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HISTORY
LUDLOW, VT BY
JOSEPH N. HARRIS
Gc 974.302 L96h 1166970
M: L
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
.
2
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01100 2620
1
History of
LUDLOW VERMONT
BY
JOSEPH N. HARRIS
Copyright 1949 by MRS. INA HARRIS HARDING MR. ARCHIE FRANK HARDING
Charlestown, N. H. Publishers
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be re-produced in any form, without per- mission from the publishers.
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Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2019
https://archive.org/details/historyofludlowv00harr
CONTENTS
Introduction
1166970 12
History of Ludlow 13
Churches 23
Schools
45
Hardships of the Early Settlers
69
Lights
75
First Settlers
78
Representatives from Ludlow
82
Town Clerks
84
Town Treasurers
84
- Senators
85
Selectmen
85
Tanneries
87
Brick Yards
89
Saw Mills
91
Blacksmiths
100
Carpenters
105
Physicians
107
Lawyers 109
Black River Lodge No. 85, F. & A. M.
112
Keystone Chapter No. 5, Order of the Eastern Star
113
Altimont Lodge No. 30, I. O. O. F.
114
Good Templars
116
The Railroad
117
Express Traffic 123
Post-office 123
Hotels 126
Newspapers 130
6.50
Meteoric Shower 132
The Cold Year 133
Severe Storms 134
Woolen Mills
137
Chair Manufacturing
141
Village Cemetery 142
South Hill Cemetery
143
Accidents
144
Murders 147
Climate
149
Revolutionary Soldiers
150
Soldiers of 1812 151
Ludlow in the War for the Union 151
O. O. Howard Post, No. 33, G. A. R. 157
Spanish American War 158
The World War 159
Description of the Village
160
Houses and Cellars 167
Early Roads 188
Ludlow as a Lake
190
Fletcher Memorial Library 191
Ludlow Savings Bank & Trust Co.
194
Cattle
194
Wild Animals 195
Dairying 196
Sheep
197
Maple Sugar 198
Business Men 200
Appendix 234
THE AUTHOR
Joseph Nelson Harris, son of Joseph and Clara (Podwin) Harris, was born in Middlebury, Vt. January 9, 1853. He was the fourth generation that the first son was named Joseph. His greatgrandfather came to Canada from Eng- land in 1802. Later they moved to Vermont. His education came from the common schools. While young his family moved to Ludlow.
Joseph N. Harris
On March 14, 1877 he married Ella Eliza Day, only daughter of Enoch and Lucy (Hale) Day. They had four children, Inez Isabel, born Jan. 25, 1878, died Sept. 24, 1893. Ina May, born Dec. 10, 1879. An infant son born Oct. 15, 1881, died Oct. 25, 1881. Sidney Day, born Sept. 24, 1882.
After his marriage he lived on the Enoch Day Jr. farm for more than fifty years. Nearly all of his life he was interested in the lumber business. He also was very much interested in the trying out and developing new fruits and farm crops.
Feeling the need of a history of the town, he used all of his spare time for a good many years in the writing of this
History. He walked a great many miles in the research work. Because of financial reverses caused by the burning of his saw mills, he was unable to finance the printing. A good many years ago he realized no one would help him with the printing and because of the high cost of printing this kind of a book, he decided to take out a part of it making a smaller book. In 1931 he re-wrote that part bringing it up to that date. He died without its being printed.
That his long hours of hard work may not have been spent in vain and that his life long wish should be fulfilled and knowing that if his writings were lost they could never be replaced, we are having the History published, as he wrote it, including the parts he had taken out. He had not fully completed the map of the Old Houses and Cellars. We have completed it as far as possible. The locations can be found by the corresponding numbers on the map. Also the Business Men were not completed, we have filled in the deaths of those he had written as far as possible.
We are very grateful to Harry Lemere for the loan of several photograph half-tones. Also the Black River High School for others.
We hope this History may help to fill the long felt need of a History of Ludlow.
