Williams, Montpelier ; Har- 
 vey Pitkin, Edwin Pitkin, James Pitkin, 
 Daniel Spencer, Marshfield; Nathaniel 
 Davis, Robert Nesmith, Montpelier ; James 
 English, Marshfield. 
 
 The organization of the Lodge was kept 
 
 up, and some work done, until the annual 
 session of the Grand Lodge in 1830, when 
 they are supposed to have surrendered 
 their charter. Only two of the charter 
 members are known to be living, Daniel 
 Spencer of Plainfield, at the advanced age 
 of 91 years, and Nathaniel C. King, of 
 Montpelier. 
 
 Wyoming Lodge, No. 80. — Wyoming 
 Lodge, F. & A. M., No. 80, was chartered 
 by the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of 
 Vermont, June 11, A. D. 1868. 
 
 Charter Members. — Charles H. Heath, 
 Leroy H. Hooker, Stephen C. Shurtleff, 
 Nathan Skinner, Dudley B. Smith, Jas. 
 M. Perry, Channing Hazeltine, J. M. 
 Richards, William Armstrong, A. H. 
 Whitcomb, Walter B. Page, Mark M. 
 Page, R. H. Christy, Byron Goodwin, 
 Fitch E. Willard, W. S. Little, Ezekiel 
 Skinner, Samuel Simpson, Martin V. B. 
 Hollister, D. M. Perkins, Samuel Wilson, 
 Horace Hill, Reuben Huntoon, Lewis H. 
 Cunningham, N. Davis, Jr., Mason T. 
 Page, Silas E. Willis, Willard Harris, 
 James Pitkin, Luther G. Town, Solomon 
 L. Gilman, Nathaniel Sherman, Daniel 
 Spencer, Nathaniel Davis, Horace H. 
 Hollister, Nathaniel C. Page, C. W. H. 
 Dwinell, E. O. Hammond, Eben D. Ste- 
 vens. 
 
 First officers: Charles H. Heath, W. 
 M. ; Loren H. Hooker, S. W. ; Stephen 
 C. Shurtleff, J. W. 
 
 Officers for 1^2,1-2: W. R. Gove, W. 
 M.; John W. Fowler, S. W, ; Dan. W. 
 Moses, J. W. 
 
 rev. c. e. ferrin, d. d. 
 
 Aljridged from a sketch In tlie Vermont Chronicle by 
 Rev. A. D. Bahber. 
 
 Clark E. Ferrin was born in Holland, 
 Vt., July 20, 18 1 8. He grew up there on 
 the farm with his father till he was of age, 
 teaching a common school in the winter 
 from the time he was 17, and aiding his 
 father in the support of the family. In 
 the fall after he had attained his majority 
 he went to Brownington Academy, of 
 which Rev. A. C. Twilight was preceptor, 
 and began fitting for college. At Brown- 
 ington he not only set his face collegeward 
 but heavenward, experiencing that change 
 
732 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 of which our Lord said to Nicodemus, 
 " Except a man be born again he cannot 
 see the kingdom of God." Remaining at 
 Browingtori about a year, he went to 
 Derby, finished his preparation and enter- 
 ed the University at Burlington in the 
 class of 1 84 1 . Though at a disadvantage by 
 lack of early opportunities, by diligent ap- 
 plication he gained upon the class during 
 the course, and graduated in 1845, with 
 the last third. The fall after he taught the 
 Academy at Marshfield, and from thence 
 went to Macon, Ga., where he taught for 
 2 years. From Macon he went to the 
 theological seminary at Andover, Mass., 
 completing the course in the class of 1850. 
 The spring before he graduated at An- 
 dover he visited Barton, Vt., preaching 
 there, and receiving a call to the pastorate 
 of the Congregational church. Accepting 
 this call, he was ordained and installed at 
 Barton, in 1857, Rev. O. T. Lamphear, 
 a college classmate, then at Derby, preach- 
 ing the installation sermon from Exodus 
 IV: 14, "I know that he can speak well." 
 Another, a seminary classmate, Rev. Mr. 
 Dean, gave the charge to the people. 
 Zealous and faithful at Barton, he was 
 after nearly 3 years attacked with that 
 facial neuralgia, which rendered his after 
 life one of almost continued pain, and often 
 for months and years at a time one of in- 
 tense suffering. His enemy compelled 
 him to suspend his ministry at Barton and 
 seek dismission from his charge. This 
 was granted by council. Dismissed, he 
 sought for a time renewed health and 
 strength in farm labors. As soon as health 
 permitted, he took up the ministry again, 
 received a call, and was installed pastor of 
 the Congregational church in Hinesburgh 
 in 1855. At this second installation, an- 
 other of his classmates. Rev. N. G. Clark, 
 then professor in the University at Bur- 
 lington, preached the sermon, and an- 
 other classmate. Rev. A. D. Barber, of 
 Williston, gave the Right Hand of Fellow- 
 ship. Here, after no very long time, he 
 began to suffer again from the assaults of 
 his adversary, neuralgia, but for long 
 years, though in real suffering and much 
 of the time in keen distress by day and by 
 
 night, he persisted in doing a manly work, 
 building with one hand for Christ and his 
 church, and resisting the enemy of his 
 peace and strength with the other. Here, 
 indeed, he fought a good fight, yielding 
 only after many years. In the winter of 
 
 1874 he went to Philadelphia, and sub- 
 mitted to the severe surgical operation of 
 removing a part of the facial nerve. This 
 gave only partial relief. In the fall of 
 
 1875 he took a voyage to Europe, visiting 
 London and Paris, seeking aid, but finding 
 little. Having failed now for some time in 
 strength, but not in heart to labor, he re- 
 signed his pastorate. His resignation was 
 after long waiting and hope of the church 
 and parish for his recovery, accepted, and 
 he was dismissed, having been pastorabout 
 24 years. Remaining in the parsonage at 
 Hinesburgh, and experiencing some relief 
 with returning strength, he was able at 
 length to take up again the work he loved 
 so well. This he did at Plainfield, where 
 he was installed pastor Feb. 13, 1878, 
 Rev. W. S. Hazen, of Northfield, preach- 
 ing the sermon, from I. Cor. 1:23, "We 
 preach Christ and Him crucified," one of 
 his classmates, again a member of the 
 Council, presided and offered the installing 
 prayer. In this his third and last pastor- 
 ate, our brother labored continuously and 
 successfully, though his old enemy still 
 pursued him. He ceased his labors and 
 entered into rest, after a sickness entirely 
 prostrating him of about 5 weeks, June, 
 1881. His experience during this last 
 trial was full of the peace of God. " I am 
 surprised," he wrote, telling us the result 
 of the first council of physicians called to 
 consider his case. "The fullness with which 
 I can say, ' Thy will, not mine,' surprises, 
 almost troubles me." 
 
 Mr. Ferrin left a wife, 3 sons and 2 
 daughters ; all fitted for usefulness, and of 
 fine promise ; all were present at the time 
 of his death. His oldest son, reaching 
 home but a few days before, is Professor 
 William Ferrin, of Pacific University, at 
 Forest Grove, Oregon. The oldest daugh- 
 ter is the wife of Rev. John Cowan, of 
 Essex. 
 
 At the funeral, ten neighboring ministers 
 
PLAINFIELD. 
 
 733 
 
 were present, the deacons of the church 
 from Williston and Montpelier, and a good 
 delegation trom Hinesburgh and other 
 towns. His children conducted the ser- 
 vices at the house, Prof. Ferrin reading 
 select passages of Scripture, Rev. Mr. 
 Cowan offering prayer, and all the family 
 uniting in singing the hymn, "Rock of 
 ages cleft for me." The service was beau- 
 tiful, tender and touching. The casket 
 was borne by his brother ministers. At 
 the church, Rev. C. S. Smith read the 
 Scripture, Rev. J. H. Hincks offered 
 prayer, his two classmates. Rev. J. G. 
 Hale and A. D. Barber, spoke ; Mr. Hale, 
 of Mr. Ferrin as a man, of his place in 
 college and in the ministry, and Mr. 
 Barber of him as a Christian pastor. 
 
 Mr. Ferrin, besides his work as min- 
 ister, was a most respected and highly 
 useful citizen. He represented the town 
 of Hinesburgh in the legislature one or two 
 sessions, was a faithful and influential 
 member of the corporation of the Univer- 
 sity for more than 20 years. He received 
 the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity 
 from Middlebury College at the commence- 
 ment, a year ago, and was a man such that 
 the family, the church and the State can 
 alike trust. 
 
 [Mr. Ferrin compiled from the papers 
 of the venerable Erastus Bostwick the his- 
 tory of Hinesburgh for Vol. i. in this 
 work, and in Vol. iii. wrote the biograph- 
 ical sketch of the Rev. O. T. Lamphear in 
 the history of Orleans County.] 
 
 SOLDIERS ENLISTED FOR PLAINFIELD IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 
 
 ReiiKirks. 
 
 Deserted Dec. 25, 62. 
 Died Nov. 29, 61. 
 
 Discharged Aug. 26, 63. 
 
 Pris. June 23, 64 ; died at Andersonville, 
 
 Ga., Oct. 6, 64. 
 Enlisted for Barre, Aug. 26, 61. 
 
 Names. 
 
 Reg. Co. 
 
 Mustered. 
 
 Term. 
 
 Ayers, George A. 
 
 2 F 
 
 June 20 61 
 
 3y 
 
 Ball, Henry L. C. 
 
 9 I 
 
 July 9 62 
 
 3y 
 
 Blaisdell, George, 
 
 4 G 
 
 Sept 20 61 
 
 3y 
 
 Bradford, Amos C. 
 
 2 F 
 
 do 
 
 3y 
 
 Bradford, John M. 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 3y 
 
 Buxton, Chas. B. 
 
 4 A 
 
 Dec 31 62 
 
 3y 
 
 Bell, Joel 
 
 CavH 
 
 Aug 29 64 
 
 ly 
 
 Bartlett, Mark 
 
 12 D 
 
 Oct 62 
 
 9m 
 
 Boles, David 
 
 4 G 
 
 Jan 20 65 
 
 ly 
 
 Cummins, John D. 
 
 do 
 
 Sept 20 61 
 
 3y 
 
 Cole, Parker 
 
 CavC 
 
 Dec 25 63 
 
 3y 
 
 Carr, Jason 
 
 12 D 
 
 Oct 4 62 
 
 9m 
 
 do 
 
 2 Bat 
 
 Aug 27 64 
 
 ly 
 
 Clark, Nathaniel 
 
 12 D 
 
 Oct 4 62 
 
 9 m 
 
 Dolan, Bernard 
 
 4 B 
 
 Feb 15 65 
 
 ly 
 
 Duke, Edward V. 
 
 4 G 
 
 Feb 25 65 
 
 ly 
 
 Downs. John H. 
 
 9 I 
 
 July 9 62 
 
 3y 
 
 Edmons, Douglass 
 
 CavF 
 
 Sept 26 62 
 
 3y 
 
 Fraqua, Peter 
 
 
 Nov 25 63 
 
 3y 
 
 Farrar, D. W. 
 
 2 Bat 
 
 Aug 13 64 
 
 ly 
 
 Farr, Benjamin A. 
 
 4'E 
 
 Feb 14 65 
 
 ly 
 
 Gale, Sullivan F. 
 
 13 c 
 
 Oct ID 62 
 
 9 m 
 
 Gunnerson, Daniel 
 
 12 D 
 
 Oct 4 62 
 
 9 m 
 
 Haywood, Wm. H. 
 
 CavF 
 
 Sept 26 62 
 
 3y 
 
 Hill, David 
 
 9 I 
 
 July II 62 
 
 3y 
 
 Lapieu, Louis 
 
 2 D 
 
 Apr 22 62 
 
 3y 
 
 Lupien, Lewis 
 
 CavK 
 
 Dec 3 63 
 
 3y 
 
 Leazer, Buzzell 
 
 3 H 
 
 July 16 61 
 
 3y 
 
 Leazer, Joseph 
 
 9 I 
 
 July II 62 
 
 3y 
 
 Lemwin, Peter 
 
 I Bat 
 
 Feb 28 62 
 
 3y 
 
 Ladd, Andrew J. 
 
 CavC 
 
 Dec 25 63 
 
 3y 
 
 Lease, Joseph N. 
 
 4 D 
 
 Dec 31 63 
 
 3y 
 
 Lease, Julian C. 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 3y 
 
 Lease, Rufus 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 3y 
 
 Lemwin, Rock 
 
 17 E 
 
 Mar 3 64 
 
 3y 
 
 Lupien, 0. Liva 
 
 Cav K 
 
 Dec 31 63 
 
 3y 
 
 Discharged Apr. 17, 62. [Church. 
 
 Killed in action May 5, 64, at Craig's 
 
 Died June 13, 65. 
 
 Promoted corporal. 
 Deserted Nov. i, 63. 
 
 Sergeant. 
 
 Deserted Feb. 29, 64. 
 Discharged May 9, 63. 
 Discharged Sept. 62. 
 Promoted corporal. 
 Re-enlisted 3d Battery. 
 Deserted Sept. 28, 62. 
 Mustered out Oct. 10, 64. 
 Discharged April 19, 64. 
 Died July 8, 64, of wounds received in 
 action June 23, 64, Welden Railroad. 
 
 Died June, 64. 
 
 Died at Burlington, Mar. 7, 64. 
 
 Died at Andersonville, Sept. 3, 64. 
 
734 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 Mann, John C. 
 Mears, Horace B. 
 Morse, Marshal C. 
 Nye, Ervin 
 Nasmith, K. R. 
 Paronto, Gideon 
 Perry, Edwin R. 
 Perry, Willard M. 
 Paronto, Napoleon 
 Porter, Geo. W. 
 Rollins, Charles 
 Rollins, Orvis 
 Reed, Clark 
 Reed, Roswell 
 Richards, Linus 
 Rathbury, Ira P. 
 Spencer. Ira D. 
 Scott, George 
 Scott, Orange 
 Shepherd, Dennison 
 Shepherd, John 
 Shorey, Joseph 
 Simons, Louis 
 Skinner, Ezekiel 
 Stearns, James E. 
 Stearns, Lowell 
 
 Taylor, Stephen 
 Valley, Felix 
 Wilson, Calvin O. 
 Woodcock, C. A. 
 Webster. Nathan L. 
 
 Willey, Geo. W. 
 Whicher, Geo. 
 
 Reg, Co. 
 
 4 G 
 CavD 
 12 D 
 
 4 A 
 
 4 G 
 
 2 A 
 
 4 G 
 
 do 
 
 Cav K 
 
 lo I 
 
 2 Bat 
 
 do 
 12 D 
 
 do 
 do 
 4 F 
 4 G 
 
 2 H 
 7 K 
 4 G 
 2 F 
 4 G 
 do 
 4 A 
 4 K 
 
 Mustered. Term, 
 
 3 y 
 3y 
 
 gm 
 
 3y 
 ly 
 3y 
 3y 
 3y 
 3y 
 3y 
 ly 
 ly 
 9 m 
 
 9 m 
 9 m 
 I}- 
 
 ly 
 
 3y 
 3y 
 3y 
 3y 
 3y 
 3y 
 3y 
 3y 
 3y 
 
 3y 
 9 m 
 
 3y 
 3y 
 3y 
 
 3y 
 ly 
 
 Sept 20 61 
 Sept 26 62 
 Oct 4 62 
 Dec 31 63 
 Jan 20 65 
 Apr 12 62 
 Sept 61 
 
 do 
 Dec 31 63 
 Jan 5 64 
 Aug 27 64 
 Aug 13 64 
 Oct 4 62 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 Feb 14 65 
 Jan 20 65 
 Sept 22 62 
 June 20 61 
 Feb 21 62 
 Sept 20 61 
 Sept 22 62 
 Sept 61 
 Sept2o 61 
 Jan 6 64 
 July 17 63 
 
 June 20 61 
 Oct 1062 
 July 9 62 
 Sept 22 62 
 Dec 31 63 
 
 Discharged Apr. 21, 62. 
 Discharged Sept. 18, 63. 
 
 Discharged May 12, 65. 
 
 Died June 17, 62. 
 
 Discharged Oct. 8, 62. 
 
 Re-enlisted Dec. 15, 63. 
 
 Deserted Sept. 19, 64. 
 
 Prisoner July 9, 64; died March, 65. 
 
 Sergeant. 
 Died May 2, 63. 
 
 Discharged Oct. 21, 62. 
 Died Nov. 4, 61. 
 Re-enlisted. 
 Discharged April 21, 62. 
 
 Re-enlisted. 
 
 Discharged Sept. 63, 
 
 Promoted corporal. 
 
 Wounded ; ambulance train captured ; 
 
 never heard from afterwards. 
 Re-enlisted Jan. 64. 
 
 2 S S E Jan 5 64 
 2 Bat Aug 19 64 
 
 Died Feb. 23, 65. 
 
 Prisoner June 23, 64; died Dec. 
 
 soon after being exchanged. 
 Died Feb. 14, 64. 
 
 23. 
 
 Total, 68, of whom there were 5 deserted, i killed in action, 2 died of wounds, 11 
 died of disease, 12 discharged before enlistment expired, y] served their term, or were 
 discharged at the close of the war. 
 
 Furnished midzr draft — Paid commutation, Solomon Bartlett, Jacob Batchelder, 
 Martin B. Bemis, John D. Cummings, Lucius M. Harris, Jirah S. Lawrence, Alba F. 
 Martyn, Erasmus McCrillis, Philander Moore, Charles Morse. 
 
 Procured substitute — Edwin B. Lane. 
 
 Revolutionary soldiers — Lieut. Joshua Lawrence, John Bancroft, Solomon Bartlett, 
 Moses Reed. 
 
 FUNERAL HYMN FOR GARFIELD. 
 
 BY MBS. E. E. YAW. 
 
 (Written for the memorial services at Plainfield, 
 Sept. 21, 1881.) 
 Years a-gone, a cry of woe 
 
 Rose to Heaven an April day. 
 As beneath a murderer's hand 
 
 Our martyred Lincoln bleeding lay. 
 Revive the story of that crime. 
 
 How all nations mourned with us. 
 Bowing with uncovered heads. 
 
 Weeping o'er his honored dust. 
 
 And to-day, in grief again— 
 
 Lord of nations, Lord of might— 
 We come to thee witli cries of pain; 
 
 Shine upon our dreary night. 
 Ah, our tears they fall like rain 
 
 That the honor nobly gave, 
 Placing Garfield at the nation's head. 
 
 Led so close beside a grave. 
 
 Lay him softly in his narrow bed, 
 
 Cover him with garlands fair. 
 Gentle zephyrs, requiems sing; 
 
 Angels watch— leave him there. 
 
 The services were in charge of the pastor. 
 Remarks were made by O. L. Hoyt, E. N. 
 Morse, Dr. D. B. Smith, Godwin Reed, 
 Ira Stone, Joseph Bartlett, Allan Ferrin 
 and H. O. Perry. 
 
 Mary E. Davis, also, born in this town, 
 has published a book of verse, of which, 
 had a volume been placed at our command, 
 in time, we should have given a review. 
 
ROXBURY. 
 
 735 
 
 ROXBURY. 
 
 BY MIIS. SARAH BRIGJIAM MANSFIELD. 
 
 Located in the south part of Washing- 
 ton County, 17 miles south-westerly from 
 Montpelier ; bounded N. by Northfield, 
 E. by Brookfield, S. by Braintree and 
 Granville, and W. by Warren ; was grant- 
 ed Nov. 6, 1780, and chartered to Hon. 
 Benjamin Emmonds and others August 
 6, 1781 ; 23,040 acres, situated on the 
 height of the land between Winooski and 
 White rivers. The village is at the sum- 
 mit, the highest point of land on the 
 Central Vt. R. R. There are no large 
 streams. Three branches of Dog river 
 flow north into the Winooski ; one rising 
 on the East Hill, flows south, passing a 
 branch of Dog river at the Summit, one 
 running north, the other south, the latter 
 into White river. 
 
 Many years ago, one Capt. Ford, who 
 owned a manufacturing establishment at 
 Randolph, and wished a greater supply of 
 water, came to the Summit, and turned 
 the course of the stream going north into 
 the one flowing south, deriving great ben- 
 efit therefrom, but of short duration. The 
 trick was detected by mill-owners north, 
 and he was obliged to undo his work, and 
 let the river take its natural course. 
 
 There are two natural ponds in town, 
 one just south of the village and one on 
 East Hill. Both have at one time been 
 homes for the "beaver," where they built 
 dams and carried on business beaver style ; 
 but long ago they deserted their old 
 haunts, and the pond that once reached to 
 where the village now is, is fast disappear- 
 ing, and a few years hence will no doubt 
 be terra firuia. 
 
 The surface is uneven, but the soil is 
 fertile. There are some fine dairy farms 
 along the river, and the hill farms are well 
 adapted to wheat raising. The timber is 
 mostly hard wood, with some spruce, hem- 
 lock and fir. Rocks,- argillaceous slate, 
 soapstone and marble. 
 
 There were three divisions of land in 
 this township; the ist div., the north half 
 of that portion of the town lying east of 
 this valley; the 2d div., the south half; 
 the 3d div., the western side of the town. 
 
 The 1st and 2d contain 100 acres ; the 3d, 
 136. 
 
 The first road laid in town was in 17^9, 
 from Warren line down to the first branch 
 of White River, to the north line of Kings- 
 ton (now Granville). Next, on the hill 
 west of said branch, from Kingston, until 
 it joins the branch road toward Warren. 
 The third road led from Samuel Richard- 
 son's house by John Staflbrd's and Wil- 
 cox's to Warren ; Samson Nichols survey- 
 or. In 1802, the road through the mid- 
 dle of the town, from Northfield to Brook- 
 field, was laid out, 6 rods wide. A road 
 was surveyed from Northfield to Brook- 
 field through the east part of the town, in 
 1802. In 1806, the road was laid from 
 Samuel Smith's on East Hill, by Wm. 
 Gold's to east part of the town. These 
 are a few of the first roads surveyed in 
 town. 
 
 The first town meeting was held at the 
 house of Jedediah Huntington ; the warn- 
 ing was dated at Williamstown, Mar. 12, 
 1796, signed by Joseph Crane, justice of 
 the peace, and the meeting was held Mar. 
 25, 1796; when following the town officers 
 were elected in Roxbury : Joseph Crane, 
 moderator; Thomas Huntington, clerk: 
 Samuel Richardson, Isaac Lewis, Jedediah 
 Huntington, selectmen; David Cram, 
 treasurer: Jonathan Huntington, consta- 
 ble ; David Cram and Thomas Hunting- 
 ton, listers ; Samuel Richardson and 
 Christopher Huntington, highway survey- 
 ors. The sum total of the grand list at 
 this time was ^165 and 15s. Zebediah 
 Butler was first town representative ; he 
 resided south of what is known as E. K. 
 Young's place. 
 
 The first warning for freeman's meeting 
 was in 1797. 
 
 Record of the meeting: The freemen of 
 Roxbury, all to a man, met at the house 
 of Jedediah Huntington, in said town, ac- 
 cording to warning, when the freeman's 
 oath was duly administered by the town 
 clerk to the following men : Christopher 
 Huntington, Roswell Adams, Isaac Lewis, 
 David Cram, John Stafl"ord, Benoni Web- 
 ster, Jedediah Huntington, Perus Hunt- 
 ington, Benjamin Hunter, Jr., Daniel Cor- 
 bin, Chester Batchelder. 
 
 The freemen voted as follows : For Gov., 
 
12,^ 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 Isaac Tichenor 9, Nathaniel Niles 4, Paul 
 Brigham i ; Lieut. Gov., Paul Brigham 
 iq, Nathaniel Niles 3; Treas., Samuel 
 Mattocks 14; for counsellors, Elisha Allen 
 II, Cornelius Lynde 10, Elias Stevens 9, 
 Jonas Gakisha 2, Joel Marsh 9, Reuben 
 Hatch 2, Martin Chittenden 2, Joseph 
 Hubbard i, Ebenezer Walbridge 4, John 
 French 6. 
 
 Thomas Huntington, town clerk. 
 
 Freeman's oath had previously been ad- 
 ministered to Samuel Richardson, Thomas 
 and Jonathan Huntington. There were 
 just 14 voters in town, at that time. In 
 Mar., 1799, voted that from Apr. i to May 
 20, it shall not be lawful for sheep or swine 
 to run at large on the commons or high- 
 ways, and if willfuly or negligently allowed 
 to run, the owners thereof shall pay double 
 damages. When there were neither high- 
 ways or commons, even passable for swine or 
 sheep ! They also voted, at the same time, 
 that Joseph Newton should have approba- 
 tion to retail liquors to travellers the ensu- 
 ing year. For all their privations or hard 
 struggles, these early settlers seemed to 
 have a vein of drollery and fun underlying 
 all. In 1802, they called a meeting to see 
 if the town would vote to set the small 
 pox in town. Not wanting it, voted to 
 dissolve the meeting. Sept. 12, 1803, 
 called a meeting to see if the town would 
 vote to set up inoculation of small pox in 
 town ; did not want it, and dissolved the 
 meeting. In 1806, voted to raise 7 mills 
 on a dollar for the purpose of buying sur- 
 veying implements. Chose Samuel Rob- 
 ertson surveyor for the town — to have the 
 use of the instruments for doing the sur- 
 veying for said town. A compass and 
 chain was bought, a very good one for 
 those times, and is still the property of the 
 town. In 181 1, voted to set off the east 
 part of the town to Brookfield. Voted to 
 petition the general assembly at their next 
 session to be annexed to Jefferson Co., 
 (now Washington). To be stingy and 
 small with their neighbors did not seem to 
 be a fault with them. 
 
 On record, Jan. 26, 1799, -'I, Samuel 
 Richardson, in consideration of the love 
 and good will I bear to my well respected 
 friend, Polly Corbin, gave her a deed of 20 
 acres of land. " 
 
 First land tax (71 town : Petitioned to the 
 legislature for a land tax in 1796. The 
 legislature, then in session at Windsor, 
 raised a tax of one cent on an acre of land 
 in said town. The "delinquents" lands 
 to be soid the 8th day of May, 1798, at 
 David Cram's dwelling-house, by David 
 Cram, constable. 
 
 July 31, '98, vendue sale of lands at Jed- 
 ediah Huntington's, by Abel Lyman, col- 
 lector. 
 
 First deed upon the land records : from 
 Asa Huntington to Daniel Kingsbury, da- 
 ted at Brookfield, Sept. 3, 1794, recorded 
 Mar. 24, 1796. 
 
 In June, 18 12, called a meeting to see 
 if the town would provide arms, amunition 
 and equipments for the soldiers who have 
 this day volunteered in the service of their 
 country as minute men. Voted that the 
 monthly pay of each minute man should be 
 raised three dollars per month, while in 
 actual service, payable in grain or neat 
 stock. Voted to deposit magazine and 
 public arms at the dwelling-house of Elijah 
 Ellis, the town having received gun pow- 
 der and lead. In 1816, voted to set off 4 
 tiers of lots on east side of town, to form 
 a separate town with part of Brookfield. 
 Passed the same vote in 1827, and seems 
 to have been dropped there, as there is no 
 farther recoid of the matter. 
 
 Christopher Huntington was the first 
 settler. He came to the east part of the 
 town, and built the first house, where O. 
 A. Thayer now lives. He came from 
 Mansfield, Conn., where his children were 
 born, but had resided in Norwich a short 
 time before coming here. He also preach- 
 ed the first sermon in town, to a small but 
 no doubt appreciative audience. He was 
 a Universalist minister, and as the town 
 became settled, preached in various places. 
 
 Mr. Huntington drew his goods into 
 town on a hand-sled on bare ground, and 
 with the other early settlers, endured pri- 
 vations hard to realize from the stand- 
 point of to-day. His daughter, Lydia, 
 died Jan. 23, 1792, at the age of 17, the 
 first death in town. Mr. Huntington re- 
 moved to Canada in 1804. The Mr. 
 Huntington wbo recently died in Canada, 
 bequeathing $25,000 to the State of Ver- 
 mont, is said to be one of his sons. 
 Another son was several years a Baptist 
 preacher in Braintree. 
 
ROXBURY. 
 
 in 
 
 SAMUEL RICHARDSON 
 
 was the first to settle in the west part of the 
 town. He was born in Staftbrd, Conn., 
 June 13, 1750, and was a veteran of the 
 Revolutionary War, having "been out" 
 nearly half the war. His wife, Susanna 
 Pinney, was born July, 1749. After their 
 marriage, they came to Randolph and set- 
 tled. When the Indians burned Royal- 
 ton, they passed through Randolph and 
 burned the house next to theirs, but it be- 
 ing somewhat retired, they probably did 
 not discern it. Mr. R. came to this town 
 in 1790, and built a small log-house near 
 where the watch factory now stands, and 
 returned home to come back again in the 
 early spring with his son, Uriah, whom 
 tradition has it, brought a five-pail iron- 
 kettle on his back through the deep snow, 
 with marked trees for roads. A niece of 
 his has injured the story, by declaring her 
 ancestor to have been a brave lad and a 
 willing one, but that he was not a Hercu- 
 les, and it was really a seven-pail brass- 
 kettle. Well, even that seems almost in- 
 credible, considering the distance, and 
 roads. After the sugar-making was well 
 begun, Mr. Richardson returned to Ran- 
 dolph, leaving his son alone in the wilder- 
 ness for 6 weeks. No one to speak to, no 
 daily or weekly paper ; but the solemn 
 hoot of the owl, the lonesome winds 
 through the trees, the howling of the hun- 
 gry wolves about his cabin, as he said, 
 made weird music, not exactly conducive 
 to sleep. But his father came with the rest 
 of the family as soon as snow was gone. 
 There are said to have been several reasons 
 why Mr. Richardson moved into this wild- 
 erness. One, he was greatly averse to his 
 children marrying, and his sons were be- 
 coming sturdy young men, and his daugh- 
 ters tall and handsome. And he was not 
 the only one who seemed to realize the 
 fact. Beaux would drop in of an evening ; 
 the little by-play on the old settle by the 
 fireplace — naming the rosy-cheeked apples, 
 and comparing them to the not less rosy 
 cheeks of the maidens, going on under 
 pater familias' eye, not unnoticed ; no sym- 
 pathetic chord in his heart vibrating to 
 the echo of "long ago," when he leaned 
 
 over the gate, and made love to the fair 
 Susanna after escorting her home from 
 spelling-school, away down in old Con- 
 necticut. To keep the necks of his off- 
 spring out of the "noose," he reflected the 
 surest way was to get them where beaux 
 and belles were not, and removed his fam- 
 ily to the wilderness ; but even there, four 
 of them out-generalled him at last. His 
 eldest daughter, Sarah, and Chester Batch- 
 elder, Jan. 27, 1799, by Israel Converse, 
 justice of the peace, were made one, and 
 this was the first marriage in town. Hannah , 
 taking courage from the example of her 
 elder sister, married Peter S. P. Staples. 
 Lydia married Charles Cotton, hesitating- 
 ly, not swiftly, as lovely maidens should 
 be expected to wed — her lithe form had 
 lost some of its willowy grace, her cheek 
 its first youthful bloom ; she was a bride of 
 45 summers. Samuel married Sally Ellis. 
 Half his children were gone, but by the 
 care and admonitions of this tender sire, 
 half his family were still preserved, four 
 perpetually saved from marriage fate. 
 
 That the "females" of this unmated 
 half of the Richardson family were able to 
 care for themselves, and give a helping 
 hand to the weak of the stronger sex, the. 
 following proveth : "Tim" Emmerson 
 had a large amount of grain to be harvest- 
 ed, and no help to be had at any price ; it 
 was already over-ripe ; Susan and Mary 
 Richardson, who were noted for thrift, and 
 disliked to see anything go to waste, offer- 
 ed, if their brother would accompany them, 
 to give the poor man a lift. The men 
 folk smiled as the resolute damsels came 
 into the field, but as the golden grain fell 
 before their gleaming sickles, and was dex- 
 terously bound and placed in stocks by 
 their deft hands, the men hung their di- 
 minished heads, and the perspiration 
 coursed down their brown cheeks as they 
 vainly strove to keep pace with their fair 
 reapers. Before night tradition saith each 
 masculine had fallen meekly to the rear. 
 Mary and Susan sheared their own sheep, 
 and if occasion required, could chop off a 
 2 foot log as soon as most men. 
 
 Susan Richardson was once going home 
 from "squire" Robertson's, through the 
 
 93 
 
738 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 woods. She heard a strange cry as of 
 some one in distress. It was growing 
 dusk, the sound came nearer and nearer; 
 she could see it was gaining upon her at 
 every step. She was a very courageous 
 person, not easily scared, but as those 
 quick, sharp screams fell upon her ears, 
 the grass didn't grow under her feet until 
 she reached the clearing ; but, once out 
 of the woods, she gathered her sheep into 
 a place of safety before she sought shelter 
 for herself. It was found, the next day, a 
 catamount had followed her ; his tracks 
 were plainly visible in the soft earth. It 
 had followed her to the edge of the woods, 
 which reached nearly to her house. At 
 another time, she, with a friend who was 
 visiting her, went to a neighbor's for an 
 " afternoon tea." It was late before they 
 got started for home, and all the way 
 through the woods. They heard the dis- 
 mal howling of wolves. Susan knew the 
 sound very well, but her friend, unused to 
 pioneer life, had no idea, and wondered, 
 as Susan took her babe from her arms and 
 hurried rapidly forward. When they reach- 
 ed the clearing, and Susan had gathered 
 in her sheep, and they were safe in the 
 house, she told her friend it was wolves 
 they had heard, and they would surely 
 have got her baby had they not quickened 
 their pace. 
 
 A grand-daughter of Mrs. Richardson's 
 told me another little incident that occur- 
 red when she was a child of twelve. Her- 
 self and a younger brother were in the 
 woods gathering flowers, they had wander- 
 ed some ways farther than they were 
 aware, the sister was wakened to a realiz- 
 ing sense of it when she spied, but a few 
 feet from them, a large white-faced bear, 
 erect on his hind paws, coming towards 
 them. Not wishing to frighten her broth- 
 er, who was very timid, and fearing he 
 would be overcome with terror, she took 
 him by the hand and strove to hurry him 
 away ; but no, just a few more flowers, he 
 said. He was determined not to go home. 
 " See there," said she, pointing to the 
 bear, who stood contemplating the situa- 
 tion. The boy beheld, and gave so terrific 
 a scream, that the bear turned and fled as 
 
 fast as his clumsy limbs could carry him, 
 preferring to go without his supper to mak- 
 ing it off" a boy who could scream so loud. 
 
 Another reason given (to return to Mr. 
 Richardson's reasons for coming to this 
 town), was that when the bass viol was 
 carried into cliurch at Randolph, it was 
 more than his orthodox nerves could 
 stand, and he preferred the primeval forest, 
 "God's own temple," with the birds to 
 sing anthems of praise, and no profane, 
 new-fangled instrument, made by the hand 
 of man, with which to worship God for 
 him. He was a Congregationalist deacon, 
 and his wife was a member of the Baptist 
 church. They lived in their log-house 
 only about a year, and then moved farther 
 up, where they built the first framed house 
 in town — where Julius Kent now lives — 
 many years afterwards sold to Jonathan 
 Burroughs, and moved near the village, 
 and is the frame of Mrs. Martell's house. 
 
 Mr. Richardson built a saw and grist- 
 mill above where Mr. Kent now lives, and 
 a larger house leading to the S. E. Spaul- 
 ding place. A grand-daughter of theirs, 
 who is now 79 years of age, and who spent 
 much of her childhood with them, tells me 
 Mr. Pinney, the father of her grand- 
 mother Richardson, was high in the es- 
 teem of King George, and was commis- 
 sioned by him to attend to a great deal of 
 business for His Majesty in New England. 
 
 GEORGE the Third, by the Grace of GOD 
 of Great B?'itain, France and Ireland, 
 KING, Defender of the Faith, &c. 
 To all to whom these Presents shall come. 
 Greeting. 
 
 Know Ye, That We have assigned, 
 constituted and appointed, and by these 
 Presents do assign, constitute and appoint 
 Our trusty and well beloved Subject, Isaac 
 Pinney, Esq,, to be Judge of Our Court of 
 Probate, to be holden within the District 
 of Stafford, in our Colony of Connecticut, 
 in New England, with the Assistance of a 
 Clerk, to hold our said Court of ProTaate of 
 Wills, granting of Administration, ap- 
 pointing and allowing of Guardians, with 
 full Power to act in all Matters proper for 
 a prerogative Court. 
 
 In Testimony whereof. We have caused 
 the Seal of Our said Colony to be hereunto 
 affixed. IVitness, Jonathan Trumbull, 
 Esq., Governor of our said Colony of 
 Cotmecticid, and with the Consent of the 
 
ROXBURY. 
 
 739 
 
 General Assembly of the same in Hart- 
 ford, this first Day of June, in the 13th 
 Year of Our Reign, Annoque Domini, One 
 Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy- 
 three. By His Honor's Command, 
 
 JON'A. TRUMBULL, Gov. 
 George Wyllys, Sec"}/. 
 
 At one time he received important mes- 
 sages from the King, and although he had 
 six clerks, he took his daughter, afterward 
 Mrs. R., from school as his private secre- 
 tary. His daughters were all taught the 
 science of medicine, and Mrs. R. attended 
 to the sick in this town before other phy- 
 sicians came in, and some afterwards, 
 going about on horseback, with a heavy 
 riding dress for unpleasant weather. She 
 never shrank where duty called, and not 
 expecting other recompense than the grat- 
 itude of those she served ; for in those 
 primitive days the few inhabitants were 
 not burdened with riches, and were neigh- 
 borly to each other. 
 
 One fall, seeing the destitution around 
 them, Mr. R. took a yoke of oxen to Wil- 
 liamstown, exchanged them for potatoes, 
 and divided them among the destitute, 
 taking his pay in work as they could do it. 
 Mrs. Richardson at this time gave her 
 family two meals per day, with a cup of 
 milk for supper, giving what they saved by 
 so doing to the needy ones. 
 
 Living on the road that crossed the 
 mountain to Warren, the glimmer of light 
 from their windows was often a most wel- 
 come sight to the benighted traveler. A 
 man overtaken by night, with intense cold 
 and darkness, crawled on his hands and 
 knees for miles, fearing he should lo.se the 
 track that led to their house, knowing if 
 he did he must perish. Large, warm 
 hearts these people had, with a hand ever 
 out reached to help any poorer than them- 
 selves. Their noble charities, their ex- 
 emplary Christian characters amid all the 
 struggles and hardships of pioneer life, 
 are most worthy of imitation. They, with 
 their children, all of whom reached ma- 
 turity, now rest in the old burying-ground, 
 near the residence of O. A. Staples. 
 
 DAVID CRAM, 
 
 one of the next to come into town, was 
 from Lyndsboro,N. H. His son, Philip, 
 
 born Mar. 18, 1795, was the first male 
 child born in town. Lydia Huntington, 
 daughter of Jedediah H., got four days 
 start of him, so the honor of being the first 
 child born in town rests upon her. Whether 
 she is living, I am unable to say ; but 
 Philip Cram married Abigail Heath, of 
 Randolph, and is now living in Brook- 
 field. 
 
 Daniel Corbin came from Randolph 
 about this time, and Isaac Lewis, Dav.id, 
 Robert and Jonathan Cram located on 
 farms now owned by Messrs. Chatterton, 
 Bowman and Orra Boyce. 
 
 Benoni Webster came, in 1798, I think, 
 from Connecticut, and located on the place 
 now occupied by James Steele. Mr. Web- 
 ster came from Connecticut with an ox- 
 team, rather a slow mode of conveyance 
 for the distance, but " patience and perse- 
 verance" were household words in those 
 days. The "blue laws" did not allow 
 people to be moving on Sunday in the old 
 state, and Mr. Webster was stopped in a 
 small village to give an account of him- 
 self. He declared it was against his 
 principles to be traveling on the Sabbath, 
 but his wife had been exposed to the 
 small pox, and he was in great haste 
 to get to his journey's end. He was 
 allowed to pass on. His oldest son, 
 Charles, born in Connecticut, married 
 Eleanor P. Ryder, and settled in the east 
 part of this town, where his second son, 
 Aaron, now resides, and is the only one of 
 the family in the State. 
 
 Charles Webster was killed by being 
 thrown from his carriage in 1834. Benoni 
 Webster, the youngest of the family, is 
 still living, at an advanced age, in North- 
 field. He was born in a barn, not a mod- 
 ern affair, but an old log-barn. Whether 
 he was cradled in a manger, tradition 
 saith not. One of the children being so 
 ill he could endure no noise, to secure him 
 the quiet needed to save his life, the rest 
 of the family moved into the barn, with 
 the exception of one to nurse the sick 
 child, and there they remained until he 
 was restored to health, which was over a 
 year. 
 
74° 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 JOEL HILDRETH 
 
 came to this township in the autumn of 
 1797, from Cornish, N. H., and boarded 
 with a family who lived on the farm now 
 owned by G. L. Walbridge, while he built 
 his log-house on the place now owned by 
 Mr. George Williams, who purchased of 
 Mr. Hildreth's grand-son, Samuel A. Hil- 
 dreth, a few years since. One morning 
 soon after Mr. Hildreth was settled in his 
 cabin, he heard a rooster crow to the east- 
 ward, and as the ringing notes came across 
 the wooded valley, it fell upon his ears 
 like music. He followed that " crow" for 
 four or five miles, and at last found his 
 new neighbors in Northfield, near where 
 William Winch now resides. 
 
 Mr. Hildreth. with his trusty rifle, was 
 a terror to the denizens of the forest, hav- 
 ing, to use his own words, " unbuttoned 
 many a bear's shirt collar." Upon one oc- 
 casion returning late in the evening from 
 his day's work, he heard a bear clambering 
 down a tree close at hand. He could hear 
 his claws clinging in the bark, and could 
 just discern in the darkness the dim out- 
 lines of his unwieldy figure. He was alone 
 in the forest, a great ways from home ; 
 thoughts of the dear ones there awaiting 
 him nerved his arm. He dealt the bear 
 a powerful blow with his ax, and fled. 
 Returning next morning to the "scene of 
 carnage," they found he had decapitated a 
 huge hedge-hog, and pinned him to the 
 tree with his ax. Mr. Hildreth resided 
 on the place he had cleared up until his 
 death in 1844. 
 
 WILLIAM GOLD, 
 
 known as Deacon Gold, came to town with 
 Samuel Robertson, and after working for 
 him one year, bought a piece of land, a 
 mile east of Dog river, and built a log- 
 cabin. This is where he had a famous 
 bear fight. The bears had been making 
 havoc with the Deacon's cornfield, and he 
 swore a "pious oath" [made a pious re- 
 solve would be better for a deacon] , the 
 thieves should be captured. A trap was 
 devised that none but a very wise bear 
 would fail of walking straight into, for a 
 taste of the tempting bait. The bear that 
 came was not a wise one, for when the 
 
 Deacon appeared on the ground next 
 morning, bright and early, sure enough 
 there was a great surly fellow, with one of 
 his hind paws fast in the trap. The Deacon 
 seized a club and rushed forward, old 
 bruin equally ready and delighted with an 
 interview, striking the club from his hand 
 like a flash, cordially clasped the Deacon 
 in his furry arms, and had about squeezed 
 the life out of him, when the hired man, 
 Paddleford, came to the rescue with an 
 axe. "Don't cut the hide!" gasped the 
 Deacon, as bruin clasped him in a still 
 more fervid embrace. The hide was cut 
 in several places before the poor Deacon 
 was released, who, though "pure grit," 
 came out of the combat in a sadly demol- 
 ished condition, and carried the marks ot 
 bear teeth and claws to his grave. 
 
 From yohn Gregory's History of Noi'thfield. 
 DEA. WILLIAM GOLD, 
 
 born in Springfield, Mass., Oct. 30, 1780; 
 came to Roxbury in 1801, and settled 
 upon one of the highest mountains in that 
 town. He was a deacon of the Baptist 
 church. Any one at this day looking the 
 mountain land over where he located, can 
 see under what discouraging circumstances 
 this early settler was placed. 
 
 In 1847, he removed to Northfield. He 
 married Annevera Dewey, who was born 
 in 1780 ; had 7 children : Annevera, Wil- 
 liam, Sherman, Buel, Joseph, Mary, Sophia, 
 all born in Roxbury. Deacon Gold died 
 in 1859; Mrs. Gold in 1856. 
 
 JOHN B. CRANDALL 
 
 moved into town in 1804; was eccentric, 
 quite a pettifogger, and always called 
 "Judge." One time, having a lawsuit, 
 he became disgusted with his counsel, con- 
 sidered an able lawyer, paid him off and 
 dismissed him before the suit was fairly 
 commenced, plead his own case, and won 
 it. Another time he went to Waitsfield to 
 take charge of a lawsuit. Knowing his 
 opponent, an attorney from Montpelier, to 
 be extremely fastidious in his tastes and 
 manner of dress, he chose the other ex- 
 treme, an awfully shabby coat, and trow- 
 sers that suggested the idea that some 
 time in an earlier stage of existence they 
 
ROXBURY. 
 
 741 
 
 had been the property of a Methodist 
 preacher — they had certainly done a great 
 deal of knee service — a dilapidated hat, a 
 boot on one foot, an old shoe on the other, 
 completed his outfit. The fine gentleman 
 strutting back and forth in dignity, won- 
 dered why Mr. Crandall did not arrive, 
 when some one turning to Mr. C, intro- 
 duced them. The Montpelier attorney 
 looked at Mr. C, surprise and contempt 
 expressed in every feature. " What, that 
 creature V he at last blurted out ; "why, 
 he lion't know enough to say boo to a 
 goose." The " Judge " drew his grotesque 
 figure to its full height, made a low bow, 
 and said " boo ! " very emphatically in the 
 face of the offended lawyer, which brought 
 down the house, and the sleek gentleman 
 was yet more discomfited when he lost 
 his case, and the "Judge " won the laurels 
 he had anticipated. 
 
 Mr. CrandalTs widow married Jonathan 
 Lamson, of Fayston, where she died a few 
 years since, at the advanced age of 108. 
 (See History of Fayston.) 
 
 LEWIS CHATFIELD 
 
 came to town in 1810, and settled on the 
 farm now occupied by his son, Lewis. He 
 was a man of peculiarities, but sterling 
 worth. He, like many of the early set- 
 tlers, had a hard struggle to feed and 
 clothe his family. One winter he fortu- 
 nately captured a huge bear, whose meat 
 and lard kept grim want from the door till 
 spring. He made a business of hop rais- 
 ing the last 40 years, and through indus- 
 try and frugality, acquired a competence. 
 He died in 1880, aged 94. 
 
 BILLA WOODARD 
 
 came from Tolland, Conn., in 1802; set- 
 tled on East Hill, and was for many years 
 engaged in the manufacture of saddle-trees, 
 and the only one in New England for a 
 long time in that business. 
 
 HON. CHARLES SAMSON 
 
 came here in 1810. Z. S. Stanton, in his 
 Historical Centennial Address, thus speaks 
 of him : 
 
 He accompanied his father, Benjamin 
 Franklin, who was a veteran of the Revolu- 
 tion, and participated in the battle of Lex- 
 ington and Bunker Hill. 
 
 Mr. Samson bought the place where 
 L. A. Rood now lives. The previous oc- 
 cupant was Dr. Stafford, who kept a tav- 
 ern, and the first in town. Charles Sam- 
 .son settled where Mr. Wetmore lives. He 
 has been closely identified with the affairs 
 of this town ever since, and is still per- 
 mitted to be with us. He has rejjresented 
 the town in the legislature of the State for 
 13 sessions, and has held many other im- 
 portant positions in the town and county. 
 It was owing to his exertions that Roxbury 
 was transferred from Orange to Washing- 
 ton County, in 1820. In those days the 
 main road through the west part of the 
 town, which was also the stage road, led 
 from where A. J. Averill now lives past 
 where the residences of W. I. Simonds and 
 S. G. Stanton now are, and intercepted 
 the mountain road near where Mrs. Brack- 
 ett now lives, thence up where the present 
 road is as far as the old mill above Royal 
 Batchelders house, and then past the pres- 
 ent residence of O. A. Staples, clown to 
 the " Branch road," where Samuel Ed- 
 wards now lives. From here it followed 
 its present course. There was also a road 
 through the eastern part of the town, and 
 also the central part, where E. K. Young 
 now resides. Elijah Ellis lived where 
 Mrs. Brackett now does. He built the 
 house at this place, and it was the first 
 house built in town that was arranged for 
 the use of stoves, I am informed. He had 
 no fireplace or "stack of chimneys," as 
 they were called, and people thought it a 
 great departure from the old ways. He 
 built the first clover-mill that was erected 
 in this town, on the site now occupied by 
 S. N. Miller's carriage-shop. He also 
 erected a saw-mill at this place. 
 
 BENONI WEBSTER, 
 
 (BY A. WEBSTER.) 
 
 A native of Connecticut, brought his fam- 
 ily to Roxbury in the spring of 1797. He 
 had previou.sly lived in Hartland, Vt., a 
 few years. 
 
 He settled in the N. E. part of the tbwn 
 on lot No. 3, of the ist range, now owned 
 by James Steele, which he had bought in 
 1796, then an unbroken wilderness. His 
 first house was logs, roofed with bark, and 
 floored with split basswood, smoothed with 
 an axe. In 1810, he built a large framed- 
 house. making the rooms about 2 feet 
 higher than it was usual to make them at 
 that time, so that "Uncle Sam Metcalf (of 
 Royalton), could stand up in them with 
 his hat on." The doors were also made 
 unusually high, so that his wife's tall rela- 
 
742 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 tions could come in without stooping, as 
 he said. He was the first to plant fruit 
 trees in town, a large apple orchard, and 
 pear and plum trees in the garden being 
 among his earlier improvements. 
 
 It is said that at the time of the mem- 
 orable great November snow-storm, the 
 effects of which may still be seen in our 
 forests in bent and distorted trees, while 
 the family were at dinner, the young apple 
 trees were discovered to be breaking down 
 beneath the fast accumulating snow, and 
 the boys left their bowls of " hominy and 
 milk" to shake the apple trees, which were 
 saved only by repeating the shaking at 
 short intervals through the afternoon and 
 evening. 
 
 In 1804, his entire stock of cattle, con- 
 sisting of a yoke of 4-years-old oxen and of 
 2 cows, were bitten by a mad dog that came 
 along, and all died and were buried in one 
 hole together. 
 
 Mr. Webster died Jan. 8, 1823, aged 60 
 years, 9 months, 21 days, leaving a wife, 
 who died in 1838, aged 66 years, and 6 
 sons and 4 daughters, all of whom lived to 
 have families of their own. Of these but 
 two, Edmund Webster, of Randolph, and 
 Benoni Webster, of Northfield, are known 
 to be now living ; but the descendants of 
 the third and fourth generations are widely 
 scattered through the country from New 
 Hampshire in the East to California in the 
 West, and from Minnesota in the north to 
 Texas in the South ; but one family, that 
 of the writer, being left in Roxbury. 
 
 CHARLES WEBSTER. 
 BY A. WEBSTER. 
 
 Charles, oldest son of Benoni and Sally 
 Metcalf Webster, was born June 5, 1790, 
 at Lebanon Parish, Conn., and came to 
 Roxbury with his father when 7 years old, 
 and was educated in the common schools 
 of district No. i and the home college by 
 his father's hearth, reading by the light of 
 the open fire during the autumn and winter 
 evenings. It was his custom to keep a 
 supply of birch bark to furnish light when 
 the usual fire was insufficient. 
 
 Being the oldest boy and large of his 
 age, he was his father's chief assistant in 
 clearing away the forest and making a cul- 
 
 tivated farm. One of his recreations at 
 this time was fishing in the stream that 
 runs through the valley half a mile north of 
 his father's farm, where the brook trout 
 were so abundant that he often hired one 
 of the Adams boys to help him carry his 
 fish up the hill, home. 
 
 The wolves made havoc with the sheep 
 of the neighborhood, and he and the Gallup 
 boys devised a plan to capture them. They 
 built a conical pen of saplings, about 6 feet 
 high, and placed in it a couple of lambs to 
 entice the wolves into the trap, shrewdly 
 calculating while it would be easy for the 
 wolves to run up the inclined sides and 
 leap down into the pen, it would not be so 
 easy for them, after gorging with mutton, 
 to leap out. 
 
 Sanguine of success, they visited the 
 trap every morning, expecting to find a 
 large pack of fierce wolves safely corraled 
 and howling with rage. This for several 
 mornings. At length, one morning when 
 they came to inspect, beginning to wonder 
 why the wolves were so slow in getting in ; 
 the trap seemed to be empty. No lambs 
 appeared skipping around within, and after 
 a close examination, there appeared only a 
 few bones and shreds of wool. The wolves 
 had doubtless climbed upon the shoulders 
 of each other and got out. Their two lambs 
 were gone for nought. Not to be foiled in 
 this way, the boys immediately built a 
 much stronger and higher pen, but the 
 wolves were not heard from afterwards, and 
 it was supposed they left the place in dis- 
 gust. 
 
 He commenced teaching school when 
 quite young, and followed it for fourteen 
 winters, acquiring such a reputation as a 
 teacher and disciplinarian that his services 
 were often sought for in schools where 
 other teachers had failed. 
 
 On one occasion, it is said that some 
 large boys burned his ferule, and made 
 other preparations for carrying him out, 
 as they had a previous teacher. The 
 game commenced promptly, but a leg 
 hastily wrenched from a bench did such 
 etfective service that there was no further 
 use for instruments of discipline during 
 that term. 
 
ROXBURY. 
 
 743 
 
 In Aug. 1823, he married Eleanor P. 
 Ryder, and settled on his farm in East 
 Roxbury, half a mile below the mills where 
 his son, Aaron, now resides, where he 
 lived till the next spring, when, having 
 bought a part of the farm of his father's 
 estate, he moved on to it, and lived there 
 until the spring of 1830, when he returned 
 to his first farm, where he lived until his 
 death, Nov. 5, 1834. 
 
 About 1830, he raised from his famous 
 "Wild Air" mare twin colts, of which he 
 was proud ; but one of which, a noble and 
 powerful animal, but skittish and uncon- 
 trollable when frightened, was the occasion 
 of his instantaneous death, by being thrown 
 from his wagon in the night, near the Peck 
 farm in Brookfield. He had often ex- 
 pressed a presentiment that he should die 
 by accident, and was the last of three 
 cousins, the oldest sons of three sisters, to 
 be killed instantly by accident. 
 
 SPAULDING FAMILY. 
 
 Darius Spaulding was from Plainfield, 
 Conn., married Hannah Ingraham from 
 Providence, R. I. They had a number of 
 children when they came here, in 1799. 
 Mr. Spaulding came in the fall, slashed a 
 piece, built a log-house, and moved his 
 family the next spring. Nearly, and per- 
 haps all the Spauldings in town at the 
 present day, and they are very numerous, 
 are descendants of Darius and Hannah 
 Spaulding. They reared a family of 8 
 sons and 3 daughters. 
 
 Gilbert, the eldest, married Renda Mc 
 Clure, moved to New York, and died at 
 the ripe age of 90. He was a great chop- 
 per, even for those days, when all were 
 supposed to know how to wield an ax. It 
 is said 8 cords only made him a fair day's 
 work, nothing at all to boast of. 
 
 Darius Jr. married Betsey Spaulding, 
 and they lived and died at a good old age, 
 in Roxbury. Two of their sons still live 
 in town, Charles and Samuel. 
 
 John, "the 3d son of Darius Sen., mar- 
 ried Betsey McClure, of Stafford, Conn. 
 They commenced keeping hotel in 1822, 
 near where Julius Kent now lives. They 
 had also a saw and grist-mill. 
 
 Mr. Burnham, merchant at Roxbury vil- 
 
 lage, says, when a small boy, he went there 
 with his grist, and Mrs. Spaulding who 
 was an energetic little woman, took his 
 grain, carried it into the mill, ground it 
 and brought it back to him. 
 
 Mr. Spaulding built the Summit House 
 in 1830, where he remained until a few 
 years previous to his death, in 1864. His 
 widow is still living, hale and happy, loved 
 and respected.- Her friends celebrated 
 her 90th birth-day the 9th of last Sept. 
 [1881.] She has had 5 children, all of 
 whom are living, Erastus N. Billings, Mrs. 
 P. Wiley, Mrs. Brackett and Mrs. A. N. 
 Tilden. All living in their native town, 
 clustered about their aged mother. 
 
 Philip married Polly Nichols, of North- 
 field, is now living in Hermon, N. Y., 84 
 years of age . 
 
 Erastus, the 4th son, built the house 
 where Dea. Edwards now lives, and kept 
 a hotel there several years. He married a 
 widow, Whitcomb, by name, from Waits- 
 field. They removed to DeKalb, N. Y., 
 where he died a short time since, at an ad- 
 vanced age. 
 
 Allen was their first child, born in this 
 town in 1804, and married Hannah Sam- 
 son in 1828 ; moved on to the Rood place, 
 and kept a small store 3 years ; then built 
 a store in the village, which he occupied 
 for ID years, near the R. R. crossing, 
 where Geo. Butterfield now resides. He 
 represented the town 4 years. He enlist- 
 ed, in '61, in Co. H, 6 Vt. Reg., as major ; 
 was appointed sergeant with captain's pay. 
 
 At one time during the war, he was or- 
 dered to take a small squad of men, and 
 go in search of cattle for beef, as it had been 
 a long time the regiment had subsisted on 
 salt meat and "hard tack." They travelled 
 till nearly night before they got track of 
 what they were in quest of, and they found 
 themselves 25 miles from camp in the en- 
 emy's territory. Being told a woman near 
 by owned a fine flock of sheep, he took a 
 couple of men and called on her. She 
 with her two daughters sat on a rustic seat 
 in a beautiful garden, surrounded with the 
 appearances of wealth and luxury. He 
 made known his errand, when out of her 
 mouth poured a torrent of oaths and the 
 
744 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 coarsest invectives that he had ever heard 
 a woman utter, abusing him and the Union 
 army in general. A servant rode up on an 
 elegant horse, and dismounting, asked his 
 mistress " if she knew she was addressing 
 Union officers?" She said she knew it 
 very well. The Major informed her he 
 came to buy her sheep, but as she had 
 none to sell to " Union men," he should 
 take them without if they suited him, and 
 ordering one of his men to mount the 
 horse her servant had just dismounted 
 from, they rode oft", amid the hysterical 
 screams of the mother and daughters. 
 They camped for the night on an old planta- 
 tion, about 2 miles from there, but had 
 pickets out to keep an eye on the move- 
 ments of the enemy. After all was quiet 
 at the plantation, 200 mounted darkies 
 came, and attempted to retake the widow's 
 property, but at the first crack of a rifle, 
 they " skedaddled." The Major got back 
 to camp with 25 head of fat cattle, and pre- 
 sented the beautiful pony to the Colonel. 
 
 At another time there were 100 men 
 sick, and the surgeon said they would all 
 die unless they had milk. The Major was 
 ordered to take 10 men and go and buy 
 milk for the sick. They went to a planta- 
 tion where 100 cows were kept, just as 
 they were coming off the ranche to be 
 milked. They asked to buy milk for sick 
 soldiers. The surly old fellow said he had 
 " no milk to sell Union soldiers." The 
 Major went back, got a permit from the 
 Provost Marshal, and was there early 
 the next morning ; selected 10 fine cows, 
 and in spite of the old gentleman's pro- 
 testing, drove them to camp. The sick 
 had milk freely, and when they were or- 
 dered to Florida, in 6 weeks from that 
 time, every man but one was able to go. 
 The Major turned over his dairy to the 
 Provost Marshal, according to army regu- 
 lations, and the surly old fellow who would 
 not sell milk to sick soldiers, never re- 
 covered his lost kine. 
 
 So carefully did Major Spaulding look 
 after the interests of the soldiers, he was 
 called the father of the regiment. He is 
 now living, hale and hearty, at the age of 
 ']'], and the oldest person living but one 
 
 who was born in town, and has lived there 
 the most part of his life. 
 
 SAMUEL ROBERTSON, 
 
 (BY ORAMEL RICHARDSON.) 
 
 Son of Patrick and Elizabeth Robertson, 
 natives of Scotland, was born in New 
 London, Ct., Aug. 18, 1775. He lost his 
 father when quite young. His mother 
 married again, and lived in Staff"ord, Ct., 
 where he lived till he came to this town. 
 Aug. 1 80 1, he married Persis Richardson, 
 of Tolland, Ct., and the next March they 
 moved here, on to the place now owned 
 by John Cumins, on East Hill. Their 
 first business after getting settled was 
 sugaring. They made 16 pounds, their 
 stock of sugar for that year. 
 
 There were only five or si.x families in 
 that part of the town. Mr. Samuel Rich- 
 ardson had a few years before begun a set- 
 tlement in the extreme west part of the 
 town, and that at this time was the "center" 
 of civilization, and here Mr. Robertson 
 taught a school during the winter of 
 1802 and '3. The school-house was the 
 first framed building in town, and stood 
 very nearly where the Royal Batchelder 
 house now does. He had 68 scholars, 
 and the room being small, they were 
 packed like " herrings in a box," and came 
 from five or six miles around in different 
 directions. He lived some 3 miles dis- 
 tant, and walked to and from his school 
 each day through the deep snows, with no 
 track most of the way except what he made 
 himself. He taught here two or three 
 succeeding winters, and during the time 
 moved into the school-house he had occu- 
 pied, and lived there a few years, when he 
 bought the land now owned by Hira G. 
 Ellis, and made a permanent settlement, 
 clearing up the forests and erecting com- 
 fortable buildings. His house was on the 
 old road leading by where Dea. W. I. 
 Simonds and S. G. Stanton now live. He 
 moved his buildings, about 1834, down on 
 to the county road, where they now stand. 
 Here he lived until within 12 years of his 
 death. 
 
