USA > New Hampshire > The Connecticut River Valley in southern Vermont and New Hampshire; historical sketches > Part 19
USA > Vermont > The Connecticut River Valley in southern Vermont and New Hampshire; historical sketches > Part 19
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Albert M. Allbe, an attorney who died here in 1916 at the age of 94 years, used to tell of his father's (Ellery Allbe) distillery, which was on what is known as the Watkins farm a mile north of Westminster vil- lage. The old dwelling on the 240-acre farm is still standing. He said, "Soon after coming to this location, the noted distillery which had been run many years at South Charlestown by G. H. Ingersoll was given up. Father thought it a good opportunity for venturing in that line of business, and erected a distillery three or four rods south of the house on lower ground. The distillery had large copper stills with 'worms,' six mash tubs holding thirteen barrels each, and father made large quantities of alcohol from corn and rye. His product was shipped to Boston in barrels by four-horse freight teams. These barrels were made by John Saw- telle, the Bellows Falls cooper, whose extensive shop stood between Westminster and Mill Streets, on the location now occupied by the Barry block. The alcohol made by this distillery was used in Boston to make gin and other kinds of liquors. There was then no such thing as whiskey, but there was a Holland gin which was imported, and the product of such distilleries as
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father's was used to make 'American gin,' as it was called. As the liquid in the mash tubs fermented, a froth arose which was used by all families in this vicin- ity for yeast, they coming long distances for it and taking it in pails. This yeast yielded a large revenue."
An incident of the distillery at Lawrence's Mills was connected with a man named Clark, who worked there and used to imbibe too frequently of its product. About 1810 his wife became incensed at her husband coming home intoxicated so frequently, and she went to the place one night with an axe and chopped a hole in the bottom of the large vat, letting the contents run out. The owner found fault to Clark for his wife's ac- tions and he went home and took a horse-whip and gave her a severe chastisement. Tradition records that he accompanied his whipping with this expression, "Oh, dear wife, I don't do this because I want to; I'm doing it for your own dear good."
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ALBERT M. ALLBE ONCE "KNOCKED OUT" SIR HIRAM MAXIM, THE INVENTOR
Albert M. Allbe, in his time a well-known local attorney, who died in 1916 at the age of 94 years, used to tell with great satisfaction of his athletic accomplish- ments as a young man. Of these, the fact that he once knocked out Hiram Maxim, who later became noted as the inventor of the automatic gun, and being knighted by the English government, was known as Sir Hiram Maxim, always gave him the greatest satisfaction.
As a young man Mr. Albee was in company with Levi Stevens in a brass foundry and finishing business in Fitchburg, Mass. Mr. Stevens was an uncle of Hiram Maxim. As Mr. Albee told the story, "Hiram was an awkward, uneducated man at that time, but he had great inventive genius. He later went to England and educated himself, becoming a distinguished citizen of that country. While he was working for us, he claimed he could handle anyone connected with the shop, unless it was Allbe and he 'thought he could him.' One noon, when the whistle blew to call the men to work, the workmen went through the office of which I had charge and kept account of the time and of the business of the firm. Maxim had with him a couple of pairs of boxing gloves, and laid one pair on the counter. I went along and tried one of them to see how it would fit my hand. One of the men called out to Maxim, 'There's a challenge for you, Maxim.' The moment the whistle blew for them to quit work in the afternoon, he rushed around to the different parts of the shop and called the men all down in the large office room, and arranged them in
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a semi-circle facing the front of the office. He put on a pair of the gloves and wanted to try with me. He had made so much fuss about it, feeling I could easily guard myself from being hurt with a pair of gloves on, I kept myself on guard until I had nothing to fear, and then I pressed a little harder. He got near a large window in front of the office, I gave a considerably stronger blow than usual, and knocked him through the window, out of doors. The uncle had gone to Boston, and the next day I saw him and Maxim outside looking at the window. I told his Uncle Stevens we had broken the window and I would have it repaired. 'No, you won't. I will get Maxim to do some painting outside and mend it right.' The next morning Uncle Stevens said to me : 'Maxim said you hadn't much science about boxing, but you could strike harder than a mule can kick.' There could not have been much difference in our weight at that time."
