USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Leyden > History of Leyden, Massachusetts, 1676-1959 > Part 9
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Road to Guilford in Vermont
alled Count
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Earliest Known Map of Leyden - 1794
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about which full details will be given in the Dorril story soon to follow.
The Year 1794: Preparing for any and all emergencies, it was voted at this time to "procure a Town Stock of Ammuni- tion." This was later stored in the Meetinghouse; but whether under the Pulpit or not, as in Deerfield, has not been ascertained!
The 1794 map on p. 85 is the first known outline of Leyden and was ordered drawn up June 20th. The legend is as follows: "A map of the Town of Leyden in the County of Hampshire, taken pursuant to a Resolve of the Gen. Court of this Common- wealth - protracted by a scale of two hundred rods to an Inch after an actual survey made and completed in November last." Complete minutes of the town survey follow. The legend goes on to explain that "S.M" stands for Saw Mill; that "C.M." stands for Corn Mill and adds that "the reputed distance from the center of said Leyden to the "Shire Town" of the County [Northampton] is 29 miles & from the Metropolis of the Com- monwealth, 117 miles - Caleb Chapin, Surveyor."
Though a bit crude, this map not only shows the location of Ethan Allen Highway (County Road), but also gives the location of Cunnabell mills in the northeast, Corse's mill in the south, Clark's mill on lower Green River and Richardson's mills near the present West Leyden bridge.
It was this year that road building came to a climax with Eden Trail Road linking Bernardston and Leyden "from Consider Chapins at the North end of the road leading from Hales saw- mill to the road running from Capt. Frizels in Leyden." A road was laid out from Edward Nelson's lot, southward from Frizzell Hill; adjustments were made in the Beaver Meadow Road near Daniel Newcomb's farm; there is mention of a road northeast of the present Glabach farm to the "Asa Wells lot." In fact, by 1794 the main roads of the town had been built and sixty pounds (a large sum for those days) was raised for upkeep of these highways.
It was this year that Hezekiah Newcomb, Sr. "sold" to his son the Newcomb place in East Leyden. The deed reflects the kindly character of the elder Newcomb. It reads: "For and in consideration of the natural affection & love I bear my son, Hezekiah of Leyden . .. " and goes on to describe the lands and buildings which Hezekiah Newcomb, Jr. acquired.
So it was that the Pilgrim descendant of William Bradford entered the Leyden hills and took over the house which was to
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shelter officers of the State, artists and writers - a house which was to become a center of the strange Dorrilite gatherings of the 1790's.
CHAPTER VI
The Dorrilite Years
I was in 1790 that the one-time redcoat, William Dorril, first appeared in Leyden near the Hessian settlement. In 1792, he is found on the northern slopes of Frizzell Hill where a son, Luther, was born on November 11th. As far as can be deter- mined, it was about this time Dorril had his first "vision" and began to express his strange religious ideas. There was no orthodox church in Leyden. The Elder Joseph Green had a small Baptist following in West Leyden, but lacking a place of worship, his parishioners met in private homes, in barns, in groves and under a great granite column known as Meeting- house Rock. Hardy folk of the Congregational faith journeyed many miles to the Bernardston church. Lacking a central spiritual focus, it is little wonder that the impressive William Dorril made such surprising progress within the religious vacuum which existed in the East Leyden hills.
This Dorril was a giant of a man, we are told. Six feet five inches tall; he weighed nearly 300 pounds. His manner was commanding, yet friendly, his eye quick and penetrating, his forehead full. Unable either to read or write, he nevertheless possessed a remarkable memory and could repeat long pas- sages of the Bible after once hearing them read.
The Leyden "Messiah" was born in Yorkshire, England on March 15, 1752. Early in life he joined the British army and served during three campaigns in Ireland. At the outbreak of the American Revolution, he took ship for our shores under General Burgoyne. In 1777, at Saratoga, he was taken prisoner. Released from captivity in 1780, he soon married Polly Chase of Petersham, a girl ten years his junior. He then removed to Warwick where in 1781 he purchased of Ephraim Robins "for 7 pounds, ten shillings" a 50-acre lot. During the next eight years he moved between Warwick and Northfield where five of his children were born.
