USA > Vermont > Windsor County > Norwich > A history of Norwich, Vermont > Part 2
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" Beginning at a Hemlock tree marked with the figures 5 and six that stand on the bank of the Connecticut river just at the head of White River falls and is opposite to the North-west corner of Lebanon, from thence North Sixty Degrees West six miles, from thence North forty-five degrees East six miles, from thence South Sixty degrees East seven miles to an elm tree marked with the figures 6 & 7, from thence down the river to the first bounds mentioned.
I3
CHARTER OF NORWICH
"And that the same be and hereby is incorporated into a Town- ship by the name of Norwhich. That the inhabitants that do or shall hereafter inhabit the said Township, are hereby declared to be en- franchised with and entitled to all and every the privileges and im- munities that other towns within our Province by law exercise and enjoy: And further, that the said town as soon as there shall be fifty families resident and settled thereon, shall have the liberty of holding two Fairs, one of which shall be on the and the other on the annually, which Fairs are not to continue longer than the respective following the said 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 each week, as may be thought most ad- vantageous to the inhabitants. Also, that the first meeting for the choice of Town officers, agreeable to the laws of our said Province, shall be held on the last Wednesday of August next which said meet- ing shall be notified by Mr. Eleazer Wales who is hereby also appointed the Moderator of the said meeting, which he is to notify and govern agreeably to the laws and customs of said Province and the annual meeting for ever hereafter for the choice of such officers for the said Town shall be on the Second Tuesday of March annually, to Have and to Hold the said tract of land as above expressed, together with all privileges and appertenances, to them and their respective heirs and assigns forever, upon the following conditions, viz-
"1st, That every Grantee, his heirs and assigns shall plant and culti- vate five acres of land within the term of five years for every fifty acres contained in his or their share or proportion of land in said Township, and continue to improve and settle the same by additional cultivation, on penalty of the forfeiture of his grant or share in the said Township, and of its reverting to us, our heirs and successors, to be by us or them regranted to such of our subjects as shall effectually settle and cultivate the same.
"2d, That all white and other pine trees within the said Town- ship, fit for masting our Royal Navy, be carefully preserved for that use, and none to be cut or felled without our special licence for so doing first had and obtained, upon the penalty of the forfeiture of the right of such grantee, his heirs and assigns, to us, our heirs and
14
HISTORY OF NORWICH
successors as well as being subject to the penalty of any act or acts of parliament that now are or hereafter shall be enacted.
"3. That before any division of the land be made to and among the Grantees, a tract of land as near the centre of the said Township as the land will admit of, shall be reserved and marked out for Town Lots, one of which shall be allotted to each Grantee of the contents of one acre.
"4. Yielding and paying therefor to us, our heirs and successors 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 De- cember annually, if lawfully demanded, the first payment to be made on the 25th of Decr 1762.
"5. Every proprietor, settler or inhabitant, shall yield and pay unto us, our heirs and successors yearly, and every year forever, from and after the expiration of ten years, from the above-said twenty fifth day of December namely, on the twenty fifth day of December which will be in the year of our Lord 1772-one shilling proclamation money for every one hundred acres he so owns, settles or possesses, and so in proportion for a greater or lesser tract of the said land : which money shall be paid by the respective persons above-said, their heirs or assigns, 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 whatever.
"In Testimony whereof, We have caused the Seal of our Said Prov- ince to be hereunto affixed .*
"Witness Benning Wentworth, Esq. our Governor and Commander in Chief of our said Province the fourth day of July in the year of our Lord Christ, One Thousand, Seven Hundred and Sixty one and in the First year of our Reign.
"By his Excellency's command,
"With advice of Council,
"'THEODORE ATKINSON, Secy.
B. WENTWORTH.
"Province of New Hampre July 5, 1761
"Recorded according the original
"Charter under the Province Seal.
"Attest" THEODORE ATKINSON, Sec."
15
CHARTER OF NORWICH
"THE NAMES OF THE GRANTEES OF NORWHICH."
