USA > Maine > Oxford County > Woodstock > History of Woodstock, Me., with family sketches and an appendix > Part 6
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HISTORY OF WOODSTOCK.
assessors shall be allowed on their highway tax for their services.
The following tax list, made out and certified by the first assessors in 1827, shows the number of tax payers in the plan- tation, and the amount of taxes each one was assessed :
Geo. W. Cummings, 2.28
Josiah Moody, 0.26
Tilden Bartlett,
1.48
Peter Kimball, 2.33
Wm. R. Hemmingway, 2.42
Francis Kimball, 0.70
Isaac Cummings,
1.52
Barnabas Perry, 1.15
Caleb B. Barrows,
1.86
Thomas Darmon, 0.50
Polly Barrows,
0.26
John Buck,
0.30
Josiah Moody, Jr.,
1.88
Jonathan Kimball,
1.70
Abijah Lapham, 0.15
Cyrus Hamlin and John
Daniels, non-residents, 1.50
Francis Kimball was a brother of Peter ; he lived here only a short time and committed suicide. Abijah Lapham was not a resident but was taxed on a small piece of land. Thomas Dar- mon came here from Buckfield and built a small house south of the burying ground, on Whale's Back. He was here about three years and returned to Buckfield. Barnabas Perry was not a resident but owned the Bailey farm. In 1831, thirteen polls were taxed. Simeon Buck had come here, and his sons Stephen and Harrison Buck had become of age; Abijah and James Lapham had moved here from Bethel. This year thirty scholars were reported. In 1832, there were eleven voters ; the new comers were Sylvanus Bartlett, Robert Bearce and Jacob Read. John Buck had died, and Tilden Bartlett, Abijah and James Lapham, and some others, had gone away.
In 1833 there was a movement to annex the plantation to Woodstock, and George W. Cummings was chosen a committee to take charge of the matter. This year the plantation voted to build a school house and to locate it as near the center as possible; Caleb B. Barrows, Josiah Moody and Robert Bearce were a committee to find the center of the District. Peter
63
HISTORY OF WOODSTOCK.
Kimball was chosen an agent to superintend the building of the school house. It was voted to allow gates across the road through the Gore. The school house was built on the road near where the pound was afterwards built. It was burned in a few years, and a new one built on the present location. In 1834, Isaac Hicks was a resident and was elected Hogreeve. The records show that the plantation had two law suits on its hands, one with " Eustis," and one with "Estes." In 1835, Peter Kimball offered to board the school mistress for twenty- five cents per week. It was voted to build a road from Mr. Bearce's to the County road. In 1836, $26 were raised for schools and $125 for roads. Samuel Bailey was in the planta- tion. It was voted to build a road around " Barrow's Hill," and another to Simeon Buck's place. At an adjourned meeting, it was voted to build a road to Benj. Brooks' land. At the April, 1837, meeting, it was voted to receive the surplus revenue, and Peter Kimball was chosen to go and get it; it was also voted to divide it per capita among the families in the plantation. The following sums were received by each family: George W. Cummings, $18.30; Caleb B. Barrows, $18.30; Hudson Bailey, $11.64; Stephen Buck, $8.32; Peter Kimball, $16.64; Jonathan Kimball, $6.65 ; Joseph Cummings, $30.31; Syl- vanus Bartlett, $11.64; Robert Bearce, $6,65; Simeon Buck, $8.32; Benj. Brooks, $4.99; Josiah Moody, $11.65. The amount per capita was $1.663, which would show the whole number of inhabitants at this time to be 92. In 1838, it was voted to raise $4 for plantation charges, $26 for schools and $100 for roads. It was voted that the expense of assessing taxes be allowed on the highway tax of the assessors. This year the vote for Governor stood, for John Fairfield, 13; for Edward Kent, 1.
In 1839, Andrew Cates and Hiram Day had moved into the plantation. In 1840, Reward Bryant moved into the plantation from Paris ; he married a daughter of Geo. W. Cummings. In 1847, the plantation pound was built. Previous to this, the
64
HISTORY OF WOODSTOCK.
plantation, at the annual meeting, had designated some barn yard to be the pound for a year. These little details of planta- tion affairs may have no general interest, but they go to make up plantation life and history. The early settlers of the Gore were simple in their habits and economical in their mode of living, and carried the same economy into plantation affairs that they practiced in their daily lives.