Careful study of old deeds and town records have led to the discovery of the actual site of Dorril's first preaching home in Leyden - a spot on the north side of Frizzell Hill overlooking the Vermont landscape. It was near this site that the first "revelation" came to him while chopping wood. It was here
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that a voice, "coming from the Heavens," thundered, "Render yourself a fitting sacrifice."
The Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association papers record that Dorril's first success as a preacher began about 1794; that gaining a few followers, his strange doctrines spread from neighborhood to neighborhood; that a large number of re- spected citizens were attracted to him and cast in their lot with one they believed to be a humanitarian leader.
With smooth and magnetic address, Dorril first preached that all days were holy; that there should be no Sundays; that no one should cause the death of any living creature. This latter principle was so strictly enforced that Dorrilites could not eat the flesh or use the skins of animals for domestic purposes. They could not wear leather shoes or use harnesses made of leather. Most Dorril followers, therefore, wore large wooden shoes made by Ezra Shattuck, a staunch member of the sect. Harnesses were made of rope; cloth was woven from flax. The story goes that one Dorrilite, a blacksmith, tried to dodge the law by covering his bellows with leather which, in turn, he then covered with painted cloth.
To set the stage for the unprecedented events which were to follow, it might be well to picture the location of the East Ley- den homesteads where the Dorrilites lived, held property in common and "worshipped" in their peculiar way.
As we have intimated, the nucleus of the Dorrilite clan lived in the Frizzell Hill area. This included the upper Couch Brook, all of "East Hill" and the upper section of Eden Trail which Dorril probably named. According to historian Kellogg of Bernardston, the following pioneers were members of the Dorrilite sect: John Cunnabell, Sr., Reuben Frizzel and John Cunnabell, Jr. on the upper Couch Brook; Michael Frizzel, Ezra Shattuck, Reuben Parmenter and Jason Parmenter at the head of Couch Brook; Joshua Wells, Reuben Sheldon, Ner and Asa Wells, on the north slope of Frizzell Hill; John Evans and Zenas Frizzel, on the northeast slope; Hezekiah Newcomb, Jr., his wife, the former Ruth Burnham and David Potter, on the Old Proprie- tor's Road. In Beaver Meadow: Elisha Burnham, Amos Bur- rows, David Paige, Jedediah Fuller and John Dixon are listed as Dorril followers, while scattered members, doubtless ten times the number named above, include the Messrs. Dewey, Eddy, Philips, Stearns, etc., etc.
It should be noted here that the old spelling of the Dorrilite
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leader's name is used in this text as found in the old record books. Hence, we write "Dorril" rather than the modern spell- ing, "Dorrell."
Though it has long been rumored that Dorrill lived during his preaching days in Bear's Den Cave just off the Keets ' Brook Road, the story is without foundation. Recent clues indicate he actually lived just off the north side of Leyden's Frizzell Hill. An authentic record of his first preaching habitat was found in a Franklin Registry deed dated December 4, 1798. This deed proves that Reuben Parmenter, son of Captain Jason Parmenter, then living on the present John Glabach property, "sold to Wm. Dorril for $100., 20 acres, part of Lot 83, Ist Divi- sion, beginning at the SW Corner at a pile of stones on a Ledge." Lot 83 was carefully checked on the original plans of the town and after thorough study, it was clear that the Dorril lot lay along the upper part of the present East Hill Road. In fact, a shallow cellar hole was discovered on the piece, and within 5 rods of the house site, a woodland spring, cut in ledge rock, was found.