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TELEPHONES FIRST USED IN BELLOWS FALLS IN 1881
The first magnetic telephones used in Bellows Falls were put in during the month of March, 1881, for the American Bell Telephone Company by F. W. Childs & Co., of Brattleboro. The first instruments installed (they being on private lines and with no thought of a general exchange by a switch board) were those upon lines between the National Bank of Bellows Falls and the residence of its president, James H. Williams; the office of the Fall Mountain Paper Company, connecting with the machine shop of Osgood & Barker and the freight office of the Cheshire Railroad; and a little later a line was built connecting the office of Walker, Dewey, Blake & Co.'s brewery, near Cold river, with the office of E. E. Dewey, located where the plumbing store of the George B. Allbee Company is now on Bridge Street.
During the month of April of the same year, a stock company was formed and a line constructed between Bellows Falls and Saxtons River under the name of the Saxtons River Telephone Company. The Saxtons River instrument was at first in the shoe store of M. J. Amsden on Main Street, and the Bellows Falls one was placed in the dry goods store of George O. Guild.
The device was then in its experimental stage and a great wonder to residents. Many amusing incidents are told of the surprise and awe with which the farmers and others first heard voices at a distance. The distance between these two villages was then supposed to be about the limit of the power of the instruments. Few, if any, other instruments were installed until April, 1882.
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On the 6th of that month the Boston & Northern Telephone Company of Salem, Mass., which was the predecessor of the present New England Telephone & Telegraph Company acting under the Bell Telephone Company, made a contract with L. S. Hayes of Bellows Falls to develop the business in a large surrounding territory and build exchanges at various points. This contract was in force until June 1, 1883, when the Boston & Northern Company purchased it of Mr. Hayes, the purchase including the Saxtons River Company. Dur- ing these fourteen months, while this contract was in force, one hundred and fifteen miles of outside lines were erected, connecting Bellows Falls with thirty other villages. The first switchboard was in the small office- room in the rear part of the drug and book store of Hayes & Holden, now the Corner Drug Store at the south side of the Square, and was tended by the drug clerk. When the change of ownership occurred, June 1, 1883, there were eighty-three subscribers to the Bellows Falls ex- change with no employees who did not have other duties to perform.
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STORIES OF BELLOWS FALLS BETWEEN 1841 AND 1898 BY GEORGE SLATE
George Slate was a well known and influential resi- dent of Bellows Falls from October, 1841, until his death in 1898. He was born in Hinsdale, N. H., August 15, 1814. He was brought up on his father's farm and in 1839 engaged in hotel business, coming to Bellows Falls as a permanent resident in 1841. He was ap- pointed deputy sheriff in 1846, and in 1858 he was elected high sheriff of Windham County. About 1854 he became connected with the bank of Bellows Falls as director and trustee, and with the Bellows Falls Savings Institution. Of the latter he was president two years, resigning his connection with both institutions in 1882. He was assistant United States district assessor four years dur- ing the Civil War and for a number of years held the office of referee in bankruptcy. He was the treasurer several years of the Connecticut River Mutual Fire Insurance Company, which had its head offices in the Times building. Mr. Slate was a leading spirit in many enterprises, among them the laying of the first water pipe from Minard's pond and for the first twenty years he was the manager of the water works, they being a private enterprise of which he was a large owner. Later these were purchased by the village. In 1845 Mr. Slate married Frances A. Griswold, who died in 1879, leaving one son, William W. Slate, who is still living, a merchant in Needham, Mass.
After the death of Mr. Slate in 1898 an interesting manuscript was found in his desk which he had planned upon reading at a Y. M. C. A. meeting, but died before
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the meeting was held. It tells interesting stories of conditions and people of the village over eighty years ago. Among them :-
"When I came here in 1841 there were but three buildings under the hill, an old saw mill owned by the Canal company, used only a little, a paper mill owned by Green & Fleming, which was burned in 1846 and never rebuilt. The grist mill was owned by Col. Alex- ander Fraser, an Englishman, who sold his commission for $30,000 and came here to reside. Now, gentlemen, if you will reflect for a moment how it looked when I came here, and then take a look as it is now, you will agree with me in saying the change is marvelous.