 He possessed a vigorous mind, and was 
 very fond of investigation and argument, 
 
ROXBURY. 
 
 745 
 
 especially on religious subjects. His house 
 was known far and wide as the "minister's 
 tavern," and ministers of all "evangelical 
 sects" usually made it their home when 
 in that vicinity, and nothing suited him 
 better than to have some stiff Baptist or 
 Calvinist stop over night. On all such oc- 
 casions, as soon as supper was over, chores 
 done and candles lighted, the gauntlet was 
 sure to be thrown down, and then came 
 the " tug of war" — generally the old clock 
 in the " square room" struck twelve before 
 the battle ceased, and then only from ex- 
 haustion, and never because either party 
 considered themselves vanquished. He 
 was a great reader, and never failed or 
 feared to express his opinion on any sub- 
 ject up for public discussion, and never 
 failed to cast his vote every year after he 
 attained his majority until his death. He 
 was once in the state of New York, teach- 
 ing, when an election occurred, and altho' 
 but a temporary resident of the state, so 
 great was his interest in the election, he 
 purchased a piece of land for the sole pur- 
 pose of being qualified to vote (a property 
 qualification being then necessary in that 
 state) . 
 
 He held many town offices in the early 
 part of his life, but was rather too pro- 
 nounced and positive in his opinions of 
 men and measures to be "popular" in po- 
 litical circles. He took an active part in 
 the first temperance movement which agi- 
 tated New England. He had previous to 
 that time been a temperate user of ardent 
 spirits, but when the subject was presented 
 to him, he at once gave it his unqualified 
 support, and conferring "not with flesh 
 and blood," he banished every drop from 
 his house, and going farther, he abandon- 
 ed the use of tobacco, breaking a habit of 
 30 years standing. 
 
 There is an anecdote about his using 
 tobacco : Some 60 years ago, Moses Claf- 
 lin, a simple man who lived in this town, 
 who occasionally made his home with Mr. 
 R., one evening sat by the fire in a 
 "brown study," and Esq. Roberston sat 
 opposite, quietly chewing, and now and 
 then spitting into the broad fireplace. At 
 last Moses looked up and asked, "Squire, 
 
 what did you learn to chew tobaker for?" 
 Mr. Roberston replied, " Oh, so's to be a 
 gentleman." Moses studied the matter a 
 moment and with great gravity replied, 
 " W'al, ye did'nt make out, did ye?" 
 
 Mrs. Roberston died Dec, 1859, ^^^i" ^ 
 married life of almost 60 years, during 
 which she had borne her full share of the 
 duties and cares of their lot. 
 
 Twice after they came to Vermont she 
 made the journey to the home of her 
 youth in Connecticut on horseback, a feat 
 our lady equestrians of to-day would hardly 
 care to undertake. 
 
 Ever after the death of his wife, Mr. R. 
 seemed to lose his hold of things earthly, 
 and to be quietly waiting for the realiza- 
 tion of the faith which had been an anchor 
 to him and his companion during their 
 long pilgrimage together. He was a life- 
 long Christian. He maintained his mental 
 faculties to a remarkable degree up to 
 within a few weeks of his death, and was 
 during his latter years very cheerful, very 
 grateful for kindnesses he received, and at 
 last passed away as an infant sinks to 
 slumber, beloved by all who knew him, 
 Sept. 6, 1872, aged 97 years, 19 days. 
 
 Seth Richardson came here in 1802 ; 
 settled near Braintree, in the south part of 
 the town; died May 25, 1829, and Sarah, 
 his wife, died July i, 1836. Their chil- 
 dren were: Phila, Hannah, Joel, Alva. 
 
 JosiAH Shaw came to town in 1800; 
 lived in the East part, and was quite a 
 prominent man. Henry Boyce, son of Dr. 
 Boyce, was also a prominent man in the 
 East part of the town. He died in i860. 
 
 Jonathan F. Ruggles was a resident 
 of the east part of the town, and perhaps 
 no man enjoyed in a greater degree the 
 confidence of his fellow-townsmen, there 
 being no office of importance but he had 
 at some time filled. He died in North- 
 field. 
 
 ALVIN BRIGHAM 
 
 came here when a young man, about 
 the year 1823, from Fayston. He was 
 born in Old Marlborough, Mass., and a 
 brother of Elisha Brigham (for whose bio- 
 graphical sketch see Fayston, this vol.) 
 Alvin Brigham married Flora Baxter, of 
 
 94 
 
746 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 Fayston. They moved on to the present 
 Wetmore place. He was a man scrupu- 
 lously honest, a leader in the church, and 
 for many years leader of the choir. They 
 had 9 children. 
 
 The eldest son, Ozro, fell in the last 
 war. Don, the youngest son, served 
 through the rebellion, but died a short 
 time after his return. Bravely like a true 
 soldier he yielded up his young life with- 
 out a murmur, when life was fairest ; ere 
 the clouds had dimmed the horizon of his 
 sky, bade them all- his dear ones — a 
 smiling "good-bye," and went out into 
 the great "unknown." 
 
 Two other children died during an ep- 
 idemic of fever — Flora Ann, i8, and Al- 
 phonso, 14 years of age. One son and 
 three daughters now reside in Lowell, 
 Mass., and the second son, William, lives 
 in the edge of Northfield. Mr. Brigham 
 was a great sufferer for several years be- 
 fore his death. When the summons came, 
 and told he might live an hour, he said, 
 " O ! can I wait so long before I shall be 
 with my Father?" He died in 1871 ; his 
 wife survived him only a few months. 
 
 EBENEZER L. WATERMAN 
 
 is one of the early — not earliest — settlers. 
 He came from Connecticut, as did most of 
 them, but when he was very small. He 
 has been a great musician in his day, and 
 people are scarce in Central Vermont who 
 have not heard of " Uncle Eb." Waterman 
 and his violin. And even now, when he 
 is between 80 and 90 years of age, the 
 young people delight to gather in " Uncle 
 Eb.'s" ample kitchen, and " trip the light 
 fantastic toe," or listen to the still sweet 
 strains of his old violin. At the age of 45 he 
 married a wife of 18. They had 6 children. 
 Bert Waterman, leader of the Howard 
 Opera House Orchestra at Burlington, is 
 his only living son, and probably has not 
 his peer in the State as violin player. 
 
 ORCUTT FAMILY. 
 
 Capt. Job came from Stafford, Conn., in 
 1803 ; was a carpenter by trade. He set- 
 tled on the high lands then, and for many 
 years, the centre of the town. He had 7 
 sons and 4 daughters. 
 
 Samuel M. Orcutt, with whom he 
 spent his declining years, was one of the 
 stirring business men of those times, hold- 
 ing various important offices from time to 
 time. He was town clerk for 20 years, 
 and town meetings were held at his house 
 for a long time. At the time of the " in- 
 vasion" at Plattsburgh in 181 2, he went 
 out as Captain of Roxbury Co. (said com- 
 pany including every man in town except- 
 ing Samuel Richardson, who much re- 
 gretted that he was too aged, and Job 
 Orcutt, a lame man.) Capt. Samuel Or- 
 cuttmarried Mary Buel, of Lebanon, Conn., 
 and the bride came to her new home on 
 horseback. They reared a family of 7 
 boys and 2 girls. The eldest daughter 
 married Wm. Gold, of Northfield, where 
 she now resides. 
 
 Samuel A. received an injury while 
 assisting at a "raising," from a falling 
 timber, from which he never recovered. 
 He died in 1835. 
 
 Benjamin F. went to Michigan just pre- 
 vious to the Mexican war ; enlisted and 
 served through the war ; returned to Kal- 
 amazoo, Mich., where he was elected 
 county sheriff, and filled that office many 
 years. When the rebellion broke out, he 
 again enlisted, and went out as Lieut. Col. 
 of the 25th Mich. Reg't., serving under 
 Gen. Sherman until the war was over, 
 when he returned to Kalamazoo, and was 
 again elected high sheriff, and Dec. 12, 
 1867, was fatally shot, while on official 
 duty, by a desperado who was trying to 
 assist prisoners to escape from the jail. 
 He died in the prime of a noble manhood, 
 'igcd 53. James, 3d son, died when quite 
 young. 
 
 Orrin has lived in town most of the 
 time since his birth. He has been sheriff 
 and deputy 25 years ; postmaster 26 years, 
 occupying that position at the present 
 time. 
 
 Wm. B. has always resided in his native 
 town ; has 3 times represented the town in 
 the legislature, and 2 years been county 
 judge. 
 
 Stephen P. remained at the old family 
 homestead many years, but now resides in 
 Northfield. The aged mother spent her 
 
ROXBURY. 
 
 747 
 
 last days with him, dying, at the age of 
 96, in 1879. Jasper H. was the 7th son. 
 He moved to Northiield. 
 
 SCHOOL DISTRICTS. 
 
 No. I district, in the east part of the 
 town, was set off in 1801, then known as 
 Daniel Kingsbury district, afterwards as 
 Wales district, No. i. In 1802 a district 
 was set off in the N. W. part of the town, 
 where Samuel Richardson now lives, known 
 as N. West district. No. 2. In 1805, an- 
 other district was formed in the S. E. part 
 of the town, known as David Cram's dis- 
 trict. No. 3. The same year it was voted 
 all the inhabitants not in regular districts 
 should form one district, No. 4. There 
 have been alterations from year to year 
 and new districts organized. There are 
 now II districts and logood school-houses 
 in town. 
 
 The number of scholars in 1807 were 
 108; 1811, 104; 1816, 157; 1831,431; 
 1849,418; 1850, 351; i860, 336; 1880, 
 251 ; the average since 18 16 to 188 1, 340 
 scholars yearly. 
 
 EARLY TAVERNS AND LATER HOTELS. 
 
 The first tavern in town was where 
 Conway now lives, what is known as the 
 " Rood place,'' John Stafford, proprietor. 
 The next was kept by Darius Spaulding, 
 where Frank Snow now lives. John Spaul- 
 ding kept the third hotel, opposite where 
 Mr. Pearsons now lives, on the mountain 
 road. 
 
 In East Roxbury, Stillman Ruggles, 
 E. B. Pride, Samuel P. Wales, Shubael 
 Wales, Alpheus Kendall, kept a public 
 house on the Samuel Edwards place. 
 
 The Summit House, built in 1822, by 
 John Spaulding, and occupied by him, 
 has been kept by Stephen Fuller, Chester 
 Clark, Page J. C. Rice, E. G. Sanborn, 
 Van Ness Spaulding, Edwin Ferris, James 
 P. Warner, Thomas Wilson, E. N. Spaul- 
 ding, Spaulding & Colby, Spaulding & 
 Nichols, Warner & Spaulding, Mrs. J. P. 
 Warner, present proprietor, and D. A. 
 Spaulding. 
 
 EARLY MERCHANTS. 
 The first in town was Asa Taylor, near 
 where E.N. Spaulding's steam-mill stands. 
 
 The next was Robertson & Orcutt, who 
 also had a potash run, and manufactured 
 salts. Allen Spaulding, Orrin Orcutt, were 
 the next in order among the first settlers. 
 Partridge built the store where the post- 
 office now is, and occupied it for several 
 years. Then Brackett & Thorp, E. N. 
 Spaulding, Benjamin Spear, Seth Holman 
 and J. A. White, Union Store. 
 
 CEMETERIES. 
 
 In 1804, the town laid out three burying- 
 grounds ; one in the west part of the town, 
 on Uriah Richardson's farm, near where 
 O. A. Staples now lives ; one in the east 
 part of the town, on the road from Roxbury 
 to Braintree, near where Mr. Bowman now 
 lives, and one in the centre of the town, 
 on the Billa Woodard farm. Some years 
 later another was located on the Haynes 
 farm — the lot given by the Haynes family, 
 and the only one in use at the present 
 time in the west part of the town. There 
 was also one laid out in the east part of 
 the town, near the Henry Boyce place, 
 about the same time. Albert Averill has 
 been sexton for many years. 
 
 EPIDEMICS. 
 
 This has ever been called a healthful 
 locality; and with good reason, -yet at dif- 
 ferent times it has been visited by epidem- 
 ics. The dysentery swept through the 
 town, carrying off many victims, in 1823. 
 The diphtheria has appeared at different 
 times in epidemic form, and desolated 
 many homes. 
 
 PHYSICIANS 
 
 who have lived here : John Stafford was 
 the first. How well versed in the science 
 of medicine he may have been there is no 
 record ; but there is no doubt but he dealt 
 out "pills and potions " to the early set- 
 tlers with a generous hand, to say nothing 
 of cupping, blistering and bleeding. 
 
 Next came Dr. David McClure, from 
 Stafford, Conn., the father of Mrs. John 
 Spaulding, who remained in town during 
 the rest of his life. 
 
 Dr. Hunter lived several years where E. 
 L. Waterman now lives, and was consid- 
 ered a skillful physician, as was Dr. Boyce, 
 of the East part, who practiced there at the 
 same time. 
 
748 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 For several years there was no physician 
 in town. Dr. White came for a few 
 months, in 1868, and Dr. S. N. Welch in 
 1870," and remained a few years, building 
 the house where Mr. Frink now lives, and 
 he had a very good practice. 
 
 Dr. George Maloy, of Montpelier, was 
 the next. He was a student of Dr. Wood- 
 ard, of Montpelier, but remained only a 
 few months. 
 
 Dr. Ira H. Fiske came from Hardwick 
 in 1878, and is the only physician in town 
 at the present time, and is the only hom- 
 oeopathic physician that ever settled in 
 town, and has been very successful. 
 
 MANUFACTORIES. 
 
 Samuel Richardson built the first saw 
 and grist-mill in town, i^ miles from the 
 village, on the Warren road. He after- 
 wards built another on the west branch of 
 Dog River, about half a mile from the vil- 
 lage. Elijah Ellis built a saw and clover- 
 mill in 18 18, where S. N. Miller's carriage 
 shop now is. The clover-mill was swept 
 away by freshet in 1830; the saw-mill had 
 the same fate in 1832 ; latter was rebuilt. 
 
 John McNeal erected a frame for a saw- 
 mill in the " four mile woods," on a branch 
 of Dog River, in 1825, Samuel Orcutt fin- 
 ished it, and it done good business until 
 1830; it was swept away by a freshet, 
 which seemed the common fate of mills of 
 those days. David Wellington built a 
 saw-mill in 1825, near where E. N. Spaul- 
 ding's steam-mill now stands. 
 
 Charles Colton put a grist-mill into the 
 same building shortly afterwards. Amos 
 Wellington built a saw-mill on the West 
 hill in 1839, now owned by Asahel Flint. 
 Josiah Shaw built a clover-mill on east 
 branch of Dog River, in the East part of 
 the town. 
 
 John M. Spaulding, in 1822, built a saw- 
 mill near the Richardson grist-mill, and 
 another, several years afterwards, in the 
 village, now owned by J. G. Hall. 
 
 John Prince built a saw-mill, in 1849, 
 near where Spaulding's mill now stands, 
 and also manufactured butter-tubs, now 
 owned by E. P. Burnham for a clap-board 
 mill. 
 
 Samuel Robertson and Leicester Davis 
 
 erected a building in 1820, on the farm 
 where W. I. Simonds now lives, for the 
 purpose of manufacturing wooden bowls 
 and plates. But it did not prove a success 
 and was given tip in a few years. Jotham 
 Ellis built a mill in 18 — for manufacturing 
 wooden boxes, clothes-pins, turning bed- 
 posts, &c. Later it was used by Siloam 
 Spaulding for a carriage shop, and by 
 Philander Wiley for turning, &c. 
 
 Stillman Ruggles built a carriage shop 
 in the east part of the town in 1830, and 
 carried on the carriage business until 1850. 
 Samuel Ruggles and S.N. Miller carried 
 on the same business there afterwards. 
 
 S. N. Miller commenced carriage-mak- 
 ing near the Elijah Ellis saw -mill in i860, 
 and still continues at the business there. 
 
 Howard Warriner had a cabinet-shop in 
 the south-east part of the town, and Mr. 
 Wright built a saw-mill on the same stream 
 west of Warriner's shop. 
 
 Luther and David Ellis built a saw-mill 
 on the middle branch of Dog river in 1850 ; 
 Laban Webster & F. A. Wiley on middle 
 branch of Dog river in 1869; Ebenezer 
 Brackett in the south part of the town in 
 1848 ; sold to Thomas Gushing, of Dover, 
 N. H. A vast amount of bridge timber, 
 plank and ties were sawed here for the Vt. 
 Central when being built. E. N. Spaul- 
 ding and Samuel R. Batchelder built a 
 steam-mill in the south-west part of the 
 town in 1849. Henry Smith built a saw- 
 mill on "Tracy Hill" in 1823; burned in 
 1835; Joseph Wardner a saw and grist- 
 mill in the east part of the town, now 
 owned by Jacob Wardner, and Bezaleel 
 Spaulding a saw-mill on his farm in 1848. 
 
 Benjamin H. Warriner built a shop near 
 the "old Hutchinson place" in 1829, for 
 the manufacture of sleighs, chairs and 
 furniture of all kinds, and in 1835 put in 
 machinery for manufacturing window-sash, 
 blinds, etc. 
 
 James Cram built a saw-mill on the 
 brook above the Hutchinson place in 1830. 
 
 Daniel Kingsley commenced wool card- 
 ing in 1800, in the east part of the town. 
 
 Harrison and Charles Fields built a 
 steam saw-mill about a mile below E. N. 
 Spaulding's in , and after carrying on 
 
ROXBURY. 
 
 749 
 
 an extensive business for two years, moved 
 , it to Richmond. 
 
 E.N. Spaulding's steam saw-mill, built 
 in 1866, has turned off yearly an average 
 of 1,500,000 feet of lumber. He has also 
 manufactured croquet to a considerable 
 extent. 
 
 William Bruce & Sons built a steam- 
 mill in the south part of the town in 1877. 
 It was burned in 1880, and rebuilt. This 
 mill, as well as E. N. Spaulding's, has fur- 
 nished employment foragreat many hands. 
 Ira Williams & Victor Spear are now 
 erecting a steam saw-mill in the south-east 
 part of the town. 
 
 Dan Tarbell erected a steam saw-mil! 
 near the railroad crossing in the village in 
 1881, not yet thorougly completed. 
 
 Charles Samson owned a distillery and 
 manufactured potato whisky on the west 
 hill, near what is now called "Wetmore 
 place." 
 
 Billa Woodard manufactured saddle- 
 trees several years, and Eleazer Woodard 
 later carried on the .same business. 
 
 Ephraim Morris & Nathan Kendall 
 owned a tannery at the foot of East Hill, 
 on land now owned by Wm. B. Orcutt. 
 They carried on the business only a few 
 years . 
 
 In 1853, immense veins of 
 
 VERD ANTIQUE MARBLE 
 
 were discovered. A large building was 
 erected, with steam power for working the 
 marble. It was found to be very beauti- 
 ful, and capable of receiving a high polish. 
 Monuments, tables, mantels, etc., man- 
 ufactured were extremely beautiful, but the 
 company became involved in debt, and 
 the property was sold in 1856, to pay 
 liabilities. It was purchased by an asso- 
 ciation under the name of " Verd Antique 
 Marble Company," for the amount pre- 
 viously expended. It was then managed 
 by a joint stock company, but finally sus- 
 pended business in 1857. 
 
 THE Vl^ATCH FACTORY 
 
 was built in 1867. It is located in a lovely 
 and picturesque place, a short distance 
 west from the depot. 12 hands are now 
 employed there. Aug. i, 1879, a partner- 
 ship was formed, under the title, "J. G. 
 
 Hall Mfg. Co.," between J. G. Hall and 
 his son, F. W. Hall, for the manufacture 
 of watchmakers' tools, principally a " Stak- 
 ing Tool," the invention of J. G. Hall, 
 which meets with a ready sale, owing to 
 the very fine workmanship and correctness 
 exercised in their manufacture, they being 
 worthless unless exact. These tools are 
 in use in nearly every State in the Union, 
 and also in Canada, France and England. 
 They also manufacture a variety of small 
 tools for watch-repairers' use. The Co. 
 had a sample of their tools on exhibition 
 at the State Fair in 1880, receiving the 
 only gold medal awarded in Mechanics' 
 Hall. 
 
 THE FIRST MAIL ROUTE 
 
 through Roxbury was up the first branch 
 of White river from W. Randolph, through 
 Braintree and Kingston (now Granville), 
 up the old road to John Spaulding's hotel, 
 near the Royal Batchelder place. John 
 Spaulding was postmaster. Guy Edson 
 carried the first mail in 1826. It being 
 known the mail was to arrive at such a 
 time, there was a great gathering and re- 
 joicing, and a little new rum as a matter 
 of course. The route continued down the 
 old road east to Elijah Ellis' (now Mrs. 
 Brackett's) , thence north by the old Joseph 
 Hixon place, Samuel Robertson's, John 
 Paine's, Nathan Haynes', and then on to 
 the hill near where Clark Wiley now lives, 
 to Northfield. The mail run that way 
 until about 1830. In 1828, the county 
 road from Northfield line to Granville, 
 through Roxbury village, was surveyed by 
 David M: Lane, county surveyor. In 
 1830, John Spaulding having built the 
 Summit House, where the village now is, 
 the mail commenced running on that road, 
 with a daily stage of 4 or 6-horse coach 
 for some years ; then the stage and mail 
 went from West Randolph through East 
 Roxbury to Northfield, and the mail was 
 carried to West Randolph and back with a 
 horse and gig until the railroad was built 
 in 1848. The cars came to Roxbury 40 
 days before the road was completed to 
 Northfield, making it a very lively busi- 
 ness place. Teams from as far as Bur- 
 lington for freight, 6 and 8-horse teams. 
 
75° 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 making it very profitable for inn-keepers 
 those days. 
 
 OUR LARGE CATAMOUNT. 
 A large catamount was killed in town in 
 1823. Allen Spaulding gives this account. 
 He had been calling on his sweetheart, 
 who lived near the "Leonard place." The 
 fair Hattie was the best of company, and 
 he could hardly credit his senses when he 
 started for home and saw the rosy morn- 
 ing peeping over the eastern hills. Ashe 
 was making rapid strides on, he noticed 
 the huge track of some animal in the new 
 snow, and the track seemed a new one. 
 He examined it closely, and came to the 
 conclusion it was a bear track, and thought 
 he would get help and capture him. Jo- 
 seph Batchelder and himself followed the 
 trail all day, but without once getting a 
 glimpse of "the bear," and Batchelder 
 gave it up in disgust. Spaulding, how- 
 ever, renewed the pursuit the next morn- 
 ing, accompanied by Capt. Young, who 
 had quite an exalted opinion of his own 
 prowess and skill in hunting, of bears, es- 
 pecially. They struck a new track in the 
 light snow, and followed it to a ledge op- 
 posite the old steam-mill. Matters were 
 becoming quite interesting, but "Capt. 
 Sip." declared "by the gods he never 
 was afraid of a bear, and if Spaulding 
 would go one way he would go the other, 
 and start him out," but he took another 
 look at the huge track, and his ardor 
 cooled a little. He concluded they had 
 better keep together. They had not pro- 
 ceeded far when they heard a fierce growl 
 and a bound, and saw the leaves flying in 
 every direction, but by the time they had 
 got around the ledge, the animal was out 
 of sight, making 20 feet at a leap. Spaul- 
 ding thought it could never be a bear, but 
 " by the gods it /j," persisted Capt. 
 Sip., " and a regular old long fellow, too." 
 They followed on till dusk, and gave up 
 the chase for that day. The next morn- 
 ing tracks were seen near Billa Woodard's, 
 on East Hill, and James McNeil, Charles 
 Ellis, Ira Spaulding and Orrin Orcutt 
 started in pursuit. Charles Ellis getting 
 a glimpse of the hunted animaPs tawny 
 coat, declared, "the dog had a fox up a 
 
 tree." They soon found they had a rather 
 different foe to meet, and that without 
 rifles. They had only shot-guns loaded 
 with slugs to contend with a huge cata- 
 mount, but they gave him a salute from 
 two or three, breaking his shoulder, and 
 down the fierce animal came, about 20 feet, 
 caught on a limb, ran up again, turning on 
 his pursuers with open mouth, preparing 
 for a spring. One of the party gave him a 
 charge of "chain-links" in the open 
 mouth, when he turned and jumped the 
 other way, tearing huge splinters from a 
 fallen tree and the earth up around him in 
 every direction in his death agonies. He 
 was the largestcatamount ever killed in the 
 State previous to the one killed in Barnard 
 the present season. They were of the 
 same length and height, but the last killed 
 was several pounds heavier. He was sold 
 at auction to Orrin Orcutt, prepared for 
 and kept on exhibition until every one had 
 seen him in this vicinity, and then sold to 
 Mr. Ralph, of Warren, a man in poor 
 health and indigent circumstances, who 
 made quite a fortune taking him about the 
 country. 
 
 About this time there was also a moose 
 killed near the old pond, the man who was 
 so fortunate being very destitute. The 
 meat (he was a large fellow), was a per- 
 fect " God-send " to his family. 
 
 CHURCH HISTORY 
 
 is very meagre here. There have been no 
 records kept of the early churches. The 
 Methodist and Calvinist Baptist seem to 
 have been first organized. The first min- 
 ister publicly ordained in town was 
 
 OPHIR SHIPMAN. 
 
 The charter of the town allowed the first 
 ordained minister a lot of land, and Rev. 
 Lyman Culver was privately ordained, and 
 claimed the lot, it is said, but there was 
 great dissatisfaction. Mr. O. Richardson 
 says they came to his uncle, Samuel Rob- 
 ertson, in the night to let him know it, 
 and he went to Northfield after 12 o'clock 
 at night, and the next day Rev. Ophir 
 Shipman was ordained. 
 
 BAPTISTS. 
 
 Rev. Lyman Culver was one of the 
 earliest Baptist preachers (probably the 
 
ROXBURY. 
 
 751 
 
 first), and resided in town several years. 
 Friend Blood and Jehial Claflin preached 
 considerably from 1835 to '45. A good 
 old Baptist lady was " churched " for com- 
 muning with the Methodists, and she with 
 several others joined the Congregational- 
 ists about this time. 
 
 There was a Calvinistic Baptist church 
 in town many years, but I find no record 
 of it now. Mrs. Woodard is the only 
 member of the Baptist church left in town. 
 A great revival was. brought about in that 
 church in this manner. A little girl over- 
 heard her mother and a neighbor talking 
 of the necessity for a Christian life, and 
 the beauty and purity of a true Christian 
 character, and was so deeply impressed 
 that she went to praying earnestly in se- 
 cret, and came out a shining light, leading 
 others of her companions to do likewise, 
 until it spread into the most extended re- 
 vival ever in town. 
 
 METHODISTS IN ROXBURY. 
 
 As early as 1813, how much earlier I am 
 unable to say, the Methodists held their 
 meetings at Eleazer Woodard's and David 
 Young's. Benjamin F. Hoyt preached in 
 18 1 3, Joel Winch from 1820 to '30, E. J, 
 Scott in 1830, ';i2, John Smith, called 
 Happy John, in 1834, and Hollis Kendall, 
 a native of Roxbury, preached here sev- 
 eral years. He moved to Maine, and died 
 there a few years since. Ariel Fay and 
 John Mason preached here at different 
 times. None of these, with the exception 
 of Hollis Kendall, lived in town. Those 
 early Methodists are nearly all gone to 
 their reward. Phineas Wiley, or " Father " 
 Wiley, as he was called for years, died in 
 1 88 1. I think he was the last member of 
 the first Methodist church formed in town. 
 The first meeting Iiouse was built in 1837, 
 a union church. 
 
 CONGREGATIONALISTS. , 
 
 Of the Congregationalist ministers who 
 preached here in the early times were Rev. 
 Mr. Hobart, of Berlin, Elijah Lyman, of 
 Brookfield, Ammi Nichols, of Braintree, 
 as early as 1814, and meetings were held 
 at Samuel Robertson's and at the old 
 school-house that stood north of where 
 O. A. Staples now lives. 
 
 THE FREE CONGREGATIONALIST CHURCH 
 
 was organized about 1837, by Rev. Ammi 
 Nichols, of Braintree, and what remained 
 of the Methodists and most of the Baptist 
 church joined with them, but they never 
 had a settled minister until J 865, when 
 Rev. A. Ladd was ordained and installed 
 pastor, and remained here until the au- 
 tumn of 1879. They built a pleasant and 
 convenient house of worship in 1871. 
 Samuel Edwards and W. I. Simonds are 
 the only deacons ever chosen, both of 
 whom now officiate. 
 
 A Christian Church was organized in 
 the east part of the town in 1868. Rev. 
 Henry Howard is present pastor (1882). 
 
 Rev. Edward Brown, Universalist, 
 lived in town several years, where John 
 Baird now resides, and preached a part of 
 the time. 
 
 The different religious organizations of 
 this town have been : Congregationalist, 
 Methodist, Episcopal, Free Will Baptist, 
 Calvinist Baptist, Christian, Universalist 
 and Spiritualist. 
 
 Golden Weddings. — I learn of two 
 having been celebrated in this town, that 
 of Mr. and Mrs. James Wiley, in 1871, 
 and Mr. and Mrs. Otis Batchelder in 1880! 
 
 accidental and sudden deaths and 
 suicides. 
 
 BY ZED. S. STANTON, ESQ. 
 
 Joseph Batchelder drowned July 14, 
 1822. 
 
 Uriah Richardson died from injuries re- 
 ceived while chopping, Jan. 21, 1831. 
 
 Alvah Henry, killed by the fall of a tree 
 June 28, 183X. 
 
 Mrs. Belcher, suicide by hanging, about 
 1831. 
 
 Charles Webster, killed by being thrown 
 from a wagon, Nov. 5, 1834. 
 
 Shubael Wales, suicide by shooting, 
 Mar. 18, 1843. 
 
 David Dexter, supposed to have wan- 
 dered away in a state of insanity and died 
 of exposure, about 1843. 
 
 Royal Flint, frozen to death, Jan. 22, 
 1846. 
 
 A man named Jackson was killed by the 
 premature discharge of a blast, at the time 
 
752 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 the Central \'ermont Railroad was in pro- 
 cess of construction, Jan. 25, 1846. 
 
 An Irishman, name unknown, died of 
 exposure in the summer of 1847. 
 
 A young man, name unknown, was 
 drowned in what is now known as Hall's 
 Pond, about 1848. 
 
 Lewis Hutchinson, killed by the fall of a 
 tree, Jan. 26, 1850. 
 
 Charles Green, suicide, by shooting, in 
 
 1854. 
 
 Lutheria Spaulding, aged 5 years, killed 
 by falling beneath a loaded wagon, Aug. 
 5. 1854. 
 
 Jo.seph Paine, 
 
 Peter S. P. Staples, found dead in the 
 woods, Sept. 27, 1856. 
 
 John Campbell, died by poison taken 
 accidentally, Apr. 13, 1861. 
 
 Delia Green, found dead, Aug. 17, 
 1867. 
 
 A. E. Stockwell, a railroad brakeman, 
 killed Nov. 12, 1870. 
 
 Peter Shinah, killed by cars June 29, 
 1870. 
 
 Isaac A. Flint, suicide by cutting his 
 throat, about 1870. 
 
 Mrs. Plurinna Erskine, suicide by hang- 
 ing, Sept. 8, 1872. 
 
 Buel Gold, suicide by hanging, Aug. 
 29, 1876. 
 
 Clarence Tracy, a child, death caused 
 by scalding, Sept. 26, 1876. 
 
 A Central Vermont Railroad brakeman 
 named Sharrow, killed by falling beneath 
 the cars, Feb. 5, 188 1. 
 
 A wood chopper named Fox, killed by 
 a falling tree, Feb. 21, 1881. 
 
 OLD PEOPLE OF ROXBURY, LIVING 1 882. 
 
 Bet?ey G. Spalding 90 
 
 J. L. York *. 84 
 
 Jotham Ellis Ti 
 
 Samuel Edwards 72 
 
 Sylvester E. Spalding 72 
 
 Paulina E . Spalding 70 
 
 Allen Spalding 11 
 
 Seth Bruce 83 
 
 Polly Gould 78 
 
 Moses L. Metcalf 84 
 
 Saul Morgan 81 
 
 John T. Rood 81 
 
 Clark Wiley 7° 
 
 George B. Stanton 72 
 
 Nancy Hutchinson T^ 
 
 Jonas G. Sanders 72 
 
 Milly Ellis ■]^ 
 
 Ervilla Steel 75 
 
 George Erskine 78 
 
 Hiram Walbridge 76 
 
 E. L. Waterman 83 
 
 Adaline Batchelder -J2, 
 
 Maria Davis 70 
 
 Sarah Flint 74 
 
 Sarah E. Woodward 70 
 
 Peter Provo 78 
 
 Adaline Provo 78 
 
 Betsey Rich 85 
 
 Orrin B. Clark 75 
 
 Sophia Wiley 75 
 
 Oramel Williams 82 
 
 Aphia Williams 80 
 
 Hannah Knowles "j"] 
 
 Hannah York 78 
 
 Sally Fletcher 71 
 
 Almond Mclntire 74 
 
 Edmond Darling 70 
 
 Alvira Darling 'j^ 
 
 Lucy Steel 76 
 
 Mary Boyce 78 
 
 Aura Woodward 70 
 
 ROXBURY BOYS ABROAD. 
 
 Andrew .Stanton, a graduate of Tufts 
 College, is now " principal" in the academy 
 at Stoughton, Mass. Will Snow gradua- 
 ted at Hanover, and is now a civil engi- 
 neer in Montana. 
 
 There are a good many graduates of the 
 Normal school in town. Will Simonds was 
 one, who is now teaching near Chicago, 
 111. 
 
 Lucius Jenney went from this town, 
 about 20 years ago, to Middlesex, and 
 from there to Omaha, Neb., and now oc- 
 cupies the position of R. R. Master on 
 the Union Pacific R. R. 
 
 Benj. J. Ellis went from here when a 
 very young man, enlisted and served 
 through the Mexican war ; after its close 
 went to Chicago, 111., and took up the pro- 
 fession of law. He has assisted in organ- 
 izing and sustaining several mission 
 schools, some of them now flourishing 
 churclies, and he often supplies the pulpit, 
 as well as pleads at the Bar. 
 
 S. G. Stanton went to Nebraska in 1879, 
 and is engaged in building a railroad on 
 the Union Pacific. Mr. Stanton was an 
 active business man. 
 
 Mr. O. Richardson moved to Belling- 
 ham, Mass., in '78. Is engaged in the 
 mercantile business. He had been organ- 
 
ROXBURY. 
 
 753 
 
 ist and leader of the choir at the Union 
 church for 20 years when he left town. 
 He was an adopted son of Samuel Rich- 
 ardson, with whom Mr. R. spent his de- 
 clining years. 
 
 John Webster, of east part of town, 
 went to California in '57, has been success- 
 ful in business, and amassed quite a for- 
 tune, z. s. s. 
 
 Will R. Mansfield, at the age of 20, 
 took his small valise in hand and started 
 for the "far west." He stopped a few 
 weeks in Nebraska as telegraph operator 
 on the B. & M. R. R. He then accepted 
 the position of baggage-master and tele- 
 graph operator on a new branch of the 
 Atchison, Topeka & Sante Fe R. R., 
 through New Mexico, and served 2 months, 
 when he was invited to dine with an old 
 Spaniard at Los Vegas, for whom he had 
 done some slight service, and started to 
 return to Grenada, Col. in the caboose 
 that was sent ahead of President Hayes 
 and his escort, on their way from Califor- 
 nia, to see that the road was clear. The 
 party in the " caboose" had been "looking 
 upon the wine when it was red," and when 
 the "caboose" gave a great bound, and 
 any sober person must have known there 
 was some obstruction, they declared there 
 was "nothing wrong," nor would they 
 stop to see whether there was or not. 
 So this Vermont boy turned the brake, 
 caught a lantern and jumped off, and upon 
 examination, several feet of rails were 
 gone, and he had nothing to do there in 
 the wilds of N. M. but wait for the train, 
 and this was not a pleasant task as the 
 coyotes began to gather from every direc- 
 tion. This was his first experience of the 
 kind, and grim terror seized him, quick as 
 a flash, he sprang up a telegraph-pole close 
 at hand, and sitting astride the cross-bar, 
 watched the howling pack, thinking all the 
 while what an excellent mark he would be 
 for an Indian, and it was far from being an 
 agreeable thought. At last the train came 
 up and he clambered down from his perch, 
 gave a great shout at the wolves and swung 
 his lantern to stop the train. The wolves 
 scattered, and the train had to stop for re- 
 pairs. For this act of faithfulness, he was 
 
 promoted at once to conductor, and has 
 occupied that position until the present 
 time. s. B. M. 
 
 roxbury's military record. 
 
 BY ZED S. STANTON, ESQ. 
 
 Among the early settlers of Roxbury 
 were doubtless several who served during 
 the Revolutionary War, but just what 
 number it is impossible to determine. 
 Samuel Richardson, the first settler in the 
 westerly part of this town, was a veteran 
 of that war, having served one-half the 
 time during the entire contest. He came 
 to Roxbury in 1790. Mr. Richardson was 
 born at Stafford, Conn., June 15, 1750, 
 and died at Roxbury, in 1822. 
 
 Capt. Benjamin Samson, who came here 
 in 18 10, was also a Revolutionary soldier, 
 and participated in the battles of Lexing- 
 ton and Bunker Hill. He rang the church 
 bell to arouse the minute men on Lexing- 
 ton green, on the memorable 19th of April, 
 1775- 
 
 BATTLE OF PLATTSBURG. 
 
 On the morning of Saturday, Sept. 10, 
 1 8 14, a company, consisting of all the 
 able-bodied men in town, under command 
 of Capt. Samuel M. Orcutt, left Roxbury 
 for the purpose of assisting in repelling the 
 British invasion of our Northern borders. 
 All the following Sunday those who were 
 left at home heard the distant roar of 
 cannon, and supposed that their loved 
 ones were engaged in battle with the 
 foreign foe. But the men of Roxbury did 
 not arrive at Plattsburg until Monday 
 evening, Sept. 12, and the fighting was 
 then over. They returned to their homes 
 Friday, Sept. 16, 1814. 
 
 ROXBURY COMPANY FOR PLATTSBURG. 
 
 Capt. Samuel M. Orcutt; Lieut. Gilbert 
 R. Spalding ; Ensign Billa Woodard ; Ser- 
 geants Joel Hildreth, Enos Young, Jona- 
 than Cram, Charles Samson; Corporals 
 James Woolfe, Philip Cram, Dan Lord, 
 John Paine ; Drummer Jonathan Nutting ; 
 Fifer Bezalleel Spaldmg. 
 
 Privates Benj. Samson, Darius Spal- 
 ding, Robert Cram, Samuel Ford, Aiding 
 Loomis, Ambrose Hutchinson, John Bald- 
 win, Truman Peterson, John M. Spalding, 
 
 95 
 
754 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 Gideon Flint, Peter S. P. Staples, Abra- 
 ham Z. Haynes, Jolin Wilcox, Timothy 
 Emerson, Joseph Hixon, Samuel Robert- 
 son, Darius Spalding, Elisha Wilcox, Eli- 
 jah Ellis. 
 
 There is on file in the Adjutant's Gen- 
 eral's office at Montpelier an affidavit made 
 by the captain and ensign of said company. 
 Mar. 6, 1850, stating the main facts in re- 
 gard to the company going to Plattsburg, 
 and also that parties from other towns 
 joined their company, and that none of 
 the officers or men of said company ever, 
 to the knowledge of the said captain or 
 ensign, received ,any compensation for 
 their services on that occasion. Of this 
 company of men only one is now living 
 (Feb. 6, 1882), that one being Philip 
 Cram, who resides in Rrookfield. 
 
 ROXBURY SOLDIERS IN THE WAR OF '6l. 
 
 Chauncey M. Allen, C, ist Vt. Cavalry; 
 mustered out Nov. 18, '64. 
 
 Corp. Frank O. Allen, B, 4th; must, out 
 Apr. 12, '65. 
 
 Franklin Anos, H, 6th ; dis. Mar 25, '65. 
 
 James Bailey, H, 6th ; died Oct. 22, '62. 
 
 Henry M. Barrington, I, 9th, died Oct. 
 6, '62. 
 
 Byron A. Batchelder, K, 3d ; died at Wash- 
 ington, D. C, May 30, '64. 
 
 Harrison Bean, I, i ith ; mustered out June 
 24, '65. 
 
 Allen J. Bennett, C, ist Vt. Cav. ; dis. 
 Nov. 21, 62. 
 
 John Benjamin, C, ist Vt. Cav. ; sick and 
 absent from regt. Nov. 18, '64, is last 
 report on Adjutant General's report. 
 
 Joseph Benjamin, H, 6th ; dis. June i, '63. 
 
 Beman H. Campbell, H, 6th; must, out 
 May 22, '65. 
 
 Marshall Chaffee, H, 6th; dis. May 15, '63. 
 
 Frank Clukey, K, 7th ; died July 22, '62. 
 
 Anson P. Coburn, I, nth; mustered out 
 June 24, '65. 
 
 Patrick Clukey, G, 8th ; mustered out June 
 22, '64. 
 
 Andrew J. Cross, ist S. S., F; trans, to 
 invalid corps Sept. i, '63. 
 
 Henry A. Cross, K, 7th ; died at Carrol- 
 ton, La., Nov. 30, '62. 
 
 Martin Cross, K, 3d ; must, out July 27, '64. 
 
 Joseph Currier, G, 8th ; mustered out June 
 
 28, '65. 
 Thomas Daniels, H, 6th; killed at batde 
 
 of Lee's Mills, Apr. 16, '62. 
 Capt. David B. Davenport, H, 6th; died 
 
 .Sept. 20, '62. 
 Henry D. Davenport, H, 6th; dis. Nov. 
 
 30, '62. 
 
 Peter Deott, K, 4th ; deserted Dec. 10, '62. 
 Lieut. Eri L. Ditty, H, 6th; mustered out 
 
 June 26, '65. 
 John Q. A. Ditty, F, 2d ; trans, to invalid 
 
 corps July 30, '63. 
 Ralph Ditty, F, 2d ; must, out June 29, '64. 
 John W. Dunton, K, 7th ; dis. Feb. 25, '63. 
 David Ellis, E, 3d ; must, out July 27, '64. 
 Lorenzo Ellis, I, nth ; mustered out June 
 
 24, '65. 
 Samuel R. Ellis, H, 6th ; dis. July 7, '62. 
 John M. Ferris, B, 6th; must, out June 
 
 26, '65. 
 Lieut. Amasa W. Ferry, F, 2d ; discharged 
 
 Jan. 4, '65. 
 Gideon E. Fletcher, I, 9th; deserted July 
 
 20, '62. 
 Royal Flint, H, 6th ; died June 15, '62. 
 Victor Goodrich, F, 2d ; killed at battle of 
 
 Bull Run, July 21, '61. 
 Dan. A. Grant, H, 6th; dis. Nov. 16, '62. 
 Willis Grant, H, 6th ; transferred to invalid 
 
 corps Dec. i, '63. 
 James Hall, K, 7th ; died July 24, '62. 
 Samuel A. Hayward, E, ist Vt. Cav. ; dis. 
 
 July 24, '62. 
 Walter R. Hayward, E, ist Vt. Cav ; must. 
 
 out Aug. 9, '65. 
 James C. Hutchinson, H, 2d; killed at 
 
 Charlotte, Va., Aug. 16, '64. 
 Corp. Stearns S. Hutchinson, F, 2d; 
 
 must, out June 29, '64. 
 Stephen H. Jones, G, 8th ; mustered out 
 
 June 28, '65. 
 Leland Kimball, K, 8th ; died at New Or- 
 leans, La., Sept. 16, '62. 
 Mason Knapp, K, 7th ; re-enlisted, is the 
 
 last entry of Adjutant General's report. 
 Carlos Lafaty, K, 7th ; dis. Sept. 27, '64. 
 Joseph Lavalle, H, 6th ; mustered out June 
 
 26, '65. 
 Henry Lock, H, 6th; mustered out Aug. 
 
 2, '65. 
 
ROXBURY. 
 
 755 
 
 Alexis Martell, I, nth ; mustered out June 
 24, '65. 
 
 Frank E. Martell, H, 6th; mustered out 
 July 7, '65. 
 
 Corp. Samuel Maxham,2dS. S., E; killed 
 at battle of Wilderness, May 6, '64. 
 
 Henry Morfit, K, 7th ; died at New Or- 
 leans, La., Nov. 16, '62. 
 
 Russell Morfit, K, 7th ; died at Fort Pick- 
 ens, Fla., May 5, '63. 
 
 Capt. Patrick Murphy, H, 6th; mustered 
 out June 26, '65. 
 
 Lieut. Thomas Murphy, H, 6th ; mustered 
 out Oct. 28, '64. 
 
 William Murphy, H, 6th ; died Oct. 25, '62. 
 
 Carlos Nedo, K, 7th ; dis. Sept. 27, '64. 
 
 Langdon H. Nichols, C, istVt. Cav; died 
 July 27, '62. 
 
 Abial Patch, H. 6th ; dis. Dec. 28, '63. 
 
 Calvin B. Phillips, E, ist Vt. Cav. ; dis- 
 charged May 22, '62. 
 
 Edmund Pope, Jr., E, ist Vt. Cav. ; died 
 Dec. 14, '64. 
 
 James Putney, H, 6th ; mustered out June 
 26, '65. 
 
 William Quimby, K, 7th ; died at New 
 Orleans, Oct. 16, ''62. 
 
 Felix Quinn, 1, 9th ; must, out June 13, '65. 
 
 Eli Rich, K, 3d ; died Nov. i, '62. 
 
 John E. Rich, K, 7th ; died July 18, '62. 
 
 Geo. C. Richardson, H, 6th ; died at Fred- 
 erick City, Md., Dec. 9, '62. 
 
 Harrison A. E. Richardson, H, 6th ; must, 
 out Oct. 28, '64. 
 
 Lafayette Richardson, H, 6th; discharged 
 Nov. 24, '62. 
 
 Samuel Richardson, H, 6th ; died at Rox- 
 bury, Jan. 15, '63. 
 
 Corp. Ira Royce, E, ist Vt. Cav. ; dis. 
 Nov. 22, '62. 
 
 Thomas P. Rundlett, E, ist Vt. Cav ; dis. 
 May 22, '62. 
 
 Joseph Shiney, H, 6th ; mustered out June 
 26, '65. 
 
 Joseph Simonds, H, 6th ; des. July 24, '65. 
 
 John Slocum, H, 6th ; mustered out June 
 26, '65. 
 
 Corp. Emery L. Smith, G, 6th ; dis. Oct. 
 31, '64. 
 
 Otis Snow, K, 3d; died Aug. 19, '62. 
 
 Lieut. Allen Spalding, K, 6th ; resigned 
 July 13, '64. 
 
 Sergeant Dennison F. Spalding, K, 6th ; 
 
 must, out May 18, '65. 
 Israel Steele, K, 7th; dis. Oct. 20, '62. 
 Stillman S. Stephens, K, 7th; died July 
 
 17, '62. 
 Sergeant Edward F. Stevens, F, ist S. S. ; 
 
 mustered out Sept. 13, '64. 
 Benjamin F. Stone, I, 9th; discharged 
 
 June 27, '65. 
 Joseph Veo, G, 6th ; mustered out Oct. 
 
 28, '64. 
 Lucius W. Wales, H, 6th ; killed at Lee's 
 
 Mills, Apr. 16, '62. 
 Samuel Wales, Jr., K, 3d; trans, to in- 
 valid corps Sept. i, '63. 
 Ezekiel D. Waterman, K, 3d ; killed at 
 
 battle of Lee's Mills, Apr. 16, '62. 
 Henry Waterman, C, ist. Vt. Cav. ; died 
 
 at Washington, D. C, Aug. 9, '65. 
 Stillman Waterman, H, 6th ; discharged 
 
 March 31, '62. 
 Stillman Waterman, I, 9th; discharged 
 
 Jan. 15, '63. 
 Joseph White, H, 6th ; died Oct. 22, '62. 
 Loren J. Wiley, K, 7th ; must. outMay '65. 
 Wallace Wolcott, H, 6th ; dis. Mar. 25, '63. 
 Augustus Bresette, 3d Vt. Bat. ; must, out 
 
 June 13, '65. 
 
 Volunteers that re-enlisted. — Paul Burke, 
 Carlos Lafaty, Henry Locke, Frank E. 
 Martell, Carlos Nedo, Edmond Pope, Jr., 
 Dennison Spalding. 
 
 Veteran Reserve Corps. — John W. Dun- 
 ton. 
 
 Also two men were credited to Roxbury, 
 but not by name. 
 
 Furnished under draft and paid com- 
 nmtation. — Edwin W. Ellis, Edwin Ferris, 
 A. H. Fisk, Lemuel A. Rood, Luther 
 Tracy, Rodney Wiley. 
 
 Procured Substitute. — Nathan W. Cady. 
 
 Entered Service. — Samuel A. Richard- 
 son, H, 6th ; dis. Aug. 2, '65. 
 
 Besides the above-named soldiers, there 
 were several other residents of Roxbury 
 who enlisted, credited to other towns, viz. : 
 George R. Waterman, F, ist; must, out 
 Aug. 15, '65 ; Franklin Knowles, C. 15th ; 
 Charles A. Fisk, F, 17th; Orza Boyce, B, 
 4th ; George H. Pearsons, D, 9th ; Samuel 
 Shepherd, I, 56th Mass. Vols. ; died June 
 
756 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 27, '64; Francis F. Young, Mass. Vols. ; 
 Sergeant Jones W. Ferris, K, 3d ; severely 
 wounded at the battle ot Lee's Mills, Apr. 
 16, '62, and discharged Aug. i, '62. 
 
 When the war closed, Roxbury had a 
 
 surplus of 23 men in excess of all calls for 
 troops that had been made, a much larger 
 number in proportion to the population 
 than any other town in the State. 
 
 ROXBURY LONGEVITY. 
 
 Persons 70 years of age and over, who /i?ive 
 died in Roxbnry, 
 
 1855 Mary Spaulding 100 
 
 2846 Benjamin Samson. 90 
 
 1819 Moses Woodward 74 
 
 1813 Pavid McClure 80 
 
 1822 Samuel Richardson 71 
 
 1868 Thompson Jenney 85 
 
 1832 Jane Hixon 75 
 
 1872 Samuel Robertson 97 
 
 1879 Persis Robertson 76 
 
 1855 Dorcas Prescott 72 
 
 1835 Darius Spaulding 74 
 
 1844 Joel Hildreth 'j'j 
 
 1864 Polly Hildreth 94 
 
 1872 Arathusa Hildreth 79 
 
 1862 Samuel Edwards 84 
 
 1869 Lydia Edwards 85 
 
 1869 Benga Edwards 87 
 
 1859 Betsey Edwards 75 
 
 1850 Henry Lcck 75 
 
 1856 Obedience Lock 71 
 
 1842 Elijah Ellis 79 
 
 1852 Mary Ellis 88 
 
 1861 Gideon Ellis 89 
 
 1878 Mehitable Ellis 87 
 
 1880 Sally Allen 89 
 
 1841 Mrs. Samuel Richardson 91 
 
 1 869 Silas Spalding 88 
 
 1865 John M. Spaulding 76 
 
 1850 Ruth Sargent 86 
 
 1856 Nathan Haynes 78 
 
 1857 Hannah Haynes 86 
 
 1864 Abraham J. Haynes 76 
 
 1872 Daniel Haynes 88 
 
 1859 Polly Paine 72 
 
 1861 Asa S. Simonds 71 
 
 i860 Hannah Simonds 70 
 
 1876 Charles Samson 86 
 
 1865 Sally Samson 76 
 
 1858 Benjamin Samson 77 
 
 1879 Roxana A. Batty 77 
 
 1873 Anna Gray Stanton 80 
 
 1873 Hannah Merrill 75 
 
 1870 Alvin L. Brigham 71 
 
 1875 Eleanor Spaulding 84 
 
 1862 Samuel Richardson 79 
 
 1865 Lucy Richardson 76 
 
 1875 Barton Tracy 72 
 
 1880 Enos K. Young 72 
 
 861 Silas B. Spaulding 81 
 
 848 Samuel Ford 76 
 
 866 Sarah Batchelder 86 
 
 866 Lydia Beckwith 86 
 
 866 Hannah Staples 77 
 
 825 Capt. Job Orcutt 75 
 
 825 Mary Orcutt 74 
 
 851 Samuel M. Orcutt 74 
 
 878 Mary B. Orcutt 95 
 
 845 Billa Woodward 72 
 
 Mary Woodward 69 
 
 850 Borga Wiley 87 
 
 879 James Wiley 83 
 
 881 Phineas Wiley 91 
 
 879 David Wiley 82 
 
 873 Hannah Wiley 76 
 
 866 John Williams 72 
 
 876 Mabel Williams 75 
 
 880 Otis Batchelder 91 
 
 877 Alva Richardson 76 
 
 868 Dennis Crimims 80 
 
 842 Chester Batchelder 69 
 
 864 Eunice Williams 72 
 
 876 Elias Rich 87 
 
 874 James Butterfield 76 
 
 865 Susannah Richardson 84 
 
 863 Sarah Batchelder 87 
 
 871 Betsey Spalding 82 
 
 865 Jemima Silver 75 
 
 852 Phineas Flint 82 
 
 859 Seth Richardson 70 
 
 836 Sarah Richardson 'jt^ 
 
 873 William Knowles 94 
 
 878 Burton Skilleger 78 
 
 869 Nabby Ford 85 
 
 859 Arny Wilson 81 
 
 859 Samson Bates 70 
 
 860 Anna Hatch 80 
 
 861 Mary Bealey 76 
 
 861 Darius Hatch 81 
 
 861 Hepsobath Cady 81 
 
 862 Lurinda Flint 81 
 
 863 William Hutchinson 89 
 
 864 Aaron Webster 85 
 
 865 Abigail Cram 80 
 
 169 Francis Clukey 70 
 
 869 Jemima Webster 88 
 
 870 William B. Tyler 78 
 
 873 Fanny Jones 78 
 
 874 Phila Dariing 76 
 
 874 Calvin Cady 74 
 
 875 Daniel C. Rich 71 
 
 875 Lamos McGregor 78 
 
 876 Louis Loomis 75 
 
 867 Aaron Spencer 84 
 
 861 Polly Lyndes (colored,) 81 
 
 863 Stephen Rumney 75 
 
 877 Sally Wardner 78 
 
 877 Margaret Martin 90 
 
 878 Eunice Kent 80 
 
 878 Samuel Steele 83 
 
 878 Joel Wardner 83 
 
 838 John B. Crandall 70 
 
 865 Enos Young 80 
 
ROXBURY. 
 
 757 
 
 1866 Sally Steele 72 
 
 182 1 Elizabeth Abbott ']^ 
 
 i860 Lydia Cotton 71 
 
 1854 Robert Cram 78 
 
 1868 Jacob Loomis 70 
 
 1849 Mercy Ruggles ^i 
 
 1877 Azubah Hatch 70 
 
 1876 William Ruggles 71 
 
 1879 Lewis Chatfield 94 
 
 Annie Blanchard 78 
 
 1876 Lewis Cram 75 
 
 1869 Silas Braley 81 
 
 1870 Oliver French 83 
 
 1866 Mrs. S. Braley 79 
 
 1861 BealeyH. Gibson 76 
 
 1842 Elijah Ellis 79 
 
 1834 Mary Ellis 88 
 
 1865 Isaiah Shaw 82 
 
 1830 Mrs. Wardner 72 
 
 1848 Betsey Boyce 74 
 
 1824 John Gibson 76 
 
 1841 James Steele 76 
 
 1847 Jedediah Smith 85 
 
 1855 Esther Smith 89 
 
 1878 Adah Hackett 86 
 
 1861 Mary Bealey 76 
 
 1854 Gideon Flint 74 
 
 1862 Mrs. Gibeons 80 
 
 Mrs. Crocker 85 
 
 Ranson Beckwith 80 
 
 Samuel Lyndes 80 
 
 1879 Lucy R. Howe 82 
 
 1879 Lovina Ferry 79 
 
 O. W. ORCUTT. 
 
 TOWN MEETINGS. 
 
 Held at Jedediah Huntington's dwelling- 
 house in 1796, '97, '98. At Samuel Rich- 
 ardson's, 1799, 1802. At Christopher 
 Huntington's 1800, 1801. At David 
 McClure's, 1803, '5, '6. At Samuel Rob- 
 ertson's, 1804. At Leonard Smith's, 1807, 
 '8, '9, '10. At BlUa Woodward's, 181 1, 
 '12, '13, '14, '15, '16. At Samuel M. Or- 
 cutt's 1817, '18, '19, '20, '21, '22, '23, '24, 
 '25, '26, '27, '28, '26, '30, '31, '32, ^2)1, '34, 
 '35. '36, 'yj, '38, '39' '40. '41- At Luther 
 Ainsworth's, Mar., 1842. At John M. Spaul- 
 ding's, Sept., '42, '43, '44, '45, '46, '47, 
 '48, '49. At Union Meeting House, 1850, 
 51. '52, '53, '54. Sept., '54, at new town 
 house, 1854 to 188 1. 
 
 MODERATORS. 
 
 Joseph Crane, 1796; Thomas Hunting- 
 ton, 1797; Samuel Richardson, 1798, 1801, 
 '2, '3, 'S, '7. '8, '9, '13; Jedediah Hunting- 
 ton, 1799; Isaac Lewis, 1800; Darius 
 Spaulding, Job Orcutt, 1809; ^^b. Butler, 
 
 1804; Rodolphus Willard, 1810; Samuel 
 Robin.son, 1811, '12, '17, '18, '19, '20, '21, 
 '23, 24 ; J. F. Ruggles, '18, '14, '15, '16, '22, 
 '25, '26, '28, '30; Charles Sampson, 1827 ; 
 Shubael Wales, 1829, '31, '34, '35, '36; 
 Joel Hildreth, 1832; Nathan Morse, 1833; 
 Stillman Ruggles, 1837, '38, '40; Allen 
 Spaulding, 1839, '41, '42, '51, '52, '53, '54, 
 '57, '58; Henry S. Boyce, 1843, '44, '46, 
 '47, '48, '55, '56, '59, '60; O. Richardson, 
 1861-68; Wm. B. Orcutt, 1868; Billings 
 Spaulding, 1869; Samuel G. Stanton, 
 1870, "74, '75, '■]■], '78; Oramel Richard- 
 son, 1871, '72, '-jT,, '76; Zed S. Stanton, 
 1879, '80. '81. 
 
 TOWN CLERKS, 1796-1881. 
 
 Thomas Huntington, 1796, '97, '98, '99, 
 1800, 'i. Darius Spalding, 1802, '3, '14, 
 '15. Samuel Robertson, 1804, '5, '6, '7. 
 James Bancroft, 1808, '9, '10, '11, '12. 
 Samuel M. Orcntt, 1813, '17, '18, '19, '20, 
 '21, '22, '24, '25, '26, '27, '28. '29, '30, '31, 
 '32, '12,^ '34, '35, '36, '2>1^ '38- John F. 
 Persons, 1816. Jehial Allen, '39, '40, '41, 
 '42. Allen Spalding, 1843, '44> '45 > '46, 
 '47, '48. Allen K. Jeney, 1849, ^5°' '5^' 
 '52, '53, '55- (Jeney died in Aug., '55.) 
 A. N. Tilden, 1854. Orma^ Richardson, 
 1855. A. N. Tilden, 1856 to 1881. 
 
 SELECTMEN. 
 Samuel Richardson, 1796 to 1803, '7, '8 ; 
 Isaac Lewis, 1796, 1800; Jedediah Hunt- 
 ington, 1796,98,99; Christopher Hunt- 
 ington, 1797; David Cram, 1797; Roswell 
 Adams, 1798, 1800, 'i, '3, '4, '5 ; John 
 Stafford, 1799, 1806; Darius Spalding, 
 
 1801 l^to 1806, '9, '10; Perez Huntington, 
 
 1802 ; Lemuel Smith, 1803 to '8 ; Jonathan 
 F. Ruggles, 1806, '7, '8, '19, '20, '21; 
 Samuel Richardson, 1808; Joel Hildreth, 
 1809 to '13, '14, '15, '25, '26; Robert Cram, 
 1809 to '13, '14, '24, '25; Samuel M. Or- 
 cutt, 181 1 to '15, '21, '22, '23, '25, '26, '27, 
 '29, '3a, 'i-}) to '38; Isaih Shaw, 1813, '15, 
 '18, '26, '27, '28, '36, '37, '47; Uriah Rich- 
 ardson, 1813; John Paine, 1815, '16, '17, 
 '22 ; Nathan Morse, 1816, '17, '22, '23, '28, 
 '29, '30, '11, '34, '35 ; Charles Sampson, 
 1816, '17, '20, '21, '27, '28, '29, '38, '47, 
 '48; Samuel Robertson, 1818, '19, '23; 
 Elijah Ellis, 1818, '19, '20; Billa Wood- 
 
758 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 ward, 1824; David Young, 1824, '31, '32; 
 James Burnham, 1830; Amos Wardner, 
 1831, '32; Daniel Loomis, 1831 ; Henry 
 Smith, 1832; Jonathan Wiley, 1833, '34; 
 Bezaleel Spalding, 1835 ; Jared Hildreth, 
 1836, 't^Jx Robert Cram, 1838, '39; John 
 Cross, 1838, '39, '40, '41 ; Darius Hatch, 
 1839; Thomas R. Shaw, 1840 to '44, '46; 
 Enos K. Young, 1840, '41, '42; Jehial 
 Allen, 1842; Wm. W. Woodward, 1843, 
 '44; Benjamin Edwards, Jr., 1843, '44, 
 '45. '56, '57, '58: H. S. Boyce, 1844, '49, 
 '50; Wm. P. Royce, 1845, '59, '60, '64, 
 '65; Samuel Edwards, Jr., 1846, '50, '52, 
 '53, '61, '62; Alvin Braley, 1846, '47, '48, 
 '61; Stephen Pierce, 1848; Dexter Samp- 
 son, 1849, '51, '54, '61, '62, '63; Wm. B. 
 Orcutt, 1849, '50 '55; Elijah Winch, 1851, 
 '58, '60; S. M. Hildreth, 1851, '58,^63, 
 '66, '67, '71 ; Geo. M. Sampson, 1852, '53 ; 
 Edmond Pope, 1852, '53, '55, '29, '61, ''62, 
 '64, '66; S. G. Stanton' 1869; C. H. Mer- 
 rill, 1854; Stillman Ruggles, 1854; Wm. 
 