It is likely that Dorril tenanted this piece of land on a rental basis from 1792 (when road records indicate his residence was on this piece) to 1798, the date of the Parmenter deed. The preacher was a roving planet, however, and a year after buying from Parmenter he sold the lot to Ezra Shattuck and bought a 14-acre piece at the foot of Hunt Hill. This may have been a move to bring him closer to "the center of Dorrilite operations" which by 1799 had shifted from Frizzell Hill to Beaver Meadow. This location was near the southwest corner of Lot 30, 3rd Division, or close to the present Smith farm. In 1800, toward the close of his "reign," Dorril sold all but 3 acres of this lot to Shattuck, and in 1801, sold the remainder.
Little, if anything remains of the houses in which Dorril himself may have lived. One possible remnant is the east wing of the John Glabach house. This may have been moved from the Dorril foundation near the woodland spring. It is about 24 feet wide and 30 feet long. Judging by the late 18th Century construction and its proximity to the original Dorril home site, it may well be the long-sought Leyden home of the renegade preacher.
Successful in attracting a large following, Dorril's religious imagination soared. He now taught that every generation had its Messiah; that he was the Messiah of his generation; that he
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had been raised from a state of sin to spiritual life and had become perfect. He could therefore do no evil, was no longer responsible to civil law, was beyond all principalities and powers, and no arm of flesh could harm him. He believed that since his body was in absolute obedience to the spirit, his fol- lowers were, therefore, relatively perfect in a spiritual sense. To top all, he maintained that he stood precisely in the same posi- tion as Jesus Christ - spirit united with human flesh.
The above is the substance of "A Confession of Faith" re- ported by the Reverend John Taylor of Deerfield in an August 1798 issue of the Franklin Gazette. Taylor condemned Dorril's doctrines when it was disclosed at an interview with the "Mes- siah" that when a husband and wife become "perfect" through Dorrilism, the parties were no longer holden to each other, in a physical sense.
This admission helped lay bare the muddled principles and sensationalistic character of the Dorrilite sect. Though Dorril set out with high ideals which embodied the early prac- tice of vegetarianism in this country, he allowed these ideals to degenerate. Unable to hold his followers without the introduc- tion of flashy and novel devices, his meetings are said to have become wilder and wilder, often punctuated by "scenes of bacchanalian songs and bawdy addresses." During these gatherings he often called on the assistance of a black fiddler, Jack, who was possessed, Dorril boasted, "of both ignorance and cunning."
Meanwhile, alarmed by the practices of the Dorrilite fol- lowers, churchgoers of the town busied themselves with plans for a Meetinghouse. Action was stalled on this project for nearly two years, probably through opposition of the Dorrilites, but in 1796 a building "46 ft. long by 36 ft. wide with 2 good convenient stories" was approved by town vote. Four months later, how- ever, this vote was shelved. The Dorrilite hold was further strengthened at this time when Elder Joseph Greene, pastor of the Leyden Baptist flock, passed away leaving his parishioners in the west part of town without a spiritual leader.
In 1798, the Dorrilites were at the height of their popularity, but after the publication of the Taylor interview, they began to lose favor. In an attempt to keep his flock together, Dorril tried to convince them of his growing greatness. He posed as a martyred saint - a holy man - when in reality he was wander- ing farther and farther from that wholeness or holiness which
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only a life of renunciation can attain. In his desperation to hold his audience, he proclaimed more loudly than ever his super- natural powers - an illusion bolstered up by "spirits" anything but holy.
The final meeting of the sect which occurred in 1800, is described as follows in the Vermont Gazeteer: "At length, a goodly number of his followers having assembled, Dorril opened with music and then began his discourse. Among the spectators was Captain Ezekiel Foster of Beaver Meadow - a man of giant frame and a countenance that bespoke authority. When Dorril uttered the words: 'No man of flesh can harm me,' Foster rose, and stretching forth his brawny arm, felled the prophet . . . and threatened to strike again if he did not renounce his faith. This Dorril was compelled to do under threat of violence. His fol- lowers quickly departed, and Dorril himself was made to promise that his own life should pay the penalty of future preaching."