"We now go to the Island, so called. It is all that land lying north of the highway leading from the stone bridge that crosses the canal to the Tucker bridge, bounded by the river on the east and the canal on the west. When I came here there were but three buildings on this land : The toll house, Judge Baxter's residence on the site of the Island House, and a house on the site of the Vermont Farm Machine Company's buildings. Most of the land was used for cultivation. I have seen oats growing and cows grazing on the land where the depot and freight buildings now stand. There was no way of getting on the Island except by Bridge Street. Where Henry and South Streets are the land was used for cultivation several years after I came here to reside. On the three terraces now covered with dwellings, the land was used for cultivation, not one building stand- ing on the same.
"There were but seven or eight streets in the vil- lage; now I suppose there are some 25 or 30. Only one schoolhouse in the village, a small brick building on the site of Mrs. Arms's house near George K. Russell's, with some 30 scholars. (This location is where now is the residence of Judge Warner A. Graham, on the corner of School and Cherry Streets.) Now we have five large
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brick schoolhouses with some 800 scholars. There were only two churches, the Episcopal and Methodist. The Episcopal, which was of wood, after a time was taken down and the present one built to take its place. The Methodist church is the only one standing that was here when I came, but a story has been put on to it and it has no natural look to me.
"The canal was originally chartered and built as an aid in navigating the river to enable boats to pass up and down by the falls, and manufactured lumber on rafts to pass down.
"I think there were seven locks required to take boats from the eddy; the last lock was nearly opposite the gristmill. Previous to the building of the railroads these locks were used quite extensively through the summer season. The tolls amounted to quite a sum of money, but after the railroads were built about 1847, all the freight that formerly passed through these locks was transported on the cars, and the original purpose for which the canal and locks were built passed away, and manufacturing has taken its place.
"When these boats were in use on the river it re- quired a captain and two hands, sometimes more, to manage them. They could sail when the wind was aft, but otherwise they pushed them along with what they called setting poles. I was acquainted with many of those captains, but I know of but one now living. Cap- tain Richardson of Hinsdale, a schoolmate of mine, is still alive.
"There must be about as many thousand people in this village now as there were hundreds when I came here to reside. Business was done very differently from what it is now. We had no meat market, no drug store, no ready-made clothing store. We had a boot and shoe maker and a tailor. When we wanted clothes we went to the tailor and ordered them made; also went to the shoe maker for our boots and shoes. We had three stores. They kept an assortment of almost everything
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you wished to purchase (dry goods, groceries, hardware, iron and steel, crockery and glassware, hats and caps, gloves and mittens, pipes and tobacco, butter, cheese and eggs, pitchforks and scythes, hoes and shovels, rum and brandy, dry and pickled fish and many other articles too numerous to mention). We were supplied with water from the old aqueduct and three wells. The old aqueduct still remains but the wells are filled with earth. This aqueduct is still in use by a few families, having been relaid a few years ago. The water comes from large springs on the Saxtons River road just beyond J. A. Thwing's residence.
"When I purchased my place, located on the corner of Oak and Atkinson Streets, where I now reside, it was on the outskirts of the village and I enjoyed it very much. Doctor Blake and William Stone were my neighbors. We all kept cows, pigs and poultry. We were not annoyed with each other's stock but Mr. Stone was very much annoyed by the skunks that came down from the hill and caught his poultry. He loaded his gun and declared if he ever got his eye on that skunk he would put an end to his getting any more of his poultry. Soon after this John G. Wightman, Mr. Stone's apprentice, came rushing into the house quite late one dark night and called for the gun. Mr. Stone asked what was up. Wightman informed him the skunk was in the yard. Mr. Stone sprang out of bed, grabbed the gun, saying, 'I want the pleasure of shooting that skunk myself.' ' John pointed to where he saw the skunk. Mr. Stone took good aim and fired. As the gun was discharged Mr. Stone said, 'Go into the house, our clothes will be all scented up.' They both rushed into the house and Mr. Stone's success gave him a good night's rest. He got up quite early in the morning and went to see the dead skunk, and instead of the skunk there lay two of his best ducks, shot through the head. Mr. Stone would say when they asked him about it that
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he was willing to own all as the truth except the smell. But John said he complained about the smell.
