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Gc 974.3 C86h 1359862
M. L.
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 00055 6412
REV. HENRY CROCKER President of the Vermont Baptist Historical Society
F
HISTORY
OF THE
BAPTISTS IN VERMONT
BY
REV. HENRY CROCKER
BELLOWS FALLS, VT. THE P. H. GOBIE PRESS 1913
Copyrighted 1913 by The Vermont Baptist State Convention
PREFACE
1359862
"Other men labored and ye are entered into their labors."
The importance of preserving material for a history of Ver- mont Baptists was recognized by a few persons at an early date. In the minutes of The Shaftsbury Association of 1794, is this note: "N. B. It is the request of some of the members of this Associa- tion, that the several Associations with whom we correspond would print their annual minutes in sizable octavo. By this we judge a valuable end might be answered; by being all of one size they might easily be reduced to a volume, without any expense; being ranged in order from year to year, and bound together, they will naturally be preserved. The various circular letters they contain will be richly worthy of perusal and preservation; they will contain a body of divinity, in a familiar style of letter writing. This method fol- lowed a few years will produce at once a more extensive history, and accurate register of the Baptists in America, than any other. It will at least contain particular and extensive information, for rising generations, without any expense but merely the eare of pre- serving. To this end an octavo size will be best."
Unfortunately this suggestion as to uniformity of size was not heeded, but the prediction concerning the value of the minutes as sources of history was correct, and much eredit is due those who pre- served the minutes and to others who have collected the files now available for reference in our Historieal Societies. For many years, however, a vast amount of history was in the archives of the peo- ple's memory, and much has been lost, for lack of a timely historian.
In 1841, the State Convention took definite steps to seeure a history of Vermont Baptists. Brethren A. Churchill, D. Haskall and M. Field were appointed a committee for this purpose. They reported that they found in the hands of Brother Churchill a num-
2
PREFACE
ber of histories of the churches, but not in condition to enable them to come to a definite conclusion on the subject of publication. They recommended that a committee be appointed to receive further communications from the churches, and to prepare a con- densed history, to be inserted, if practicable, in The Vermont Gaz- eteer, about to be published by Mr. Thompson of Burlington. Rev. C. A. Thomas was appointed chairman of this committee and instructed to prepare the article for the Gazeteer. During the next year the article was prepared and forwarded. Mr. Churchill reported that a goodly number of churches had made returns, yet there were several from which no returns had been received. Brethren A. Churchill and C. A. Thomas were appointed to prose- cute the work of collecting the history of the Baptists, with in- structions to report at the next meeting of the Convention.
Near the close of the session in 1843, a box was presented to the Convention from Brother A. Churchill, containing copies of the minutes of the several Associations, biographies of deceased Bap- tist ministers, histories of individual churches and other material which he had collected within a few years at great trouble and ex- pense, for the purpose of enabling the Convention to issue a full and accurate history of the Baptists of Vermont.
The box was received with thanks, and a committee consisting of C. A. Thomas, B. Brierly and one other was appointed to examine the material and see what could be done to arrange it for the press. The committee reported the material worthy of preservation, and recommended that a committee of nine persons, one from each Association in the State, be appointed to prepare from information already collected and which may be collected, an article including the histories of the churches in his own Association, together with a history of the Association itself. These articles were to be pre- pared and handed in at the next session of the Convention. An able committee was appointed, consisting of N. Dennison, L. A. Dunn, I. Keach, J. Clement, W. M. Guilford, M. G. Hodge, M. D. Miller, C. W. Hodges, J. M. Rockwood. This committee was reappointed the next year and Brother L. Hayden of Saxtons River was ap- pointed a committee of oversight of the whole, during the year,
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PREFACE
to bring together the whole history and report to the Convention.
This general committee failing to accomplish the work, a new committee was appointed and L. Hayden continued as a committee of oversight. For two years this committee simply reported pro- gress and was discharged.
A special committee then made the following report:
"Whereas, a committee of this body has been annually ap- pointed for several years past to collect materials for a History of the Baptists of this State and, whereas, it seems from reports that nearly all has been done by way of such committee scattered through the different Associations as can be expected; and, whereas, the work, if published at all, must be compiled, not only from ma- terial already obtained, but from additional facts obtained per- sonally by the compiler; therefore,
"Resolved, that we recommend the appointment of a com- mittee of three located conveniently near for consultation with each other whose duty it shall be to procure if possible some person com- petent to take the manuscripts already prepared, and who will de- vote his own personal attention to collecting additional facts, and compiling and publishing the work on his own responsibility, aided by the counsel of said committee in the discharge of his responsible trust.