Though he did not preach again, there is evidence that in futile, even ludicrous ways, he tried to "come back." One story goes that the "Messiah" tried to demonstrate his ability to walk on water. But the planks he had carefully laid just below the surface in the mill pond, were removed unbeknown to the prophet, so when he stepped forth where the planks should have been, he fell headlong into the watery deep. Another story tells of his conniving with one of Leyden's leading Dorrilite citizens to do away with Captain Foster. An ingenious "murder machine" was developed by the ex-Dorrilites, but Foster, warned of the trap, escaped by a hair's breadth.
Defeated and in disgrace, William Dorril retired to a remote section of West Leyden on the old Joseph Clark place. Here, in 1834, Lt. Gov. Cushman found the old man "living in a smoky house, situated far from the travelled road, remote from human residence." Cushman recounts that the household furniture consisted of a table, loom, bed and two chairs. He adds that Dorril was then 82 years of age, lived alone and had remarkably good health. Although the old man had no followers at the time, he thought some of the old Dorrilites still clung to his religion, though they did not publicly acknowledge it. This may have been true in some instances, but a number of promi- nent Dorrilites, including Amos Burrows, pointedly joined the established church shortly after the Dorrilite debacle.
When asked why he set up a religion of his own, and of such a revolutionary character, Dorril said "he wanted to see
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how far he could go with those people." Though he undoubtedly initiated his religious doctrines with genuine intentions, subse- quent conflicts with the established church with resulting frus- trations, embittered him; and being a Britisher whose King only a few years before had been soundly beaten by the hardy Yankees, he took the opportunity to "strike back."
William Dorril spent the last 45 years of his life in retire- ment. He died August 26, 1846, aged 94. It is said he literally starved himself to death, saying he was old enough; that "if he continued to eat, he might live forever." He was buried in the Beaver Meadow cemetery beside his wife. Today, above his grave where the American flag waves on Memorial Day, a simple stone is inscribed: "William Dorrell, a Soldier of the Revolution."
Taking a long view of Dorril's preaching, he seems to stand out as more than a religious trickster. The fact that Rep. Heze- kiah Newcomb, Charles Packer, Capt. Michael Frizzell and many other leading citizens of the area espoused his early teachings, suggests that the British soldier from Yorkshire had something real to say, at least when he began to preach. And Dorril's influence, it is said, spread far beyond the confines of Leyden. There are those who credit him with strong influence in the Mormon movement which got under way soon after the Dorrilites had retired from the scene of action.
The Years 1795-1800 in Review: During this period, while Dorrilism flourished and waned, John Adams had become President of the country. By 1797, to the popular tune of "Hail Columbia," Americans were backing the new leader in a war against our former ally, France. To raise the necessary funds, Congress voted to impose a direct tax on all personal property. The following list of Leyden tax payers, procured from the vault of the New England Historical Society in Boston, includes those with buildings valued over $100, and in a separate list, those with buildings valued under $100. If one multiplies each valu- ation by 20, some idea of today's comparative values may be gleaned. Reference to the front map and the 1790 census list will help locate the residences of citizens named.