 B. Orcutt, 1855; Charles B. Fiske, 1855, 
 '66, '67, '68; Clark Wiley, 1856, '57, '58, 
 '72, ^-77'-, James Cram, 1856, '57; E. N. 
 Spalding, i860; C. Richardson, 1864, '65, 
 '68; S. P. Orcutt, 1865; Cyrus Howard. 
 1868, '69, '81 ; S. G. Stanton, 1869 to '74, 
 '78; Enos K. Yonng, 1869, '70; Isaac A. 
 Flint, 1870, '71 ; Storrs S. Clough, 1872, 
 '75 to '79; Geo. L. Walbridge, 1873, '74; 
 Charles Adams, 1873, '74! Billings Spaul- 
 ding, 1874, '81 ; A. J. Averill, 1875, '76; 
 D. L. Nichols, 1875 ; Charles N. Eaton, 
 1876; Gideon Edwards, 1879; D. R. 
 Stanton, 1878, '79; C. M. Adams, 1879; 
 
 C. H. Eaton, 1879: Wm. B. Orcutt, Arza 
 Boyce, L. J. Wiley, 1880; L. J. Wiley, 
 J. B. Spaulding, 1880. 
 
 TOWN TREASURERS. 
 
 David Cram, (796; Isaac Lewis, 1797, 
 '98, '99 ; Thomas Huntington, 1800, '01 ; 
 Darius Spalding, 1802, '15; Samuel Rob- 
 ertson, 1803 to 1808, '28 ; James Bancroft, 
 1808 to '13; Samuel M. Orcutt, 1813, '14, 
 '17 to '28, '29; John T. Pearsons, 1816; 
 Asa S. Simonds, 1830 to '61 ; Billings 
 Spanlding, 1861 to '68, '69, to '74; Wm. 
 B. Orcutt, 1868; A. N. Tilden, 1874 to 
 1881. 
 
 OVERSEERS OF POOR. 
 
 Selectmen in 1808; Jonathan F. Rug- 
 gles, Elijah Ellis, Samuel Robertson over- 
 seers, 18 13; Robert Cram, Billa Wood- 
 ward, Isaiah Shaw, 1820, 37 ; Robert 
 Cram, 182 1 ; selectmen overseers of poor, 
 1822, 23, 24; Samuel Robertson, 1825, 
 26; Samuel M. Orcutt and Nathan Morse, 
 1827; Billa Woodward, 1830; Nathan 
 Morse, 1828, 29, 35, 36; Allen Spalding, 
 1835, 41, 42, 44, 45, 51,58; Darius Hatch, 
 1843, 4°, 46, 39, 38 ; Silas Braley, 1833, 
 32, 47, 31 ; Allen Spalding, 1848, 49, 50; 
 Asaph Silsbury, 1851 ; H. M. Nichols, 1853, 
 55, 52; Edmond Pope, 1856; Edmond 
 Lack, 1857; Benj. Edwards, Jr., 1860,54; 
 Wm. B. Roys, 1861, 62; E. P. Burnham, 
 1863, 64, 65, 66 ; Sylvester Ellis, 1867, 68 ; 
 Alphonso Ladd, 1869, 70, 71, 72; Orza 
 Boyce, 1873, 74, 75 ; C. L. Ellis, 1876, 77 ; 
 Charles Adams, 1878, 79, 81 ; Salmon 
 Williams, 1880. 
 
 CONSTABLES AND COLLECTORS OF TAXES. 
 
 Jeduthan Huntington, 1796; David 
 Cram, 1797, '98, 1817 to 20; Isaac Lewis, 
 1799; Perns Huntington, 1800; Benjamin 
 Huntington, 1801 ; David McClure, 1802; 
 Chester Morris, 1803 to 1808; Roswell 
 Walter, 1808; Rhodolphus Willard, 1809; 
 Darius Houghton, 18 10; Ezra Child, 
 181 1 ; John B. Crandall, 1812; Charles 
 Bancroft, 1813; Joel Hildreth, 1814, '15; 
 Charles Sampson, 1816; John Paine, 
 1820; Henry Boyce, 1821 to 1830; Allen 
 Spalding, 2830, '33 ; Erastus Spaulding, 
 1831, '32; Amos Wardner, 1834 to 1837; 
 Henry S. Boyce, 1838 to 1841 ; Dexter 
 Sampson, I841, '42; Elijah Winch, 1843; 
 E. B. Pride, 1844, '45 ; Samuel Ruggles, 
 1846 to 1850, '55 ; Ebenz. Ainsworth, 
 1861 ; S. P. Orcutt, 1852, '53 '59; Daniel 
 D. Hackett, 1855 ; Orin W. Orcutt, 1856, 
 '76, '78; Benjamin Edwards, 1857, '58; 
 W. J. Simonds, i860, '62, '63; Langdon 
 R. Nichols, 1861 ; H. G. Ellis, 1864 to 
 1870; Charles Spalding, 1870, '71; Sam- 
 uel M. Hildreth, 1872; Zed. S. Stanton, 
 1873, '74, '75' '77; Azro J. Boyce, 1879, 
 '80, '81. 
 
 LISTERS. 
 
 David Cram, 1796, 1806 ; Thomas Hunt- 
 ington, 1796, '98; Jedediah Huntington, 
 
ROXBURY. 
 
 759 
 
 Samuel Richardson, 1797; Isaac Lewis, 
 1797, '98; John Stafford, 1798, '99, 1808; 
 Chester Batchelder, 1799: Perus Hunting- 
 ton, 1799, 1802; Uriah Richardson, 1800, 
 1807, '12. ''17; Joseph Adams, Darius 
 Spaulding, 1800; David McClure, Benja- 
 min Huntington, Daniel Freeman, 1801 ; 
 David Nutting, Joseph Converse, 1802; 
 Samuel Smith, 1803, '5; Clark Stone, 
 Charles Fitts, 1803; Joel Hildreth, 1804, 
 '5, '6; Charles Stone, 1804; Zeb. Butler, 
 1804; Jonathan F. Ruggles, 1805, '9, '10, 
 '16, '17, '22, '24, '27, '30: Samuel Robin- 
 son, 1806, '21, '22, '24, '27; Samuel M. 
 Orcutt, 1807, '12, '17, '18, '19, '34, '38; 
 Robert Cram, 1807, '8; Lorin Green, 
 1808; Charles Bancroft, 1809; Ephraim 
 Morris, 1809; Salmon Cross, 1810; James 
 Bancroft, 1810, '11, '12; Gilbert R. 
 Spaulding, 181 1, '15 ; Anson Adams, 1812 ; 
 Enos Youngs, Bezalel Spaulding, i8i3,'i5 ; 
 Darius Hatch, 1813, '14, '15; John Paine, 
 1814, '19, '20, '26, '30; Thomas Davi.s, 
 1814; Billa Woodward, 1815, '20, '23, 
 '28; Ira Hunter, 1818; Henry Boyce, 
 1818, '23; Amos Wardner, 1819; Charles 
 Samson, 1822, '23, '30, '32, '33, '36, '37, 
 '38, '47, '48, '51 ; Nathan Morse, 1826, 
 '27, '28, '32, '36, ''27, '4^, '43; James 
 Burnham, 1825, '26, '29 ; Elijah Ellis, 
 1827; Silas C. Briggs, 1828; Daniel Flint, 
 Shubael Wales, 1829; Erastus Spalding, 
 Henry S. Boyce, 1831, '55, '56; Silas 
 Hall, 1830; Isaiah Shaw, 1832, '37, '42 
 '43 ; David Withington, William Ruggles, 
 1833; John Walbridge, 1834; Stillman 
 Ruggles, 1834, '36, '40, '54; Alvin Braley, 
 1838, '43, '44, '46, '48, '59. '61 ; Benj. 
 Edwards, Jr., 1838, '49, '50, '53, '54, '59; 
 Samuel M. Hildreth, 1839, '40, '41, '5i,'7i ; 
 Eleazar Woodward, Consider Hyland, 
 1839; Wm. Woodward, 1840; Philip 
 Cram, 1841, '48, '49; Benoni Webster, 
 1841, '47; Samuel Edwards, Jr., 1841, '57, 
 '60; Allen Spaulding, 1842, '46, 47, '60; 
 Luther Ainsworth, 1844 ; Thomas R. Shaw, 
 1844, '45, '46, '49; Hibbard A. Perry, 
 1850; Wm. W. Woodward, 1850; Ed- 
 mond Pope, 185 1, '52, '56, '65; Elijah 
 Winch, 1845, '57, '62, '63; Stephen 
 Pierce, 1845 ; Asaph Silsbury, 1851 ; Alvin 
 L. Brigham, 1852; Stillman Ruggles, 
 
 1853; Wilson I. Simonds, 1854, '66, '81 ; 
 Seth M. Bailey, 1855; E, P. Burnham, 
 1855, '56. '61, '62; Clark Wiley, 1858; R. 
 S. Glidden, Dexter Samson, 1858; Wm. 
 
 B. Orcutt, 1859, '64, '65 ; Joseph B. Ed- 
 wards, 1859; Alphonso Ladd, 1862; Phi- 
 lander Wiley, 1862, '63, '72, '73; Azro 
 A. Simonds, J863 ; Buel Gold, 1865, '67, 
 '74, '75; A. A. Smith, 1864, '65; C. B. 
 WiHiams, Cyrus Howard, 1866 ; Samuel G. 
 Stanton, 1867; Jason W. Powers, 1868; 
 Ralph W. Rood, Aaron Webster, 1868; 
 Charles Spaulding, 1869, 70; Billings 
 Spalding, 1869; Isaac A. Flint, 1869; 
 Clark Wiley, 1870, 71 ; Storrs S. Clough, 
 1870, 71; Frank T. Snow, 1872; Arza 
 Boyce, 1872, '78, '81 ; J. E. D. Hildreth, 
 1873, '74; David B. Adams, 1873; David 
 H. Stanton, 1873, '75; J. P. Warner, 
 1875; Horace A Thayer, 1876; Zed. S. 
 Stanton, 1876, '77; Henry M. Spalding, 
 1876; Charles Adams, D. L. Nichols, 
 1877, '78; Clark Flint, 1879, '80, '81 ; E. 
 
 C. Bowman, J. E. D. Colby, 1879; Geo. 
 W. Williams, James Steel, 1880. 
 
 TITHINGMEN, l8o5-'40. 
 
 Silas Spalding,Job Orcutt,Chester Batch- 
 elder, Caleb Stowe, Waterman Spalding, 
 David G. Nutting, Enos Young. Roswell 
 Adams, Elijah Ellis, Jas. Y. Wolf, John 
 Baldwin, Wm. Gold, Jacob Wardner, Sam'l. 
 Richardson, Willard Smith, JohnM. Spal- 
 ding, Asahel Blake, Darius Houghton, Uri- 
 ah Richardson, Sam'l. Wright, Benoni Web- 
 ster, Jacob Loomis, Silas Braley, Nathan 
 Morse, Adin Smith, H. M. Nichols, Eleazer 
 Woodward, Benjamin Edwards, Stillman 
 Ruggles, Alvin L. Brigham, Daniel FHnt, 
 James Pike, Samuel Ford, Alva Richard- 
 son, Cyrus Flint, Nathan Emerson. 
 
 TOWN AGENTS. 
 
 John B. Crandall, 1815, 1816; Henry 
 Boyce, 1817 ; Charles Samson, 1829; Amos 
 Wardner, 1833; Nathan Morse, 1834; 
 Silas Braley, 1842, '44; Allen Spalding, 
 1 841, '47, '49, '54, '60, '61; Alvin Braley, 
 1844, '46, '48, '50, '51, '52, '53, '55, '56, 
 '59, '62, '63 ; Edmond Pope, 1864 ; Dexter 
 Samson, 1867, '68 ; James P. Warner, 
 1872; Samuel G. Stanton, 1875; Wil- 
 liam B. Orcutt, 1869, '76; Erastus N. 
 
760 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 Spalding, ^i"], '71, '7o> '5^, '57 ; Samuel G. 
 Stanton, '78, '65 ; S. S. Clough, '79. '12>^ 
 '74; Orrin W. Orcutt, '80, '81. 
 
 SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS. 
 
 Joseph Silsbury, 1851, '52, '48; Aaron 
 Webster, '50, '52 ; Stephen Pierce, '46, '47, 
 '49 ; Allen W. Jenny, '55 ; Hira G. Ellis, '56 ; 
 Samuel G. Stanton, '57; F. V. Randall, 
 '58, '57 ; Aaron Webster, '58 ; O. Richard- 
 son, '59; Austin A. Smith, '60, '61 ; Jas. 
 F. Button, '48; Buel Gold, '62; H. G. 
 Ellis, '63; Aldin Ladd, '64, '65; S. G. 
 Stanton, '66, '67, '70, '71, '72; Wm. L. 
 White, '68, '67 ; Andrew Stanton, '73 : 
 D. L. Nichols, '74, '75, '76, '78 ; Zed S. 
 Stanton, '-j-j, '79, '80, '81. 
 
 JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. 
 
 Charles Samson, 1850, '51. '52, '53' '54, 
 '38, '40, '44, '45, '47, '27, '31. '33, 49 .4.1, 
 39, 20, 28, 25, 26, 24, 22. 23, 48, 33, 34, 
 30, 55, 46, 21 ; Byer Edwards, 1850, 51, 
 
 52, 53, 54, 58, 61, 62, 40, 43, 44, 45, 47, 
 41, 46, 49, 48; Philip Cram, 1850, 51, 48, 
 49, 46; Buel Gold, 1850, 51, 64, 65, 66, 
 67, 68, 74,75; Elijah Winch, 1850,51, 52, 
 
 53, 57, 58, 62, 44; Stephen Pierce, 1851, 
 52, 44, 45, 47, 49, 48, 46; Hiram Wal- 
 bridge, 1852, 53, 54, 55, 69, 70, 74, 75 ; 
 Asaph Silsbnry, 1852, 53, 49 ; Alvin Braley, 
 1853, 54, 44, 45, 47, 49, 46; Stillman 
 Ruggles, 1854, 55, 44, 47, 49. 4^, yi , 35. 
 46 ; Wm. B. Orcutt, 1855, 56; Calvin 
 Murray, 1855, 56; E. P. Burnham, 1855, 
 56, 59, 60, 61, 63; A. B. Hutchinson, 
 1855,56; Edmond Pope, 1856, 61, 62, 
 63; Sewell Hutchinson, 1856, 57; I. M. 
 Hildreth, 1842, 43, 44, 45. 47, 57, 49. 48 ; 
 W. I. Simonds, 1857, 58 ; Solomon Ferry, 
 1857, 58; Sylvester Moffit, 1857, 58; O. 
 W. Orcutt, 1859, 60, 61 ; Samuel P. Wales, 
 1859, 60; Austin A. Smith, 1859, 60, 61 ; 
 Cyrus Howard, 1859, 6°. ^4, 65, 66, 67, 
 68; Horace M. Nichols, 1861, 62, 63, 64 
 65, 66, 40, 43, 44, 45. 47, 41, 46, 48, 39. 
 49; Clark Wiley, i86o, 61 ; James Steele, 
 1862,63,64; Samuel G. Stanton, 1862, 
 64, 65, 66, 67, 68 ; Dexter Samson, 1862, 
 63; Jehial Allen, 1839, 40, 41, 42; E. 
 Brackett, 1840, 41, 42; Wm. Ruggles, 
 1838, 40, 47, 39, 49, 48 ; Wm. W. Wood- 
 
 ward, 1838, 45, 47, 49, 48, 35; E. B. 
 Pride, 1840, 47; Robert Cram, 1838, 43, 
 45, 47, 39, 23, 25, 24, 26, 22; John Cross, 
 1838, 39, 41, 35, 49; H. S. Boyce, 1838, 
 42, 43, 44, 45, 47, 41, 49, 39, 46, 48; Al- 
 len Spalding, 1842, 43, 44, 45, 47, 41, 49, 
 40, 48,35; Darius Hatch, 1838,39, 40, 
 42, 43, 44, 45, 47, 49, 41, 48, 46; Samuel 
 M. Orcutt, 1822, 39, 38, 40, 44, 27, 28, 
 31, 33, 34, 41, 49, 32, 35, 36. 24, 26, 46, 
 20, 22, 30, -ii, 34, 35, 23, 25, 26, 28, 21 ; 
 Luther Ainsworth, 1842, 43, 45, 47, 49, 
 48, 46; Samuel Ruggles, 1840, 44, 49; 
 Jared Hildreth. 1838,42; A. P. Walcott, 
 1842, 43; Jared Keith, 1841, 42, 43, 44; 
 Thomas R. Shaw, 1848, 42, 49 ; Isaiah 
 Shaw, 1834, 41, 42, 43, 20, 30, 28, 24, 25, 
 23, 22; Jonathan F. Ruggles, 1827, 31, 
 33, 34, 13, 28, 16, 20, 30, 35, 22, 23, 24, 
 25, 26, 28, 9, 10, II, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 
 19, 21; Daniel Loomis, 1849; Henry 
 Smith, 1833, 34; James Cram, 1849; 
 Amos Wardner, 1834, 35 ; Daniel Kings- 
 bury, 1827; Uriah Richardson, 1817, 20, 
 27, 26, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 18, 19, 21 ; 
 Nathan Morse, 1831, 33, 28, 30 ; H. G. 
 Ellis, 1863, 64; W. S. Roys, 1863, 64; 
 Ralph W. Rood, 1866, 67, 68 ; Emery P. 
 Cram, 1866; Asahmel FHnt, 1866, 67, 68, 
 72, "Ji, 80, 81 ; Oramel Richardson, 1868; 
 Salmon Williams, 1868, 72, ^i, 78, 79, 74, 
 75; Erastus N. Spalding, 1870; Storrs S. 
 Clough, 1870, 74, 75 ; Charles Spalding, 
 1870; John F. Roys, 1870; Charles I. 
 Holden, 1870; Gideon Edwards, 1870; 
 J. F. Pearsons, 1871 ; Jothan Ellis, 1876, 
 n^ 74, 75 i Azro A. Simonds, 1871 ; A. J. 
 Averill, 1873; Orza Boyce, 1873; C. L. 
 Ellis, 1873, 76, "]"] \ James Burnham, 1831, 
 32 ; Aaron Webster, 1876, 'J^ ; Luther G. 
 Tracy, 1876, -]■] \ Hira G. Ellis, 1876, ^T, 
 
 78, 79; C. H. Eaton, 1878, 79; E. E. 
 Bowman, 1878, 79; George B. Hall, 1878, 
 
 79, 80, 81 ; Alphonso Ladd, 1880, 81 ; A. L. 
 Nichols, 1880, 81 ; L. F. Wiley, 1880, 81 ; 
 Darius Spalding, 1804, 5, 14, 15,16, 13, 9, 
 10, 1 1, 12, 14, 17, 18, 19 ; James Pike, 1839; 
 Samuel Robertson, 1820, 9, 10, 16; Be- 
 noni Webster, 1846, 48, 49; Zeb. Butler, 
 1803,4; Roswell Adams, 1803, 4; Rho- 
 dolphus Willard, 18 10, 11, 12, 13; John 
 Freeman, 1795. 
 
ROXBURY. 
 
 761 
 
 TOWN REPRESENTATIVES. 
 
 Rhodolphus Willard, 1809, '10, '11, '12; 
 Darius Spalding, 1813, '15, '16; Jonathan 
 
 F, Ruggles, 1817 ; Charles Samson, 1818, 
 '19, '20, '21, '24, '25, '28, 'y], '38, '39, '41 ; 
 Robert Cram, 1822, '23; Isaiah Shaw, 
 1826, '27, '31, '32, '33, '40 ; Nathan Morse, 
 1829, '34, '35, '36; Allen Spalding, 1842, 
 '43, '52, '53; Thomas R. Shaw, 1846; 
 Benjamin Edwards, Jr., 1847; Dexter 
 Samson, 1849, '50; Henry S. Boyce, 
 1851 ; Elijah Winch, 1854; Alvin Braley, 
 1855, '56; Edward Pope, 1857; F. V. 
 Randall, 1858; Wm. B. Orcutt, 1859,^60; 
 SethM. Bailey, 1861 ; Chester Clark, 1862 ; 
 Seth M. Bailey, 1863; Edmond Pope, 
 1864, '65; Austin A. Smith, 1866; Samuel 
 
 G. Stanton, 1267, '68, '69; Erastus N. 
 Spalding, 1870, '71 ; '^^l--, no elections; 
 Enos K. Young, 1874, '75 ; A. N. Tilden, 
 1876, '^^\ Wm. B. Orcutt, 1878-81. 
 
 ASSISTANT JUDGES OF COUNTY COURT. 
 
 Charles Samson, 1842, '43; Nathan 
 Morse, Alvin Braley, 1858, '59. 
 
 Wm. B. Orcutt, 1874, 7s ; 
 
 Sheriff,— O. W. Orcutt, 1865, '66. 
 
 DELEGATES TO CONSTITUTIONL CONVEN- 
 TIONS. 
 
 Darius Spaulding, 1814; Jonathan P. 
 Ruggles, 1822; Nathan Morse, 1828, '35; 
 Henry S. Boyce, 1842; Thomas R. Shaw, 
 1849; Samuel U. Hildreth, 1870. 
 
 POSTMASTERS. 
 
 First postmaster, John M. Spaulding, 
 from 1826 to '49; O. W. Orcutt, 1849 to 
 '53 ; Billings Spaulding and A. N. Tilden, 
 1 86 1 to '63; Julius Spaulding, 1865 to '66; 
 Orin W. Orcutt, 1866 to the present time. 
 
 East Roxbury. — Shubael Wales, 1830 
 to '42; Stillman Ruggles, 1841 to '43; 
 Samuel Ruggles, 1843 to '52 ; Jacob Ward- 
 ner, in 1852, and present incumbent. 
 
 Merchants : — Among others beside what 
 I have previously named, I remember 
 Woodward, Thresher, A. N. Tilden, Ed. 
 Ferris, J. Riford, Mansfield, I. Brigham, 
 E. P. Burnham, A. N. Tilden & Son, the 
 two last firms at present doing good busi- 
 ness. Asa Taylor was the first to keep 
 store in town. 
 
 E. N. Spaulding's steam-mill burned 
 down in November, since I wrote up the 
 
 96 
 
 manufacturing business, and another one 
 was well under way here when I came from 
 Roxbury. Stephen Butterfield has been 
 station agent and telegraph operator nearly 
 the whole time since the railroad came to 
 Roxbury. E. N. Spalding is a promi- 
 nent business man, dealing heavily in 
 lumber. Will Spalding, his son, is now 
 " dispatcher " in an office in Boston. 
 
 Thanks are especially due O. W. Orcutt, 
 Aaron Webster and Zed Stanton, Esq. 
 I have received considerable information 
 from three grand-daughters of Samuel Rich- 
 ardson — Mrs. York, Mrs. Woodard and 
 Mrs. Youngs ; also from O. Richardson, a 
 former resident of this town. Many have 
 no doubt felt interested who have devoted 
 no time, therefore much will be left out, 
 inevitably, which cannot fail of being a 
 source of regret to their posterity ; for, 
 however this may seem to us of to-day, to 
 whom much of this history is familiar, 
 future generations will peruse it with the 
 greatest interest, and every incident of the 
 hardships, privations and heroism of the 
 pioneers, related at many firesides by our 
 children's children. s. B. M. 
 
 roxbury centennial CELEBRATION. 
 
 The day chosen for the Celebration fell 
 on Tuesday, fair and fine as one could wish. 
 The ' procession of citizens and visitors 
 formed at the town-house, and led by 
 Northfield Cornet Band, drum corps, mil- 
 itia, old folks' temperance organization, 
 grange and civilians, marched to a charm- 
 ing little grove near the depot, where a 
 stand had been erected for music and 
 speakers, tables laid for an old-fashioned 
 dinner in a little vale just below, tended 
 by young ladies, picturesque in short 
 waists, enormous pufted sleeves and narrow 
 gored skirts, guiltless of trimmings. Among 
 the visitors who were assigned seats of 
 honor upon the stand were Philip Cram, 
 the first child born in Roxbury, from 
 Brookfield ; Mrs. Orcutt, widow of Sam- 
 uel Orcutt, and mother of those residing 
 in Roxbury and Northfield of that name, 
 the oldest person present, being 94 years 
 of age. There were 39 persons over 70, 
 30 of them being over 80. 
 
762 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 HISTORICAL ADDRESS, 
 
 (BY Z. S. .STANTON, EfeQ.) 
 
 Delivered at Roxbury, Aug. 22, 1876, 
 Maj. Allen Spaulcling, president of the oc- 
 casion ; a large concourse of citizens 
 and visitors present ; from which we ex- 
 tract the portions pertaining strictly to the 
 history of the town not already covered by 
 the papers of Mrs. Mansfield, given : 
 
 " Many of the early settlers of this town- 
 ship were veterans of the Revolution. 
 Doubtless the tract of land now known as 
 the town of Roxbury was never the per- 
 manent home of the Indians. Yet it may 
 be inferred from the geographical position 
 of this portion of our State, that the 
 Indians, in their predatory excursions 
 against the colonial settlements of New 
 England, pa.ssed through here. The Iro- 
 quois, Cossuck and St. Francis tribes fre- 
 quented this portion of our State at various 
 times while on their hunting excursions, 
 and doubtless the smoke of their camp- 
 fires wended up from this little valley many 
 times. In the fall of 1780, the town of 
 Royalton was pillaged and burned by a 
 band of Indians from Canada, who on 
 their return passed through the west part 
 of Brookfield, and probably the east part 
 of this town. Arrow-heads and other relics 
 have been found here at various times, 
 which prove conclusively that the red man 
 was here at a time previous to any white 
 man's emigration to this township. Nov. 
 6, 1780, this township was granted, and it 
 was chartered by the Governor, Council 
 and General Assembly of the State, Aug. 
 5, 1781, to Benjamin Emmons and 64 
 others, nearly all of whom were residents 
 of Windsor County. I think two of these 
 persons afterwards resided in this town. 
 Among the names of those to whom this 
 township was chartered, I find those of 
 Thomas Chittenden, Paul Spooner, and 
 others prominent in the early history of 
 Vermont. Besides the land chartered to 
 those men, there was chartered one right 
 for the use of a seminary or college, one 
 for the u.se of a county grammar school, 
 one for the purpose of the settlement of a 
 minister of the gospel, one for the support 
 of the social worship of God, and one for 
 the support of an English school or schools 
 in this town. The proprietors of this 
 township held their first meeting at the 
 house of Benjamin Burtch, an innholderin 
 Hartford, County of Windsor, Nov. 20, 
 1783; Hon. Paul Spooner, moderator, 
 and Briant Brown, clerk. A committee, 
 consisting of Briant Brown, Esq., Capt. 
 John Strong, Elisha Gallup, Abel Lyman 
 and Asa Taylor were chosen to examine 
 
 this township, and to lay out 100 acres to 
 each proprietor as a first division, with the 
 allowance of five per cent, for highways. 
 They were also instructed to procure a 
 surveyor, chainmen and provisions. They 
 held an adjourned meeting Dec. 25 the 
 same year, and voted to lay a tax of 10 s. 
 lawful money, on each proprietor's right or 
 share of land, for the purpose of paying 
 the expenses of surveying. This tax was 
 to be paid in money, wheat, beef or pork, 
 at cash price. They chose Capt. John 
 Strong collector, and Major Joel Mathews, 
 treasurer. They also voted a tax of 2 s. 
 lawful money, on each proprietor's right or 
 share of land in this township, for the pur- 
 pose of defraying charges that had arisen 
 in procuring the charter. It is impossible 
 to ascertain just how many meetings were 
 held by the proprietors of this township, 
 or when the survey was made. I think, 
 however, that the survey was not made at 
 this time, and possibly not until several 
 years later. There was a proprietors' 
 meeting held at the house of Asa Edgerton, 
 in Randolph, Aug. 6, 1788; Major Elijah 
 Paine, moderator, and Deacon David 
 Bates, clerk. A vote similar to the one 
 taken at Hartford, with the addition of an- 
 other division, was passed. It is possible 
 that the survey of the township was made 
 previous to this time, but I have no author- 
 ity for saying so. Each proprietor had 
 one lot in each division. On the 21st day 
 of May, 1789, the first settlement was 
 made in this township. 
 
 Mr. Huntington, the first settler, was an 
 elderly man, and was accompanied by 
 several children, some of whom had ar- 
 rived at maturity at that time. Three of 
 his sons, Jedechah, Thomas and Jonathan 
 were quite prominent in town affairs when 
 the town was organized. I am not able to 
 say who the next settlers of this township 
 were, but soon after Huntington and Rich- 
 ardson came here, Mr. Isaac Lewis settled 
 in this town-hip, and Messrs. David, 
 Robert and Jonathan Cram located on the 
 farms now owned and occupied by Messrs. 
 Chatterton, Bowman and Clough. [See 
 previous account of.] 
 
 Jacob Wardner came to this town in 
 1801, and built a log house on the farm 
 now owned by H. A. Thayer. The next 
 year he moved his family to this place. 
 He was a German, and was born on board 
 a vessel while his parents were emigrating 
 to this country, and he used to boast that 
 he ' never was born on the face of God's 
 earth.' 
 
 Samuel Robinson and Samuel M. Orcutt 
 were at one time associated in mercantile 
 business, and occupied the room now used 
 
ROXBURY. 
 
 763 
 
 by J. F. Pearson as a harness shop. This 
 was the second store kept in town. They 
 did a good business, and to use my in- 
 formant's own words, ' There was not so 
 many Bostons then as now ; then the 
 Granger did not trouble the merchant, 
 and the potato bug did not bother the 
 Granger ; then the merchants drew their 
 molasses without the help of patent gates, 
 and sold new rum without a license.' 
 
 Elijah Ellis lived where Mrs. Brackett 
 now does. He built the house at this 
 place, and it was the first house built in 
 town that -was arranged for the use of 
 stoves, I am informed. He had no fire- 
 place or ' stack of chimneys,' as they were 
 called, and people thought it a great de- 
 parture from the old ways. Ellis also built 
 the tirst clover-mill in town. [See Mrs. 
 Mansfield's record.] 
 
 About this time Moses Woodard lived 
 where Peter Gilbert now does, whose son 
 was the noted manufacturer of the frames 
 of saddles. There was a tavern kept here 
 for some time, and the place was known 
 as the center of the town. Below Wood- 
 ward's, on the road leading to where the 
 village now is, lived James Bancroft, who 
 was for many years town clerk, and has 
 left upon the town records some splendid 
 specimens of penmanship, that might well 
 .serve for copies for many at this day. 
 There were in 1810 but three houseswhere 
 the village now is — the house of Mr. Bur- 
 roughs, near where Mrs. Martell lives, and 
 two others, near where Charles Leonard 
 now resides. At this time, 18 10, there 
 was a considerable portion of the town 
 settled. 
 
 After the return of our volunteers from 
 Plattsburgh, with the exxeption of town 
 meetings and trainings, the town was com- 
 paratively quiet. These trainings were 
 held at various places, sometimes at Billa 
 Woodard's and Capt. Orcutt's, on the east 
 hill, and often near the tavern of John M. 
 Spaulding. Mr. Spaulding kept this tav- 
 ern, and was also proprietor of a saw-mill 
 and grist-mill at this place. Then one day 
 in each week was set apart for the grind- 
 ing of salt. Coarse salt was the only kind 
 of that commodity that could be obtained, 
 and as the thrifty housewives then, as now, 
 took great pride in making good butter, 
 they had of necessity to grind their salt at 
 the grist-mill. Mr. Spaulding built the 
 hotel in the village in 1830. He was an 
 energetic business man, and accumulated 
 a handsome property for those honest days. 
 For many years the town meetings were 
 held at dwellings in various parts of the 
 town. I find by consulting the town rec- 
 ords that these, meetings were held at the 
 houses of the following-named gentlemen, 
 
 in the order that they occur : Jedediah 
 Huntington, Samuel Richardson, Chris- 
 topher Huntington, Lemuel Smith, Ichabod 
 Munsel, Billa Woodard, Samuel M. Orcutt 
 and Luther Ainsworth. After this they 
 were held at the village, in the meeting- 
 house and hotel hall, until the town-house 
 was built, in 1854. 
 
 The verd antique marble was discovered 
 in Roxbury, 1833, by a gentlemen named 
 McCain. 
 
 No State in the Union has a better rec- 
 ord in connection with the war of the re- 
 bellion than Vermont — and no town in the 
 State has a better one than Roxbury. With 
 a population of 1060, Roxbury gave the 
 Union army 95 brave soldiers, 8 of whom 
 re-enlisted. Co. H, 6th Vt. Regt,, under 
 command of Capt. D. B. Davenport, was 
 recruited in this town in the fall of 1861. 
 Besides this company there were residents 
 of this town in many other regiments. 
 Twenty-six of these died in the service of 
 their country. ..... 
 
 Besides these, there were 
 of those who enlisted from other places, 
 but who were residents of this town, two 
 that died — Homer Pearson in a rebel pris- 
 on, at Salisbury, N. C, and Samuel Shep- 
 herd, who was a member of a Massachu- 
 setts regiment, in the service. In all, 29 
 men of this town fell in the defense of hu- 
 man liberty. I wish that this town might 
 imitate the action of other towns, and 
 erect a monument to the memory of these 
 martyrs. 
 
 So far as manufacturing is concerned, 
 Roxbury has done but little, and doubtless 
 the wealth that is obtained here must come 
 through the hard hand of the farmer. Mr. 
 Shubal Wales, who kept tavern at East 
 Roxbury many years ago, was also propri- 
 etor of clothing works at that place, but it 
 was not a very extensive concern. 
 
 The people here have to a considerable 
 extent, been dependent upon itinerant 
 preachers. After Mr. Huntington remov- 
 ed to Canada, the settlers at East Roxbury 
 secured the services of Elder Seaver, of 
 Williamstown, and meetings were held in 
 the school house. Elder Hovey also held 
 meetings there, and soon after a Calvinist 
 Baptist church was formed. There has 
 been, I think, a church organization there 
 ever since. Their present church, the First 
 Christian, was organized in Feb., 1863. 
 Rev. Henry Howard is now their pastor. 
 The union house of worship was built in 
 this village in 1839. Previous to this, the 
 meetings were held in school houses, and 
 sometimes in barns. Considerable excite- 
 ment was occasioned at the time the first 
 minister in town was ordained. In those 
 days, there were many lay preachers, and 
 
764 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 one of these, a man named Culver, was 
 privately ordained and laid claim to this 
 lot, together with all the improvements 
 that had been made upon it. The select- 
 men of the town objected to this, but Cul- 
 ver would not yield, and then they endeav- 
 vored to have a preacher named Smith, 
 better known as " Happy John," ordained. 
 He declined, and Ophir Shipman was next 
 appealed to. He consented, and was the 
 first regularly ordained minister in Rox- 
 bury. He held the value of the land with- 
 out improvements. The result of this 
 strife was the destroying of the Baptist 
 church at this place. 
 
 My fellow townsmen, in conclusion, let 
 me say that I would that this task of 
 chronicling a history of our town might 
 have been performed by abler hands than 
 mine. With the short time alloted me I 
 could, of course, give nothing but a rough 
 sketch of those incidents brought most 
 vividly to my notice. I trust they are in 
 the main correct. My thanks are due 
 those who have so kindly furnished me 
 with material, and I hope the day is not 
 far distant when a fuller and more com- 
 plete history may be written. If you de- 
 rive half the pleasure in listening to this 
 that I have in learning of those pioneers in 
 our town, I shall be satisfied. I think we 
 are too apt in this fast age not to look 
 back to the lives and deeds of those 
 who have gone before. Said Edmund 
 Burke, "A people who do not look back 
 to their ancestors will not look forward to 
 their posterity," and still there are many 
 to-day if called upon to give the maiden 
 name of their grandmother would be una- 
 ble to do so. To know more of those 
 whose places we now fill, to learn of their 
 virtues, to know wherein they erred, is our 
 right and duty. In our little mountain 
 town, away up among the Green Moun- 
 tains, we have no great history to write of, 
 no mighty deeds of valiant men to chroni- 
 cle, no biography of some brilliant person 
 who has gone from here and startled the 
 world with his genius, for no native of 
 Roxbury has been, to my knowledge, a 
 member of Congress or of the State Prison 
 either, but .simply a story of hardy men and 
 brave women seeking and making their 
 homes among these hills. There are 
 times when, perhaps, we may wish for a 
 more genial clime and a more fertile soil, 
 but none of us after living here a series of 
 years will fail to love these hills, for it is our 
 home. When we consider the changes that 
 have been wrought in our State and nation 
 during the past century, we know that our 
 little town has kept pace with the rest. 
 How different the scene of to-day and the 
 one Samuel Richardson gazed on when 
 
 first he came here. At our feet still murmurs 
 that little mountain stream that sparkled 
 in the autumn sunlight of 86 years ago, 
 but how changed is the rest. Then it 
 was an unbroken forest, with naught but 
 wild beasts for inmates ; now it is teeming 
 with the marks of improvement. The iron 
 horse is going at lightning speed through 
 our valley ; step to yonder telegraph office 
 and in a moment's time a thought of yours 
 may be flashed to the Golden Gates of the 
 Pacific, or, sent beneath the ocean's bed, 
 may be heard on another continent ; on our 
 hillsides are evidences of great improve- 
 ments, machinery supplants labor, and the 
 products of other climes may be ours at 
 prices almost nominal. Forth from these 
 hillsides come a thousand sparkling streams 
 with water pure and clear as our lives 
 should be ; across these hills the strong, 
 invigorating air is ever waving, giving 
 health and happiness, and here in our 
 peaceful homes ought to be found hearts 
 grateful to the Giver of all these blessings. 
 But the tottering forms of these aged ones 
 who have assembled here to-day, tell us 
 plainly that it is but a brief happiness we 
 have to enjoy here, and that with each re- 
 turn of this golden harvest time, new 
 mounds will have been made in our valleys 
 and on our hillsides, marking the spot 
 where some one is resting from his labors, 
 and may God grant that when the last 
 summons shall come, and the places we 
 now occupy shall know us no more, that 
 our lives shall have been such as to bear 
 well the scrutiny of the Great Hereafter. 
 
 A CENTURY OLD STORY. 
 
 BY MRS. SAUAH BHIGIIAM MANSFIELD. 
 
 (Read at the Ro.rbury Centennial.) 
 Ahl what more inspiring tlienie 
 For poet's pen or poet's dream 
 Tlian to go back an liundreii years— 
 To dream of all the hopes and fears. 
 
 The heart-throbs and the pain 
 Of those who lived, and loved, and died — 
 Who felled the forests, dark and wide — 
 Who. with unswerving, constant toil. 
 Cleared these broad acres, tilled the soil, 
 
 Themselves a liome to gain. 
 
 A hundred years, or less, ago 
 Deep waters had their ebb and flow; 
 The willow bowed its graceful head 
 Above the water-lily's bed. 
 
 Where stands this village now. 
 The bear and wolf roamed without fear, , 
 
 With now and then a moose or deer. 
 And the primeval forests rang 
 With shrieks of panther— the birds sang 
 
 Tlieir loftiest, sweetest strains, I trow. 
 
 The red man oft-times wandered through 
 These dim old woods; ahl brave and true 
 Were they who mid th' green hills of "Vermont 
 Sought and found homes; my word upou't, 
 A nobler, truer race 
 
ROXBURY. 
 
 765 
 
 Than those old yeoiuen ne'er were seen ; 
 Though brown of cheek, nor graceful mien 
 Had they, their record shows 
 A list of deeds that brighter glows 
 As years come on apace. 
 
 In a sweet glade, beside a wood, 
 
 A century gone, a cabin stood; 
 
 A purling brook trilled joyously along. 
 
 And bird-notes echoed back the song. 
 
 While little children fair 
 Joined in the chorus at their play : 
 What wonder that their hearts were gay— 
 From the di-ead war papa had come, 
 To spend his days in peace at home; 
 
 How light seemed every carel 
 
 'Twas springtime; adder-tongues were up; 
 'Neath the dry leaves the arbutus' cup; 
 Rude troughs still caught the flowing sweet 
 From the rock maple ; tiny feet 
 
 Made fairy footprints all around. 
 One little lad, with crisp brown curls. 
 And full white brow, fair as a girl's, 
 Wiih dusk-bright eyes, brim full of glee, 
 Pet of that humble home was he — 
 
 Humble, yet with love crowned. 
 
 " O, let me mind the fire," lie cried, " to day. 
 And watch the sap, to see it boil away ; 
 You go to dinner, one and all — 
 Please let me stay; I'm not so very small, 
 
 I'll have you all to know; 
 I'm a big boy, 'most eight years old. 
 And not a bit afraid; now do not scold. 
 For won't I make the kettle singl— 
 And don't forget my lunch to bring— 
 
 I'm starved almosti— now go." 
 
 And so they left him, bright-eyed Ned ; 
 " He'll keep all right, we know," they said, 
 " And feel as proud as any king— 
 The little, pompous, silly thing. 
 
 To think such work is play." 
 And while they dined, the mother brought 
 A dainty lunch of trout they'd caught, 
 And good sweet bread, both brown and white: 
 '• Now haste thee, husband, from my sight. 
 
 Nor linger by the way ; 
 "My heart is sad— oh I strangely sad— 
 For fear of liarm to the dear lad ; 
 I know he's brave— as brave as good— 
 But wild beasts lurk in the deep wood— 
 
 Ohl haste thee to our child." 
 "Fie! fie I upon thy woman's fears; 
 The boy is safe— dry up thy tears; 
 And when he comes with me to-night, 
 Thou'lt smile upon this foolish fright— 
 
 Hd loves the deep woods wild." 
 Yet, as his hurried steps drew near, 
 Why blanched his cheek with sudden fear? 
 Ah! what was there his keen eye scanned? 
 Prints of moccasined feet on every hand, 
 
 With the bare ones of little Ned; 
 An arrow and a wooden spoon — 
 But where the boy they left at noon ? 
 The frantic father called in vain; 
 Sad echo answered back the strain- 
 Forever lost! it said. 
 On through the forest, dark and wild. 
 The frenzied father sought his child ; 
 Through mountain gorge, o'er hill and dale, 
 Till steps grew slow, cheeks wan and pale. 
 
 He sought, but never found. 
 
 Spring, summer, waned, and autumn came. 
 Rich with ripe fruits and golden grain; 
 But from that pleasanfcabin home 
 The light and joy for aye had flown— 
 No little narrow mound, 
 
 Rose-strewn, where they could go and weep. 
 And know their darling was asleep 
 Beneath the flowers; no such relief 
 Had those poor hearts; in silent grief 
 
 They passed each weary day. 
 White grew the mother's raven hair, 
 Deep care lines on the brow once fair. 
 Watching and waiting all in vain ; 
 The dear one came not back again — 
 
 He was lost to them for aye. 
 The stolen child was a grand-uncle of the writer. 
 
 OUR ROXBURY VISIT. 
 
 When in print so far as with Middlesex, 
 we had no certain historian for Roxbury 
 engaged, but learning by chance corres- 
 pondence that Mrs. Sarah Brigham Mans- 
 field was residing at Roxbury, made her a 
 visit with much confidence, we had found 
 the best person in the town to write out 
 the historic record of Roxbury. While 
 visiting Mrs. Mansfield, we also made a 
 little trip into the Mad River Valley, that 
 we had never dreamed of as so pretty ; 
 heard Rev. P. B. Fisk in his address at the 
 Fair at Waitsfield, and visited the birth- 
 town of the Brigham family and Mrs. 
 Laura Brigham Boyce. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Mansfield pointed out many an old site 
 named in our Fayston history, fresh from 
 the press ; nuw Mr. M., the old home site 
 of his father, which strangely the writer 
 had somehow overlooked. 
 
 Riley Mansfield, born in Winchen- 
 don, Mass., came from there when 19 
 years old, with an ox-team, by marked 
 trees, through the heart of the Vermont 
 wilderness, and located in the valley of 
 Fayston, clearing himself a farm and 
 rolling up the logs for his first log-house. 
 He lived in this town till his death,- and 
 raised a large family, and was one of the 
 principal landholders of his day, as the 
 Fayston records attest. His farms and 
 mortgages on farms covered much of the 
 territory of the town ; but he was no op- 
 pressor. A neighbor under embarrass- 
 ment came to him one day, and said, "I 
 want you to buy that 50-acre lot of mine. 
 If I can turn it into money, I can save my 
 farm and myself from ruin." "I will take 
 
766 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 it," said Mr. M., and paid him his price for 
 the land. The man afterwards said to 
 him, "You saved me and my family from 
 utter failure." A little later, hard times 
 again came, and the neighbor was again in 
 deep gloom. How he could meet his 
 taxes he did not know. He had some 
 fine sheep, but sheep were down in the 
 market ; no one wanted to buy for half 
 their worth. The melancholy man came 
 down one afternoon to see if Mr. M. would 
 not buy his sheep. Mr. M. was absent. 
 He told his story to Mrs. M., and said he 
 knew of no one else who would give him 
 the worth of his sheep, but he thought 
 that Mr. M. might, and let him have the 
 money. Mrs. M., sorry for the man, and 
 knowing the neighborly spirit of her hus- 
 band, told him that she thought Mr. M. 
 might buy the sheep, and she would tell 
 him when he came home, and she thought 
 he would be up there that night. The 
 man left a little encouraged. Mr. M. did 
 not return till late. Mrs. M. told him, but 
 it was lo o'clock before he had his chores 
 done, and he put off going up till the next 
 morning. He went up then, but the man 
 had hung himself in the night. His wife 
 said to Mr. M., " Had you come up last 
 night, it would have saved his life." Mr. 
 M., although no ways obligated, always 
 regretted that he had not gone up that 
 night, late as it was. 
 
 He brought apple-seeds from New Hamp- 
 shire, and planted orchards around his old 
 homestead 63 years ago ; trees yet remain 
 there that sprang from the seed he planted 
 then. Mr. M. removed from where he 
 first settled to a farm on Mill brook, where 
 he made his home the last 25 years of his 
 life. His first home was adjoining the 
 old Brigham farm on Fayston hill. His 
 house was within 20 rods of where George 
 Boyce now lives. He sold to Mr. Brig- 
 ham and Mr. Griggs a part of their farms 
 (old Stephen R. Griggs was the one who 
 committed suicide). 
 
 From Obituujy. — "Riley Mansfield, of 
 
 Fayston, died Jan. 14, , aged nearly 
 
 jj years ; another of our oldest and most 
 respected citizens is gone, almost the last 
 of the pioneer men who came to our town 
 
 in its early settlement, or before it had be- 
 come largely settled or improved. He 
 came 56 years ago, and helped by his life- 
 long industry to make the wilderness to 
 blossom as a garden. At 23, he was con- 
 verted at a camp-meeting, and united with 
 the Methodist church, of which he was a 
 member at time of his death. In 1822 he 
 married Betsey Chase, who died Mar. 11, 
 '73. Of a large family, but one son, Martin 
 Mansfield, is now living. He was respect- 
 ed for his sterling worth ; there lives no 
 man who will say, ' Uncle Riley,' as he 
 was called by all his neighbors, ever know- 
 ingly cheated him one cent. Of his sudden 
 death he seemed to have a premonition. 
 He began to feel unwell Wednesday after- 
 noon, and died on Friday near midnight. 
 About an hour before he died, he dressed 
 himself and laid down again on his bed, 
 apparently comfortable, and died as an in- 
 fant hushed to sleep in its mother's arms." 
 
 After his death it was found he had 
 written in his diary the Sabbath evening 
 before, the following: 
 
 "Jan. g. Sabbath Evening. 
 Now we know not what is before us ; we 
 frequently hear of people being found dead, 
 and as you all, my dear children, are away 
 from me, the thought came to me that I 
 might never see any of you again. Oh, 
 what a feeling came over me ! I felt that 
 I could not go to bed without writing a 
 few words of entreaty that you would not 
 let the busy scenes and cares of this life 
 hinder you from preparing for the life to 
 come. Oh, do think of the life that never, 
 never ends! Think what folly it is to 
 make overmuch provision for the flesh only 
 to be enjoyed a few days! It is the height 
 of folly for people to live as most do, and 
 for professors of religion to live as all the 
 world do, laying up treasures on earth. 
 What I wrote on the other page (of this 
 diary), was after I was ready to go to bed, 
 but after these thoughts came to me, I 
 made another fire and sat down and wrote 
 this, hoping you might find it, and hoping 
 it might have some influence on your lives. 
 It may be your loving father's last request." 
 
 It was his last request to his children, 
 for he never beheld their faces again, his 
 death on the next Friday night being so 
 unexpected, they were not sent for until 
 all was over. 
 
ROXBURY. 
 
 767 
 
 BETSEY CHASE, 
 
 who lived on Waitsfield Mountain, mother 
 of Mrs. Riley Mansfield, of Fayston (see 
 previous, page — ), used to tell many tales 
 of almost incredible hardships and priva- 
 tions. Her husband, Thomas Chase, 
 served in the Revolutionary War, and she 
 cared for her little family as best she could, 
 as they were very poor, in the • springtime 
 subsisting upon milk and leeks (wild 
 onions), and such small game as she could 
 get, being an adept in the use of a rifle or 
 shot-gun. At one time, when the army 
 was in desperate need of recruits, and they 
 were pressed into the service with but very 
 little ceremony. When it was known offi- 
 cers were in town for that purpose, many 
 poor fellows, who much preferred to re- 
 main by their own firesides to enduring 
 the perils of war, would hide until the en- 
 listing officers had left town. They, learn- 
 ing this, devised a plan to catch them by 
 letting loose their cattle in the night, and 
 concealing themselves to watch for the 
 men to come out and care for them. Sev- 
 eral times one night Mrs. Chase heard the 
 tinkling of her old cow-bell in her corn- 
 field, and each time marched resolutely out 
 and drove old "Crvmipie" into the yard, 
 making all fast, and returned to the house, 
 to have the same repeated, until the re- 
 cruiting officer and men with him wearied 
 out (at last,) made themselves and 
 their errand known, and when told her 
 husband was already in the service, were 
 somewhat chop-fallen, but declared she 
 was a brave woman, fit to be a soldier's 
 wife. She was a strong, robust woman, 
 and never seemed to know the meaning of 
 the word fear. She often said she would 
 as soon meet the devil in the dark as a 
 man. Whether this was a bit of sarcasm 
 on the " sterner sex" she never explained. 
 Some of her superstitious neighbors called 
 her a "witch," for her prophecies often 
 came true, and they feared nothing so 
 much as her displeasure, "lest some evil 
 should come upon them." This rather 
 pleased her than otherwise, as in this way 
 she kept some disorderly neighbors very 
 submissive. She died in Waitsfield, April, 
 1852, aged over 90 years. 
 
 The account of Riley Mansfield and 
 Thomas and Betsey Chase belong to the 
 towns of Fayston and Waitsfield, but hav- 
 ing been overlooked at home, we include 
 them with this near neighboring town, 
 and the more easily, as Mrs. Mansfield has 
 most cordially and permanently connected 
 herself here as the historian of the town, 
 though the family have now all removed 
 from Roxbury and reside at Fairhaven. 
 
 MR. buknham's reminiscences. 
 
 Deer. — Mr. E. P. Burnham, merchant 
 at the village, told us he can remember 
 some 50 years ago, when the deer used to 
 herd together in spruce thickets on these 
 mountains in the winter, and when the 
 snow melted in the March days, and froze 
 at night, making a crust, the hunters 
 would be out the next morning for the 
 deer. He says he has been on these 
 mountains many times when the deer were 
 so thick you could not count their tracks — 
 the tracks were like a thousand sheep in 
 the snow. The hunters frequently shot 
 and brought in several deer at a time. He 
 distinctly remembers when they brought 
 in five at one time. 
 
 He was graphic in his remembrances of 
 Crandall, of whom Mrs. Mansfield has 
 some anecdotes on the foregoing pages. 
 
 "Some 50 years ago," says Mr. B., 
 " there lived in this town a man by the name 
 of John B. Crandall, but who was named 
 and called by all his townsmen Judge 
 Crandall, a drinking, miserable being, but 
 a man with natural talent. He would get 
 into debt and get sued, and defend himself 
 in the courts. He managed his own case 
 and plead his own cause before the jury, 
 and usually with success. Judge Weston 
 brought a suit for debt against him one 
 time, however, in Randolph, when Cran- 
 dall thought he would have some help, 
 and engaged one of Judge Weston's stu- 
 dents to help defend him. When the 
 cause came on, the student arose to argue 
 Crandall's case, but, awed by the presence 
 of his master, began to hesitate. Crandall 
 stood it for a moment. He had an invet- 
 erate habit of spitting when excited. For 
 a moment he sat spitting, when, arising, 
 
768 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 drawing his ragged, sliglitly liquorfied form 
 up to its full height, he spit once, twice, 
 thrice. Said he, 'Sit down! sit down! 
 
 You are afraid of the d d cuss ; let me 
 
 try him!' He did try him, and won his 
 case out and out with the jury, to the great 
 amusement of all who heard the defense. 
 He had a family. His own boys took after 
 him in drinking, but had none of his power 
 of wit and argument. I think they were 
 more like their mother, who was a famous 
 talker, but not well balanced. Some 
 neighbors in of an evening, the old lady 
 would sit and tell over her wise things ; 
 the old man, under the influence of liquor, 
 in his chair sit and doze, and when she 
 had chatted away and told her long yarns 
 till late, arouse himself up and say, ' A 
 dumb fool always knows the most."' 
 
 The poor old man, of marked ability, 
 but a wreck from his bad habit, died at 
 last, and his curious old wife and his un- 
 educated sons following in his steps, that 
 never were any benefit to the community ; 
 but in the third generation, under the in- 
 fluence of a better education, the ability 
 of the grandfather again cropped markedly 
 out. His grandsons have the strong nat- 
 ural ability without the dissipation of their 
 grandfather or fathers, and make fine men. 
 
 THE 90TH BIRTHDAY PARTY 
 
 of Mrs. Betsey C. Spalding, of which 
 Mrs. Mansfield has briefly spoken, was, 
 indeed, a very unique and pleasant gather- 
 ing, and as the oldest birthday party ever 
 celebrated in Roxbury, should perhaps 
 have a little more notice. Her five chil- 
 dren, all living, were present : ErastusN., 
 Billings, Mrs. Brackett, Mrs. P. Wiley, 
 Mrs. A. N. Thompson, her daughter-in- 
 law and her sons-in-law, and the grand- 
 children in part : Mrs. L. P. Thompson, 
 from Clarence, la. ; Mrs. Arthur Bradley, of 
 Maiden, Mass. ; William Wiley, of White 
 River Junction ; Charles, of St. Albans ; 
 Edwin and Delia Wiley, Clinton Brackett, 
 George Tilden, with their husbands and 
 wives and four great-grandchildren, " un- 
 cles, cousins and aunts." Over the front 
 door was " Welcome! " in cedar; within, 
 the mammoth cake on the table, "a pyr- 
 
 amid of snowy whiteness, crowned with an 
 exquisite white rose with silver leaves," a 
 rose-pyramid rising beside, the gift of the 
 great-grandchildren, of ninety rosebuds, 
 rare specimens, just bursting into beauty, 
 that filled the room with their delicious 
 perfume ; over the wall above, " 1791 and 
 i8gi ; " another table — an elegant bouquet 
 of hot-house flowers from St. Albans 
 friends, a mound of asters, artistically ar- 
 ranged, very handsome, from Mrs. E. P. 
 Burnham, with letters of regret from friends 
 who could not come, on the table. The 
 photographer was there, and views taken 
 of the family gathered about the aged 
 mother in front of her house. Then there 
 was the bountiful supper in the town-hall, 
 five long tables, the central one laid with 
 the mother's old-fashioned mulberry ware 
 and silver of " ye olden" solidity and style ; 
 and after, the birthday address by Rev. 
 Eli Ballou, of Bethel, who referred to Mrs. 
 Spalding's coming to Roxbury when the 
 town was but a wilderness, being one of 
 the first settlers. He spoke feelingly of 
 the kind, loving mother she had been, how 
 deserving of all their love and respect ; 
 this occasion would remain a bright spot 
 in their memories. Mrs. S. was born in 
 Straflbrd, Ct., married John Spalding at 
 20, and came to Roxbury. 
 
 NORA, BLOSSOM OF THE MAY. 
 
 BY A. WEBSTER. 
 
 Where departed kindred sleep, 
 And the living come and weep. 
 Laid we, on a vernal day, 
 Nora, blossom of the May. 
 Seven sunnners' suns and flowers. 
 Seven antumns' russet bowers. 
 Eight sweet springtimes, fair and gaj". 
 Saw our blossom of the May. 
 
 Mild was she, and sweetly fair. 
 Azure eyes and nut-brown hair; 
 Voice that rivaled warblers' lay, 
 Had our blossom of the May. 
 Earth is sad now she is gone, 
 Heaven another charm has won; 
 Where to meet, we hope and pray, 
 Nora, blossom of the May. 
 Rest, sweet blossom, rest In peace, 
 Where all pains and sorrows cease; 
 In our hearts shall ne'er decay, 
 Nora, blossom of the May. 
 Nora, blossom of the May, 
 Pride of her parental spray, 
 Sweetly bloomed and passed away, 
 Nora, blossom of the May, 
 
FAYSTON. 
 
 m 
 
 dwellings, stores and shops (log-houses 
 excepted) should be assessed at two per 
 cent, of their value, if in the judgment of 
 the listers their value did not exceed $1000. 
 And if valued at more than $1000, at three 
 per cent. The law also specified how per- 
 sonal property should be set in the list, as 
 above. Wooden clocks were not taxed. 
 Attorneys, physicians, merchants, mechan- 
 ics, etc., were assessed in proportion to 
 their gains. 
 
 1820: 86 polls at $2Q, $1720 ; 1990 acres 
 of improved land at .08 of appraised value, 
 $1366.42; 103 houses and lots at .04 ap- 
 praised value, $247.06; 9 mills, stores, 
 etc., at .06 appraised value, $48.60; 140 
 oxen at $10, $1400; 429 cows and three- 
 year olds at $6, $2574; 169 cattle, two- 
 year olds at $5, $845 ; 132 horses, three 
 years old and upwards, at $14, $1848 ; 26 
 two-years old at $7, $182 ; 22 one-year old 
 at $4, $88 ; i stallion at $50, $50 ; 5 brass 
 clocks at $10, $50 ; i gold watch at $10, 
 $10; 20 common do. at $5, $100; $1100 
 money at .06, $66; total, $11295.08 ; 34 
 militia polls and 9 cavalry horses were ex- 
 empt from State taxes. 
 
 1830: 252 polls at $10, $2520; 3690 
 acres of land at .06, $1558.60; 541 houses 
 and lots at .04, $1401.40 ; 14 mills, stores, 
 etc., at .06, $62.40; 281 oxen at $2, $562 ; 
 712 cows and other cattle of three years 
 old, at $1.25, $890; 254 cattle of two 
 years old at .75 each, $190.50; 25 horses 
 and mules, three years old, appraised at 
 less than $25, at $1, $25; 180 over $25 
 and less than $75, at $3, $540 ; 6 at $75, 
 at .06, $36 ; 43 two years, at $2, $86 ; 33 one 
 year, at $1.25, $41.25 ; 2797 sheep at .10 
 each, $279.70; 7 carriages at .06 of ap- 
 praised value, $6.30; 8 brass clocks at $3, 
 $24 ; 20 watches at $1, $20 ; $3350 money 
 on hand, etc., at .06, $201 ; $90 bank stock 
 at .03, $2.70 ; 2 practitioners of medicine 
 assessed, $35 ; i merchant and trader, do., 
 $30 ; total, $85 1 1 .85 ; 148 militia polls and 
 6 cavalry horses, exempt. 
 
 In 1840, the list amounted to $10373.54. 
 Later lists were assessed nearly as at pres- 
 ent, and are as follows : 
 
 
 Polls. 
 
 Real. 
 
 Personal. 
 
 Gd.List. 
 
 isso 
 
 2G6 
 
 $281,774 
 
 $32,023 
 
 $3,675 
 
 ISfiO 
 
 312 
 
 304,473 
 
 46.647 
 
 4,134 
 
 1870 
 
 340 
 
 374,573 
 
 71,936 
 
 4,848 
 
 1878 
 
 326 
 
 296,652 
 
 67,807 
 
 4,269 
 
 FAYSTON. 
 
 BY MRS. LAURA BRIGHAM BOYCE. 
 
