USA > New York > Oswego County > History of Oswego County, New York, with illustrations and Biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 95
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These were no idle words; they were carried out in deeds by the soldiers of West Monroe in the field, many of whom laid down their lives for their country upon the soil of the rebellious south.
The most important event sinee the close of the war was the building of the New York and Oswego Midland rail- road, which was put in operation through the town in Oc- tober, 1869. The village of West Monroe became a station on the road.
We must not omit, however, to mention the first grist- mill in town, which consisted of a single run of stone, set in operation by Mr. Alvin Raymond in the year 1875, for the purpose of grinding corn. It must not, however, be inferred that no grain was previously raised in West Mon- roe, but the town is narrow, and there are mills within easy reach on each side.
TOWN OFFICERS.
The first town-meeting was held on the 7th day of May, 1839, at the house of James D. Spencer.
The following is a list of the officers elected at that time : Supervisor, Russel King; Assessors, Marcus Patterson, Benjamin Spencer, Eleazer Slocum; Commissioners of High- ways, Horace Spencer, Azor Hoyt, George Getman ; Over-
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HISTORY OF OSWEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.
seers of the Poor, Edward Dundin, Abram Buskin ; Com- missioners of Schools, George C. Hoyt, Peter Phillips, Henry Stall; Inspectors of Common Schools, Lucius Pat- terson, Benjamin G. Lewis, Joseph Shaw ; Collector, Iliram Flining ; Constables, ITiram Flining, Solomon Ouer, David Baird, Abraham Merchant, Joel Merchant; Justices, Joel Merchant, Willet Miller; Surveyor, Augustus G. Jewell.
The following is the succession of supervisors: 1839- 40, Russel Kingston ; in 1841-42, Philip Rea ; 1843-44, Marcus Patterson ; 1845-46, Philip Rea; 1847, Eleazer Slocum ; 1848, Philip Rice; 1849, Avery Williams ; 1850- 51, Mareus Patterson ; 1852-53, John F. Slocum ; 1854, Henry J. Jewell; 1855-56, Henry A. Baker; 1857-58, John F. Sloeum ; 1859, Levi Stow, Jr .; 1860, J. F. Slo- eum ; 1861, James A. Baker; 1862-63, Lucius L. Strick- land ; 1864-65, John F. Sloeum ; 1866-67, Merritt Bur- gess ; 1868-72, John F. Sloeum; 1873, John A. Webb; 1874, John F. Sloeum; 1875, John A. Webb; 1876, J. W. Phillips ; 1877, Merritt Burgess.
Town Clerks .- In 1839-40 there is no record of the election of a elerk. In 1841-42, Samuel Atherton was chosen ; in 1843-45, William Hurlbert ; 1846, Avery Williams ; 1847, Henry J. Jewell ; 1848, Avery Williams; 1849, William Hurlbert ; 1850-51, John F. Sloeum ; 1852-53, Abram Moyer; 1854, Joel Merchant ; 1855, Abram Moyer; 1856, E. Slocum ; 1857-60, James A. Baker; 1861-63, Henry E. Miller; 1864, John W. Sperry ; 1865, Henry A. Baker; 1866, A. C. Ingersoll ; 1867-69, Daniel L. Sweet; 1870, Henry Sweet; 1871, Daniel L. Sweet; 1872, Charles B. Smart ; 1873, O. F. B. Drusdin ; 1874, Wm. Ostrum; 1875, Wm. Rea ; 1876-77, Charles Notgrass.
The following is a list of the present officers of the town: Supervisor, Merritt Burgess; Town Clerk, C. II. Notgrass ; Justices of the Peace, J. O. Shelton, J. E. Sperry, Adam Farr; Highway Commissioner, C. W. Pettit ; Assessors, Henry Greenslit, Charles Smith, W. N. Burgin ; Overseer of the Poor, James Hooker; Collector, Charles Jewell ; Inspectors of Election, F. B. Ingersoll, Silas H. Green, Henry Carter ; Town Auditors, Solomon Gurver, Henry R. Hendrix, Ephraim Fuller ; Constables, Joseph Reyo, Merrit Raymond, Peter Coleman, Fluvus Rice; Game Con- stable, John Judge; Commissioners of Excise, Adam Moyer, Merritt Burgess, George Aletzhurer.
The population of West Monroe at various periods has been as follows: In 1840, 918; in 1850, 1197; in 1860, 1416; in 1870, 1304; in 1875, 1321.