Nathaniel Avery (2 houses) $150 and $350; Jonathan Bud- ington, $650; Ezra Babcock (on J. Budington) $250; Esther Bliss, $110; Peter Bliss, $350; Consider Bardwell, $150; Oliver Babcock, $600; Israel Bullock, $230; Uriah Bush, $110; Henry Burdick, $175; Peleg Babcock, $450; Benj. Baker, $125; James Babcock,
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$200; Elisha Brown, $175; Amos Burrows, $250; Enock Briggs, $350; Paul Babcock, $150; Alpheus Barstow, $300; Julius Chapin, $150; Consider Chapin, $110; Nathaniel Carpenter, $300; Phineus Crumb, $150; Jared Crandell, $450; David Clark, $120; Selah Chapin (2 houses) $110 and $150; A. Hebard, $200; Matthew Clark, $125; Elisha Clark, $200; John Corse, $250; John Downing, $120; David Dennison, $350; Edward Dennison, $125; Jas. Esen, $200; Richard Esen, $225, Ezekiel Foster, $125; J. Field, $110; Reuben Frizzell, $250; Michael Frizzell, $125; Lemuel Foster, $200; Richard Grinnell, $230; David Gates, $180; Paul Green, $175; Peter Gates, $150; Benj. Green, Jr., $300; Ezekiel Fitch (on Benj. Green, Jr.), $110; Andrew Henry, $270; H. Hawkins, $125; Charles Hunt, $450; Nathaniel Hastings, $110; John Hunt, $280; Reuben Ingram, $280; Paul Kenyon, $150; John Kately, $200; Benj. Shel- ton, $125; Sq. Maxwell, $250; Oliver Noyes, $200; Asahel New- ton, $200; J. Olmsted, $110; David Potter, $460; Charles Packer, $175; J. Richardson, $200; M. Severance, $200, P. Stedman, $225; Reuben Sheldon, $110; J. Shepardson, Jr., $460; Thomas Wells, $350; Robert West, $110; Uriah Wilbur, $225. The total assessed valuation of the above 70 buildings covering 35 acres and 80 perches of land was $15,905.
Buildings under $100 Valuation: Simeon Allen, $80; Elijah Adams, $10; J. Budington, $70; Bedgood Bulfinch, $5; Benj. Ball, $30; John Cunnabell, $50; D. Clark, $30; Wm. Clark, $50; Daniel Cooledge, $80; J. Cunnabell, Jr., $60; Samuel Cunnabell, $80; William Dorril, $50 (with 20 acres of land, total valuation $350); John Euda, $60; Benj. Eddy, $80; Zenas Kent, $20; John Millis, $60; Benj. Morgan, $30; Edward Nicholson, $60; Edward Nelson, $80; Abel Perry, $60; Reuben Parmenter, $80; Theodore Page, $70; Henry Rounds, $40; Eleanor Stearns, $60; Mat. Severance, $80; Henry Thorn, $80; Ruel Willard, $50; Jonathan Wild, $50; Amos Walsworth, $40. Total valuation of the above 33 dwelling houses was under $1600! The valuation of the 10,900 acres of Leyden land was put at $120,848 at the time this tax list was completed, March 14, 1799. It was signed by Hezekiah New- comb, Jr. who represented the town of Leyden. Because some of the house valuations are extremely low, and the names of some prominent citizens are missing from the list, it is possible that "adjustments" were made in certain "political" instances.
The closing years of the 18th century found the Leyden Meetinghouse well established on the County Road opposite the Carpenter Tavern. The first official town meeting was held in
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the new building on March 5, 1798. Nearby, a neatly painted signpost directed stagecoach traffic to all points of the compass: North, to Guilford and Southern Vermont; south, to Deerfield, Springfield and Hartford; west, to Colrain and Albany; east, to Bernardston, Athol and Boston.
Within the Meetinghouse, questions regarding new roads and schools, the "fox menace," location of West Leyden's "Burying Hill", and other local probelms were the order of the day as Leyden, boasting a population of nearly 1100 hardy pioneers, ushered in the first days of the 19th Century.
The Years 1800-1801: An extremely interesting aggregate list of Leyden's production figures during the Jeffersonian period was unearthed in the State House vault. The list also includes poll tax figures, number of mills, barns, etc. - figures not given in the Federal Tax document of 1798-99.