"Resolved, that we recommend to such compiler and pub- lisher to visit most of the churches personally, collecting material for the history, and obtaining subscribers to the book when pub- lished."
These resolutions were adopted, and A. Sabin, M. G. Hodge and C. A. Thomas were appointed the committee. The committee failed to find the historian able and willing to undertake the work. The whole subject was then by vote referred to the several Associa- tions with a recommendation that they severally prepare histories of their bodies, and publish them in their minutes. Here the Con- vention rested their efforts for many years. The Shaftsbury As- sociation found in Stephen Wright a historian for their body, and a history of four hundred and sixty-two pages octavo was pub- lished. From time to time church histories and historical ad- dresses were printed in the minutes.
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PREFACE
In 1868, Rev. Cyprian Frenyear, a zealous and laborious stu- dent of Vermont Baptist history, began collecting historical ma- terial, and it was his ardent desire to prepare a history of the de- nomination in the State. He died in 1876, before his hopes could be realized.
The Vermont Baptist Historical Society was then organized, and purchased of Mrs. Frenyear the collection of her husband's papers. William Randall, Charles Hibbard, R. L. Olds, T. H. Archibald, S. T. Archibald and others have added to this collection.
Rev. T. H. Archibald was the next to undertake the production of the history. He was recognized by the Convention as its his- torian and appropriation was made to compensate him for work done. He, too, passed on before this work was accomplished, and the work of revising his manuscripts and completing the history fell to his son, Rev. S. H. Archibald, who died in 1904, also leaving the work unfinished.
The Archibald manuscripts became the property of the State Convention.
It was at this point that the work of the editor of this volume began. Relieved from the cares of a pastorate, he volunteered to prepare the Archibald manuscripts for the press, supposing that there was little to be done but to copy pen written manuscripts upon the typewriter. But these papers, though interesting and valu- able, were found to be far from complete, and the publication of them as a history of Vermont Baptists would have proved inade- quate and unsatisfactory. This led to a careful examination of the accumulated historical material, to a purpose to edit, and publish whatever is of interest and value, following practically the plan proposed by Cyprian Frenyear as outlined in the minutes of the Shaftsbury Association in 1875. Upon the announcement of this purpose, the Vermont Baptist Historical Society appointed Rev. Henry Crocker, Rev. J. R. Gow, D. D., and Hon. W. W. Stickney, a historical committee, and at the request of the histo- rical society the State Convention appointed Willard Crane, Col. Silas A. Ilsley and Dr. H. M. Holton a committee to cooperate with the above named committee in planning for the publication of the history.
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PREFACE
To Rev. W. A. Davison, D. D., secretary of the Board and superintendent of missions, was committed the problems incident to securing subscriptions and funds necessary to launch the work. At his suggestion, several brethren, beside the joint committee, sub- scribed liberally toward the cost of manuscript and publication.
The final business arrangements were committed to Mr. Davi- son, Henry Bond and the editor, Henry Crocker.,
Someone has said, "By failures we may estimate difficulties." If it had been an easy task the history of Vermont Baptists would have been written long ago. Difficulty has long defeated desire. Great credit is due to those who, wishing to publish the history, col- lected a great amount of material which they were compelled to pass on to a successor. Three names are worthy of special honor in this connection: Churchill, Frenyear and Archibald. The little box given by Churchill to the Convention, and the tin-lined trunk containing most of the Frenyear collection, together with the files of minutes carefully collected and preserved in the Historical So- ciety's library, have been the mine from which most of the facts here given have been taken. Some of the narratives are given as they were written long ago. It has been impossible to give the an- thority in many instances, as the papers are unsigned, and it has not been thought necessary in other cases to use quotation marks or notes.
