USA > Vermont > Orleans County > Greensboro > A history of Greensboro and the Congregational Church : a semi-centennial discourse delivered November 24, 1854 > Part 3
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form ... re waluvernt . lo pren'y joed in the mo which hs waiting spirit took
The jarset ap, was built in the summer of lete. The bell way procured and suspended in the belfry , Tu June 15. l.
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Lake, Pa., where he resided for some time. He is now sup- posed to be living in Hudson, Ohio. On the 27th of Sept., 1817, Aaron Farnham and William Conant were elected dea- cons. Dea. Faruham, in June, 1821, removed his relation from this to the church in Hardwick. Dea. Conant, having been, on the 18th of June, 1823, publicly ordained, remains with us to this day. Dea. Conant, having held the office alone for a con- siderable time, on the 14th of February, 1828, Bro. Frederick Ellsworth was chosen to serve with him. Dea. Ellsworth, after a few years of acceptable service, removed to the far west. leaving Dea. Conant again to serve alone. But in Oct., 1834, Col. Samuel Baker was duly elected ; since which time, a pe- riod of more than twenty years, Dea. Conant and Dea. Baker have been the deacons of this church.
Thus have we taken a bird's eye glance at the history of this branch of Zion, during the fifty years this day closing. More facts of an interesting character, we would gladly have mentioned, but for the difficulty of obtaining that accuracy of knowledge concerning them which seems desirable, and for the want of time. Gladly would we go back, and, as it were, live over again those precious revival seasons, and especially those of the six highly favored years,-"years of the right hand of the Most High," long to be remembered. " Tell ye your chil- dren of them, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation." Nor should we forget to men- tion, and with gratitude to the great Head of the Church, that from this favored spot, from time to time, have gone forth mis- sionaries of the cross, to labor for the benefit of those who had hitherto dwelt in the midst of pagan darkness. It would be interesting to describe the meetings and scenes connected with their departure ; but for this, our proposed limits will not suffice us. " Ask thy fathers and they will show thee, thy el- ders, and they will tell thee."
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In conclusion, observe, how changing and transitory are the things of Earth ! What now of those who a century ago roamed through these forests, and deemed this soil their own ? Long since have they disappeared, and their smoky wigwams are seen no more forever. They and theirs are lost in oblivion, never more to be kuown among the sons of men. But we may ask again : What of the noble adventurers, deemed the fathers and mothers of our town, who first began to clear these forests, and to erect here the habitations of civilized life ? 'Their chil- dren -and of them but very few,-remain to tell of those times ; but the parents, young and vigorous though in those days they were, have for the most part long since disappeared, and are known only in the memory of those deemed the old and gray headed among us.
And of the many Godly men who have, from time to time, been sent in hither by the great Head of the Church, to break to this people the bread of life ; call to mind, as best you can, their names, and inquire, " Those fathers, where are they ?"- Where are now Sparhawk, Strong, Worcester, Day, Fitch, Swift, Carpenter, Thompson, Cleveland, Kellogg, Smith, King, Waters, Wright, Leland, Collins, Rawson, the Parkers, Wash- burn, Lyman, Davis, Lawton, Bray, Bingham, Williston, God- dard, and the beloved Levi Parsons, and others whose names perhaps have escaped our notice, remembered by those now deemed the elders among us ; where now are those men of God ? Their memory lives, but we see them not again on earth. And if you come down to later times, where now are Mason, Kilby and Chapin ? Gone forever from the scenes of earth,-gone, we doubt not, to a more exalted sphere of being and of action. Bayley and Hobart still live. Their barks, though shattered, still float upon the sea of time ; whilst those who began with them the voyage of life, have, one after anoth- ' er, sunk beneath the waves. They too, with others who have ministered Lere, must soon leave the scenes of earth, and fol-
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low those who have gone before to worlds unseen. Thus changeful and transitory are all things temporal.