Dwelling houses
96
Barns
81
Shops
6
Pots Pearl Ash Works
1
Grist Mills
2
Saw Mills
4
Misc. Buildings
40
Bushels Oats Raised (1801)
930
Bushels Wheat Raised (1801)
817
Bushels Rye Raised (1801)
678
Bushels Indian Corn Raised (1801)
7560
Tons Hay
1154
Oxen
134
Barrels Cider
217
Upland Mowing
949 acres
Pasturage
1791 acres
Unimprovable
1285 acres
Woodland
1855 acres
Unimproved
3806 acres
Total Acreage
10,840 acres
Two hundred and three Leyden poll taxes were paid in 1801. Of these, 45 are listed in the 16 to 21 age category; 127 are in the adult group; and 31 polls were "paid by Town." The total was fifty-three more than the 150 needed to constitute a township.
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Interesting local events during 1801, the year Leyden reached a peak population figure, include the first recording of a town charge, the marriage of three of William Dorril's daughters, and the introduction of the first town hearse. Safe- guarding their property should it be blown sky-high, it was voted that "the Proprietors of the Meetinghouse be indemnified for the stock of gun powder being stored in said house."
The Years 1802-1806: With the expansion of the country through the Louisiana Purchase, temptations to migrate from the eastern hill towns westward "where the grass was greener" became more and more inviting.
For the time being, however, Leyden held her own. In fact, the advent of the new pastor, Asa Hebard, and the dissolution of the Dorrilite clan, helped swing the pendulum in the "growing" direction. Leyden took part in new legislation regarding choice of electors for President and Vice President; steps were taken to send representatives to Northampton to help form the new county of Franklin; plans were made for a permanent bridge over Green River "near Richardson's Mills"; the Alexander Road was completed and adopted by the town.
During this period, Captain Jonathan Budington's children began to appear in the Leyden records. It is interesting to note that the captain's second son was named for the ill-fated sailor, Stephen Buckland, who perished on the prison ship, Garly, in New York harbor. At this time, too, the prominent Mowry and Miner families appeared in Leyden. The children of Amos Burrows, one-time treasurer of the Dorrilite group, also are recorded in the town books during this period. In 1802, the marriage of Elijah Brown to Rhoda Childs of Deerfield stands out. Of immediate interest, however, is the 1806 record of the marriage intentions of "Leafe Gates of Leyden to John Riddle of Colrain."
The Career of John Leonard Riddell: Inventor, Botanist, and Doctor of Medicine It was in 1787 that Lephe Gates, daughter of Peter and Mary Gates, was born in West Leyden in a house nearly opposite the Henry Thorn up-and-down saw mill. Lephe grew up on her father's farm which was close to a side road leading to a Green River fordway. And it was near this fordway that Lephe was courted by John Riddle, son of Robert Riddle whose fine Scotch-Irish ancestry could be traced back to the 8th century. It was in the West Leyden area, on February 20, 1807, that John L. Riddle (later written Riddell) was born.
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It was doubtless during his long walks to and from the "Hollow Schoolhouse" that young John, later to become an outstanding American botanist, first became interested in wild flowers. Fringed gentians, yellow orchids and virgin's bower grew in profusion near the school, and we may be sure the incipient scientist lost no time in identifying these, and dozens of other native wild plants - even as a youngster.
After graduating from the local school, he entered the Dutch-founded institution of Rensselear College in Troy, N. Y. Soon after receiving his diploma, he began lecturing, and in 1835 was given a professorship in botany and chemistry at the Cincinnati Medical College. It was from this college he received his "M.D." At this time, too, he wrote and published the pioneer botany of the then "far west." It was entitled "A Synopsis of the Flora of the Western States."
Prior to this time, in 1826, Riddell had begun his personal journal consisting of comments on aeronautics, philosophy, phy- sics, geology, and "personal items of the romantic deeds of his youth." According to the director of libraries at Tulane Uni- versity (where Riddell later taught) this journal, now in the possession of Tulane, covers the scientist's residence periods in the West and South. Interesting references to Summer visits to Leyden also are included in the journal. In 1836, Dr. Riddell accepted a post as chemistry professor at the Louisiana Medical College (now Tulane University). Soon after, President Van Buren appointed Riddell chief melter and refiner at the New Orleans mint.
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