Charlestown, N. H. May 30, 1949
Ina Harris Harding Archie F. Harding
Saltash Line
S. 65 E 6 miles now Plymouth
Tiny Pond
6
7
8
5
asse
4
3 Korth
Hill Branch 2
1
9
10
12
13
no visible Inlet ar outlet
18
17
16
14
Cooks Pond
First Saw and guilt Will inTown Jesse Silbert 1790
19
20
River
26
25
Stream
Silbert
Brood
3 S
37
34
3 3.
yves
ferrell
48
47
46
4 5
44
49
50
51
52
53
58
57
56€
55-
54
5
59
60
61
62
Branch
63
Weston Line N 55 west
wheaton Brack
68
67
66
65
64
7505
69
70
71
72
73
River
76
74
6 miles
williams 75-
1
Original Charter of Sep2. 16 about
Ludlow
28
27
shack
6 /2 miles
How mt. Holly
1761
24960 acres Carpenter Brook
29
30
32 .
horth Hit
33
Brook
Cavendish Line
Sanders Brook
arnold Branch
39
40
41
N
Puffer Bra ok
Brook
42
43
7 1/2 miles
Scale ancheo to a mile
Keyes Brook
Flamstead Line . now chester
andover Line
Chart of Land granted under the Charter, 1761
Jackson Sore
Set of to Jackson's Gore Ort, 16 1792 117.29 acres.
West Branch Black River
S. 88 W
2 2
23'
24
34
N 178E
B.W.
A Copy of the Charter of Ludlow, Vermont
September 16th 1761.
Ludlow Province of New Hampshire
George, the Third.
ps
By the Grace of God, of Great Brit- ain, France and Ireland, King, De- fender of the Faith, etc.
To all persons to whom these presents shall come, greet- ings. Know ye, that, we of our special grace, certain know- ledge and Meer motion for the due encouragement of settling a new Plantation within our said province, by and with the advice of our trusty and well-beloved Benning Wentworth, Esq. Our Governor and Commander- in-Chief of our said Province of New Hampshire in New England, and of our council of the said Province have upon the Conditions and Reservations hereinafter made, given and granted, and by these presents, for us, our heirs and successors do give and grant in equal shares, unto our lov- ing subjects, inhabitants of our said Province of New Hamp- shire, and our other Governments, and to their heirs and assigns forever, whose names are entered on these grants, to be divided to and amongst them into seventy-one equal shares, all that tract or parcel of land situate, lying for and being within our said Province of N. H., containing by sd measurement, about twenty-four thousand acres, which tract is to contain something more than six miles square, and no more, out of which are allowance to be made for highways and unimprovable lands by rocks, ponds, Moun- tains & Rivers. One Thousand and Forty Acres free, ac- cording to a plan and survey thereof made by our said Governor's order, and returned into the Secretary's office and hereunto annexed, butted and a-bounded as follows:
Viz, Beginning at the Northwesterly Corner of Flam- stead, thence running North fifty-five degrees, west six miles, thence North Seventeen Degrees, East six Miles and one half mile to the southwesterly corner of Saltash, thence South sixty-five degrees, east Six miles by Saltash, afore- said, to the Southerly-easterly corner thereof, then South
8
eight degrees, west Seven Miles and one half mile to Flam- stead line, then by Flamstead sd line to the Northwesterly Corner of Flamstead being the bound first above mentioned and that the same be and hereby Incorporated into a township by the name of Ludlow, and that the Inhabitants that do or shall hereafter inhabit the said township, are hereby declared to be enfranchised with and entitled to all and every Priviledges and Immunities that other towns within our Province by law exercise and enjoy ;
And further, that the said town, as soon as there shall be Fifty Families, resident and settled thereon shall have the liberty of holding two Fairs, one of which shall be held on the-and the other on the-annually, which fairs shall not continue longer than the respective-follow- ing the said-and that as soon as the said town shall con- sist of Fifty families a Market may be opened and kept one or more days a week as may be thought most advantageous to the inhabitants.