Take up now and view, for a moment, the catalogue of this church. Oh, what a tale does it tell, of the instability of the things that are beneath the sun! Of the twenty-one per- sons, of whom this church. was at first composed, who now remains save one highly esteemed mother in Israel, Mary Gates ?* Or, of the forty whose names were upon the church list at the close of the year 1805, whose name remains save Mary Gates alone ? If now we proceed with our church catalogue, and add to the names already pronounced, those re- ceived during the succeeding five years ; as we call the roll, . Peggy Sherman, Samuel Wheelock, Betsey Wheelock, Patty Huntington, Thomas Tolman, Mary Ring, Mosely Clark, Par- thena Cl.irk, Betsey Conant, Dorothy Washburn, Elizabeth Cook, Achsah Tolman, Semantha Tolman, James Blanchard, Seba Stimson, Roxanna Tolman, Jemima Ring, Dorothy Page, Jane Cook, Mary Farwell, Augusta Stone, Harriet Ells- worth, Abigail Chamberlain and Mabel Ford,-24 in number ; -not one remains to answer to the roll call, save Betsey Co- nant alone. True, a few others may still live ; but if they live, they are not here. She alone of the twenty-four, is with us ; and of the 74 who became members of this church during the first ten years of its existence, none now remain, save Mary Gates Babbitt and Betsey Conant.
Shall we now proceed for the period of another five years ? Eliza Cook, Lucretia Cook, Philobe Stimson, Paul Mingo, Ruth Mingo, Eliphalet Sanborn, Anna Mitchel, William Con- ant, Mary Cowls, James Rollins, David Ring, Elisha Brown, Betsey Babcock, Nancy Sanborn, Anna Cate, Adolphus Morse, Lois Tolman, Ruth Conant, Dorothy Porter and Esther Cutler, twenty in all ; three only remain to answer to their names, viz : Eliza Cook, Lincoln ; Dorothy Porter and William Conant.
*The elder Mrs. Babbitt.
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Read again for 1816, Sylvia Blake, Joanna F. Brown, Patty Cowles, Bethiah Huntington and Anna Waugh ; every one gone.
If thus I should proceed and pronounce the names of the fifty-seven, who became members during the year 1817, we should find that fifty-one are no longer with us. Only six of the fifty-seven remain to answer, " here am I ; " while many are numbered with the dead.
Similar is the fact with regard to most of the years of a much later date. Comparatively few are the names upon the church catalogue, written previous to the year 1850, not mark- ed, excommunicated, dismissed or dead. And even since that date, several have ceased to be members with us here, and some have gone, we trust, to join the General Assembly and Church of the First Born, in Heaven. Thus pass away those of whom society on earth is composed. And thus pass the members of our churches, from place to place on earth, and anon from earth to worlds invisible-the greater part, we trust, " to fairer worlds on high."
Thus much of the past. And now what of the future ? To the first half century of the existence of this church we now bid a solemn Farewell. Upon the second we this day enter, but who of us shall live to see its end ? Ere it has half elapsed, these fathers and mothers, yea and most of those com- paratively young, shall have gone hence to try the realities of the eternal state. Fifty years hence, and another generation will inherit here, and none, save perhaps here and there one, of those now in the morning of life, but who shall then be old, will live to rehearse to those younger in years, some of the transactions of the present day, as we now speak of those of a half century ago. And then, what shall be the moral and religious character of the generations yet to come? How im- portant the inquiry ! But the answer depends, at least, in a high degree, upon the faithfulness or unfaithfulness, of the men and women of the present time. What probably would have
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been the present condition of society in Greensboro', but for the piety, prayers and labors, of those who lived here fifty years and more ago ? Is it nothing to us that this soil was early con- se crated to God, that morning and evening sacrifice was offered in the log cabins of our fathers, that they revered and loved the God that made them, kept holy His sabbaths, and wor- shipped at His footstool ? And is it nothing to the coming generations whether those of the present day are faithful or unfaithful, virtuous or vicious, devout or profane ? Who shall say that the future character of those who may inhabit here, does not depend much upon the character, the faithfulness, the prayers and deeds, of the men and women of the present day ? Will then those who are now upon the stage, act with reference to the welfare of generations yet unborn ? As you have so freely received, see that ye as freely give. Transmit to future generations the rich blessings which your fathers have trans- mitted to you. May the institutions of the Gospel here be ever sustained. Here may the Church of Christ never cease to be as a city set upon a hill. Here may her members ever let their light shine. Here may thousands be born to glory, and here may there ever be a people holy unto the Lord, delighting in his fear and service.
Long live this branch of Zion. Upon it may showers of sal- vation oft descend in rich effusions. May there be ever and anon a lengthening of her cords and a strengthening of her stakes, until the day of the final appearing of her Great Head ; may she shine " fair as the moon, clear as the sun, comely as Jeru- salem, and (to her enemies) terrible as an army with banners." And from her ranks may thousands, having finished their course on earth, ascend to join the company of the redeemed in Hea- ven, and with them unite in ascribing "glory and honor, thanks- giving and power, to Him that sitteth on the Throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever." AMEN.
