USA > Vermont > Rutland County > The history of Rutland county, Vermont; civil, ecclesiastical, biographical and military, pt 2 > Part 1
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76
Gc 974.301 R93h pt.2 1770854
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
J
Go
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01092 5300
8270
THE
HISTORY
OF
RUTLAND COUNTY
Vt. VERMONT.
1
abrir maria Einerua
CIVIL, ECCLESIASTICAL, BIOGRAPHICAL AND MILITARY.
WHITE RIVER PAPER CO .. WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, VT. 1882.
840
1770854
828
VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.
1
ish in the mad waters. Joseph Fox was at that time engaged with others at the tannery,. some rods above, in removing hides to a place of safety, when a messenger came to him and stated the condition of things at the Corbin house, and told him his presence was desired there at once. . He went immediately, and, as he has himself said, suggested getting the lib- erty-pole which was then kept in the shed near the Congregational meeting-house, and the bell rope from the Baptist, meeting-house. They were brought as soon as fleet men could do it. One end of the liberty pole was made fast on the shore, and the other end thrown up stream, and :nade to swing around with the current so as to lodge upon some stone and gravel which had been washed up near the door on the west side of the house ; but this did not leave the pole clear from the water ; it dashed over it almost the whole length, or that part of it which was over the water ; but that was the best they could do ; the rescue of those persons in the house must be effected by crossing on that pole or not at all. One end of the bell rope was securely fastened around the body of Mr. Fox, and the other placed in the hands of trusty men, and Fox, undertook the perilous adventure of crossing on the pole to the house. The men holding one end of the rope had directions that if he should fall from the pole, or be swept from it by the water to draw him ashore. He could not walk on it, as possibly he might if it had heen entirely above the water, but undertook and succeeded in getting over as he would
climb a standing pole. Mr. Fox was under water a portion of the time while crossing, and was very much exhausted; the blood started freely from his mouth and nose, but he opened the door of the house, and raised his end of the liberty-pole and put it in the doorway, and that raised the pole out of the water. He then took the end of the rope which hal heen fastened to his body and fist- ened it to the house at a convenient height above the pole to hold on to while walking on it ; the other end of the rope was made fast at a corresponding height on the shore ; At the same time the men on shore had procured some sticks of timber, and those they and Fox- together managed to get along side of the pole and fastened to it. All this was accomplished with the utmost haste, but it formed a bridge over which those endangered persons were all
the last person reached the shore, the house was swept away by the flood.
A question has arisen, and some dispute as to whether Joseph Fox brought off those per- sons from the house. That question, it seems to me, is comparatively of small importance. The great feat of that occasion was the first crossing on that pole submerged as it was in a furious current of water, and nothing could have been effected without it. This was done by Joseph Fox if witnesses, both dead and living, can be relied on ; and it has often been said to me that no other man on the ground, even with the courage to have undertaken it, had the physical ability to accomplish it. Mr. Fox was then a young man ; had been brought up a sailor in one of the Seaport towns of Con- necticut ; had great physical strength for a man of his size, and was agile as a cat. There were other men there, all were doing all they could do. Among the active men present were Russel Barber, Jonas Clark, Jonathan Morgan, Charles Stoddard and Simon Clark. After Mr. Fox had crossed and the pole had been raised, the rope fastened to the house, in the manner above given, to hold ou to while walking, and the sticks of timber placed along- side the pole and fastened to it, others crossed over and assisted in getting off the inmates of the house. The children were carried ; the adults walked across, as they were led or guided by Fox and others. "Old Mother Corbin," at her own request, was the last to leave the house. Mr. Fox said, when he first entered the house, he found her quietly smok- ing her pipe, apparently unconcerned, and while she seemed rejoiced at the prospect of saving the others, seemed to have little or no anxiety for herself. Mr. Fox lived to be an old man, and died in Middletown about 2 years since. May he long be remembered for his heroic and daring conduct on this occasion ; but for him those fourteen persons probably would have then perished.
A man by the name of Orrin Cleaveland, about the time they started for the liberty pole and bell rope, started with some others and went some rods above and found a tree which had been uprooted and fallen across the stream. Cleaveland thinking that possibly the Corbin House might be reached from the other side, undertook to cross on this tree, but was carried down the stream and drowned.