Also that the first meeting for the choice of officers agreeable to the laws of our said Province should be held on the second Monday of October next which said meeting shall be notified by Capt. Elakim Hall who is hereby ap- pointed the Moderator of the said first meeting, which he is to notify and govern agreeable to the laws and customs of our said Province, and that the annual meeting forever hereafter for the choice of such officers for the said town shall be on the second Tuesday of March, annually. To Have and to hold the said Tract of land as above expressed, to- gether with all priviledges and appurtenances to them and their respective Heirs and Assigns, forever, upon the fol- lowing conditions,
That every Grantee, his Heirs or Assigns shall plant and cultivate five acres of land within the term of five years for every fifty acres contained in his or their shares or Proportion of land in said township and continue to im- prove and settle the same by additional cultivations, or penalty of the Forfeiture of his Grant or share in that Township, and of its reverting to us, or Heirs and Succes- sors, to be by us our Heirs or Successors re-granted to such of our subjects as shall eventually settle and cultivate the same.
9
That all White and other Pine trees within the said township fit for masting our Royal Navy, to be carefully preserved for that use, and none to be cut or felled without our special License for so doing, first had and obtained, upon the penalty and of the forfeiture of the right of such Grantees, his heirs and assigns to us, Our Heirs and Suc- cessors, as well as being subject to the penalty of any Act of Parliment that now are or hereafter shall be enacted.
That before any division of the land be made to and among the Grantees, a Tract of Land as near the center of sd Township as the land will admit of shall be reserved and marked out for the town lot, one of which shall be allotted to each Grantee of the Contents of one acre.
Yielding and paying thereof to us, our heirs and assigns for the space of ten years, to be computed from the date hereof, the rent of one ear of Indian Corn only, on the 25th day of Dec. Annually, if lawfully demanded, the first pay- ment to be made on the twenty-fifth day of Dec. 1762.
Every Proprietor, Settler or inhabitant shall yield and pay unto us, our heirs and successors, Yearly and every year forever, from and after the Expiration of Ten Years from the above said 25th Day of December, which will be in the year of Our Lord, 1772, one shilling Proclamation money for every hundred acres he so owns, settles or pos- sesses, and so in proportion for a greater or lesser tract of the said Land ; which money shall be paid by the respective persons above said, their heirs or assigns, in our Council Chamber in Portsmouth, or to such Officer or Officers as shall be appointed to receive the same; and this to be in lieu of all other rents and services whatsoever.
The testimony whereof we have caused the Seal of our said Province to be hereunto affixed. Witness-Benning Wentworth Esq. Our Governor and Commander-in-Chief of our said Province, the sixteenth day of Sept. in the Year of Our Lord & Christ, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty-one and in the first Year or Our Reign.
B. Wentworth.
By His Excellancy's Command with advise of Council.
10
Theodore Atkinson, Secretary.
Province of New Hampshire, Sept. 16, 1761.
Recorded According to the Original Charter under the Province Seal.
Attested by Theodore Atkinson, Secry.
His Excellancy, Benning Wentworth Esq., a tract of land to contain five hundred acres as marked B. W. in the Plan and is to be accounted two of the within shares. One whole share for the incorporated Society for the propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. One share for a Glebe for the Church of England as by law established, one share for the first settled minister of the Gospel, and one share for the benefit of a school in said town.
Province of New Hampshire, Sept. 16, 1761.
Recorded from the back of the original Charter for Ludlow under the Province seal.
Attested
Theodore Atkinson, Secry.
11
INTRODUCTION
The last of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth has brought to the minds of the people the pressing need of collecting the historical facts of every part of the country, that succeeding generations in the centuries to come, may know what science and invention have done for the promotion of civilization in that period of time. Enlightenment has advanced more rapidly during the last fifty years, than in the five centuries preceding.
For many years, the author has felt that a more complete history of Ludlow should be written than has ever been attempted. Therefore, though realizing his own unfitness for the work, he has undertaken to make out a record of the past history of the town, before the passage of time shall have cast upon its historical facts, a shadow too deep to be removed.
The work has been prepared under great difficulties, while the pressure of other business has allowed but little interval for research. Several years have passed during its preparation, but no pains have been spared to verify each historical item. Many have aided in the work, some of whom have passed on to be enrolled on higher records than can be given them here.
