USA > Vermont > Essex County > Guildhall > A history of Guildhall, Vt > Part 3
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 (link on the Part 1 page).
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
RABBIT OR HARE. These peculiar animals, varying in color from white in winter to reddish brown in summer, are numerous, but are fast decreasing in numbers.
. Mr. Horace E. Hubbard, who keeps a store in the village, and at that time slept in a small room In the rear part of his store, and it was generally known that he always kept a revolver neur his bed in the night time.
47
HISTORY OF GUILDHALL.
WEAZEL. Also is white in winter, but is generally brown or black in summer, and are very shy. They are more or less annoying to the community, as they are in the habit of eating eggs and killing hens.
SQUIRREL. There are several kinds, and are numerous; they are sprightly, full of fun and frolic, and as quick in motion as a bird. The gray squirrel is much larger, and are not so plenty in town as the others. The red squirrel is the next in size, and is a daring fellow. The chip- munk, or striped squirrel is the most numerous, as there are more of them than all the rest combinel; they are very timid, and possess the faculty of dodging a stone when one really believes it impossible. The flying squirrel is frequently met with, yet are not so common as the other species. Though called the flying squirrel, in re- ality it cannot fly, but has the power of spreading its body out in such a manner as to form a parachute, as it were, which enables it to sail along through the air for a short distance. All but the striped squirrel, which burrows in the ground, live in hollow trees, stumps, &c.
MOLES. These curious little creatures are so busy, that they really put themselves in advance of their size; they construct long galleries in the ground, through which they travel in search of food; as they seldom venture to the surface during the day, they are not often seen.
RATS. Are common, especially since the railroad was built in this locality, and are the greatest pest of any animal which is found in town, wanting the best of everything the farm affords.
MICE. There are several kinds. They were not common when the first settlers came, but are now plenty.
48
HISTORY
GUILDHALL.
BATS. Are numerous, and very annoying if they get into an evening prayer meeting, or other similar gathering.
BEAVERS. Almost, if not quite extinct: the last one heard of in this part of the country, was taken in this county, not many years ago. The remains of their work is to be found on many of our streams.
OTTER. Also very rarely seen now days.
MUSKRAT. So called from their strong musky odor ; they are quite plenty in our streams.
MINK. Not common, still they remain to some extent.
BIRDS. A complete list of birds found in our town, will not here be attempted. The following is a list of those which are most common and best known.
BIRDS OF PREY; eagle, hawk, and owl.
OMNIVOROUS BIRDS; Baltimore oriole, crow, blackbird, bluejay, raven, and titmouse.
INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS; warbler, butcher bird, phoebec, pewee, thrush, cat bird, wren, bluebird, and lark.
GRAMINIVOROUS BIRDS; sparrow, snow bird, linnet, finch, and crossbill.
YOKE-TOED BIRDS; cuckoo, and woodpecker.
BIRDS WITH SLENDER BILLS; nuthatch, erceper, ruby- throat, and humming bird.
HALCYONS ; kingfisher.
SWALLOWS; martin, barn swallow, cliff swallow, white- billed swallow, bank swallow, chimney swallow, whip- poor-will, and night hawk.
PIGEONS; we have but oue variety; the passenger pigeon. GALLINACEOUS BIRDS; quail, and partridge.
WADING BIRDS; plover, erane, heron, and woodcock.
WERFOOTED BIRDS; gull, goose, duck, tool, and loon.
49
HISTORY OF GUILDHALL.
FISHIES. The variety of fishes in Guildhall is not very great, nevertheless we have almost all the varieties usual in the state, but some are rare and seldom seen. The following are the names of those of most consequence; sulmon trout, pike or pickerel, eel, perch, trout, pout, sucker, and dace.
SERPENTS. They are uot so numerons here as in some parts of the state; we have however, the striped, black, and green snakes, and the adder. The most com- mon is the striped snake, which is perfectly harmless.
AMPHIBIOUS REPTILES. Those most common are turtle or tortoise, two kinds, toads and frogs, six or more varieties, and lizards.
INSECTS. These are so numerous that we cannot catalogue or describe them all. Those most common are the grass hopper, potato bug, cricket, spider, ant, butter- fly, bumble bee, honey bee, beetle, hornet, wasp, firefly, black fly, mosquito, snow flea, moth, and multitudes of bugs and worms.
BOTANY. Previous to settlement, this part of the country, like other parts of New England, was one con- tinual forest, consisting of lofty trees intermingled with a great variety of shrubs and plants, and since clearing the country, many more have sprung up. We cannot, in this brief history, give a list of them.