Dea. Menira Caswell, of Castleton, has put taken off and saved. In fifteen minutes after linto my possession two letters which he has
1
829
MIDDLETOWN.
recently received from two of the old inhabit- ants on the subject of that flood. One is from Dea. Jervis Barber. He writes :
"I am requested to give the facts and inci- dents which came under my observation in the flood in Middletown in 1811. I was then 7 years old, my brother Israel was a year and a half older. The day on which the fresh- et occurred we went to school in a large two- story house, then owned by William Semple, which stood directly opposite the school-house east of the village, and on the bank of the stream-it was called the Eldridge house. The teacher, fearing danger, dismissed the school a little before noon. About 3 o'clock in the afternoon this Eldridge house was swept away by the rising flood ; myself, brother Israel, Harley and Ezra Haskins, two other school children stood in the road in front of it at the time. We then went down the road towards the bridge and observed Corbin's children, who seemed to be enjoying the scene very much. It was proposed by some one of our number to take shelter in the Corbin house, and with them enjoy the scene. We all made for the house, and my brother and the two Haskins boys went through the water, which was already running west of the house, but my legs were not long enough to ford it, and I backed out. Soon after that I called to my brother to leave the house, as the water was rising fast. He made the attempt but it was too late-he was obliged to turn back with fear and alarm depicted on his countenance.
At this point my own observation ceased. though I could but observe that the little plot of ground around the house, not covered with water, was rapidly growing smaller and small- er until it was entirely lost to my view, and no longer wishing to look upon the raging ele- ment which I believed would soon sweep in- to eternity my brother and those with hun. | mained until the last, having taken refuge in I went into the house of a Mr. Fuller, which the comforting belief " that if she was to be saved, she would be saved." She was taken from the house and put upon the pole, a man supporting her on either side, and guiding her steps she got safely over." then was standing about where widow Bur- nam's house now is, for shelter and sympathy. Mr. Fuller was in the village, and while going there those in the house ma le signs to him of distress, but he did not heed them.
The last time I saw Mr. Fox he told me all about the rescue of those persons in the Cor- bin house ; that he was in the tannery above assisting in saving some hides when word came to him that Corbin's family would soon be swept away unless rescued; that he immedi- ately hastened to the spot-found a multitude collected on the bank of the stream-but noth- ing doing towards their rescue, and in fact all were agreed that nothing could be done ; but when the liberty pole was suggested it was brought to the spot at once."
(Fox), as soon as he could get breath sprang again for the pole; the men held him for a moment, telling him it was impossible to cross, but he released himself from them, sprang to the pole, and the next time suceeeded in get- ting over."
The other letter is from Mrs. Priscilla (Bar- ber) Leach, sister of Deacon Jervis Barber. She says : "The ' flood', as it was called, oc- curred on the 22d of July, as I had occasion to know from a minute made with chalk on the walls of the room by my father the next morning."
"The family of Elihu Corbin consisting of his aged mother, his wife were in the house, and children, and my ol lest brother Israel and other school children were there, in all to the number of fourteen. There seemed no help for them, and men withdrew from the scene, so as not to witness the final catastrophe. My father could see Israel on a high door-step, and supposed that Jervis was also there. Mr. Corbin was restrained by force from plunging into the stream. By whom the liberty-pole was suggested as a means of relief I cannot say, but it was brought and thrown across the stream, when Joseph Fox, with ropes about his person, one end of which were in strong hands, thus periled his life in a successful effort to reach the other side. He secured the end of the pole, when others walked over to the rescue, foremost among whom were my father, who, catching up brother Is- rael placed him on the shoulders of Mr. Fox, who bore him safely over. He, Israel play- fully said, "rode over the river on a Fox," Some remainel in the house to prepare the women and children for their perilous voyage, while others were making the voyage, with a child clinging to their necks, others assisted the women to walk the slippery pole. " Gran- ny Corbin," as she was familiary called re-
There were other exciting scenes in town on that day. The tannery belonging to Dea- con Orson Brewster, was also surrounded by water. There were some 6 or S persons there and before they were aware of it a current of water 30 or 40 feet wide was running on the north side of the tannery, which, with the main stream, completely shut them in They soon by signals called men to their assistance, who were enabled to get across the current a long stick of timber which, almost at the same moment, hal floated down stream to them. A man by the name of Farmer, who was in the tannery, was the first man to attempt the crossing on the timber The stick not being securely placed turned and let him into the
Deacon Barber writes that Mr. Fox told him that, " when about half way across the pole the body of Mr. Cleaveland, who had fal. len into the stream above, came floating down and struck him and turned him from the up- per side of the pole ; that the man hold of the rope seeing the body floating down supposed - it was Fox and drew him ashore; that be' water. He was carried down the stream, but
.