 This township is in the S. W. corner of 
 the County, 20 miles from Montpelier ; 
 b. N. by Duxbury, E. by Waitsfield, S. by 
 Warren and Lincoln, W. by Huntington 
 and BuelPs Gore ; 6 miles square ; land el- 
 evated, lying in large swells, except along 
 Mill brook and Shephard's brook, where 
 there is some intervale. Shephard's brook 
 runs through the North part of the town, 
 and empties into Mad river in Waitsfield. 
 It affords ample water power, and several 
 flourishing mills are in operation on its 
 banks. 
 
 There was an extensive beaver meadow 
 on this stream, and many of the trees on 
 its banks were partly cut down by these 
 animals. The brook received its name 
 from one Shephard, who used to hunt 
 beavers here. 
 
 Mill brook runs through the South part 
 of the town, in an Easterly direction, and 
 empties into Mad river in Waitsfield ; this 
 stream has good water-power, and several 
 mills and one tannery are located on it. 
 There is considerable good lumber in town, 
 especially in the more mountainous parts, 
 the most valuable of which is spruce. As 
 many as 7,000 or 8,000 clapboard logs are 
 annually cut in Fayston, besides the com- 
 mon lumber, ash, basswood, etc. There is 
 also a good deal of hemlock, the bark of 
 which is used extensively in tanneries. 
 The spruce and hemlock lumber is a source 
 of profit to the inhabitants. The maple is 
 abundant, and there are many valuable 
 sugar orchards ; some have a thousand 
 handsome second growth trees in one body. 
 This adds an item to the income of the 
 farmer, at the prices that have prevailed for 
 maple sugar and syrup of late years. 
 
 The soil is strong and fertile, though 
 not as easily tilled as a more sandy loam. 
 These fertile upland farms are well adapted 
 to dairying, as the sweetest grass is found 
 here, and water as pure and soft as ever 
 drank, two indispensable requisites for the 
 dairy. Dairying is the chief source of in- 
 come of a greater part of the inhabitants, 
 though wheat and oats are raised here in 
 
 23 
 
I7B 
 
 Vermont historical magazine. 
 
 abundance, but potatoes more especially. 
 Corn is often a remunerative crop ; but not 
 so sure as on the intervales. 
 
 Fayston was granted Feb. 25, and char- 
 tered Feb. 27, 1782, to Ebenezer Wal- 
 bridge and hisas.sociates. It was first set- 
 tled by Lynde Wait in 1798. In 1800, 
 there were 18 persons in town. 
 
 Lucia Wait, daughter of Lynde Wait, 
 better known as Squire Wait, was born in 
 1 80 1, the first child born in town; subse- 
 quently, Wait Farr, a son of William Farr, 
 was born, and received a lot of land from 
 Griswold Wait, as being the first male 
 child born in town. From which we see 
 in those primitive days the weaker were 
 oppressed by the stronger, as they are still. 
 There was no orthodox reason why Lucia 
 Wait should not have had that lot of land 
 as her birthright — except that sJie wasiCt a 
 boy. 
 
 The town was organized Aug. 6, 1805. 
 James Wait was the first town clerk ; 
 Thomas Green the first constable ; and 
 Lynde Wait, Rufus Barrett and William 
 Williams the first selectmen. Aug. 27, 
 1805, there was a town meeting called to 
 petition the General Assembly to be set off 
 with other towns from Chittenden County, 
 which was not granted until some time in 
 1 8 10 or 181 1, when Fayston became a part 
 of Jefferson County. 
 
 The first highways were surveyed in 1807, 
 by Edmund Rice, surveyor. The first 
 school district was organized in 1809, and 
 consisted of the whole town, but subse- 
 quently, in 1 8 ID, we believe, it was di- 
 vided into two districts. The first tax 
 levied on the grand list was in 1807, which 
 was 5 cents on a dollar, to be worked out 
 on the highway. The first tax levied on 
 the grand list to be paid in money was in 
 1810. It was I cent on a dollar, and we 
 have no doubt was as hard for these people 
 as were the excessive taxes during the war 
 for their descendants. The taxes levied 
 on the grand list in Fayston during the war 
 in one year were $10.79 on a dollar of the 
 grand list, making a poll tax of $21.58, and 
 school and highway taxes besides, which 
 must have made another dollar. This was 
 in 1864. There were several other bounty 
 
 taxes raised during the war, but this was 
 the heaviest. Fayston paid her war debt 
 as she went along, and can show a clean 
 record. In 181 2, the town voted to raise 
 I cent on a dollar for the support of 
 schools, which was to be paid to the town 
 treasurer in grain. At this time there 
 were 25 children in district No. i, between 
 the ages of 4 and 18. 
 
 In March, 1809, William Newcomb, 
 William Rogers and Marjena Gardener 
 were elected " hog howards," an office now 
 obsolete, and exactly what its duties were, 
 even then, we are unable to learn. But it 
 was an old-time custom to elect newly- 
 married men to that notable office, which 
 might have been no sinecure after all, as 
 the swine in those days all ran where they 
 listed, and unless they were much less 
 vicious than their modern descendants, it 
 must have needed three " hog constables" 
 to a town to have kept them in order. 
 
 In April, 1808, William and PaulBoyce, 
 two Quakers, emigrated from Richmond, 
 N. H., and settled near beaver meadow, on 
 Shephard's brook. This was the first open- 
 ing in what is now called North Fayston. 
 There is a little romance connected with 
 this same William Boyce. It seems that 
 William's susceptible heart had been touch- 
 ed by one Irene Ballou, a Quaker maiden 
 of his native place, and when he had made 
 a beginning on his new home in the woods 
 he began to be lonely, and feel the need of 
 a helpmate to wash his wooden plates and 
 pewter porringer, and also to assist him in 
 picking up brush, planting potatoes, and 
 several other things wherein the good 
 wives made themselves useful in "the 
 olden time," being then truly helpmates for 
 men, instead of help spends, as many of the 
 more modern wives are. So William jour- 
 neyed to Richmond to claim his bride. 
 He tarried long, and when he returned it 
 was not the gentle Irene who accompanied 
 him . Whether he met with a fairer Quaker- 
 ess than she, and lost his heart with her 
 against his will, or whether Irene was 
 averse to going into the new country, 
 among the bears and wolves, tradition 
 saith not, but that it was not the latter 
 I reason we may infer from her farewell to 
 
FAYSTON. 
 
 179 
 
 him : " William, I wish thee well, I hope 
 the Lord will bless thee, but I know He 
 wont." Says one of his descendants : "I 
 think He didn't, for he was always in some 
 sort of trouble or other." Let the fate of 
 William be a warning to all young Quakers, 
 as well as those who quake not at all, to 
 always keep their promises. 
 
 BOYCE FAMILY OF FAYSTON. 
 
 Paul Boyce married Rhoda Palmer, of 
 Waitsfield, and here on the farm they first 
 rescued from the wilderness, they lived to 
 a ripe old age, and were finally buried in 
 tlie cemetery not far away. 
 
 Their son, Ziba Wentworth Boyce, 
 always resided in town until his death, 
 1877, age, 63. He received but a common 
 school education, but by his own efforts, 
 ultimately became a thorough scholar, and 
 taught school many terms. Later he served 
 the town in various capacities, and up to 
 the time of his death was noted for his fine 
 mental endowments. He was often jo- 
 cosely called the " wisdom of North Fays- 
 ton," and not altogether without reason. 
 He was a writer of considerable ability, 
 both in prose and verse. His two daugh- 
 ters inherited his talent for writing, more 
 especially his younger daughter, Mrs. Em- 
 ongene Smith, now a resident of Dubuque, 
 Iowa. The eldest daughter, Mrs. S. Mi- 
 nerva Boyce, has always remained at the 
 homestead. 
 
 When Ziba W. was quite a young lad, 
 his father sent him one night with his 
 brother after the sheep, but they having 
 strayed from their usual pasture, they 
 failed to find them. In the morning they 
 /ound what there was left of them, eleven 
 having been devoured by the wolves during 
 the night. 
 
 On one occasion Paul Boyce was going 
 off into the woods with his oxen, when he 
 met a bear with two cubs face to face. The 
 meeting was not a remarkably pleasant one 
 to him ; he being a Quaker and averse to 
 fighting, was pleased when the bear turned 
 and trotted off. 
 
 About the year 1809, Stephen Griggs 
 emigrated from Pomfret, Conn., and set- 
 tled about one-half mile from Esquire Wait's 
 
 farm. He resided there as long as he 
 lived, and his companion, who survived 
 him many years, died there. The place 
 has never passed out of the family, a grand- 
 daughter at present residing there. This 
 farm and the Brigham farm are the only 
 ones in South Fayston which have never 
 passed out of the families of the first set- 
 tlers. 
 
 Deer-yards were frequently found on the 
 eastern slopes of the hills. The early set- 
 tlers used to hunt them in winter when the 
 snow was deep, so that they could not es- 
 cape. Buck's horns were often found in 
 the woods. Sable were quite abundant. 
 Ezra Meach, of Shelburne, passed through 
 the town in 1809, setting his line of traps 
 for sable, and blazed trees along his route. 
 He found it quite profitable business, as 
 these animals were exceedingly good in the 
 western part of the town. The panther, the 
 great dread of the juvenile community, 
 was often seen, or supposed to be seen, 
 but never captured in this town. 
 
 UNCLE John's Indian raid. 
 
 Some time about 1803, there were then 
 five or six families settled in what is now 
 known as South Fayston. There were 
 Uncle John and Uncle Rufus Barrett — ^^I 
 call them Uncle John and Uncle Rufus, as 
 these were the names by which I knew 
 them in my early childhood, albeit they 
 were both young men at the date of my 
 story. There were Squire Wait and Thos. 
 Green, and if there were others I do not 
 know their names. 
 
 Now at that time the raising of a new 
 house or barn was a job that required 
 plenty of muscle and new rum, for they 
 were built of logs, and very heavy. 
 
 On a certain day, somebody in Warren 
 was to raise a barn, and as the country 
 was sparsely settled, everybody was in- 
 vited far and near, and all the men of Fays- 
 ton went except Uncle John. Whether 
 he stayed at home to guard the women and 
 children from the bears and wolves, tra- 
 dition saith not. I only know he "tarried 
 by the stuff," and all went well till near 
 sundown, when suddenly there burst upon 
 his ears a long, wild cry, between a howl 
 
i8o 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 and a whoop. Uncle John was on the 
 alert ; he listened with bated breath a few 
 moments ; louder and nearer than before 
 came that terrible howl, this time in a dif- 
 ferent direction. 
 
 '"Tis the Indian war whoop," said 
 Uncle John ; " no doubt we are surround- 
 ed, and the men all away." He stood not 
 upon the order of going, but went at once. 
 Uncle John was no coward, and if the red- 
 skins got his scalp, they should buy it 
 dearly, he resolved, and seizing his gun, 
 Ijidding his wife to follow, he ran to alarm 
 the neighbors, and get them all together, 
 that he might defend them as long as pos- 
 sible. In a short time every woman and 
 child in the settlement was ensconced in 
 Uncle Rufus' domicile, with all the fire- 
 arms the settlement contained, the door 
 barricaded, and all the preparations made 
 to receive the red-skins that one man 
 could do, aided by a few courageous women. 
 They listened, with hearing made acute by 
 fear, for the repetition of the war whoop. 
 Now they heard it evidently nearing them 
 — Uncle John loaded all the guns — now 
 they heard it further away. With pale 
 faces and palpitating hearts, they awaited 
 the onset. The twilight shades deepened, 
 the night closed in, but still the Indians 
 did not attack them. 
 
 Now there was an additional anxiety 
 among the inmates of the little cabin, for 
 it was time for the men to be returning 
 from the raising, and as they were un- 
 armed, they would fall an easy prey to 
 the Indians. 
 
 Meanwhile the men, having finished their 
 labors, were returning home, all uncon- 
 scious of the danger menacing them. They 
 reached home, but were surprised to find 
 those homes deserted. "Come on to my 
 house," said Uncle Rufus, "perhaps the 
 women were lonesome, and have gone to 
 make my wife a visit." So, not knowing 
 what else to do, they went on. Yes, there 
 was a light at Uncle Rufus \ sure enough, 
 and a glance sufficed to show that there 
 was some unusual commotion within. What 
 could it be ? 
 
 " Hark, I hear voices," cried one of the 
 women, " it is the Indians this time, sure." 
 
 The children began to cry, and I suppose 
 it would have been very delicate if the 
 women had fainted, but they did no such 
 thing. 
 
 "What are you all about here? why 
 don't you let us in?" cried Uncle Rufus, 
 shaking the door. The door was opened 
 speedily, and instead of being scalped by 
 the Indians, they fell into the arms of their 
 astonished husbands. 
 
 " What is all this pow-wow about, any- 
 way?" said one. Then Uncle John ex- 
 plained how he had heard the Indian war- 
 whoop off in the woods, and had gathered 
 the women and children there together 
 for protection. The men burst into a loud 
 laugh. "It was the wolves," said Squire 
 Wait, "we heard them howling on the 
 mountain as we came home. I'll be bound 
 there isn't a red-skin within 50 miles." 
 
 Uncle John was somewhat crestfallen, 
 but he was rather glad after all that it 
 wasn't Indians, for he preferred to have 
 his scalp in its proper place, rather than 
 dangling from the red-skins' belts. 
 
 Some time in 18 14, there was a rumor 
 current of great treasure buried by the 
 Spanish Legions at the forks of Shepherd's 
 brook, and William Boyce, having a desire 
 for " the root of all evil," resolved to find 
 it. He engaged one Arad Sherman, a 
 man of such magical powers that in his 
 hands a witch-hazel rod performed as 
 many antics as the rod of Aaron, and they 
 went about the search. Arad took the 
 enchanted rod, and lo ! it pointed out the 
 exact location of the buried treasure, but 
 it remained for them to dig and get it. It 
 had been revealed to Arad that they must 
 dig in the night time, and no word must 
 be spoken by any one of the number dur- 
 ing the whole time of the digging, else the 
 treasure would be lost to them. So one 
 night they started on their secret expedi- 
 tion. Nothing was heard but the dull thud 
 of the bars in the earth, and grating of the 
 spade. The earth was obstinate, but they 
 were determined no powers of earth should 
 cheat them of their treasure. The hours 
 wore on, when suddenly William's bar 
 struck against the iron chest containing the 
 treasure, with a sharp " clink." Over- 
 
FAYSTON. 
 
 iSi 
 
 joyed at their success, William forgot the 
 caution and cried out "I've found it !" At 
 that instant the box shook with an ominous 
 rattle, and sank down, down, far below the 
 sight of their longing eyes, taking the bar 
 and all with it, says the tradition. Fright- 
 ened nearly out of their wits, they "ske- 
 daddled" for home, sadder if not better 
 men, and the treasure remains buried there 
 to this day. 
 
 In the winter of 1826, a beautiful doe 
 was run down Shepherd's brook to Mad 
 river, near Jason Carpenter's and brought 
 up in an open eddy out of the reach of the 
 dogs. Judge Carpenter caught it in his 
 arms, and, seven or eight hunters coming 
 up just then, he told them that they could 
 not have the doe, but each one of them 
 might go and select a sheep from his flock, 
 if they would go home about their busi- 
 ness. Nothing but the beautiful doe would 
 satisfy these blood-thirsty hunters, and, 
 seizing the deer by main force, they killed 
 it on the spot. 
 
 Pigeons were abundant. One device 
 for keeping them oflT the grain patches was 
 a boy threshing a log chain around a 
 stump. They used also to construct bough 
 houses on the edge of the field, and draw 
 a huge net over the baiting place, thus se- 
 curing dozens at a haul. Partridges were 
 caught on their drumming logs in snares, 
 or, if not there, the gunner was' sure to 
 find them in some thicket. So it came to 
 be a proverb, " hunted like a partridge." 
 
 In early days Uncle Moses Eaton used 
 to bring corn from Richmond on the backs 
 of two horses, the roads not being passable 
 for any vehicle. 
 
 On his journey Uncle Moses met Uncle 
 Joe Clark, of Duxbury, at Pride's tavern 
 in Waterbury. " Now," said Uncle Joe, 
 " you will want some pork to go with that 
 corn, and you just call at my house, and 
 tell Aunt Betsey to put you up a good clear 
 piece of pork." The next time they met 
 Uncle Moses said, " I called on Aunt Bet- 
 sey, as you told me, and she raised her 
 hands and blessed herself, saying, " What 
 on airth does that man mean, sending any 
 one here for pork, when he knows that we 
 haint had any kind of meat in the house 
 
 for six months ?" But Uncle Joe enjoyed 
 the joke hugely. 
 
 In Fayston there was considerable snow 
 on the 8th and 9th of June, 18 16, and 
 everything was frozen down to the ground. 
 The trees put out new leaves three times 
 during that season, having been cut off 
 twice by frost; hardly anything ripened, 
 and the settlers saw dreary times. 
 
 WILLIAM NEWCOMB 
 
 came to the township quite early in its set- 
 tlement, and finished his days here. He 
 built one of the first framed houses in 
 town. Esquire Wait's being the first ; Mr. 
 Newcomb and Merrill Tyler each built 
 theirs the same year, but I am unable to 
 learn in what year. Mr. Newcomb's farm 
 was occupied by his son Hoseamany years, 
 but has passed into the hands of strangers. 
 The old house was burned during a high 
 wind, in Oct. 1878. 
 
 Dr. Dan Newcomb, son of Hosea New- 
 comb, was born and reared here, but lias 
 been for several years a practicing physi- 
 cian in Steele County, 111. He is also the 
 author of a medical work entitled, " When 
 and How," a work of considerable merit. 
 Don Carlos, another son, is a prominent 
 wholesale merchant of Atchison, "Kansas. 
 
 NATHAN AND JACOB BOYCE. 
 
 In 1808, Nathan Boyce and his wife, 
 Zeviah, came to Fayston, and settled on 
 Shephard's brook, near Paul Boyce, of 
 whom he was a relative, and also of the 
 Quaker faith. Nathan Boyce died many 
 years ago ; his wife in 1856, aged about 90, 
 I think. She resided with her son Jacob, 
 who died in 186-. His wife still survives 
 him, at the age of 81 (1878. She is still 
 living, Aug. 1881.) She lives on the old 
 farm with her son, Seth Boyce. The farm 
 has always remained in the family. 
 
 Jacob Boyce had 4 sons and 4 daughters, 
 all of whom, save one, are settled in Fays- 
 ton or the immediately adjacent towns. 
 
 BRIGHAM FAMILY. 
 
 In 1809, Gershom Brigham and family 
 emigrated from Winchester, N. H., and 
 settled in South Fayston, near Lynde 
 Wait's. Elisha, their third child, was then 
 17 years old, and eventually settled on the 
 
l82 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 same land, his other brothers and sisters 
 finding other homes. His parents resided 
 with him while they lived, and their bones 
 rest in the little green grave-yard on the 
 old Wait farm. Elisha lived here to ripe 
 old age, raising a family of 1 1 children, all 
 of whom are now living except one daugh- 
 ter, who died at the age of 42. The two 
 eldest sons and the two youngest daughters 
 of this family have some literary talent, 
 having all contributed to the press accept- 
 ably, in prose and verse. The eldest son, 
 [See separate notice of Dr. G.N. Brigham] . 
 
 Elisha Brigham died in 1863, aged 70 
 years ; his widow in 1876, agedvy. The 
 old home that she had resided in for more 
 than 40 years, took fire in some mysterious 
 manner, and was burned in the early morn- 
 ing hours, when her demise was hourly 
 expected. She was borne from the flam- 
 ing house to the home of a neighbor, and 
 breathed her last in the very house whence 
 she went on her wedding day to be mar- 
 ried 59 years before. 
 
 Mrs. Brigham was a woman of remark- 
 able powers, mental and physical. Left an 
 orphan by the death of her mother at the 
 age of 12, she came from Randolph, Vt., 
 her native place, to reside in the family of 
 Esquire Wait, so she became early identi- 
 fied with the history of the town. Her re- 
 markably vigorous constitution and ambi- 
 tion to excel, fitted her for the position of 
 a pioneer's wife, and she endured the hard- 
 ships and deprivations consequent on the 
 building up of a new place, with great 
 fortitude. With a large family of her own 
 and many cares, yet she acted as nurse for 
 half the town, and such was herskill inthe 
 management of the sick, that the old phy- 
 sician, now dead, used always, if he had 
 a critical case, to send for Mrs. Brigham, 
 and said, with her to nurse them, he felt 
 pretty sure of bringing his patients through. 
 Her very presence and touch seemed to 
 bring healing with them. 
 
 When Mrs. Brigham was a fair, young 
 wife of 19, she was small, lithe and supple, 
 with nerves of steel, and she never shrank 
 from any of the hardships of her life. 
 They then made sugar nearly a mile from 
 the house. It was growing late in the 
 
 spring, and Mr. Brigham was anxious to 
 be about his spring's work, and his wife, 
 being equally anxious for a good supply of 
 sugar, offered to go with her sister, a girl 
 of 17, and boil in the sap. Taking the 
 baby with them, they started for the sugar- 
 camp. It was late in spring and quite 
 warm, and babies were not killed by a 
 breath of fresh air in those days. They 
 boiled sap all day, Mrs. B. gathering in 
 some sap near the boiling place. In the 
 afternoon they heard a good deal of bark- 
 ing off in the woods, but supposed it was 
 some hounds after foxes. Mr. Brigham 
 did not get up to the sugar-camp to bring 
 clown the syrup till nine o'clock, they stay- 
 ing there alone until that time; A neigh- 
 bor passing through the camp early the 
 next morning, found a sheep dead at the 
 foot of a tree where Mrs. Brigham had 
 gathered sap at sundown. The sheep was 
 still warm when Mr. Brigham arrived on 
 the spot. On looking around, they found 
 20 sheep had been killed by the wolves. 
 Mrs. Brigham and her fair sister did not 
 care to boil till nine o'clock the next night. 
 On one occasion Mrs. Brigham, desiring 
 to get some weaving done, mounted an un- 
 broken, 3-years-oldcoIt, that had never had 
 a woman on his back before, and started 
 on a ride of 4 miles through the woods, to 
 Wm. Farr's, with a bag of yarn fastened to 
 the saddle-bow. There was only a bridle- 
 path part of the way, and the colt was shy, 
 but he found his match in the little woman 
 of scarce 100 pounds' weight, and carried 
 her safely to her destination. Her busi- 
 ness dispatched at Mr. Farr's, she started 
 homeward by another route, having oc- 
 casion to call at one William Marsten's,who 
 lived far up on the road leading over the 
 mountain into Huntington, and from thence 
 homeward by a route so indistinctly mark- 
 ed, blazed trees being the guide, she mis- 
 took a path worn by the cattle for the 
 traveled road, and did not discover her 
 mistake till she came up to the pasture 
 fence. Nothing daunted, she took down 
 the fence, passed over, then replaced it, 
 and went over, being then so near home 
 that she felt pretty sure of her whereabouts. 
 After the colt became better broken, she 
 
FAYSTON. 
 
 used often to take one child in her arms 
 and another behind her, and go to the 
 store, 3 or 4 miles distant, or visit a distant 
 neighbor, or to go to meeting. 
 
 JOTHAM CARPENTER 
 
 was the first settled minister, and received 
 the minister lot of land in this town. How 
 many years he remained here I know not, 
 but he has one son now living in Brook- 
 field. 
 
 Preaching has generally been of a desul- 
 tory character, owing to the fact that North 
 and South Fayston are divided by a nat- 
 ural barrier of hills, that makes it far more 
 convenient for the North section to go to 
 Moretown, and the South part is more ac- 
 cessible to Waitsfield, so that it seems 
 probable that the different sections will 
 never unite in worship. The people in N. 
 Fayston have an organized Baptist society, 
 and have quite frequent preaching, and 
 some years hire a minister, and many 
 years ago, the Methodists had quite a large 
 society in So. Fayston, but it has been 
 dismembered a long time,- and most of its 
 former members are dead, and those re- 
 maining have united with the Methodist 
 church in Waitsfield. 
 
 John and Rufus Barrett were among the 
 early settlers, and one Thomas Green, but 
 as they have no descendants remaining in 
 town, I cannot tell when they settled here, 
 but they were here as early as 1803, it is 
 believed. 
 
 Elizabeth, widow of John Barrett, died 
 in Waitsfield a few years since (1878) 
 aged 93 years. She survived her husband 
 many years. 
 
 One Jonathan Lamson died in town sev- 
 eral years ago, at the age of 84. His wife 
 lived to the age of 107 years. Timothy 
 Chase died at the age of 91 ; his wife, Ruth, 
 some years earlier, over 80. Lynde Wait, 
 the first settler, moved from town many 
 years ago, and eventually went West, and 
 I have learned, died at an advanced age, 
 over 80. Nearly all the early settlers 
 whom I have known, lived to ripe old age, 
 but they have passed away, and with them 
 much of the material for a full history of 
 the town. I have gathered as much as I 
 
 could that is reliable, but even the last 
 two, from whom I have elicited most of 
 the facts recorded here, have now gone to 
 their long homes, and much that I have 
 gathered here would now be forever sealed 
 in silence, had I began my work a little 
 later. 
 
 CAPT. ELLIOT PORTER, 
 
 the first captain of the militia in the town, 
 was born in Hartford, Vt., 1785, married 
 Sidney Ward in 181 1, and soon after re- 
 moved to Fayston, where they began to 
 clear them a home in the North part of 
 the town, where they resided till their 
 death. He died at the age of 89 ; his wife 
 at 86. They had 8 children. William E. 
 Porter, their son, died at 57 ; 4 sons are 
 now living. 
 
 WILLARD n. PORTER, 
 
 son of Elliot, has always resided in town, 
 near where he was born, and has served 
 the town in almost every official capacity. 
 He has been town clerk 31 years, school 
 district clerk 25 years, treasurer 14 years, 
 justice of the peace 30 years, and in that 
 capacity married 86 couple. He has rep- 
 resented the town 6 sessions, including i 
 extra session, and has attended 2 consti- 
 tutional conventions. Mr. Porter says the 
 first school he attended was in his father's 
 log-house chamber ; the scholars, his eldest 
 brother, himself and one Jane Laws ; the 
 teacher's name, Elizabeth Sherman. Mr. 
 Willard Porter has done more business 
 for the town than any other person now 
 living. 
 
 WARREN C. PORTER 
 
 served as a soldier during nearly the whole 
 war of the Rebellion, and has taught school 
 24 terms. Dr. Wilfred W. Porter, see 
 separate notice. Walter, the youngest 
 son, remains on the old homestead, and it 
 was his care to soothe the declining years 
 of his parents as they went slowly down 
 the dark valley. 
 
 There was no death occurred in the 
 family of Elliot Porter for 50 years. 
 
 WILLIAM SHERMAN 
 
 was among the early settlers of Fayston, 
 though I am not informed in what year he 
 
VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 settled here. He represented the town in 
 the general assembly, and held other town 
 offices. His daughter, widow of Eli Bruce, 
 still lives on the old homestead that he re- 
 deemed from the wilderness. 
 
 ELI BRUCE 
 
 was a long-time resident of Fayston, and 
 did a large amount of business for the 
 town, several times being the represent- 
 ative, and justice of peace for many years. 
 He died at the age of 69. His daughter 
 was the first person buried in the cemetery 
 in N. Fayston. 
 
 SILAS W. FISHER 
 
 resides in N. Fayston, on the farm where 
 he has lived for 50 years. His wife has 
 been dead some years. He has two sur- 
 viving sons ; one in the West, and the 
 other, CM. Fisher, is constable of Fays- 
 ton at the present time — 1878. He died 
 in 1879. 
 
 BENJAMIN B. FISHER 
 
 was the first postmaster in town, and held 
 the office till his death, and his wife held 
 the office 4 years afterwards. Truman 
 Murray is the present incumbent. 
 
 RILEY MANSFIELD 
 
 came to the town when he was quite a 
 young man, and passed his days here, 
 dying in 1876, aged 75 ; his wife in 1874 ; 
 out of a large family, there is only one sur- 
 viving child of theirs. 
 
 JOSEPH MARBLE 
 
 came to Fayston in September, 1809, and 
 with his wife Susan passed the remnant of 
 his days here, dying at the age of 84 ; his 
 wife at 81. They had 11 children, two 
 only are living (1878.) One daughter in 
 Wisconsin, and Benjamin on the farm 
 where his father began 70 years ago. He 
 is I think now over 80 years of age — is 
 still living, aged 86. Cynthia, daughter of 
 Joseph Marble, and widow of Peter Quim- 
 by, died Aug., 1878, aged 74. 
 
 One fall, Joseph Marble, Jr., had a log- 
 rolling, to build a new house, the old one 
 giving signs of failing up. In the evening 
 the rosy cheeked lasses from far and near 
 joined with the athletic youths in a dance. 
 It wasn't the "German," nor waltz, nor 
 
 polka, but a genuine jig. It was a merry 
 company who beat time to the music of a 
 corn-stalk fiddle in farmer Marble's kitch- 
 en, the jocund laugh and jest followed the 
 "O be joyful," as it went its unfailing 
 round, which it always did on such occa- 
 sions. They grew exceedingly merry, and 
 one fellow, feeling chock full and rvmning 
 over with hilarity, declared "When they 
 felt like that they ought to kick it ottt.'' So 
 they put in ' ' the double shuffle, toe and 
 heel," with such zest that the decayed 
 sleepers gave way. Down went floor, 
 dancers, corn-stalk fiddle, and all, into 
 the cellar. Whether the hilarious fellow 
 " kicked it out" to his satisfaction, we are 
 not informed, but if his fiddle was injured 
 in its journey it could be easily replaced. 
 
 In 1830, a little daughter of William 
 Marston, 4 years old, strayed from home, 
 and wandered on and on in the obscure 
 bridle path. She came out at one Carpen- 
 ter's, in Huntington, having crossed the 
 mountain, and spent a day and a night in 
 the woods ; and beasts of prey, at that 
 time were numerous upon the mountains. 
 
 Jonathan Nelson had a son and daugh- 
 ter lost in the woods about 1842. The 
 boy was 12 years of age, the girl younger. 
 After a toilsome search, they were found 
 on the second day, unharmed, near Cam- 
 el's Hump. 
 
 In 1847, the alarm was given that a 
 little son of Ira Wheeler, 4 years old, had 
 not returned from school. The neighbors 
 turned out, and searching all day returned 
 at night without any trace of the lost one. 
 The mothej was almost distracted. The 
 search was continued the second day with 
 no better results. I remember hearing 
 my brother say, as he took a quantity of 
 provisions with him on the third day, that 
 they were "resolved not to return home 
 again until the boy was found either dead 
 or alive," though many thought that he 
 must have perished already, either from 
 hunger and fatigue, or from the bears in- 
 festing the woods. He was soon found in 
 the town of Duxbury, several miles from 
 home, having been nearly 3 days and 
 nights in the woods. He had carried his 
 dinner-pail when he started from school 
 
FAYSTON. 
 
 i8s 
 
 at night, and providentially some of the 
 scholars had given him some dinner that 
 day, so that his own remained untouched. 
 
 This being the second time the men had 
 been called out to hunt for lost children in 
 5 years, some of them were getting rather 
 tired of the thing, whereupon Ziba Boyce 
 drew up a set of resolutions and read them 
 on the occasion, after the child was found, 
 and all were feeling as jolly as such weary 
 mortals could. I have not a copy of them 
 all, but it was resolved " that mothers be 
 instructed to take care of their children, 
 and not let them wander off into woods to 
 be food for the bears, or for the neighbors 
 to hunt up." 
 
 There have been no more lost children 
 to search for in Fayston since that, so we 
 may suppose it to have been effective. 
 
 Fayston, along with other towns, has 
 suffered from freshets at various times. In 
 the year 1830, occurred what was known 
 as the "great freshet." Buildings were 
 swept away, one person was drowned, and 
 others barely escaped. The famous 
 "Green Mountain slide," which began 
 within a few feet of the summit, where 
 the town is divided from BuePs Gore, 
 in sight of the homestead where I was 
 born, occurred in the summer of 1827. 
 It had rained quite hard some days, and 
 the soil, becoming loosened, gave way, 
 carrying with it trees, rocks, and the debris 
 of ages, on its downward course. Gath- 
 ering impetus as it advanced, for the moun- 
 tain is very steep here, it went thundering 
 down the mountain side a distance of a 
 mile or more, with a crash and rumble 
 that shook the earth for miles around, like 
 an earthquake. One branch of Mill brook 
 comes down from here, and, being dam- 
 med up by the debris of this grand ava- 
 lanche, its waters accumulated till it be- 
 came a miniature lake, then overleaping 
 its barriers it rushed down to its work 
 of destruction below. In July, 1858, a 
 destructive freshet visited Fayston, and 
 the towns adjacent. It had been exceed- 
 ingly dry, and water was very low. At 
 7 o'clock in the afternoon, on Satur- 
 day, July, 3, the workmen in the mill of 
 Campbell & Grandy were desiring rain, 
 
 that they might run the mill. They got 
 what they desired, only got too much ; for 
 instead of running the mill they ran for 
 their lives, and let the mill run itself, as it 
 did very rapidly down stream, in less than 
 2 hours after the rain commenced. The 
 old saying "it never rains but it pours" 
 was verified ; it came in sheets. I remem- 
 ber watching the brooks surging through 
 our door-yard ; we felt no alarm, thinking 
 a thunder shower not likely to do much 
 damage. We retired to rest, and slept 
 undisturbed, not being in the vicinity of 
 the large streams. We learned in the 
 morning every bridge between Fayston 
 and Middlesex, but one, was swept away. 
 Campbell & Grandy's mill went off before 
 10 o'clock, and the hoaee pertaining to the 
 mill was so much undermined by the water, 
 the inmates left, taking what valuables 
 they could with them. Mr. Green's fam- 
 ily also deserted their house. The water 
 was several feet deep in the road, but, the 
 storm soon subsiding, the houses did not 
 go off. 
 
 A clapboard mill owned by Brigham 
 brother, on Shepherd's brook, was ruined. 
 Not a mill in town escaped a good deal of 
 injury. Many people left their houses, 
 expecting them to be carried down the 
 seething flood, and but one bridge of any 
 account was left in town, and the roads 
 were completely demoralized ! 
 
 This storm seemed a local one, not 
 doing much damage except in the towns 
 in the Mad river basin and on tributary 
 streams. I have heard it speculated that 
 two rain clouds met on the mountain 
 ridges. Be that as it may, I think two 
 hours' rain seldom did such damage in any 
 locality. 
 
 In the freshet of 1869, Fayston suffered 
 less than many other towns, but several 
 bridges were carried off, the roads cut up 
 badly, mill dams swept away, etc. 
 
 The mill rebuilt on the site of the one 
 swept away in 1858, this time owned by 
 Richardson & Rich, was again carried off, 
 but as considerable of the machinery was 
 afterward found, Mr. Richardson deter- 
 mined to rebuild, putting it a few rods 
 lower down the stream. He has built a 
 
 24 
 
i86 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 fine, large mill there, and feels secure this 
 mill shall stand. 
 
 Fayston is a ve:y healthy town. There 
 are several living in town over 80 years 
 of age. 
 
 [This was written in 1867.] 
 ELISHA BRIGHAM 
 
 was born in old Marlboro, Mass., 1792. 
 In the common school he obtained all the 
 education he ever had beyond the jaoor 
 chance of gleaning a little, here and there, 
 from a limited supply of books, amid a 
 multitude of cares at home ; but at the 
 age of 12, he had mastered most of Pike's 
 Arithmetic ; performing more examples 
 by the feeble light of an old-fashioned 
 chimney fire-place, than at school. So 
 engaged was he that he often went to bed 
 on a difficult problem, to dream it out on 
 his pillow. From Old Marlboro, the fam- 
 mily removed to Winchester, N. H., and 
 there hearing of the emigration to the 
 Winooski, and Mad River Valleys, they cast 
 lots with the pioneers to this then wilderness 
 country, and removed on to the tract of 
 land owned in the present homestead. 
 Elisha, now 16, began to take the lead in 
 business, his father being very infirm. 
 About half a dozen families were settled in 
 the south part of the town, having made, 
 little openings in the forest, with no well 
 worked road into the town. He and two 
 other members of the family, came the 
 first year to roll up the log-house. The 
 next year all came on, and a family of 8 
 persons, several children younger than 
 himself, seemed to be dependent on him, 
 even so young, as a foster-father and a 
 guardian. He commenced levelling the 
 old forest trees, and bringing into tillage, 
 meadow and pasturage. Early and late 
 he toiled, and year by year the meadow 
 widened, and the line of woods receded. 
 
 In the earliest business transactions of 
 the town, we find the name of Elisha Brig- 
 ham. There was hardly a year from that 
 time till his death, but what he held 
 some town office. But what most distin- 
 guished him was his exact honesty. No 
 man could ever say that he defrauded him 
 of the least in this world's goods. He 
 would rather suffer wrong than to do 
 
 wrong. He never could oppress the weak, 
 as, instinctively, his whole nature prompted 
 him to espouse thfeir cause. And his reli- 
 gious example was the crowning glory of 
 the man. He was the real pioneer of 
 Methodism in the town ; for many years 
 leader in all their social meetings, and 
 around him grew up a thriving class. In 
 this earlier history of the community it 
 might well have been christened the home 
 of the good. Class-leader and chorister, 
 he guided them encouragingly on, and yet 
 his manner was never exciting, hardly, 
 even, could it be said to be fervid or warm ; 
 but solid goodness, tenderness, and genu- 
 ine interest in all that pertained to the 
 soul's welfare, were manifest. The waver- 
 ing came to him, for he never faltered ; the 
 weak, because he was a pillar of strength. 
 He was a man bf no doubts in his religious 
 belief, and a man living not by emotion, 
 but principle, and his home was one of 
 hospitality ; particularly was the preacher 
 his guest. 
 
 In 18 1 6, collector, often juror and select- 
 man, many years lister, nearly always high- 
 way-surveyor, district clerk or committee 
 man. In all his more active life, however, 
 he was nearly alone in his politics, he 
 being a thorough whig, while the town 
 was intensely democratic. For which rea- 
 son probably he was never sent to the 
 Legislature of the State, as this seems to 
 be the only office of importance which he 
 at some time has not held. 
 
 At the age of 24, he married Sophronia 
 Ryder. They had 12 children, but one of 
 whom died in infancy ; the rest were all 
 living in 1863. One daughter died in 
 July, 1866; the rest are all living, 1881. 
 And in the fullness of affection and ten- 
 derness all will say he was a good father. 
 Daily he gathered them around his fam- 
 ily altar, while they lived with him, and 
 sought for them the reconciliation of 
 God. He walked before them soberly, 
 patiently, peaceably. His soul seemed 
 like an unruffled river, gliding ever tran- 
 quil and even in its banks almost alike 
 in sunshine and in storm. He had no 
 enemies; but was Grandfather, and "Un- 
 cle Elisha," to all the neighborhood. Even 
 
FAYSTON. 
 
 187 
 
 the old and young far out of his own im- 
 mediate neighborhood, called him by the 
 sobriquet of Uncle Elisha, and seemed to 
 mourn for him as for a good old uncle. 
 His family physician remarked of him after 
 his decease, that he was " the one man of 
 whom he could say, he did not know that 
 he had an enemy in the world. He was a 
 peacemaker." 
 
 ONLY A LITTLE WHILE. 
 
 BY MRS. LAURA BRIGHAM BOYCE. 
 
 Only a little while 
 Lingers the springtime with its sun and dew 
 
 And song of birds, and gently falling rain. 
 And springing flowers, on hillside and on plain, 
 
 Clothing the earth in garments fresh and new. 
 
 Only a little while 
 The summer tarries with its sultry heat; 
 
 Showering its smiles upon the fruitful land, 
 Ripening the harvest for the reaper's hand. 
 
 Ere autumn shall the fruitful work complete. 
 
 Only a little while 
 The autumn paints with gorgeousness the leaves. 
 
 Ere wintry winds shall pluck them from the bough 
 To drape the earth's dark, corrugated brow, — 
 
 Then hasten, loiterer, gatlier in thy sheaves. 
 
 Only a little while 
 The winter winds shall moan and wildly rave. 
 
 While the fierce storm-king walks abroad in might. 
 Clothing the earth in garments pure and white. 
 
 Ere the grim monarch, too. sliall find a grave. 
 
 Only a little while. 
 Life's spring-time lingers, and our youthful feet 
 
 Through flowery paths of innocence are led. 
 And joyous visions fill our careless head ; 
 
 Too bright, alas ! as beautiful as fleet. 
 
 Only a little while 
 Life's summer waits with storm and genial sun. 
 
 With days of toil and nights of calm repose; 
 AVe find without its tliorn we pluck no rose. 
 
 And spring-time visions vanish one by one. 
 
 Only a little while 
 Ere autumn comes and life is on the wane ! 
 
 Happy for us If well our work be done. 
 For if we loitered in the summer's sun. 
 
 How shall we labor in the autumn rain? 
 
 Only a little while. 
 And winter comes apace ; the hoary head. 
 
 And palsied limbs, tell of the labors past. 
 And victories won— all ! soon shall be the last,— 
 
 And they shall whisper softly " he is dead." 
 
 W. W. PORTER 
 
 was born in Fayston, July 24, 1826. He 
 was the 4th son of Elliot Porter and Sidney 
 Ward, the former a native of Hartford, the 
 latter a native of Poultney, Vt., and a 
 daughter of Judge William Ward, judge in 
 Rutland Co. 22 years. 
 
 Wilfred spent his time until he was 17 
 on the farm, and attending school winters ; 
 
 at which time he commenced studying falls 
 and springs, and teaching winters, attend- 
 ing the academies at Montpelier and Ba- 
 kersfield, and working on the farm during 
 the summer months until he was 22 years 
 of age. 
 
 As early as fifteen he had set his mind 
 upon the medical profession for life, and 
 bent all his energies in that direction. 
 Having studied medicine some time pre- 
 viously, he, at 22, entered the office of Dr. 
 G. N. Brigham, and began the study of 
 medicine, which he continued summers, 
 teaching school falls and winters for i^ 
 year, when he entered the medical college 
 at Woodstock, where he remained one 
 term, and afterwards at Castleton, Vt., for 
 two terms, graduating from that college in 
 the fall of '51, when he came to Syracuse, 
 and entered the office of Dr. Hiram Hoyt 
 for a short time ; May, 1852, entered the 
 school at Geddes as principal teacher for 
 one year, and May 16, 1853, opened an 
 office in that place to practice his profession, 
 which he has continued until the present. 
 
 At the close of his first year, the res- 
 ident doctor of Geddes died, leaving him 
 in full possession of the field. Dr. Porter 
 rose rapidly, and by integrity of purpose 
 and dealing, grew into a very large and lu- 
 crative practice, which he carried on for 15 
 years, as it were, alone, after which he 
 had partners in the practice of medicine. 
 
 His practice gradually extended to the 
 city of Syracuse, when, in 1S75, the de- 
 mand upon him for medical treatment from 
 that city became so great that he opened 
 an office there, which he alternately at- 
 tends upon, with his home office in Geddes. 
 He has been for 25 years a member of the 
 Onondaga County Medical Society, and for 
 one term its president, and a permanent 
 member of the New York State Medical 
 Society ; also a member of the American 
 Medical Association, and upon organiza- 
 tion of the College of Medicine of Syracuse 
 University, in 1872, he was appointed clin- 
 ical professor of obstetrics and gyniEcology 
 the first year, and at the end of the year, 
 professor in full, which position he still re- 
 tains. 
 
 His skill in the treatment of diseases has 
 
VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 won for him a position in the esteem of the 
 people to be envied Ijy young practitioners, 
 and his indomitable perseverance and en- 
 durance of body have enabled him to grat- 
 ify, in a great measure, the laudable am- 
 bition of his earlier years — to be among 
 the first in his profession. He was one of 
 the first movers in the organization and 
 establishment of a university at Syracuse, 
 and since its beginning has been a trustee 
 and closely identified with all its interests, 
 and has been largely identified with the pub- 
 lic schools of his town since his first resi- 
 dence there, being supt. of the schools 
 of the town for some 2 years, and trustee 
 of the village school for some 25 years ; 
 also being president of the board of educa- 
 tion. 
 
 He and his wife are warmly attached to 
 the Methodist Episcopal church, and are 
 not only liberal supporters of the same, 
 but of any enterprise they regard as look- 
 ing to the building up of good society. 
 
 In the year 1853, Nov. 13, he married 
 Miss Jane, daughter of Simeon Draper and 
 Clarissa Stone, of Geddes ; children, Clara 
 A., George D. (deceased), Wilfred W. 
 Jr., Jane and Louie. 
 
 LONGEVITY RECORD IN 1 88 1. 
 
 Ruth Chase died in 1865, aged 84 ; Tim- 
 othy Chase in 1875,93; Benj. Corliss, in 
 1865, nearly 91 ; Henry Morgan, 1868, 84. 
 The wife of Henry Morgan (inNorthfield), 
 over 80 years. Her home was in Fayston. 
 James Baird died in 1870, aged 81 ; Geo. 
 Somerville, 1870, 80; Margarett Strong, 
 1870, 98 ; Elizabeth Lamson, in 1872. Her 
 friends differed as to her age ; some claim- 
 ed she was 104; others that she was but 
 102. Her husband, Jonathan Lamson, 
 died some 20 years since, aged between 80 
 and 90; Jane McAughindied in 1872, aged 
 82 ; Capt. Elliot Porter, 1874, nearly 90 ; 
 Sidney Porter, his wife, 1875, 86; Joseph 
 and Susan Marble, over 80; Zeviah Boyce, 
 1856, aged about 90; Mehitable Tyler, 
 1855, between 80 and 90. Elizabeth Bar- 
 rett died in Waitsfield in 1873, aged 93. 
 She was for many years a resident of Fays- 
 ton, but moved to W. a short time before 
 her death. 
 
 TOWN OFFICERS 187I-1881. 
 
 Town Clerks, WillardB. Porter, 1 871 to 
 '8o;D. S. Stoddard, 1880; S. J. Dana, 
 1 88 1. Representatives, 1871, none; S. J. 
 Dana, 1872 ;M. S. Strong, 1874; D. S. 
 Stoddard, 1876; Seth Boyce, 1878; Na- 
 than Boyce, 1880. Treasurers, D. S. 
 Stoddard, 1871, '72; A. D. Bragg, 1875, 
 '79; Seth Boyce, 1880, '81. First Select- 
 men, C. D. Billings, 1871; Dan Boyce, 
 1872 ; C. S. Dana, 1874 ; Seth Boyce, 1875 ; 
 J. Patterson, 1876; M. S. Strong, 1879; 
 John Maxwell, 1878, '79; J. P. Boyce, 
 1880, '81. Constables, Cornelius McMul- 
 len, 1871, 72; H. G. Campbell, 1873, '74: 
 C. M. Fisher, 1875, '76, '79; S. J. Dana, 
 1877, '78; Allen S. Howe, 1880; M. S. 
 Strong, 1881. Grand Jury, G. O. Boyce, 
 1871,72, '73, '75; W. B.Porter, 1874, '76; 
 C. S. Dana, 1877, '78; Seth Boyce, 1879, 
 '80 ; R. Maxwell and Wm. Chipman, 1881. 
 School Supt., Grey H. Porter, 1871, '72, 
 '73; Rev. J. F. Buzzel, 1874 to 1881. 
 Trustees of the Town, Seth Boyce, 1873, 
 ^9 ; Geo. Boyce, 1877, '78, '80, '81. Jus- 
 tices of the Peace, Willard B. Porter, 1872, 
 '74, '76, '78; G. O. Boyce, 1872, '74; D. 
 S. Stoddard, 1872, '76, '78, '80; Z. W. 
 Boyce, 1872, '74; H. H. Morgan, 1872; 
 C. D. Billings, 1874; E. Ainsworth, 1874; 
 S. J. Dana, 1876, '78, '80; O. S. Bruce, 
 J. Z. Marble, 1878 ; Nathan Boyce, Stephen 
 Johnson, Dan Boyce, 1880. 
 
 GERSHOM NELSON BRIGHAM, M. D., 
 
 for 20 years a practicing physician at Mont- 
 pelier, was born in Fayston, Mar. 3, 1820, 
 was son of Elisha Brigham, who made his 
 pitch in F. with the first settlers. His 
 mother, Sophronia Ryder, whose mother 
 was Lucy Chase, a relative of the Hon. 
 Dudley Chase [See Randolph History, 
 vol. II], was a woman of vigorous consti- 
 tution and an active, original mind. Sev- 
 eral ancestors in the Brigham line have 
 been physicians, one of whom was Gershom 
 Brigham, of Marlboro, Mass., the old an- 
 cestral town of the Brighams of this coun- 
 try, the stock tracing back to the parish of 
 Brigham in Northumberland Co., Eng- 
 land. Dr. G. N. Brigham received his 
 education in our common schools, with a 
 
FAYSTON. 
 
 1 89 
 
 year in Wash. Co. Gram. Sch. and a half 
 year at Poultney Academy, and studied 
 medicine with Dr. David C. Joslyn, of 
 Waitsfield, Dr. S. W. Thayer, now of Bur- 
 lington, Prof. Benj. R. Palmer, now of 
 Woodstock, graduating at Woodstock 
 Medical College in 1845, attending three 
 courses, of lectures. He has practiced 3 
 years at Warren, then 3 years at Waits- 
 field : removed to Montpelier, 1849 ; at- 
 tended lectures at the college of Physicians 
 and Surgeons, N. Y., spending much time 
 in the hospitals of the city, about which 
 time he became a convert to homoeopathy, 
 and was the second person in middle Ver- 
 mont to espouse the cause at this time so 
 unpopular, and one of six who founded the 
 State Homoeopathic Society. He has ed- 
 ucated quite a number of students in his 
 office, among whom, his own son. Dr. 
 Homer C. Brigham, of Montpelier, and 
 Prof. Wilfred W. Porter, of the Medical 
 Department in the Syracuse University. 
 While at Montpelier he served a while as 
 postmaster ; was town superintendent of 
 common schools ; lectured on education, 
 temperance and sundry scientific subjects, 
 and has been a contributor to medical 
 journals, and knovvfu to the secular press in 
 essays and poetical contributions for over 
 25 years. He delivered the class poem be- 
 fore the Norwich University in 1870; pub- 
 lished in that year a 12 mo. vol., pp. 180, 
 " The Harvest Moon and other Poems "at 
 the Riverside Press, which with additions 
 came out in a second edition. 
 
 The Doctor has since issued a "Work 
 on Catarrhal Diseases," 126 pp., and re- 
 ports a work on "Pulmonary Consump- 
 tion," nearly ready for press ; that he has 
 written this year, 1881, a play in tragedy, 
 "Benedict Arnold," that he expects to 
 publish. He is regular contributor to three 
 medical journals, and has written for as 
 many as thirty of the leading newspapers. 
 East and West. He married, ist, Laura 
 Elvira Tyler, dau. of Merrill Tyler, Esq., 
 of Fayston ; children, Homer C, Willard 
 Irving, Julia Lena, Ida Lenore. His first 
 wife died Mar. 12, 1873. He married, 2d, 
 Miss Agnes Ruth Walker, dau. of Ephraim 
 Walker, Esq., of Springfield. They have 
 
 one child. Dr. Brigham has resided since 
 1878, at Grand Rapids, Mich. His son. 
 Dr. Homer C, is in practice at Montpel- 
 ier. In his poetical writings — not a few — 
 the Doctor has always inclined to the pat- 
 riotic. 
 
 Aug. i6th, looth anniversary of Benning- 
 ton battle. At the meeting of the Ver- 
 monter's Society in Michigan, at Grand 
 Rapids, Hon. W. A. Howard delivered 
 the oration, and Dr. G. N. Brigham, the 
 poem. We give an extract. In our crowd- 
 ed pages we have scarce room for poetic 
 extracts, even, and this appears to be the 
 musical town of the County. Such a flock 
 of native poets, all expecting by right of 
 manor, to sing in the history of their birth 
 town, with the one who has written the 
 most in this prolific field, we must begin 
 to be brief. Haply, he has published too 
 widely to be in need of our illustration : 
 
 FROM "THE BATTLE OF BENNINGTON." 
 
 When Freedom's cause in doublfut scale 
 Hung trembling o'er Columbia's land, 
 And men with sinking hearts turned pale 
 That ' gainst the foe there stood no brand, 
 
 Vermont, thy banner rose. 
 Green waved thy lofty mountain pine. 
 Which thou didst make thy battle sign, 
 Then from the mountain fastness thou 
 Didst sally with a knitted brow, 
 
 And tyrants felt thy blows. 
 
 The bugle blew no frightful blast 
 
 Where fh' sulphrous smoke its mantle cast. 
 
 For olt thy sons in forest field 
 
 The heavy broadsword learned to wield 
 
 In their old border frays. 
 Bred to reclaim the native soil 
 With sinewed limb and patient toil, 
 The forest path to stoutly fend. 
 Where foes did lurk, or wild beasts wend. 
 
 No danger did amaze. 
 
 Free as the mountain air they breathe. 
 The vassal's place they dare disown; 
 The blade from scabbard to unsheath 
 And see the slaughters harvest sown. 
 
 Ere wrong shall rule the day. 
 So when the midnight cry, "To arms! " 
 Did reach them at their northern farms. 
 They snatched the musket and the powder-horn, 
 And shook their brand with patriots' scorn. 
 
 And gathered to the fray. 
 
 Vermont, thy soul's young life was there. 
 There from thy rocks up leapt the fire 
 Tliat made thy hills the altar-stair 
 To holy freedom's star-crowned spire. 
 
 While all the world did doubt. 
 In native hearts and native blades 
 The freeman's hope forever lives; 
 The soul that first in sorrow wades. 
 The most to human nature gives 
 
 In sorest limes of drought. 
 
I go 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 The Iiosts of Albion sleep secure, 
 The niountaiu path to them is sure. 
 And In their dreams they wait the day 
 To feast and drive the mob away. 
 
 And forage on the town. 
 That dream to England sealed her doom; 
 They roused to hear the cannon boom. 
 And see the mountaineers they scorned 
 In serried line of battle formed. 
 
 And ou them coming down. 
 
 And who here making pilgrimage, 
 When told how, with their niusl<ets clubbed, 
 Our sires from breastworks drove the foe. 
 How here were English veterans drubbed 
 
 By plowmen gloved in steel. 
 Shall say, the race keeps not to-day 
 The Spartan fire— 
 
 Shall say, if with this trenchant warp 
 There runs not through a thread of gold; 
 Or if the Attic salt still Hows 
 Through pulsing veins of later mold. 
 And pledges colored wine. 
 
 From hence the field of IJenningtou 
 With Concord and with Lexington, 
 Upon the patriot's scroll shall blaze, 
 And virtue's hearts proclaim her praise, 
 
 Till chivalry's page shall end- 
 Shall tell how Mars did glut his rage. 
 How screamed the eagle round her nest. 
 When death or freedom was the gage. 
 While war unloosed htr battle vest, 
 
 And carnage rode a fiend. 
 
 And where the nations strive and hope, 
 And in the breaking darkness grope. 
 Here may expiring faith sUU burn. 
 And see the patriot's emblem turn 
 Above this crimson sea. 
 
 From another poem on the same sub- 
 ject : 
 
 How grand thy towering cliflTs, where twines 
 The hemlock's green to wreath thy crown ; 
 
 How bright thy peaks when day declines. 
 As there thy glory settles down. 
 
 When stirred the border feud, how rang 
 The note of war; 
 
 And where the wolf ran down her prey 
 By grange girt in with woodland dun. 
 
 The ranger hurried to the fray, 
 Tliere flashed the border-guardsman's gun. 
 
 And when a mightier catise called for 
 Thy sons to draw the sword 
 
 T)ie bugle gave the hills Its blast. 
 
 And men in buckskin breeches came. 
 Their waists slung with the powdor-horu. 
 
 Their hearts witli freedom's spark aflame, 
 And battled till the STATE was born. 
 
 thy border cry 
 
 Rang to the Northern cllfls for help. 
 
 When Allen mustered for old Tl., 
 And drove from there the lion's whelp. 
 
 From there to Hoosick's bloody flume 
 .\Tarched forth our sires with hearts aflame. 
 
 And snatched the British lion's plume. 
 And wrote for us a storied name. 
 
 From a remembrance to Vermont : 
 
 O, bring the spring that plumes the glen. 
 And hearty be the greeting; 
 
 We'll think in kindness of the men 
 
 Whose hearts to ours gave beating; 
 
 Nor shall their armor rust 
 
 Taken by us in trust. 
 
 Bathed in the noon of peace, green, green 
 
 Forever, be those hills; 
 Green where the hoar-frost builds her screen, 
 
 And winter's goblet fills. 
 The frost and cedar green! 
 
 Queen Virgin of the Ancient North, 
 
 Throned spirit of the crags, 
 Who called the sturdy Aliens forth 
 
 To weave thy battle-flags. 
 We take the sprig of pine. 
 Proud of our lineal line. 
 Vermont! Vermont! Our childhood's home. 
 
 Still home where'er we roam. 
 
 MISS SUSAN GRIGGS. 
 
 BY ANNA B. BUAGG, 
 
 Many efficient teachers of our district 
 schools have been reared and educated in 
 this town, though the greater part have 
 followed teaching but a few terms before 
 commencing " life work," but Miss Griggs 
 has made teaching the business of her life, 
 and in years of service, number of pupils, 
 and different branches thoroughly learned 
 and imparted to others, has no equal here, 
 and perhaps but few in our whole country. 
 She was born in this town, Feb. 1814. 
 From her earliest schooldays, her book 
 was her favorite companion, often upon 
 her wheel-bench, that sentence after sen- 
 tence of some coveted lesson might be 
 committed to memory, while her hands 
 spun thread after thread of wool or flax, 
 working willingly for herself and her 
 brothers and sisters, as was the custom in 
 those days. 
 
 When 12 years of age, her father, an 
 earnest Christian man, died, leaving his 
 wife and little ones to struggle along the 
 path of life alone in God's care. But as in 
 his life he had often said, " Susan is our 
 student," so in all her young days after 
 she seemed to hear his voice encouraging 
 her to give her time, talents and life to the 
 work of Christian education. She began 
 teaching in the Sabbath-schogl at 13, and 
 at 16 in a district-school, where for many 
 years her time was spent, and in attending 
 school, as she completed the course of 
 
FAYSTON. 
 
 191 
 
 study at Newbury Seminary. In 1850, 
 she was one of the teachers sent out to 
 the South and West by Gov. Slade. She 
 taught one year at Wihnington, N. C, 
 and then went toWolcottville, Ind., under 
 the direction of Gov. Slade, a small village 
 in a new town, first teaching in the family 
 of George Wolcott, with the addition of a 
 few neighbors' children ; then in a small 
 school-house. The school so increased, 
 Mr. Wolcott, the founder of the village, 
 built a convenient seminary at his own ex- 
 pense, furnished with musical instruments, 
 library, apparatus, etc. Here she taught 
 for 17 years, principal of the school, hav- 
 ing sometimes one or two assistant teach- 
 ers, and often a hundred pupils. Beside 
 the common and higher English branches, 
 there were often classes in German, Latin, 
 French and painting, and always in music, 
 vocal and instrumental, and always a lit- 
 erary society, and always a Sabbath-school, 
 in which she taught a class, and was some- 
 times superintendent. She says "these 
 years were full of toil, but bright with hope 
 that minds were there awakened to the 
 beauties of the inviting realms of purity 
 and truth." 
 
 After a short rest with a brother in Mis- 
 souri and another in Wisconsin, she re- 
 sumed teaching in Fort Wayne College, 
 Ind. ; afterward in Iowa about 2 years, and 
 is now in Kendallville, Ind., one of a corps 
 of 12 teachers; 00 pupils under her charge. 
 " Many will rise up and call her blessed." 
 
 Mrs. Celia (Baxter) Brigham, of Evart, 
 Michigan, contributes the following for the 
 Baxter family : 
 
 EBER H. BAXTER AND FAMILY 
 
 came to Fayston in April, 183 1, and lived 
 there 20 years. They had 14 children ; 
 one died in infancy. They removed to 
 Michigan with 10 children — two remained 
 in Fayston — in 185 1 . Albert Baxter, eldest 
 .son, had then lived in Mich, about 6 years. 
 He has been for the last 20 years connected 
 with the Grand Rapids Eagle \ is now ed- 
 itor of Gratid Rapids Daily Eagle. Albert, 
 Celia — Mrs. C. B. Brigham ; Rosina — Mrs. 
 R. B. Cadwell, now in California ; Edwin, 
 lawyer in Grand Haven, Mich.; Uri J., 
 lawyer in Washington, D. C. ; Sabrina — 
 
 Mrs. S. B. Cooper, Evart, Mich. ; and Vi- 
 enna I. — Mrs. V. I. B. Corman, Lowell, 
 Mich., of the Baxter family, are more or 
 less known as occasional authors in prose 
 and poetry. Twelve children, the father 
 now in his 80th year (1879) still survive. 
 Ira C, sixth son, left his body on the field 
 of Chickamauga, Sept. 20, 1863. E. H. 
 Baxter was town clerk and justice of peace 
 in Fayston for several years. 
 
 MRS. CELIA B. BRIGHAM 
 
 has written many years for press, and for 
 many newspapers and journals short poems. 
 She has sent us for her representation in 
 the dear old birthtown, a rather pretty col- 
 lection, for which we can make room only 
 for the following : 
 
 TO MY SLEEPING BABE. 
 
 Gently, little cherub, gently 
 Droop those weary eyelids now ; 
 
 Slumber's hand is pressing lightly, 
 Softly on thy cloudless brow. 
 