"There was an old gentleman living here when I came, by the name of Jabez Hill, and if he had never been born the saying that it takes all kinds of people to make a world would not be true, for I am quite sure there never was another man like Jabez Hill. He came to Bellows Falls when a young man and died here an old man, I think some 75 years. He was a brother to Squire Hall's wife. Mr. Hall was a man of wealth and influence, he was a merchant, built the Mammoth block, also built the house now owned by Hetty Green in 1800. Jabez knew every man in town, but he never spoke or bowed to a person except on business, and then he wasted no language. Men would occasionally try the experiment when they met him on the street by saying, 'Good Morning,' or 'How are you Mr. Hill?' but he would take no more notice of you than if he had been a marble statue. He lived with Mr. Hall and was a clerk in his store. He would tell you the price of an article but he never spoke in its praise. After telling you the price, and if you had any questions to ask it was yes and no, nothing more. After Mr. Hall's death Jabez kept bachelor's hall. Mr. Hall paid him good wages and Jabez saved every cent, put it at interest, and after a time had mortgages on several buildings, and afterwards owned them. He lived and dressed very plainly. It was said he wore one hat 20 years. Jabez had no enemies. He was once appointed postmaster and gave general satisfaction, and was always faithful and obliging. He was the first letter carrier that I ever heard of in that day. It was said that when letters came into the office for people two or three miles away he would take the letters, walk out and deliver them.
"For a long time his only diet was hasty pudding and molasses three times a day. He was subject to occa- sional freaks when there would be a complete change in his conduct and demeanor. He would then appear more
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rational to people unacquainted with his life and habits. At such times he was usually enthusiastic over some scheme or business project. On one such occasion he prevailed upon a nephew to come here and he would set him up in the bakery business. He also engaged a sister to come and keep house for him. When the business was well under way he appeared at the bakery one morn- ing and commanded the nephew to leave. He was not wanted there and told him he. ought to have known better than to have come there. Here ended the whole business, and Jabez went back into his normal state.
"The oven-shaped hole in the bank in the rear of H. M. Amadon's jewelry store (now the Goodnow store block), which has always been a mystery to our present generation, is the old oven built by Jabez Hill. He owned the block in front of it and occupied a small room in it at the time of his death.
"William Henry, cashier of the bank and later a member of Congress was very peculiar. He spent much time fishing, was very blundering and often getting into trouble. He always embraced the opportunity to fish through the ice as soon as the eddy froze over. He always wanted to be first. One time he went on the ice with an axe and fishing tackle. The axe sank and Mr. Henry caught on to the ice. He would throw his arms on the surface of the ice and try to raise himself out, but the ice would crack and down he would go. He continued to do this until he reached the shore, about four rods. Another time he was walking on the side of the canal lock, made a misstep, plunged into the canal and swam out. He was continually getting into trouble, but always came out safe. It was a mystery how such a man could be sent to Congress. There were twenty men better qualified to fill the office. Samuel Billings, the tanner of Rocking- ham village, one of the shrewdest politicians in the coun- ty, if alive, could tell you how it was done. Dr. Wells said it was his gold and silver talents that elected him.
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MASONRY IN BELLOWS FALLS DURING THE "ANTI-MASONIC CRAZE" OF 1826-1855
During the "anti-Masonic craze" which swept the entire country between the years 1826 to 1855 King Solomon's Lodge No. 45, of Bellows Falls, which had been chartered by the Vermont Grand Lodge in October, 1816, held no meetings from June 1828, until Decem- ber, 1857, a period of over 41 years. The cause of the excitement throughout the country was the unfounded report that a man named William Morgan had been abducted and maltreated in northern New York because he had divulged the secrets of Masonry. The excitement spread and was the cause of formation of anti-Masonic political parties in practically all the states of the Union.