1
830
VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.
was rescued before serious injury was done to him. The others in the tannery all came safe. ly of.
The disastrous effects of this flood were se- verely felt in Middletown for many years, and indeed the town, as a place of business, never fully recovered from it. John Barnam, who had been the leading business man of the town, was becoming an old man, and felt disinclined to undergo the necessary labor and care which would be required to start anew in so exten- sive a business as he had done. He however rebuilt his forge and saw mill, which were in operation some years after that, but without the activity which his former mills had shown. Miner's mills were rebuilt, but never mani- fested the same activity afterwards.
A good many men were thrown out of em- ployment, and were obliged to seek it else- where. At the census of 1820, the popula- tion of the town was but 1039, a falling off of 168 from 1810, owing " in a great measure, if not entirely to the sad effects of the freshet in 1811. Yet, notwithstanding the great des- truetion of property, Middletown continued to be an active, lively little place for many years afterwards.
For 2 or 3 years following 1811, it was very sickly here, more so probably than has ever been known here before or since. An epidem- ic which in that time prevailed in many parts of the State carried to the grave many of the best citizens of the town. Aside from that time there has not at one time, to my knowl- edge or information, been any unusual amount of sickness.
England, but were unusually energetic, and determined. They are long since in their graves, but " their works do follow them."
This may also be said of the people of Mid- dletown : whenever they undertake to do any- thing, they do it thoroughly. The alacrity with which they concentrate their efforts upon any public enterprise has long since be- come proverbial. If a public meeting is had, it is not only fully attended, but conducted with that order, decorum, and efficiency sel- doin equaled, even in the large towns of the State.
ECCLESIASTICAL.
The first church organized in town was the Congregational. The exact date of its organ- ization I am unable to give, but on the cover of the first book of records I find the date of May, 1782, and I found the date of the organ- ization given as 1782 in a religious miscellany published about 1810. It is probable that the church was formed in that year. The first record which I find bears date May 23, 1783. There was a meeting of the church at that date at which Gideon Miner was chosen moderator, and Joseph Spaulding clerk. The first record is dated at Wells, and it was known as the Congregational church of Wells until the organization of Middletown in the Fall of 1784. It may now be impossible to give the names of the first members of the church, but I have become satisfied that the following were among them, and I give the names in the order in which they appear on the record.
William Frisbie, Stephen Wood, Joseph Spaulding, Gideon Miner, Timothy Hubbard, Jonathan Brewster, Abel White, Increase Rudd, William Frisbie, jr., Elisha Gilbert, Jonathan Mehurin, Richard Haskins, Nathan Record, Reuben Searl, Thomas French and Benjamin Haskins. There were probably about the same number of females as males, but it is more difficult to designate them.
It has been said to me by the "old folks" that " politics ran high here during the war of 1812." Very likely ; politics, always did "run high" in Middletown, when they ran at all. Every town, as well as every indi- vidual, has a character of its own. It is a kind of individuality, and belongs to towns as much as to individuals. One trait in the The first meeting house was a log house. It was erected near the south east corner of the burial-gronnd : when it was built I cannot say, but it was there in the fall of 1784. The meeting which organized the town, Nov. 17. 1784, was held in that house. Whether it was built by the Congregationalists alone, or by them and the Baptists combined, I cannot say, but they probably united in building it. character of Middletown manifests itself wher- ever anything like a controversy occurs, whether in politics or anything else-they fight it out in earnest-they make no child's play of it, but each party enters the contest with a spirit that shows determination to win. As we say sometimes of children who inherit the traits of character of their ancestors," they came honestly by it " The early settiers of Jonathan Brewster was the leading man in forming the church, and the leading man in this town, who founded the institutions here were as pure a set of men as ever lived in New it for more than 20 years afterwards. There
831
MIDDLETOWN.