MINERALS. The mineral wealth of the town is very limited, and the locality is not one of the fields of natural deposits of much value; there is, however, a bed of iron
50
HISTORY OF GUILDHALL.
ore in the west part of the town, which has as yet, never. been worked to any extent.
VALLEY OF THE CONNECTICUT.
It may seem strange to some to think that at one time the low lands in town were covered by water to the depth of 206 feet or more. It seems probable and doubtless was the fact that at one time the Connecticut River run to Whitefield, N. II., ncross ponds, and into the valley of the Lower Amonoosuck and so on until it reached its present course opposite Wells River in Newbury. If this be the case, as the summit level is 230 feet above the Connecticut at Lunenburgh, and 228 at Guildhall, it must have caused a large lake to have existed in this re- gion; but finally, by some means, by breaking through it .: banks at Lunenburgh, changed its course to the present one. We present what was published in 1: 61 in the "Gcology of Vermont" by Edward Hitchcock, and others, touching on the subject of the river's changing its course, but recent surveys more clearly prove that what we claim to be the case, is truc.
"We would hazard a conjecture concerning the cause of this deficiency of terraces and terrace materials along this interval, while below, at Wells River, and above, at Lunenburgh ( upper part) and Guildhall, they are so nbundant. We would conjecture that the Connecticut formerly loft its present bed a little below Lancaster, N. 11., then passed to Whitefield over the summit level, across two ponds of water, into the valley of the Lower Amonoosuck River to Littleton, and followed that stream down to the mouth of Wells River, where it entered its present bed.
51
HISTORY OF GUILDHALL.
We would present the reasons for this belief:
Ist. It would be a more direct route for the Con- necticut than the present. To be sure, rivers do not seem to be very particular as to the route they take in threading their way among the hills; but, as for all the rest of its course in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Ver- mont, it is comparatively straight, there is some reason to think that a straight course for the rest of the way would have been the most natural. This straight course has generally been determined by the eastern limit of one of the rock formations, an easily decomposing rock. Now on its present route the rock is different in its character, being tough breccia or talcose sehist instead of ealeiferous mica schist. On the Amonoosuck route the rock is main- ly granite, which is easier to decompose than the talcose schist. This route would have saved six miles at least.
2d. The character of the terraces along the two routes, and above and below the ends of the supposed Led. Below Wells River, the terraces are remarkably fine-so they are above Lunenburgh-while between Lunenburgh and Wells River on the Connecticut, they are very poor below the mouth of the Passumpsic, and above that point are generally entirely wanting. Upon the Amonoosuck River they are well developed. Hence it seems more natural to suppose that a continuous set of fire terraces was formed by the same stream, when that stream had the power to prodnee such brilliant effects as the Connecticut does, than to suj pose the contrary.
52
HISTORY OF GUILDHALL.
The fact that from Wells River to Stevens Village ( Barnet) there are some terraces, and none of any conse- quence above it. except on the Passumpsie River, would seem to indicate that the Passumpsie was the main pro- dueer of the terraces above Wells River, and that the Connecticut changed its course so recently as to have little effect upon the formation of terraces there.
3rd. This supposed bed is on the route of the proposed railroad from Littleton, N. H., to Lancaster, N. H .* Its summit level is 650 feet above Connecticut River, and if this measurement was taken from the mouth of Wells River, as we should suppose, it will be only 230 feet above the same river at Lunenburgh, and 197 feet above Lancaster, N. H. This would not make this bed so high above the present level of the river as others which we consider as well established cases."
We also give what they have to say about the valley of the Connectient at Guildhall.
"There are at least five basins in this region, one of the most fertile for agricultural purposes in the State.
The first of them, or the eighth from the mouth of the Connecticut, extends to the north line of Guildhall, a distance of seven miles. In South Guildhall, ..... the meadow is remarkably wide-so wide indeed is it that we could not see from the west side how many terraces there were on the east side. This has not been so before since leav- ing Massachusetts. f The terraces are developed in beautiful
. Now the White Mountain Division of the Boston & Lowell R. R. +The: tate Geologists were taking a trip up the Connecticut River, it would som.
53
HISTORY OF GUILDHALL.
proportions in Guildhall, especially about two miles west of the Court House, where there are seven terraces, the prodnet of the joint action of the Connectient and a small stream coming down from Granby. These are in a kind of sub-basin, a valley running west among the mountains. so that the Connectiont must formerly have made quite a bend. The second terrace is the most extensive of them all, forming a plain more than a mile wide. It. is the meadow in Guildhall. In Northumberland, on the New Hampshire side, a high ledge of granite comes close to the river, cutting off all deposits. And soon the granite from the Vermont side approaches the river, and we see the barrier or limit of the basin.
