USA > Vermont > Caledonia County > St Johnsbury > 150th anniversary of the founding of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, 1937 > Part 9
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Ever since it moved here in April, 1936, it has constantly been improv- ing and enlarging its buildings and making new ones. This program will con- tinue all summer and indefinitely into the future as at a later date it plans to add equipment for making in mass production popular priced billiard equip- ment.
The Tempered Maple Corp. is an establishment for the making of bowling pins and bowling equipment. At the present time it is giving the whole of its endeavors to this line of work. Included in the bowling equip- ment it makes are the bowling alleys themselves. It specializes in three kinds of pins : Candle, Duck and Ten.
The mills of the company use practically all maple. Maple is used ex- clusively in the manufacture of the pins, the grain of the maple tree lending a finished beauty. They are shipped all over the United States and Canada and to the far-away Philippine Islands.
The plant is believed to be the only one in the country that can dry large dimension stock in green. It is the only plant that completely manu- factures the whole bowling pin, from the time the trees are felled in the forest to the finished carton. The manufacture of bowling pins is a task for the ex- pert. There is allowed, under rules of the bowling game, a maximum toler- ance of three sixty-fourths of an inch in the size of pins. With the modern equipment at the Tempered Maple Corp. the variation is even less. Every completed set of pins must weigh exactly the same, according to specifica- tions. The company has an ingenious method of equalizing the weights of every set it produces. For that reason its products are well known and in- sisted upon the country over.
The enterprise is a Vermont corporation with David Finkelstein its president. Before coming to St. Johnsbury it was established in Lyndon four years where it outgrew its accommodations. It employs forty hands on a day and night shift.
EIGHTY-EIGHT
E. T. & H. K. Ide
E. T. & H. K. Ide holds a position considered unique in the local busi- ness and industrial field. Since the establishment was founded 124 years ago it has been owned and operated by one family, the management being passed down from father to son for four generations. During its entire history the company has been constantly in the grain business and every one of its stores has been open and doing business every business day.
The company was founded in 1813 by Timothy Ide, and was taken over at his death by his son, Jacob. In 1861 the business went to his son, Elmore. Five years later Elmore T. Ide and his brother, Horace K. Ide, entered into partnership under the firm name of E. T. & H. K. Ide, which it continues to retain today.
At the death of H. K. Ide in 1897 the business was incorporated under the same name, E. T. Ide becoming president, a position he retained until his demise in 1923. His son, William A. Ide, has been at the head of the business since, and his son, Richard E. Ide, is vice-president, making the fifth genera- tion in the business.
The first mill was in Passumpsic. It was destroyed by fire in 1883, was rebuilt, and burned again in 1904. Business was begun in St. Johnsbury in 1869 where headquarters have been since. The original St. Johnsbury Store was on Eastern avenue where the theaters now stand. The site of the present mill was formerly an unsightly swamp which was filled with gravel in an ambitious undertaking by E. T. Ide about 40 years ago. Bay street was then laid out and the present mill buildings erected by E. T. Ide.
The present plant has storage room for 30,000 bushels of bulk grain, 1200 tons of stacked feeds and 1000 tons of coal. The company has handled coal as a branch of the business since 1883. It now has seven branch stores, at St. Johnsbury Center, Passumpsic, Danville, North Danville, West Barnet, Bradford and Fairlee.
Next year E. T. & H. K. Ide will celebrate a century and a quarter of continuous business. It has grown in that time from a sole proprietorship when the miller's compensation was figured in grist, on a percentage basis, to a partnership, then a corporation. Its history is one of conservative, yet sub- stantial growth and modern development, with the owners at all times being direct descendants of the founder.
C. H. & George H. Cross, Inc.
Another industry which has been in business more than a century is the 109-year-old wholesale confectionery and ice cream supply company and wholesale bakery of C. H. & George H. Cross, Inc. Originated in Montpelier in 1828, the firm has grown to be the largest bakery in this section of New England.