were others in the church of equal ability, but he was most remarkable for taking a deep interest in the affairs of the church, and de- voting to it much of his time. He was the first deacon of the church. For 21 or 22 years after the church was formed, it was without a pastor. During this time Dea. Brewster watched over it as he would a child of his own ; and it is worthy of remark, during this time the church gradually gained in members and strength. Meetings were held regularly, as the records show, and well attended. Their communion services were probably as regu- larly attended too as they have since ever been in that church. Rev. Ithamar Hibbard usually administered on those occasions. He was the first settled minister over the congre- gational church of Poultney, and it has been said was almost as much attached to this Con- gregational church as to his own. He had two sisters in this church-the wives of Wil- liam and Joel Frisbie.
Not long after the church was organized there were others united with it, whom we might almost class with the pioneers-among whom were Elisha and Rufus Clark. Elisha Clark was early made a deacon, and was a faithful, efficient member, as were all the Clark brothers of that family.
The early members of the Congregational church, as well as of the Baptist church, were men of the puritan stamp-firm, and unyield- ing in their principles and doctrines, prompt, and constant in their attention to religious duties, and the ordinances. They adhered strictly to their rules of discipline. If any member of the Congregational church was ab- sent from the communion service, Deacon Brewster would start on Monday morning and learn the cause of it; but at the same time there was that interest in the welfare of each other, that care and watchfulness and brotherly affection, that we would do well to imitate.
A little later we find Lewis Lampson, Joel and Gideon Miner, jr., added to the church ; also Orson Brewster, Fitch Loomis, Joseph Spaulding, jr., Joseph Brown, Jesse and Ziba Caswell, and many others.
Quite early the Congregational society was formed, but I have been unable to find the early records and cannot give the date. In 1796 a meeting.house was built upon the "green " some 100 feet south of where the Congregational house now stands. The Con- following record :
gregational society had previously purchased an acre of ground for a meeting-house lot which included what is now known as " the green," and which they now have the title to, deeded by Deacon Elisha Clark. Up to this time (1796) meetings had been held in the log-meeting-house, and in private dwellings.
I should judge from the records it was with a good deal of effort the people succeed- ed in building their first house of worship after the log-house. The Congregationalists and Baptists united in building it, and they were some 2 years about it after it was com- menced, and four or five years after it was seriously contemplated.
I have before me a report of the Congrega- tional society's committee on the subject of building made Nov. 10, 1791.
"The house shall be furnished to the turn of the key by the first o: October, 1796, in the following mann-r. The lower part shall con- sist of twenty six pews and four boly seats in front of the square. In the galleries there shall be a row of pews adjoining the walls of the house, and the rest of the space suitably taken up with seats ; also a pulpit and cano- py shall be erected, and turned pillars under the galleries, which shall be painted blue, to- gether with the canopy and breast work in front of the galleries. The outside of the house shall be glazed and painted, and stone steps shall be erected by the first of October, 1795. The body of the house shall be painted white and the roof red ; and painted equal to Graham's old honse, in Rutland, and the join- er work shall be equal to that of the west parish meeting house, in Rutland aforesaid."
This report was signed by Bela Caswell, Luther Filmore and Joel Miner, (a commitee to devise plans) and adopted by the society in the form of resolutions. The above plan was adopted in the construction of the house.
There was once a fund belonging to the Congregational society, created by the mem- bers themselves, got up through the influence of Joel Miner and others as a stock concern, divided into shares of $ 25 each, and the men- bers took as many shares as they chose and paid in the money or gave their notes. This fund was raised in this way soon after 1800, and amounted to about $ 5,000; but from some cause this fund was entirely ex- hausted soon after 1830.
Jan. 26, 1801, Orson Brewster and Gideon Miner, jr., were elected deacons and the church voted " to choose a committee of three to make proposals to Rev. Henry Bigelow for settlement." May 31, 1805, we find the
1
832
VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.