 Meekly, little sleeper, meekly 
 Folded on tby guileless breast 
 
 Dimpled hands of pearly whiteness- 
 Lovely is thy " rosy rest." 
 
 Calmly, little dreamer, calmly 
 Beats that tiny heart of thine — 
 
 As the pulses of the leallet. 
 Rocked to rest at eventime. 
 
 Softly, little darling, softly 
 Dies away thy mother's soug; 
 
 And the angels come to guard thee, 
 Tl)rough theniglit hours, lone and long. 
 
 Sweetly, blessed infant, sweetly 
 Fall their whispers on thine ear; 
 
 Smiles are on thy lips of coral- 
 Snowy pinions hover near. 
 
 TO AN UNSEEN MINSTREL. 
 
 The lark may sing to the chickadee. 
 
 From his lofty azure throne. 
 Nor feel the thrill in the maple tree. 
 
 Where his listener sits alone; 
 Even thus, thy spirit sings to me — 
 nearest tliou the answering tone? 
 From their sunward fliglit, can thy tireless wings 
 Ever fold where the forest warbler sings? 
 Thou callest the voices of long ago 
 
 From level-trodden graves. 
 As the wind may call an echoing note 
 
 From out the dark sea caves — 
 As the burning stars of lieaven may call 
 To the restless, heaving waves— 
 That, ever-changing beneath their gaze. 
 Can answer only in broken rays! 
 
 THE NEGLECTED BIBLE. 
 
 Precious, but neglected Bible! 
 
 Let me ope thy lids once more, 
 And, with reverential feelings. 
 
 Turn the sacred pages o'er. 
 
192 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 Source of joy and consolation. 
 
 Vainly does tliy fount supply 
 Me with life's pure crystal waters— 
 
 Lo! I langnislt, faint and die! 
 
 Not because is sealed the fountain 
 
 That could soothe the keenest woe; 
 Not because the stream unfailing 
 
 Hath one moment ceased to flow; 
 But because my thirsty spirit. 
 
 Seeking bitter draught, passed by, 
 Heedlessly, the living waters — 
 
 Lol I languish, faint and die! 
 
 Descriptive of how many a Vennonter 
 felt in 185 1, is a little "sonnet" below, by 
 Elisha Aldis Brigham, sent me by Mrs. 
 Brigham, that her husband may, as well as 
 herself, have a little niche in the history of 
 their native town : 
 
 SONNET. 
 
 • O, tell me not of Liberty's bright land ! 
 
 Where man by brother man is bouglit and sold : 
 To t«ll in sweat and tears, for others gold. 
 Obedient to a tyrant's stern command; 
 Where children part upon the auction stand 
 To meet no more, and weeping parents torn 
 Asunder— slave-bound captives long to mourn, 
 Are scattered far and wide, a broken band. 
 Where Justice on proud Freedom's altar sleeps. 
 Where mercy's voice is never heard to sigh ; 
 Where pity's hand ne'er wipes the tearful eye 
 Of Afrie's exiles, who in misery weep— 
 The millions tliree who wear oppression's brand; 
 Oh I call it not sweet Freedom's happy land! 
 
 Fayston, Feb. 1851. 
 
 A whole budget from natives in the 
 West : We will not give any one's long 
 piece entire ; but not having the heart to 
 leave any son or daughter who knocks at 
 the old Green Mountain door, out entirely, 
 even if they are unfortunately a "poet," 
 we shall give some one short extract, or 
 sonnet for all who have sent home their 
 pieces for Fayston, and let the dry old, 
 only statisticians, growl as they may. Here 
 comes the Fayston men and women of the 
 pen for a page or two : First, a long poem, 
 almost a news-column, fine print, " written 
 in my chamber at Washington, on the an- 
 niversary eve of the assassination of Presi- 
 dent Lincoln." We will have six or seven 
 verses from 
 
 THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE ASSASSINATION. 
 
 BY U. J. BAXTElt. 
 
 Wliy sound the bells 
 So mournfully upon the air of night? 
 Why volley forth tlie guns upon the night, 
 
 With sudden peal that tells 
 Of darkling horror and of dire affriglit ? 
 
 The morn shall ope 
 With a dread tale that tells of dark eclipse— 
 Of a dark deed that throws its black eclipse 
 
 On all a nation's hope. 
 And smites the joy that filled a nation's lips ? 
 
 Stricken and low ! 
 Aye, let us weep— weep for the guilt and crime- 
 The ingrate sense— tlie coward guilt and crime! 
 
 Dissolve in tears and woe 
 The darkling horror of this monstrous time ! 
 
 Ills name breathe not. 
 His tlirice-accursed name, whose brutal hand— 
 Wliose foul, polluted heart and brutal hand 
 
 A demon's purpose wrought, 
 And whelmed in grief our glad, rejoicing land. 
 
 A nation's heart bowed with him in the dust 
 
 We turn our hope in vain 
 To seek a chieftain worthy of his trust. 
 
 No marvel here ! 
 Two kingliest come not haply horn and twinned— 
 Each age its one great soul, nor matclied, nor twinned. 
 
 Owning no mortal peer — 
 So is his glory in our age unkinncd. 
 
 His mantle fell- 
 On whom is not yet shown— yet sure its folds 
 Are buried not— its ricli and loving folds 
 
 Shall lay some blessed spell 
 On him who most his noble spirit holds. 
 
 Great chieftain! rest! 
 Our hearts shall go as pilgrims to thy tomb; 
 Our spirits mourn and bless thy martyr tomb; 
 
 We deem thy lot is blest; 
 Our love shall rob our sorrow of its gloom. 
 
 All coming time 
 Shall ne'er despoil thy glory of Its crown- 
 Each year shall set Its jewels in thy crown- 
 Each day bell's passing cliinie 
 Shall add a tongue to speak thy just renown. 
 
 LITTLE BEN. 
 BY SARAH BUIGHAM MANSFIELD. 
 
 In a lonely spot in a dismal street 
 Little Ben sat chafing his bare, cold feet, 
 And so hungry, too, for nothing to eat. 
 
 All the long day had poor Ben. 
 His mother, alas, had long been dead— 
 So long, he could just remember, her and 
 The sweet pale face as she knelt by his bed 
 
 And prayed God to bless little Ben. 
 
 The twilight deepened, how dark it grew, 
 
 And how heavily fell the chill night dew. 
 
 And the moaning winds pierced through and Ihrough 
 
 The form of poor little Ben. 
 " Oh I why am I left here alone," he cried, 
 " Dear mamma told me before she died 
 She was going to Heaven; Oh, mamma," he sighed, 
 
 " Why don't you come for poor Ben?" 
 
 " Can you be happy, tho' in Heaven a saint. 
 
 While I am so cold, so weary, so faint? 
 
 Dear mother, dost hear your poor darling's plaint? 
 
 Oh, come tor your own little Ben! " 
 The morning came with its rosy light, 
 And kissed the wan cheeks and lids so white. 
 Tliey were closed for aye! in the lone night 
 
 An angel had come for poor Ben. 
 
FAYSTON. 
 
 193 
 
 THE FIRST FLOWER OF SPRING. 
 BY ziBA w. BOYCE, (deceased.) 
 The first April violet beside tlie bare tree, 
 Looking gayly up seemed to be saying to me, 
 " I come with yon robin, sweet spring to recall, 
 Tliere caroling above me the glad news to all- 
 How pleased all your feelings— your eyt and your car ; 
 With gay exultation you welcome us here; 
 But iu the soon future, surrounded by flowers. 
 And Summer bird's plumage, far gayer tlian ours, 
 Forgotten the perils we willingly bore- 
 First messengers telling of winter no more." 
 I thought of the bird, and the flower, and then 
 Confessed it is thus with all pioneer men. 
 Let them labor and suffer new truths to disclose. 
 Their wants or their woes there's nobody knows. 
 Tlie world owns the work when the labor is done— 
 They, the bird and the flower, forgotten and gone. 
 
 THE RAIN. 
 
 BY MKS. D. T. SMITH. 
 
 When from winter's icy spell 
 Burst the brooklets in the dell. 
 
 With a song; 
 When the early robins call 
 From tlie sunny garden wall, 
 
 All day long; 
 When the crocus shows its face, 
 And the fern its dainty grace. 
 
 And the daffodil; 
 And the dandelion briglit 
 Decks the field with golden liglit 
 
 On the hill; 
 When the Spring has waked a world again. 
 And the apple-blossoms whiten, 
 And the grasses gleam and brighten, 
 Tlien we listen to tlic rythmic patter of the rain. 
 
 Wlien tlie lilies, snowy white. 
 Gleam upon the lakelet bright, 
 
 'Mid their leaves ; 
 And the twittering swallows fly. 
 Building nests for by and by, 
 
 'Neath the eaves; 
 Roses blush i' the dewy morn. 
 Bees their honey-quest have gone 
 
 All the day; 
 And the daisies, starry, bright, 
 Glisten in the firefly's light 
 
 As they may; 
 When Summer decks the mountain and the plain. 
 When she binds lier golden sheares, 
 Then she tilts her glossy leaves 
 In the splashing andthe dashing of the rain. 
 
 When the maple forests redden, 
 
 And the sweet ferns brown and deaden 
 
 On the lea, 
 Straightly furrowed lie the acres. 
 And we hear the roar of breakers 
 
 Out at sea; 
 When the birds their columns muster, 
 And the golden pipins cluster 
 
 On tlie bough, 
 And the autumu breeze is sighing. 
 Springtime past and Summer dying. 
 
 Here and now ; 
 And autumn winds are filled with sounds of pain 
 When the katydids are calling; 
 Tl;en the crimson leaves are falllnfc 
 Througli the weeping and tlie moaning of tli' rain. 
 Dubuque, Iowa. 
 
 THE MOSS-COVERED TROUGH. 
 
 BY S. MINERVA BOYCE. 
 
 Tliat'moss-covorod trougli, decaying there yonder, 
 
 I remember it well when but a child ; 
 Thougli years have flown by, I still love to wander 
 
 Along the old road by the woodland wild.- 
 
 Ah! yes, la'emember when full and o'erflowing. 
 With the clear, sparkling nectar, so cool; 
 
 Tlie old farmer came witli his bucket from mowing, 
 And we drank from his cup, tlien trudged on to 
 school. 
 
 And then 'neatli tlie low-spreading maple close by It, 
 
 Were gathered the wlldlings of May ; 
 There blossomed the hat of a lad who drew nigh it. 
 
 And blue-bird and robin sang sweeter that day. 
 
 Though now thrown aside, to give room for another. 
 All neglected, and moss-grown, and old, 
 
 I still find a charm to be found in none other. 
 Were it carved e'er so lovely, or plated with gold. 
 
 Long ago the old farmer finished his mowing. 
 Filled his last bucket, " reaped liis last grain;" 
 
 Then went just beyond where seed-time and sowing 
 Will never recall him to labor again. 
 
 And here we give, if we may nip 5t 
 will, the buds, for which we only have 
 room, a pretty extract from Sabrina Bax- 
 ter, born in Fays ton : 
 
 BUDS AND BLOSSOMS. 
 We walked within my garden 
 On a dewy, balmy morn— 
 
 We paused beside a rose-bush. 
 
 The swelling buds to note- 
 To drink the gusliing fragrance 
 Which round us seemed to float; 
 
 One bud we'd viewed but yesternight, 
 
 Wlien very fair it grew— 
 We'd waited for the morrow's light 
 
 To see it washed in dew, 
 A worm had found the curling leaf, 
 
 Had marred tlie bursting budlet. 
 Had withered stem and flower. 
 
 Alas! for eartlily happiness. 
 
 In bitterness I cried, 
 Naught beautiful, naught lovely. 
 
 May on this earth abide! 
 A blight is on the floweret, 
 
 A blight is on the grove, 
 A doubly blighting power upon 
 
 Those objects that we love! 
 
 " Mortal ! " the voice seemed near, 
 And musical tlie tone. 
 
 Are there no buds, whose brightness 
 Outshines the garden rose ? 
 
 What worm had nipped the blossom? 
 Who answereth for those ? 
 
 " Within the human garden 
 How many a floweret lies. 
 Despoiled by reckless gardener— 
 
 And in the whispered lays we heard. 
 And from the flowers there smiled, 
 A plea for human rose-buds— 
 
 25 
 
194 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 Taking a skipping extract from Emogene 
 M. Boyce: 
 
 I paused once more, gave a few lingering looks 
 At tlie <iear olden place, the remembered nooks: 
 The orchard, the garden, the dark, silent mill. 
 The little red cot at the foot of the hill. 
 Where the little trout brook, still murmured along; 
 The old lofty pines sang the same mournful song, 
 When with father and mother, we children four. 
 Had gathered at eve 'round the old cottage door. 
 
 SOLDIERS OF FAYSTON. 
 
 BY DOHRIC S. STODUAKD. 
 
 The notes of war that rang through the 
 land in the winter and spring of 6i were 
 not without their effect upon the town of 
 Fayston. Her hardy sons willingly re- 
 sponded to their country's call. The fol- 
 lowing is the record of services rendered 
 and lives given, who served for their own 
 town in the order of enlistment : 
 
 Thomas Maxwell, the first resident o 
 Fayston to respond to the call for volun- 
 teers. He enlisted May 7, 1861, at the 
 age of 20 years, in Co. F. 2d Vt. Reg. ; was 
 discharged, by reason of sickness, Feb 21, 
 1863; re-enlisted Mar. 20, '64, in Co. F. 
 17th Vt. Reg.; severely wounded in the 
 Wilderness May 6, ''64. The ball entered 
 the neck, passed through the roots of the 
 tongue, and lodged in the base of the 
 head, where it still remains ; discharged 
 June 17, '65. 
 
 Mark and Luther Chase, brothers, 
 enlisted Aug. 14, '61, in Co. H. 6th Vt. ; 
 aged 26 and 18 years. Mark was dis- 
 charged May 29, ''62 ; reenlisted Nov. 27, 
 '63 ; taken prisoner, and died at Ander- 
 sonville, Ga., July 3, '64. Luther died in 
 hospital Jan. 31, '62. 
 
 Geo. Somerville, age 23, enlisted in 
 Co. G. 6th Vt., Aug. 29, '61 ; discharged 
 June 23, '62. 
 
 John H. Hunter, age 41 ; enlisted 
 Sept. 2, '61, Co. H. 6th Vt. ; chosen cor- 
 poral ; discharged ; reenlisted Dec. 15, '63 ; 
 lost an arm in the service; finally dis- 
 charged Mar. 10, '65. 
 
 Geo. L. Marble, age 30, enlisted in 
 Co. G. 6th Vt., Sept. 10, '61 ; reenlisted 
 Feb. 8. ''64; taken prisoner Oct. 19, '64; 
 supposed to have died in Libby Prison. 
 
 Wm. M. Strong, age 19, enlisted in Co. 
 G. 6th Vt., Sept. 23, '61 ; served 3 years; 
 mustered out Oct 28, '64. 
 
 Allen E. Mehuren, enlisted in Co. G. 
 6th Vt., Sept. 27, '61, age 23; discharged 
 by reason of sickness, Feb. 4, '63. 
 
 Cornelius McMullen, age 29, enlisted 
 in Co. B. 6th Vt., Oct. 3, '61, re-enlistcd 
 Dec. 15, '63, transferred to Co. H. Oct. 
 16, '64, served till the close of the war, 
 mustered out June 26, '65. 
 
 Henry C. Backus, age 24, enlisted in 
 Co. G. 6th Reg't., Oct. 7, '61, promoted 
 sergeant, mustered out Oct. 28, '64. 
 
 Warren C. Porter, age yj, enlisted 
 Oct. 15, '61, in Co. G. 6th Vt., served 3 
 years, mustered out Oct. 28, '64. 
 
 Chester S. Dana, age 33, enlisted in 
 Co. B. loth Vt., July r8, '62, chosen sth 
 sergeant, promoted to ist ser'gt., sick in 
 general hospital much of the latter part of 
 his service, discharged May 22, '65. 
 
 LaFayette Moore, enlisted in Co. F. 
 2d Vt. as a recruit, July 30, '62, age 26, 
 died in the service Feb. 29, '64. 
 
 Hem an A. Moore, age 21, enlisted 
 in Co. F. 2d Vt., Aug. 2, '62, mu.stered 
 out June 19, '65. 
 
 Eli Gibson, recruit in Co. G. 6th Vt.. 
 enlisted Aug. 13, '62, age 22, died in the 
 service April 7, '64. 
 
 Lewis Bettis, a resident of Warren, 
 enlisted for this town in Co. G. 6th Vt., 
 Aug. 13, '62, age 37 ; transferred to the 
 Invalid Corps, Jan. 15, ''64. 
 
 John Chase, age 23, enlisted in Co. G. 
 6th Vt., Aug. 13, '62; mustered out June 
 19, '65. 
 
 Nathan Thayer, age 23 ; enlisted in 
 Co. H. 6th Vt., Aug. 13, '62; discharged 
 June 3, '63. 
 
 Nelson J. Boyce, age 32 ; enlisted in 
 Co. G. 6th Vt., Aug. 16, '62; transferred 
 to the Invalid Corps July i, '63. 
 
 Lester H. LIarris, age 25 ; enlisted 
 Aug. 18, '62, in Co. F. 2d Vt. ; died May 
 18, '63. 
 
 The following 17 soldiers all members 
 of Co. B. 13th Vt., (9 months), enlisted 
 Aug. 25, '62; mustered in Oct. 10, '62, at 
 Brattleboro ; mustered out at the same 
 place July 21, '63; the battle of Gettys- 
 burg being the only one in which they 
 participated : 
 
 George O. Boyce, 2d serg't., age 28; 
 
FAYSTON. 
 
 195 
 
 with others of his company taken prisoner 
 by rebel guerrillas while going from Camp 
 Carusi to Fairfax station with supply teams, 
 May 14, '63. They were paroled the next 
 day, and returned to the regiment. 
 
 Dorric S. Stoddard, 3d corporal, age 28 ; 
 William E. Backus, age 22, detailed scout ; 
 John Baird, age 20, died of fever soon 
 after returning home ; Matthew Blair, age 
 27, afterwards re-enlisted in 56 Mass., 
 killed in the Wilderness ; Charles D. Bil- 
 lings, age ig, died at Camp Carusi May ig, 
 ''62, ; Chauncey Carpenter, age 3g, re- 
 enlisted Dec. 31, '63, in Co. C. 17th Vt., 
 discharged May 13, '65 ; Samuel J. Dana, 
 age 2g, wounded at Gettysburg ; Royal S. 
 Haskins, age 21 ; Charles C. Ingalls, age 
 18, re-enlisted Sept. i, '64, in Co. G. 6th 
 Vt., mustered out June ig, '65; Stephen 
 Johnson, age 21, re-enlisted Aug. 26, ''64, 
 in Co. G. 6th Vt., mustered out June ig, 
 '65; ZibaH. McAllister, age 21, re-enlist- 
 ed in Cavalry Co. C. Nov. 30, '63, trans- 
 ferred to Co. A. June ig, '65, mustered 
 out June 26, '65 ; Levi Nelson, age 20 ; 
 William Nelson, age 26, Daniel Posnett, 
 age 47, Winfield S. Rich, age 24, Reuben 
 Richardson, age 45, transferred to Co. 
 H., re-enlisted Nov. 30, '63, in Co. H. 6th 
 Regt., discharged May 12, '65. 
 
 William G. Wilkins, age 18, enlisted in 
 Co. F. 2d Vt., June 16, '63, discharged 
 Jan. 21, '64. 
 
 Robert Hoftman, age 21, enlisted in the 
 3d Battery, Oct. ig, '64, discharged June 
 15, '65. 
 
 John W. Palmer, enlisted in Cavalry, 
 Co. C. Nov. 28, '63, age 23, transferred 
 to Co. A. June 21, '65, mustered out 
 Aug. g, '65. 
 
 Judson W. Richardson, age 2g, enlisted 
 in Co. H. 6th Vt., promoted corporal 
 June ig, ''65, and mustered out June 26, '65. 
 
 Charles O. Dyke, age 18, enlisted Nov. 
 30, ''63, in Co. H. 6th Vt. ; mustered out 
 June 26, '65. 
 
 Myron Mansfield, age 18, enlisted Dec. 
 
 2, '63, in Co. H. 2d U. S. Sharp-shooters ; 
 transferred to Co. H.4th Vt., Feb. 25, '65 ; 
 supposed to have died at Andersonville. 
 
 Benj. B. Johnson, age 20, enlisted Dec. 
 
 3, '63, in Co. G. 6th Vt. ; transferred to 
 
 Vet. Res. Corps, Dec. 4, '64 ; mustered 
 out July 15, '65. 
 
 Wm. H. Johnson, age 18, enlisted Dec. 
 3, '63, in Co. G. 6th Vt. ; pro. corp. Sept. 
 23, '64 ; serg't. June 20, '65 ; mustered 
 June 26, '65. 
 
 Charles B. Corliss, age 18, enlisted Dec. 
 3, '63, in Co. G. 6th Vt. ; discharged June 
 28, '65. 
 
 Anson O. Brigham, age 21, enlisted 
 Dec. 5, '63, in Co. H. 6th Vt. ; trans, to 
 invalid corps, and discharged June 28,^65. 
 
 Calvin B. Marble, age 18, enlisted Dec. 
 g, ''63, in Co. G. 6th Vt. ; mustered out 
 June 26, '65. 
 
 Edwin E. Chaffee, age 18, enlisted Dec. 
 g, '63 in Co. H. 6th Vt. ; pro. corp. June 
 ig, ''62) ; must, out June 26, '65. 
 
 Asa E. Corliss, age 20, enlisted Sept. 7, 
 '64, in Co. G. 6th Vt. ; must, out July ig, 
 '65. 
 
 John W. Ingalls, age 28, enlisted Sept. 
 16, '64, but did not enter service. 
 
 This town also furnished 14 non-resident 
 soldiers, of whom I can give but a meagre 
 report, as follows : 
 
 Geo. Arnold, Francis E. Buck, Thomas 
 Bradley, ist army corps ; Sidney Dolby, 
 54 Ma.ss. • (colored) ; Wm. W. Green, 
 Philip Gross, ist A. C. ; Wm. J. Hopkins, 
 cav. ; John J. Hern, ist A. C. ; Randall 
 Hibbard, ist A. C. ; Frederic Kleinke, ist 
 
 A. C. ; Nelson Parry, Co. B. 7th Vt., 
 Nicholas Schmidt, ist A. C. ; John S. 
 Templeton; JamesWilliamstown,ist A. C. 
 
 The following persons were furnished 
 under draft, five of whom paid commuta- 
 tion : Hiram E. Boyce, Eli Bruce, Jr., 
 Nehemiah Colby, Charles M. Fisher, 
 Julius T. Palmer, and one, Nathan Boyce, 
 procured a substitute. 
 
 This town probably furnished from her 
 own residents as many, if not more, sol- 
 diers for other towns than were credited 
 to her from non-residents, the record of 
 some of which is given as follows : 
 
 Andrew J. Butler, Co. H. 6th Vt. ; Hi- 
 land G. Campbell, 3d Vt. Battery ; Alba 
 
 B. Durkee, Co. I. gth Vt. ; Timothy Don- 
 ivan, Co. H. 6th Vt. 
 
 In Co. G. 6th Vt. : Edward Dillon, G. 
 W. Fisher, James N. Ingalls, Robert Max- 
 
196 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 well and Samuel Maxwell. In 3d Vt. : 
 Wm. W. McAllister. In Co. G. 6th Vt. : 
 James H. Somerville, Ichabod Thomas. 
 Dexter Marble lost a leg in the service, in 
 a Wisconsin regiment. 
 
 Thus I have given as best I can from 
 memory, and from data at command, an 
 imperfect record of Fayston and Fayston 
 men during the rebellion. Undoubtedly 
 the foregoing record is not perfect, yet I 
 think it is substantially correct. 
 
 Probably no town in the state suffered 
 more financially than this. During the 
 latter part of the war when large bounties 
 were demanded by volunteers, and paid by 
 wealthy towns, Fayston, to save herself 
 from draft was obliged in one year (1864) 
 to raise for bounties and town expenses 
 the almost unheard of sum of $12.50 cents 
 upon every dollar of her grand list, thus 
 subjecting the owner of a simple poll list 
 to the payment of a tax of $25. Yet this 
 enormous sum was paid immediately, with 
 scarce a murmur of complaint, and not a 
 dollar left to be a drag-weight upon tax- 
 payers in after years. 
 
 Fayston can look back upon her finan- 
 cial record as a town, and the military rec- 
 ord of her soldiers with no feelings but 
 those of honor, satisfaction and pride ; 
 knowing that the privations and valor of 
 her sons in the field, and the liberality of 
 her citizens at home all contributed their 
 mite to keep the grand old flag still float- 
 ing over a free and undivided nation. 
 
 GRAND ARMY REPUBLIC'S RESPONSE TO 
 
 SUMNER'S BILL FOR ERASING OUR 
 
 BATTLE RECORDS. 
 
 • BY D. S. STODDARD. 
 Blot out our battle records, boys, 
 
 Charles Sumner's bill doth say; 
 Forget that you were soldiers once, 
 
 And turn your thoughts away. 
 
 Yes, turn your thoughts away, my boys. 
 
 So noble, brave and true ; 
 Forget you lugged a knapsack once, 
 
 And wore the army blue. 
 
 Flaunt not that starry flag, my boys. 
 
 With Lee's Mills, on its fold, 
 'Twill make some rebel's heart ache, boys. 
 
 To see it there so bold. 
 
 And blot out Savage Station, too. 
 
 And lilvewlse Malvern Hill; 
 That was a noisy place, you know. 
 
 But blot it out, you will. 
 
 Fort Henry, too, and Donelson, 
 Where Grant "Surrender" spake, 
 
 In such decided tones it made 
 The rebel Pillow shake. 
 
 And Sliiloh, too, and Vicksburg, where 
 
 One Fourth of July day. 
 Brave Pemberton his well-tried sword 
 
 At the feet of Grant did lay. 
 
 And Cedar Creek, and Winchester, 
 
 And Sheridan's famous ride: — 
 Forget it, boys, forget it all. 
 
 It hurts the rebels' pride. 
 
 And Fredericksburg, and Antietam, 
 
 AVhere cannon rang and roared ; 
 And Gettysburg, where three long days 
 
 Grape shot and shell were poured. 
 
 Where thousands freely gave their lives. 
 
 And drenched with blood the sand, 
 To stay the How of Treason's tide 
 
 In Freedom's happy land. 
 
 And Richmond, too, and Petersburg, 
 
 And the Wilderness, forget; 
 And comrades dear who fought so well. 
 
 Whose sun of life there set. 
 
 Forget, my boys, you ever marched 
 
 With Sherman to the seal 
 Deny you ever fought against 
 
 The rebels under Leel 
 
 And Appomattox Court House, too, 
 
 Where Lee dissolved his camp; 
 And gave his long and well-tried sword 
 
 To General U. S. Grant. 
 
 Tliose names, we've loved them long, my boys. 
 
 And oft a glow of pride 
 Has thrilled through every vein, to think 
 
 We fought there side by side. 
 
 And oftentimes, my comrades dear. 
 
 There comes a sadder thought — 
 The price, the price ! by which our laud 
 
 These cherished records bought. 
 
 And now shall we erase those names. 
 
 And make our battle-flags, 
 Whicli e'er have been the soldier's pride. 
 
 Nothing but worthless rags? 
 
 No more shall read those glorious names 
 While swinging in tlie breeze? < 
 
 No moi-e our hearts shall swell with pride 
 To think of bygone deeds? 
 
 And must we suffer all this shame 
 
 To please that rebel horde. 
 Who brought the war upon themselves 
 
 By drawing first the sword? 
 
 Then we must ask their pardon, too. 
 
 For what we've done and said ; 
 Tramp down the graves of comrades dear. 
 
 And liouor rebel dead. 
 
 And I suppose the next kind thing 
 
 That Suniuer'U want is tills, 
 Tliat we get down upon our knees. 
 
 And rebel coat-tails kiss! 
 
 Now, comrades, when all this appears. 
 
 'Twill be when we are dead I 
 When every man who fought the rebs 
 
 Sleeps In his narrow bed ! 
 
MARSHFIELD, 
 
 201 
 
 Rich, district clerk, to support the school 
 on the grand list ; Robert Waugh and Na- 
 thaniel Pitkin, school com. ; Aaron Elmer, 
 collector. Voted, that no one shall have 
 a right to take any child into his family to 
 attend school, unless he take one for a 
 year, and that the selectmen shall act in 
 conjunction with the committee in exam- 
 ining the school teacher, and to raise $34 
 to support schooling. 
 
 At town meeting, Mar. 25, 1801, Caleb 
 Pitkin, mod., voted to divide the district; 
 set up the old school-house at vendue, to be 
 sold to the highest bidder ; sold the house 
 for 2^ bushels of wheat, on 6 months' 
 credit, to Aaron Elmer; 12 squares of 
 glass, to Solomon Oilman, for i bush, of 
 wheat; 75 nails, to Nathaniel Dodge, for 
 I peck of wheat ; boards, to Robert Waugh, 
 for 9s. 6d., to be paid in wheat ; table, to 
 Joshua Pitkin, for 2 bush. 2 qts. of wheat ; 
 chair, to Joshua Pitkin, for 3 pecks, 4 qts. 
 of wheat. The selectmen organized the 
 inhabitants on the river road into a school 
 district, beginning at Hart Roberts' on 
 the north, Capt. Skinner's at the south, 
 Nathaniel Pitkin's on the west, and Sam- 
 uel Wilson's and Joseph Wells' on the 
 east. Stephen Rich, Samuel Paterson, 
 Caleb Pitkin, were selectmen. 
 
 So the old school-house was sold, a 
 little, square, log-building, covered with 
 bark ; a big stone chimney, with an open- 
 ing above for the smoke to go out and the 
 rain to come in, and the grand old forest 
 for play-ground, and did it not ring with 
 the merry shouts of childhood? They 
 needed no gymnasium then. Were there 
 not the trees to climb, the birds' nests and 
 squin-el.s to hunt, and partridges and wood- 
 chucks to look after? The children did 
 not sing in school in those days. They 
 had to sit straight, keep their eyes on the 
 book, and their toes on the crack. They 
 hardly dared breathe in school-time, there 
 was such an awe of ferule and rod. The 
 children did not sing in school, but the 
 bird's song they heard through the open 
 window, and wheji the noon-time came, 
 the children joined the chorus, and the old 
 woods rang again. 
 
 It seems the inhabitants not included in 
 
 26 
 
 the river district, were all in one other dis- 
 trict. Afterwards districts were divided 
 and arranged, as the inhabitants increased, 
 according to their needs. But it was not 
 until about 18 12, that a school-house was 
 built on the river near Joshua Pitkin's. 
 Schools were kept in a portion of a dwell- 
 ing-house, and sometimes in Caleb Pit- 
 kin's old house. In the mill district, now 
 the village, the first school-house was built 
 in 1 82 1. The first school in this district 
 was taught by Miss Comfort Gage, in the 
 summer of 1820, in Capt. Martin Pitkin's 
 barn, on the place where the writer re- 
 sides. There was a school a number of 
 years in the Dwinell district, before the 
 convenience of a school-house was en- 
 joyed. Four winters this school was kept 
 in Simeon Dwinell's kitchen. This to 
 some housekeepers might have seemed an 
 inconvenience, as the hou.se was small, 
 and Mrs. Dwinell had 8 children of her 
 own. But she doubtless got along nicely, 
 washing days and all. The children must 
 be educated ; in those days troops of little 
 ones were not so much in the way. 
 
 In 1805, a committee was appointed by 
 the town to act in concert with the select- 
 men in purchasing a piece of ground for 
 the burial of the dead, and the grave-yard 
 near J. H. EatorCs was bought of Na- 
 thaniel Dodge. 
 
 Mar. 1797, Thomas McLoud, of Mont- 
 pelier, and Sally Dodge, of Marshfield, 
 were united in marriage by Joseph Wing, 
 Esq., of Montpelier, the first marriage in 
 town. Joshua Pitkin, Esq., was the first 
 justice of peace, and Dec. 10, 1801, he 
 married Ebenezer Wells to Susannah Spen- 
 cer, the first marriage by a citizen of the 
 town. 
 
 Feb. I, 1803, a town meeting was called 
 to see if the town would form themselves 
 into a Congregational society, and also to 
 see if they would agree to settle a minis- 
 ter. The vote stood 17 in favor and 70 
 against. 
 
 Bears, wolves and deer were very num- 
 erous in the early days of Marshfield. The 
 wolves made night hideous by their howl- 
 ings, and it was no uncommon thing to 
 kill a bear or deer. Joshua Pitkin, in his 
 
202 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 journal, speaks of killing 8 deer at differ- 
 ent times, and one bear story belonging to 
 our region has in it sufficient of the tragic 
 to warrant insertion here. 
 
 One season early in September the bears 
 began to make depredations in the corn, 
 on the Skinner farm, now Wm. Martin's. 
 Solomon Oilman, one of the early settlers, 
 who was a great sportsman, promised to 
 watch for the bear, and put an end to his 
 suppers of green corn ; he took his stand 
 at night in the field, waiting the arrival of 
 the depredator. The bear came on, and 
 was soon helping himself, when with true 
 aim, the hunter fired. The bear gave one 
 great spring, and came directly on, or 
 over him. He felt his time had come. 
 The blood was flowing ! He caught the 
 lacerated intestines in his hands, replaced 
 them as he could in that moment of des- 
 peration, wrapped the long skirt of his 
 overcoat about his body, holding it firmly 
 with both hands ; had just strength enough 
 left to shout for help, and to run a short 
 distance. Help soon came. They assisted 
 him to a place of safety, and folding back 
 his overcoat, a double handful of bruin's 
 entrails fell to the ground ! Mr. G. lived 
 long to be the terror of the denizens of the 
 forest, but it was years before he heard 
 the last of being killed, by a bear. 
 
 At another time, Mr. Oilman was pur- 
 suing a bear through some woods where 
 Mr. Ira Stone was chopping. Seeing the 
 bear rapidly approaching, Mr. Stone sprang 
 upon a large rock. The bear came up. 
 Mr. Stone attempted to strike him with 
 his axe, but one blow of the bear's paw 
 sent the axe to the ground. They now 
 clinched. Mr. Stone attempted to grasp 
 the bear's tongue, but instead, the bear 
 crushed two of his fingers. They rolled to 
 the ground, the bear uppermost. Just 
 now Mr. Oilman came near, and taking 
 aim, shot the bear through the head. The 
 crushed fingers was all the serious injury 
 Mr. Stone received. 
 
 The settlers made quite a business of 
 selling ashes, and afterwards, a larger one 
 of making salts for sale. The beautiful 
 elms, of which there were many on the 
 river banks and in otl;er places, were cut 
 
 down, piled and burned for this purpose, 
 and a great deal of other valuable timber. 
 Salts sold well, so the day and the long 
 night were often spent in boiling salts, and 
 more than one woman has lent a hand at 
 this work. 
 
 There are only two ponds which lie 
 wholly in this town — Nigger Head, of cir- 
 cular form, and about half a mile in width, 
 and Nob Hill ponds. Long pond lies 
 partly in Marshfield and partly in Groton. 
 Mud pond has within a few years dried up. 
 Our county map shows other ponds in our 
 eastern portion, but by actual survey it is 
 found that neither of these are our side of 
 the line. Our township is somewhat hilly, 
 but in only one case are we entitled to the 
 name of mountain. 
 
 NIGGER HEAD 
 
 mountain, in the north-easterly part of the 
 town, is a steep precipice, 500 feet high, 
 in one place 300 feet perpendicular. It is 
 an imposing sight, so bold, precipitous 
 and grand — nature enthroned in one of 
 her wildest phases. On its dizzy heights 
 we have a remarkably fine view of the sur- 
 rounding regions, and of the bright waters 
 of the beautiful pond below, and nowhere 
 can one get a better view of the fearful 
 precipice, than in a little boat on the 
 waters at its base. 
 
 Winooski river passes through this town 
 from north to south, more than half of the 
 town lying on the east. It receives many 
 tributaries in its course. Lye brook, the 
 outlet of Pigeon pond in Harris' Gore, is a 
 considerable stream, and falls into the 
 river a little south of the center of the 
 town. 
 
 A part of the south portion of Marshfield 
 is more easily convened at Plainfield vil- 
 lage, which really extends a little into our 
 town than at our own village. As a con- 
 sequence our people in that vicinity attend 
 church at Plainfield, while a portion of the 
 people in Eastern Cabot, on Molly's brook 
 and vicinity, attend church at Marshfield. 
 
 On the east side of the river a large 
 quantity of good timber remains uncut, 
 and there are also on this side of the river 
 very large quarries of granite, beautifully 
 clear, and of superior quality, and should 
 
MARSHFIELD. 
 
 203 
 
 the time come when a railroad shall pass 
 up through this portion of our town, the 
 value of these forests and quarries will be 
 estimated very differently from what they 
 are now. As far as farms are cultivated 
 on this side of the river, they are pretty 
 good. 
 
 About the year 1825, quite a settlement 
 was made on this side, some 2h miles east 
 of where the town-house now stands. So 
 many families moved in, that a log school- 
 house was built, and at one time there was 
 a school of 30 scholars ; but the land prov- 
 ing better for pasturage than tillage, after 
 a few years the settlement was deserted. 
 These large pastures are now owned by 
 wealthy farmers. 
 
 The town is in every part well-watered. 
 The east part is noted especially for its 
 pure, soft, cold springs. There is also 
 hardly a farm in town but what has one or 
 more good sugar orchards, and the amount 
 of sugar made here any year is large. 
 Through the kindness of E. S. Pitkin, 
 Esq., I have the following statistics of the 
 manufacture of maple sugar here in the 
 spring of 1868, which is above the average : 
 Sugar orchards, 108 ; sugar made in 1868, 
 140,350 pounds, or more than 70 tons ; 18 
 orchards made each 2,000 and upwards ; 40 
 made less than 2,000 and more than 1,000 
 pounds. 
 
 W^TER PRIVILEGES. 
 
 Molly's brook, from the easterly part of 
 Cabot, unites with the Winooski soon after 
 entering this town. On this brook, just 
 above the junction, are Molly's Falls, 
 which are worthy the notice of the trav- 
 eler. They can be seen to advantage from 
 the stage-road, a mile above the village. 
 The water falls in the distance of 30 rods, 
 180 feet. Were we writing fiction, it would 
 do, perhaps, to follow the figures of Thomp- 
 son in his valuable " Gazeteerof Vermont," 
 making these falls 500 feet; but we, who, 
 in the clear mornings of summer can hear 
 the roaring of the water, will have it just 
 as it is, 180 feet. There is an amount of 
 water-power here not often equalled. It 
 would be difficult to estimate how much 
 machinery might be kept in motion by the 
 water which is precipitated over these 
 
 falls. Then, on the river below, are a 
 number of excellent mill-sites, and in ad- 
 dition to all these. Nigger Head brook, 
 from where it leaves Nigger Head pond to 
 its entrance into the Winooski, has a suc- 
 cession of falls, making good locations for 
 mills ; all the better, as the stream is never 
 materially affected by drought. 
 
 Among our early settlers a good deal of 
 attention was paid to orcharding. On the 
 hill farms there are good orchards and 
 fine fruit, both grafted and native. On 
 the river, apple-trees have never done as 
 well. 
 
 Aug. 22, 1 811, there was a very great 
 rise of water, and Joshua Pitkin lost grass 
 sufficient for 15 tons of hay, by the over- 
 flowing of his meadows, as his journal tells. 
 In Sept. 1828, there was a great flood, and 
 Stephen Pitkin, Jrs. clover mill, a mile 
 above the village, was carried off; also 
 many bridges. July 27, 1830, a great rise 
 of water carried off nearly all the bridges 
 on the river, and greatly injured the uncut 
 grass on the meadows, and Aug. i, 1809, 
 there was a great hail-storm, injuring gar- 
 dens and corn very much. The evening 
 of July 5, 1 84 1, there was a terrific hail- 
 storm through a portion of the town. Veg- 
 etation was much injured, and very much 
 glass broken. Aug. 20, 1869, there was a 
 very sudden rise of water, buildings were 
 injured, some small ones carried off, and 
 bridges and other property destroyed. 
 
 A great gale was experienced here May 
 13, 1866. The wind was accompanied 
 with rdin, and 4 barns and some smaller 
 buildings were blown down. Mr. Amos 
 Dwinell was in his son's barn at the time, 
 and was buried in its ruins, but extricated 
 without much injury. A number of cows 
 were in two of the demolished barns, but 
 only a very few were seriously injured. 
 
 In the spring of 1807, snow was^h feet 
 deep April 4, and when Joshua Pitkin be- 
 gan to tap his sugar-place, Apr. 15, it was 
 3 feet deep. May 15, 1834, there was a 
 great snow-storm, more than 2 feet deep. 
 In the winter of 1863 and '4, snow was 
 very deep, fences covered for months. 
 
 We have also had our portion of fires. 
 A barn was burned Oct. 1806, Jeremiah's 
 
204 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 Carleton's blacksmith shop in 1827 ; after, 
 an old house of Caleb Pitkin's, the dwell- 
 ing house of Nathan Smith ; the dwelling- 
 house of Bemis Pike, Feb. 1835 ; new 
 house of Hiram Goodwin, May, 1840 ; the 
 starch-factory and clover-mill of Stephen 
 Pitkin the night of Dec. 10, 1853, large 
 shoe-shop of Henry Goodwin, May, i860; 
 house belonging to G. O. Davis, occupied 
 by G. W. Nouns, who was severely burned, 
 and the family just escaped with their lives. 
 Mar. 1869, the saw-mill and shop, and all 
 the tools of Calvin York. 
 
 CASUALTIES. 
 
 Betsey Swetland and another young 
 lady were riding on horseback May 7, 
 18 17, below the village, when she was 
 killed by the fall of a tree. She lived only 
 a few hours. 
 
 Mr. Jonathan Davis, an aged man, was 
 burned to death by falling into the fire, 
 probably in a fit, and Jonathan Davis, Jr., 
 had a little son drowned in a water-holder 
 at the door. 
 
 George Pitkin, 'while drawing wood 
 alone, fell before the runner of the sled, 
 and was crushed to death, Feb. 20, 1845. 
 
 Martin Bemis, son of Abijah Bemis, came 
 to his death by slipping in the road, and a 
 sled passing over him. 
 
 Mrs. Linton was accidentally shot, by a 
 gun carelessly handled by a boy. 
 
 Mrs. Tubbs, an old lady, accidentally 
 took some oil of cedar, and lived but a 
 short time. 
 
 Mr. Graves had a little daughter scalded, 
 so as to cause death. A child of Nathaniel 
 Lamberton was scalded, so as to cause 
 its death in a short time. Mrs. Benoni 
 Ha.skins was burned, so as to cause death 
 in a few hours. A little child of Francis 
 Loveland was also burned to death some 
 years since, and a child of Spencer Law- 
 rence scalded, so as to cause its death. 
 
 A number of years ago, Mr. Asa Willis 
 had a very remarkable escape from sudden 
 death, while at work on a ledge of rocks, 
 near where Daniel Loveland resides. There 
 had been Zu unsuccessful attempt made to 
 split open a granite rock 12 feet square, 
 the lower edge of which lay on a large rock 
 15 feet high. The top of the lower rock 
 
 was slanting like the roof of a house. 
 While attempting to open the crevice al- 
 ready commenced in the upper rock, suffi- 
 cient to insert a blast of powder, the rock 
 split in two nearly in the middle, Mr. 
 Willis falling between the parts, and he 
 and they sliding from the large rock to the 
 ground, 27 feet. The two pieces, when 
 they reached the ground, stood in such a 
 way that the upper edges leaned against 
 each other, and the lower edges stood 
 apart so as to leave a wedge-shaped cavity 
 large enough to admit his body, and there 
 he lay. No one was with him but Mr. 
 Joshua Smith. On ascertaining that he 
 was alive, Mr. Smith dug away the earth, 
 and succeeded in extricating him from his 
 perilous situation. Neither he, nor the 
 physician, who was immediately called, 
 thought him much injured, and^he lived to 
 do a good deal of hard work, and yet it is 
 thought he never entirely recovered from 
 the effects of the shock. 
 
 IMPROVEMENTS. 
 
 The log houses of the pioneers soon 
 gave way to better dwellings. At the 
 present time nearly all the houses in town 
 are of modern style and finish, but it is 
 the barns that ought particularly to be 
 mentioned. Many of them are large, 
 beautifully finished and painted, and not 
 surpassed by any in the vicinity. 
 
 THE TOWX CLERKS 
 
 have been, Stephen Rich 7 years, George 
 Rich 7 years, Robert Cristy 9 years, Mar- 
 tin Bullock 16 years, Jacob Putnam 19 
 years, Jonathan Goodwin 2 years, Samuel 
 D. Hollister 2 years, and Andrew English 
 24 years, from 1849 to his death in 1873 ; 
 Geo. W. English 2 years, and Edgar L. 
 Smith, elected in 1875, now in office. 
 
 REPRESENTATIVES . 
 
 The town was first represented in the 
 Legislature in 1804, by Stephen Pitkin. 
 He held this office in all 13 years, then by 
 George Rich 3 years, Wm. Martin I2years, 
 Josiah Hollister 2 years, Alonzo Foster 2 
 years, Spencer Lawrence 2 years. Wel- 
 come Gole 2 years, Horace Hollister 3 
 years, Ira Smith 2 years, Stephen R. Hol- 
 lister 2 years, E. D. Putnam 2 years, Hi- 
 
MARSHFIELD. 
 
 205 
 
 ram Potter 2 years, Asa Spencer 2 years, 
 George A. Gilman 2 years, Ingals Carleton 
 2 years, Samuel D. Hollister 2 years, An- 
 drew English 2 years, Bowman Martin 2 
 years, C. W. H. Dwinell 2 years, Wm. 
 Martin, Jr., 2 years, and Preston Haskins 
 2 years. George Wooster, 1869-70; 
 Moody Bemis, 1872; George Putnam, 
 1874; Levi W. Pitkin, 1876; Marshal D. 
 Perkins, 1878; Mark Mears, 1880. 
 
 Town Treasurer. — George O. Davis, 
 elected 1870. 
 
 SELECTMEN FROM 1876. 
 
 Eli G. Pitkin, 1876-77; H. P.Martin, 
 1876-78; J.H.Eaton, 1876; Willis Lane, 
 1876; Marcus R. Bliss, 1877-78-79; H. 
 H. Hollister, 1879-80; Chester Sawyer, 
 1880; Levi W. Pitkin, Orin H. Smith, 
 Daniel Holcomb, 1881. 
 
 TAVERNS. 
 
 Joshua Pitkin, Esq., raised the first 
 tavern-sign Oct. 1805. He continued to 
 keep.a public house many years. The 
 secona tavern was opened by Charles Gate, 
 where Erastus Eddy now lives. Joshua 
 Smith moved into town from Ashford,Ct., 
 in Dec. 1811, bought out Mr. Cate, and 
 commenced keeping tavern, which he con- 
 tinued 17 years. He was a kind neighbor, 
 accommodating to all, and travelers who 
 called on him would never forget the ex- 
 ceeding drpllery of his jokes. He died at 
 the age of 84. His wife, one of our best 
 women, still lives (1869) aged 87. 
 
 Capt. James English opened a tavern 
 about the year 181 1, where Obed Lamber- 
 ton now resides, and kept a public house 
 a number of years. He was a wheelwright 
 and a highly respected citizen ; removed 
 to what is now the village ; died in 1825, 
 and was buried with Masonic honors. 
 
 Capt. Jacob Putnam bought out Capt. 
 English in 1820, and kept a public house 
 some years, and his son, A. F. Putnam, 
 kept a number of years after at the old 
 stand, and later at the village. 
 
 Dudley Pitkin commenced keeping a 
 tavern at the old place occupied by his 
 father, about the year 1824, and for a few 
 years continued the business. 
 
 Daniel Wilson moved from Alstead, N. 
 
 H., in 1821, and settled in the village. He 
 built and run the first carding-machine in 
 town. He also bought the place where 
 the hotel now stands, and built there a 
 one-story plank house. The place soon 
 passed into other hands, and in 1826, was 
 bought by Eli Wheelock, who put on an- 
 other story, and made other additions to 
 the house, and opened it as a hotel the 
 same year. It has been used for a public 
 house till the present time (1869), but so 
 many additions and alterations have been 
 made, that it would now be rather a dilifi- 
 cult matter to find the original building. 
 The property soon passed into other hands, 
 was purchased by Horace Bliss, who re- 
 mained in the tavern a number of years ; 
 then sold to Lyman Clark, who afterwards 
 sold to Jabez L. Carpenter, and it has had a 
 number of owners since. A. F. Putnam 
 was proprietor 6 years, and sold to P. 
 Stevens. The present occupant (1869) is 
 P. Lee. 
 
 STORES. 
 
 The first store in town was opened as 
 early as 18 18, by Alfred Pitkin, son of 
 Joshua Pitkin, Esq., in a one-story house 
 just opposite his father's, and just where 
 Wm. Haskins' house stands. After a few 
 years Mr. Pitkin removed to Plainlield, 
 and later to Montpelier. The first store 
 in the village was kept by a Mr. Kimball. 
 He stayed here only a short time. 
 
 Enoch D. Putnam opened a store here, 
 Apr. 5, 1840, and continued to trade here 
 till March, 1855, when he sold out and 
 vvent to Cabot, and has recently removed 
 to Montpelier. George Wooster went into 
 partnership with Mr. Putnam in Sept. 
 1848. In May, 1858, G. & F. Wooster 
 commenced trade in their starch-factory, 
 but have since built a large store, and are 
 doing a good business. 
 
 A. F. Putnam commenced trade in 1866, 
 and IS also doing a good business. Levi 
 Bemis and some others have also been in 
 the mercantile business in our village, and 
 after a time have left for other places. 
 Geo. A. Putnam is our present merchant 
 (1881), and Mrs. Adams keeps a ladies 
 store. A. F. Putnam, postmaster. 
 
2o6 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 PHYSICIANS. 
 
 Dr. Bates came here in 1826. He loca- 
 ted at Eli Wheelock's hotel ; remained 
 but a few months. In 1827, Dr. Hersey 
 came here to practice. He boarded at 
 Judge Pitkin's ; remained about a year. 
 About 1828, Dr. Daniel Corliss settled in 
 our village, stayed a year and removed to 
 Montpelier, (now East Montpelier, where 
 he died.) 
 
 Dr. Asa Phelps removed from Berlin to 
 this place in 1 831, and still lives here. 
 For many years he was the only resident 
 physician. He has known as well as any 
 other man, what it was to travel over our 
 hills on a dark night, with the thermom- 
 eter below zero, while the winds were 
 all abroad — years ago. At that time, we 
 had many more poor people in town, 
 than now, On such nights after doing for 
 the sick, if he could have lodging on the 
 floor, with his feet towards the lire, he 
 would put up till daylight. He was never 
 known after such visits to complain of his 
 fare, indeed sometimes, he had no fare to 
 complain of. He has had a large practice — 
 often without pay, never objecting to have 
 counsel, and if superseded by others, " he 
 kept the even tenor of his way," never 
 speaking against the practice of other 
 physicians ; thus has secured universal 
 respect. 
 
 Dr. Ezra Paine moved here in 1842, and 
 remained here some 2 years. 
 
 Dr. George Town removed here from 
 Montpelier in 1852, but after a few years, 
 sold out and returned to Montpelier, but 
 removed here again, and has a good 
 practice. 
 
 Dr. J. Q. A. Packer, homceopathist, re- 
 moved from Peacham here in 1865. He 
 is doing a good business. 
 
 LONGEVITY. 
 
 A few persons here have attained to the 
 age of 90 years. Dea. Spencer died at 
 90; Mrs. Capron over 90; Mrs. Cree, 94; 
 Mrs. Austin, 94. 
 
 Mr. Joel Parker and wife resided in this 
 place a year or two. Some few years since, 
 Mrs. Parker had attained to the great age 
 of 97, and on her birth-day sung two 
 hymns to a neighbor who called upon her. 
 
 Mr. P. was 10 years younger. They have 
 both recently died in Northfield, she in 
 her looth year. 
 
 Aged perso7is who have died in towti 
 within 2) or 4. years. — Daniel Young, 91, 
 and his wife Lydia, 85 ; Sylvester Love- 
 land, 88, and his wife, 84; Mary Bemis, 
 84; Samuel G. Bent, 81 ; Ira Smith, 80; 
 Abijah Bemis, 86; Willard Benton, 83. 
 
 Aged persons non.v living (1881). — Dr. 
 Asa Phelps, 85 ; Lucy Bemis, 86 ; Sally 
 Dwinell, 86; Mary York. 
 
 MILLS. 
 
 The first saw-mill in town was built by 
 Stephen Pitkin, afterwards Judge Pitkin, 
 in 1802, on Lye brook. In 1812, he built 
 the first saw-mill at what is now the village, 
 and a grist-mill in 18 18, which was used 
 many years. The stone and brick grist- 
 mill, now owned by Harrison F. Ketchum, 
 was built in 183 1, by Gen. Parley Davis 
 and Truman Pitkin. About the year 1823, 
 Simeon Gage built clothing-works at the 
 south part of the village, but they were 
 used only a few years. 
 
 LIBRARY. 
 
 There has been for 20 years, in this 
 place, a circulating library, of historical 
 works, ^iravels, etc. 
 
 CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH. 
 
 BY MIlS. DEA. A. BOYLES. 
 
 The first Congregational church in 
 Marshfield was organized Dec. 24, 1800. 
 By request of a number of persons in 
 town, to be embodied into a visible church 
 of Christ, Rev. Mr. Hobart and two breth- 
 ren, Mr. Timothy Hatch and Peterson 
 Gifford of Berlin, came and organized a 
 church of 13 members. Selah Wells was 
 the first deacon, and afterwards Gideon 
 Spencer. For a number of years they had 
 additions, both by professions and letters, 
 and were supplied with preaching a por- 
 tion of the time by ministers from the 
 neighboring towns. Rev. Mr. Hobart of 
 Berlin, Rev. Mr. Lyman of Brookfield, 
 Rev. Mr. Wright of Montpelier, Rev. 
 Mr. Worcester of Peacham, and also a Mr. 
 Washburn and Mr. Bliss, were among 
 those who occasionally ministered to them. 
 About the year 1817, Rev. Levi Parsons, 
 
MARSHFIELD. 
 
 207 
 
 afterwards missionary to Palestine, was 
 here, and preached a number of times. 
 But they never enjoyed the blessing of a 
 settled minister. Thus they continued till 
 Dec. 8, 1825, when with the hope that 
 they should enjoy better privileges, those 
 members residing at the south part of the 
 town, united with the church in Plainfield. 
 The rest of the members, and a number 
 of other persons who wished to unite with 
 a Congregational churcli, thought best to 
 form a church at the north part of the town, 
 in the vicinity of the village, and by re- 
 quest, Rev. Mr. French of Barre, and 
 Rev. Mr. Heard of Plainfield, came and 
 organized a church, which still remains. 
 Brothers Andrew Currier and Alexander 
 Boyles, were chosen deacons. It has been 
 supplied with preaching a part of the time. 
 Among those who have labored here are 
 Rev. Messrs. Kinney, Baxter, Herrick, 
 Torrey, Waterman, Samuel Marsh, and 
 Lane. Rev. Joseph Marsh labored here 
 nearly 2 years. Through the summer of 
 1868, Rev. Mr. Winch, of Plainfield, 
 preached at 5 o'clock every other Sabbath. 
 There have been many removals and the 
 present number of church members is 
 small. 
 
 Record fro7n i86g io A7ig. 3, i^ji, by 
 Rev. Af. F. Cobleig/i, pastor, fJieii. — For 
 several years there had been but little Con- 
 gregational preaching in Marshfield, when 
 in the spring of 1870, Rev. J. T. Graves 
 preached half of the time for 6 weeks. 
 Soon after. Rev. N. F. Cobleigh was en- 
 gaged to preach half of the time for i year. 
 The church had no church property, but 
 in the spring of 187 1, a new church was 
 begun, a Sabbath school organized, and a 
 library obtained. The church will be ded- 
 icated Aug. 16, 1 87 1. The membership 
 has more than doubled during the past 
 year. Preaching services are now held 
 every Sabbath. Rev. N. F. Cobleigh is 
 to be settled as pastor Aug. i6th inst. 
 
 Record from Aug. 1877, to 1879, ffom 
 Rev. Geo. E. Forbes. — From this time to 
 the spring of 1877, Rev. Mr- Cobleigh 
 was its pastor, and through his faithfial ef- 
 forts its membership was very largely in- 
 
 creased. Of the 57 who composed the 
 church when Mr. Cobleigh resigned, only 
 9 were members in 1870. Aug. 16, the 
 church was dedicated and the pastor in- 
 stalled. After Mr. Cobleigh's resignation 
 in 1877, Rev. John Stone, of Berlin, sup- 
 plied until early in 1878, when Rev. Paul 
 Henry Pitkin, of Brooklyn, N. Y., was 
 called to be its pastor. He was installed 
 March 14; is its present pastor (1879.) 
 Alexander Boyles, elected deacon in Aug. 
 1827, held office till his death, Nov. 27, 
 1876. The other deacons have been An- 
 drew Currier, Silas Carleton, Benjamin 
 Boyles and Mervin Roberts. 
 
 CHRISTIAN CHURCHES. 
 
 15V MISS A. BULLOCK. 
 
 About the year 1815, Elder John Capron 
 commenced preaching in this town, and 
 soon after removed his family here from 
 Danville. There was a revival of religion, 
 and a church was organized about this 
 time. They believed the Scriptures, to- 
 gether with the spirit of God, a sufficient 
 rule of faith and practice. They were 
 blessed with more or less prosperity till 
 1825, when some of them considered some 
 articles setting forth their faith and cove- 
 nant, as necessary and proper for a Chris- 
 tian church. This caused a division, but 
 finally there was a reorganization under 
 the pastoral care of Elder Capron, Dec. 
 15, 1836, the two blending together again. 
 Between this time and March 5, 1844, 
 44 persons united with this church, a part 
 living in Calais, and a part in Marshfield'. 
 Among this number there were many of 
 whom we believed "their record is on 
 high." Elder Capron had but little edu- 
 cational advantages, was of warm and 
 energetic temperament, and many remem- 
 ber him justly, as a friend and brother in 
 adversity. He moved from this town 
 some time after the death of his excellent 
 wife, who was kind to all and ever had a 
 word for the afflicted. She died June 14, 
 1848, and was buried in our soil, and her 
 memory still clings to our hearts. Elder 
 Capron being the first settled minister in 
 town, was entitled to, and received the 
 town's minister lot of land. He removed to 
 
2o8 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 Stowe. [See history of Morristown. Ed.] 
 He was married a second time, and died 
 some years since. 
 
 About the year 1839, there was another 
 church of the Christian denomination or- 
 ganized in the North-west part of the town, 
 under the direction of Elder Jared L. Green. 
 This church was subjected to very hard 
 and severe trials. Many of its members 
 .sleep in the dust, some are scattered to 
 other parts, while others are living and 
 striving for the better land. 
 
 ADVENT CHURCH. 
 
 Feb. 6, 1867, another church was organ- 
 ized here of 6 members, believing in the 
 advent of Christ near at hand, under the 
 pastoral care of Rev. J. A. Cleaveland. 
 
 BAPTIST CHURCH. 
 
 From the early settlement of the town 
 there have been residents here who have 
 maintained the views of the Baptist church. 
 More than 30 years ago a church of this 
 denomination was organized, consisting of 
 members in Barre, Plainfield and Marsh- 
 field. The larger number resided in Barre 
 and Plainfield, and this church will prob- 
 ably be mentioned in the history of one of 
 those towns. [Barre has left it, we think, 
 to Plainfield.— Ed.] 
 
 UNIVERSALIST SOCIETY. 
 BY KEY. A. SCOTT. 
 
 Universalism was introduced into this 
 town by Daniel Bemis, a Revolutionary 
 soldier, who moved here from Conn, in 
 1809. Soon after Ebenezer Dodge, Jr., 
 and Robert Spencer became associated 
 with Mr. B. in religious faith. The first 
 preacher of this faith here was Rev. Wm. 
 P^arewell, in 18 18. From this time there 
 was occasional Universalist preaching here 
 till 1854, by Revs. L.H. Tabor, Benjamin 
 Page, Lester Warren, and it may be some 
 others. 
 
 In 1854, Daniel Bemis, Junior, Edwin 
 Pitkin, Jonathan Goodwin, Abijah Hall 
 and others united and secured the services 
 ofRev. Wm. Sias for one-fourth of the 
 Sabbaths for this and the next year. 
 During 1855, the friends organized, under 
 the name of "The Universalist Society of 
 Liberal Christians in Marshfield." The 
 
 society for the year 1856 and '7^ enjoyed 
 the labors of Rev. Eli Ballou for one- 
 fourth the Sabbaths. 
 