EIGHTY-NINE
Flood Highlights
"SHADOWS WERE MADE LIGHT AGAIN"
These pictures are not reproduced to recall devastation and sorrow, but as a tribute to a determined people whose co-operation time and again has met and defeated adversity. Because the tenth anniversary of the Great Flood of 1927 is nearly at hand, these pictures were chosen to represent unforseen obstacles the spirit of the townspeople has overcome during the town's "150 Years of Progress." That progress would never have been ac- complished if scenes of devastation like these had quenched the fires of determination in the hearts of St. Johnsbury people.
PUR
--
TH
All bread for the two branches in St. Johnsbury and Montpelier is baked here. At the present time the ovens are turning out 50,000 loaves weekly. At its beginning, Charles H. Cross, the founder, used a horse and cart to peddle his loaves, employing the horse on alternating days to power the rotary ovens in which they were baked.
The two plants employ 82 men and women, have seven men in the field for the confectionery and ice cream supplies, and maintain 12 bread routes in the northern half of Vermont and northwestern New Hampshire. Many items of pastry and specialty breads are also produced by the ovens.
After Charles H. Cross founded the enterprise in Montpelier, he con- tinued actively engaged in the work until his death in 1903 at the age of 93 years. From 1865 he was associated with his son, Lewis Bartlett Cross, in the business.
Another son of C. H. Cross was George H. Cross who established the St. Johnsbury branch in 1863 and carried it on until 1911 when he sold out to B. B. Scribner and W. S. Davis. These proprietors carried on with the business until April, 1927, when the St. Johnsbury and Montpelier plants merged under the name of C. H. & George H. Cross, Inc.
Since then all bread for the two plants has been made here, while the famous St. Johnsbury and Montpelier crackers have been manufactured in the ovens at Montpelier. The crackers were originated by the founder of the company.
The St. Johnsbury plant formerly was located on the site of St. Aloysius Church, before the old wooden building there was removed to make way for the church just before the turn of the present century. It has been in its present location 45 years. John F. Scott is the local manager.
The flood of 1927 seriously damaged the Montpelier plant, requiring complete renovation and much new machinery.
NINETY-ONE
Compliments of
BURKLYN FARM
Breeders of
BELGIAN DRAFT HORSES
Lyndonville, Vermont
PORTER, WITTERS & LONGMOORE
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
St. Johnsbury, Vermont
S. E. RICHARDSON ATTORNEY AT LAW St. Johnsbury, Vermont
Vermont Mutual Fire Insurance Company
Montpelier, Vermont
- PROGRAM - OF THE
St. Johnsbury Sesqui-Centennial Celebration JULY 3, 4, 5, 1937
SATURDAY, JULY 3-P. M.
2.30 Dedication of the St. Johnsbury Municipal Airport. Invocation, the Rev. Chauncey Adanis of Burlington. Presentation of flag to Village by Woman's Relief Corps. Presentation of flag to Lyndon Arnold, great, great, great, grandson of Jonathan Arnold, founder of the town.
Flag raising.
Raising of the Union Jack.
Introduction by Town Manager Charles S. Sumner.
Toastmaster Arthur F. Stone.
Unveiling of marker to Lieut. Stetson M. Brown,
U. S. A.
Address, Lieut. Gov. William A. Wills.
Address, His Worship. Adhemar Raynault, Mayor of Montreal.
Address, Harry W. Witters. State P. W. A. Adminis- trator.
Benediction, the Rev. Paul Dwight Moody of Middle- bury.
Military drill, Barre Legion Drum Corps.
Stunt flying and aerial entertainment.
3.00
Baseball game at the Loop, Littleton Collegians vs. St. Johnsbury Senators.
7.00 Band Concert, Court House Park.
Band Concert, Railroad St. Park.
8.00 Military drill, Barre Legion Drum Corps. on Railroad Street, near bandstand.
SUNDAY, JULY 4-A. M.
Churches hold special services at their customary hours.