Eleazr Wales
Nathall Harriman
Daniel Welch
Samuel Long
Abner Barker
Ebenezr Smith
Ebenezr Wales
John Johnson
Ebenezr Heath
Thomas Welch
William Johnson ye3d
Joseph Storrs
Gideon Noble
Samuel Cobb
James West
Judah Heath
Daniel Baldwin
James Russell
Calvin Topliff
Hezekiah Johnson
Samuel Johnson
Jonathan Hatch
Elisha Wales
Samuel Slafter
Seth Wales
Benja Whitney
Amos Fellows
James Bicknall
Jedidiah Brinton John Fowler
Jacob Fenton
Moses Barnard
Nathan Strong
Aleazr West
Robert Turner
Andrew Crocker
William Johnson
Eliphas Hunt
Samuel Root
Stephen Palmer
Solomon Wales
Eleazr Warner
Joseph Blanchard Josiah Root
The Hon. Theodr Atkinson Esq.
Adoniram Grant
Richard Wilbird Esq.
George Swain
Henry Sherburne Esq.
Samuel Root junr
Mr. Andrew Clarkson
Benja Jennings
Clement March Esq.
Moses Holmes
John Shackford
Benja Sheapard
Mesheck Weare Esq.
Elisha Carpenter Lemuel Holmes Abner Barker Jr.
Rev. Mr. Samuel Havem
& Peter Gilman Esq.
"One whole share for the Society for propagating the Gospel in foreign parts. One whole share for a Glebe for the Church of Eng- land as by law established, one share for the first settled Minister. One share for the benefit of a school in said Town. His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq. five hundred acres to be laid as marked in plan B. W. and is to be accounted two of the within shares.
"Province of New Hampshire July 5th 1761. Recorded from the
Abijah Learned
16
HISTORY OF NORWICH
back of the original Charter of Norwhich under the Province Seal. "Attest" THEODORE ATKINSON, Secy"
The larger part of the above are names of Connecticut men then resident in Mansfield and neighboring towns. Captain Hezekiah Johnson, Samuel Slafter, Joseph Storrs, and William Johnson 3rd, are known to have lived in Mansfield; Amos Fellows, James West, Adon- iram Grant, and Samuel Cobb were of Tolland; Ebenezar Heath, Cap- tain Abner Barker and William Johnson of Willington-towns ad- jacent to Mansfield on the north. The last nine names are those of New Hampshire and Massachusetts men-several of them members of the provincial government in the former province. Major Joseph Blanchard was of Dunstable, Mass. He had executed in 1760, by direction of Governor Wentworth, the first survey of the townships lying along the river from Charlestown to Newbury. His name ap- pears as proprietor in many town charters about this time. But few of the original grantees ever came personally to Norwich to settle.
Many of them, it is probable, were people of considerable property, well advanced in life, whose years unfitted them to endure the hard- ships of pioneers in a new settlement. Such would naturally transfer their rights to their sons, or to the young and enterprising among their friends and neighbors. This is known to have been the case in several instances. But Jacob Fenton and Ebenezar Smith, both proprietors, were here in 1763. The former died on the 15th of July of that year, and was thus the first white man known to have died within the town- ship. Captain Hezekiah Johnson emigrated to the town very early and settled near the mouth of Ompompanoosuc River. He was long a leading citizen, prominent in town affairs.
Calvin Johnson, son of Captain William Johnson of Willington, one of the original proprietors, removed to Norwich in 1780, after a ser- vice of nearly two years in the Revolutionary Army, and occupied 100 acres of land given him by his father. Five of the original grantees bear the name of Johnson-a family that has always been numerous in town. The name of Daniel Baldwin appears early on the town records, presumably the same person whose name is found in the charter. Samuel Slafter conveyed his right to his son, John Slafter, who accompanied Smith and Fenton to the new township in 1763-
1.7
FURTHER MEETINGS OF THE PROPRIETORS
well known afterwards as Deacon John Slafter, the pioneer settler of the town. Several other family names upon the list of grantees are still represented in considerable numbers among the inhabitants of the town, but whether these latter trace their lineage to the former is not known to the writer.
Space permits us only to glance at some of the most important steps taken by the proprietors of Norwich in forwarding the speedy settle- ment of the town. One essential preliminary to settlement was, of course, some regular division of the land into lots. The careful and accurate surveys that the United States Government now makes of all the public lands before they are offered for sale or settlement to actual settlers, were unknown to that time. The customary plan for opening up new lands to settlement at that day was by granting the soil to a body of proprietors under a charter. Virginia, Massachu- setts, and most of the English colonies in America, as the reader will remember, were founded and settled by a chartered land company, the charter conferring also upon the future inhabitants certain political and corporate rights. The New Hampshire town charters appear to have been formed after the same model. At the first meeting of the proprietors at Mansfield, as above stated, a committee of five of their number was chosen to make a partial survey and allotment of lands in the new township. In the succeeding year (1762) a surveying party came on and that part of the town adjacent to Connecticut River was laid off into lots. In this first division, one lot of 100 acres was assigned to each proprietor, besides an equal share of the intervale land lying on the river, as had previously been determined .