Nothing came of the effort to annex the Gore to Woodstock in 1833, nor was it any great source of regret to the plantation. They would have some advantages in a town that the planta- tion organization could not afford, but the present organization also had its advantages. Their public affairs could be managed in a more economical way and the taxes were much less. Four or five dollars in money a year answered for plantation purposes, the accounts of the plantation officers being allowed on their highway taxes. The money raised for the support of schools was often paid in produce from the farm, so that the burdens of taxation were lightly felt and easily borne. In 1847, there was a project started by Phineas Frost and others, of Bethel, for the incorporation of a new town, made up of the east part of Bethel, Milton plantation and the Gore. The plan found much favor in Bethel, but was stoutly resisted by the Gore and defeated.
ยท
After this, the affairs of the plantation moved on in a very quiet way. Some changes had been made in the population. Caleb Barrows, with his large family, had gone to Aroostook, and Daniel H. Crockett took his farm. Geo. W. Cummings, with several grown up boys, went west and Hiram Day moved from his hill farm to the place made vacant by Mr. Cummings. Sylva- nus Bartlett moved to Greenwood and was succeeded by Wm. 0. Pearson. Simeon Buck moved away and his place was occu- pied by Geo. W. Crockett, who married Esther, daughter of Robert Bearce. John G. Burns occupied the Peter Kimball place, and after living a few years in a new house built nearly opposite the Bailey place, Mr. Kimball moved to Norway, where
65
HISTORY OF WOODSTOCK.
several of his sons had gone. A few years later, Hudson and Samuel Bailey sold out to John B. Merrill and went west, where the latter soon died. The old Moody place, south of Bailey's, afterwards occupied by Andrew Cates, had been dis- mantled some years before, and the land added to the Bailey farm. Josiah Moody built a stand on the hill, near the west part of the lot where Ansel Moody now lives.
The last census taken of the Gore as a separate municipality was in 1870. There were then in the plantation seventeen dwelling houses, eighteen families and ninety-five inhabitants, only three more than in 1837, when the surplus revenue was divided. The inhabitants consisted of forty-four white and one colored males, and fifty white females. The names and ages, by families, as recorded by the census enumerator were as follows :
1. John G. Burns 58, Eliza G. 21, Josephine 9 ...
2. John A. Buck 40, Mary C. 35, Emma E. 16, Solomon C. 13, George E. 11, Freddie 9, Mary J. 6, Cora A. 4, Amos A. 2.
3. Emeline McCrillis 37, Ida F. 14, Georgie E. 12, Nellie A. 9, Lorilla F. 5.
4. Albert Billings 36, Julia A. 33, Albert O. 14, Geo. W. 12, Charles H. 9, Cora E. 7.
5. Joseph Cummings 61, Clara 26, Roscoe W. 23. -
6. Hezekiah S. Pingree 41, Roxana B. 33, Iva A. 3, Isaac H. 1.
7. Hiram Day 56, Eben E. Peverley 29, Carrie E. Peverley 23, Herbert E. 6, Capitola B. 1.
8. James B. Dudley 38, Ellen 29.
9. Wm. O. Pearson 54, Clementine 48, Wm. H. 29, Mary E. 19, Della S. Moore 15.
10. Robert Bearce 69, Betsey 68, Leroy D. Morgan 26, Mary E. 26.
11. Geo. W. Crockett 40, Esther F. 39, Elizabeth F. 15, Robert B. 12, Georgiana 9, Harry 7, William 6, Lucy A. 5,
5
66
HISTORY OF WOODSTOCK.
Jonathan 3, James H. Swan 40, Imogene 9, Frank Williams (colored) 23.