We were reminded very much of Bellows Falls in Guildhall. For in both places, the general features of the geology as well as the topography are the same. The high hill of granite in Northumberland is shaped like Kilburne Peak, opposite Bellows Falls ; and in litholo- gical character the mountains agree, as well as the adjac- ent rocks across the river.
CHAPTER III.
Surveys of the Connecticut River-Upper Coos-Townships laid out. and chartered-Guildhall's charter-Grantees-First Proprietors meeting-Original town lines-The town survey- ed into lot8.
In the year 1760, the Governor of New Hampshire com- missioned Joseph Blanchard, of Dunstable, in that State, to make a survey of the Connecticut River northward from "'No. 4," now known as Charlestown, N. H., and every six miles to mark a tree, or set a boundary on each side of the river for u township. This survey was made on the ice, and completed in March of that year, extend- ing up the river as far as the N. E. corner of Newbury.
The next year, 1761, a survey of the same sort was made under the same authority by Hughbastia Neel, from where Blanchard left off, to the north end of the great meadows then called the Upper Coos.
Wo find in the Massachusetts Historical Collection, published in 1815 :- Sketch of Laneaster, N. II .- '. Previ- ons to their incorporation, Lancaster, Northumberland und Stratford, is N. H., and Lunenburgh, Guildhall and Maidstone, in Vt., all lying on the Connecticut River, wore designated by the Indian name Coos, which signi- fies crooked, and was originally applied to that part of the Connecticut on which these towns are situated."
The author of this was undoubtedly mistaken in one thing, and that is, the region referred to was Upper Coos and not Coos; for we find from good authority that
57
HISTORY OF GUILDHALL.
the towns in the immediate vicinity of Newbury and Haverhill were first known as Coos.
From these surveys a plan was made, and three tiers of townships laid out on each side of the river, and several of them chartered, with no further actual survey on the ground. In 1761, there were applications for almost every township on the river, and many back towns, so far as then surveyed.
A charter was granted for Guildhall in this year by Governor Benning Wentworth of New Hampshire, which bears date of October 10, 1761, and reads as follows :--
GUILDHALL.
Province of New Hampshire George the third By the Grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King Defender of the faith &c. To all Perfons to whom these Prefents shall come -- Greeting-Know ye that we of our special Grace sair- tain Knowledge & meer mention for the Due Encourage- ment of settling a New Plantation within our said Pro- vince By and with the advice of our trufty and well beloved Benning Wentworth Esqr our Governor and Commander in Chief of our said Province of New Hamp- fhire in New England and of our Council of the said Province have upon the Conditions and Refolutions here- in after made Given and Granted and by thefe Prefents for us our heirs and succefsors do give and Grant in equal shares unto our loving Subjects Inhabitants of our said Province of New Hampshire and our other Governments 1 P. S.
58
HISTORY OF GUILDIIALL.
and to their heirs and afsigns forever whose Names are Entered on this Grant to be Divided to and amongst them into seventy equal shares all the tract or parcel of Land Situate Lying and being within our said Province of New Hampshire Containing by admeasurement twenty three thousand and Forty acres which traet is to contain six miles square and no more out of which an allounce is to be made for Highways and unimprovable Land by Rocks Ponds mountains and Rivers one thousand and Forty Acres free according to a plan and survey thereof made by our said Governors order and Returned into the Secretaries Offico and hereunto annexed butted and Bounded as follows viz Begining at a Stako and Stones which stands on the Westerly side of Connecticut River at or near the lower end of the upper Co-os thirty miles on a straight line from the mouth of Amonoosock River from thence North west six miles from thence North east six miles from thence South east six miles to the bank of Connecticut River from thenee down said River to the place it began at and that the same be and hereby is Incorporated into a Township by the name of GUILD- HIALL and the Inhabitance that do or shall hereafter Inhabit the said Towuship are hereby Declared to be enfranchized with and entitled to all and every the Priveledges & immunities that other Towns within our Province b y Lnw Exercise and enjoy further that the said Town ns
59
HISTORY OF GUILDHALL.
