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1761-1963
PICTORIAL HISTORY
OF THE TOWN OF
HARTFORD VERMONT
BY JOHN W. ST. CROIX 1963 ...
HARTFORD, VERMONT
JEN
=
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
3 1833 01822 9903
GENEALOGY 974.302 H253SB
this book belongs to With Moving Whitcomb
1761-1963
PICTORIAL HISTORY
OF THE TOWN OF
HARTFORD
VERMONT
BY JOHN W. ST. CROIX 1963
HARTFORD VERMONT
Copyright C 1963 by JOHN W. ST. CROIX
Library of Congress Catalog Number: 63-22342
Limited Edition
Cover design by ALBERT A. SCHAAL Quechee, Vermont
Printed by EQUITY PUBLISHING CORPORATION ORFORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE
This volume is gratefully dedicated to all my friends and neighbors who have so unselfishly shared their photographs and historical literature with me. Without their assistance this pictorial history could never have been produced.
Contents
FOREWORD IX
INTRODUCTION . .
XI
Historical Documents
The Charter of the Town of Hartford 3 1765-Petition of the Township of Hartford-No. 60 . 10
Council Meeting-1766 16
Petition Presented by Jonathan Burtch-1772 21
Council Meeting-1772 26
Hartford Historical Sketches
Col. Joseph Marsh . 33
The Dothan Church 34
Elias Lyman, 3rd 35
The Lyman Toll Bridge 37 Major David Wright 41
Dr. Horace Wells 42
Congregational Churches 44
A. G. Dewey Company 46
West Hartford Inn . 49
Hotels in Hartford .
50
The Vermont Central Railroad . 53
The First Junction House 54
An Early History of White River Junction 57
Mills in Quechee Village 59 The Woodstock Railroad . 61
St. Anthony's Catholic Church . 65
Smith and Sons, Inc. 67
The Quechee Times . 72
St. Paul's Episcopal Church . 73
V
HISTORY OF HARTFORD
The Methodist Church 74
First Universalist Society 76
The Wilder Story 77
The White River Paper Company 83 Village Newspapers 85
The Circus on Nutt's Meadow 87
The Village Hall . 89
Views of White River Junction . 91
Grammar School Building 92
The Quechee Library .
93
Governor Samuel E. Pingree
94
Gibbs' Livery Stable
96
Nathaniel P. Wheeler .
97
The First National Bank .
99
The White River Savings Bank
100
The Hartford Woolen Company
102
The Hartford Railroad Disaster 103
Testing New Railroad Bridge 106
Advent Camp Meeting Grounds 107
Churches in Olcott-Now Wilder 108
The Vermont State Fair 110
H. A. Perkins Co., Inc. 113
Hartford Library 114
Bridge in Hartford Village 115
Fire District No. 1. 117
Telephone Company 119
Cross-Abbott Company 120
Excelsior Carriage Company 123
The Wild West Show 124
Electric Lights for our Streets . 126 Vermont Baking Company 127
Wilder Club and Library 129
The Junction Football Team . 130
Green Mountain Studios, Inc. 132
Hartford Fire 133
VI
HISTORY OF HARTFORD
The Vermonter Magazine 135
School Construction 136
Libraries in White River . 141
Miller Automobile Company . 142
Public Watering Trough 144
The Historical Pageant 146
Center of Town Marker 148
Fire Destroys Union Depot 149
Arza Wyman . 151
Inter-State Trust Company 152
White River Junction Loses its Wooden Bridge . 153
Fire District No. 2, Hartford, Vermont .
157
Log Drive-1914
159
Way Down East . 160
Hotel Coolidge Fire . 161
1927 Flood in the Town of Hartford . 163
West Hartford Library 164
White River Junction Post Office 166
Jehovah's Witnesses 169
The Hurricane 170
Veterans Administration Center 171
Roll of Honor . 173
The Green Mountain Box and Lumber Company . 177
The Green Mountain Studio Fire 178
Teddy's Hotel Fire . 179
The Bible Baptist Church and Bible Institute of New England . 180
"Old 494" 181
Planning Commission-Town of Hartford . 183
Urban Renewal 184
Map of Town of Hartford-1963 186
VII
Foreword
THE work of compiling the history of the Town of Hartford, which I undertook many months ago, developed into a truly excit- ing and fascinating experience. Few areas are as rich in historical background as this six and one half mile square of fertile land granted to a few adventurous souls in 1761. My one regret is that I spent so many years in the area before I became acquainted with its past.