The strength of political parties at four successive presi- dential elections was thus manifested by the respective ean- vasses: In 1860, Republican 159, Democratie 111; in 1864, Republican 115, Democratie 134; in 1868, Repub- liean 128, Demoeratie 136; 1872, Republieau 124, Demo- cratic 129.
MILITARY RECORD OF WEST MONROE.
Frederick Allemann. Enlisted Jan. 27, 1864; transferred to the 189th Regt.
Russel M. Ames. Enlisted in the 149th Regt., Feb. 25, 1865; died in hospital at Louisville, Ky., Jan. 14, 1865.
Peter Rowman. Enlisted in the 147th Regt., Sept. 23, 1862; pro- moted to corp. ; trans. to the 37th R. I. Cav. ; was thirty-three months in the service ; dis. at Staunton, Va., upon the hospital surgeon's ecrtificato.
Eugene Brown. Eulisted in Bat. K, Ist L. Art., Feb. 26, 1864.
Ira B. Bryant. Enlisted in the 184th Regt., Sept. 3, 1864; pro. to sergt.
Miles Bryant. Enlisted in the 184th Regt., Sept. 3, 1864.
Warren A. Burgess, Enlisted in the 117th Regt., Sept. 6, 1862 : pro.
to corp .; dis. after five months' service on account of wound re- ceived in action.
Edwin N. Burger. Enlisted in the 21st Regt., Sept. 21, 1864. Anson Buskin. Enlisted at Syracuse.
Hector J. Butler. Enlisted in the 149th Regt., Feb. 19, 1864 ; trans- ferred to the 162d Regt.
George W. Caldwell. Enlisted in the 149th Regt., March 1, 1864; killed in battle near New Hope church, May 26, 1864.
Henry N. Caldwell. Enlisted in the Sth Mich. Regt., April 16, 1862 ; pro. to corp .; dis. on account of wound, after twenty-six months in the service.
James G. Caldwell. Enlisted in the 20th Cav., Sept. 13, 1863; died at Portsmouth hospital, Va., Oct. 31, 1864.
Jas. S. Countreman. Enl'd in the 149th Regt., Feh. 1, 1865; died in the service ; place of death unknown.
Charles Devendorf. Enlisted in the 188th Regt., Sept. 14, 1864; pro. to Ist sergt .; wounded in the left wrist by gun-shot; dis. opon expiration of his term nf enlistment.
Leroy A. Emuions. Enlisted in the 22d Cav., Dee. 24, 1863.
Warren C. Emmons. Enlisted in the 184th Regt., Sept. 5, 1864; prn. to corp. ; died at Harrison's Landing, Va., Jan. 30, 1865.
Adolph J. Fix. Enlisted in the 149th Regt., Sept. 18, 1862; pro. to Ist sergt. ; wounded in the side by a musket-ball.
William T. Graves. Enlisted in the 100th Regt., Jan. 21, 1862; dis- charged on account of gun-shot wound in the forehead.
Henry P. Greene. Enlisted Sept. 27, 1862, in the 147th Regt. ; died in the hospital at Washington, D. C., July 3, 1864.
George Greyson. Enlisted in the 110th Regt., Aog. 25, 1862; pro- moted to sergeant.
Lewis P. Gillen. Enlisted in the 189th Regt., Sept. 8, 1864; dis- charged after nine months' serviee.
William Haight. Enlisted in the 147th Regt., Sept. 5, 1862; died at Belle Plain, Va., Feb. 17, 1863.
Aadrew Ilenn. Enlisted in the 3d L. Art., Feb. 8, 1864.
John Henn. Enlisted in the 3d L. Art., Jan. 26, 1864.
Ephraim B. Ililiday. Enlisted in the 47th Regt., Feb. 15, 1865.
John Hiliday. Enlisted in the 24th Cav., Dec. 1, 1861; wounded in the left side by gun-shot.
Reubin Hliliday. Enlisted in the 24th Cav., Dec. 1, 1863; wounded in the thigh by gun-shot.
William T. Hiliday. Enlisted Dee. 4, 1861.
George II. Holmes. Enlisted in the 149th Regt., Feb. 24, 1864.
James Holmes. Enlisted in the 147th Regt., Aug. 31, 1861 ; pro- moted to corp.
Xavier Ilourderlet. Enlisted in the Ist Art., Sept. 10, 1861 ; disch. February 1, 1864.
Franklin B. Iloyt. Enlisted in the 24th Regt., Jan. 2, 1863; pro. to corp. ; trans. to the 20th Bat.