P. M.
1.00 Parade of bands on principal streets with Sherbrooke. Que., pageant cast in costume.
2.30 International Band Carnival at the Loop.
Kenneth Wright, Westbrook, Maine, trumpet soloist. Kenneth Wright, St. Johnsbury, vocal soloist.
4.30 Baseball game at the Loop,
Durham, N. H. Wildcats vs. St. Johnsbury Senators.
7.00 Band Concert, Court House Park.
Band Concert, Railroad Street Park.
8.30 Band Concert, Court House Park. Band Concert, Railroad Street Park.
MONDAY, JULY 5-A. M.
10.00 Sesqui-Centennial parade with floats through principal streets.
12.00 Marathon starts from Lyndonville.
P. M.
1.00 Marathon ends on Railroad Street.
2.30 Baseball game at the Loop. Clarmac A. C. of Franklin, Mass .. vs. St. Johnsbury Senators.
5.00 Pageant of St. Johnsbury, Hazen Field.
10.00 Fireworks display. This may be viewed from any spot in the village with a clear view to the east. Three bombs will give three-minute warning signal.
(All events are on Daylight Saving Time)
"Here's the marching panorama Of our past and present drama."
PAGEANT
CELEBRATING THE SESQUI-CENTENNIAL
of the TOWN OF ST. JOHNSBURY
In three epochs: Beginning, Development, Fruition
The Prologue is spoken by the Spirit of Time, an allegorical figure, accompanied by an attendant chorus
The Sentinel introduces the episodes
Composition and direction: Margaret Shipman Jamison
Assistant director: George Jamison
Adaption of Music: Jean Stanley Goodrich, Arthur J. Macie, Alphonse E. Drouin
Terpsichorean arrangement:
Mary E. Doyle
Pageant Chairman:
Annie M. Cary
JOHNSBURY,a
S
One Hundred 19.37 d Fifty Years of Pr
P AGEANTRY in the United States very nearly had its inception in St. Johnsbury. When pageants were just being introduced in many Ameri- can cities for the first time, St. Johnsbury already had placed one in its history, the Pageant of St. Johnsbury, which commemorated the 125th birth- day of the Town. It was, however, the first community pageant ever held in America.
Pageantry was an English innovation which was introduced in New England not very much longer than 25 years ago. The idea was contagious immediately throughout this section of the country and in a few years there was barely a community on the American continent which had not perfected one to commemorate some historical event or presented one for entertainment purposes because of the novelty existing in the idea at that time.
Some of the real old Massachusetts towns where English history and legend is unusually profuse, seized the idea and had their dramas in the mak- ing when all eyes were turned to St. Johnsbury, a community way up in Ver- mont-for a pageant on a stupendous scale had just been presented there.
Again this year a pageant to commemorate a later birthday of the town was considered indeed appropriate, not only because of the rich material available upon which to base such a production, but moreover because history of pageantry in the United States has more or less been made here.
Margaret Shipman Jamison of Newtonville, Mass., who has been a staunch follower and composer of pageantry from its earliest days in America, was chosen to write a drama of this nature of St. Johnsbury's "150 Years of Progress" this year. The composer in private life is Mrs. Walter W. Jamison, wife of the educator who for the past few years has made a fine record as in- structor in the recently founded St. Johnsbury Academy Summer School.
An outline study of the Pageant of 1937 will reveal that it is not an amorphous presentation. The chronology is history in animate form. It is gay with life ; beautiful in its adaption of sequences ; educational in its historic- al value; its episodes and interludes felicitously chosen. An annotator would term it a new departure in pageantry.
The work covers historical events from the farewell of St. Jean de Crevecoeur from Normandy in 1753 at the completion of his studies in a Jesuit school, down through the years of the Indians, the founding of the town and its century and a half of growth to the present day.
The ancient wilderness will give way in the production to a fair, enter- prising and prosperous community of a more modern day. Sacred music will bring the pageant to a close.
"The New Jerusalem comes down Adorned with shining grace."