" After hearing the christian experience of of Tinmouth, his long and intimate friend, as Henry Bigelow, a candidate for the ministry, follows : the church voted satisfied, and passed the fol- lowing resolution ; Resolved, that the church entertain a high sense of the abilities of Hen- ry Bigelow, a candidate for the ministry from the town of Colchester, Connecticut, now re- siding in this town, as a preacher of the gos- pel,and we are desirous to unite with the so- ciety to call him to settle with this church."
To carry this into effect the church, on their part, appointed Deacons Jonathan Brewster and Elisha Clark, Joseph Spaulding and Joel Frisbie, a commitee to unite with a committee from the society in presenting Mr. Bigelow a call to become their pastor. The call was presented and accepted, and Mr. Bigelow was ordained Sept. 5, 1805, and be- came the first settled minister over the Con- gregational church in Middletown, and re- mained pastor until his death, June 25, 1832. His ministry in the main was, in our opinion, successful. He was a graduate of Yale Col- lege, orthodox, an eloquent speaker, and man of great power in the pulpit. He had his faults as well as the rest of us and was some- times accused of levity. He was very social in his disposition, a ready wit, and would sometimes descend to that kind of joking con- versation which perhaps did not well become a minister of the gospel. But in the pulpit, or in any religious meeting never appeared otherwise than as an earnest, Christian man. It was said of him " that when he was in the pulpit, it seemed as though he never o ight to come out, and when he was out as though he never ought to go in."
" At Middletown, Vt., REV. HENRY BIGE- Low, in the fifty-fifth year of his age, the thir- tieth of his ministry. Henry Bigelow was born of reputable parents in Marlboro, Ct., Feb'y 20th, 1777. He graduated at Yale Col- lege in 1802. Studied for the ministry with Rev. Charles Backus, D. D., and was ordained over the congregational church in Middle- town in 1805. In his death his widow and numerous family have lost a kind, affection- ate faithful and endeared husband and fath- er, society, a plain, argumentative, powerful and persuasive herald of the gospel; the church a pastor indeed ; clear, pungent and eloquent in his pulpit services : always alive in the defence of the faith once delivered to the saints. The cross was his hope in life, his support through a protracted and often severe illness, and his unutterable consolation in death. In view of his death-bed scene it may be said," 'precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.""'
The church, during the ministry of Mr. Bigelow, embracing a period of about 28 years, was much larger than it now is. It contained a goodly number of members, noted for their wisdom, piety and devotion, and was in the main prosperous.
Some little time after the death of Mr. Bigelow a Rev. Mr. Stone preached here about 6 months, but the church did not choose to settle him.
Rev. Guy C. Sampson preached here about 2 years, commencing some time in 1833. Mr. Sampson is still living, but for some years has not been in the ministry.
Oct. 30, 1833, Menira Caswell, Jervis Bar- ber and Reuben Loomis were elected deacons of the church. Deacon Miner had removed to Ohio, and Deacon Brewster was about to remove to Northampton, Mass. He removed in the Spring of 1835.
During his ministry there were several in- teresting revivals among them, one in 1831 which was peculiarly interesting. His health began to fail as early as the spring or early summer of 1331. He seemed conscious a dis- ease was fastening itself upon him which Rev. John A. Avery came to this place in the Spring of 1836, and was settled over this church. He was dismissed, and left here in the Fall of 1841, and went to Onondaga, N. Y., and has lived there and at Syracuse since. Mr. Avery was an earnest, good pas- tor, and has been affectionately remembered by many members of this church. He has been dead about 2 years. would soon terminate his existence, and as appeared to me, summoned all his energies for a final effort in the cause of his Master. His usual habit of jesting was abandoned, and in the place of it he occupied his time in sober reflection and godly conversation. His sermons during that summer were unusually effective, and he was probably the instrument of awakening an extraordinary religious in- Rov. B. Reynolds came here in September, 1842, and preached here until May, 1844. terest in this church. On the first Sabbath of September, 1831, he received to the church, Rev. Mr. Payne came here in December 1846 and preached here about one year. 23 and on the first Sabbath of November 19. After his death, an obituary appeared in the Rev. John H. Beckwith was settled in the papers, by the Rev. Stephen Martindale, then Fall of 1343, and dismissed in the Fall of
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.