12. Ansel Moody 45, Mary P. 38, Fred. 14, Frank 10, Josiah 6.
13. John Buck 66, Hannah 68, Jerusha 24.
14. Arabella Estes 29, John G. 12, Sylvester B. 9, Anna E. 5, Irving 3, Emogene 1.
15. Oliver G. Swan 44, Lois E. 31, Eliza J. 13, Letis A. 11, Sibyl B. 10, Moses A. 8, Arvilla 5, Cora A. 2, Henry E. P2.
16. Peter Brooks 47, Arvilla 44, Henrietta 16, Prescott 23, Clarinda 12, Christiana 10, Wm. E. 4.
17. Jonathan Kimball 72, Satina 62, Almeda Newton 31, Anna H. 8.
18. John B. Merrill 39, Sarah M. 31, Cora J. 6.
When this census was taken, Jonathan Kimball was the last survivor of the first settlers then living on the Gore, and he died soon after. John Buck and Joseph Cummings were here early, but they were minors when they came, and the former, when of age, settled in Bethel, where he lived many years and then returned here. In 1873, Hamlin's Grant was annexed to Woodstock, and the circumstances which led to it were briefly these. John B. Merrill, formerly of Pray & Merrill, traders at Bryant's Pond, sold out and bought the Bailey farm on the Gore. He was a man of considerable energy and push, and entered into several business enterprises which proved unsuc- cessful. To retrieve his waning fortunes, he opened a liquor shop at his house, and under the protection of the licensing board of the plantation, of which be was one, he disposed of large quantities of liquor which he purchased of the State Liquor Agent. The report of that official for 1873, showed that Merrill had purchased the year previous over three thousand dollars' worth. It was sold in Woodstock, Milton Plantation and Rum- ford, and in fact, into towns quite remote from the Gore. It was regarded by temperance people as a nuisance, and the prosecuting officer of the County was appealed to, but declared
67
HISTORY OF WOODSTOCK.
himself powerless to do anything so long as Merrill was pro- tected by a license, and circumstances were such that he could hold the license as long as he pleased. There was only one chance left, and that was to annex the plantation to the staunch temperance town of Woodstock, and measures were at once taken to accomplish this result. The movement was begun on the Gore, in the shape of a petition to the Legislature, which was signed by Ansel Moody, W. O. and W. H. Pearson and a few others, and by a large number of voters in Woodstock. At the hearing before the Legislative committee, Merrill appeared and defended, but the committee were practically unanimous in favor of annexation and so reported ; the meas- ure was then carried through the Legislature with but little difficulty, and its approval by the Governor put an end to Hamlin's Gore as separate organization, and to its legalized liquor shop. Merrill soon after moved away, owing the State liquor agent quite a large sum, for which the inhabitants of the Gore were responsible, and the collection of which was enforced by legal process. It has been nine years since the Gore lost its identity and became a part of Woodstock ; it was only return- ing to Woodstock that territory which belonged to it, and which was left off by a mistake of the surveyor made seventy-five years before.
CHURCH HISTORY.
THE BAPTISTS.
The first settlers of Woodstock were generally church going people and felt seriously the loss of the privileges they had pre- viously enjoyed, when they came into this wilderness. A perusal of Chase's Journal shows that meetings were occasion- ally held at the houses of the settlers, at some of which they had preaching, at others reading, and at others they had only a social gathering. Mr. Chase himself became a lay preacher, and Jacob Whitman was early in the habit of expounding the
68
HISTORY OF WOODSTOCK.
Scriptures in the log houses of the settlers and also in Green- wood. It is stated, on the authority of Jacob Whitman, that the first preaching meeting ever held in town was at the house of Luther Whitman, and that the preacher was Elder John Tripp, of Hebron. This house stood a little south of where the Whitman school house now stands and on the same side of the road. The date of this meeting Mr. Whitman could not remember, but thought it was probably in 1802. In 1802, says David Ricker, Elder Tripp preached here and two persons were baptized. The ordinance of the Lord's Supper was also ob- served for the first time in this town, Jacob Whitman and Stephen Chase officiating as deacons. The early Baptists of Woodstock belonged to the church in Paris, some of them having joined there before coming here. David Ricker says that some years later a " branch " of the Baptist church of Paris was organized in this town, but as the early records of the Paris church are lost, the precise date cannot be fixed. This " branch " also included some persons living in the north part of Paris. The names of the early members are William and Deborah Berry, Jacob and Dorcas Whitman, Luther Whitman, Calvin Cole, Christopher Bryant, Stephen Chase, Ephraim Drake, Lydia and Tabitha Briggs, Bethiah Swan, Sally Bryant and Betsey Cole. Very soon afterwards there was a revival and nineteen were added, making a total of thirty-four members. Chase's journal gives some account of the early meetings. Under date of August 16, 1802, he says : " Went to a lecture at Mr. Becklar's and heard Mr. Grant." This was doubtless the first meeting ever held in Woodstock, and whether it was a religious meeting or not the journal does not specify. It is quite probable, however, that it was a sermon that Mr. Grant delivered.