Originally this research began as a hobby after I had been offered a few old photographs to keep or reprint. Displaying these old scenes to friends brought offers of additional photographs and his- torical material and soon the hobby became an obsession. It did not occur to me then that some day I might publish this work. The interest shown by all those with whom I came in contact made me aware of the fact that the material in this collection was equally fascinating to others and should be recorded and preserved in a more permanent form. With this in mind, I finally decided to submit the material for publication, thus making it available to the citizens of Hartford for their information and pleasure.
Nearly all the photos of the distant past were taken for us by the professional photographer. This limits the scope of the early picture records as the commercial photographer took only pictures offering a ready or prospective market. Everyday happenings were seldom recorded. However the professional photographer of the early days was a fine artist and the numerous photographs which have been made available to me have been remarkably clear and have stood well the test of time. Having photography as a personal hobby contributed greatly to this work as it enabled me to copy old photographs and rare material to include in this volume.
While reproducing records of the past I was able to get a copy of the original charter of the Town of Hartford which was issued by
IX
HISTORY OF HARTFORD
Governor Benning Wentworth of New Hampshire. Two years after the grant was made King George III declared this territory to be the property of New York. This action nullified the charter. The proprietors found it necessary to petition New York for a regrant. Copies of these records have also been secured and, in this volume, actual reproductions of these papers will be found.
Here, also, are the highlights of Hartford history-the events, the industries, and the individuals that shaped the town in which we live. Here are recorded some of its social, educational, and politi- cal activities. It is a story of sturdy, industrious people, who, in the past two hundred and two years, worked our farms, built our high- ways, established our churches, erected our schools, and proudly looked upon the township of Hartford as HOME.
- John St. Croix
X
Introduction
DEVELOPMENTS affecting Hartford's history started as early as June 29, 1674, when King Charles II issued a grant for the colony of New York to his brother, James, Duke of York, including "all the land from the west side of Connecticut River to the east side of Delaware Bay."
Five years later, September 18, 1679, the Royal Province of New Hampshire was established by Charles II. There ensued many boundary disputes between New Hampshire and Massachusetts which were finally settled in 1740 and the following year New Hampshire had its own governor for the first time. He was Benning Wentworth of Portsmouth. His appointment was received from King George II on July 3, 1741.
Despite the boundary indicated in the grant to James, Duke of York, establishing the west side of the Connecticut River as the eastern border of New York, the colonies of Connecticut and Massachusetts pushed westward to within approximately twenty miles of the Hudson River. Connecticut established its western boundary in 1684 and Massachusetts extended its western claims to coincide with that of Connecticut in 1750.
As early as 1749, Governor Wentworth started issuing grants to land west of the Connecticut River. Consequently when he re- ceived a commission from King George III setting the western boundary of New Hampshire as the point where it meets "our other governments," Governor Wentworth emphasized the fact that Massachusetts and Connecticut were His Majesty's "other govern- ments" and that New Hampshire's western boundary was co-exist- ent with the boundary of these two other colonies.
A lengthy correspondence between Governor Wentworth of New Hampshire and Governor Clinton of New York, who protested against these grants by New Hampshire, ended by a mutual agree- ment to cease granting any land in this territory until the dispute should be submitted to the King for a decision. Disregarding the agreement, Governor Wentworth continued to make grants in this territory until 1754 when war between England and France brought colonization activities to a halt.
XI
HISTORY OF HARTFORD
Many of the colonists crossed this territory during the war with France and when the war ended in 1760 this land was much sought after by settlers and speculators. Hartford's grant was the first along the Connecticut River to be issued by Governor Wentworth after the war. Land in this territory had been promised to the loyal subjects of New Hampshire as a reward for their services to the Crown but the opportunities to sell this land to outsiders for a good fee were too tempting, and the New Hampshire residents were overlooked or disregarded by the Governor who asserted that the land they were already holding had been poorly cultivated and the outside applicants were far more capable. Many of the proprietors were speculators with no intention of migrating to their newly acquired lands. They searched for buyers immediately after secur- ing their grants.
The rapidity with which Governor Wentworth began issuing grants as far west as Lake Champlain and within twenty miles of the Hudson River alarmed the New York authorities who again asserted New York's rights to the land by reason of the grant to the Duke of York. Lieutenant Governor Colden of New York issued an order that the names of all persons holding New Hampshire grants west of the Connecticut River be reported to him. Governor Wentworth proclaimed New York's claims to be obsolete and advised the settlers to disregard them and to continue to cultivate and improve their lands.