With these immortal words from "Jerusalem the Golden" the pageant of 1912 was ended. Memories of that happy occasion have moved strong public sympathies to the point where the same hymn has been requested as an appropriate finale for the 1937 drama. Thus, the singing of the beautiful and universally loved sacred tune closes the work.
NINETY-FOUR
.
PROLOGUE Spoken by the Spirit of Time and Verse Speaking Chorus Epoch I-Beginnings EPISODE I
Time -- 1753
Scene-Pierrepont in Normandy.
A fête champêtre given by Mme. d' Houtetot to the young St. Jean de Creve- coeur who has completed his studies at the Jesuit College at Caen, and is soon to depart for the New World.
Authority-St. Jean de Crevecoeur-by Julia Post Mitchell --- Columbia Uni- versity Press Letters of an Amercian Farmer-Yale University Press French Blood in America-Lucien Fosdick History of Town of St. Johnsbury-Edward T. Fairbanks
EPISODE II
Time-1752
Scene --- River Valley of the Passumpsic River.
The St. Francis Indians return from a raid on white settlers with captives, one of them being John Stark.
Authority-Vermont Historical Gazetteer
Vermont for Young Vermonters-Kimball History of Vermont-Conant and Stone Colonial Life in New Hampshire-Fassett Captivity and Suffering of Zadok Steele The Deer Slayer-James Fenimore Cooper
INTERLUDE I
Time-1755 Scene-The Passumpsic River and its Environs.
Stephen Nash, the lone Pioneer
Information-History of Town of St. Johnsbury-Fairbanks
EPISODE III
Time-1759 Scene-Round Island in the Passumpsic River.
Major Robert Rogers and his Rangers return from a successful battle with the St. Francis Indians at their own village in Canada. They meet a disappoint- ment courageously.
Authority -- Hemenway's Vermont Historical Gazetteer
History of Charlestown, N. H .- Sanderson
EPISODE IV
Time-1786 Scene-Outside the Jehiel Hawley house in Arlington. Vermont.
NINETY-FIVE
JOHNSBURY, VT
One Hundred 1937 Fifty Years of Proq
Governor Thomas Chittenden grants to Dr. Jonathan Arnold and his associ -. ates the charter for the Town of St. Johnsbury.
Authority-Hemenway's Vermont Historical Gazetteer History of Town of St. Johnsbury-Fairbanks Child's Essex and Caledonia County Gazetteer Ira Allen of Irasburg-Wilbur
EPISODE I
Time-1786
Scene-The Valley of the Passumpsic River
The arrival of the first settlers in St. Johnsbury.
The first devotional service.
Authority-History of Town of St. Johnsbury-Fairbanks Child's Essex and Caledonia County Gazetteer Hemenway's Vermont Historical Gazetteer
Epoch II-Development EPISODE VI
Time-June 18, 1787
Scene-The home of Dr. Jonathan Arnold in St. Johnsbury.
The first Town Meeting. The Proprietors of the Township of St. Johnsbury settle the question of boundaries.
Authority-Hemenway's Vermont Historical Gazetteer
EPISODE VII
Time-1790
Scene-Charlestown, New Hampshire
The expedition in search of wives. Romantic scenes at Charlestown, No. 4. Authority-History of Charlestown-Sanderson Colonial Life in New Hampshire-Fassett History and Description of New England-Coolidge-Mansfield History of St. Johnsbury-Fairbanks
EPISODE VIII
Time-1804
Scene-High Hill west of Centre Village, overlooking the Valley of the Pas- sumpsic.
"The Great Raising." The first meeting house in St. Johnsbury.
Authority-Town of St. Johnsbury-Fairbanks Hemenway's Vermont Gazetteer. History and Description of New England-Coolidge-Mansfield Pageant of America-Vol. 2.
EPISODE IX
Time-1830 Scene-Outside Abel Rice's Tavern. The Stage Coach brings Daniel Webster to visit St. Johnsbury and pay his respects to Dr. Luther Jewett.
NINETY-SIX
.