On the fourth of September, 1802, Mr. Chase again enters in his journal, as follows: "Went to meeting at Luther Whit- man's," but he does not give us the name of the preacher. It is probable, however, that this was the meeting spoken of by
69
HISTORY OF WOODSTOCK.
Jacob Whitman, and that there was preaching by Elder Tripp. The next meeting spoken of by Mr. Chase was held on the twenty-seventh of September, when he "went to meeting and heard Mr. Tripp at Luther Briggs'." After this, meetings are of frequent mention, and Mr. Tripp, Mr. Low, Mr. Woodward and Mr. Chase are among the speakers named. He also speaks of hearing "Dea. Berry," "Dea. Willis," " Mr. Ricker" and others, who were not preachers, but exhorters. The meetings were held at the different houses in the neighborhood, at the two Swans', the two Chases', Luther Briggs', the two Whitmans' and at Mr. Cole's. This was Consider Cole, who did not live in No. 3, but just across the line in Greenwood. Elder Chase was of Buckfield, and Elder Tripp of Hebron ; Elder Hooper, of Paris, also preached occasionally here. These preachers were Baptist missionaries, and the seed thus early sown by them fell upon good ground and bore much fruit, for the Baptist was the leading denomination here for many years, and is one of the strongest now.
The few scattering entries in Chase's journal give us a very good idea of the state of the cause at the end of seven years from the first settlement. For the first three years, no meetings were had, and the population was not such as to justify the holding of meetings; but as new families came in, the Baptist churches, which were then strong in Paris, and Hebron, began to look after this new field. The small log huts of the settlers were the only places where meetings could be held, and the limited accommodations for keeping the minister, and the always coarse and sometimes scanty fare set before him, were by no means attractive, but such as they had the settlers freely offered, and the ministers of those days were not at all fastidious ; they were true and earnest workers in their Master's vineyard, and not only ready and willing, but anxious to make personal sacri- fices for the good of souls. And it would seem that they did not labor without results, for Mr. Chase speaks of two instances where several persons were baptized, including himself and wife,
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HISTORY OF WOODSTOCK.
and he probably did not make a record of them all. Mr. Chase was subsequently chosen a Deacon of the Baptist church in Paris, and though residing some nine or ten miles away, he frequently went there to meeting. With these early efforts, persistently followed up in after years, it is no wonder that the Baptists took the lead of other denominations from the very beginning, and for many years was the only organized religious body in town. Jacob Whitman was a pillar of strength in the early days. He would labor hard upon the land all the week, and then preach on Sunday to his neighbors. Stephen Chase also became a preacher or exhorter. John Becklar, though his native tongue was Dutch, was a good scholar, and on Sundays, when they had no preacher, he read a sermon or from some religious book, no doubt to the edification of his hearers.
We have shown that the Calvinist Baptists early occupied this field, and they held a large portion of it for many years. The branch of the Paris church, early organized here, became eventually the Paris and Woodstock church, which was organ- ized in 1828, and continues its organization to the present time. This church is made up of Baptists from the south-east part of Woodstock and the north-east part of Paris, and their place of meeting is at Paris Harbor, where they own either part or the whole of a very convenient church edifice. The Paris and Wood- stock church first sent delegates to the association in 1828, and the names of those representing the church for a series of years are given below. The names of ordained ministers are in small capitals, the licensed preachers in italics, and the figures at the end represent the number of members that year.
1828. Jacob Whitman, Christopher Bryant, William Berry. -35.
1829. Jacob Whitman, Thomas R. Carman .- 39.
1830. Eben. Drake, Luther Perkins .- 27.
1831. Daniel Macomber, Eben. Drake .- 29.
1832. William Berry, Luther Perkins .- 34.
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HISTORY OF WOODSTOCK.
1833. Luther Perkins, William Berry .- 34.
1834. Luther Perkins, Dea. William Berry, Dea. Cornelius Perkins .- 34.
1835. Same .- 34.
1836. Luther Perkins, William Berry .- 35.
1837. + Deacons Berry and Perkins .- 39.