The New York Lieutenant Governor then submitted a petition to the King for a decision concerning the controversy. He accom- panied this petition with supporting papers directing the King's attention to the superiority of the Hudson River over the Connecti- cut as a means for transporting the products of the region. He also made claim that those already on the land preferred New York rule to that of New Hampshire. To further influence the King's decision in his favor he made reference to the fact that the New Hampshire grants provided for the payment of one shilling annually to the King for every hundred acres while, by comparison, grants issued by New York provided for two shillings annually for the same amount of land.
On July 20, 1764 King George III declared the eastern boundary of New York to be the west bank of the Connecticut River and that the colony of New Hampshire should no longer have any jurisdic- tion over any of the land west of the Connecticut.
XII
HISTORY OF HARTFORD
The term to be in this decision led to two different interpreta- tions-the colonist declaring that it meant that New York's juris- diction commenced as of that date and that their Charter, having been issued by an approved Governor of one of His Majesty's colonies, was valid and binding. The New York authorities stated that the King's decision upheld the original grant to James, Duke of York, and that their jurisdiction dated from the establishment of New York as a colony. This created ill feeling initially between the proprietors and the New York government.
The Lieutenant Governor of New York within a short time requested the surrender of all New Hampshire grants for this territory to be exchanged for regrants or Letters Patent from New York.
The residents of Hartford selected Oliver Willard of Hartland, Vermont, as their agent to conduct negotiations with New York for a regrant. A petition was submitted to the New York authori- ties signed by the inhabitants and presented by Oliver Willard on October 31st, 1765. In this petition the proprietors stated that there were thirty inhabitants in actual possession of the land and that they were desirous to secure their properties, possessions, and im- provements by obtaining a grant of the same under the seal of New York.
A Council was held in the City of New York on Wednesday, November 12, 1766, with his excellency Sir Henry Moore, presiding. A regrant was approved with the stipulations that the name of the township should be called Ware, which was designated as being in Cumberland County, New York. All land issued to Daniel Warner, Joseph Newmarch, Thomas Bell, and Samuel Wentworth were to remain vested in the Crown as no improvements had been made on these shares. The New York authorities further requested that a person of sufficient ability enter into bond to the King in the amount of two thousand pounds and that each proprietor be required to pay his proportionate share of all fees and charges.
The records of the Township show the cost for the original Charter plus surveying to be one hundred and ninety-two pounds- amounting to approximately three pounds for each grantee. This exorbitant demand on the part of New York for two thousand pounds was resented by the settlers and no immediate attempt was made to comply. It was not until 1772 that further mention of the Charter and the request for a regrant was mentioned. Having had
XIII
HISTORY OF HARTFORD
difficulty raising the money to satisfy New York's demands, the proprietors secured funds from Thomas Hazen, through his son, Joshua, in exchange for one thousand acres of land. Another meet- ing was called and Jonathan Burtch was appointed agent to repre- sent Hartford in another appeal for a regrant.
At this time one hundred and twenty settlers now owned land and, Sir Henry Moore, who presided over the first council meeting, had died; therefore it was felt that a new appeal might secure more lenient terms.
When he left Hartford, Jonathan Burtch took the Town's orig- inal Charter with him. He presented the petition to the New York authorities on April 1, 1772.
Another council meeting was held April 8, 1772, with His Ex- cellency, William Tryon, Governor of New York, presiding.
The decision of the Council gave the proprietors the right to retain the name of Hartford. All lands formerly vested in the Crown due to lack of improvements were released to the inhabitants except land specifically set aside for Governor Benning Wentworth. The same fee of two thousand pounds was set as the cost for com- pleting the transaction.
The mission was a failure. Mystery veils the cause. In justice to Jonathan Burtch, he did present the petition and, no doubt, retained the Charter and money entrusted to him until he knew definitely the terms to be applied to the transaction. Something went wrong but Jonathan Burtch did not make any statement concerning the matter. Early history states that he "either surrendered the Charter to New York authorities or disposed of it unauthorizedly". New York never issued a regrant and denied any knowledge of the Charter. Jonathan Burtch returned with no Charter and no Regrant. The only conclusion that could be reached is that the Charter may have been damaged, lost or destroyed and without the surrender of the Charter the transaction could not be concluded. Having had knowl- edge of the probable fee set for the regrant from the results of the former council meeting lack of sufficient funds could not have been involved. It would seem improbable that Jonathan Burtch would have been sent on his mission without the necessary money. This leads to the conclusion that something definitely happened to the Charter preventing Jonathan Burtch from surrendering it to New York as required.