The same year the proprietors voted to unite with the proprietors of the other townships (Hartford, Hanover, and Lebanon) in "clear- ing a road from the old fort in Number Four (Charlestown) on the east side of the river, as far up said river as a committee chosen for that purpose may think proper." This vote was carried into effect in 1763, so far that something called a road was opened as far north as the middle of the town of Hanover, and thus another hindrance to the opening up of the region to settlement was removed.
The location of this primitive roadway through the towns of Leb- anon and Plainfield, we are informed, is still mainly followed by the present river road along the western border of those towns.
18
HISTORY OF NORWICH
At an adjourned meeting of the proprietors held in November, 1762, their committee were empowered to agree "with such person or per- sons as will undertake to erect a mill or mills on the mill brook (Blood Brook) in said town of Norwich."
Early in the month of April, 1763, the proprietors, holding their meeting again at William Waterman's in Mansfield, "in order to en- courage the speedy and effectual settlement of the town," it was voted "to raise £5 upon each proprietor's right"-about £1050 in the aggregate-"to be divided between twenty-five men who shall im- mediately engage to settle or cause to be settled twenty-five rights in the following manner : To begin upon the business the ensuing summer, and further to continue to settle and improve at the rate of three acres annually for the space of five years, on penalty of repaying said money." Permission was also given to each of the twenty-five first settlers to choose for himself a one-hundred acre lot of upland, pro- vided the same be so chosen "as not to incommode any future division of lands in said town."
The requisite number of twenty-five men not appearing ready to undertake the work of settlement upon the conditions proposed, at a later meeting of the proprietors, held May 12th, it was agreed that in case "any number of men under twenty-five and not less than fifteen, shall by the first day of June next engage in the manner and form in which the said twenty-five men were to engage, they shall be entitled to the money in said vote."
In March, 1765, a committee consisting of Jacob Burton, Hezekiah Johnson, Samuel Fenton, John Hatch and John Slafter, was ap- pointed by the proprietors to make a further division of 100-acre lots in Norwich and to "lay out roads as they shall think best for con- venience of settling said township." Six shillings lawful money was voted on each right for this purpose and "other necessary business that shall be done by the committee."
This committee-composed of men at that time on the point of be- coming actual settlers-proceeded in the following June to re-survey and lay off sixty-eight river lots, one to every proprietors's right, each twenty-five rods, four links wide and 160 rods in length from east to west along the banks of Connecticut River. Also, eighty 100-acre lots in five tiers of sixteen lots each, lying directly west of the lots just
19
LAST MEETINGS OF THE PROPRIETORS
named. Between the second and third tier of 100-acre lots, a highway, six rods wide, was located, and between the fourth and fifth tiers an eight-rod highway, for the whole distance of five miles north and south. Land was also left between every second lot for highways running east and west across the town. This seems a very formal and arbitrary method of laying out roads in a new country, but it was perhaps the best that could be done under the circumstances. Of course, in a rough country, roads were never actually built to run in such regular checker- board fashion, though it is true that the early settlers did not mind climbing the steepest hills.
Equally impracticable to us now seems the survey and assignment of a one-acre lot to each proprietor, as a town or village lot, as re- quired by the charter of the town, to be located "as near as may be to the geographical center of the town."
Proprietors' meetings continued to be held at William Waterman's in Mansfield till 1768, when the first meeting was convened within the limits of the town (July 28th) at the house of Jacob Burton. At this meeting the committee mentioned above for laying out lots and high- ways made a formal report of their doings, which were approved, and their report by the surveyor, John Hatch, accepted and put upon record. This report, with others subsequently made, all too lengthy to be inserted here, is of considerable interest to land owners in town, and may be seen at the town clerk's office.