It is a satisfaction to know that facts long concealed or known to but few can now be known by many, and we may cherish the hope that the backward look will incite to more earnest efforts for the upbuilding of the Kingdom of Christ among the Green Mountains and the fertile valleys of Vermont.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I. Beginnings west of the Green Moun- tains in Shaftsbury, Pownal and Wallingford. 13-33
CHAPTER II. Shaftsbury Association, and Caleb Blood's Account of his Missionary Journey. 35-54
CHAPTER III. Itinerant Missionaries from the Massachusetts Baptist Mission- ary Society and the Maine Bap- tist Missionary Society 55-59
CHAPTER IV. Later accounts of the churches in Shaftsbury, Pownał and Walling- ford. 61-69
CHAPTER V. The Vermont Association 71-78
CHAPTER VI. Manchester Association. 79-00
CHAPTER VII. Other churches in the Vermont and Shaftsbury Associations 81-118
CHAPTER VIII.
Addison County Association. 119-132
CHAPTER IX.
Churches in the Addison Associa- tion Group. 133-159
CHAPTER X.
Revivals.
161-171
CHAPTER XI. Ecclesiastical Legislation. 173-175
CHAPTER XII. Beginnings east of the Green Moun- tains. 177-184
CHAPTER XIII. The Windham County Association .. 185-194 CHAPTER XIV. Later Account of the churches in the Windham County Association. . 195-223
CHAPTER XV.
The Woodstock Association. 225-240
CHAPTER XVI. Later Account of the Churches in the Woodstock Association 241-283
CHAPTER XVII.
Barre Association, now Central Ver-
mont Association.
285-311
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CONTENTS
CHAPTER XVIII. Caledonia and Orleans Counties, Danville Association and its
Churches. 313-327
CHAPTER XIX.
Franklin and Lamoille Counties,
Pioneers and Early Churches ..... 327-341
CHAPTER XX. Richmond, Fairfield, Onion River, and Lamoille Associations. . ..... 343-352
CHAPTER XXI.
Churches of the Lamoille Association 353-426
CHAPTER XXII. Vermont Baptist State Convention. 427-519 CHAPTER XXIII. Education, Ministerial Education, Academies, New Hampton Theolo- gical and Literary Institution. 521-558
CHAPTER XXIV. Sunday School Work. 559-568
CHAPTER XXV. Vermont Baptist Bible Society 569-511
CHAPTER XXVI. Vermont Baptist Historical Society. 573-574
CHAPTER XXVII. Vermont Baptist Young Peoples' Union. 575-577
CHAPTER XXVIII. Gifts of Vermont Baptists to Home and Foreign Missions. Their Mis- sionaries.
CHAPTER XXIX. Women's Missionary Societies, Home and Foreign 593-603
CHAPTER XXX. Prominent Laymen . 599-603
CHAPTER XXXI. The Free Baptist in Vermont. 605
APPENDICES:
Roll of Baptist and Free Baptist Churches Chrono- logically Arranged. 621
Roll of Baptist and Free Baptist Churches Alphabeti- cally Arranged 628
List of Extinct Churches Chronologically Arranged 632
List of Extinet Churches Alphabetically Arranged 634 State Convention Compendium. 639
Vermont Baptist Sunday School Convention Com- pendium. 641
Compendium of Shaftsbury Association 642
Compendium of Addison Association 6-4.
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CONTENTS
Compendium of Vermont Association. 646
Compendium of Woodstock Association. 647
Compendium of Windham County Association 650
Compendium of Vermont Central Association. 651
Compendium of Danville Association 653
Compendium of Lamoille Association. 655
Appropriations of the State Convention to the churches from beginning in 1824 to 1912 658
INDEX 677
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Rev. Henry Crocker Frontispiece
Shaftsbury Baptist Church 16
Rev. S. H. Archibald. 67
C. A. Thomas, D. D. 89
Dea. E. M. Bixby. 94
Ilsley Memorial Baptist Church 155
Col. S. A. Ilsley 160
Rev. Aaron Leland. 185
Dea. Jacob Estey 207
A. B. Clark. 214
Dr. Henry D. Holton. 224
Dea. B. A. Park. 245
Hon. Fred G. Field 248
O. H. Henderson. 325
Rev. Alvah Sabin. 358
Rev. Ezra Butler.
390
Ilon. Lawrence Barnes.
398
Dea. Willard Crane
405
David G. Crane
419
Brandon Baptist Church.
426
Hon. W. W. Stickney
455
Howard Crane.