 In 1827, an association was formed 
 called " The Union meeting-house soci- 
 ety," for building and keeping in repair a 
 church they erected in the village in the 
 north part of the town ; the only church 
 edifice in town till 1859. [In 1831, when 
 the first list of shares prepared apportion- 
 ing the time to the several denominations, 
 the Universalists were represented by four 
 shares, owned bySam'l. Ainsworth, Daniel 
 Bemis, Jr., and Cyrus Smith.] In 1857, 
 this association repaired and modernized 
 the church, making it neat and pleasant, 
 both external and internal. Some of the 
 other societies, desiring more room at this 
 time, relinquished their interest in the 
 church. The property being sold to pay 
 the assessment upon it, it fell into different 
 hands, and at the present writing, 1869, 
 three-fourths of the occupancy is given to 
 the Universalist society. This change in 
 the occupancy of the house gave a new im- 
 petus to the cause in the town. This so- 
 ciety has since sustained public worship 
 one-half of the Sabbaths, excepting 1866 
 and '7, duringwhich they sustained it every 
 Sabbath. These years were supplied as 
 follows : 1858 and '9, by Rev. Eli Ballou ; 
 i860. Rev. M. B. Newell; 1861, '2 and '3, 
 by Rev. E. Ballou; 1864, byRev. Olympia 
 Brown; 1865, by Rev. L. Warren: 1866, 
 '7 and '8, by Rev. A. Scott. Revs. New- 
 ell, Brown and Scott lived in the town 
 during their ministrations. The society 
 was united, and at the present time, 1869, 
 is in as good, if not better, condition than- 
 at any former period, having raised more 
 money for the support of worship one-half 
 of the Sabbaths, than it had ever before 
 done. Rev. L. Warren is to labor with it 
 from May i, 1869. Connected with the 
 society and congregation are some 40 fam- 
 ilies, beside many single individuals of 
 other families. There is also a small Sab- 
 bath-school, for the use of which there is 
 a reading library of 150 vols. The church 
 property is worth from $3,000 to $3,500, 
 I of which is given to the occupancy of 
 the society. 
 
MARSHFIELD. 
 
 209 
 
 From paper of Rev. Geo. E. Forbes in 
 1879 — Universalist record continued. — In 
 1869, Rev. Lester Warren was engaged to 
 preach one-half of the time till the spring 
 of 1873. Ill July of this year, Rev. Geo. 
 E. Forbes was settled over the society. 
 For 2 years the Plainfield society united 
 with this for his support. The remainder 
 of the time he has preached for this so- 
 ciety exclusively, and is its present pastor. 
 
 The Union Sabbath-school, composed 
 of scholars from the different denomina- 
 tions occupying the church, was continued 
 until 1871. Since that time the Sabbath- 
 school here has been connected with this 
 society ; present number, about 90, officers 
 and pupils. A. H. Davis was its super- 
 intendent in 1 87 1 to '75) when he was suc- 
 ceeded by C. H. Newton. Under the 
 ministry of Rev. L. Warren in 1871, a 
 church was organized, which at present 
 numbers 43 members. John E. Eddyand 
 Abial H. Davis were elected deacons, and 
 still hold the office. Ira H. Edsonwas the 
 first church clerk, succeeded by D. R. 
 Loveland and C. H. Newton, present 
 clerk, 
 
 METHODIST CHURCH IN MARSHFIELD. 
 
 In May, 1826, Stephen Pitkin, Jr., mar- 
 ried the writer, a daughter of Gen. Parley 
 Davis, of Montpelier. A few months be- 
 fore she had been baptized by Rev. Wil- 
 bur Fisk, and united with the M. E. church 
 on probation. Previous to their marriage 
 Mr. Pitkin had also experienced religion. 
 In Jan. 1827, there being no Methodists in 
 Marshfield at that time, they both united 
 with the Methodist church in Cabot ; he 
 as a probationer, being baptized by Rev. 
 A. D. Sargeant, of the N. E. Conference, 
 and she, by letter, in full connection. In 
 1827, the union meeting-house was built 
 at Marshfield, and a committee appointed 
 to divide the time for occupying the house 
 between the different denominations own- 
 ing it. A few Sabbaths were set to the 
 Methodists, though Mr. Pitkin was the 
 only Methodist pew-holder. Rev. N. W. 
 Aspinwall, preacher in charge at Cabot, 
 appointed and attended meetings here on 
 these Sabbaths alternately with his col- 
 
 league. Rev. Elisha J. Scott. In Feb. 
 1828, the first quarterly meeting was held, 
 weather stormy. The meeting commenced 
 Saturday, p. M. Several ministers and one 
 minister's wife were in attendance, and all 
 were entertained at our own house — a 
 small frame-house, never encumbered with 
 clapboards. 
 
 The next year Sophronia and Sally Cate 
 were baptized by Rev. Hershal Foster — 
 the former now Mrs. Guernsey, of Mont- 
 pelier. These two, with Mr. Pitkin and 
 myself, and a Mrs. Whittle, constituted 
 the first Methodist class in Marshfield, or- 
 ganized in the autumn of 1829, Mr. Pitkin 
 class-leader and steward. What seasons 
 of interest were the class-meetings and 
 prayer-meetings of those days ! The next 
 to join were Samuel G. Bent and wife. 
 Our numbers increased very gradually ; 
 at most, we occupied the church only \ 
 the Sabbaths. Rev. Solomon Sias, Rev. 
 Stephen H. Cutler, Rev. E. J. Scott, and 
 others, spoke to us the words of life. About 
 1834, the first wife of Andrew English, 
 Esq., proposed to the writer, we should 
 get the children of the neighborhood -to- 
 gether for a Sabbath-school. As we had 
 preaching at the church so little, we met 
 at our homes alternately, at 5 o'clock. 
 This we did many months, till we had a 
 good-sized school, when it was proposed 
 to take our Sabbath-school to the church, 
 where it was duly organized, Jeremiah 
 Carleton, Esq., first superintendent. A 
 library was procured, and the school pros- 
 pered. It was strictly a union Sabbath- 
 school. The desk was supplied by minis- 
 ters of different denominations, and our 
 Sabbath-school went on. For a number 
 of years the Methodists were supplied with 
 .preaching \ the time, by preachers who 
 lived in Cabot. After that, we were united 
 with Woodbury and Calais, and supplied 
 in that way. A few united with the little 
 band from year to year, but deaths and re- 
 movals kept our number small. Some of 
 these death-bed scenes were, however, re- 
 markably happy. Especially was this the 
 case in the death of Loamml Sprague. 
 
 The first preacher sent here by Confer- 
 ence was Rev. David Packer, who died a 
 
 27 
 
2IO 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 few years since in Chelsea, Mass. He re- 
 sided on East Hill, in Calais. 
 
 At this time preachers received but a 
 very small salary, and the members were 
 often scattering and poor. After being in 
 Calais a few weeks, Mr. and Mrs. Packer 
 one morning ate their last food. Almost 
 an entire stranger, Mr. Packer did not feel 
 that he could beg. After uniting in fam- 
 ily prayer, he retired to an old barn on the 
 place, while she sought her closet, and 
 each alone committed their case to the 
 father of the stranger and the poor. 
 
 A mile away from them lived a young 
 farmer, not a professor of religion. As he 
 started after breakfast for the hay-field with 
 his hired help, something seemed to impel 
 him to stop. He must go back to the 
 house and carry some provisions to the 
 new minister. It was of no use to say, 
 "I'm not acquainted with them, I know 
 nothing of their needs," he must take 
 them some food. He told the men they 
 might go to mowing, he must go back. 
 He went back, told his wife his feelings, 
 and they together put up meat, potatoes, 
 flour, butter and sugar, and other things, 
 a fair wagon load, and he took it over, 
 and found how blessed it was to give, and 
 they, how safe to trust in God. 
 
 Slowly did the little church increase, 
 never having preaching more than one- 
 fourth of the time for many years. 
 
 In 185 1, the Congregationalists and 
 Methodists agreed to unite and support 
 preaching. First for 2 years they would 
 have Congregational preaching, and then 
 Methodist for the next 2. Rev. Mr. Marsh, 
 Congregational, was our first minister, 
 and at the close of the two years Rev. 
 Lewis P. Cushman was appointed by Con- 
 ference, and spent 2 years with us. In 
 those years a number were added to the 
 church. Mr. Cushman is now a mission- 
 ary in Texas ; his little daughter, Clara, 
 so well remembered by us, started last 
 October as a missionary to China. 
 
 Before the close of Mr. Cushman's first 
 year Mr. Pitkin died, and as he had been 
 very influential in procuring and sustain- 
 ing preaching, and there was no one to 
 then take his place, the effort was now aban- 
 
 doned, and for a number of years we had 
 no stated preaching. At length, in 1859, 
 a few concluded to make one more effort, 
 and Rev. Joshua Gill was stationed with 
 us. The Union church had passed mostly 
 into the hands of the Universalists, and 
 we had no preaching place. We needed a 
 church, and one was put up and covered 
 in "'59, and finished in i860. The house 
 was the right size, well furnished. Our 
 next minister was Rev. Geo. H. Bickford, 
 an excellent preacher, and one of the best 
 of men. He died some years later at 
 Barton. His last words, his hand upon 
 his breast, closing his eyes, that grand old 
 doxology, the gloria, "Glory be to the 
 Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost." 
 Rev. C. S. Buswell came next 2 years. 
 Rev. James Robinson was stationed here 
 in 1865, Rev. Joseph Hamilton in 1867; 
 both years we had some additions. In 
 1869, Rev. James Spinney was appointed 
 here. No. of vols, in S. S. library, 450. 
 
 In 1 87 1, Rev. J. Hamilton was with us 
 again, and stayed one year. In 1872, 
 Conference made Rev. C. P. Flanders our 
 pastor, succeeded in 1874, by Rev. C. A. 
 Smith, who was with us 3 years, followed 
 by Rev. G. H. Hastings in 1877, in 1879 
 by Rev. O. A. Farley, and in 1881 by Rev. 
 C. H. Farnsworth, our present pastor. 
 Our members have gradually increased ; 
 our present number is 73. 
 
 In the spring of 1870, we bought of 
 Bemis Pike a good house and garden for a 
 parsonage; cost, $1,800. 
 
 Feb. 3, 1878, our church was burned. 
 The society had just put down a new car- 
 pet, and a new organ and new lamps had 
 been purchased, which, together with our 
 large Sabbath-school library, was all con- 
 sumed, and no insurance. What a loss for 
 us ! But after mature deliberation we de- 
 cided to rebuild. The Church Extension 
 Society gave us $200, Rev. A. L. Cooper 
 $50, and a few other friends smaller sums. 
 January 16, 1879, our new church was 
 dedicated, sermon by Rev. A. L. Cooper. 
 The church is built in the Norman Gothic 
 style of architecture, nicely finished and 
 furnished throughout, wairmed from the 
 vestry beneath, and free from debt. 
 
MARSHFIELD. 
 
 Since we have had a church of our own, 
 our Sabbath-school has been prosperous, 
 and never more so than at the present time. 
 It is large, numbering over 80. The pres- 
 ent superintendent is J. B. Pike. 
 
 STEPHEN PITKIN, 
 
 whose history is so interwoven with early 
 Methodism in Marshfield, was very un- 
 assuming in his manners, and very strong 
 in his temperance and anti-slavery prin- 
 ciples. He belonged to the old Liberty 
 party when in this town ; their caucuses 
 were opened with prayer. He had a great 
 aversion to pretension. He once lent his 
 sleigh and harness to a man calling him- 
 self John Cotton, to go to Barnet, to be 
 gone three days. Cotton was quite a 
 stranger, having been in our place but 6 
 weeks, during which he had boarded with 
 my husband's brother, working for him a 
 part of the time, and the rest of the time 
 selling clocks he had purchased of a Mr. 
 Bradford, in Barre. Four days went by. 
 On inquiry, Mr. Pitkin found that the 
 clocks had been purchased on trust, and 
 all sold for watches or money ; that he 
 owed $60 toward his horse, and that he 
 had borrowed of the brother with whom 
 he boarded, horse-blanket, whip and mit- 
 tens. It seemed sure he was a rogue. 
 What could be done? Pursuit was use- 
 less after such a lapse of time. Mr. P. 
 felt his loss severely ; he had little prop- 
 erty then,'and what he had, was the product 
 of hard labor; but he always made his 
 business a subject of prayer. About 3 
 weeks passed away. One evening, having 
 been out some time, he came in, and with 
 his characteristic calmness, said, "H — , I 
 shall not worry any more about my sleigh 
 and harness ; I think I shall get them again." 
 "Why do you think so?" said I. His an- 
 swer was, " I have been praying God to 
 arrest Cotton's conscience, so that he will 
 be obliged to leave them where I can get 
 them, and I believe he will do it," and 
 from this time, Wednesday evening, he 
 seemed at rest on the subject. The next 
 Tuesday morning, as he stepped into the 
 post-office, a letter was handed him from 
 Littleton, N. H., written by the keeper of 
 a public house there : 
 
 Mr. Pitkin — Sir : — Mr. John Cotton has 
 left your sleigh and harness here, and you 
 can have them by calling for them. 
 
 Yours, &c., John Newton. 
 
 He started for Littleton the same day, 
 some 40 miles, found the sleigh and har- 
 ness safe, with no encumbrance. The 
 landlord said the Wednesday night pre- 
 vious, at 12 o'clock, a man calling himself 
 John Cotton came to his house, calling for 
 horse-baiting and supper. He would not 
 stay till morning, but wished to leave the 
 sleigh and harness for Mr. Pitkin, of 
 Marshfield, Vt. He also requested the 
 landlord to write to Mr. Pitkin, and said 
 he could not write, and that he took them 
 for Mr. Pitkin on a poor debt, and started 
 off at 2 o'clock at night, on horseback, 
 with an old pair of saddle-bags and a 
 horse-blanket on a saddle with one stirrup, 
 and no crupper, on one of the coldest 
 nights of that winter. None of the other 
 men to whom he was indebted received 
 anything from him, or ever heard from him 
 after. 
 
 [This brief sketch of this so worthy man 
 cannot be better completed than by the 
 following lines we have in our possession, 
 which were written by Mrs. Pitkin after his 
 death :] 
 
 "I liave loved tliee on Eartli, 
 May I meet thee in Heaven! " 
 
 Thrice, since they laid him with the dead. 
 Have Autunm's golden sheaves been laded. 
 
 Thrice have the spring-birds come and flown. 
 And thrice the flowrets bloomed and faded. 
 
 Yet, yet tlie far-off l)irds returning. 
 
 The harvest sunset gilded o'er. 
 The flowrets springing, blooming, fading. 
 
 But whisper, " he will come no more." 
 
 That hymn of praise, that voice iu prayer. 
 
 On memory's zephyrs back to me. 
 Thrilling my inmost soul, they come 
 
 Like midnight music ou the sea. 
 
 In these dear haunts, besiiie this hearth. 
 There is for me no answering tone. 
 
 We knelt together by her grave, 
 I weep and pray by theirs alone! 
 
 Oh, '"pure in heart," in purpose firm. 
 
 To me be tliy meek mantle given ; 
 One faith, one hope was ours on earth, 
 
 God grant us one bless'd home in Heaven. 
 
 In the winter of 1866, a lodge of Good 
 Templars was organized here. Good has 
 been accomplished, and it is hoped much 
 more may yet be done. The present num- 
 ber of members is loi. 
 
VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 DEA. GIDEON SPENCER 
 
 Came first to Marshfield from East Hart- 
 ford, Conn., in company with Caleb and 
 Martin Pitkin in the spring of 1792. That 
 summer and the next they worked clear- 
 ing land, and preparing for the coming of 
 their families, returning for them in the 
 fall. February, 1794, Mr. Spencer, Caleb 
 Pitkin and Aaron Elmer removed their 
 families to this wilderness, and commenced 
 the settlement of Marshfield. From Mont- 
 pelier they came with hand-sleds without 
 roads over snow 4 feet deep. Daniel, old- 
 est child of the Spencer family, was 4 years 
 old. This family had the first daughter, 
 born in town, and their son, Horace, was 
 born the day the town was organized. 
 Their location was a mile from either of 
 the other settlers. So neighborly were the 
 bears, Mr. Spencer found it necessary to 
 take his gun when going after his cow, 
 which had the whole forest for pasture. 
 
 He was chosen deacon of the Congrega- 
 tional church, soon after its organization ; 
 was active in sustaining meeting, and at- 
 tained the great age of 90 years. His 
 wife, a daughter of Capt. Isaac Marsh, a 
 woman of energetic and social habits, died 
 at the age of 86. 
 
 CALEB PITKIN 
 
 married Hannah, daughter of Capt. Isaac 
 Marsh, and came first to Marshfield as a 
 surveyor. He was rather retiring in his 
 manners, but had a vein of pleasantry 
 which made him agreeable company, 
 and he had a good education for the 
 times. He was a good reader, and often 
 when no minister was present, read the 
 Sunday sermon. His trade was a mason, 
 and the original stone-chimneys of the 
 first dwellings were laid by him. His 
 wife was social, and a worker. He re- 
 moved to Peacham a few years before his 
 death, Apr. 1813, at the age of 40. His 
 widow returned to Marshfield, and lived 
 some years after the decease of her hus- 
 band. The oldest son, James, still lives 
 on the old place. One son, a physician, 
 has deceased, and a daughter lives in 
 Burlington. 
 
 JOSHUA PITKIN, ESQ., 
 
 born in East Hartford, Conn., arrived 
 with his wife and three children in Marsh- 
 field on the 1st of Mar., 1795, and located 
 where Wm. Haskins now lives. Not a 
 tree was felled on the lot, excepting what 
 had been felled by hunters in trapping 
 for furs ; but he went to work and soon 
 had a spot cleared, a Tog-house up and 
 ready to occupy. He raised a large family, 
 and resided on the same place till his 
 death. He kept the first public house in 
 town, and was the first justice of peace. 
 He and his exemplary wife united with the 
 Congregational church. She died about 
 182 1, and he married again. He com- 
 menced a journal of his life and busi- 
 ness Mar. 28, 1796. The last record is 
 dated June 10, 1847. He died June 25, 
 1847. His last words were, " I know that 
 my Redeemer liveth," etc. Dea. Pitkin 
 of Montpelier, his second son, kept the 
 first store in town. None of his descend- 
 ants remain in Marshfield. 
 
 HON. STEPHEN PITKIN 
 
 came with his wife into this town March i, 
 1795. He had a large farm, pleasantly 
 located, where Bowman Martin now re- 
 sides. He was very well educated for the 
 times, and possessed of a strong mind, 
 and great energy. His keen eye, and 
 commanding look gave evidence he was 
 one to lead others, rather than one to be 
 led. His influence was great in the busi- 
 ness transactions of the town. He was 
 the first town representative ; held the 
 office in all, 13 years; was first militia 
 captain, eventually became a major, and 
 was assistant county judge 4 years. 
 
 He was considerate of the poor, and the 
 writer is informed by his nephew, James 
 Pitkin, Esq., that in the cold season of 
 i8i6and'i7, when almost no provisions 
 were raised, he bought salmon at Mont- 
 pelier by the barrel, when he had to be 
 trusted for it himself, and sold it out to 
 those in need, taking his pay when they 
 could work for it.. He continued to reside 
 on the same farjn till his death, which took 
 place May 22, 1834, age 62. He raised a 
 family of 13 children, 12 of his own, one 
 
MARSHFIELD. 
 
 !I3 
 
 dying in infancy, and one, the motherless 
 babe of his brother, Levi, he and his ex- 
 cellent wife adopted and brought up as 
 their own. His oldest son, Horace, set- 
 tled in town, but after a few years, re- 
 moved to Central Ohio, where he recently 
 died. His second son, Edwin, an enter- 
 prising citizen, settled in town, raised a 
 large and intelligent family, was consider- 
 ably in town business, — and was for many 
 years the principal surveyor in the vicinity. 
 He died a few years since. His third son, 
 Truman, settled in Marshfield first, sub- 
 sequently in Montpelier, where he died, 
 leaving 3 sons and one daughter. One of 
 his sons. Gen. P. P. Pitkin, resides in 
 Montpelier, and the other two at the West. 
 His 4th son, Stephen Pitkin, Jr., will be 
 particularly mentioned in another place in 
 this history. The two youngest sons went 
 West, where one died a number of years 
 since. Three daughters still live, one in 
 Iowa, and two in Massachusetts. 
 
 CAPT. STEPHEN RICH, 
 
 born in Sutton, Mass., at 15 became a 
 soldier in the Revolutionary war, as a sub- 
 stitute for his father. He was at the taking 
 of Burgoyne, and in a number of other 
 battles. He came to Marshfield in Feb. 
 1798, and settled where his grandson 
 Samuel D. Hollister now resides. He 
 was the first selectman of Marshfield and 
 first town clerk ; held the office 7 years. 
 His only son George, was also town clerk 
 7 years. He removed to Montpelier, 
 where he died. Capt. Rich filled various 
 town offices, and was an esteemed citizen. 
 He accumulated a large property, and had, 
 besides the son mentioned, a family of 
 five daughters. He resided where he first 
 settled till his death, at the age of 83. His 
 wife, a woman of uncommon energy, sur- 
 vived some years after his decease. 
 
 CAPT. JOSIAH HOLLISTER. 
 
 Born in E. Hartford, Ct., came to Marsh- 
 field about the year 1806. He married 
 Phebe, daughter of Capt. Stephen Rich, 
 in 1809. He acquired a large property, 
 was respected by his townsmen, and had a 
 fair share of town offices. He represented 
 the town in the legislature of the State 2 
 
 years, and was chosen captain of a com- 
 pany of cavalry. He died at the age of 52. 
 
 HON. HORACE HOLLISTER. 
 
 Born in E. Hartford, Ct.,in 1791 ; when 
 a young man came to Marshfield, and re- 
 sided one year with his brother Josiah, 
 and then returned to Ct. ; was married to 
 Ruth P., daughter of Capt. Stephen Rich, 
 and moved to Colebrook, N. H., first in 
 18 17, and to Marshfield in 1821. Like his 
 brother, he was very successful, shared 
 largely in the confidence of the people, 
 and was very much in public business. 
 He was a man who had an opinion of his 
 own, and dared express it. He was elect- 
 ed to most of the town offices ; was over- 
 seer of the poor many years ; also, assistant 
 judge 2 years, and senator 2 years. He 
 died recently, aged 76. 
 
 HON. WILLIAM MARTIN. 
 
 BY MRS. SOLOMON WELLS, OF PLAINFIELD. 
 
 Among the early settlers of Marshfield, 
 was Wm. Martin, born in Francistown, 
 N. H., July 28, 1786. In 1800, his father 
 and family moved to the frontiers of Ver- 
 mont. William worked out mostly till 21, 
 to help support his father's family. He 
 worked at South Boston apart of the time, 
 and on the first canal that was built at 
 Cambridge, and went to Canada, owing to 
 the scarcity of money in Vermont, and 
 worked. He had no education except 
 what he picked up, without attending 
 school. At 18, he enlisted in a company 
 of cavalry ; was chosen at once an officer, 
 and rose from one grade of office to an- 
 other to colonel. At the time of Presi- 
 dent Monroe's visit to Vermont, he com- 
 manded the company that escorted him 
 into Montpelier, and took dinner with the 
 President. He continued in the militia, 
 was in the war of 18 12, and at the battle 
 of Plattsburgh. 
 
 In 1809, he married Sabra Axtell, of 
 Marshfield, and moved that summer to 
 Plainfield, where he lived 4 years, and 
 then bought a farm in Marshfield, about a 
 mile above Plainfield village, where he re- 
 sided till 1840. His farm was one of the 
 finest upon the head waters of the Win- 
 ooski. He had 5 boys and 2 girls, two 
 
214 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 of whom are now dead. He held many of 
 the town offices ; was constable and col- 
 lector 25 years; 12 years representative, 
 and a number of times was one of the as- 
 sistant judges of the County Court. Up 
 to 1840, much of his time was spent in 
 public business. He then moved to Mont- 
 pelier (now E. Montpelier,) afterwards 
 returned to Marshfield, but finally removed 
 to Rockton, 111., where he now resides. 
 His wife is still living (1869,) but has been 
 blind for 16 years. He is a man of fine 
 social qualities, and was always hospitable 
 and kind to the poor. He acquired a 
 handsome property, and an accuracy in 
 doing business which but few men possess. 
 He was many years a member of the Con- 
 gregational church in Plainfield. 
 
 JACOB PUTNAM, ESQ. 
 
 BY HON. E. D. PUTNAM, OF MONTI'ELIEU. 
 
 My father, Jacob Putnam, moved from 
 Alstead, N. H., to Manshfield, with his 
 family, himself and wife, 3 boys and 3 
 girls, in the spring of 1820. He also 
 brought with him his father and mother, 
 Joseph and Miriam Putnam. They were 
 among the first settlers of Hancock, N. H., 
 where my father was born in 1784. He 
 bought the farm of James English, Esq., 
 on the river road, 2 miles south of the vil- 
 lage, 220 acres, for which he paid $1,400. 
 He afterwards sold 50 acres, and the remain- 
 der was sold in 1868 for $6,200. This is 
 about a fair sample of the rise of real estate 
 in the town in the last 50 years. Mr. Eng- 
 lish moved to the village, and built a house 
 and wheelwright shop. There were at 
 that time a saw and grist-mill, and only 
 two houses within what are now the limits 
 of the village. The land where the vil- 
 lage now stands was then but partially 
 cleared, and there were no settlements 
 east of the river, except in the extreme 
 N. E. and S. E. corners of the town, and 
 there was but little money in the country. 
 Most of the business transactions were in 
 neat stock and grain. When anything of 
 any considerable value was bought on 
 credit (as was usually the case,) notes 
 were generally given, payable in neat stock 
 in Oct., or grain in Jan. following. When 
 
 the prices of the stock could not be agreed 
 upon by the parties, three men were se- 
 lected as appraisers, their appraisal to be 
 binding upon the parties. A pair of good 
 oxen were worth about $50 to $60 ; cows, 
 $12 to $15 ; corn and rye were worth focts. 
 per bushel ; oats, 20 cents ; potatoes, 12 to 
 20 cents. Good crops of wheat were gen- 
 erally raised in town, and I can recollect 
 of wheat being carried as late as 1824, to 
 Troy, N. Y., for a market. There was no 
 manufacturing to any considerable extent 
 done in this country as early as 1820. 
 Nearly all the clothing was made at home 
 by hand. The spinning-wheel and loom 
 might be found in almost every house, and 
 among my earliest recollections is the buzz 
 of the wheel and the thumping of the old 
 loom, and whenever there came a pleasant, 
 sunny day in March, the flax-break might 
 be heard at almost every farmer's barn, 
 and very well do I recollect the "big 
 bunches " of woolen and linen yarn which 
 "ornamented" the kitchen of the old 
 homestead, spun by my mother and sis- 
 ters. The words of Proverbs, " She seek- 
 eth wool and flax, and worketh diligently 
 with her hands," were peculiarly applicable 
 to my mother. In addition to making all 
 the cloth for clothing the family, she made 
 hundreds of yards of woolen and linen 
 cloth, and exchanged it at the store for 
 family necessaries. These days have 
 passed. A spinning-wheel is ^rarely seen 
 now ; if found at all, it is stowed away in 
 some old garret, a relic, and the sewing- 
 machine is annihilating the needle. Are 
 people happier now than they were then ? 
 My father enjoyed the confidence of the 
 public ; was town clerk 19 years, and oc- 
 casionally held other town offices. He 
 lived on the same place where he first 
 bought 36 years, to the time of his death, 
 in 1856, aged 72 years. My mother died 
 in 1864, aged 81. They lived together 52 
 years. Their children are all living, except 
 the eldest son, Thomas B., who died Apr. 
 30, 1830. The youngest son, A. F. Put- 
 nam, is the present postmaster of Marsh- 
 field. My grandfather died in 1826, aged 
 83 years ; my grandmother in 1835, aged 
 91. 
 
MARSHFIELD. 
 
 215 
 
 JONATHAN GOODWIN, ESQ. 
 
 BY MKS. H. L. GOODWIN. 
 
 Jonathan Goodwin was born at Con- 
 cord, N. H., May 27, 1784, where he 
 passed his youth and early manhood. He 
 was one of a large family. Were it not 
 for the experience of the late war, it would 
 be difficult for a person in these days to 
 realize the bitterness of party-spirit and 
 controversy, even among kindred, which 
 existed before and during the war of 1812. 
 At a family gathering where politics were 
 discussed, Jonathan being a Democrat, 
 and the other members of the family Fed- 
 eralists, a brother remarked, "as there 
 was a prospect of war, it would be a good 
 time for him to show his patriotism and 
 courage, if he had any." He replied, "it 
 was a pity those who had so much sympa- 
 thy for the enemies of their country, were 
 not in a position to afford them the aid and 
 assistance they would naturally wish to 
 give." These remarks were never for- 
 gotten. Jonathan enlisted as recruiting 
 sergeant, was afterwards lieutenant and 
 captain; was stationed at Saco, Me., Bos- 
 ton and Plattsburgh. At the latter he re- 
 ceived an injury from which he never re- 
 covered, and was a pensioner the remain- 
 der of his life. It is worthy of remark that 
 during the 7 years he was in the United 
 States' service, although at that time the 
 custom of using ardent spirits was almost 
 universal, he never indulged in it, not even 
 after being assured by his physician that 
 probably he would not survive the cam- 
 paign without it. In 18 14, his family 
 moved from Concord, N. H., to Randolph, 
 Vt. After his discharge he removed to 
 Chelsea, and in 1839, to this town to re- 
 side with his eldest son. The following 
 summer they built a house, and occupied 
 it one winter. In April it was burned. 
 
 It was burned on Saturday. The next 
 day, Elder Caprpn announced from his 
 pulpit that on Monday the inhabitants 
 would meet to assist Messrs. Goodwin in 
 getting out timber for another house-frame. 
 
 On Monday, men enough came to cut 
 the timber, hew it, frame it, draw it over a 
 mile, and raise a house, 28 by 34 feet, in a 
 day. 
 
 He passed the remainder of his life in 
 
 Marshfield ; was justice of peace, town 
 clerk 2 years, postmaster 2 years, and 
 often administered on the estates of the 
 deceased, and gave general satisfaction. 
 Although in early life his opportunities for 
 education were limited, he was a person of 
 more than ordinary information, especially 
 in history and the Bible, of which he was 
 a daily student. 
 
 In early life he united with the Baptist 
 church in Concord, but during a season of 
 religious interest in Chelsea, was drawn to 
 a more thorough examination of the Scrip- 
 tures than ever before, which led to his 
 embracing the doctrine of the final re- 
 demption of all, in which belief he after- 
 wards continued till his death, Jan. 1867, 
 aged 82, generally respected as a man and 
 a Christian. 
 
 REV. MARCUS M. CARLETON, 
 
 son of Jeremiah Carleton, Esq., was born 
 in Marshfield, 1826. When about 15, he 
 made a profession of religion, uniting with 
 the Congregational church in Barre, where 
 he resided with his uncle. He soon after 
 decided to be a foreign missionary, and 
 from hence devoted all his energies to pro- 
 curing a suitable education. He first en- 
 tered Middlebury College, but removed to 
 Amherst College, Massachusetts, where he 
 graduated, and on account of a chronic 
 cough went south to study theology at 
 Columbia, S. C. After finishing his course, 
 he offered himself to the Congregational 
 Board for foreign missions, but was not 
 accepted, they fearing his health would 
 fail ; but determined in his resolutions he 
 olTered himself immediately to the Presby- 
 terian Board by whom he was accepted, 
 and sailed for India in 1865, where he has 
 labored most of the time since. He was 
 stationed first in Ambalia city, but the 
 mission seeing him eminently fitted for an 
 itinerant, set him apart for that work after 
 a few years, since which he has lived most 
 of the time in a tent, travelling from vil- 
 lage to village in Ambalia district, in- 
 structing and preaching to the people, and 
 having studied medicine, finding it very 
 advantageous to him in his ministeral 
 
2l6 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 labors among the inhabitants, he also ad- 
 ministers to them as a physician — some- 
 times his family accompany him in the 
 tent ; but during the hot season they gen- 
 erally remain among the mountains, where 
 he sometimes rests with them during the 
 hottest period: [An account of his family 
 we will not repeat here, as we have already 
 given the same in a notice of Rev. Mr. 
 Carleton with his family in Barre — See No. 
 I, of this vol. p. 40. A member of the 
 Carleton family tells me he is a man of 
 herculean frame — physically and mentally 
 a very strong man. In a letter to his 
 father in 1879, an extract of which lies 
 before me, he speaks of his good health 
 as a source of great joy — seems to luxu- 
 riate body and soul in his nomadic preach- 
 ing life.] 
 
 MARSHFIELD MILITARY RECORD. 
 SOLDIERS OF l8l2. 
 
 This place furnished 8 : Abijah Bemis, 
 Phineas Bemis, Obadiah Bemis, David 
 Cutting, John Waugh, Abijah Hall, Isaac 
 Austin, and Philip Delan. 
 
 Lewis Bemis, a brother of three of these 
 soldiers, was also from this town, though 
 he enlisted from Barnet. His father and 
 friends all resided here, and he should 
 have a notice here. He belonged to the 
 old 4th regiment, which was sent out un- 
 der Col. Miller to the then territory of 
 Ohio, to look after the Indians who were 
 making depredations on the frontier set- 
 tlements. At one time they came to the 
 dwelling of a Mr. Harriman, (whose wife 
 was the daughter of Alexander Parker of 
 Montpelier, and sister of Mrs. James Pit- 
 kin of this town,) just about an hour after 
 the savages had murdered and left him 
 and his family.^ They pressed on, but 
 failed to overtake the Indians, and soon 
 after joined the main body under the infa- 
 mous Gen. Hull on its way to Fort Detroit. 
 Before arriving at Detroit, Col. Miller saw 
 HulPs treachery, and accused him of it, 
 and challenged him to fight a duel, both 
 before and after their arrival, quite in vain ; 
 he surrendered the fort and army without 
 firing a gun. In that fort, among our 
 men, were a number of British who had 
 
 deserted and joined our army. The next 
 morning, and two or three succeeding 
 mornings, our army was paraded and the 
 British officers walked along and inspected 
 it, and when they saw a British soldier, 
 he was tapped on the shoulder, and com- 
 manded to step out. Where they had 
 suspicions, and yet were not certain as to 
 their being British subjects, they would 
 question them. A number of times Mr. 
 Bemis, though he never saw Ireland, was 
 asked, " In what town in Ireland were you 
 born"? Each time his answer was, " I 
 was born in Paxham, in Massachusetts." 
 One poor fellow, the first time they came 
 round, succeeded in squinting his eyes so 
 as fairly to deceive them, and after that 
 succeeded in sHpping down an embank- 
 ment just in the right time to save his life. 
 About 40 of these poor deserters were 
 taken out and shot. The army, surren- 
 dered by Hull, was then taken to Quebec, 
 and confined in a prison-ship on the St. 
 Lawrence, where they were allowed but one 
 half pint of water per day, though their 
 prison was floating on the river, and if any 
 one attempted to let down a cup for water, 
 he was shot down. Three-fourths of the 
 prisoners eventually died from the cruelties 
 there received. The rest were eventually 
 exchanged. 
 
 Jesse Webster died in Marshfield, 
 Oct. 20, 1878, aged 83 years. He was one 
 of the Plattsburgh volunteers, and had an 
 application for pension pending at the time 
 of his death. 
 
 It is not known that any one enlisted 
 from this town, in the war with Mexico. 
 
 But when the great rebellion broke out, 
 that intensity of feeling which thrilled from 
 the prairies of the West to the shores of 
 the Atlantic, found an answering tone 
 among our hills, and by our firesides. And 
 as call after call for reinforcements came, 
 the father left his family, the son his pa- 
 rents, in many cases, alas ! to return no 
 more. 
 
 They came in serried ranks, the boys in blue, 
 Who at their country's call no danger knew ; 
 Room ! room ! for Marshfield boys, our 
 soldiers true. 
 
MARSHFIELD. 
 
 217 
 
 LIST OF SOLDIERS FURNISHED FOR WAR OF 
 THE REBELLION. 
 
 BY GEN. P. P. PITKIN, OF MONTPELIER. 
 
 Alphonso Lessor, Co. D, 2d Reg. Pro. Lt., wd. 
 Patrick Mahar, F, 2. Wd. & dis. Oct. 31, 62. 
 Alvah H. Miles, F, 2. 
 Chauncey Smitii, D, 2. Died of disease in 
 
 army. 
 David P. Bent, G, 4. Died ; buried at Wash- 
 ington. 
 Byron Bullock, G, 4. Died of disease in army. 
 Hiram Hall, H, 3. Died. 
 John E. Aiken, G, 4. 
 Robert A. Spencer, G, 4. 
 Edward W. Bradley, F, 6. Wounded. 
 Homer Hollister, F, 6. Wounded in hand. 
 Asa H. Winch, ist Bat. Died at New Orleans. 
 Joshua D. Dunham, 2d Bat. Died at New 
 
 Orleans. 
 George W. Nownes, C, First Cav. 
 Ira Batchelder, C, First Cav. Wounded. 
 Josiah O. Livingston, I, 9. Pro. Capt. Co. G, 
 
 Oct. 19, '64. 
 George N. Carpenter, I, 9. Pro. ist. Lieut. 
 Benjamin F. Huntington, I, 9. 
 Vilas Smith, I, 9. Lost overboard Steamer 
 
 U. S. near Fortress Monroe. 
 John Q. Amidon, I, 11. 
 Jackson Blodgett, I, 11. Died. 
 George H. Wheeler, I, 11. 
 Harvey L. Wood, I, 11. Deserted. 
 Benj. F. Shephard, Jr., I, 11. Died in Hosp. 
 
 at Montpelier. 
 Robert H. Tibbetts, I, 11. Killed in battle. 
 Alvah A. Cole, I, 11. 
 
 Elbridge G. Wilson, I, 11. Killed in battle. 
 Francis H. Felix, I, 11. Injured in shoulder. 
 John W. Huntington, I, 11. 
 Lorenzo D. Mallory, C, ist Cav. Pris'nr at 
 Andersonville ; exch'd, died on way home. 
 William R. Gove, C, ist Cav. 
 Charles Nownes, C, ist Ca\\ 
 Thaddeus S. Bullock, G, 4. Died in hospital. 
 Nathaniel Robinson, G, 4. Ball in hand, 
 
 cannot be extracted. 
 Calvin R. Hills, G, 4. Wounded. 
 William A. Webster, A, 4, Died at Ander- 
 sonville. 
 Wesley P. Martin, G, 4. 
 David B. Merrill, A, 4. 
 Smith Ormsbee, G, 4. Shot on picket, died 
 
 from wound. 
 Samuel Wheeler, A, 4. 
 John Bancroft, C, Cav. Died. 
 Parker S. Dow, C, 8 Regt. 
 Frederick H. Turner, H, ii. 
 David K. Lucas, 3d Bat. 
 Edmund H. Packer, 3d Bat. 
 Allen Phelps, Frontier Cav. 
 Moses Lamberton, do. do. 
 Edward L. Wheeler, do. do. 
 Leonard H. Fulsome, do. do. 
 Frank L. Batchelder, E, 4 Regt. 
 Ira Ainsworth, E, 4. 
 Patrick Moore, D, 8. 
 Lysander E. Walbridge, E, 8. 
 Theron T. Lamphere, E, 8. 
 Hiram Graves, K, 2. 
 Thomas Witham, K, 2. Died, prisoner. 
 
 28 
 
 George H. Nelson, D, 2. Badly wounded. 
 
 David Powers, D, 2. 
 
 Henry A. Rickard, D, 2. 
 
 Joseph S. M. Benjamin, B, Cav. 
 
 Francis H. Ketchum, C, " Badly wound- 
 ed with shell. 
 
 Eri McCrillis, C, Cav. Died at Andersonville. 
 
 Geo. W. Nownes, C, Cav. Died Andersonv'e. 
 
 Cyrus Farnsworth, H, 4 Regt. 
 
 Horace Burnham, C, Cav. 
 
 Charles M. Wing, B, Cav. Leg broken. 
 
 Norman W. Johnson, F, 2 Regt. Ball thro. 
 
 body and wrist, lived. 
 John O. Morse, I, 9. Died. 
 James H. Carpenter, H, 11. 
 John Graves, Jr. H, 1 1. Died at Andersonville. 
 Solon H. Preston, H, ii. 
 William W. Willey, H, 11. 
 Walter H. Morris, G. 3. Wounded. 
 Charles H. Newton, G, 4. Wn'ded with shell. 
 James Aylward, E, 17. Died. 
 John H. Amidon, I, 11. 
 Charles T. Clark, E, 17. Died. 
 James Clark, C, 17. Died. 
 William G. French, E, 17. Died. 
 Clark J, Foster, E, 17. Badly wn'ded in leg. 
 Benj. F. Huntington, E, 17. 
 Daniel Hogan, E, 17. 
 
 Wm. E. Martin, E, 17, ist Lieut.; killed be- 
 fore Petersburg. 
 Harvey L. Batchelder, C, 13. 
 Martin L. Chandler, " " 
 Eli S. Pitkin, C, 13. 
 Charles A. Davis, C, 13. 
 Hudson J. Kibbee, " " 
 Sereno W. Gould, " " 
 Charles E. Shephard, C, 13. 
 Albert Sargeant, C, 13. 
 Willard M. Austin, C, 13. 
 Orson Woodcock, " " 
 Rufus H. Farr, C, 13. 
 Benjamin B. Buzzell, C, 13. 
 David Huntington, " " 
 Joseph Simmons, C, 13. 
 Lucius D. Nute, " " 
 
 In 1863 a draft was ordered ; 34 men 
 were drafted, but only one, Cottrill Clif- 
 ford, went into the service ; 22 paid their 
 commutation money. Clifford served his 
 time, was discharged, and accidentally 
 killed on his way home. I do not findhis^ 
 name in our list of soldiers ; probably he 
 was put in to fill up some regiment sep- 
 arately from our other men. 
 
 There went out 98 from us, 28 of whom 
 never returned. A few were brought back 
 to be buried, but most of our dead sleep on 
 Southern soil. In the vigor of young 
 manhood they went, one and another, 
 who were household treasures. 
 
 " Tlie loved of all, yet none 
 
 O'er their low bed may weep." 
 
 Perhaps the last news of them was, ' ' seen 
 on the battle-field," or " taken prisoner," 
 
2l8 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 and then long months elapsed ere one 
 word could be heard to stay the anguish of 
 suspense. At last came the fearful, "Died 
 at Andersonville." 
 
 MONTPELIER & WELLS RIVER RAILROAD. 
 
 When the history of Marshfield was 
 written eleven years ago, we had no rail- 
 road. About this time a charter was 
 granted for the Montpelier & Wells River 
 road, which passes through our town about 
 a mile from the village. The town bonded 
 itself in the sum of $17,500, and private 
 subscriptions made up the sum of $30,000. 
 All is paid but about half the bonds. 
 
 The first train of cars went through here 
 Nov. 29, 1873. Of course the rejoicing 
 was great. 
 
 A year or two later we were connected 
 with the rest of the world by telegraph. 
 The advantage to the public is not easily 
 estimated. The railroad is doing good 
 business. L. D. Nute is station agent and 
 telegraph operator. A private telegraph 
 is owned and run by George A. Putnam 
 and L. D. Nute, from the depot to Put- 
 nam's store, where the post-office is lo- 
 cated. Mr. and Mrs. Putnam are telegraph 
 operators. 
 
 THE THANKS OF THE WRITER 
 
 are due to James Pitkin, Andrew English 
 and E. S. Pitkin, Esqs., and others, for 
 the assistance rendered her in this work ; 
 also to Miss Anna Pitkin, of Montpelier, 
 for the loan of her father's journal. 
 
 [We have known our excellent historian- 
 ess of Marshfield more than 20 years. 
 Mrs. Pitkin was a favorite contributor in 
 our "Poets and Poetry of Vermont," 
 (1858,) in which see from her pen, " The 
 Young Emigrant," " The Fugitive Slave," 
 pages 333, 334. So well has Mrs. Pitkin 
 written for us, and for the Montpelier 
 papers in the past, Zion''s Herald and other 
 papers, we cannot forbear, not solicited by 
 her, but of our own good will, to place a 
 little group selected from her poems at the 
 foot of her history here — Ed.] 
 
 A THOUGHT. 
 
 B Y MKS. HANNAH C. PITKIN. 
 
 For thee, busy man, in a forest lone 
 A slioot hath started, a tree hath grown. 
 The axe-man, perchance, may have laid it low 
 For thy narrow house— it Is ready now. 
 All ready— but mortal, art thou, art thou? 
 
 Maiden, tliy dream of affection so warm. 
 Trust not. The shroud to envelop thy form 
 Is woven, is coming, by wind or wave; 
 ' Tis thine, by a stamp which no mortal gave. 
 Thou canst not turn from the path to the grave. 
 
 Art thou tolling for wealth, the weary day. 
 Or thirsting for fame— there's a pillow of clay 
 On a lowly bed, 'tis waiting thee there. 
 The mould and the worm thy pillow will share; 
 Spirit, Oh, where is thy refuge— Oh, where ? 
 
 TO THE ITINERANT'S WIFE. 
 BY MRS. H. C. PITKIN. 
 Out on the ocean, dark and wild 
 
 A little bark was driven. 
 One kindly star looked out and smiled 
 
 A precious boon from heaven ; 
 It warned of threateniug near. 
 Just, just in time the rocks to clear. 
 
 I stood upon a point of land 
 
 Where ocean billows came, 
 A beauteous wave just kissed the strand. 
 
 Then seaweed swept again. 
 'Twas gone, to come again no more. 
 But left a gem upon the shore. 
 
 A wanderer lone mid desert's waste, 
 
 Beneath a burning sky. 
 Sank down at last despairingly. 
 
 He felt that he must die. 
 My Island Home, so dear to me, 
 I never, never more may see! 
 
 Oh God I he cried. A tiny flower 
 
 Just caught his closing eye. 
 And in its winsome loveliness. 
 
 It seemed to whisper " try." 
 God lives, take heart, so o'er the main 
 He found his Island Home again. 
 
 So sister, like the star be thine 
 
 To bless the tempest driven. 
 And point to poor despairing ones 
 
 The narrow way to Heaven. 
 And in the wanderer's darkest hour, 
 Sweetly to win him like the flower. 
 
 In blessing be thou ever blest. 
 
 Cheer age, and counsel youth. 
 And ever where thy pathway lies. 
 
 Scatter the gems of truth. 
 And hear, when Death is lost in Life 
 Blessings on the Itinerant's Wife. 
 
 FROM AN HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF 
 MARSHFIELD. 
 
 CONTRIBUTED BY REV. GEO. E. FORBES IN 1879. 
 
 [After the Legislature of Vermont had 
 approbated and passed the General Res- 
 olutions of 1878, to assist in finishing this 
 work, the MS. history of Mi-s. Pitkin, fur- 
 nished to us for the work in 1869, having 
 
MARSHFIELD. 
 
 219 
 
 been sent to the Claremont Manufacuring 
 Company of New Hampshire, and by them 
 withheld four years, with the other Wash- 
 ington County papers sent, under their 
 proposition 10 immediately print. We 
 wrote to Mrs. Pitkin for a duplicate of her 
 history. Unable, from the infirmities of 
 her age and feebleness, from fully under- 
 taking to so do, she engaged the assist- 
 ance of Rev. Mr. Forbes, who gave us a 
 very reliable and pleasant paper of about 
 half the length of Mrs. Pitkin's paper, with 
 which we were pleased and should have 
 published, had we not fortunately mean- 
 time recovered Mrs. Pitkin's papers, which 
 as they are the fullest record, as she was 
 first invited to write, and is so eminently 
 a Washington County woman, daughter 
 of old Gen. Parley Davis, of Montpelier, 
 and a long-time honored and beloved res- 
 ident of Marshfield, we are assured no 
 other writer could be so acceptable to 
 Marshfield, and none other to the County, 
 and so have given the papers of Mrs. Pit- 
 kin in full, nearly; and will here but ap- 
 pend a few extracts from the paper by Mr. 
 Forbes, containing information or points 
 in it not in Mrs. Pitkin's paper; while we 
 feel to express under the circumstances 
 more thanks to Mr. Forbes than if able to 
 give his paper more fully — Ed.] 
 
 Marshfield is situated in the eastern part 
 of the County, and lies on both sides ot 
 the Winooski river, which flows through it 
 from north to south. The soil is a mix- 
 ture of clay and loam ; the surface broken 
 and hilly, is divided into productive farms. 
 The river valley, and that part of the town 
 lying west of it, contains the best tillage 
 land, which has very largely been brought 
 under cultivation. The eastern part, more 
 rocky, is used principally for pasturage ; 
 although in the eastern part in some sec- 
 tions there are some good farms. 
 
 The original forests were heavy timbered 
 with maple, beech, birch, spruce and hem- 
 lock, and some elm, fir, cedar and pine. 
 In the eastern part there yet remains a 
 considerable growth of spruce and hem- 
 lock, but it is rapidly being cut off for lum- 
 ber. Sugar-maples are to be found in all 
 parts of the town, producing quite as 
 abundantly of sugar as in any other part of 
 New England. 
 
 Besides the Winooski river privileges 
 there are two or three streams which fur- 
 nish good water-power the larger part of 
 
 the year. It has not been utilized to any 
 large extent, however, hence the town is 
 not noted for its manufacturing interests. 
 Molly's Falls, on Molly's brook, about a 
 mile from the village, in a distance of 30 
 rods the water falls between 200 and 300 
 feet in a series of beautiful cascades. 
 During high water the roar of these falls 
 can be heard for several miles. A good 
 view of these falls can be obtained from 
 the road leading to Cabot. There is also 
 a very pretty cascade on Nigger-head 
 brook, about a third of a mile south of the 
 village, where it is crossed by the road 
 leading to the depot. The town has only 
 one village, which is situated on the 
 Winooski river, about a mile from the 
 Cabot line. The Montpelier & Wells 
 River R. R. crosses the town, running 
 nearly parallel with the river from Plain- 
 field until within a mile of the village, 
 when it makes almost a right angle to the 
 east, passing Nigger-head pond, and thread- 
 ing its way through a notch in the moun- 
 tains to the Connecticut river. The Marsh- 
 field station on this road is one mile from 
 the village, and 15 miles from Montpelier. 
 
 It is not known what white men first 
 visited the town's location. This town- 
 ship was purchased of the Stockbridge 
 Indians, (see Mrs. Pitkin's paper,) but it 
 is not certain whether these Indians ever 
 occupied this territory. At the time of the 
 purchase by Mr. Marsh, they were resi- 
 dents of New Stockbridge, Montgomery 
 Co., N. Y. 
 
 When the first settlers picked their 
 dwelling-places, Mr. Pitkin settled upon 
 the river near the place where Bowman P. 
 Martin now resides ; Messrs. Dodge and 
 Spencer settled further south and west on 
 the higher land. Here was the birth-place 
 of the first child born in town, a son to 
 Mr. and Mrs. Ebenezer Dodge, Sept. 17, 
 1794, the place of his birth about a mile 
 north of Plainfield village ; the place is 
 still owned by descendants of the Dodge 
 family. 
 
 The first " burying-ground " was pur- 
 chased by, and for the use of the town. 
 The first interment therein that has a stone 
 to mark the spot was the infant twin sons 
 
VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 of Joshua and Ruth Pitkin, died January 
 9, 1800. Stephen Pitkin, Jr., donated the 
 land for the village cemetery, and the first 
 interment in it was his adopted daughter, 
 Eunice Sweeny. 
 
 There have been five church organiza- 
 tions in town. At present there are but 
 three, as the Christian, and Calvinistic 
 Baptist have become extinct. There have 
 been 1 1 school districts in town. The pres- 
 ent number is 10, each of which has a 
 school of from 20 to 30 weeks per year. 
 The school in village district has two de- 
 partments, but employs two teachers only 
 during the winter term, as a rule. The 
 town has no academy, but competent 
 teachers hold select schools at frequent 
 intervals, affording educational facilities 
 for those wishing to remain in town. And 
 the seminaries at Montpelier and Barre, as 
 well as academies in the vicinity, have 
 drawn a considerable number of students 
 from this town. There are but two per- 
 sons, however, from this town who have 
 received a full collegiate education. Rev. 
 Marcus M. Carleton, missionary in India, 
 and Prof. Curtis C. Gove, Principal of 
 High School at Westport, N. Y. 
 
 The principal business of the town has 
 been, and still is, farming. At present 
 there is but little manufacturing being done. 
 There is i boot-shop for making men's thick 
 boots and overshoes, 2 harness-shops, i 
 tin-shop, I photograph saloon, 2 cooper- 
 shops, where are manufactured butter and 
 sugar-tubs, and sap-buckets. Six saw- 
 mills, one clap-board and three shingle 
 mills. Two of the saw-mills are run by 
 steam ; the rest by water-power ; one 
 cheese-factory, and i starch factory. There 
 is I blacksmith shop, 2 wheelwright shops, 
 and 3 carpenter-shops, There is a hotel, 
 and a patent medicine laboratory. There 
 are 3 stores, and 3 churches. The town 
 cannot boast of a lawyer. It has 3 doctors, 
 Asa Phelps and George^ M. Town, allo- 
 pathic; J. Q. A. Packer, homoeopathic. 
 
 The town representatives from 1870 to 
 1879 have been: Moody Bemis, George 
 A. Putnam, L. W. Pitkin, D. M. Perkins. 
 
 The poixilation in 1840, was 1,156; in 
 1850, 1,102; in i860, 1, 160; in 1870, 
 
 1,072. The decrease which the census of 
 1870 shows, is doubtless owing to the 
 abandonment of some of the smaller and 
 most unproductive farms, and the Western 
 emigration of many of the younger men. 
 
 LEWIS BEMIS. 
 
 There are a few pensioners of the war of 
 1812 yet living. One of the soldiers of 
 this war, Lewis Bemis, enlisted at Barnet 
 in 1808. His son, Daniel H. Bemis, of 
 Lancaster, Mass., writes of him : "He 
 enlisted, at Barnet in 1808, and served 5 
 years in the 4th Reg't. of Regular U. S. 
 Infantry. He was with Harrison in his 
 march through the wilds of Ohio in pur- 
 suit of the Indians, and was in the battle 
 of Tippecanoe, when over half of the men 
 in his company were killed or wounded. 
 The man on either side was killed, and he 
 was slightly wounded in the face by a rifle 
 ball. He was in 11 battles and 13 skir- 
 mishes with the Indians. He used to re- 
 late to his children the story of the sol- 
 diers' sufferings while on their march to 
 join Hull, and through Ohio ; how their 
 thirst was so intense, that when they 
 reached Lake Erie, in spite of their offi- 
 cers, large numbers threw themselves on 
 the beach, and drank until they died from 
 the effects of it. He was under Hull when 
 he surrendered at Maiden, near Detroit, 
 and was a prisoner 26 weeks, during which 
 time he suffered greatly, both for want of 
 water and decent food. Their bread, he 
 used to say, bore the mark on the package 
 in which it was enclosed, 1804. He was 
 paroled, and went from Halifax to Boston, 
 where he arrived a few days before the 
 term of his enlistment expired. He soon 
 after enlisted again in a Company of Light 
 Artillery, with which he went up and joined 
 Gen. Macomb's army the day before the 
 battle of Plattsburg. A part of the bat- 
 tery was stationed at the bridge-head at 
 Plattsburg, and the remainder sent to Bur- 
 lington, to prevent the British from land- 
 ing and destroying that place. He was 
 with that portion of the battery sent to 
 Burlington, and so did not have any active 
 part in the battle ; but assisted in burying 
 the dead. He was one of the party who 
 
MARSHFIELD. 
 
 buried the British dead after the engage- 
 ment. He was discharged after peace 
 was ratified, having served in all about 6 
 years and 6 months ; 5 years under the 
 first enlistment in the 4th Infantry, and 18 
 months in the Light Battery. He died in 
 1855, at Clinton, Mass., where he is buried, 
 aged 7;^:' 
 
 IRA SMITH. 
 
 BY REV. GEORGE E. FORBES. 
 
 He was the son of Joshua and Keturah 
 Smith; was born in Woodstock, Conn., 
 Jan. 22, 1800. At II years, he came with 
 his parents to Marshfield. They moved 
 on to the farm now owned and occupied 
 by J. E. Eddy. During his minority, Ira 
 worked on the farm summers and attended 
 school winters until he was 1,8. The school- 
 house then stood near the present resi- 
 dence of Webster Haskins. Soon after 
 there was a school-house erected where 
 the village now stands, in which he taught 
 the first school. He was paid in grain, to 
 the value of $12 per month, boarding him- 
 self. In 1821, he purchased 300 acres of 
 wild land lying around the present site of 
 the Marshfield depot, which he cleared, 
 and cultivated 15 acres, spending apart of 
 his time there, and the balance in working 
 out, until he was 29, when, Jan. 4, 1829, 
 he was married to Hannah Jacobs, and 
 they settled at first on his cleared land, 
 but a short time after, as he purchased, and 
 they removed to, the home of his parents, 
 where they lived 11 years. For about 4 
 years after selling the home farm, he 
 rented different places, but in 1844, pur- 
 chased a farm on which the remainder of 
 his life was spent. He died Sept. 18, 1880, 
 leaving a widow, one son, Orrin, who lives 
 on the homestead, and two daughters, now 
 Mrs. Levi Benton, of Marshfield, and Mrs. 
 C. H. Newton, of Montpelier. One son 
 died in the army, and a daughter married 
 E. B. Dwinell, but died a few years after, 
 and 4 children died quite young. Mr. 
 Smith held many of the town ofiices, being 
 regarded by the citizens as a man of worth 
 and integrity. He represented the town 
 in the Legislature during 1844-5. In pol- 
 itics he was a Democrat, and never failed 
 by his vote to express his faith in the doc- 
 
 trines of his party. His last public act 
 was to rise from the sick bed to which he 
 had been confined for several da3's, and go 
 to the polls to deposit his ballot for the 
 several State officers. He believed in the 
 vital principles of religion, but in accord- 
 ance with the general character of the 
 man, his faith found expression in deeds 
 rather than in word. In religious sym- 
 pathy he was a Universalist, and gave his 
 influence and means to promote the inter- 
 ests of that society in town. His morals 
 were always above reproach. He was 
 temperate in deed and in word ; drank no 
 intoxicating liquors, no tea or coffee, and 
 never used tobacco in any form ; was fru- 
 gal and industrious, and consequently was 
 enabled to acquire a good property, while 
 generously responding to many calls for 
 the promotion of educational and benev- 
 olent enterprises. 
 
 He possessed an indomitable will and 
 wonderful endurance from the time that he 
 hired out as a laborer, at 9 years of age, 
 until he abandoned active toil, a short 
 time before his death. He met all duties 
 with a manly spirit, and evinced his willing- 
 ness to obey the primal law of life — labor. 
 He had a remarkably strong constitution, 
 and when his "golden wedding" was cel- 
 ebrated in 1879, he seemed nearly as hale 
 and hearty as a man of 60 years, though 
 even then there were premonitory symp- 
 toms of the disease which caused his death. 
 For nearly 2 years he suffered from a 
 cancer on the lower lip, and during the 
 latter half of this time, especially, did he 
 endure extreme pain and inconvenience in 
 taking food. But under all these trials he 
 exhibited great fortitude, and died re- 
 signed to his Maker's will. His funeral 
 was attended by a large concourse of cit- 
 izens besides the numerous relatives, thus 
 testifying of the esteem in which he was 
 held by the entire community. The fun- 
 eral services were brief; no formal eulogy 
 was pronounced ; his life had preached its 
 sermon, and with a few words of comfort 
 to the bereaved ones, the last sad rites 
 were ended, and the body of this worthy 
 man was borne to its final resting-place ^ 
 His age was 81 years. "Though dead, he 
 
VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 yet speaketh," in his good, solid, practical 
 life. 
 
 UNIVERSALIST CHURCH. 
 
 CONTINUED. 
 
 The Rev. Geo. E. Forbes continued as 
 pastor until May, i88o. For i year suc- 
 ceeding this date the church had only oc- 
 casional preaching services, and during 
 this time its numbers were diminished by 
 the death of two members. In May, 1881, 
 the Rev. Eli Ballou, D. D., was engaged 
 as pastor for one-half the time. This en- 
 gagement continues at present, (Aug. 18, 
 1881.) 
 
 MARSHFIELD VOTED FOR THE GAZETTEER 
 
 at the town-meeting held March 4, 1879, 
 to send a subscription to Miss Hemenway 
 for the whole work, attested by E. L. 
 Smith, town clerk. 
 
 MIDDLESEX. 
 
 BY STEPHEN HERRICK, ESQ. 
 
 The town of Middlesex was chartered 
 June 8, 1763, by Benning Wentworth, 
 Esq., then Governor of the Province of 
 New Hampshire, to the following grantees : 
 Jacob Rescaw, Benjamin Crane, 3d, Seth 
 Trow, Richard Johnson, Lawrence Eg- 
 bert, Jr., James Campbell, David Ogden, 
 Matthias Ross, Jonathan Skinner, Jehial 
 Ross, Ebenezer Canfield, Daniel Ogden, 
 Jonathan Dayton, Jr., Lawrence Egbert, 
 Samuel Crowell, William Bruce, Robert 
 Earl, Patridge Thacher, Joshua Horton, 
 Job Wood, George Ross, Cornelius Lud- 
 low, Nathaniel Barrett, Esq., Jeremiah 
 Mulbard, John Roll, Jr., Joseph New- 
 march, Nathaniel Little, Henry Earl, 
 Richard Jennee, Esq., Gilbert Ogden, John 
 Little, George Frost, Daniel Ball, Samuel 
 Little, 3d, David Morehouse, Jr., Thomas 
 Woodruff, John Force, Joseph Raggs, Jr., 
 Capt. Isaac Woodruff, Daniel P. Eunice, 
 Jacob Brookfield, Jonathan Dayton, 3d, 
 Isaac Winors, Samuel Meeker, Jr., David 
 Loomeris, John Cory. Jr., Alexander Car- 
 miea, David Bonnel, James Seward, Ste- 
 phen Potter, Nathaniel Potter, Stephen 
 Wilcocks, Thomas Dean, Jonas Ball, Amos 
 Day, John David Lamb, William Lamb, 
 William Brand, James Colie, Jr., William 
 Hand, Robert French, Samuel Crowell, 
 Jonathan Woodruff, Ezekiel Ball, Aaron 
 Barnett. 
 