Much care has been given to compiling the general history of the town. The genealogical records are not fully taken up, and if desired, should be prepared in a separate volume.
In closing this work, grateful thanks are tendered to all who have given assistance in bringing this history to com- pletion.
Jos. N. Harris.
1931.
12
HISTORY OF LUDLOW
Ludlow is a post town situated in the southwestern part of Windsor county, Vermont, and borders on the Green Mountains on the west. It has within its limits, the eastern declivities of the mountain known as Center Mountain, whose summit rises 2,560 feet above Main street of the village, and 3,660 feet above tide water.
The town is bounded on the north by Plymouth, east by Cavendish and Chester, south by Andover and Weston, and west by Mount Holly.
For nearly eight miles, the western boundary line passes along the ridge of the mountains that separate Windsor and Rutland counties. Ludlow is irregular in form, its greatest length being from north to south, and its greatest width, from east to west south of the center. The township, at the present time, contains about thirty-six square miles.
The charter of Ludlow bears the date of Sept. 16, 1761, and was granted to Jared Lee and sixty-five others, by Benning Wentworth, colonial governor of New Hampshire. Seventy-six lots were surveyed from the east side of the town, the ranges of lots extending the entire length of the town. These lots were then numbered, the numbers put upon tickets, and the tickets put into a hat. They were then stirred up and each member drew a ticket on which was the number of the lot that he was to have. The lots were numbered beginning at the north east corner, and passing to the west on the northern tier of lots, then east on the second tier, and so on. Below we give a list of the numbers of the lots, with the names of the men who drew them: Samuel Hitchcock drew No. 1, Caleb Hall, No. 2, Ezekiel Cowles, No. 3, Thomas Thebles, No. 10, Nathan Williams, No. 11, John Newell, No. 12, Moses Hill, No. 13, Timothy Hall, No. 14, Israel Calkins, No. 15, Josiah Newell, No. 17, Jonathan Woodruff, No. 18, Eliakim Hall, Jr., No. 19, David Hill, No. 20, Capt. Eliakim Hall, No. 21, William Lee, No. 22, Steele Smith, No. 23, Solomon Curtis, No. 24, Jared Lee, No. 25, Street Hall, No. 26, Dr. John Dickinson, No. 28, Seth Lee, No. 29, Nathaniel Fellows, No. 30, Jonathan Norton, No. 31, Joel Potter, No. 32, Samuel Slow, No. 33,
13
Joseph Bishop, No. 34, Stephen Barnes, No. 35, David Austin, No. 36, John Norton, No. 37, John Carter, No. 38, Samuel Bishop, Jr., No. 39, Stephen Hall, No. 41, Zadock Orvis, No. 42, John Hall, No. 43, Nathan Penfield, No. 44, David Lyman, No. 45, Isaac Hall, Jr., No. 46, Isaac Doo- little, No. 47, Joseph Lee, No. 49, Phineas Lewis, No. 50, Silas Beckwith, No. 51, Samuel Austin, No. 52, Elihu Hall, No. 53, Isaac Bidwell, No. 54, Moses Lyman, No. 55, Samuel Bishop, No. 56, Abraham Turner, No. 57, Uri Tuttle, No. 58, William Judd, No. 59, Daniel Warner, No. 60, Thomas Norton, No. 61, Robert Wybert, No. 62, David Clark, Jr., No. 63, Timothy Borman, No. 64, George Hinsdale, No. 65, Solomon Hart, No. 66, John Mix, No. 67, Timothy Lee, No. 68, Thomas Hart, No. 69, Amos Lee, No. 70, Timothy Root, No. 71, Hezekiah Hall, No. 72, Charles Norton, No. 73, Thomas Thebles, No. 74, Joseph Blakesly, No. 76. No. 27 was the glebe land set aside for the established Church of England. This lot lies on the west side of North Hill, and is owned, part by Charles H. Pollard, another part by the Rufus Spaulding estate; and also includes a part of the farm formerly owned by Joseph Dunn. No. 16 was set apart for the Incorporated Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. Lot. No. 48 was set aside for the public schools. It lay in the most westerly tier of lots. West of these lots was a strip of 5,261 acres, taking in the east side of the mountain. This strip was called "grab-land" by the first settlers. It was not surveyed into regular lots like the eastern part of the town, but a man could go on and survey off what he wanted, and hold it, or, as other settlers came into town, he could sell his claim. Jesse Flet- cher took a thousand acres in this way, at the base of the mountain, where the farms of the late Isaac Wadleigh and Oscar Warren are now situated. The school lands includes the land occupied by Arthur Lawrence, John Stevens, John Grochenk, George Creaser, Harlan Graham, Leon Farr, Carroll Grover, Clarence Warren, Charles Proulx, and the farm formerly owned by Jonathan Mayo. This land, set aside for special purposes, is called lease land. No. 75 was set aside for the first minister settled in the town, and Rev. Peter Read, ordained in October, 1810, received this
14
lot, which was located in the south part of the town, now called "Smokeshire." No. 40 was to be given to the first child born in town. This was Adam, son of Simeon Read, who was born March 25, 1784, and from the circumstance of his being the first-born of the town, was named for the first man, Adam.