Authority-Daniel Webster-Claude M. Fuess The Flowering of New England-Van Wyek Brooks History of Town of St. Johnsbury-Fairbanks Lamb's Biographical Dictionary of the United States The National Cyclopedia of American Biography Hemenway's Vermont Historical Gazetteer
EPISODE X
Time -- 1873
The name of The Caledonian is chosen for the local newspaper, and Editor Chadwick takes possession.
Authority-History of the Town of St. Johnsbury-Fairbanks Newspaper files of The Caledonian.
EPISODE XI
The Fairbanks Family Album. Introducing the founder of the family. the discoverer of the famous Fairbanks Scales, and the donors of the Academy, the Library, and the Museum.
Written and illustrated by Mr. Arthur Stone.
INTERLUDE II
Time --- 1865 - 1898 - 1919
The Return from the Wars. The St. Johnsbury veterans are greeted by wives and sweethearts.
Epoch III -Fruition EPISODE XII
Time ---- 1886 Scene -- The Y. M. C. A. lecture course in Music Hall.
Henry M. Stanley lectures on The Dark Continent.
Authority-History of The Town of St. Johnsbury-Fairbanks Newspaper files of the Caledonian.
INTERLUDE III
Time ---- 1912
A Fair held by the Caledonia Fairground Association. For a week the boys and girls of St. Johnsbury have been watching. Fair Day, seven days away. Fair Day! Six days. Will the week ever pass! When will the wagons begin to arrive!
At last, a very big wagon comes, piled high, covered with pieces of canvas. When the wind blows the covering a bit, entrancing sights greet the eye. Wooden horses, tigers, lions. Can it be, yes, there is even a giraffe ! The wagon trundles on to the Fairground and men begin to unload her. The Merry-go-round! Soon set up and ready for the Fair tomorrow. Other wagons and trucks are arriving, teams of oxen, slow-moving, that must arrive at the Fair early for the pulling-contest on the great day. Will it rain? The sun seems to wink a promise that he will be present, as he disappears in a big red ball. Sure enough, here he is early in the morn-
NINETY-SEVEN
JOHNSBURY.
S
1937 ** of Progress undred Fifty Years of
ing, but not so carly as the exhibitors and contestants. They have come as soon as there is light, that they may choose the most advantageous spot for their stalls.
Rows of them there are showing vegetables, canned foods from fragrant Vermont kitchens, flowers from Vermont gardens, and, famous the world over, Vermont Maple Syrup.
There are cows, bulls, steers, heifers, calves, sheep, pigs and poultry to be judged. There are beautiful horses from the famous farm near St. Johns- bury that breeds them. Horse racing, mule racing, contests in weight raising by great calm oxen take place during the day.
A platform has been put down for dancing, and all day long bands have played music which set everyone dancing, old and young. At the end of the day there are to be special exhibition dances to please all tastes, dances every- one will enjoy and remember.
Some busy folks cannot remain to see these dances. They must drive home the cattle, many of them with blue ribbons. Teams of oxen pass, riders on horse back, drivers in racing-gigs-proud winners of the 1912 banners. Some hurry by to get home for the milking, some remain to watch the dancing.
A barker cries "This way for the Highland Fling!" "See the Sword dance and the Irish jig!" Crowds follow him and stand near the platform to watch these dances that warm the cockles of the heart with memories gay and sweet.
Dance follows dance, until the band strikes up an old familiar air when dancers and spectators join together in one huge merry-making. The first day of the Fair is over.
EPILOGUE
Spoken by the Spirit of Time and Verse Speaking Chorus
FINALE
THE MODERN GUILD PROCESSION ST. JOHNSBURY TODAY
Representatives of Business, Industry, and all Civic, Patriotic, and Re- ligious organizations unite to pay tribute to the men and women who by cour- age and self-sacrifice established the Town of St. Johnsbury.
Our aspirations for the future of the town are expressed by the singing poet Vachel Lindsey.
NINETY-EIGHT
/
Let not our town be large, remembering That little Athens was the Muses' home, That Oxford rules the heart of London still, That Florence gave the Renaissance to Rome.