 THOMAS MEAD AND THE FIRST SETTLERS. 
 
 The first settler in this town 20 years 
 subsequent to the above date made his first 
 
 settlement here. Having succeeded in 
 finding one of the best lots of land in 
 Washington County, on the Onion River, 
 5 miles from Montpelier village, here Mr. 
 Thomas Mead made his excellent location. 
 The second settler, Jonah Harrington, 
 chose his location about 2^ miles from 
 Montpelier on a superior lot of land. 
 Seth Putnam came soon after with three 
 brothers, Ebenezer, Jacob and Isaac, who 
 were soon followed by Ephraim Willey, 
 Ebenezer Woodbury, Ira Hawks, Solomon 
 Lewis, Samuel Mann, Isaac Bidwell, Henry 
 Perkins, Daniel Harrington, Samuel Mon- 
 tague, Nathaniel Carpenter, Daniel Smith, 
 Hubbard Willey, Asa Harrington, Joseph 
 Chapin, William Holden, Lovewell War- 
 ren, Jesse Johnson, Joseph Hubbard, 
 David Harrington, Jonathan Fisher, Isaac 
 Bidwell, Oliver Atherton, Robert McElroy, 
 Nathan Huntley. 
 
 organization of the town. 
 Copy of a record in the town clerk's of- 
 fice in Middlesex : 
 To Seth Piitna7ii, Esq.: — 
 
 Sir — We, the Inhabitants of the town 
 of Middlesex, petition your honor to grant 
 a Warrant for the purpose of calling a 
 town-meeting in said town of Middlesex 
 on Monday, the 29 of March instant, at 
 ten of the clock in the morning, for the 
 purpose of Organization of said Town. 
 Edmond Holden, 
 Levi Putnam, 
 Samuel Harris, 
 Isaac Putnam. 
 Chittenden, March isth, 1790. 
 
 In pursuance of the foregoing Petition, By 
 the authority of the state of Vermont, you 
 are hereby directed to warn all the free- 
 Holders and other inhabitants of the town 
 of Middlesex to meet at the dwelling-house 
 of Seth Putnam, Esq., in said Middlesex, 
 on Monday, the 29th day of March Instant, 
 at ten of the clock in the morning. Firstly 
 to choose a moderator to govern said 
 meeting. 
 
 2dly, to choose a town Clerk, Select- 
 men, Town treasurer, and all other Town 
 officers according to Law, and of your do- 
 ings herein make due return according to 
 Law. 
 
 Given under my hand at said Middlesex, 
 this 15th day of March, A. D., 1790. 
 
 To Levi Putnam, freeholder of the Town 
 of Middlesex. Seth Putnam, 
 
 Justice of the Peace. 
 
MIDDLESEX. 
 
 223 
 
 Served the within Warrant by notifying 
 the inhabitants by setting up a true copy 
 at my dwelling house in Middlesex. 
 
 March i6th, 1790. 
 
 Levi Putnam, Freeholder. 
 
 ,Mar. 29, 1790, According to within war- 
 rant being met, made choice of Levi Put- 
 nam, Modera'r ; Seth Putnam, Town Clerk ; 
 Thomas Mead, Levi Putnam and Seth 
 Putnam, selectmen ; Edmond Holden, con- 
 stable and collector of taxes ; Lovewell 
 Warren, Town Treasurer ; Jonas Harring- 
 ton, Surveyor. Attest, 
 
 Seth Putnam, T. C. 
 
 Recorded May 7th, 1790. 
 
 I find by the records in the town clerk's 
 office that the honorable Seth Putnam was 
 chosen to represent the town of Middlesex 
 on the first day of September, 1807, and 
 that the number of votes cast for repre- 
 sentative was 30. The general reader will 
 at first think it strange, to say the least, 
 that the town had no representative till 1 7 
 years after its organization ; but may re- 
 member Vermont was not admitted into 
 the Union until Feb. 1791. 
 
 Samuel Mann, one of the first settlers 
 of the town, bought two lots of land 3 
 miles N. E. of Middlesex village. I bought 
 the same lots Oct. 19, 1820, at which time 
 I commenced an acquaintance with the in- 
 habitants of Middlesex. I came into the 
 town with my family Mar. 16, 1821. The 
 venerable Thomas Mead was then very 
 far advanced in years, and had a great 
 number of children and grand-children. 
 His son Thomas, and grand-son Thomas, 
 lived in his house, and also Jacob Morris, 
 who married his daughter, making. in all 
 four families. Mr. Thomas Mead was a 
 church-going man and was much respected. 
 There was no meeting-house in town until 
 several years after I came, except a small 
 house of one story, which was built by a 
 very upright and benevolent man, 
 
 SAMUEL HASKINS, 
 
 who built it at his own expense to present 
 to the Methodist church, which was then 
 in a prosperous state here. He owned a 
 saw-mill and grist-mill, and an oil-mill. 
 While he was grinding large cakes of oil- 
 meal, one of the stones, 6 feet or more in 
 diameter, broke away from the axle-tree or 
 shaft, and threw him backward against the 
 
 oil-trough, and broke both of his legs. 
 The stone which remained attached to the 
 axle-tree rolled around swiftly against the 
 other, crushing them nearly oiT, until the 
 sufferer was released by a neighbor, who 
 took away the stone and conveyed him to 
 his house. Two physicians were soon in 
 attendance ; both limbs were taken off, but 
 the good man's sufferings soon ceased, 
 and he passed away calmly. I was stand- 
 ing by to behold the solemn sight, and 
 could truly say : 
 
 "How still and peaceful Is tlie grave 
 When life's vain tumult all is passed; 
 
 The appointed house by Heaven's decree 
 Receives us all at last." 
 
 After the death of this generous man, 
 the house was changed from a meeting- 
 house to a dwelling-house, and thus re- 
 mains. It stands near the S. E. corner of 
 the town cemetery, owned and occupied 
 by a grand-daughter of the deceased and 
 her husband. 
 
 LOVEWELL WARREN, 
 
 one of the first settlers, was town treasurer 
 in 1790. He was much esteemed by his 
 neighbors. Leander Warren, a son of 
 Lovewell, represented the town several 
 times, and was much esteemed by his 
 townsmen. Rufus Warren, a son of Le- 
 ander, has also represented the town. 
 
 HON. SETH PUTNAM 
 
 had 3 sons. Holden, the oldest, repre- 
 sented the town several times. Roswell, 
 the second, was an estimable citizen, much 
 esteemed, and the reverend George Put- 
 nam was a minister of the Gospel, much 
 esteemed. Hon. Seth Putnam made the 
 town a present by deeding to the town a 
 small lot of land for a cemetery, where his 
 remains and the remains of a part of his 
 family are buried. Their graves are en- 
 closed by an iron fence. Almost all the 
 first settlers of Middlesex were living here 
 when I came. I think the number of men 
 was about 210 who were heads of families, 
 and they have all passed away from earth. 
 
 WILLIAM HOLDEN, 
 
 one of the first settlers, bought a lot of 
 land about li miles from the village, the 
 
224 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 farm now owned by William B. McElroy. 
 Mr. Holden had 5 sons, Horace, William, 
 Xerxes, Moses and Philander. Horace 
 Holden, chosen town clerk in March, 1820, 
 held the office 32 years. At the end of 32 
 years, his son, William H. Holden, was 
 chosen, and held the office ig years. C. 
 B. Holden, a son of Horace, held the office 
 from March, 1873, to the time of his death, 
 July 25, 1878, and James H. Holden ap- 
 pointed July 27, 1878, by the selectmen; 
 held the office until September 3, 1878. 
 Horace, William, Xerxes, Moses and C. 
 B. Holden represented the town several 
 times each, and have all passed away, and 
 William H. Holden has also passed away. 
 
 JOSEPH CHAPIN 
 
 was born Oct. 28, 1758. His son, Joseph 
 Chapin, Jr., was born June 25, in Weathers- 
 field, Vt., in 1792. Joseph Chapin, Sr., 
 settled in Middlesex when the town was 
 quite new ; his .son, Joseph Chapin, Jr., 
 was a farmer, and by industry and good 
 economy, acquired a very handsome prop- 
 erty for his children, and left a good name. 
 His wife passed away many years before 
 his departure. She was sister to Horace 
 Holden. Joseph Chapin, Sr., lived to the 
 age of 96 years, and was esteemed by all 
 who knew him. 
 
 Joseph Chapin, Jr., had 2 sons. Hink- 
 ley, the oldest, was killed instantly. He 
 was a brakeman on the cars, and received 
 the fatal blow when passing through or 
 under a bridge. William Chapin, his son, 
 still survives and has held many important 
 offices in town. 
 
 The Chapin family own lots in our beau- 
 tiful cemetery, and the remains of their 
 loved ones are deposited there. One of 
 Joseph Chapin, Jr's., daughters, with her 
 husband, Otis Leland, are living in sight 
 of our beautiful cemetery, where they often 
 visit the graves of their departed friends — 
 their son, their parents and grand-parents, 
 and brother who was killed on the cars. 
 
 JEREMIAH LELAND, 
 
 one of the first settlers, removed from 
 Charlestown, N. H. He died soon after, 
 I came to Middlesex, respected by all who 
 knew him ; left 3 sons, Rufus, James and 
 
 Jeremiah, all of whom have long since 
 passed away, esteemed by all, and their 
 remains are deposited in our cemetery, 
 with the remains of all their partners in 
 life. James, son of Jeremiah, was never 
 married. Jeremiah, Jr., has left 4 sons, all 
 now living, two of whom have represented 
 the town, and Rufus has left two sons, 
 who are now living, worthy men, much 
 esteemed. 
 
 EBENEZER PUTNAM, 
 
 a brother of Col. Seth Putnam, was a man 
 about 50 years of age when I came to live 
 in Middlesex, in 1821. He was a very 
 pleasant, social man, and worked with me 
 to score timber for a barn. His son, Rus- 
 sel, hewed the timber. Soon after, Russel 
 was taken sick. I visited him several 
 times. His sufferings were very great be- 
 fore he passed away. He left several 
 daughters and one son, whose name was 
 Holden, who was a sheriff of good repute, 
 and enlisted in the last war, and lost his 
 life in the defence of his country. 
 
 JACOB PUTNAM, 
 
 another brother of Col. Seth Putnam, set- 
 tled on a branch of Onion river in Middle- 
 sex, about 5 miles above Montpelier vil- 
 lage. I became acquainted with him soon 
 after I came to the town. He was a man 
 of good understanding. I was associated 
 with him and Nathaniel Carpenter in mak- 
 ing an appraisal of all the real estate in 
 Middlesex soon after I came. He died 
 many years since. His son, C. C. Put- 
 nam, and C. C. Putnam, Jr., are persever- 
 ing men and good citizens. 
 
 Isaac Putnam, another brother of Seth 
 Putnam, lived in Montpelier, and passed 
 away to the spirit life, leaving a good name 
 and a respectable posterity. 
 
 NATHANIEL CARPENTER 
 
 was one of the first settlers ; voted for town 
 representative in September, 1807; was 
 town clerk in all 9 years, and a justice of 
 the peace, I think, 30 years, or more. He 
 died in the winter of 1837. In 1821, when 
 I came to live here, he lived one mile from 
 our village and 5 miles from Montpelier 
 village. He had 4 sons by a second mar- 
 
MIDDLESEX. 
 
 22 ^ 
 
 riage ; two or more by a previous marriage ; 
 his four last sons were, N. M. Carpenter, 
 Don P. Carpenter, and Heman and Al- 
 bert. Don P. Carpenter has been one 
 of the side judges of Washington Coun- 
 ty Court, and Heman, judge of Wash- 
 ington County Probate Court, and N. M. 
 Carpenter is a respectable and successful 
 farmer. I know less of Albert, as he set- 
 tled in a distant state. 
 
 CAPT. ROBERT MCELROY, 
 
 one of the first settlers, lived 2 miles from 
 Middlesex village. His family were an 
 aged mother, who emigrated from Scotland, 
 his wife, 4 sons and 3 daughters. Ira, the 
 oldest son, died single ; Harry, the second 
 son, had 3 sons, Clesspn R. and H. L. Mc- 
 Elroy, and Wm. B. McElroy. Lewis had 
 2 sons and Jeremiah 2 sons, in all, 7 
 grandsons. Capt. Robert McElroy and 
 wife, mother and 4 sons, have passed 
 away. Harry McElroy's third son, Wm. 
 B. McElroy, was chosen town clerk, Sept. 
 3, 1878. 
 
 It will be observed by this that Capt. 
 Robert McElroy has left a good record. 
 In addition to the above I think it is my 
 duty to state that Harry McElroy's eldest 
 son, Clesson R. McElroy, was a lieutenant 
 in the army and a valiant officer, held in 
 high esteem by both officers and soldiers, 
 and Harry McElroy's second son, H. L. 
 McElroy, has been superintendent of com- 
 mon schools in Middlesex for several years, 
 and as such highly esteemed. 
 
 JESSE JOHNSON 
 
 was one of the first settlers, and voted for 
 representative in 1807. He was far ad- 
 vanced in life in 1820. His son, Jesse 
 Johnson, Jr., was a man in the prime of 
 life, and lived about 50 years after 1820, 
 and was for many years associated with 
 Mo.ses Holden, his son-in-law, in trade. 
 They were esteemed by all who knew 
 them, were good economists, and accumu- 
 lated a large property, and have passed 
 away. They have left no son to perpetuate 
 their names. 
 
 EPHRAIM WILLEY 
 
 was one of the first settlers, and had 2 
 sons, Hubbard and Benjamin, who were in 
 
 29 
 
 the prime of life in 1820. They have all 
 passed away ; but have left a great number 
 of children and grand-children to perpet- 
 uate their memory, all of whom are re- 
 spectable citizens, even as their fathers 
 and grandfathers before them were. 
 
 RUFUS CHAMBERLIN, ESQ., 
 
 one of the first settlers, was in 1821 a man 
 far advanced in life, and had then living 5 
 sons and 3 daughters. His oldest son, 
 Clesson, died in Massachusetts. Oliver 
 A. Chamberlin, the second son, and A. 
 L. Chamberlin, the fourth, are still liv- 
 ing. Rufus Chamberiin, Esq., and wife, 
 2 daughters and 3 sons, have passed from 
 this life, but not without leaving children 
 and grandchildren to perpetuate their 
 memory, though most of the grandchildren 
 have passed away. I will name a few : 
 Wm. H. Holden, C. B. Holden, Martha 
 Holden ; children of Horace Holden and 
 his wife, Mary Chamberlin, and Mary, also 
 a daughter of Oliver A. ChamberHn. Our 
 town clerk is a son of Harry McElroy and 
 his wife, Mary Ann, dau. of Rufus Cham- 
 berlin, both of whom have passed away. 
 
 MERCHANTS AND STORES, 1879. 
 
 We have three stores in Middlesex vil- 
 lage, one owned and occupied by Benja- 
 min Barrett and James H. Holden, one by 
 J. Q. Hobart, and one by N. King Her- 
 rick, all doing a good business without 
 danger of failing. Our merchants are as 
 reliable as those of Montpelier, and I choose 
 to patronize them. 
 
 We have at this date, Jan. 1879, no 
 physician in town. Nearly all of the peo- 
 ple of Middlesex employ the physicians 
 who live in Montpelier village. 
 
 MEETING-HOUSES AND CHURCHES. 
 
 We have three meeting-houses, all good ; 
 one good brick one in the village, near the 
 passenger depot, one built of wood in the 
 center of the town, and another of wood in 
 the small village denominated Shady Rill. 
 They are all kept* well painted and in good 
 repair. The one in Middlesex village is 
 now occupied by the Methodists one-half 
 of the time, and seldom at any other time, 
 and it is about the same as to the house in 
 the center of the town. The meeting- 
 
226 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 house in Shady Rill was built about 30 
 years ago, by the Freewill Baptists, and it 
 is occupied by those who built it, and their 
 posterity. There was a Congregational 
 church in this town when the brick meeting- 
 house was built, but there is not now. I 
 think it passed away about 1845. The 
 Methodist church has about 36 members 
 at this time. The Freewill Baptist church, 
 
 1 think, is about the same as to numbers. 
 The Methodist denomination own a 
 
 good and well-finished parsonage house 
 and out-buildings, all well arranged, near 
 the brick meeting-house in Middlesex. 
 
 MICAH HATCH 
 
 was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, 
 and was an early settler of Middlesex. 
 He bought two or more good lots of land, 
 4 miles north of Montpelier village. He 
 had 2 sons, Micah and David ; David had 
 
 2 sons, Zenas and Gardner. Zenas was 
 drafted and lost his life in defence of his 
 country. A daughter of Micah Hatch 
 was the mother of the Hon. Zenas Upham, 
 one of the side judges of Orange County 
 Court in 1878. 
 
 SOLOMON LEWIS 
 
 was an early settler of Middlesex, and set- 
 tled on the North branch of Onion river, 
 6 miles north of Montpelier village. Wil- 
 liam Lewis, a son of Solomon, owned and 
 occupied the farm for many years, and said 
 farm is now owned by Lathrop Lewis, a 
 son of the late William Lewis. I could 
 say much in commendation of Mr. Sol- 
 omon Lewis and his son William, and of 
 his grandson, Lathrop, all of whom have 
 been good citizens. 
 
 EZRA CUSHMAN 
 
 was one of the early settlers, a respectable 
 merchant, and associated as such with 
 Theophilus Cushman, his nephew, in trade 
 in Middlesex village in the early settlement 
 of the town, was a man in whom the people 
 all had the utmost confidence. He mar- 
 ried a daughter of Hon. Seth Putnam. 
 Their son, the Rev. Lewis Cushman, a 
 Methodist minister much esteemed, has 
 been engaged in the ministry more than 30 
 years, previous to 1879. 
 
 CAPT. ZERAH HILLS 
 
 was one of the early settlers of this town. 
 He had 3 sons, Lorenzo, Justin and Zerah. 
 Zerah built the house above described, 
 and had it very nearly completed when the 
 Rebel war commenced, and he enlisted in 
 defence of our country, and died in its de- 
 fence June 25, 1863, lamented by all who 
 knew him. 
 
 COL. HUTCHINS 
 
 was one of the early settlers of Middlesex. 
 He had two sons, Timothy and Solomon. 
 Solomon married a sister of ex-Governor 
 Paul Dillingham. Solomon Hutchins kept 
 a public house in Middlesex village when 
 the town was quite new. I think the 
 house was the first public house kept in 
 Middlesex. Solomon Hutchins and his 
 immediate family have long since passed 
 away, but leaving a respectable posterity 
 of children, grandchildren and great 
 grandchildren. 
 March, 1879. 
 
 MIDDLESEX CONCLUDED. 
 BY VOLNKY V. VAUGIIX, ESQ. 
 
 The township, situated on the north 
 side of the Wmooski river, 30 miles from 
 the mouth of the river at Burlington, lat. 
 44°, 20', long. 4°, 2', is bounded N. by 
 Worcester, E. by East Montpelier and 
 Montpelier, S. by Berlin and Moretown, 
 from which it is separated by the Winooski, 
 and W. by Waterbury. 
 
 The N. H. charter, by Wentworth, was 
 granted " by command of His Excellency, 
 King George III., in the third year of his 
 reign," and provides : 
 
 The township of Middlesex, lying on 
 the east side of French or Onion river, so 
 called, shall be six miles square and no 
 more, containing 23,040 acres. 
 
 The first meeting for the choice of town 
 officers shall be held on the 26th day of 
 July next, to be notified and presided over 
 by Capt. Isaac Woodruff, and that the an- 
 nual meeting forever hereafter for the 
 choice of officers for said town shall be on 
 the second Tuesday of March, annnally. 
 
 The town was to be divided into 71 
 equal shares ; each one of the 65 propri- 
 etors to whom it was granted to hold one 
 share, and 6 shares as usual in the N. H. 
 charters for the Governor's right, the ben- 
 
MIDDLESEX. 
 
 227 
 
 efit of the Gospel and schools. The Gov- 
 ernor's land was a tract of 500 acres in the 
 S. W. corner of the town. 
 
 The council of New York established 
 the county of Gloucester in 1770, which 
 included this town, and the first record of 
 a proprietors' meeting found in our town 
 records commences : 
 
 A meeting of the proprietors of the 
 Township of Middlesex, on Onion River, 
 in the Province of New York, holden at 
 the dwellijig-house of Samuel Canfield, 
 Esq., in New Milford, Conn., on Tuesday, 
 ye tenth day of May, 1770. 
 
 At this meeting Partridge Thatcher, of 
 New Milford, was chosen moderator, and 
 Samuel Averill, of Kent, clerk. 
 
 It was voted to "lay out said township 
 and lot one division of 100 acres to each 
 right," and Samuel Averill was chosen 
 agent to agree with a surveyor and chain- 
 bearers to do the business. It was voted 
 to lay a tax of $3 per right, to pay the ex- 
 pense of surveying, and Partridge Thatcher 
 and Samuel Averill laid out the ist division 
 as above vo^ed. 
 
 The proprietors held a meeting at Kent, 
 Apr. 13, 1773, Samuel Averill, Jr., clerk. 
 Voted $2.50 per riglit instead of the $3.00 
 voted before to pay the expense of the 
 surveys. 
 
 Oct. 14, 1774, Samuel Averill, Jr., col- 
 lector, sold 8 lots of land at public auc- 
 tion, to satisfy unpaid taxes voted as above. 
 Partridge Thatcher and Samuel Averill, 
 Jr., bid off 4 lots each, at ;^i 2s., N. Y. 
 money, per lot. 
 
 The first deed of Middlesex lands re- 
 corded is from Samuel Averill, Jr., to 
 Samuel Averill of 5 full rights, dated Kent, 
 Litchfield Co., Dec. 30, 1774, and ac- 
 knowledged before Wm. Cogswell, justice 
 of the' peace. 
 
 The first proprietors' meeting held in 
 Vermont was at Sunderland, Oct. 13, 1783, 
 Isaac Hitchcock, proprietors' clerk, and the 
 2d and 3d division of lands were made, and 
 surveys recorded Feb. 9, 1786. 
 
 The first proprietors' meeting held in 
 Middlesex was at the house of Lovell War- 
 ren, Aug. 14, 1787. Choice was made of 
 Seth Putnam, proprietors' clerk, and ad- 
 journed until Nov. 5, same year, and at 
 
 this adjourned meeting it was claimed that 
 all former surveys or pretended surveys 
 had been made inaccurately, that some of 
 the lots had been laid out within the limits 
 of Montpelier, that proprietors could not 
 find their lots, etc., and it was " Resolved 
 to hold null and void all fomier surveys or 
 pretended surveys." 
 
 It was voted to lay out the ist, 2d and 
 4th divisions in 69 lots each, of 104 acres 
 in a lot, the 4 acres beingallowed for high- 
 ways. Where the village now stands, 30 
 acres wer^ reserved for a mill privilege, 
 and 104 acres of the pine lands just east- 
 erly of the mill site for the first mill- 
 builder, if he built a mill within 12 months. 
 This reservation was the 3d, called the 
 white-pine division, which was laid out in 
 about I -acre lots, and divided among the 
 proprietors the same as the other divisions. 
 The 1st, 2d and 3d divisions were allotted 
 in 1787 and '88, and- surveys recorded in 
 September, 1788. Allotted by Gen. Parley 
 Davis, surveyor ; Isaac Putnam, hind- 
 chainman ; Jacob Putnam, fore-chainman. 
 The 4th division was allotted by Gen. 
 Davis in 1798. 
 
 This allotting, if accurately surveyed, 
 would cover 22,162 acres, which would 
 leave 878 acres undivided land, of which 
 each proprietor would own an equal share. 
 This land, which is north-easterly of the 
 Governor's right, has been taken up or 
 "pitched" from time to time, until it is 
 all claimed on titles of original rights. 
 
 By an act of the legislature, approved 
 Oct. 30, 1850, so much of the town as is 
 contained in lots numbering 50, 55, 56,57, 
 58, 63 and 64, and so much of the undi- 
 vided land as lies westerly of a line com- 
 mencing at the most south-easterly corner 
 of lot number 64, and running south 36° 
 west and parallel with the original line be- 
 tween Waterbury and Middlesex to the 
 Governor's right, so called ; thence on the 
 line of the Governor's right to the original 
 town line, was annexed to the town of 
 Waterbury, which leaves about 22, 000 acres 
 as the present area of Middlesex. 
 
 The change in the town line was made 
 to benefit a few families who lived in the 
 west part of the town who could more con- 
 
228 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 veniently attend meetings and go to market 
 in Waterbury than in Middlesex, on ac- 
 count of living the west side of a high 
 range of hills or mountains, that form a 
 natural boundary, and so separate the two 
 towns that only one carriage-road directly 
 connects them. The change brings the 
 town line as now established very near the 
 summit of this range of mountains. 
 
 Near the S. E. corner of the town com- 
 mences a less elevation of land, which ex- 
 tends in a northerly direction a little east 
 of the centre of the town, which unites 
 with the higher range about 4 miles from 
 the south line, and gives the south part of 
 the town a slope southerly towards the 
 Winooski, and the northern and eastern 
 part a slope easterly towards the North 
 Branch of the Winooski, which flows 
 through the N. E. corner of the town. 
 
 The surface of the township is somewhat 
 uneven, but the soil is generally very fer- 
 tile and productive. There are many ex- 
 cellent farms on the hills, and some fine 
 intervales along the river and branch, and 
 although the meadows are not very ex- 
 tensive, they are enough so to form a num- 
 ber of very good and valuable farms. 
 
 The land is naturally covered with maple, 
 birch, beech, ash, elm, butternut, red-oak, 
 iron-wood, pine, spruce, hemlock, fir and 
 other smaller trees and bushes such as are 
 common in this part of the State. 
 
 The N. W. corner of the town contains 
 about 1200 acres of nearly unbroken forest, 
 covering the mountain and lying along its 
 base, which only needs steam-power in the 
 immediate vicinity, backed by good me- 
 chanical enterprise and skill, to make it 
 valuable property. 
 
 This town will compare favorably with 
 the other towns in the County for farming 
 and lumbering. 
 
 NATURAL CURIOSITIES. 
 
 Nature has given our territory fully an 
 average share of the singular and odd, and 
 of the grand and sublime. 
 
 Among the oddities is a rocking stone 
 on the farm of William Chapin, near the 
 Centre. This stone, weighing many tons, 
 is so evenly balanced on a high ledge that 
 
 it can be rocked forward and back with 
 ease. On the mountain west of the late 
 C. B. Holden farm is a high cliff of rocks, 
 from which many heavy pieces of rock have 
 become detached and fallen to the ravine 
 below. These are so placed that they 
 form some curious caverns on a small scale, 
 which are noted hedge-hog habitations. 
 One of these rocks, sheltered by the over- 
 hanging cliff from which it fell, which is 
 some 6 feet long, 4 feet wide, and from i 
 to 2 feet thick, lies on another rock in such 
 a manner that it projects over nearly half 
 its length, and is so nicely balanced that a 
 man can teeter it up and down with one 
 finger. 
 
 A few years ago there stood by the road- 
 side on the farm now owned by Daniel 
 Pembrook, an iron-wood or remon tree, 
 which about 2 feet from the ground di- 
 vided into two trunks, each about 6 inches 
 in diameter. They grew smooth and 
 nearly straight, and from i to 2 feet apart 
 for some 10 feet, where they again united 
 in one solid trunk, which was about 10 
 inches in diameter ; this continued about 3 
 feet, where it again divided. The two 
 trunks above were similar to the two be- 
 low for about 10 feet; there it united once 
 more, and above threw out branches and 
 had a "top" similar to other trees of its 
 kind. This tree was cut down by some 
 one who had an eye keener for the usefiil 
 than for the ornamental. 
 
 The only road that directly connects 
 this town with Waterbury, about i^ miles 
 from the river, passes through a notch be- 
 tween masses of ragged ledges which for 
 many rods rise almost perpendicular on 
 either side to the height of 100 feet or 
 more, with just fair room for a- good car- 
 riage-road and a small stream of water be- 
 tween. 
 
 The channel called the Narrows, worn 
 through the rocks by the Winooski be- 
 tween this town and Moretown, is quite a 
 curiosity. Of this grand work of time 
 Moretown may justly claim a share, but as 
 this town is the most benefited by it, Mid- 
 dlesex history would be incomplete with- 
 out a description. The channel is about 
 80 rods in length, some 30 feet in depth, 
 
MIDDLESEX. 
 
 229 
 
 and averaging about 60 feet wide. Where 
 the bridge leading from Middlesex village 
 across to Moretown spans the channel, the 
 width at the top of the cut is less than the 
 depth. Below this bridge for many rods 
 the rocks rise very nearly perpendicular for 
 some 30 feet, appearing like a wall. Above 
 the bridge for many rods they rise on either 
 side to near the same elevation, but not 
 quite so steep, leaving the chasm only a 
 few feet wide at the bottom, and the river 
 runs very rapidly through the channel. At 
 the upper end of the Narrows is a dam and 
 the mills described elsewhere. Just below 
 the bridge, and in direct line with the 
 course of the river above, is a high pinna- 
 cle of rocks. When the river is low it 
 runs the north side of this, and when the 
 water is high it flows on both sides, or sur- 
 rounds it. 
 
 By a survey made by the late Hon. Wm. 
 Howe§ a few years ago, it was ascertained 
 that the fall in the river from below the 
 dam at Montpelier village to the top of 
 the water in the pond at Middlesex was 
 only 5 feet 11 inches. 
 
 There are many things that indicate that 
 at some distant day these ledges formed a 
 barrier that obstructed the water of the 
 river, and raised it many feet higher than 
 the meadows along the river above this 
 place, forming a large pond or lake, that 
 flowed not only these meadows but a part 
 of Montpelier, including the greater part 
 of the village, and a portion of the towns 
 of Barre, Berlin and Moretown. About 2 
 miles above the Narrows the ledge, near 
 where the carriage-road now is, some 50 
 feet above the present bed of the river, 
 bears unmistakable evidence of the wash- 
 ing of the waters of the river or lake. 
 
 While gazing on tliis wondrous worli 
 
 Of nature's law, divinely fair, 
 We feel how great the worif of time. 
 
 How weak and frail we mortals are. 
 
 We feel the feeling grow of awe. 
 While loolting on tliis rolling tide, 
 
 And think these were the works of God, 
 In which mankind could take no pride. 
 
 Along the mountain side in the N. W. 
 part of the town are many rills and brooks, 
 that come rushing down steep declivities 
 and leaping from high precipices, forming 
 
 many beautiful cascades and miniature cat- 
 aracts, which if as great as they are lofty 
 would be supremely grand. Here, too, are 
 found high overhanging cliffs and deep 
 ravines, and all the sublimity common to 
 the mountains of the Verd Mont State. 
 
 But when we stand upon the summit of 
 the highest peak, 3,558 feet above Lake 
 Champlain, and cast our eye at a glance 
 over more than 10,000 sq. miles of the 
 surrounding country, looking down over 
 the homes of tens of thousands of our 
 steady villagers and sturdy yeomanry, view- 
 ing the well-cultivated plains and forest- 
 covered hills, and beholding the distant 
 mountain scenery, the winding streams 
 and ever-varied landscape, here we find 
 magnificence and grandeur combined. 
 
 It might be said sublime and fair. 
 
 And lofty are our verdant hills. 
 And crystal streams from fountains flow 
 
 Tliat turn witli ease the swiftest mills. 
 Our plains, how grand, how marked with care. 
 
 While each proclaims the work of God ; 
 And man, with thanks and willing hands. 
 
 Improves the rich and fertile sod. 
 
 For the following very good description 
 of our mountains I am indebted to Wm. 
 Chapin : 
 
 MOUNTAINS OF MIDDLESEX. 
 
 BY WM. CHAPIN, ESQ, 
 
 Near the South-west corner of Middle- 
 sex there rises abruptly from the south 
 bank of the Winooski river a range of 
 clearly-defined mountains, that extends 
 about 20 miles, being nearly on the line 
 between Middlesex and Waterbury, and 
 extending between Worcester and Stowe, 
 a little to the east of the line between 
 those towns, and ending near Elmore pond, 
 in the Lamoille valley. These mountains 
 are called "The Hogbacks "in some of 
 the earlier geographical works of Vermont, 
 but that name now applies only to the 
 south end of the range near the Winooski. 
 
 The most conspicuous points in Middle- 
 sex are locally known as ' ' Burned Mount- 
 ain," "White Rock," or " Castle Rock," 
 and " Mt. Hunger." This Mt. Hunger is 
 nearly on the line between Middlesex and 
 Worcester, and a little east of the corners 
 of the four towns, Middlesex, Worcester, 
 Stowe and Waterbury. Its height is 3648 
 feet above the sea. 
 
230 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE 
 
 As the topmost stone of this mountain, 
 which is the highest point in the range, is 
 doubtless in the town of Worcester, that 
 town may perhaps fairly claim the honor 
 of having within its limits one of the pleas- 
 antest places of public resort to be found 
 in New England. 
 
 The name of Mt. Hunger was given by 
 a party of hunters who went out from Mid- 
 dlesex Centre on a winter's day, some 60 
 years ago, to hunt for deer on this mount- 
 ain. Lost in the vast woods, they had to 
 stay out all night, with nothing to eat save 
 one partridge, and that without salt or 
 sauce. When they got home the next 
 day, half starved and wholly tired out, 
 they said they had ht-^n on Mount Hunger . 
 Not an inviting name, certainly, but very 
 appropriate to the occasion. 
 
 The only comfortable way and road to 
 the summit at the present time is in and 
 through Middlesex. From the earliest 
 settlement of the town this has been a 
 favorite resort for all who have had suffi- 
 cient hardihood of muscle and wind to 
 make the first ascent. But the way was 
 rough, tangled and steep. A better way 
 was needed, and in due time was made. 
 The Mt. Hunger road was commenced in 
 October, 1877, and completed June i, 
 1878. It was on its first survey 2 miles 
 and 16 rods in length, extending from the 
 public highway in Middlesex to the sum- 
 mit of the mountain. The first 500 rods 
 was made a good, safe and comfortable 
 carriage road. The last half mile is very 
 steep, and only a foot-path could be made, 
 but the path is so well provided with stairs 
 and other conveniences that children 6 
 years of age have gone up safely, and men 
 of 86 years have gone up without difficulty. 
 [The late Hon. Daniel Baldwin, of Mont- 
 pelier, twice after 86 years of age.] Many 
 teams of one to 6 horses drawing carriages 
 from two to 20 persons, have gone up and 
 down this road in the summers of 1878, '79 
 and '80, without an accident or mishap to 
 any one. 
 
 To build such a road, through a dense 
 forest of spruce, birch and maple woods, 
 was no small undertaking, requiring some 
 courage, much capital and a vast amount 
 
 of hard labor. Thousands of trees had to 
 be dug up by the roots — giant birches that 
 clung to the ground for dear life, well- 
 rooted spruce, and tough beeches and 
 maple ; thousands of knolls and hills had 
 to be graded or removed, and hardest of 
 all, thousands of rocks and ledges to be 
 blasted, dug out, or got around in some 
 way. 
 
 Hundreds of feet of bridging had to be 
 built across the many little brooks and rills 
 that come down the mountain sides. The 
 longest bridge is in Middlesex, near the 
 Worcester line, and is 137 feet long. At 
 the upper end of the carriage-road is a 
 level plateau that has been well cleared of 
 the undergrowth and made smooth, and 
 here a barn has been built to accommodate 
 travelers with teams. The grade of the 
 road is necessarily somewhat steep, but as 
 it is a continual rise from the foot to sum- 
 mit, no very sharp or steep pitches^ are to 
 be found in the whole length of it. 
 
 This road was built by Theron Bailey, 
 Esq., of Montpelier, proprietor of the 
 " Pavilion," and is owned and occupied by 
 him as a toll road, the various land-owners 
 on the route having deeded him the right 
 of way, and some 25 acres of land for 
 building and standing ground at the top. 
 
 The construction of this road was under 
 the superintendence of Wm. Chapin, Esq., 
 of Middlesex Centre, and was completed, 
 with the exception of stairs and bridges, 
 in 60 working days, and with a gang of 
 less than 20 men. 
 
 Whether this road will be kept up in re- 
 pair or not, remains to be seen. The mount- 
 ain top is one of the pleasantest places of 
 earth, and will be visited so long as people 
 inhabit the country ; standing in an isolated 
 position, it commands a view of the whole 
 country ; to the east, to the White Mount- 
 ains, west, to the Adirondacks, north, to 
 the Canadian Provinces, and south, to the 
 Massachusetts line ; a score of villages, 
 many lakes and ponds, and, best of all, 
 thousands of New England farms and 
 homes. 
 
 Among those who visited here in the 
 olden time was the late Daniel P. Thomp- 
 son, of Montpelier, who climbed up, fol- 
 
MIDDLESEX. 
 
 231 
 
 lowing the town line for a guide, about 
 1833, and no doubt much of the sublime 
 mountain scenery so beautifully described 
 in "May Martin," " The Green Mountain 
 Boys," and other Vermont stories, was 
 studied from nature here. 
 
 The tops of all of these mountains were 
 covered with timber at the settlement of 
 the town ; now some 10 acres are burned 
 down to the bare rock on the top of Mt. 
 Hunger, about the same area on " White 
 Rock," and on Burned Mountain the fire 
 has cleared some 30 to 40 acres. The 
 spaces thus opened afford the finest out- 
 look upon tlie surrounding country. 
 
 '* Now on the ridges, bare anil bleak, 
 
 Cool 'round my temples sighs the gale. 
 Ye winds! that wander o'er the Peak, 
 
 Ye mountain spirits! hail! 
 Angels of health! to man below 
 
 Ye bring celestial airs ; 
 Bear back to Him, from whom ye blow. 
 
 Our praises and prayers." 
 
 Middlesex Centre, 1880. w. c. 
 
 WATER-POWER, MILLS AND FRESHETS. 
 
 The town is abundantly watered by 
 springs, brooks and rivers. There are but 
 very few houses in town that are not sup- 
 plied with a stream of clear, pure, soft 
 water, running from some never-failing 
 spring. 
 
 Numerous brooks rise among the mount- 
 ains and on the hills, and flow across the 
 town. One called Big brook rises N. W. 
 of the Centre, flows a southerly course to 
 near the centre of the town, then flows 
 south-westerly to the Winooski, emptying 
 just above the village. 
 
 On this stream, about half a mile from its 
 mouth, has been a saw-mill the greater 
 part of the time for upwards of 60 years, 
 and at diff"erent times there have been mills 
 at three other places on the stream, one 
 being near the Centre. The best of these 
 mills, built by Solomon Hutchins about 20 
 years ago, was destroyed by fire soon after 
 it was completed. The other mills have 
 rotted down, been damaged by freshets 
 and never repaired, or been taken down, 
 and at present there is no mill on the 
 stream ; but there is a repair shop, owned 
 by Myron Long, in place of the mill first 
 described. 
 
 Along the mountains northerly of the 
 height of land near the Centre, rise many 
 brooks, which, flowing south-easterly and 
 uniting, form a quite large stream, which 
 empties into North Branch about 5 miles 
 from Montpelier village. 
 
 The two largest of these brooks unite at 
 Shady Rill, about one mile from the 
 Branch, and here in the year 1824, Jedu- 
 than Haskins and Ira McElroy built a saw- 
 mill on the right bank of the stream, which 
 stood about 4 years, and was washed away 
 by a freshet. It was rebuilt soon after by 
 Haskins on the other side of the stream. 
 This mill stood until about 1850, when it 
 was washed away and never rebuilt. On 
 the east stream of the two that unite at 
 Shady Rill, about h mile above that place, 
 a saw-mill was built some years ago. In 
 1869, or '70. this mill was bought by Isaac 
 W. Brown, of Montpelier, who put in a 
 clapboard mill, which was run by John 
 Hornbrook tmtil 1872. 
 
 In 1872, W. H. Billings came fromWaits- 
 field and bought the mill. He ran the old 
 mill 2 years, and his brother, J. J. Billings, 
 went in company with him. The fall of 
 1875, they built a new mill, 34 by 60 
 feet, and put in a small engine to run part 
 of the machinery. In this mill they did a 
 good business, which was increasing each 
 year until the mill was burned, May 8, 
 1880. At that time they had several 
 thousand logs in the mill-yard, and they 
 immediately commenced clearing out the 
 debris of the burned mill, and laying the 
 foundation for a large new mill, 48 feet by 
 96. They put in a 75 horse-power engine, 
 and commenced cutting out boards and 
 timber July 17, and in the course of the 
 summer they nearly finished the mill and 
 put in all the machinery necessary for cut- 
 ting, planing and matching boards, and 
 sawing and dressing clapboards. It is 
 now, Jan. 188 1, one of the best mills in 
 the State, and capable of turning out 10 
 car-loads of dressed lumber per month. 
 There is another mill, on another stream, 
 about half a mile west of this mill, now 
 owned by Geo. W. Willey. 
 
 In 181 5, Esquire Bradstreet Baldwin 
 came from Londonderry, and built a mill 
 
232 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 where Putnam's mills now s^;and, on North 
 Branch, about 5^ miles from Montpelier, 
 since which there has been a mill there. 
 
 We are favored by the following de- 
 scription of these mills through the kind- 
 ness of C. C. Putnam, Esq: 
 
 " The north branch of the Winooski, 
 which empties into the main stream at 
 Montpelier, flows through the N. E. corner 
 of Middlesex, about 3 miles, on which is 
 situated one of the best mill privileges in 
 the State, with a fall of 32 ft., on which 
 was erected a mill in 18 15, by Bradstreet 
 Baldwin, son of Benjamin Baldwin, of 
 Londonderry, Vt. The mill built by Brad- 
 street Baldwin, on the above-mentioned 
 privilege, was owned and occupied by sev- 
 eral parties until purchased by C. C. Put- 
 nam and Jacob Putnam, about 1845. At 
 that time the capacity of the mill was about 
 100,000 ft. per annum. The old mill was 
 situated on the west side of the stream at 
 the top of the fall. In 1854,' was erected 
 a large double gang-mill on the east side 
 of the stream below the fall to take advan- 
 tage of the 32-feet fall, together with a 
 grist-mill and machinery for dressing lum- 
 ber. The latter was consumed by fire in 
 1862. The same year was erected by C. 
 C. Putnam on the same site, the mill now 
 standing, with two laige circular saws. 
 Since then have been added to the mill, 
 planers, matchers, edging-saw, butting- 
 machine and band-saw for cutting out chair 
 stock, the capacity of the mill being 2,000,- 
 000 ft. dressed lumber per year. The past 
 year, C. C. Putnam & Son, the present 
 owners, have shipped 150 car-loads of 
 dressed lumber to New Hampshire, Mas- 
 sachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, 
 valued from $25,000 to $30,000. The most 
 of this lumber is cut on their land in 
 Worcester, and floated down the stream. 
 In connection with their lumber business 
 they have a supply store, containing all 
 necessaries for their workmen and public 
 generally, doing a business of from $15,000 
 to $20,000 per year." 
 
 Henry Perkins came to town somewhere 
 about 1800, and built the first grist and 
 saw-mill at the Narrows, where the village 
 stands. He lived in the Widow Aaron 
 
 Ladd house, one of the two first houses in 
 the village. Soon after, Samuel Haskins 
 built an oil-mill, and Thomas Stowell built 
 a clothing-works mill. 
 
 In those early days, when news were 
 conveyed on horseback as the swiftest 
 means ; when freighting between here and 
 Boston was mostly done with oxen ; before 
 Ark Wright had invented the spinning Jenny , 
 or carding-machines were known ; when 
 the women did all the carding and spin- 
 ning by hand ; when farmers had to go a 
 great way to mill, and carry their grist on 
 horseback, or on their shoulders ; when the 
 meat mostly used was that of wild game, 
 and salt to season it sometimes $3.58 per 
 bu. ; when 8 children were called an av- 
 erage family, and 12 or 13 not uncommon, 
 and boys and girls were not afraid of work ; 
 when the " goode housewyfe " found ample 
 time to spin yarn from wool, flax and tow, 
 and weave cloth to clothe all in her goodly 
 family, works were then in vogue and built 
 for coloring, fulling, pressing and dressing 
 cloth. In May, 1818, a freshet sweptaway 
 the clothing-works, but they were soon 
 built up again. 
 
 At the time of this freshet Luther Has- 
 kins was moving from the farm which he 
 sold to Stephen Herrickin 1820, and which 
 Mr. Herrick still owns and occupies. He 
 got his cattle a:s far as the river, and could 
 get them no farther on account of high 
 water. Nathaniel Daniels and John Cooms 
 undertook to go from the village in a boat 
 to take care of the cattle. They had pro- 
 ceeded some 20 rods up the river, when 
 the current upset the boat. Cooms swam 
 ashore, and seeing Daniels stmggling in 
 the water, was about to swim in to rescue 
 him, when some one who considered the 
 undertaking too dangerous, held Cooms 
 back, and Daniels was drowned. 
 
 Nov. 1 82 1, all the mills were destroyed 
 by fire. They were soon rebuilt, with a 
 good woolen factory in place of the clothing- 
 works, which was built by Amplius Blake, 
 of Chelsea, who employed Artemas Wilder 
 to superintend it. 
 
 In Sept. 1828, was another freshet, 
 which swept away the factory, grist-mill, 
 oil-mill and saw-mill. Much to the credit 
 
MIDDLESEX. 
 
 233 
 
 of the owners, they went to work with true 
 Yankee courage immediately, and rebuilt 
 the mills in a stronger and more secure 
 manner, and had them all in operation 
 within 2 years. They were not secure 
 enough, however, to withstand the exten- 
 sive freshet of July, 1830, during which 
 the water in the Winooski probably was 
 the highest ever known since the State was 
 settled, being at its greatest height July 
 27 or 28, so high it flowed through the vil- 
 lage, and a dam was built across the upper 
 end of the street, to turn the current of the 
 river back towards the Narrows. All the 
 mills were raised Ijy the water from their 
 foundations, and sailed off together like a 
 fleet, taking the bridge below with them, 
 until they struck the high pinnacle of rocks 
 a few rods below the bridge, when, with a 
 deafening crash, they smashed, and ap- 
 parently disappeared in the rolling flood. 
 
 The weather in the summer of 1830 was 
 cold and wet up to July 15. From the 15th 
 to the 24th it was mostly clear and exces- 
 sively warm. During the day of the 15th, 
 the thermometer rose in the shade to 94°, 
 the 16th it rose to 92°, the 17th to 92^°, 
 the 1 8th to 92°, the 19th to 90°, the 20th 
 to 91°, and the 21st to 94°. 
 
 The rain commenced in the afternoon of 
 Saturday, the 24th, and continued till the 
 Thursday following, and is believed to be 
 the greatest fall of water in the length of 
 time ever known in Vermont, the fall at 
 Burlington being more than 7 inches, 3.85 
 in. of which fell the 26th in 16 hours. 
 
 After this freshet, Jeduthan and Luther 
 Haskins built here an oil-mill, which was 
 bought by Enos Stiles in 1835, and suc- 
 cessfully operated by him for 33 years. He 
 sold to Y. Dutton, who now owns it. There 
 were many oil-mills in the State at an 
 early day, but they had all been abandoned 
 except two, when Mr. Stiles sold his mill. 
 Mr. Dutton kept the mill in operation for 
 a time after he owned it, and is supposed 
 to be the last one in the State to give up 
 making oil from flax-seed. The Messrs. 
 Haskins also built a grist-mill, which was 
 afterward owned for many years by Geo. 
 & Barnard Langdon, of Montpelier, who 
 sold to L. D. Ainsworth. He has at great 
 
 expense fortified it against freshets, and 
 made it a first-class, modern flouring and 
 grist-mill, where he does a good business. 
 He also owns a planing-mill near the grist- 
 mill, and a saw-mill on the opposite side of 
 the river in Moretown, which accommo- 
 dates many who reside in Middlesex, and 
 has recently bought the old oil-mill of 
 Dutton. 
 
 In Oct. 1869, there was a freshet that 
 did considerable damage. No buildings 
 were carried off, but the highways were 
 badly washed, and many bridges carried 
 away. In the town report the following 
 March I find, in addition to a highway tax 
 of 50 cents on a dollar of the grand list, 
 about $3,000 in orders drawn for extra 
 work and expense on highways and bridges. 
 The river was so high thatMr. Ainsworth's 
 saw-mill teetered up and down on the water, 
 and would have been swept away had it 
 not been securely chained to the trees and 
 ledges. 
 
 OF THE MINERALOGY 
 
 here but little is yet known. Rock crystal 
 is quite common, and some very fine spec- 
 imens of crystal quartz have. been picked 
 up. The largest, most transparent and 
 most perfect specimens have been found in 
 the north western part of the town, along 
 the foot of the mountain. The crystal 
 quartz found here is mostly nearly white. 
 Some of the specimens are traversed in va- 
 rious directions with hair-like crystals of a 
 reddish, yellowish or brown color, and 
 similar to those found elsewhere along the 
 gold formation, so called, that extends 
 through this part of the State. Many 
 stones are also found of which iron enters 
 largely into the formation ; and it is claimed 
 that gold has been found in small quanti- 
 ties in the eastern part of the town, but no 
 very valuable mines have yet been discov- 
 ered here. 
 
 MAGNETIC VARIATION. 
 
 From an examination of the lines run 
 when the town v/as alloted in 1788, it ap- 
 pears that the westerly variation of the mag- 
 netic needle is now very nearly 4°, so that 
 lines in this town that were run N. 36° E. 
 in 1787, now in 1881 run N. 40° E. 
 
 30 
 
234 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 ANIMALS. 
 
 The first settlers found in the forest of 
 this town, the black bear, raccoon, wol- 
 verine, weasel, mink, pine martin (im- 
 properly called sable), skunk, American 
 otter, wolf, red fox, black or silver fox, 
 cross fox, lynx, bay lynx or wild cat, star- 
 nosed mole, shrew mole, Say's bat, beaver, 
 musk rat, meadow mouse, jumping mouse, 
 white bellied or tree mouse, woodchuck, 
 the gray, black, red, striped, and flying 
 squirrel, hedge-hog, rabbit, moose, and 
 common deer. 
 
 In 1 83 1, a very large moose left the 
 mountain near the notch road, and wan- 
 dered towards the village of Middlesex. 
 He crossed the Winooski near the eddy 
 just below the narrows, and went across 
 the meadows on the farms now owned by 
 Joseph Newhall and Joseph Knapp in 
 Moretown, passing through a field of wheat 
 on the latter farm. He then crossed Mad 
 river near its mouth, and started in the di- 
 rection of the large tract of woods near 
 Camel's Hump mountain. This is sup- 
 posed to be the last wild moose that ever 
 visited Middlesex. 
 
 COUNTY MEMBERSHIP. 
 
 Middlesex has had the honor to belong 
 to Gloucester County, established by the 
 N. Y. Council, Mar. 16, 1770; Unity, es- 
 tablished Mar. 17, 1778; name changed to 
 Cumberland, Mar. 21, 1778 ; to Benning- 
 ton, being set to this County by change 
 of county line Feb. i, 1779: to Addison 
 Co., formed Oct. 18, 1785; to Jefferson 
 County, incorporated Nov. i, 1810; to 
 Washington Co., the name of Jefferson 
 being changed to Washington in 18 14. 
 
 Middlesex can boast of being the first 
 town settled in Washington County, as 
 the county is now organized ; but it was 
 not the first town chartered, Duxbury, 
 Moretown and Waterbury having been 
 chartered one day first, June 7, 1763. 
 
 The altitude at Middlesex village was 
 given by D. P. Thompson at 520 feet 
 above the level of the ocean, probably 
 meaning the elevation of the railroad at 
 that place. He did not claim minute ac- 
 curacy, but as his estimate was deduced 
 
 from data of surveys for canals and rail- 
 roads, it is probably a very near approxi- 
 mation. 
 
 CARRYING THEIR VISITORS HOME. 
 
 Somewhere between 1825 and 1830, a 
 carpenter and joiner, named Downer, came 
 with his family from Canada to build the 
 house where Elijah Whitney now lives, for 
 Jacob Putnam, and moved his family into 
 a house about 2 miles easterly from Wor- 
 cester Corner, and owned by Wm. Ar- 
 buckle. Downer, for some reason, went 
 to Canada in the winter, and left his wife 
 and four or five children in Worcester, and 
 during his absence they were aided by the 
 town. Danforth W. Stiles then lived where 
 he had made the first beginning, on what 
 is now known as the Nichols' place, above 
 Putnam's Mills, and the Downer family 
 came there and to Jacob Putnam's on a 
 visit. When they were ready to return 
 home, they procured a team, and a boy 
 started to drive them home and take the 
 team back, but they were met near the line 
 by Worcester men, who turned their team 
 around, and told them to drive back into 
 Middlesex, and they retiirned to Stiles'. 
 Stephen Herrick was overseer of the poor 
 in Middlesex, and Stiles immediately no- 
 tified him of the affair, and he started with 
 his team to carry the family back. He 
 took the woman and children, and accom- 
 panied by Stiles, they proceeded to within 
 about a mile and a half of the house, which 
 distance was through a thick woods, when 
 they were stopped by two men who were 
 felling trees across the road so lively that 
 after considerable effort to cut their way 
 through, they returned with the family to 
 Middlesex, leaving the family at Esquire 
 Baldwin's. 
 
 Herrick went home, arriving there about 
 dark, and rode about that part of the town 
 to inform the men of his defeat and pro- 
 cure assistance, and was soon on the road 
 to Worcester again, accompanied by Elijah 
 Holden, with a span of horses and double 
 sleigh to carry the family, and by Horace 
 Holden, Moses Holden, Xerxes Holden, 
 Asa Chapin, Torry Hill, Josiah Holden 
 Abram Gale, John Bryant, George Sawyer, 
 Jeremiah Leland, Sanford White, Lewis Mc- 
 
MIDDLESEX. 
 
 235 
 
 Elroy and others, in all 22 men, with 9 teams 
 and plenty of axes, bars ^nd levers, with 
 which to clear the track, and they were 
 joined by Stiles when they reached his 
 place, making 23 men. When they reach- 
 ed the woods they were again stopped, 
 this time by 16 Worcester men with axes, 
 who commenced to fell trees into the road, 
 as fully resolved to prevent any further tax 
 to support the Downers, as the Boston 
 "tea party " were to avoid paying the three 
 cent tax on tea. The Middlesex men 
 commenced clearing the road, and pro- 
 ceeded some distance in that way, but the 
 16 men kept the trees so thick in the road 
 ahead, that Herrick ordered his men to 
 leave the road, and cut a new road through 
 the woods around the fallen trees. In 
 this way they succeeded better, and when 
 the trees became too numerous ahead, they 
 dodged again, and brushed out a road 
 around them, Ilolden following close be- 
 hind with the family. As soon as it was 
 certain that they would succeed, Herrick 
 proceeded alone to the house, to protect 
 that from, being destroyed, and to have a 
 fire when the woman and children should 
 get there. 
 
 Very soon after he reached the house, 
 William Hutchinson entered with a fire- 
 brand, and was about to set fire to the 
 house, when Herrick seized him, threw 
 him to the floor, and seating himself on 
 Hutchinson, held him fast. Torry Hill 
 soon entered, with a gruff " whose here?" 
 Herrick answered, " I am here, and here is 
 this little Bill Hutchinson, who bothered 
 me yesterday by felling trees into the road." 
 " Let me have him," sa,id Torry. Herrick 
 released him, when he sprang for the fire, 
 determined to carry out his purpose, but 
 Torry seized him by the collar, and snap- 
 ping him to the door, gave him a kick that 
 made him say, " FUgo!" " Yes, you will 
 go, and that d — d quick, too," said Hill, 
 giving him another kick, that sent him 
 many feet from the house. 
 
 Soon after both parties arrived at the 
 house, and the family was escorted in about 
 daybreak. A war of words followed, with 
 some threatening. One tall, muscular, 
 Worcester man, named Rhodes, stepped 
 
 out, and threatening loudly, exclaimed, 
 " I can lick any six of you! " Torry Hill 
 sprang in front of him, and smadting his 
 fists together, replied, " My name is six, 
 come on !" but no blows were struck. 
 
 Herrick was soon called before Judge 
 Ware, of Montpelier, to answer to the 
 charge of violating the statute against re- 
 moving any person or persons from one 
 town in this State to any other town in the 
 State without an order of removal. It was 
 proved conclusively that all the home they 
 had was in Worcester, that they were vis- 
 iting in Middlesex, and desired to return, 
 and that the defendant only helped them 
 to return to their house in Worcester. Wm . 
 Upham and Nicholas Baylies, counsel for 
 Worcester, and Judge Jeduthan Loomis 
 for defendant. 
 
 Although the Worcester people were 
 beat, they did not give up, but arranged a 
 double sled so that the driver's seat was 
 attached to the forward sled, and a blow 
 or two with an axe would free the hind sled 
 and body, and taking the family on the 
 sled, they gave them a free ride up north, 
 and when in a suitable place the driver de- 
 tached the forward sled, and trotted off 
 towards home, leaving the woman and 
 children in the road, comfortably tucked 
 up in their part of the sled, and where 
 they would be under the necessity of so- 
 liciting the charity of Her Majesty's sub- 
 jects in Canada. 
 
 POPULATION AND GRAND LIST. 
 
 1783, population i or 2 ; 1791, 60 ; 1793, 
 grand list ;^28o, los. ; 1800, population 
 262; 1810, population 401, list $4770.37; 
 1820, 726, $7623 ; 1830, 1 156, $5720 ; 1840, 
 1279, $8240; 1850, 1365, $2952.52; i860, 
 1254, $3459.51; 1870, 1171, $3584.63; 
 1880, 1087, $3128; 1881, $5068. 
 
 In 1794, our votes for governor were, 
 for Thomas Chittenden 10, Elijah Paine 4, 
 Louis R. Morris i, and Samuel Mattocks i . 
 
 It was voted to raise 3d. per pound for 
 making and repairing roads, and 2d. per 
 pound to defray town expenses. 
 
 The 5d. on a pound was 2 1-12 per ct. 
 of the grand list, which was a great varia- 
 tion from the 125 to 150 per ct. raised by 
 
236 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 the town for a few years past for necessary 
 expenses and highways. 
 
 SCHOOLS. 
 
 The first district extended along the 
 river, but we have not learned the exact 
 location of the first school-house. The 
 district was divided in 1794, the line be- 
 tween lots 6 and 7 on the river, and one 
 school-house built near where the No. i 
 school-house now stands, and No. 2 school- 
 house, which was washed away by the 
 freshet of 18 18, about half way from the 
 village to where the road leading towards 
 the Centre passes under the railroad. 
 
 As the town became settled, new dis- 
 tricts were organized until they numbered 
 13, but at present only 1 1 support schools, 
 two having been divided and set to other 
 districts. With two or three exceptions, 
 the school-houses have been newly built or 
 repaired within a few years, and are in 
 good condition, and the schools will com- 
 pare favorably with the common schools 
 of surrounding towns. 
 
 The natural division of the township 
 prevents any natural central point in town, 
 and no high schools of any grade have 
 been established here, but many of the 
 larger scholars attend the high schools and 
 seminaries at Montpelier, Barre, Water- 
 bury and elsewhere. 
 
 The number of families having children 
 of school age is about 170, and the num- 
 ber of school children only about 225, 
 consequently our schools are all small 
 compared with the schools of early days. 
 About the year 1825 Stephen Herrick 
 taught at the Centre and had 75 scholars ; 
 Hubbard Willey sending 10, Ezra Nichols 
 7, and others nearly as many. 
 
 TOWN OFFICERS. 
 
 Representatives — Samuel Harris was 
 representative in 1791 ; Seth Putnam, 1792, 
 '93, '94, '96, '97 to 1800, '3, ''4, '5, '7, '8, 
 '13 to '17, '22; Josiah Hurlburt, 1795; 
 Henry Perkins, 1801, '2, '6; David Har- 
 rington, 1809 to 1813, '17, '19, '21 : Na- 
 thaniel Carpenter, 18 18, '20; Josiah Hol- 
 den, 1823, '24, '28, '29; Holden Putnam, 
 1825, '26, '27, '34, '36, '40 ; John Vincent, 
 1830, '33. '35> '37 \ Wm. H. Holden, 
 
 1831 ; Wm. J. Holden, 1838; Leander 
 Warren, 1841, '44, '58, '59; Horace Hol- 
 den, 1842, '43; Wm. H. Holden, 1845; 
 Joseph Hancock, 1846, '48; John Poor, 
 1849, '5°; Oliver A. Chamberlin, 1851, 
 '52, '55; Moses Holden, 1853,^54; Geo. 
 Leland, 2d, 1856, '57; James H. Holden, 
 i860; Jacob S. Ladd, 1861, '62; Wm. E. 
 McAllister, 1863; C. C. Putnam, 1864, 
 '65; Rufus Warren, 1866, '67; Charles B. 
 Holden, 1868, ''69; Jarvil C. Leland, 1870; 
 Jacob Putnam, 1872 ; Sylvanus Daniels, 
 1874; C. C. Eaton, 1876; Myron W. 
 Miles, 1878; Wm. Chapin, 1880. 
 