XIV
HISTORY OF HARTFORD
Jonathan Burtch was threatened with legal action if he did not return the Charter. This he did not do-perhaps because he could not do it-but records do not reveal that he was ever subjected to any legal proceedings.
It was during this period that trouble between the colonies and Great Britain reached feverish heat and the small local problems became overshadowed by the defense of the liberties these colonies valued against the impositions of taxes, limitations, and stipula- tions that the British government sought to impose upon its subjects.
War with England soon followed resulting in the colonies secur- ing their independence. In 1777 boundary settlements were made and Vermont established herself as an independent colony. After fourteen years of independent rule application was made for admis- sion to the Union and Vermont became the fourteenth state on March 4, 1791.
Commencing with the Charter and the dispute between New Hampshire and New York, the following pages contain in photo- graphs and written history scenes and events in the lives of the inhabitants of this area up to the present day.
Organizing this book and arranging the contents has presented a difficult problem. The lives of individuals and the history of the various business enterprises in most cases included the same era in the text and a definite plan for continuity had to be determined.
An attempt was first made to separate the villages but it soon became apparent that many items pertained to the entire Township and could not be delegated to any specific village.
The present form seemed more logical. The contents of the book are arranged in chronological order according to the year in which the individual moved to Hartford, entered his public career, or attained prominence. The business concerns are arranged by the year of their organization. Interspersed in order are the historic events that occurred throughout the years. Thus, starting with the Charter, the history moves on in an orderly fashion to the present day closing with town planning, urban renewal, and a current map of the Township.
XV
Historical Documents
of the
Town of Hartford, Vermont
The following pages contain copies of the Historical Documents of the Town of Hartford as they appear in the official files of New Hampshire and New York.
To facilitate reading, the exact wording of these papers appear in printed form im- mediately after each document.
The Charter of the Town of Hartford
PROVINCE of NEW-HAMPSHIRE.
GEORG E the Third,
By the Grace of GOD, of Great-Britain, France and Ireland, KING, Defender of the Faith, &ºc.
To all Perfons to whom thefe Prefents fhall come, Greeting.
K NOW ye, that We of Our fpecial Grace, certain Knowledge, and meer Motion, for the due Encouragement of fettling a New Plan- tation within our faid Province, by and with the Advice of our Trufty and Well-beloved BENNING WENTWORTH, Efq; Our Governor and Commander in Chief of Our faid Province of NEW-HAMPSHIRE in New-England, and of our COUNCIL of the faid Province ; HAVE upon the Conditions and Refervations herein after made, given and granted, and by thefe Prefents, for us, our Heirs, and Succefors, do give and grant in equal Shares, unto Our loving Subjects, Inhabitants of Our faid Province of New-Hampshire, and Our other Governments, and to their Heirs and Affigns for ever, whofe Names are entred on this Grant, to be divided to and amongft them into Sixty
light equal Shares, all that Tract or Parcel of Land fituate, lying and being within our faid Province of New-Hampshire, containing by Admeafurement, Twenty Seven Somaal 2
Acres, which Tract is to contain fix mily Y one half Milef fquare, and no more ; out of which an Allowance is to be made for High Ways and unimprovable Lands by *
Rocks, Ponds, Mountains and Rivers, One Thoufand and Forty Acres free, ac- cording to a Plan and Survey thereof, made by Our faid Governor's Order, and returned into the Secretary's Office, and hereunto annexed, butted and bounded as follows, Viz. Beginning as awhite Pine free thailand Apposto to the South West Corner of Sahanen crop the Mines, Consistiu from thene North Sixty Piglet Deyours Uns,
From mily for theuse from theres North Hluty four Post fach miles from there South Sixty degne Pal fix mily to a Himbach, She was his at the third of It Biriver falls from themess "Down the river lettes First, Bundy mentioned
And that the fame be, and hereby is Incorporated into a Townthip by the Name of Hartford And the Inhabitants that do or thall hereafter inhabit the faid Townthip, are hereby declared to be Enfranchized with and Intitled to all and every the Priviledges and Immunities that other Towns within Our Province by Law Exercife and Enjoy : And further, that the faid Town as foon as there fhall be Fifty Families refident and fettled thereon, thall bave the Liberty of holding Two Fairs, one of which fhall be held on the
And the other on the
fefpective annually, which Fairs are not to continue longer than the following the faid and that as foon as the faid Town fhall confift of Fifty Families, a Market may be
3
HISTORY OF HARTFORD
opened and kept one or more Days in each Week, as may be thought molt advantagious to the Inhabitants. Alfo, that the firft Meeting for the Choice of Town Officers, agreable to the Laws of our faid Province, Shall be held on the last Winistring in August, Hext. which faid Meeting Shall be Notified by Inn Jord Baldwine who is hereby alfo appointed the Moderator of the faid firft Meeting, which he is to Notify and Govern agreable to the Laws and Cuftoms of Our faid Province ; and that the annual Meeting for ever hereafter for the Choice of fuch Officers for the faid Town, Shall be on the Second JumsAny of March annually, To HAVE and to HOLD the faid Tract of Land as above expreffed, together with all Privileges and Appurtenances, to them and their refpective Heirs and Affigns forever, upon the following Conditions, viz.