1838. E. Drake .- 42.
1839. Dea. William Berry, R. Chandler .- 51.
1840. Dea. Berry, Z. Andrews .- 51.
1841. Dea. Perkins, Z. Andrews .- 50.
1842. E. Drake, Z. Andrews, Chas. Perkins .- 62.
1843. Same and Dea. Berry .- 63.
1844. LUTHER PERKINS, Sylvanus Dunham, Z. Andrews, C. Perkins .- 67.
1845. REUBEN MILNER, Wm. Berry, J. Benson .- 68.
1846. ADDISON ABBOTT, Gibbs Benson, E. Drake .- 71.
1847. ADDISON ABBOTT, Z. Andrews, Dea. Gibbs Benson, C. Perkins .- 71.
1848. ADDISON ABBOTT, Stillman Berry, Harvey Berry .- 71.
1849. Same .- 70.
1850. Same and Dea. Benson and C. Perkins .- 68.
1851. Same minister and Dea. S. Berry, C. Perkins, L. Whit- man .- 66.
1852. Same minister and C. Perkins, L. Whitman, H. Berry. -63.
1853. C. Perkins, Dea. S. Berry, H. Berry, L. Whitman. -72.
1854. Deacons Berry and Benson, H. Berry, L. Whitman, D. Perkins.
1855. C. PERKINS, G. Benson, Z. Andrews, H. Berry .- 66.
1856. C. PERKINS, G. Benson, Z. Andrews, H. Berry .- 46.
The reason of the falling off in membership in 1830, was the formation that year of the Woodstock and Greenwood church, which took away a portion of its strength, and again, in 1856,
72
HISTORY OF WOODSTOCK.
by the formation of the Bryant's Pond church in 1855. The ministers since the above date have been M. Lawrence, R. B. Andrews, O. Richardson, Wm. Beavins, H. C. Estes, D. D., and T. G. Lyons. Some of these have been settled and the others have merely supplied.
The Woodstock and Greenwood church was organized in 1830. It took the Baptists from the west part of Woodstock and the east part of Greenwood. The meetings were generally held in the Bryant neighborhood in Greenwood, though some- times in the Whitman school district in Woodstock. This church never owned any church edifice, its meetings being held in school houses. It was disorganized in 1855, and its members became members of the Bryant's Pond church. Its first and subsequent delegates to the association were as follows :
1830. Dea. Jacob Whitman, Dea. Christopher Bryant, Jr .- 41.
1831. Jacob Whitman and Jonathan Cole .- 40.
1832. Same .- 40.
1833.
Same .- 40.
1834. Same .- 38.
1835. Same .- 37.
1836.
Same .- 33.
1837. Same .- 29.
1838.
Jacob Whitman, Joseph Whitman, Dea. C. Bryant .- 29.
1839. Dea. Bryant, D. Ricker .- 37.
1840. Same .- 34.
1841. Same and L. Whitman .- 34.
1842. Same and Jacob Whitman .- 30.
1843. REUBEN MILNER, C. Bryant, L. Whitman, Cyprian Cole .- 38.
1844. REUBEN MILNER, C. Bryant, D. Ricker.
1845. Same minister and Dea. C. Bryant, Jacob Whitman .- 37.
73
HISTORY OF WOODSTOCK.
1846. Jacob Whitman, C. Bryant, Cyprian Cole, D. Ricker, Jr .- 35.
1847. Same .- 34.
1848. Same .- 35.
1849.
D. Ricker, C. Bryant .- 34.
1850. J. Whitman, D. Ricker, C. Bryant, C. Cole .- 34.
1851. D. Ricker .- 34.
1852. Same .- 32.
1853. Same and C. Bryant .- 31.
1854. DAVID RICKER, Dea. C. Bryant, J. Cole, R. Whitman. -36.
1855. D. RICKER, C. Bryant, S. Cole, R. Whitman .- 39.
The Hamlin's Gore Baptist Church embraced the Gore, the north part of Woodstock, and a few families in the east part of Bethel. It was organized in 1827, and continued its organiza- tion for twenty-eight years, when it was merged into the church at Bryant's Pond. It had no church edifice and early held its meetings in private houses, school houses, and sometimes, in summer, in barns. Its numbers were much larger than those of the other churches of which Woodstock formed a part, due largely to the efficient labors of Rev. Ransom Dunham, who was its first pastor, and sustained that relation for many years. Abijah Lapham was the first Deacon, and Calvin Jackson the second. Its representation in the association is given below :
1828. Abijah Lapham, Josiah Moody, Amos Bryant .- 35.
1829. Abijah Lapham, Tilden Bartlett .- 39.
1830.
Peter Kimball, Stephen Estes .- 41.
1831. Calvin Jackson, Amos Bryant .- 39.
1832. Abijah Lapham .- 38.
1833. Same and George W. Cummings .- 38.
1834.