Dennis Iless. Enlisted in the Ist Lt. Art., Sept. 16, 1861; re-enl'd Dec. 25, 1863; woanded in arm and leg.
Adelbert P. Ingason. Enlisted in the 184th Regt., Sept. 3, 1864, as a musician.
Frederick Jeandrot. Enlisted in the 147th Regt., Feb. 15, 1865.
Frank Jeandrot. Enl'd in the 101st Regt., Oct. 11, 1862 ; died of siek- ness originating in the army, May 36, 1863.
Henry Johnson. Enlisted in the 147th Regt., Sept. 1, 1862; died at Annapolis hospital, December 29, 1864, of starvation while a prisoner.
James Johnson. Enlisted in the 147th Regt., Augast 31, 1862; died at Belle Plain Landing, Va., Jan. 10, 1863.
Nelson Johnson. Enl'd iu the 184th Regt., Sept. 1, 1864.
Job Langworthy. Enlisted in the 184th Regt., Sept. 15, 1864; disch. upon expiration of term of enlistment.
Sanford Langworthy. Enlisted in the 4th Ver't Regt., Jan. 1, 186t. Edmund Lord. Enlisted in the 149th Regt., Jan. 1, 1864; died at Savannah hospital, March, 1865.
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370
HISTORY OF OSWEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.
John Lord. Enlisted in Bat. F, Art., Dec. 9, 1862; died at St. Au- gustine, Fla., Oct. 20, 1864.
Welton Lord. Enl'd in the 110th Regt., Dee. 9, 1862.
Lawrence Lynch. Enlisted in the 185th Regt., Sept. 1, 1864.
Daniel Marks. Enlisted in the 184th Regt., Ang. 8, 1864.
Charles Manwarren. Enl'd June 19, 1864; died of accidental w'ds.
Abraham W. Mathews. Enlisted in the 1st Art., Sept. 16, 1861 ;
died at West Monroe, April 5, 1863, of sickness cansed in the service.
Charles C. Mathews. Must. in the 184th Regt., Sept. 9, 1862, as 2d lient. ; pro. to 1st lieut. ; dis. upon surgeon's eert. of sickness.
La Fayette Mead. Enl'd in the 185th Regt., Sept. 15, 1864 ; dis. npon the expiration ef his term of enlistment.
Wm. H. Merchant. Enlisted in the 2d Bat., Oct. 28, 1863; died at Atlanta hospital, Sept. 3, '64, of siekness acquired in the service. James Megneny. Enlisted in the 16th Regt., Ang. 23, 1864.
Adam Miller. Enlisted in the 97th Regt., Aug. 2, 1861 ; discharged npon the surgeon's certificate of sickness.
James K. P. Miller. Enlisted in the 147th Regt., Aug. 21, 1862; died at Belle Plain, Va., April 1, 1863.
William A. Miller. Enlisted in the 44th Regt., Ang. 7, 1861; died at Malvern Hill, Va., July 1, 1863.
George Morgan. Enlisted in the 24th Cav., Jannary 4, 1864.
Thomas W. Morrison. Enlisted in the 2d H. Art., Dee. 19, 1863; died at City Point, Va., June 25, 1864, of sickness acquired in the service.
Alphens N. Narcott. Enlisted in the 184th Regt., Sept. 3, 1864. Henry J. Natkins. Enlisted in the 13th Regt., Oct. 4, 1861.
John A. Nibb. Enlisted in the 184th Regt., Sept. 15, 1864.
Martin P. Phillips. Enlisted in a Syracuse regiment, Aug. 1, 1861 ;
discharged upon the surgeon's certificate of siekness, after six- teen months in the service.
Daniel Pierce. Enlisted in the 184th Regt., Sept. 5, 1864.
Joseph Piggy. Enlisted in the 16th Regt., Jannary 15, 1863; died at Wilson's Landing, July 18, 1863.
Constant Rice. Enlisted in the 110th Regt., Ang. 12, 1862; died at New Orleans, Ang. 1, 1863.
George N. Rice. Enlisted in the 184th Regt., Sept. 5, 1864.
George H. Reina. Enlisted in the 24th Cav., Jan. 23, 1864; died at Washington, D. C., July 3, 1864, of wonods received in battle. Solomon F. Reina. Eol'd in the 149th Regt., Aug. 23, 1862; trans. to the 37th Cav. ; dis. upon certificate of surgeon.
Amos K. Rose. Enlisted in the 184th Regt., Sept. 16, 1864.