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APPENDIX.
I.
The following miscellaneous matter, furnished by different individuals, is thought to be worth preserving :
Merchants, Mechanics and Professional Men of Greensboro'.
Merchants .- The first were Ashbei Hale and Ephraim Strong, who, about the close of the last century, brought into the place a large stock of goods and commenced trado in a large bed-room in the house of Judge Stanley. In 1800, they built the large house now known as the Ellsworth house, and fitted up the south-west corner for a store, in which they did business two or three years, when they removed into the large store, which they had just completed, a little below the house, and much nearer the road. About the year 1805, Mr. Hale retired to his farm, and Mr. Strong continued trade alone for a few years, a part of which time, in his absence, the business was carried on for him by Mr. Peter Brown. That store has since been removed to the north roar of the house. and has recently been occupied as a furniture and chair shop. Next, as a merchant, came Mr. Joseph Chapman, who first traded in what was called the mill house, which stood be- tween where is now tho house of Mr. Samuel Ingalls and the grist mill. But in 1807, he built a store near where is now the Howard house, in which he traded till 1813, when he was succeeded in the same store by Thomas Tolman, Jr. After Mr. Tolman, the Chapman store was occupied by Geo. A. Morey ; next by Richard Hill and Bela Chapman ; next by Richard Hill ; and next by Elias Stanley, who commenced trade in 1818. About this time, or a little previous, Seba Stimson traded for a while in the north part of the town, near where now lives Mr. James McLaren. At length, John T. Ewen erected a store on the ground where now stands tho store ot L. F. Water- man, in which, in 1825, he commenced trade as clerk for Mr. Edwards, of Hardwick street. In 1827, Levi Stevens, Elijah Austin, and Reuben Storrs commenced trado in tho same store, and traded till 1830, when Andrew Hapgood leased the store, and employed Mr. Storrs about one year ; after which Storrs & Langdon, having mado some additions to the building, occupied it about two months, when, on the 9th of August, 1831, tho store, with all its extensive stock of goods, together with the Town Records which were kept in the building, was destroyed by firo.
While Mr. Hapgood was trading in the store above mentioned, he erected a splendid and capa- cious store on the north side of the stream, where is now the store of Babbitt & Stimson, in which, in the spring of 1831, he commenced trade. But soon his health failed, and ho sold to Abner Beard and F. A. Manson, who continued business for a time, and then closed up. Soon after the burning of the store of Storrs & Langdon, another good store building was erected on the same ground, in which C. W. and R. Storrs commenced trade. After a time, C. W. Storrs sold out his interest to L. F. Waterman, and business was carried on by Storrs & Waterman, and afterwards by I .. F. Wa.
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termin & Co., and since in the same store by L. F. Waterman, Waterman & Williams, I. F. Wa- terman, John A Sawyer & Co., and L. F. Waterman, and is now carried on by Waterman & Ayers.
The Hapgood store, having stood for some time unoccupied, was, in 1838, purchased by A. C. Babbitt and W. T. Gleasen, with a view to open it for trade. They had made some improvements, and were just about to fill it with goods, when, on the 6th of Dec mher, 1838, our village was again visited with a conflagration. The fire, which originated in the oat mill ot Col. Levi Stevens, which stood near where is now the starch factory, spread every way and raged furiously, till it consumed seven or eight buildings, one of which was the store above mentioned. There was no insurance on any of the buildings, and the loss was greatly felt by the sufferers.
Some years after this, A. W. Williams and Samuel Ingalls opened a store in the east end of what was called the Ewen houso, in the part of the building formerly called the bar-room. In that storc they were afterwards succeeded by A. C. Babbitt. About this time, i. e., in the summer of 1851, Mr. Ingalls built another capacious store, on the corner where formerly stood the Hapgood store, and tho same autumn business was commenced in it by himself and J. A. Sawyer, who, in the spring of 1853, sold out to A. C. Babbitt and Hamilton Stimson, by whom it is occupied at the pres- ent time.