 Superintendents of Schools. — David 
 Goodale was chosen in 1846 ; Aaron Ladd, 
 1847, '48, '49; Stephen Herrick, 1850, '56, 
 '66; George Bryant, 1851 ; Wm. H. Hol- 
 den, 1852; Wm. Chapin, 1853, '57, '69; 
 H. Fales, 1854; Anson Felton, 1855; H. 
 L. McElroy, 1858, '61 to '66; Marcus 
 Gould, 1859, '60; W. L. Leland, 1867; 
 C. C. Putnam, Jr., 1868, '70; Elijah 
 Whitney, 1879, '80; V. V. Vaughn, 1871 
 to '79, '81. 
 
 First Selectmen. — Thomas Mead, 
 1790, '95, '96; Samuel Harris, 1791 ; Seth 
 Putnam, 1792, '98, 1803, '4, '14, '15; Levi 
 Putnam, 1793; Josiah Hurlburt, 1794; 
 Leonard Lamb, 1797 ; Henry Perkins, 1799 ; 
 David Harrington, 1800, 'i, '2; Ephraim 
 Willey, 1805; Elisha Woodbury, 1806; 
 Josiah Holden, 1807, '8 ; Nathaniel Car- 
 penter, 1809, '11, '13, '18, '19, '20, '21; 
 Joseph Hutchins, 1810 ; Ephraim Keyes, 
 1812; Daniel Houghton, 1816; Jacob Put- 
 nam, 1817 ; Horace Holden, 1822, '23, '27, 
 '35, '36, '39, '46, '47; James Jordan, 1828; 
 John Vincent, 1829, '30, '31, '34; Wm. H. 
 Holden. 1833; Aaron Ladd, 1837; S. C. 
 Collins, 1838; Leander Warren, 1840, '57; 
 Geo. H. Lewis, 1841, '42, '53; O. A. 
 Chamberlin, 1843, '44» '4^, '49. '51 ; Sam- 
 uel Daniels, 1845; George Leland, 1850, 
 '52; C. C. Putnam, 1854, '71, '72, '73; 
 Jacob S. Ladd, 1855 ; Moses Holden, 1856 ; 
 Wm. D. Mclntyre, 1858; David Ward, 
 1859, '60, '66, '67, '68; Osgood Evans, 
 1861 ; Andrew A. Tracy, 1862; Jas. H. 
 Holden, 1863, '64; D. P. Carpenter, 1865 ; 
 Jarvil C. Leland, 1869; Jacob Putnam, 
 
MIDDLESEX. 
 
 237 
 
 1870; Gardner Sawyer, 1874, '81; Elijah 
 Somers, 1875 ; Wm. ^- McElroy, 1876; 
 Hiram A. Sawyer, 1877; Norris Wright, 
 1878; D.R. Culver, 1879; C. J. Lewis, 
 1880. 
 
 Constables. — The first constable elect- 
 ed was Edniond Holden, in 1790; Daniel 
 Hoadley, 1791 ; Jacob Putnam, 1792; Seth 
 Putnam, 1793; Samuel Harris, 1794, '97, 
 '98, '99 ; Josiah Hurlburt, 1795 ; Wm. Hol- 
 den, 1796, 1820; Henry Perkins, 1800; 
 Rufus Chamberlin, 1801 ; David Allen, 
 1802; Ira Hawks, 1803; Thomas Mead, 
 1804, '5, ''6; David Harrington, 1807 to 
 '13 ; Josiah Holden, 1814 ; Horace Holden, 
 1817, '19, '24 ; Luther Haskins, 1818 ; Dan- 
 iel Houghton, 1821 ; Jeduthan Haskins, 
 1822 ; Alexander McCray, 1825 ; Ira Mc- 
 Elroy , 1825 ; O. A. Chamberlin, 1828; 
 Wm. A. Nichols, 1829; Luther Farrar, 
 1830, '31 ; D. P. Carpenter, 1833, '34, '36, 
 '37 ; Gideon Hills, 1835 ; Stephen Herrick, 
 1838, '39, '40, '42, '45 ; Geo. Leland, 1841 ; 
 Philander Holden, 1843, '44, '46; Geo. H. 
 Lewis, 1847, '48, '49; Wm. H. Holden, 
 1850, '31; Wm. Slade, 1852; Frank A. 
 Blodgett, 1853, '54; Curtis Haskins, 1855; 
 Ezra Ladd, 1856, '57; Wm. Chapin, 1858, 
 '59 ; C. B. Holden, i860 to '74 ; Myron W. 
 Miles, 1874 to the present, 1881. 
 
 Overseers since 1841. — Robert Mc- 
 Elroy, 1842; Selectmen, 1843, '75; Jedu- 
 than Haskins, 1844; D. P. Carpenter, 
 1845 ; Wm. S. Clark, 1846; Wm. D. Mc- 
 Intyre, 1847, '67, '68, '69; Enos Stiles, 
 1848, '49; Thomas Stowell, 1850; Benja- 
 min Scribner, 1851, '53, '54, '64; Stephen 
 Herrick, 1852, '58; Daniel B. Sherman, 
 1855, '56; Geo. R, Sawyer, 1857; W. H. 
 Clark, 1859; C. C. Putnam, i860 to '67; 
 David Ward, 1870; Elijah Somers, 1871, 
 '72, '73' '74 ; Seaver Howard, 1876, ''77] 
 Putnam W. Daley, 1878; H. A. Sawyer, 
 1879, '80, '81. 
 
 First Justices. — Seth Putnam, 1789, 
 1811, '12; Nathaniel Carpenter, 1813, '14, 
 '15, '17, '18, '23 to '30, and '';i;i to '39; 
 Rufus Chamberlin, 18 16; Daniel Hough- 
 ton, 1819, '20, '22; David Harrington, 
 1821 ; Wm. H. Holden, 1831, '32, '33; 
 Horace Holden, 1839, '4o>'4i> '44' nearly 
 
 all the time tiU his death, in 1865 ; Wm. 
 T. Clark, 1842; Thomas Stowell, 1843; 
 John Poor, 1853; Jas. H. Holden, 1864, 
 '65, '67 to '72 ; Marcus Gould, 1866; C. C. 
 Putnam, 1872, '73, '74, '75 ; D. P. Carpen- 
 ter, '76, '77, '78, '80. Seth Putnam, first 
 justice in 1789, held the office of justice 26 
 years; David Harrington, 15 years; Thos. 
 Stowell, 12 years; John Poor, 14 years; 
 Nathaniel Carpenter, first justice, 20 years, 
 and Horace Holden was justice at least 
 38 years. 
 
 Town Agents.— Stephen Herrick, 1842, 
 '52. '57, '58, '60, '61, '66, '72; Geo. H. 
 Lewis, 1843, '44 ; John Poor, 1845, '53 ; 
 Holden Putnam, 1846 to '51 ; George W. 
 Bailey, 1855, '56 ; Wm. D. Mclntyre, 1859 i 
 Leander Warren, 1862, ''6^, '64, '65, '71, 
 '73 ; D. P. Carpenter, 1867, '68, '69 ; David 
 Ward, 1870; C. C. Putnam, 1874, '75; 
 Wm. Chapin, 1876, '77, '78, '8a, '81; 
 Rufus Warren, 1879. 
 
 County Judges. — Hon. James H. Hol- 
 den, Hon. Don P. Carpenter. 
 
 Members of Constitutional Conven- 
 tion. — Seth Putnam was member in 1793 ; 
 Rufus Chamberlin in 18 14, '22, '28 and '36 ; 
 Wm. H. Holden in 1843; O. A. Cham- 
 berlin in 1850. 
 
 Postmasters. — Theophilus Cushman 
 was postmaster in 1824 ; Daniel Houghton, 
 1828; Aaron Ladd, 1829; Moses L. Hart, 
 1830; Nathaniel Bancroft, 1831 ; Moses L. 
 Hart, 1832, '23'i Hiram Mclntyre, 1834 to 
 '38; Ransom B. Jones, 1838, '39; Horace 
 Snow, 1840 to '45 ; Wm. C. Stowell, 1845, 
 '46; Harris Hoyt, 1847; A. A. Haskins, 
 1848, '49 ; A. H. Hayes, 1850 ; Jesse John- 
 son, Jr., 1851, '52; Anson G. Burnham, 
 1853, '54; Geo. H. Lewis, 1855 to '59; 
 Simpson Hayes, 1859, '60, '61 ; James H. 
 Holden, 1862 to 1881, inclusive. 
 
 Physicians. — A doctor by the name of 
 Billings practiced and resided in Middle- 
 sex in 182 1 ; Holdridge soon after ; Joseph 
 Lewis, 1825; Samuel Fifield, 1830; Daniel 
 Kellogg, ''^;i ; Henry Dewey, '34 ; H. Dewey 
 and Jona Webster, '35 ; Jona Webster, '36, 
 '37 ; Rial Blanchard, '40, '41, '42; David 
 Goodale, '44 ; F. B. Packard, '45 ; Chand- 
 ler Poor, dentist, '45 ; David Goodale, '46, 
 
J3« 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 '47 ; A. H. Hayes and B. L. Conant, '48 ; 
 A. H. Hayes, '49; Horace Fales, '50 '51, 
 ^52, '53, '54, '55; J. W. Sawin, '58, '59; 
 H. L. Richardson, '61, '62, '63; O. L. 
 Watson, '65, '66; — Risdon, '79; W. G. 
 Church, '80 and '81. 
 
 There might have been physicians in 
 town previous to any named, but I have 
 no such record or evidence. In addition 
 to those named, other physicians have 
 lived in town, among whom is Dr. Zela 
 Richardson, a son of Frederick Richard- 
 son, who was one of the first inhabitants 
 of Stowe. The Dr. was born in Stowe in 
 Dec. 1799, went to Castleton when about 
 22 years of age, and studied for the pro- 
 fession under Dr. Thompson, and com- 
 menced practicing according to tlie Thomp- 
 sonian system in Brandon and vicinity in 
 about 1824. He moved to Stowe in 1833, 
 and practiced some there till 1840, when 
 he moved to where Silas Mead now re- 
 sides in Moretown, where he lived until 
 1846, when he moved across the river to 
 Middlesex village, where he has ever since 
 resided, but for the last thirty years he has 
 nearly discontinued practice. 
 
 Among others who have lived and prac- 
 ticed in town a short time each are a doc- 
 tor by the name of Conant, and Dr. Spicer, 
 Dr. Scott and a cancer doctor named Hill, 
 and perhaps a few others. 
 
 THE CLERGY OF THE TOWN. 
 
 No record has been found of the first 
 preaching in Middlesex, but it is known 
 that about 18 12 the Methodist minister of 
 the Barre circuit preached occasionally in 
 town, and that in 18 13, 
 
 REV. STEPHEN HERRICK, 
 
 of Randolph, took the place of the Barre 
 circuit preacher, and in his circuit visited 
 Middlesex often, and usually held meet- 
 ings in the school-house, then standing on 
 the north side of the road, very near the 
 present line between the farms now occu- 
 pied by Stephen Herrick and Joseph Ar- 
 buckle. About the same time, 
 
 NATHAN HUNTLEY 
 
 organized a religious society, commonly 
 called Elder Huntleyls church, which in 
 belief and manner of worship was nearest 
 
 that of the Free Will Baptists. Elder 
 Huntley continued his labors until about 
 1822, when through his advice the society 
 decided to disband, and many of the mem- 
 bers joined the other churches. 
 
 ELDER BENJAMIN CHATTERTON 
 
 was probably a resident of Middlesex longer 
 than any other preacher that has ever re- 
 sided here. He was a member of Elder 
 Huntley ''s church, and was ordained Elder, 
 and commenced preaching soon after the 
 society to which he belonged disbanded. 
 He was a Free Will Baptist, and continued 
 to preach in town occasionally until near 
 his death. He was buried on the farm 
 where he lived, on East Hill, now owned 
 by Charles Sillovvay. 
 
 A list of many of the clergymen who have 
 labored in this town, with dates to show 
 about what time they were preachers in 
 Middlesex : John F. Adams, Methodist, 
 circuit preacher in 1821 ; E. B. Baxter, 
 Congregationalist, 1831 ; Benjamin Chat 
 terton. Free Will Baptist, 1834; E. G. 
 Page and Isaiah Emerson, Meth., '35 ; J. 
 T. Pierce, Cong., '38; Edward Copeland, 
 Meth., '39; Hiram Freeman, Cong., '39 
 and '40 ; W. N. Peck, Meth., '40, '41 ; El- 
 bridge Knight, Cong. ; and Wm. Peck and 
 Israel Hale, Meth., ''42 ; John H. Beckwith, 
 Cong., and H. P. Cuslunan, Meth., '43, 
 '44, '45 ; P. Merrill, Meth., '46; N. Web- 
 ster in '47; D. Willis, Meth., '48 ; E. B. 
 Fuller, Free Will Baptist, '51, '52; Joshua 
 Tucker, Free Will Baptist, '53; L. H. 
 Hooker, Meth., and — Cummings, Free 
 Will Baptist, '54; E. Dickerman, Meth., 
 and O. Shipman, Free Will Baptist, '55, 
 '56; Abner Newton, Meth., '57; J. S. 
 Spinney, Meth., '58, '59; N. W. Aspin- 
 wall. '60, '61 ; W. E. McAllister, Meth., 
 '62, '63 ; T. Drew, Meth., '64; F. H. Rob- 
 erts, '65, '66; A. Hitchcock, '67; Dyer 
 
 Willis, '68; Goodrich, '69; W. A. 
 
 Bryant, Meth., '71, '72, ""/:} ; O. A. Farley, 
 '74' '75 i L. O. Sherburn, '76; C. S. Hurl- 
 burt, '77, '78 ; T. Trevillian, '79, '80 ; 
 W. H. Dean, '81. 
 
 EARLY INCHJENTS AND ANECDOTES. 
 
 The following account of the hardships 
 of the first family who made a settlement 
 
MIDDLESEX. 
 
 239 
 
 in this town, from Deming's Vermont Offi- 
 cers, 185 1, written by Horace Holden : 
 
 "Thomas Mead was the first settler in 
 the town and the first in the county. He 
 came from Westford, Mass., having pur- 
 chased a right of land in Middlesex. He 
 came as far as Royalton with his wife and 
 two or three children. Here he shouldered 
 his gun, knapsack and ax, and set forward 
 alone to find Middlesex, on Winooski 
 river. He went from Brookfield through 
 the woods to the head of Dog river, fol- 
 lowing that down to its junction with the 
 Winooski, and over that river to Middle- 
 sex, having informed his wife that in a 
 given time he should return, unless he sent 
 her word to the contrary. On his arrival 
 he found Mr. Jonah Harrington had made 
 a pitch, and commenced chopping about 2 
 miles below Montpelier village, where he 
 tarried till morning when he went down the 
 river about 3 miles to the farm now owned 
 by Thomas Stowell, where was formerly a 
 tavern. Here he made his "^//c//," and 
 a very good one too for a farmer ; but had 
 he" continued down to the village of Mid- 
 dlesex it might have been much better 
 around the falls in that place. 
 
 " He was so pleased with swinging his ax 
 among the trees on his own land, subsist- 
 ing on such game as he took with wooden 
 traps and his gun, that his promise to his 
 wife to return was not fulfilled. She be- 
 came alarmed about him, procured a horse, 
 loaded it with provisions, and set forth to 
 find her husband ; following up White 
 river to its source in Granville, thence 
 down Mad river through Warren, Waits- 
 field and Moretown to its junction with 
 the Winooski about half a mile below 
 Middlesex village, crossed that river and 
 travelled up it about one mile, where, to 
 her joy and his surprise, she found her 
 husband in the afternoon of the third day, 
 doing a good business among the maples, 
 elms and butternuts. From Royalton to 
 Rochester she had a bridle path, then to 
 Middlesex were only marked or spotted 
 trees ; was often under the necessity of un- 
 loading her horse to get him past fallen 
 timber, and often had to lead him some 
 distance. Mr. Mead's family soon moved 
 
 into town. Mr. Mead's third son, Joel, 
 was born in Lebanon, N. H., Jan. 18, 
 1785, she having gone there for better ac- 
 commodations than Middlesex then af- 
 forded. Some time in June, 1785, Mrs. 
 Mead was gone from home on a very 
 cloudy afternoon. Mrs. Mead had to 
 look for her cows, which ran in the woods 
 at large. She started in good season, 
 leaving three small children, one a nursing 
 infant 5 months old, alone in the house. 
 Not hearing the bell on the cows, she 
 took their tracks and followed down the 
 river about i^ miles, found where they 
 had fed apparently most of the day, but 
 no bell to be heard. She then sought 
 their tracks, and found they had gone 
 down the river, and over "Hog back 
 mountain" to Waterbury, one of the 
 roughest places in all creation, almost ; 
 but cows must be found, or children go to 
 bed supperless. She made up her mind 
 to "go ahead," and crossing the almost 
 impassible mountain, and following on, 
 found the cows near the present railroad 
 depot in Waterbury, 6 or 7 miles from 
 home. 
 
 "By this time it had become dark, and 
 backed up by a tremendous thunder- 
 shower, rendered it so dark, that return- 
 ing over that mountain in the night was 
 out of question. In this unpleasant sit- 
 uation, she found her way to Mr. James 
 Marsh's, the only hut in that village, and 
 stayed till the first appearance of daylight, 
 when she started her cows for home on a 
 double quick time, where she safely ar- 
 rived before any of her children had com- 
 pleted their morning nap. She concluded 
 the children had so long a crying spell 
 before going to sleep, they did not awake 
 as early as usual." 
 
 About 1795, Mr. Mead kept a few 
 sheep, the only sheep kept in town at that 
 time. He had to keep a close watch of 
 them and yard them nights, to keep them 
 from falling a prey to the bears that were 
 then plenty in the woods. 
 
 One morning he found his sheep had 
 broken out of their pen, and following 
 them a short distance northerly from his 
 house, he found a sheep that had been 
 
240 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 killed and partly eaten by the bears. He 
 returned to his house, took his gun, and 
 started in search of the intruders. He had 
 not proceeded far into the woods before he 
 came in sight of a bear that was on the re- 
 treat. He proceeded cautiously after bruin, 
 keeping the bear to the windward, and fol- 
 lowed up the hill in a northern direction, 
 until he came near the top of the hill, when 
 he again came in sight of his game, and 
 was skulking along to get a better chance 
 to shoot, when his wife, who had become 
 alarmed by his absence and followed him, 
 came in sight and halloed to him. This 
 started the bear, but a Cjuick shot rolled 
 the sheep-thief over on the ground lifeless. 
 The courageous woman told her husband 
 she had seen another bear while she was 
 searching for him, and they started back 
 in the direction where she had seen it. 
 They had not proceeded far when they 
 came in sight of the second bear, which 
 Mr. Mead also killed with one shot from 
 his faithful gun. They then returned 
 towards where the sheep had been killed, 
 thinking to pick up and save the wool that 
 had been scattered by the carniverous 
 shearers. 
 
 As they came in sight of the spot, bruin 
 number three was finishing his morning 
 meal. Mr. Mead immediately settled his 
 account with this bear in the same way he 
 settled with the other two, and went home 
 feeling very well after his before-breakfast 
 exercise. He then informed the few neigh- 
 bors in town of what he had done, who 
 collected together, helped get the three 
 bears out of the woods and dress them, 
 and all had a "jovial time" and joyful 
 feast. 
 
 As the number of settlements in town 
 increased, the bears became less numerous, 
 and when one wa^ seen it was often the 
 occasion of a lively and exciting chase. 
 Sometimes nearly all the men within four 
 or five miles would join in the chase, or 
 surround the woods in which the bear was 
 known to be, and lucky was the animal 
 if he escaped unharmed. Three bears were 
 killed one year at three such hunts. At 
 one time, about the year 1830, a bear was 
 discovered somewhere near the spot where 
 
 the guide-board now is, near the Centre, 
 and " all hands" started in pursuit. Geo. 
 Holden, then living at the Centre, where 
 Mrs. Daniels now resides, started with a 
 pitchfork, the weapon he happened to have 
 in his hands when he first heard the cry, 
 " a bear! a bear!" The bear was chased 
 down towards theWinooski, and made his 
 way to somewhere near the river on the 
 Governor's Rights, where, being worried 
 by dogs and hotly pursued by men, he un- 
 dertook to climb a tree that stood on a 
 very steep side-hill. Mr. Holden, then a 
 strong, courageous young man, was near, 
 and ran to the foot of the tree as the bear 
 was hitching up it, and stuck the pitchfork 
 into the bear's posterior. Bruin, not liking 
 lo be helped up in that way, dropped upon 
 his hind feet, and threw his fore feet around 
 Mr. Holden's body. Holden at the same 
 time seized the bear "at a back-hug hold," 
 and they tumbled over on the ground, and 
 rolled over and over to the foot of the hill, 
 and some say into the river, where they 
 quit their holds, and bruin ran until he was 
 out of the way of men and pitchforks, and 
 went up another tree. The word spread 
 rapidly that the bear was up a tree, and the 
 men gathered together and commenced 
 shooting at him. Many shots had been 
 fired when Horace Holden put in an ap- 
 pearance. After amusing himself and 
 others present for a few minutes by crack- 
 ing jokes and telling stories at the expense 
 of the sharp-shooters, who were too ex- 
 cited to kill a bear, he expressed a desire to 
 try it himself. No sooner did his rifle 
 crack than the bear loosened his hold on 
 the tree and fell to the ground. 
 
 FIRST SETTLEMENTS IN THE EAST PART 
 OF THE TOWN. 
 
 Jacob Putnam settled where Elijah Whit- 
 ney now lives in 1802 ; Micah Hatch on 
 the old Hatch place, so-called, the same 
 year ; Wm. Lewis on the Lathrop Lewis 
 farm in 1805 ; John Arbuckle where Put- 
 nam Daley now lives, about 1808; Lewis 
 McElroy where Dudley Jones now lives, in 
 
 1822; Caleb Bailey and York lived 
 
 on the George Herrick farm in 1823 ; Ich- 
 abod Cummings began on the Ziba Smith 
 farm in 1824, lived there one year, and re- 
 
MIDDLESEX. 
 
 241 
 
 moved the next year to the farm where he 
 with his Oramel, now Hve ; Daniel Colby 
 lived on the farm where Frank Maxham 
 and son now live, in 1826. 
 
 The most ancient writings with a pen 
 in town, are probably in the possession of 
 James Vaughn, among which is a book 
 commenced by George Vaughn in Oct. 
 1687 ; the writing done by him being very 
 neatly executed, and a commission of 
 1696, given here et liter atem : 
 
 "William Stoughton Esqr Lieutent 
 Governour and Comander in chief in and 
 over his Matys Province of the Masssa- 
 chusetts Bay in New England. To Jo- 
 seph Vaughn Greeting, By virtue of the 
 power and authority in and by his Matys 
 Royal Commission to me granted, I do by 
 these presents constitute and appoint you 
 to be Ensign of the Foot Company of Mili- 
 tia in the Town of Middleboro within 
 the County of Plimouth whereof Jacob 
 Thompson Gent is Lieutenant. You are 
 therefore carefully and diligently to dis- 
 charge the duties of an Ensign by order- 
 ing and Exercising the sd Company in 
 arms both Inferiour Officers and Souldiers 
 Keeping them in good order and Disci- 
 pline, Commanding them to obey you as 
 their ensign. And yourself to observe and 
 follow such orders and directions as you 
 shall receive from your sd Lieutenant and 
 otheryour Superiour Officers, according to 
 the Rules and Discipline of War pursuant 
 to the trust reposed in you. Given under 
 my hand & seal at arms at Boston the 
 Fifth day of August, 1696, In the Eighth 
 year of the Reign of our sovereign. Lord 
 William the Third, by the Grace of God, 
 of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, 
 King, Defender of the Faith, &c. 
 
 By Command of the Lieut. Govern'r., &c. 
 Wm. Stoughton." 
 
 Jsa. Addington, Secr'y. 
 
 THE MIDDLESEX MONEY DIGGERS. 
 
 " May Martin, or The Money Diggers," 
 by D. P. Thompson, is known to be found- 
 ed upon the fact that men dug here for 
 money, at the foot of the nearly perpendic- 
 ular drop of a hundred feet or more from 
 the southerly part of the highest peak of 
 Camel's Hump. It was commenced by a 
 few men in 1824 or '25, who built a shanty 
 there, one side a large piece of detached 
 ledge, the other three sides, log of un- 
 trimmed spruce and fir, quite young ; the 
 
 roof formed by drawing in the trees as 
 they neared the top, until the boughs met 
 the ledge above, which shelter being pro- 
 tected from the north and west winds by 
 the high ledge, made a warm and com- 
 fortable place, under which the men pro- 
 fessed to dig in search of the treasure sup- 
 posed to have been secreted by Capt. Kidd 
 somewhere on this continent. They were 
 in part directed in their search by a woman 
 living towards the North part of the State, 
 who claimed to see into unsearchable things 
 by looking into a transparent quartz stone 
 or piece of glass. This company subsisted 
 mainly by duping the nearest settlers so as 
 to get them to furnish food. One man let 
 them have his sheep to eat until they had 
 devoured a large flock, he expecting good 
 pay when the treasure should be found. 
 Many were the conjectures as to the object 
 of these money-diggers. Some thought 
 they were .a band of counterfeiters, others 
 that they were a set of thieves, while a few 
 thought they were honestly digging for 
 money, and were hopeful for their success. 
 
 Their work was brought to a close by a 
 party of youngmen from Middlesex, among 
 whom was Enos Stiles, who gives the fol- 
 lowing account of their expedition, he be- 
 ing the only one of the party now alive : 
 
 Dec. II, 1836, between 8 and 9 o'clock 
 in the evening, Ira McElroy, Calvin Farrar, 
 Amos L. Rice, Archy McElroy, Jerry Mc- 
 Elroy, Alexander M. Allen and Enos Stiles 
 started from Middlesex village for Camel's 
 Hump, with a view to discover what they 
 could of the work or object of the money- 
 diggers there, and were accompanied by 
 Nathaniel Carpenter, then a justice of the 
 peace, who went to act as an official if 
 any arrests should be made. As they 
 started, it so happened Danforth Stiles, 
 from the east part of Middlesex, one Hink- 
 son and one Reed were on their way to the 
 mountain, and fell in with them. There 
 was no temperance law then to forbid, no 
 Good Templars to interfere, and acting 
 upon the principle that which contained 
 the most heat and stimulus was the best 
 beverage for a long journey in a winter's 
 night, they took two gallons of new rum 
 for drink with them, and what provisions 
 
 31 
 
242 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 needed beside. Leaving their teams at 
 Ridley's tavern, now Ridley's Station, they 
 took their provision and drink, and pro- 
 ceeded on foot to the mountain, about 6 
 miles distant. Esq. Carpenter stopped at 
 the last house at the foot of the mountain 
 to await for business, if needed, and the 
 other seven of the party kept on up the 
 steep mountain, through some two or three 
 miles of thick forest. 
 
 When about half way up, after crossing 
 a spruce ridge and coming into hardwood 
 where it was lighter, they called the roll, 
 and found one man missing. Three men 
 were detailed to go back and find him, 
 which they did some one-third mile back, 
 lying in the snow fast asleep, having ap- 
 parently fallen asleep and dropped out of 
 line unnoticed by the rest of the party. 
 Nothing more of note occurred until they 
 arrived in the early break of day at the 
 headquarters of the money-diggers, where 
 they found Rodney Clogston, of Middle- 
 sex, the leader of the band, one Shackford, 
 Eastman, and Friezell, up, dressed, with a 
 good fire burning before the shanty. 
 
 After looking over the premises a little, 
 four of the party went up to the top, and 
 were there at sunrise playing a game of 
 cards. The south wind was blowing warm, 
 and they suffered no inconvenience from 
 cold. It had been warm for a number of 
 days, and the snow was not very deep at 
 that time. After taking breakfast, well- 
 washed down, the Middlesex party com- 
 menced a thorough search for goods, coin- 
 ing implements, treasures or excavations, 
 which continued till about i o'clock p. m., 
 and resulted in finding nothing except a 
 little digging done inside of the shanty in 
 the ledge that formed one of its sides, 
 about what might have been done by two 
 men with powder, good drills and a sledge 
 in one day. 
 
 Giving up searching, the party came to- 
 gether at the camp and had a social time, 
 until some were feeling pretty well, when 
 one man said he did not want to trouble 
 the camp for anything, and offered to pur- 
 chase one cent's worth of meat, which was 
 dealt out to him. 
 
 Then some of the boys, being possessed 
 
 of evil spirits as well as good, commenced 
 to break spruce twigs and put them on the 
 fire for the fun of seeing them burn ; this 
 made a division, and two opposing parties 
 were formed. Two of the men from the 
 east part of the town sided with the dig- 
 gers, and one remained silent and neutral, 
 which made six against seven, when the 
 invaders commenced piling on larger brush, 
 and soon had the shanty in a rousing blaze. 
 The diggers defended their property smartly 
 by words, and declared that their things 
 should all burn and the boys would be 
 compelled to pay for them ; but no fighting 
 was done, and before the fire reached any 
 of their things they made a rush and saved 
 their trumpery, and let the shanty burn. 
 The brush was so dry, the blaze shot into 
 the air some fifty feet, making a splendid 
 sight, but the diggers' lodge was reduced 
 to ashes. In less than two hours after, the 
 money-diggers were all on the march for 
 home, thus ending the digging for Captain 
 Kidd's treasures on Camel's Hump. 
 
 THE COLDEST NIGHT HERE 
 
 in the month of July since the year 1816, 
 was probably in 1829. Enos Stiles relates 
 that he worked at haying for Elijah Holden 
 on the farm where Gardner Sawyer now 
 resides, in 1829, and that he and two 
 other men who were mowing on the loth 
 of July threw down their whetstones on a 
 swath of hay, one above another, and that 
 when he took up the upper stone on the 
 morning of the nth, the stones were 
 frozen together so that he raised the three 
 together when he lifted the top one. But 
 he says the frost did not seriously injure 
 the growing crops. 
 
 FIRES. 
 
 The only fire in town supposed to be in- 
 cendiary was that burning the store, tavern- 
 house and barns standing where B. Bar- 
 rett's store and tavern now stand, and 
 owned in 1835 by a man named Mann. 
 In May, that year, the buildings, with 3 or 
 4 horses and one ox, were burned, and 
 Simeon Edson, who kept tavern where J. 
 Q. Hobart now lives, was arrested on 
 charge of setting the fire. At a justice 
 trial the jury found him guilty, and he was 
 
MIDDLESEX. 
 
 243 
 
 lodged in jail to await County Court trial. 
 After being in jail for some time, he got 
 bail, and never appeared at trial, and as 
 there was lack of good proof, his bonds 
 were never called for. 
 
 THE SAP-FEEDER, 
 
 so generally used by maple sugar-makers 
 to run the sap into the pans or evaporators 
 as fast as it evaporates, was invented by 
 the late Moses Holden, Esq., who for 
 many years owned and carried on the 
 sugar-place about 2 miles from his home 
 in the village ; was a part of the Scott farm. 
 He was a large, strong man, a great 
 worker, and seldom had any help in sugar- 
 ing, and often felt the need of having his 
 sap boiling safely when he was away. 
 Hearing a description of a floating con- 
 trivance for regulating the amount of water 
 running into the flume of a certain mill, gave 
 him an idea about regulating the sap running 
 into his sap-pans, and he went to Montpelier 
 and told one of the tinmen there what he 
 wanted made. The tinman would have 
 nothing to do with it for fear of ridicule in 
 case of a failure ; but going to another tin- 
 shop, the tinman made the feeder accord- 
 ing to directions, and only asked for a 
 chance to make more if it proved a suc- 
 cess. Mr. Holden took his invention 
 home, elevated his sap-holder, put on his 
 feeder, and started a lire. It worked well 
 during the day, and when he left at night, 
 he filled his holder with sap and his arch 
 with wood, and when he returned in the 
 morning, found his holder nearly emjity 
 and everything right. He never applied 
 for a patent, but used this first feeder as 
 long as he sugared, and it is still used by 
 Wm. Scott, who bought the sugar-place. 
 
 Moses Holden died in May, 1878, at an 
 advanced age. He had always been a res- 
 ident of the town, had represented it in 
 the Legislature twice, and had filled many 
 offices of trust and responsibility. Many 
 stories are told of his physical strength, 
 one of them being to the effect that he has 
 been known to cut and split 8 cords of three- 
 foot wood in one day. He could lift up a 
 full barrel of cider, hold it, and drink from 
 the bumr-hole. 
 
 BURYING GROUNDS. 
 
 At an early date, Hon. Seth Putnam 
 deeded his one-acre lot in the white pine 
 division, which is in the village, on the 
 east side of the street opposite the railroad 
 depot, to the town for a burying ground. 
 The yard is well fenced, and kept in as 
 good condition as the scanty room will ad- 
 mit. I have not learned who was the first 
 person buried there, and the number can- 
 not be very accurately determined, but the 
 cemetery is nearly all occupied. 
 
 The following names, taken mostly from 
 the headstones there, show that there sleep 
 some of the brave veterans who fought to 
 establish our nation, and some of the dar- 
 ing pioneei's who cleared the dense forest 
 from our fertile fields : 
 
 Lyman Tolman, aged 95, Cyrus Hill, 94, 
 Ebenezer Woodbury — Revolutionary sol- 
 diers ; Hon. Seth Putnam, fourth settler in 
 town, 93 ; Capt. Holden Putnam, Captain 
 at Plattsburgh, 86; Jesse Johnson, SenV, 
 86 ; Luther Haskins, 84 ; Mary Petty Has- 
 kins, wife of Luther, 81 ; Sally, wife of Dr. 
 Joseph Lewis, 83 ; Polly Goldthwait, 79 ; 
 Elihu Atherton, 79 ; Moses Holden, 78 ; 
 Aaron Ladd, 78 ; Jesse Johnson, Jr., ']'] . 
 
 As the ripened autumn leaves surely 
 and successively drop from the forest trees 
 and are borne to the silent earth, so are 
 we, in sure succession, dropping from the 
 stage of life, and being borne to the silent 
 cities of the departed. And as the inhab- 
 itants of these cities will soon outnumber 
 those living in our villages and along our 
 valleys and hill sides, it seems just and 
 appropriate proper mention should be 
 made of them ; and I think much credit is 
 due the inhabitants of this town and near 
 vicinity for the improving and adorning of 
 their cemeteries. The ground now called 
 
 THE MIDDLESEX CENTRE CEMETERY, 
 
 is now one of the most neatly arranged 
 country cemeteries to be found ; situated 
 in a sightly, pleasant place, on the east 
 side of the first made and most direct 
 road from the village to the Centre, about 
 2 miles from the river, on the top of the 
 first of three elevations of rolling ground 
 found in cominti from the villao;e on this 
 
244 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 road. Along the roadside and within the 
 gate near the entering avenue, i,s a grove 
 of handsome maples in rows, casting their 
 shade upon the turf and over the pretty, 
 white school house upon the left. The 
 grounds within the cemetery are neatly 
 arranged in 6 rows of lots, with 3 carriage 
 avenues running the length of the ground 
 and cross avenues. Each lot is raised 
 above the avenues, with walk left between 
 each 2 lots, and flowers, blooming shrubs 
 and roses, break the mat of thick green grass 
 and add their beauty to the sacred plots. 
 A substantial wall and close-trimmed cedar 
 hedge inclosing all. 
 
 But it is more the tasteful arrangement 
 of the whole that makes the place seem 
 beautiful for every one, than any profuse 
 adornment. The stranger, too, pauses to 
 admire the lovely scenery around as well, 
 and the mourners feel a spirit of thankful- 
 ness that their dear friends are resting in 
 so fair a place. 
 
 There are some 200 graves here now, 
 with many monuments. Jan. i, 181 2 Na- 
 than Benton, one of the first settlers, 
 deeded 2 acres of land here to Joseph 
 Chapin, Josiah Holden and 16 others : the 
 land tc be used for a neighborhood bury- 
 ing ground. In the spring of 1822 there 
 were 5 graves in this ground, but it was 
 in an open field, and had not been exactly 
 located. That year the neighbors met 
 and appointed Stephen Herrick to meas- 
 ure and stake out the ground, and a fence 
 was built around it. 
 
 But little was done to improve it more 
 until about 1856, when through the influ- 
 ence and under the supervision of Horace 
 Holden, the friends of the deceased buried 
 there, and others who felt interested, be- 
 gan to kill the weeds and brakes that had 
 become abundant, and improvements were 
 continued from time to time till 1858, when 
 everything was completed nearly as at pres- 
 ent. In 1866, an association was formed 
 called " The Middlesex Centre Cemetery 
 Association," to which Aaron Ladd, Asa 
 Chapin, and 21 others, owners of lots, 
 deeded their right and title. Under the 
 Association each one of those who deeded 
 and each one who took an active part in 
 
 the work of improving the ground were en- 
 titled to a family lot. 
 
 SOME OF THE OLDEST 
 
 buried here are : Elizabeth McElroy, came 
 from Scotland to U. S. in 1740, died in 
 1823, aged 99 ; Joseph Chapin, SenV, 96 
 Susanna Chase, 89 ; Jeremiah Leland, 78 
 Elizabeth, wife of Jeremiah Leland, 88 
 Samuel Daniels, 87 ; Lucretia, wife of Sam- 
 uel Daniels, 78 ; Polly McElroy, 84 ; San- 
 ford White, 80; Maj. John Poor, 79, and 
 Eliza M., his wife, T}^ — both buried in one 
 grave; Joseph Chapin, Jr., 78 ; Horace 
 Holden, 74 ; Marian Leland, 92 ; Abram 
 Gale, 78, and Mary, his wife, 92 ; Marga- 
 ret Mead, 79 ; Benjamin Willey, 72 ; Mary 
 Wilson, 73; Hosea Minott, 74; Knight 
 Nichols, 81, and Mercy, his wife, 92 ; Geo. 
 H. Lewis, 71. 
 
 THE NORTH BRANCH CEMETERY. 
 
 On North Branch, about i mile below 
 Putnam's Mills, is another cemetery, of 
 which Mr. Putnam furnishes the following 
 description : 
 
 "About 1810, Jno. Davis was buried on 
 land then occupied by him, known as the 
 Scudder lot, nearly in front of his house, 
 on the opposite side of the road. After 
 that time the place was used for a burying 
 ground, and \ of an acre was enclosed with 
 a log-fence. At that time a man by the 
 name of Flande'rs lived where Chester 
 Taylor now lives ; Levi Lewis and wife, 
 Polly, lived where G. M. Whitney now 
 does. Jno. Davis and wife, Nancy, were 
 the first who lived on the Stiles place. 
 James Pittsly and wife, Esther, commenced 
 on the place known as the Bohonnon 
 place, on the east side of the stream, now 
 occupied by Jacob Putnam. After this, 
 Wm. Lewis purchased the Scudder lot and 
 the inhabitants erected a board fence around 
 the burying lot. Oct. 8, 1863, an asso- 
 ciation was formed called the North Branch 
 Cemetery Association. The trustees pur- 
 chased li acres, together with the old 
 ground of Lathrop Lewis, son of Wm. 
 Lewis, for $150, and built a good, substan- 
 tial fence around it, erected a hearse-house 
 and purchased a hearse. The location 
 being on the main road, and the soil dry 
 
MIDDLESEX. 
 
 245 
 
 and sandy, makes it the most desirable 
 cemetery in the town." 
 
 Some of the oldest buried in North 
 Branch Cemetery were : Clarissa Gould, 
 aged 66 ; Ruth Minott, 66 ; Daniel Russell, 
 68; his wife. Temperance, 8i ; Reuben 
 Russell, 78 ; his wife, Susannah, 69 ; John 
 Gallison, 83 ; his wife, Phebe, 85 ; Allen 
 Gallison, 68; Enoch Kelton, 64; his wife, 
 Huldah, 72 ; Josiah Wright, 76 ; his wife, 
 Betsy, 84 ; Nathaniel Wentworth, 71 ; Eliz- 
 abeth, relict of Moses Wentworth, 87 ; Wil- 
 liam Lewis, 88 ; his wife, Hannah, 67 ; 
 Jacob Putnam, 73 ; his wife, Polly W., 57 ; 
 Betsy Thayer, 67 ; Isaac Batchelder, 61 ; 
 his wife, Mary, 68 ; David Herrick, 86 ; 
 his wife, Mary, 85 ; Stephen C. Jacobs, 76 : 
 Andrew Tracy, 75 ; his wife, Levina, 84 ; 
 Ebenezer Cummings, 94; Abel H. Cole- 
 man, j^-^ David Gray, 82; David Hatch, 
 63 ; his wife, Sarah, 57 ; John McDermid, 
 nearly 7 J ; his wife, Adelia, nearly 72 ; 
 Louiza Lane, 72; Margaret Smith, 81; 
 Thomas Culver, 71 ; his wife, Anna, 73; 
 Zeley Keyes, 76; Micah Hatch, 83; his 
 wife, Mary, 69 ; Ephraim Hall, 68 ; Tim- 
 othy Worth, 84 ; Solomon Lewis, 89 ; his 
 wife, Susannah, 70; his second wife, Lu- 
 cinda, 68 ; Elizabeth Church, 60 ; Sabra 
 Burrell, 85 ; Wm. R. Kinson, 56; Hannah 
 Kinson, 73 ; Eunice Edgerly, 64. 
 
 Mrs. Lydia King, widow of Elder Na- 
 thaniel King, died at the house of her son- 
 in-law, Stephen Herrick, at the age of 91 
 years, and was buried in Northfield. 
 
 REMARKABLE CASE OF PETRIFACTION. 
 
 In March, 1846, James Vaughn (the 
 writer's father,) and family, which in- 
 cluded his father, Daniel Vaughn, moved 
 from Pomfret, this state, on to a farm in 
 the N. W. part of Middlesex. 
 
 " Uncle Daniel," as he was universally 
 called in Windsor County, was a man 
 about 5 feet, 10 inches in height, broad 
 shouldered, stout built, and weighing some 
 more than 200 lbs. He was noted for his 
 remarkable strength, his strong, heavy 
 voice, his sociality, his song-singing and 
 story-telling, and was a notedly robust 
 man, the solidity of muscle increasing as 
 age advanced to such an extent as to 
 
 make it necessary for him to use a cane 
 or crutches for the last 15 years of his life. 
 
 He died of dropsy June 3, 1846, aged 
 78 years, and by his request was l)uried in 
 a place selected by himself in a sightly 
 spot near the house where he died. The 
 following March the eldest daughter of 
 James Vaughn, aged 16, died of consump- 
 tion, and was buried in a grave near her 
 grandfather. In Feb. 1855 their remains 
 were taken up to be removed to the family 
 burying-Iot in Woodstock cemetery. The 
 remains of the young lady were found in 
 the usual condition of those buried that 
 length of time. 
 
 The uncommon heft of Mr. Vaughn's 
 coffin led to an examination of the re- 
 mains, when it was found that the body 
 had become petrified. Every part, ex- 
 cepting the nose, was in perfect form, 
 nearly its natural color, but a little more 
 of a yellowish tinge, hard like stone, and 
 it weighed 550 lbs. The petrified body 
 was viewed by Mr. Vaughn's family and 
 many of the neighbors in Middlesex, and 
 was also seen by many at Woodstock. A 
 somewhat minute examination b^ physi- 
 cians and scientific men revealed the fact 
 that the fingers, toes and the outer part of • 
 the body were very hard and brittle, but 
 that the length of time had not been suffi- 
 cient to so fully change the inner portions 
 of the most fleshly parts of the body and 
 limbs. But it was generally believed by 
 those who made examination that a few 
 years more of time would have made the 
 work of petrifaction complete, and chan- 
 ged the entire body to a mineral forma- 
 tion, that would perhaps endure for ages. 
 
 A biographical sketch of him we have 
 not given, as it properly belongs in Pom- 
 fret history, of which town he was an 
 early settler. 
 
 SUDDEN AND ACCIDENTAL DEATHS. 
 
 Luther Haskins, aged about 80, died in 
 a chair in Barrett & Holden's store. He 
 sat leaning slightly back, and was first 
 noticed to be dead by Will Herrick, who 
 happened to go into the store. 
 
 Nancy Hornbrook, aged 16, daughter of 
 Wm. Hornbrook, dropped dead at a party 
 at Alfred Warren's, about the year 1856. 
 
246 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 When the railroad was being built, Lo- 
 vina Cameron, aged about 13, dau. of Ira 
 Cameron, of this town, was visiting in 
 Berlin. She and a cousin and another girl 
 were walking over the railroad bridge near 
 Montpelier Junction, stepping from one 
 stringer to another, all having hold of 
 hands, when one made a misstep, and Miss 
 Cameron and her cousin fell through into 
 the river and were drowned. 
 
 U. W. Goodell, nephew of L. D. Ains- 
 worth, was struck on the forehead by a 
 stick thrown by a circular saw while work- 
 ing in Mr. Ainsworth's saw-mill, and lived 
 but a few hours. 
 
 Chester Newton, while working in the 
 same mill, helping to saw logs, was twitch- 
 ed upon the large circular saw, by the saw 
 catching a board he was moving, and so hor- 
 ribly mangled that he lived but a short time. 
 
 Alvaro, son of Frederick Richardson, 
 brakeman on the cars, aged 26 years, was 
 killed by his head striking the timbers 
 overhead in the dry-bridge at Waterbury, 
 in 1879. Hinkley Chapin, aged 22, was 
 killed at the same place, and in the same 
 way, in 1851. 
 
 In 1872, Louis AmePs house, on east 
 hill, caught fire from smoking meat in the 
 wood-shed, and Mr. Amel was overcome 
 by the flames while removing property, 
 and burned with the house. Age, 51 yrs. 
 
 Nathaniel Daniels was drowned in 1818 ; 
 see account of freshets. George, a son of 
 Hiram Williams, was drowned in the river 
 below the Narrows, while bathing, aged 
 about 16. Frank, son of Osgood Evans, 
 was in a boat above the Narrows, one pad- 
 dle broke, and he went over the falls and 
 was drowned. His body was found in the 
 eddy below the Narrows. The only son 
 of Asa Chapin, was drowned in a spring 
 while drawing water for use in the house, 
 and a little son of Samuel Mann was 
 drowned in a spring on the Stephen Her- 
 rick farm. 
 
 James Daniels, aged about 78, living at 
 Lawrence Fitzgerald's, was found dead in 
 bed in the morning. 
 
 There have been 10 cases of suicide in 
 the last 60 years by Middlesex people, 7 of 
 which were committed in town. 
 
 STEPHEN HERRICK. 
 
 BY THE EDITOR. 
 
 We do not usually give sketches of the 
 living, but the senior writer of this town 
 history being so aged a man, and it being 
 somewhat remarkable in his case that of 
 210 men living in the town when he set- 
 tled here, who had families, that he has 
 been the last survivor of them all for eight 
 and a half years past, it seems a moderate 
 autobiographic record in such circum- 
 stances is admissible. 
 
 Mr. Herrick is of English and Scotch 
 descent, son of Stephen, senior ; born in 
 Randolph, Vt., Feb. 19, 1795. In the 
 fall of 1820, he came to Middlesex, and se- 
 lected his location, bought in October, but 
 returned to Randolph, taught school that 
 winter after in Brookfield, and returned .to 
 Middlesex in April, 1821. He bought his 
 farm of Reuben Mann, son of Samuel, who 
 was one of the first settlers, and where Mr. 
 H. has continued to reside for the past 61 
 years. He married Lydia, dau. of Rev. 
 Nathaniel King ; their children : Eliza — 
 mar. ist, Chester Pierce of N. H., 2d, 
 Samuel Warren of Middlesex, 3d, Ad in 
 Miles of Worcester, has three children 
 living ; Nathaniel King, the only son, 
 who m. Jane Foster, 3 children, 2 living — 
 King Herrick, as he is always called, is a 
 merchant at Middlesex village ; Emily R., 
 who died at 22 ; Harriet, who m. Abram 
 S. Adams, had 5 children, and is deceased : 
 Laura Jane, who m. John McDermid, had 
 2 daughters, buried one ; Nancy Jane, who 
 m. Arthur McDermid, bro. to John, 3 chil- 
 dren, her husband dying, m. 2d, Freder- 
 erick A. Richardson ; Lydia Ann, who 
 mar. Heman Taplin, no children ; and 
 youngest, Alma R., born In 1842, married 
 V. V. Vaughn, Mar. 8, 1865,— children, 
 Mabel, died at 10 years, Wilmar Herrick, 
 Ida Alma, and Frank Waldo. 
 
 Mr. Herrick has been a man of great 
 physical strength and vigorous mind. 
 The following will evince what his mental 
 ability has been : 
 
 When the Vt. Central R. R. was being 
 built, Abram B. Barker and Thomas 
 
MIDDLESEX. 
 
 247 
 
 Haight contracted to build 2 miles of it 
 below Middlesex village. They carried 
 on work for about a year and failed. Ste- 
 phen Herrick took a contract to finish the 
 work; carried it on about 13 months, and 
 in consequence of short estimates also 
 failed — but for which he immediately com- 
 menced a suit against the R. R. Co., and 
 afterwards was retained for and commen- 
 ced a suit in favor of Barker and Haight 
 as agent for their creditors. After carry- 
 ing on these suits for 8 years he got a de- 
 cree against the R. R. Co. in his own 
 case for about $9000 ; the Barker & 
 Haight suit he prosecuted for 20 years be 
 fore .getting a final decree. 
 
 In these suits he took all his testimony 
 himself, examined his witnesses himself 
 in court, and wrote out his own pleas. In 
 a word he was his own lawyer. It is said 
 he once appeared in Supreme court with 
 his case written out, filling 300 pages, that 
 Gov. Paine, the president of the road, 
 said that that book would be the death of 
 him. Mr. Herrick tells the story now 
 well, and adds that it was. When Gov. 
 Paine was summoned, he told the officer 
 he had rather meet the devil than that 
 Stephen Herrick in the court. 
 
 He has also successfully, as town agent, 
 managed many suits for the town, includ- 
 ing the noted Wythe pauper suit with 
 Moretown, the Beckwith suit in regard to 
 settling the 3 ministerial lots, and the East 
 Hill road suit, and has managed many 
 grand jury suits, in all of which he acted 
 as his own counsel and made his own 
 pleas. 
 
 The Saturday before the death of the late 
 Hon. Daniel Baldwin, these two old men 
 met upon the street at Montpelier village. 
 Said Mr. Baldwin. "We two old men, 
 the two oldest inhabitants of our respective 
 neighboring towns, should have a visit to- 
 gether." Mr. Herrick assented, and asked 
 where it should be. "It must be at my 
 house," replied Mr. Baldwin, " and next 
 Saturday, one week from to-day." The 
 following Wednesday Mr. Baldwin died. 
 Mr. Herrick seems remarkably hale and 
 hearty yet. 
 
 REVOLUTIONARY PENSIONERS. 
 
 No official list of Revolutionary soldiers 
 who have resided in Middlesex can be ob- 
 tained, but the following-named men are 
 said to have been Revolutionary pension- 
 ers who have lived in town : Estes Hatch, 
 — Sloan, Jas. Hobart, Cyrus Hill, Micah 
 Hatch, David Phelps, Col. Joseph Hutch- 
 ins, Joseph Chapin, Sr., Lyman Tolman. 
 
 Seth Putnam was one of the first three 
 settlers in Washington County, having 
 moved into Middlesex in 1785. He was a 
 cousin to the noted Israel Putnam, and as 
 a subaltern in Col. Warner's celebrated 
 regiment of Green Mountain Boys, partic- 
 ipated in their battles and marches in the 
 old Revolution. He related many of his 
 adventures of the first settlement, and 
 among them one of a remarkable march 
 which he made through the wilderness in a 
 snow-storm, from Rutland, where he had 
 been in attendance as a member of the 
 legislature during the month of November. 
 The only traveled road to his home was 
 then around by Burlington. 
 
 SOLDIERS BURIED IN TOWN IN THE 
 WAR OF 1 86 1. 
 
 S. F. Jones, Jacob Jones and Zenas 
 Hatch, — in North Branch Cemetery. 
 
 Chester Newton, — in the Cemetery at 
 the Center. 
 
 Nathaniel Jones, — in the village Ceme- 
 tery. 
 
 Mrs. Esther Shontell, of this town, sent 
 seven sons into the army in this war: Wil- 
 liam, who measured 6 feet 8 inches in 
 height ; Benjamin, 6 feet 4 inches ; Fred- 
 erick, 6 feet 3 inches ; Leander, 5 feet 9 
 inches ; Lewis, 6 feet i inch ; Joseph, 6 
 feet 7 inches ; Augustus, 6 feet. Two of 
 the brothers were killed ; and the mother 
 draws a pension for one of them. Anoth- 
 er left a widow, and two are pensioned on 
 account of wounds. 
 
 O, the strong MItUUesex boys 
 
 Were luad for the war ! 
 And llie name of each liero 
 
 To tlie ages afar 
 Shall leave a track like a comet— 
 
 Each shine as u star. 
 
248 
 
 VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE. 
 
 List of Men credited to the Town of Middlesex, 1861-1865. 
 
 BY STEPHEN HEKRICK. 
 
 VOLUNTEERS FOR THREE YEARS, 
 
 Names. 
 Brown, Harvey W. 
 Smith, William S. 
 Ripley, William C. 
 Scribner, Walter 
 Ilerrick, George S. 
 Leonard, Alonzo R. 
 Leonard, Charles P. 
 Cushman, George H. 
 Evans, Goin B. 
 Gould, Page 
 Gould, Worthen T. 
 Jones, Stephen F. 
 Jones, Jacob G. 
 Divine, John 
 Lee, John Jr. 
 Sweeny, James 
 Leonard, John R. 
 Whitney, Elijah 
 Hogan, John 
 Shontell, William 
 Shontell, Benjamin 
 Shontell, Frederick 
 Shontell, Leander 
 Amel, Louis 
 Warren, Lorenzo S. 
 Warren, Alonzo S. 
 Kinson, Benjamin H. 
 Wilson, Francis 
 Nichols, Roswell S. 
 Lewis, Frederick A. 
 Lewis, UeForest L. 
 Scott, Elisha 
 George, Albert 
 Smith, John W, 
 Chase, Austin A. 
 Spencer, George W. 
 Hastings, Sidney B. 
 Dudley, William N. 
 
 Preston, Philander R. 
 
 Wells, Warren O. 
 Hills, Zerah 
 Oakland, George 
 Hogan, Henry 
 Smith, William P. 
 Cushman, Holmes 
 Williams, Hiram 
 Morrisett, John 
 Patterson, Robert 
 Scaribo, Fabius 
 Lewis, Charles J. 
 Fifield, William C. 
 Tobin, John W. 
 Cameron, Sylvester 
 Ward, Tertullus C. 
 Bean, Albert 
 Bruce, George W. 
 Jones, Jabez 
 Chase, Amos J. 
 Buck, William H. H. 
 Templeton, James A. 
 Cameron, John 
 Rublee, Otis N. 
 Herrick, Geo. S. 
 Amel, Louis 
 
 A{ie. 
 
 Keij. Co 
 
 Enlistment. 
 
 19 
 
 2 F 
 
 May 7 61 
 
 22 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 21 
 
 3H 
 
 June I 61 
 
 21 
 
 4G 
 
 Aug 22 61 
 
 23 
 
 do 
 
 Aug 29 61 
 
 21 
 
 do 
 
 Sept 3 61 
 
 19 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 34 
 
 do 
 
 Aug 22 61 
 
 21 
 
 6 G 
 
 Feb 1862 
 
 21 
 
 6H 
 
 Aug 14 61 
 
 18 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 44 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 18 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 30 
 
 6 G 
 
 Oct 15 61 
 
 32 
 
 do 
 
 Sept 20 61 
 
 35 
 
 do 
 
 Sept 23 61 
 
 26 
 
 6 F 
 
 -Oct 361 
 
 31 
 
 do 
 
 Oct 8 61 
 
 
 6H 
 
 Aug 14 61 
 
 25 
 
 8 E 
 
 Oct 21 61 
 
 24 
 
 do 
 
 Dec 16 61 
 
 22 
 
 do 
 
 Jan 10 62 
 
 19 
 
 do 
 
 Dec 16 61 
 
 3^ 
 
 do 
 
 Oct 7 61 
 
 22 
 
 do 
 
 Dec 7 61 
 
 20 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 26 
 
 do 
 
 Oct 3 61 
 
 28 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 41 
 
 do 
 
 Nov 30 61 
 
 18 
 
 CavC 
 
 Sept 13 61 
 
 20 
 
 do 
 
 Nov 12 61 
 
 50 
 
 do 
 
 Sept 20 61 
 
 21 
 
 do 
 
 Sept 13 61 
 
 41 
 
 do 
 
 Sept 12 61 
 
 21 
 
 do 
 
 Oct 3 61 
 
 28 
 
 do 
 
 Sept 20 61 
 
 42 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 32 
 
 do 
 
 Sept 12 61 
 
 27 
 
 do 
 
 Sept 21 61 
 
 38 
 
 1st Bat 
 
 Dec 361 
 
 34 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 24 
 
 2d Bat 
 
 Oct 23 61 
 
 20 
 
 9 I 
 
 June 18 62 
 
 19 
 
 do 
 
 June 30 62 
 
 27 
 
 10 B 
 
 July 25 62 
 
 29 
 
 do 
 
 Aug 1 62 
 
 28 
 
 do 
 
 July 30 62 
 
 35 
 
 do 
 
 Aug 6 62 
 
 28 
 
 do 
 
 Aug 4 62 
 
 25 
 
 11 D 
 
 Aug 12 62 
 
 41 
 
 6 F 
 
 Aug 15 62 
 
 18 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 25 
 
 do 
 
 do 
 
 26 
 
 
 do 
 
 "3 
 
 2 D 
 
 do 
 
 23 
 
 10 K 
 
 Aug II 62 
 
 19 
 
 II I 
 
 Dec 5 63 
 
 40 
 
 Cav C 
 
 Nov 24 63 
 
 22 
 
 CavG 
 
 Dec II 63 
 
 45 
 
 Cav C 
 
 Dec 863 
 
 26 
 
 do 
 
 Dec 18 63 
 
 18 
 
 3d Bat 
 
 Sept 563 
 
 25 
 
 ' do 
 
 Nov 2 63 
 
 19 
 
 do 
 
 Sept 1563 
 
 28, 65. 
 
 Died Feb. 4, 63, at Point Lookout, Md. 
 
 Died Sept. 5, 61, at Washington, D. C. 
 
 Discharged Nov. 8, 62. [23, 65. 
 
 Corp : pris. June 23, 64 : must, out May 
 
 Discharged Jan. 21, 63. 
 
 Discharged Dec. iS, 62. 
 
 Re-en. Feb. 8, 64 : must, out May 23, 65. 
 
 Corp : killed at Weldon R.R. June 23, 64. 
 
 Discharged April 24, 63. [June 26, 65. 
 
 First Serg : wd. April 16, 62 : must, out 
 
 Died Jan. 4, 63, at Belle Plains, Va. 
 
 Died Feb. 63, at Brattleboro. 
 
 Died Jan. 24, 62, at Camp Griffin. 
 
 Re-en. Dec. 15, 63 : must, out June 26, 65. 
 
 Re-en. Dec. 15, 63 : must, out July 15, 65. 
 
 Discharged Jan. 8, 62. 
 
 Mustered out Oct. 28, 64. 
 
 First Lieut : resigned June 19, 62. 
 
 Wd. April 16, 62 : deserted Jan. 19, 63. 
 
 Corp: discharged Feb. 12, 63. 
 
 Discharged Oct. 16, 62. 
 
 Died May 16, 62. 
 
 Wd. Sept. 4, 62 : must, out Aug. 3, 64. 
 
 Re-en. Jan. 5, 64 : must, out June 
 
 Wd. Sept. 4, 62 : dis. April 6, 63. 
 
 Died March 19, 63. 
 
 Died June 18, 62. 
 
 Corp : died Dec. 5, 62. 
 
 Musician : discharged June 30, 62. 
 
 Paroled pris : must, out May 23, 65. 
 
 Mustered out Nov. 18, 64. 
 
 do [Nov. 18, 64. 
 
 Pro. Corp : wd. Apr. i, 63 : mustered out 
 Corp : discharged Oct. 9, 62. 
 Discharged Nov. 27, 61. 
 Discharged Oct. 3, 62. 
 Discharged Nov. 18, 64. 
 Discharged Jan. 13, 63. 
 Wd. July 6, 63 : Re-en. Dec. 31, 63 ; tak- 
 ken pris. June 29, 64 ; died at Florence, 
 ' S. C, Jan., 65. 
 
 Corp : mustered out Aug. 10, 64. [La. 
 Corp : died June 25, 63, at Port Hudson, 
 Corp: re-en.Feb.20,64: mus.out July 31,65 
 Pro. Corp: do. Serg: mus. out June 13, 65. 
 Died Oct. 12, 62. 
 Mustered out June 22, 65. 
 Died Feb. 17, 65, at Washington, D. C. 
 Mustered out June 22, 65. 
 Wd. Oct. 19, 64 : dis. May 27, 65. 
 Mustered out June 22, 65. [15, 65. 
 
 Sec. Lt : pro. ist Lt : do. Capt : dis. May 
 Must, out June 19, 65. [out June 19,65. 
 Wd.Sep. 19, 64: pro. Corp: do Serg: mus. 
 Mustered out June 19, 65. 
 Killed in ac. at Gettysburgh, July 3, 63. 
 Died Oct. 3, 64, at Sandy Hook, of wds. 
 Deserted July 5, 63. 
 Died at Middlesex, July 10, 65. 
 Mustered out Aug. 9, 65. 
 Discharged Sept. 15, 65. 
 Mustered out Aug. 9, 65. 
 Wd. May 6, 64 : discharged Feb. 22, 65. 
 Musician : mustered out June 15, 65. 
 do do 
 
 do