Record it for the grandson of your son. A city is not builded in a day : Our little town cannot complete her soul Till countless generations pass away.
Let Science and Machinery and Trade Be slaves of her, and make her all in all, Building against our blatant, restless time An unseen skilful, medieval wall.
When will they start our vulgar blood athrill With living language, words that set us free? When will they make a path of beauty clear Between our riches and our liberty?
We must have many Lincoln-hearted men- A city is not builded in a day. And they must do their work, and come and go, While countless generations pass away.
JOHN CARTER & CO., INC.
PAPER MERCHANTS
597 ATLANTIC AVE., BOSTON
There is a John Carter Paper, Cardboard, Envelope, or Announcement for every pur- pose, and any New England Printer can supply you promptly.
Do you Know?
Here is a serving of memory refreshments.
That St. Johnsbury is four years older than the State of Vermont.
That St. Johnsbury was founded when Vermont was an independent sovereign state known as New Con- necticut.
That the first settlers of the town, if they had come a few years earlier, would have lived in Bessborough, New Connecticut.
That St. Johnsbury was granted by King George III to 39 petitioners in 1770 and named Dunmore in honor of the Earl of Dunmore.
That the authority of King George was not recog- nized and the petitioners eventually lost their grants.
That St. Johnsbury is the only town in the world by its name.
That gold has been found on the St. Johnsbury- Waterford town line.
That Thaddeus Fairbanks founded the Academy in 1842 and the Fairbanks family wholly supported it for 40 years.
That the largest scale factory, maple products com- pany and bowling pin factory in the world are located here.
That the town officials warned the Fairbanks family to get out of town.
That there are 192,000 bricks in the Fairbanks factory chimney.
That Vermont was an independent sovereign state from 1777 to 1791.
That Passumpsic (Poousoomsuk) means clear run- ning water.
That the first "broadcast" in the world was held here. (See church chapter.)
That St. Johnsbury had one of the first pageants in America. (See pageant chapter.)
That Danville was the shire town until 1856.
That Sleeper's River actually was named for a sleeper.
That the first St. Johnsbury woman was Mrs. James Adams who came here in 1786, and who now lies buried at East Village.
That the Australian ballot system was tried in St. Johnsbury, the first in the state, at annual Village Meeting, January 7, 1891.
That the Randall-Whitcomb sidewalk clock was for years the official timepiece at Grand Central Station, New York City.
That the oldest St. Johnsbury citizen was Mrs. Mary Brodie Clement of Goss Hollow who died in 1889 at the age of 114 years, 4 months, 20 days. Her husband died 14 years earlier at the age of 100 years.
JOHNSBURY.\
S
One Hundred
of Progress
1937 red Fifty Years 0
SPEAKING OF OLD TIMES-
Do you remember your first automobile? In the days of hard rubber tires and 2 cylinder engine-under-seat automobiles the multi-cylindered stream-lined car of today was unthought of, beyond the wildest flights of imagination. When a hun- dred mile "tour" was a real adventure, to be carefully prepared for for days beforehand and something to talk about for weeks afterward, the possibility of traveling 400 or 500 miles in 24 hours by automobile was unthought of, yet it is now so com- mon as to arouse no comment, and is accepted as a matter of course.
Methods of servicing automobiles have also changed. In these days of specialized service, with one man making a study of carburators, another of ignition, etc., the old time general repair man with his monkey wrench and screw driver. would be sadly out of place, unless he had kept up with the times.
We have been selling and servicing automobiles for nearly 30 years now. We have found it necessary to throw away thousands of dollars worth of equipment, as new and better equipment has become available, in order to have the very latest and best for our men to work with. We have done this cheerfully and gladly, with the idea that the best of equipment, backed up by our long experience, will enable us to do a better job of servicing our customers' automobiles.
Through these years, as new products and services have . become known, we have considered carefully and tried to pick those to offer to our customers that we would want ourselves, if we were to exchange places with our customers.
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