Calvin Jackson, G. W. Cummings .- 34.
1835. Calvin Jackson, Amos Bryant .- 33.
1836. Ransom Dunham, Amos Bryant, Calvin Jackson .- 34.
1837. RANSOM DUNHAM, Amos Bryant, George W. Cum- mings .- 59.
74
HISTORY OF WOODSTOCK.
1838.
RANSOM DUNHAM, Seneca Landers, John Bird .- 65.
1839. R. DUNHAM, Peter Kimball, S. Hall .- 66.
1840. Same .- 67.
1841.
R. DUNHAM, C. Jackson, John Lapham, John Bird .- 67.
1842. R. DUNHAM, John Clark, Amos Bryant .- 81.
1843. R. DUNHAM, H. Moody .- 97.
1844.
R. Dunham, Nahum P. Moody, Eli H. Cushman .- 94.
1845. Same, Hezekiah Moody, Stephen Estes .- 87.
1846. Same, A. Bryant, S. Landers .- 69.
1847.
Same, J. Clark, Silas Billings, Amos Bryant .- 68.
1848. Same, H. Moody, S. Estes, Caleb Besse.
1849. Same, J. Lapham, H. Moody, A. Bryant .- 61.
1850.
Same, Dea. John Lapham, A. Bryant .- 54.
1851.
Same, John Lapham, L. Moody, S. Estes .- 50.
1852. Z. Andrews, J. Lapham, S. Landers, L. P. Cummings.
-42.
1853. Same, J. Lapham, H. Moody, A. Bryant .- 42.
1854.
Same, S. Estes, H. Moody .- 43.
1855. ROBERT GOUD, J. Lapham, S. Landers, A. Bryant. -39.
The Bryant's Pond Baptist Church was organized in 1855-6, its memberships being made up of the Hamlin's Gore, Wood- stock and Greenwood, and part of the Paris and Woodstock churches. A convenient church edifice was built at Bryant's Pond and dedicated in 1856. Its first delegates to the Oxford Baptist Association, and those for a few subsequent years, are here given :
1856. DAVID RICKER, Ransom Dunham, C. Bryant, S. Estes, S. Landers .- Membership, 91.
1857. D. RICKER, C. Bryant, John Lapham, C. Cole .- 85.
1858. M. LAWRENCE, D. Ricker, C. Bryant, J. Lapham.
1859. M. LAWRENCE, John Lapham, D. Ricker, Dustin Bryant, Geo. W. Ricker .- 99.
75
HISTORY OF WOODSTOCK.
1860. D. Ricker, J. Lapham, C. Bryant, E. Landers, J. Cum- mings .- 98.
1861. Z. MORTON, D. Ricker, C. Bryant, J. Lapham .- 101.
1862. W. BEAVINS, D. Ricker, J. Lapham, C. Bryant, J. Moody, J. Cummings .- 88.
1863. Same, G. W. Ricker, D. Bryant .- 95.
1864. Same, S. Estes, J. Lapham.
1865. T. J. SWETT, D. Ricker, J. Lapham, S. Estes, J. Moody. -86.
1866. Same, D. Bryant, J. Moody, R. L. Cole, S. Estes .- 85.
1867. Same, Dea. D. Bryant, Dea. J. Moody, R. L. Cole, S. Estes .- 85.
Ministers since 1867, have been A. Morton, J. C. Tucker, A. C. Herrick, T. G. Lyons, and Seth Benson.
UNIVERSALISTS.
It is not probable that any of the early settlers of this town were Universalists. Most of them, as already stated, were Baptists, and the second denomination in numbers and influence for many years, was the Methodist. D. T. Stevens, N. C. Hodg- don and Mighill Jewett were among the ministers who quite early came here to preach, and their labors were not without results. Among those who early embraced this belief was the large Perham family, the descendants of Lemuel, who came from Paris. The Day and Dudley families also became Uni- versalists quite early. D. T. Stevens held a three days' meeting here, February 9, 10 and 11, 1843, when he baptized thirteen persons, and the Woodstock Universalist church was organized with the following members: Alexander Day, Joel Perham, Alfred Chase, Kilbon Perham, Perrin Dudley, Joshua Perham, Joel Perham, Jr., Sidney Perham, Azel Perham, Sylvania Perham, Sarah P. Carter, Elvira Chase, Paulina Dudley, Almena J. Perham, Mary Perham and Delphina Whitman. At the first
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