Daniel M. Rose. Enlisted in the 2d Art., June 27, 1864; wounded in the foot.
Myron Rossell. Enlisted in a Syracuse Regt., Sept. 1, 1863.
John B. Simpson, Enlisted in the 110th Regt., Ang. 12, 1862; died at Franklin City, La., Jan. 26, 1864.
George Smith. Enlisted in the 184th Regt., Sept. 1, 1861 ; trans- ferred to the 37th Regt.
Manis Sneader. Enlisted at Syracuse, Jan. 26, 1863.
Benjamin Tabor. Enlisted in the 1st Cav., Sept. 1, 1864; trans. to 111th Regt .; died at Salisbury, N. C., Nov. 14, 1864, while a prisoner of war.
Oliver P. Tabor. Enlisted in the 14th Regt., Angust 13, 1861 ; disch, upon the expiration of his term of enlistment.
Adelbert Taylor. Enlisted in the 22d Cav., Dec. 19, 1863.
Abraham Trimo. Enlisted in the 184th Regt., Sept. 9, 1864. Levi Volley. Enlisted in a Wisconsin Regt., Sept. 5, 1864. James Warnes. Enlisted in the 81st Regt., Dee. 10, 1861; died at Fair Oaks, Va., of wounds received in battle.
B. N. Watson. Enlisted in the 13th H. Art., February, 1864; pro. to corporal.
Wm. Yerk. Enlisted in the 1st Regt., Feb. 27, 1864.
BOYLSTON.
IT was not until the spring of 1812 that the forests of Boylston rang with the woodman's axe, it being the last town in the county to be settled, except Albion, which was occupied the same year. The first pioneers of Boylston were John Wart, of Cherry valley, and Michael Sweetman, of Montgomery county, who, unknown to each other, both came, by the inevitable ox-sled conveyance of that era, about the same time. Mr. Wart, however, arrived two days the earliest, and was consequently the very first settler of Boylston. Though he was already a married man, he is still living, and remembers well the events of that period, and it is from his lips that we have received a large part of the early history of the town.
Wart and Sweetman both located in the north western part of the present town of Boylston, which was then a part of Richland. It was more particularly designated as sur- vey-township No. 6, of the Boylston tract, and on the sur- vey maps it was also called Campania. Mr. Sweetman built his cabin close by the site of the present residence of William Wart, and Mr. Wart established himself half a mile farther east. Up into Lorraine it was two miles to another house, and a like distance west into Ellisburg. To the southward nearly ten miles of forest frowned between the two hardy pioneers and the settlements of Orwell, while on the east the oaks and hemlocks stretched in an unbroken mass to the distant valley of Black river.
The war of 1812 broke out immediately after the arrival of the pioneers, immigration ceased, and for two years the two families remained alone in the wilderness, with the ex- ception of a man named Gordon, who lived a part of the time in the vicinity. Mr. Wart's oldest son,-Alonzo,- born on the 12th of December, 1812, was the first child born in town, and as he only survived until February, 1814, he had also the unfortunate celebrity of being the earliest victim of death.
Mr. Wart and Mr. Sweetman both hastened down to Ellis village at the time of the capture of the British force near there, as related in the general history, and both turned out in arms for the defense of Sackett's Harbor; so it can be truly said that the whole adult male population of Boyls- ton served as soldiers in the war of 1812. In 1814 one more citizen was added, by the name of Rhodes Streeter.
In 1815 there was a heavy immigration, consisting of four families : those of Peter Wells, Martin Lillie, John F. Dean, and Asa B. Copeland. These settled near where Boylston church (Methodist Protestant) now stands. Of all their members Mrs. Lillie is the sole survivor now in Boylston ; she lives close to the spot where she came with her young husband over sixty-two years ago, and near the stream the waters of which flowed over their ox-sled as they made their way to their home in the wilderness. Morris Wart, a young brother of John, came in 1816, living with
MRS.WM.WART.
WM. WART.
RES. OF WILLIAM WART, BOYLSTON, OSWEGO CO., N. Y.
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HISTORY OF OSWEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.
him a while, and then locating in the same neighborhood. He, too, has survived till 1877 the perils and toils of pio- neer and farmer life.