Mills, &c .- The first saw-mill stood on the south side of the stream, at the same dam where the grist-mill now is. But it was soon removed down the stream, and rebuilt on the north side, near where is now the starch factory. On the south side, at the same dam, about the year 1802 Col. Asahel Washburn erected clothing works, in which he carried on the cloth dressing business, till about the year 1820, when, on leaving town, he let the establishment to Percival & Stimson, who carried on the business about two years, when it was purchased by Messrs. Dan and Jabez Pinney, and was kept in operation by Jabez Pinney until within a few years. The building has since been used by John Gilman for a trip. hammer shop; and more recenrly, first by Orrin Davis, and at pres. ent by Samuel Dow, as a sash and blind factory. The first grist-mill, built by Stanley, occupied pretty nearly the same ground where the grist-mill, owned by Col. Stevens, now is, which is the second mill on the same spot, already old, and should soon be succeeded by a third and better. At un early period, Dea. Farnhamn built a grist-mill near where Capt. Hill now lives, which for many years did a good lizsiness ; afterwards owned by Seba Stimson and Capt. Hill. It has long since been suffered to go to decay. Iu 1804, Eli Austin set in operation the first carding machine ever run in Greensboro', and indeed within the present limits of this County, in the building now used for a wheelwright shop. Ile continued the business till 1810, when he sold to Col. Stevens, after which it was carried on by Col. Stevens, then by Stevens & Cutler, then by Nathan Cutler, and last hy Nathan Cutler and David Howard, upon whose decease that husiness was discontinued.
Mechanics .- Joseph Stanley was the first blacksmith. Ilis shop stood between where are now the grist.mill and shoe shop. Also, at an early date, Mr. Jacob Babbitt carried ou blacksmithing in the north part of the town, on the farin now owned by Mr. John Aiken. In the village, since Mi1. Stanley, there have been repeated changes in that branch of business, in which have been engaged successively, Eli Austin, David Ring, Elijah Austin, Otis E. Freeman, John Ranncy, Otis E. Freeman, John Gilman, William B. Cutting, and at present Jesse C. Cochran.
In the boot und shoe business, have been engaged, at different periods, Richard B. Ewen, Aaron Hill, Carper Frg . Noah L. Patridge, Mosely Clark, Samuel Sabin, and J. N. Hutchins.
Tha first wlu elwright was Joel Stimson, who, about the year 1820, commenced in the lower stcry ul the carding machine building, in which tho wheelwright business has since been carried on by Nathan Cutler, Nathan Cutler and David E Howard, David E. Howard, Howard and J. O. Cutler, 1 1). Cutler, J. O. Cutler and W. F. Howard, and now by Cushman & C'o.
Just below the building originally used l'or cloth dressing, and recently for other purposes, upon the sunny side of the stream, abunt the year 1521, a tannery was built by R. B. Ewen, which he im .Hoved till 1524, since which time it has been worked by Weeks & Foster, Charles ('lock, and " really Withham With And the very few, in jean foundry was hit and just in operation
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lui casting stoves, hollow warc, &c., by Edmund Freeman and E. Bennett. The establishment way destroyed by fire in the great conflagration of December, 1838, with the store, shoe shop, oat mill, dry house, and one dwelling, &c. Of tailors, saddlers, joiners, and other mechanics, of which there has been at different times quite a number, no account is furnished.
' Taverners .- First, Timothy Stanley ; next, Dr. Huntington, where Dea. Baker now lives ; then R. B. Ewon, where Col. Stevens now lives ; then Col. Stevens & Son, in the Caspian House, which was built in 1832; then J. G. Stanley, where Mr. Austin now lives ; next, J. N. Stevons, in the Caspian House, now owned and occupied by B. S. Wilson.
Professional Men .- Of Lawyers, the first remembered is Moses Chase, who was here in 1799 ; after wards, Joseph C. Bradley ; and later, S. F. Taylor, - Huntoon, Luke P. Poland, and last, Ebenezer C. Randall, who died suddenly at Montpelier while there as Representative, in 1850. The first physician who ever acted professionally in town, was Dr. Wm. Scott, in tho family of Ashbel Shepard, in March, 1790. But of those who havo resided herc, aro remembered as the moro important, Dr. Samuel Huntington, Dr. Thompson, Dr. Moses Hibbard, Dr. Edward Clark, who died July 15, 1842, Dr. Dearborn, Dr. J. Wheclock, and at present Dr. Sumner Putnam, who commenced practice here in the spring of 1844.
II.
The following was written by our aged friend, Col. Asahel Washburn, and published in the Vt. Chronicle of August 10, 1842. It is presumed that many will be interested in reading it, even in years still future :
Sabbath Schools in Orleans County .--- Their origin and early history.