their shall be fifty Families residant and settled thercon shall have the Liberty of holding two fairs one of which shall be held on the . .and the other on the annualiy which fairs are not to Continue Longer than the Respective. following the. . .. .. and that as soon as the said Town shall Consist of fifty Families a market may be opened and kept one or more days in cach week as may be thought most advantagious to the in- habitants alfo that the first meeting for the Choice of Towa Officers agreeable to the Laws of our said Province shall be held on the last monday of October Instant which said meeting shall be Notified by Elihu Hall Esqr who is hereby alfo appointed the moderator of the said first meeting which he is to Notify and Govern agreable to the Laws and Customs of our said Province and that the annual meeting forever hereafter for the Choice of such Officers for the said Town shall be on the .. . of March annually to have and to hold the said tract of Land as above Exprefsed Respective heirs and afsigns forever up- on the following Conditions viz :-
1 that every Grantee his heirs or afsigns shall plant and Cultivate five acres of Land within the term of five years for every fifty acres Contained in hif or thare share or proportion of Land in said Township and Continue to improve and settle the same by additional Cultivations on penalty of the forfiture of his grant or share in the said Township and of its Reverting to us onr heirs and fue- cefsors to be by us or them Regranted to such of our sub- jects as shall efentually Settle and Cultivate the same.
60
HISTORY OF GUILDIIALL.
2 That all white and other pine trees within the said Township fit for mafting our Royal Navy be carefully preserved for that use and none to be cut or felled with- out our special Licauce for so doing first had and obtam- ed upon the penalty of the forfitnre of the Right of such Grantee his heirs and afsigns to us our heirs and Succefs- ors as well as being Subject to the penalty of any act or acts of Parlament that now are or hereafter shall be Enacted.
3 That before any Division of the Land be made to & among the grantees a tract of land as near the centre of the said Township as the Land will achnit of shall be re- served and marked out for town lots one of which shall be allotted to each Grantee of the Contents of one acre.
4 Yealding and paying therefor to us our heirs and snecefsors 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 Demanded the firft payment to be made on the Twenty fifth day of December 1762.
5 Every Proprietor Settleor or Inhabitint shall yeal.l and pay unto ns our heirs and sureefsars yearly and every year forever from and after the Expiration of tou years from the above said Twenty fifth day of December Namely on the Twenty fifth day of December which shall be in year of Lord 1772 one Shilling Proclimation money for every hundred acres he so owns Settles or poliseses and so in proportion for a greater or lefser tract of the said Land which money shall be paid by the Ro-
61
HISTORY OF GUILDHALL.
spective Persons above said thare heirs or afsigns in our Council Chamber in Portsmouth or to such officer or officers as shall be appointed to receive the same and this to be in lieu of all other Rents and services whatsoever in Testimony whereof we have causedl the Seal of our said Province to be hereunto affixed Witnefs Benning Weut- worth Esqr. our Governor and Commander in Chief of our said Province the 10th day of October in the year of our Lord Christ One Thousand seven Hundred and sixty one and in the first year of our Reign.
B. WENTWORTII. By his Excellencys Command with advice of Council THEODOUR ATKINSON Secry.
Province of New Hampshire Oct 16th 1761. Recorded accor ling to Original under the Province Scal.
MR. THEODOUR ATKINSON Secry.
Ilis Excellency Benning Wentworth Esqr. a Tract of Land to Contain five Hundred acres as marked B-W- in the plan which is to be accounted two of the within shares one Share for the Incorporation Society for the Propaga- tion of the Gospel in foreign Parts one share for a Glibe for the Church of England as by Law Established one Share for the first settled Minister of the Gospel and one share for the Benefit of a School in said Town. Province of New Hampshire October 10th 1761.
Recorded from the back of the Original Charter of Guildhall under the Province Scal.
Atteft-THEODOUR ATKINSON Secry."
.
62
HISTORY OF GUILDIIALL.
North Eaft 6 miles.
North Weft 6 miles.
Plan of Guildhall
2 3 0 4 0 Acres.
South Eaft 6 miles.
BW
Connecticut * River.
The- )
-end of 30 miles from Amonoosuck River.
Province of New Hampshire Oct 16th 1761.
Recorded from the back of the Original Charter of Guildhall under the Province Seal.
MR. THEODOUR ATKINSON Secry.
The foregoing is a true Coppy taken from the back of Charters No 2 pag 241 and on
Attest Jofoph Person Secry.
A True Coppy of the Charter - Ward Bailey P. Clerk
63
IIISTORY OF GUILDHALL.
NAMES OF GRANTEES.