In most of the towns we have not given the names of early settlers subsequent to the war of 1812, but Boylston was settled so late that the pioneer era extended far past that time. Among those who located in town from 1816 to 1822 were Andrew Bortles, George Huffstater, Joseph Shoecraft, Matthew Shoecraft, Peter Barga, Jacob Wied- rich, Peter Huffstater, Jesse Blue, and Jacob, Reuben, Henry, Jonathan, and Abram Snyder. It is easy to see from their names that they were of German descent, and they were mostly substantial farmers from the valley of the Mohawk. Those first named settled near the site of the Methodist Protestant church, and thenee southward. The Snyders were still farther south towards Orwell. Elisha Stevens also settled in the Snyder neighborhood as early as 1822.
As soon as 1817 the half-dozen families then in town determined to have a school-house. They built a log one, and covered it with bark, near the site of the church before referred to. Teachers were then paid principally by the parents of the pupils. There were not enough of these to support a teacher, but the unmarried men of the settlement agreed to contribute for the families they ought to have had, and thus a sufficient amount was raised to hire Polly Allport to teach the first school in Boylston.
In that year, also, township No. 6, which had previously been a part of Richland, was set off into Orwell on the for- mation of that town. Mr. Wart was appointed one of the justices of Orwell the same year, being the first who held that office in the present town of Boylston. As such he married the first couple wedded in town, viz., Jonathan Snyder and a Miss Stevens. There had previously, however, been a Boylston couple (Samuel Wells and Betsey Gordon) united in the silken bonds of matrimony, but they went east to have the knot tied.
In 1822, Reuben Snyder built the first saw-mill in Boylston. It was on Sandy creek, near the west line of the town.
By 1824 there was a fringe of settlement all along the west side, but the central and eastern portions of the town were still a dense forest, where the bear and the deer roamed at will, frequently visiting the neighborhood of the settlers' cabins. Our venerable friend, Mr. Wart, recounts how, when out in the woods, one day, with a dog but without a gun, he came on the track of a big buck. Following it up in the deep snow, he soon bronght the animal to bay. The dog ran back to the protection of his master. The latter struck the buck over the head with a stick, which broke with the blow. Wart sprang upon the deer and attempted to hold him down in the snow, while calling to John F. Dean, who was near, to come and cut the animal's throat.
But the bnek reached up a hind leg and struck Wart on the head, entting him to the bone and knocking him sev- eral feet away. The deer made a few bounds, but soon stuck fast in the snow again. With the blood streaming over his face from his wound, the mark of which he still carries, Wart sprang astride his wearied opponent and held him until Dean eame and cut his throat.
But the most noticeable event in the hunting line of which the veteran pioneer has to tell occurred when, in one of those early summers, the labors of the hay-field were diversified by the slaughter of three bears in a single after- noon. A man drove them into trees near where Mr. Wart was at work. A little crowd quickly gathered. Two of the animals were speedily shot from the trees in which they had taken refuge. The third, ensconced in the thick bushes, evaded the marksman's bullet ; so the tree was felled, and the poor fellow was pounded and dogged to death as soon as he struck the ground.
Notwithstanding the primitive nature of the country, the people thought they could afford a new town. Accordingly, on application to the legislature that body passed an act on the 7th of February, 1828, forming the town of Boylston with the same boundaries as the old survey-township No. 6, otherwise called Campania. The following were the first officers elected :
Supervisor, John Wart ; Town Clerk, Joseph Shoecraft; Assessors, Jesse Colman, Matthew Shoecraft, Barnabas Porter ; Commissioners of Highways, Daniel Chase, Peter Wells, Zaben Cole; Overseers of the Poor, Thomas Duteher, Martin Lillie; Collector, Henry D. Pruyn; Constables, Henry D. Prnyn, Philip A. Bortles ; Commissioners of Common Schools, John Wart, John Dunbar, Jr., Reuben Snyder ; Inspectors of Common Schools, Miller R. Larmouth, Peter Wells, Philip A. Bortles.
It will be seen that it was somewhat difficult to fill up the official list, as not less than four of the worthy citizens were required to occupy two offices each. Even after the formation of the new town settlers frequently fastened a bag of grain to the yoke of their cattle and carried it to Sandy Creck to mill, and sometimes, in low water, nearly to Adams, Jefferson county. About 1830 a small grist-mill was built in Boylston, but it was not very valuable nor very enduring.
At the town-meeting in 1830 the sum of forty dollars was voted for the support of the poor. Cattle were declared free commoners, but horses, sheep, and hogs were denied the privileges involved in that appellation. The height of a lawful fence was fixed at the very moderate elevation of four feet,-a demoralizing temptation even to the best regu- lated animals. It was raised, however, two years later to four feet and a half.