Nos. 5, 6, and 7 were not assigned to anyone. Nos. 4 and 8 were occupied mostly by the ponds.
None of the original proprietors took up their claims, excepting Seth Lee, brother of Jared Lee. He settled upon his lot, No. 29, which now includes Pond street. He died in Ludlow, February 17, 1803. Lot No. 42 was taken by Oliver Orvis, son of Zadock Orvis, and father of our former towns- man, Oliver Orvis.
The town as first chartered, contained about 24,960 acres. Oct. 16, 1792, 11,739 acres were taken from the west side of the mountain and with Jackson's Gore, which contained 10,669 acres, was added to 3,388 acres from the town of Wallingford, to form the town of Mount Holly. This left Ludlow with its present area of about 13,221 acres.
Jared Lee never established his claim here, and no at- tempt at settlement was made until 1783-4, when Josiah and Jesse Fletcher, brothers, Simeon Read, and James Whitney, immigrants from Massachusetts, moved into the town, and began clearing the virgin soil on the alluvial flats bordering upon Black River, east of the present vil- lage. At least, the three first mentioned settled there, but James Whitney, fearing disastrous results from the river at times of high water, sought what seemed to him greater security on the higher land of North Hill.
At the time that the town was chartered, this country was under the jurisdiction of England, and the people were compelled to pay to that government, one tenth part of all productions, every tenth bushel of grain, every tenth pound of wool, and so forth. On the twenty-fifth of De- cember, for a period of ten years, the head of each family had to pay to Gov. Benning Wentworth, one ear of Indian corn, and on the same date, they were required to pay one shilling of Proclamation money, or forfeit their land claims.
15
The king of England, through his agent, Gov. Wentworth, reserved all rights from the grantees, to cut and remove all pine trees in the town, that were suitable for masts for the ships of the royal navy. This continued until the Dec- laration of Independence removed that burden from the shoulders of the Americans. As the original proprietors did not settle on their claims, the taxes were left unpaid. After the first settlers came, others from Massachusetts and Connecticut soon followed, and some gained their land by paying the taxes, while others remained on their land for twenty-three years, and so gained it by possession.
It is supposed that Ludlow received its name from Lud- low, Mass., where some of the descendants of Lord Ludlow settled and gave their new home the name of their old home in England. The town was organized in 1792, and the first annual town-meeting was held on the last day of March of that year. The meeting was held at the house of Stephen Read. Jesse Fletcher was elected clerk, and also first selectman. James Hadley was second, and Elihu Ives, third selectman. Peter Read was sent to the state legis- lature in 1795, as the first representative from Ludlow.