470
William A. Davison, D. D 501
Hon. J. J. Estey. 505
Henry Bond. 514
John A. Greenwood 519
IIon. Levi K. Fuller. 545
New Hampton Literary and Theological Institution. 553
Arthur G. Crane. 569
Hon. Fred M. Butler. 600
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INTRODUCTION
T HE meeting and mingling of several currents of social and religious life made the beginning of Baptist history in Ver- mont a rapid and powerful movement. The tide of im- migration, long restrained, came in with a sudden rise when once the dykes were broken. The increasing population furnished the material for the multiplication of new churches. The settlement of the State, while largely a pioneer enterprise, was to some extent a religious movement. There were men and women of strong con- victions and fervent piety who were seeking release from some of the ecclesiastic restraints under which they had been living. This was particularly true of the Baptist immigrants. Baptist sentiments and practices were not then popular, but their adherents held them with the tenacity of conviction, and preached them fearlessly and with ef- fect. Their resistance to taxation for the support of "The Standing Order" subjected them to severe criticism and sometimes to more trying experiences, and the prospect of more perfect religious liberty among the mountains of Vermont was attractive to them. Moreover the times were ripe for an intense religious interest. The preaching of Wesley and his associates had pricked the consciences of many and had awakened among christians generally an evange- listic spirit. Many an immigrant, no doubt, brought into the soli- tudes of the wilderness pungent religious convictions which isola- tion and loneliness served to increase in force. Pioneer preachers and evangelists itinerating among these new settlers were warmly welcomed and their efforts were fruitful in encouraging christians and leading others to conversion. Near the close of the eighteenth century a gracious revival of religion began almost simultaneously throughout the State; converts were multiplied; new churches were organized; the small associations already organized welcomed the new churches to their fellowship and watchcare. The correspond-
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INTRODUCTION
ence between the associations in the State and in other states served to develop a denominational spirit and enterprise. The success of volunteer itinerants encouraged the associations to send out their preachers among the infant settlements and to the frontiers of civilization and to the camps of the Indians, and thus organized missionary work began. The letters of Adoniram Judson and the visit of Luther Rice awoke the churches to the cause of world wide missionary work. The need of combined effort for the care of weaker churches and for the work of missions led to the organization of the Vermont Baptist State Convention. Various departments of christian enterprise led to the organization of societies specially entrusted to these branches. Sunday schools were organized and Sunday School Conventions became a necessity.
The women heard the call to special missionary service and their mission circles took a place of prominence in the local and State work. The young people rallied for service and for culture. Men and women endowed with the spirit of sacrifice gave of their earnings and income for the support of churches and the spread of the gospel at home and abroad. Generous bequests came into the treasury of the Convention, accumulating a fund for the more ade- quate support of pastors and for the maintenance of the weaker churches. Thus the denomination developed. Loved and honored leaders have lived and finished their work and others have entered into their labors. Some churches have had brief life and others have survived for more than a century, and now the Baptists of Vermont, well organized and with somewhat ample resources, are holding their place in the wide brotherhood of Baptists, and are trying to do their part of the work of the kingdom of Christ. This is an out- line of the story which the following pages of the book attempt to tell.
History of the Baptists in Vermont
CHAPTER I BEGINNINGS-CHURCHES IN SHAFTSBURY, POWNAL AND WALLINGFORD
Hostility between the English, the French and the Indians, delayed the permanent settlement of Vermont. Long after the colonies of Massachusetts and Connecticut had become prosperous, Vermont remained a wilderness. When, in 1724, by vote of the Gen- eral Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Fort Dummer was erected within the present limits of Brattleboro, a measure of safety was secured, and settlements slowly began in Brattleboro, Putney, Vernon, Addison and Pownal.
A small force of soldiers was sent to garrison Fort Dummer, and with them came Rev. Daniel Dwight, as chaplain. He was a minister of the "Standing Order, " and, so far as we know, the first to perform the duties of his sacred office in this State, and the only one for more than forty years.
In 1760, the French finally capitulated, and Canada became a possession of Great Britain. Then the tide of immigration began to set strongly in this direction. The fertility of Vermont's soil and the wealth of her forests had long been known to soldiers, hunters, and adventurers, and these were among the foremost to become set- tlers, as soon as it was safe to do so.
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HISTORY OF THE BAPTISTS IN VERMONT
Others came, lured by the prospect of pleasant homes, where they might be free from some of the ecclesiastical restraints to which they had been subjected in the older colonies.