Messrs. BISHOP & TRACY :- It is always pleasant to review the dealings of Providence with us, and his blessing upon Christian effort, especially when that effort has been connected with the good of children and youth. In looking back upon a long life, I am led to exclaim, " A word f.tly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." I allude here to a question proposed more than half a century ago, in an assembly of ministers of Christ in the State of Counecticut, (most of whom I trust aro now in Heaven,) and related to me by one of its members. The question was this, " What shall we do to be more useful ?" and the answer, "Do more for children and youth." The question and reply were set home to my heart, and followed me for many years with their in- fluence on my thoughts and actions. In removing from a more favored part of New England, where gospel privileges were fully enjoyed, into the town of Greensboro', in the north part of Vermont, which was then comparatively a wilderness, and where the preached Gospel was soldom enjoyed, the question came home with more solemn emphasis, "What can I do here for the young and rising generation ?"" I would here state an interesting incident previous to the first settlement of this town. Two men * exploring this wilderness, one of whomt afterwards cmigrated with his family thither, knelt upon the soil and prayed most carnestly that tho town might be settled by a moral and religious people. The event showed in a great measure the answer to their prayers. A large proportion of the first settlers were professedly pious ; among whom were thrco liberally cd- ucated, moral, and two of them pious men.# With theso and others I frequently conversed on the great subject which lay near my heart. Having at the time never heard of Sabbath Schools, our
*Ministers.
+Thomas Tolman, Esq., in early life a minister, and for a time pastor of the church in Cornwall, Vt.
ĮE. Tolman, Esq., Ashbel Hale, Esq., and Dea. Ephraim Strong.
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ist effect was to go from house to house, with our children, to pray with them and instruct them in the Assembly's Catechismn. This course was continued for two years or more. At length, one brother, alluding to my desires to benefit the young, said, " Perhaps we have stood in this brother's way too long, we will try to help him." At this time an influential sister in the church, who had not previously engaged with us in the work, led her children to my house on tho Sabbath evening, requesting ine to instruct them as I did my own children. From this period we date the com- mencement of a Sabbath School ; for on the next Sabbath, in consequence of information given that instruction in the scriptures and catechism would bo given publicly, the children came in liko an overflowing stream. This was in June, 1814. 'The books which wero committed to memory were, the Bible, various hymns, the Assembly's shorter catechismn, and Watts', Wilbur's, and Em- orson's catechisms. Ono of the educated men before alluded to, * engaged in the Sabbath School with much interest. While hoaring his class recito in the Assembly's Catechism, on repoating the question, " What doth every ein deserve ?" he was so much affected he could not finish hearing the elass, and shortly after obtained hope in Chiist. At the time to which I allude, the wilderness state of the country was so great that three bears were hunted and killed within half a mile of the school house in which our first Sabbath Schools wero held. Yet the bears were not sent to devour the children, for it is a remarkable fact that for four or five years after the first establishment of our Sabbuth Schools containing moro than five hundred children, no death occurred among the scholars. We were much assisted in our efforts, by the Hartford (Conn.) Auxiliary Bible Society, the Ilamp- +hire County (Masz.) Missionary Society, by Major Edward Hooker, Farmington, Conn., and Mr. Andrews, book binder, Hartford, Conn., in donations of books, &c, We formed a Sabbath School Union of eight different towns in the vicinity, and held frequent examinations of the schools. At one of tho first of these general examinations, in a large barn fitted up for the occasion, where were present more than four hundred youth and children, the spirit of the Lord began to move on the minds of the assembled youth, and it was followed by a powerful revival of religion. It is an interesting fact, that of those families who had zealously labored in the Sabbath School, many, und in some instances all the members were sharers in the work ; and as some of the first fruits, fifty-three were added to the church in Greensboro', in one year. The work sproad more or less into all the towns belonging to our Union. At this time there were no ministers in theso towns. From those associated in the first Sabbath School in Greensboro', nine missionaries have been sent to tho heathen, and eight other ministers have been raised up, who are now laboring in our own land.t In the Sabbath School Union formed in the vicinity, was formod a mite society, for thie benefit of the heathen children ; for which objeet liberal contributions were made. I look upon this fact, and others connected with it, as evidence of the maturity of our system at that early day, cvincing that it originated from God, and received his divine approbation.
And now I would say that though I have often been tired in the Sabbath School, I have never been tired of it, and I would exhort those on whom the burden now rests, to be faithful in this good work, knowing that great will be their reward in heaven. In view of the spread of this blessed work and the happy and glorious results which have followed, I would say with good old Simcon, "Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine cyes have seen thy salva- tion."
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