I. That every Grantee, his Heirs or Affigns fhall plant and cultivate five Acres of Land within the Term of five Years for every fifty Acres contained in his or their Share or Proportion of Land in faid Townfhip, and continue to improve and fettle the fame by additional Cultivations, on Penalty of the Forfeiture of his Grant or Share in the faid Townfhip, and of its reverting to Us, our Heirs and Succeffors, to be by Us or Them Re-granted to fuch of Our Subjects as thall effectually fettle and cultivate the fame.
II. That all white and other Pine Trees within the faid Townthip, fit for Mafting Our Royal Navy, be carefully preferved for that Ufe, and none to be cot or felled without Our fpecial Licence for fo doing firft had and obtained, upon the Penalty of the Forfeiture of the Right of fuch Grantee, his Heirs and Affigne, to Us, our Heirs and Succeffors, as well as being fubject to the Penalty of any &&t or Acts of Parliament that now are, or hereafter fhall be Enacted.
III. That before any Divifion of the Land be made to and among the Grantees, a Tract of Land as near the Centre of the faid Townthip as the Land will admit of, fhall be referved and marked out for Town Lots, one of which thall be allotted to each Grantee of the Contents of one Acre.
IV. Yielding and paying therefor to Us, our Heirs and Succefors for the Space of ten Years, to be computed from the Date hereof, the Rent of one Ear of Indian Corn only, on the twenty-fifth Day of December annually, if lawfully de- manded, the firft Payment to be made on the twenty-fifth Day of December. 1762
V. Every Proprietor, Settler or Inhabitant, fhall yield and pay unto Us, our Heirs and Succeffors yearly, and every Year forever, from and after the Expiration of ten Years from the abovefaid twenty-fifth Day of December, namely, on the twenty-fifth Day of December, which will be in the Year of Our Lord 1 772. One fhilling Proclamation Money for every Hundred Acres he fo owns, fettles or poffeffes,"and fo in Proportion for a greater or leffer Tract of the faid Land ; which Money fhall be paid by the refpective Perfons abovefaid, their Heirs or Affigns, in our Council Chamber in Portfmouth, or to fuch Officer or Officers as thall be appointed to receive the fame; and this to be in Lieu of all other Rents and Services whatfoever.
In Teftimony whereof we have caufed the Seal of our faid Province to be hereunto affixed. Witnefs BENNING WENTWORTH, Efq; Our Governor, and Commander in Chief of Our faid Province, the Grey/12 , Day of
In the Year of our Lord CHRIST, One Thoufand Seven Hundred and Sixty Mirc. And in the First, Year of Our Reign.
By His EXCELLENCY's Command, With Advice of COUNCIL,
2 .
4
HISTORY OF HARTFORD
The Names of the Grantees of Hart ford. -
Prince Jacy
Nathanich Holbrooke june Milli Cent ko
William Clark
Eling Frink
Oliver Brufter
Elijah Billing
Joshua Donnay
Bruge Weights june
Venez" Gittit
Sitas Phelps .
Sem& Williams Palet Howard Catel Owens
Finathy Clarks
Jotm Baldwin,
Joseph Blanchard
Artan Wallow
aron Such.
Bruja Whitney: 3 ... "War nesking
Oliver Booths Jonathan Menhingis Formes Feint
Erijan Bingham.
John Anddam puis Sant Wentworth of Boston Eritha Dontaday inits Wittern auto
Romas Jacy" Hozz kinh Huntington
One what there for the Incorporated Society for the Propagationy The gospel in powerque farts one what there for relieder, por Chinach of England ap by Law &stablished curawholes there for this post fortid himiles of the Gospel on there for the Benefit of A School, inI Town His Salling Benning Wentworth big Five Hand 2 Razy to lastod cul as trous hed in the ytan B. W
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