Up to 1850 settlement was confined almost entirely to the western half of the town, and even there progress was slow and painful. But after the rough land was once thoroughly redneed to subjection it was found that some very good grazing farms could be made on the Boylston hills, and the . population began to increase. People sought the eastern portion. After numerous saw-mills had devoured the tim- ber, settlers resolutely opened farms there and renewed the scenes of pioneer life. During the last twenty years more ground has probably been cleared up in Boylston than in any other town in the county.
In 1856 a Wesleyan Methodist church was erected ncar the line of Sandy Creek, south of the centre of Boylston, and in 1869 the Methodist Protestants built one in the northwest part of the town.
A few years ago Abraham Snyder opened a store between the two churches, but it was subsequently discontinued.
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372
HISTORY OF OSWEGO COUNTY, NEW YORK.
Farming and lumbering constitute substantially the whole business of the town. There is a large cheese-factory close to the Wesleyan Methodist church. J. P. Smart & Son have a saw-mill near the centre of the town, and the locality is known as Smarts' Mills. Besides this, there are the stave- mill of Ira Service and the saw-mill of - Weaver, a mile northeast of the Snyder store, the saw- and shingle- mill of Ransom Tanner, two miles east of the Snyder store, and three large steam saw-mills in the northeast part of the town.
Even to this day Boylston possesses many characteristics of primeval times. Though the deer have all been driven east of Black river, yet it is no very unusual thing for a bear to stray from the forests of Lewis county among the farms of Boylston. This very summer of 1877 one made his leisurely way from the eastern line past the centre of the town. His presence being suspected, a spring gun was set for him. Bruin seized the bait, and a bullet through his shoulder was the result. Smarting and crippled, he trudged on westward, but the Philistines were on his track. Men and boys gathered fast to the sport, and the fugitive was overtaken and slain just east of the main road, which runs north and south through the town, less than a mile from the line of Sandy Creek.
Yet looking from that road westward the traveler this same summer sees nothing to remind him of bears or wolves. A finer prospect is rarely displayed beneath a cloud- less sun. The whole of the town of Sandy Creek, and parts of Ellisburg and Richland, are in sight at once, composed of hundreds of well-cultivated fields, dotted with white farm-houses, and relieved with gleaming groves. Be- yond, seeming hardly three miles away, but actually almost ten, the long, narrow, land-locked bay, known as Sandy Creek pond, sparkles brightly in the sunlight. A dark, slender line separates it from the lake, which spreads far away into the distance, a mass of molten silver tipped with gold. Distance lends enchantment to the view of both lake and land, and if beautiful prospects took precedence over corn and cheese, Boylston might outrauk all the rest of the county.
THE FIRST WESLEYAN METHODIST CHURCH OF BOYLSTON.
The records are imperfect, but, as near as can be ascer- tained, this church was first organized in the year 1845. For many years there was no settled pastor. Daniel Cal- kins, Loomis Chase, Daniel Hollis, and James Francis offi- ciated for brief periods at various times. In 1856 a small church edifice was erected in Boylston, but only a few rods from the line of Sandy Creek. Thenceforward the pulpit was most of the time regularly supplied.
In 1859, Matthew Presler was the pastor; in 1860-62, Edward Halsey ; in 1863, Sybrant Nelson ; in 1864, A. P. Burgess ; in 1865, Alonzo Fassett; in 1866, R. Barton ; in 1867-69, J. P. Pierce; in 1870-72, Elijah Gaylord ; in 1873-75, J. M. Waite. For a year there were no regu- lar services. The pulpit was then occupied by the present pastor, Rev. Harvey Barnes.
There are now seventy-one members of the church, and the Sabbath-school connected with it contains about the same number. The present church officers are: Class-
leader, Ira Van Auken; Assistant Class-leader, Ellery Crandall ; Clerk, J. K. Crandall ; Stewards, F. W. Slater, Mrs. F. W. Slater, A. Schermerhorn, Mrs. A. Schermer- horn, Hiram Getty, A. W. Miller, L. J. Baker ; Trustees, John H. Hastings, S. E. Carpenter, Joseph Crosman, J. L. Bortles, Henry Lester.
NORTH BOYLSTON CIRCUIT (METHODIST PROTESTANT).
This circuit was set off from the Boylston and Orwell circuit in 1868. Previous to that time meetings had been held for a long time at the school-house near the present church. Rev. Messrs. Becker, Cook, Huff, and others offi- ciated as pastors from time to time. The circuit organized in 1868 consisted of one class in Boylston and one in Lor- raine, Jefferson county.
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