Among the many immigrants, some were devout christians, who, true to their best impulses, united in efforts to establish schools and churches, and to evangelize their communities.
The first township, granted by Governor Winthrop, of New Hampshire, was Bennington, in 1749. Settlement here, however, was not accomplished until about 1760. Between 1760 and 1768, Wentworth had granted one hundred and thirty-eight townships, and these were called New Hampshire Grants. The grants required that every grantee should plant and cultivate five acres of land, with- in five years, for every fifty acres granted; and other conditions were imposed. In each township one share of two hundred acres was set apart for the "Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts," one for a glebe for the Church of England, and one for the first settled minister. This provision for the first settled minister was very helpful to the infant churches in securing pastors, and an incentive to promptness on the part of the several denominations.
The first church organized within the present limits of Ver- mont was the First Congregational Church in Bennington, De- cember 3, 1762, whose first pastor was Rev. Jedediah Dewey, from 1763 until his death in 1778. Other churches of this denomination were organized in Vernon and Westminster.
The Bennington church was composed of a zealous band of reformers called "Separatists," immigrants from Hardwick and Amherst, Mass. In this, as in many other instances, a portion of these New Light Reformers began to imbibe Baptist sentiments. This interrupted their harmony with those of their brethren who held on to the Pedo-Baptist system.
Seeking to promote their own religious comfort and advance the cause of truth, the Baptists removed from Bennington, some going north into the southwest part of Shaftsbury, near the present site of North Bennington, and others south into Pownal.
The gathering of Baptists in these two places and their in- crease may have been due partially to another cause. Samuel Rob- inson, one of the original settlers and the largest proprictor, was a
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HISTORY OF THE BAPTISTS IN VERMONT
Congregationalist, who had an eye to the peace and unity of his own church and congregation. It is related of him that, when per- sons came to Bennington to purchase land, he used to invite them to spend the night in his hospitable home, and, in the course of the evening, he would inquire concerning their denominational prefer- ences. If they were Congregationalists, then they were offered tempting tracts of land in the immediate vicinity of Bennington; if they were found to be Baptists, then the country about Shafts- bury and Pownal was described as a veritable Land of Promise; if they were Episcopalians, then Arlington was pictured as a land flowing with milk and honey, and thus, the unsuspecting settlers were sorted, and the happy result was four settlements, in which the people were somewhat homogeneous in their doctrinal sentiments.
The first Baptist church in Vermont was organized in Shafts- bury in the latter part of August, 1768, at a time when the inhabi- tants were greatly excited over the contentions between New Hamp- shire and New York, both claiming jurisdiction over the New Hampshire Grants. These grants had suddenly risen in importance, and a very strong current of immigration had set toward them for eight years previous.
The earliest records of this pioneer church have been care- fully preserved, and, in quaint language, tell the story of its origin, and incidentally of the origin of other Shaftsbury churches. They reveal, too, somewhat clearly, the character of the founders of this early church, and the course of their church life. The first entry in the old book of records is as follows:
"Shaftsbury in the year, 1768.
"lly. A number of christians, that had before Covenanted To watch Over one another for Good, had much labour about the Doctrins of Christ and the form of his house. Some of us hold that the Doctrin of laying on of hands is to be Imposed on Common believers, others hold not. Finally a Number agreed That Laying on of hands Should not hinder Our building togather in Church State, Not holding it as a Term of Communion.
"2ly. we had a dispute about Telling Experiances. Finally we agreed that Telling of Experiances of a work of Grace upon the hearts of those who offer themselves to the Chh, is in
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HISTORY OF THE BAPTISTS IN VERMONT
the general, Essential Steps toward admitting members Into the Chh.
"August ye latter End a Number of Christians being met To- gether after labour upon points forementioned we proceeded in the Following order.
"Cyprian Downer, John Millington, Sammuel Waters, Ichabod West, Reuben Ellis, Thomas Matteson, Lydia Barr, Join togather in a most Sollem Covenant as a Church of Christ to watch over one another in the Fear of, and to walk in all the Laws and ordi- nances of the Lord as members of Christ's Chh, depending upon God for Grace."
That the church prospered in its earlier years is evident, from the fact that, in August, 1774, they wrote that they had thirty- nine members, twenty-one of whom were men. Thomas Mattison, one of the original members, was one of the first settlers in the town, and its first town clerk, a position which he held for more than forty years.
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