The natural formation of Ludlow is such that, until with- in a few years, the principal industry has been agriculture, although at the present time, manufacturing takes the lead. The motive power for the latter industry is obtained from the waters of Black River. This stream rises, a tiny riverlet called Split Brook, in the extreme north-western corner of Plymouth, and flowing down the mountain-side, strikes a rock in its course, which splits the stream into two parts, one of which is turned northward and mingles its waters with those of the Otta-queechee, while the other, Black River, flows in a southerly direction through Plymouth and Ludlow till it reaches about the center of the latter town where the village now stands, then, turning in an easterly direction, it follows this course to the Cavendish line. It received its name from the fact that the soil over which it flows, gives the water a dark appearance. It has not been subject to change as some other natural features of the town have, but, as in the days when the sound of the wood- man's axe was first heard upon its banks, peacefully pursues
16
its course, unheeding the many changes wrought on either side of its path. It has been a faithful servant to the in- terests of the town, to all who might harness its power to the water-wheel, or convert its waters into the still greater power of steam and electricity, and whispers to the observer the tale of years of faithful service performed in quietness, and will doubtless continue to do so for ages to come.
The first tributary of Black River of any size in Ludlow, is that which forms the outlet of Tiny pond, and empties its waters into the upper Ludlow pond. The next tributary is known as The Branch, receiving that name from being so called by James Coss, who, with a party of twelve Can- ada Mohawk Indians, was journeying through this locality from Fort Dummer to Lake Champlain in 1730. It rises in Mount Holly, and adds its waters to the river at Grahams- ville. This stream furnished the power for the first saw-mill and grist-mill ever built in Ludlow. The third tributary, called Jewell Brook, joins the river at the village. Another stream drains most of the southeastern part of the town, and empties just above Smithville. The extreme south- eastern corner of the town is crossed by the Williams river. These are all the streams of any size in town, though num- erous smaller streams add their waters to those of the main stream.
Three lakes add their beauty to the scenery of the town. Tiny Pond, a small lake about half a mile in diameter, is situated nearly at the summit of the mountain, and has no visible inlet. According to the original charter, the lake was wholly included in the town, but when the western portion was set off to Mount Holly, it left only about a third of it in Ludlow. When the town was first settled, very fine specimens of brook trout were found in this little lake.
Black River has three lakes, two in Plymouth and one in Ludlow. Formerly, they were called simply "the ponds," being distinguished from each other by specifying their positions, as the upper or lower Plymouth pond, or the Ludlow pond, later they received special names. The upper pond has become Lake Adsalule, the lower pond is called Echo Lake, and the Ludlow pond, or reservoir, is known as Rescue Lake. The last named lake has become a favorite
17
resort for pleasure seekers in summer, and tasteful cot- tages have been erected near it for the use of its visitors.
Various accounts are current in regard to the naming of Rescue Lake. The following tradition is thought by many to have been the origin of the name. Soon after the settle- ment of the town, and before highways had been construct- ed, a little girl of ten years, Patty Gleason by name, was sent by her parents to a neighbors to obtain some coals to renew the fire that had become extinguished. In these days of lucifer matches, this seems like a strange errand, but in those days when matches were unknown, it was a very common one. On her return home, the child strayed from the right course, (marked, in all probability, only by notches cut in the trees,) and became lost. After waiting several hours, her parents became alarmed at her continued ab- sence, and her father went after her. Finding that she had started for home early in the morning, they concluded she was lost, and began a search for her. For four days they sought in vain, but at the close of the fourth day, the child was found lying asleep on the bank of the lake which, from this occurrence, has since been named Rescue Lake. When little Patty told the story of her wanderings, she said that she passed the second night with a black sheep and two lambs, which were supposed to have been a bear with two cubs. This story doubtless is founded upon fact, but that the incident was the source from which the name of the lake was derived, seems to be contradicted by the one to whom the actual naming of the lake is credited. This was Hon. S. A. Giffin, then principal of Black River Acad- emy, later a resident of Boulder, Colorado. He stated "It came about in this way: One summer a party of us were camping on the bank of the lake, and it struck us that Lud- low pond was altogether too common-place for so pretty a body of water. As near as I can remember, I then con- cocted a story about a rescue that occurred on this lake, of a young girl from a party of Indians, and then and there, in due and solemn form, the party baptized the lake in its own waters, and christened it Rescue Lake."
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