Elihu Hall, Edmond Ward, Daniel Thomas, John Benham, John Benham, jr., Genaliel Benham, John Hall, 5th., Abonijah Thomas, Ebenezer Blakeslee, Elihu Hall, jr., Ashbel Stiles, Enos Todd, Samuel Mix, Giles Dayton, Gershom Todd, Joshua Ray, Samuel Whitlesey, Chauncey Whitlesey, Daniel Mackey, Samuel Sharp Bedell, Walter Munson, Thomas Ray, Joel Thorp, Hester Mackey Simeon Tuttle, Ithamer Tuttle, Aaron Tuttle, Titus Tuttle, James Paine, David Sharp, John Blakeslee, Tim- othy Barker, Oliver Dudley, Medad Dudley, Abram Kimberley, Nathaniel Chauncy, Esq., Charles Whitlesey, Esq., Damaris Hall, jr., Elisha Whitelsey, Edward G. Sutwyche, James Matthews, Jas. Matthews, jr., Peter Russell, Richard Wibird, Esq., Daniel Warner, Esq., Comfort Sage, Thomas Darling, Esq., Thomas Dodd, Philip Mortimore, John McClure, Sam'l. Mansfield, Thomas Rice, Chas. Cook, Wm. Pundle, Jonathan Blanch- ard, Rev. Samuel Hall, Theophilus Doolittle, Richard Alsop, Thomas Hart, Dr. Wm. Gould, Andrew Andross, John Moss, Benjah Thomas, Jno. Herpon, jr.
These original proprietors Were residents of New Haven County and vicinity in the State of Connecticut. They held frequent meetings and passed sundry votes preparatory to occupying their lands, but they did not rettle, or perhaps not even visit the same, until men from another State (Massachusetts) had occupied portions thereof. The first proprietory meeting was holden at New Haven, Conn., on the last Wednesday of October, 1761 ; the first deed was given by John Blakeslee, Enos Todd, Giles Dayton, Saml. Mix, David Thorp, Joshua Ray, Gershorm Todd, Titus Tuttle, and John MeClure to John Hall, 5th, and dated November 2d. 1761.
64
HISTORY OF GUILDHALL.
By whom the good name Guildhall was given to the town is not known: it is the only town in the world of this name; for our statement we refer to "Lippincott's Gazetteer of the World," which is authority. The line between Lunenburgh and Guildhall was originally sup- posod to be further north, as well as the line between this town and Maidstone, and we find that much difficulty was experienced in the settlement of the matter with Maidstone people. Gen. James Whitelaw of Ryegate, Surveyor General for the State, surveyed the town in 1785, but the matter was not settled until the next year 1786, when Eben W. Judd surveyed the line between the towns. He at first met with much opposition from the settlers, who were jealous of their rights, and fearful lest they should be disturbed in their lots; but the matter was finally arranged, and the survey accepted.
In 1787, Edward Bucknam, Esq., "being one of a committee appointed to survey the town into lots," he and Mr. Thomas Darling performed that important service.
CHAPTER IV.
Early settlement of Guildhall-Emmons Stockwell-Settlement at . Newbury-First settlers arrive at Guildhall April 19, 1764- First houses --- The next addition to the settlement 1775 --- Pro- prietors proceeding to Guildhall --- ])iffic .. Ity arises --- Settlers finally confirmed in their lots by the Legislature of the new State, Vermont -- Ineseription of the early settlers --- Mills at Newbury --- what some Historians say about Guildhall --- Enoch Bartl tt's mill in Northumberland-Block House-A Petition for Soldiers 1776-First house in the Village -- >ettlers lots- Old people of the towr.
During the French and Indian war many unsuccessful expeditions to subdue Canada were planned and attempted. In one of these expeditions was connected a young man by the name of Emmons Stockwell, an orphan, whose parents died when he was very young. Upon the failure of the expedition of which he was a member they became disorganized and separated into small parties, returning on their own account. It was in the winter season and their sufferings proved so severe that many died by the way. It was the fortune of young Stockwell and his party however, to strike the Connecticut River near its head waters, and they followed this stream down until they reached settlements. As they made their journey through it, this part of the country attracted the atten- tion of Mr. Stockwell, and he, for a considerable time after returning to his native town, tried to get together a party to commence a settlement upon the banks of this beautiful river: he was finally successful, and in the
.
66
HISTORY OF GUILDHALL.
spring of 1764 a party left Lancaster, Mass., to accomplish this object: it being composed of the following :- David Page, whose father was an Englishman and the first settler of Lunenburg, Mass., David l'age, Jr., aged 18 years, Emmons Stockwell, now twenty three years old, Timothy Nash, and a Mr. Rice. Some of these men were from the town then known as Petersham, Mass. They took with them 20 head of cattle and some horses, which were compelled to subsist principally ou brouse and the foliage of trees.
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.