Vermont was the only state in the Union in which the anti-Masons came into power. In 1830, William A. Palmer of Danville was the candidate of the party for Governor, and this party was large enough to prevent an election by the people. Governor Crafts was elected by the legislature. In 1831, Palmer and the anti-Masons had the largest vote, but not a majority. He was elected by the legislature, after nine ballots, by a majority of one. The same thing happened the next year, and Palmer was re-elected by the legislature, after forty- nine ballots, by a majority of two. In 1833 Palmer was re-elected by the people. In 1834, the anti-Masonic party had begun to go to pieces. A large part of it had joined the Whig party, but Palmer was again elected by the legislature. In 1835, although Palmer still led the popular vote, the Whig party, led by Horatio Seymour, was strong enough to prevent an election by the people,
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and to defeat Palmer in the legislature, but not strong enough to elect anyone else, and after 63 ballots the effort was given up, and Silas H. Jennison, who had been elected lieutenant governor, had to take the governor's chair. This ended one of the strangest chapters in the history of Vermont politics.
When the local lodge suspended its meetings they were being held in Carter Whitcomb's hall in the village of Saxtons River. The lodge records do not contain any record of the intention to suspend, or any mention whatever of that period of excitement. During the years when Masonry was dormant in this town the old mem- bers frequently wondered what had become of the char- ter and records of the former organization, but it was not until 1869 that any but one person knew their where- abouts. In the spring of that year Mrs. Benjamin Smith, an aged woman of Saxtons River, informed members of the order that a small trunk had been in her custody since the death of her husband over 30 years before. It had come into the possession of Mr. and Mrs. Smith from Carter Whitcomb, in whose hall the last meeting was held, and had been guarded secretly by them, as the feeling against Masonry was so strong during the first few years that it was feared the possession of any- thing pertaining to the order would work injury to the person in whose house it might be found. Mrs. Smith had carefully guarded the secret after her husband's death, knowing his deep regard for the order.
She was now becoming aged, and wishing to relieve herself of the care of the precious trunk she told a mem- ber of the order of her secret. All records and docu- ments pertaining to the lodge were found intact except
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the charter, which was found by L. S. Hayes in 1877 among the debris in the basement of a business block in the Square, and by him cleaned up and framed, and now adorns the walls of a room in the present Masonic Temple on Westminster Street. The faithfulness of Mrs. Smith to her husband's order was fully appreciated by them and on July 7, 1869, a large delegation of mem- bers of the order gathered at her residence in Saxtons River village, and Past Master Samuel C. Fleming, in behalf of the lodge, presented her with a beautiful tea set on which was engraved, "Presented to Mrs. Benjamin Smith, by King Solomon's Lodge F. & A. M., as a testi- monial of her fidelity in preserving the ancient records of the lodge." The presentation was accompanied by appropriate remarks by other members of the order present at the time, and the silver testimonial is still carefully treasured by descendants of her family. The recovery of these records makes the local records com- plete, with the exception of the interim described, from 1816 to the present time. The order is in a most pros- perous condition, nearly all the present reputable busi- ness men of the town being members, with very few hav- ing knowledge of such a widespread antagonism to the order here.
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OLD VILLAGE WELLS AND AQUEDUCTS OF BELLOWS FALLS
In the autumn of 1903, when the foundation for the present brick village building between Rockingham and Canal Streets were being laid, upon the same location where the frame building had stood since the summer of 1869 devoted to the purpose of a village hall and fire department headquarters, the workmen found an old and deep well under it. The walls of the well were still in good condition, although debris had fallen into it to above where the water had originally stood. It was from fifteen to twenty feet deep. In order to make the foundations of the new building of the most substantial character, the well was filled up and every trace of it removed. Considerable speculation was indulged in at the time as to the history of the well, and who had probably used it in former years.
It was dug in 1799 by Quartus Morgan, who in 1798 had bought and become the proprietor of the old historic "Morgan Tavern" which was located on the opposite side of Rockingham Street, and which still stands there, the oldest building in the village. It was recently favorably discussed by the U. S. government as a site for the new post office building. It was occupied by the Bellows Falls post office in 1805, when Mr. Morgan was post- master. The well was dug in 1799 across the "road" for the use of the hotel and it soon become the principal water supply of all the residents in that section of the village. For many years it was known as the "Town Well" and in the last years of its history had a large well house and a long chain with a bucket on each end,
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