The last meeting of the proprietors, of which any record has been found, was held at Thomas Murdock's, in Norwich, September 17, 1770. It was then voted "to lay out into lots all the undivided land in sd town," and John Hatch, Captain Hezekiah Johnson, Mr. Peter Thatcher, Mr. John Slafter, Mr. John Wright, Mr. Samuel Partridge, and Mr. Samuel Waterman were chosen a committee for that purpose. It was also voted "to give a deed to Joseph Hatch and Oliver Babcock of the tenth river lot, upon the condition that they execute a bond to the proprietors' committee for upholding a Grist Mill where said grist mill now stands, on Blood Brook; that Isaac Fellows shall have the privilege of pitching thirty proprietors' rights on the meadow above the clay bank on Ompompanoosuc River, commonly called the middle meadow, containing 74 1-2 acres, for the consideration of building a saw mill and grist mill on sd river. Also that John Slafter
20
HISTORY OF NORWICH
shall have the privilege of pitching seven rights in the lower meadow on Ompompanoosuc River, Hezekiah Johnson six rights, Peter Thatcher one and one-half rights, Daniel Waterman four rights, and James Huntington one right in said meadow, as a consideration for first coming into the town, and for the burden of first settling sd town."
We have been thus minute in transcribing the votes and action of the proprietors of the town during the initial period of first settlement, because it cannot be doubted that it was largely due to their liberal spirit and enterprising policy that the town was so early opened to settlement, and its growth so rapid from the beginning. Such a policy, of course, was as wise as it was generous, since the lands re- maining unoccupied were appreciated in value with the coming in of every new settler. It is said that the usual fees paid by the grantees of a township under a New Hampshire charter were about $300, which sum was in addition to liberal presents made to the governor, in many instances, for choice locations. One historian of New Hampshire com- plains that Governor Wentworth often preferred for grantees men of other colonies to those of his own, alleging that they were "better hus- bandmen and more liberal donors."
Very considerable advances, as we have seen, were required of the proprietors in surveying a township into lots, opening roads, and many other expenses. Allowing the town to contain 25,000 acres, an equal division of the land into sixty-eight shares would give upwards of three hundred acres to each right, after allowance for highways, etc.
Expenditures for fees, bounties paid to first settlers, charges for sur- veys and building roads, could not have amounted to an aggregate of less than thirty-five to forty dollars to each proprietor, up to the time of which we are now speaking.
CHAPTER II
FIRST SETTLEMENTS IN NORWICH
Having glanced thus briefly at the action of the proprietors in opening a way to reach their new township in the wilderness, and in dividing up a portion of its surface into lots suitable to become the homesteads of future settlers, let us pause a moment and see what had meantime been done in the work of actual settlement.
I am indebted to Rev. Edmund F. Slafter of Boston for an inter- esting account of what was unquestionably the first attempt at settle- ment made within the limits of the town. I quote from the Slafter Memorial :-
"Samuel Slafter [of Mansfield, Ct.], the father of John Slafter, being an original proprietor, and being at the first meeting chosen treasurer of the corporation, took a deep interest in the settlement of the town. At his suggestion, his son John made a journey through the forests of New Hampshire in 1762, to examine the territory and re- port upon the advantages it might offer as a place of settlement. He found it pleasantly situated on the western banks of the Connecticut, with a good soil, but for the most part of an uneven, hilly surface. He reported it well watered, not only by the Connecticut but by several small, clear streams, and by one more important one called the Om- pompanoosuc, an Indian name signifying 'the place of very 'white stones,' whose waters emptied themselves into the Connecticut at the northeastern part of the town. As he was inclined to engage in the settlement of the new town, the next year (June 7, 1763) his father transferred to him as 'a token of his affection,' all his rights as pro- prietor of Norwich. He immediately set out for the new scene of his labors, in company with Mr. Jacob Fenton, his maternal uncle, and Mr. Ebenezar Smith, both of them original proprietors. They took with them a horse and such implements as were indispensable in be-
22
HISTORY OF NORWICH
ginning a settlement. On arriving at their new possessions, they found themselves alone in an unbroken forest, where the echo of the woodsman's axe had perhaps never yet been heard. He first com- menced to fell the trees on the river lot No. 17, which had been assigned to his father's right, in the division of the proprietors, which was a mile and a quarter north from the southern boundary of the town. This lot, unlike most others, proved to be a high, rocky elevation, reach- ing to the very shore of the river, difficult of cultivation, unsuitable as a homestead, and was immediately abandoned. A permanent settle- ment was fixed upon further up the river, opposite the farm of Mr. Timothy Smith in Hanover, about four miles north of the present seat of Dartmouth College, and where the well known rope ferry was for many years maintained. Here the first clearing was commenced, and the first human habitation in the town was constructed. The sum- mer was passed in felling the forest, in burning the wood, and pre- paring the soil for future cultivation. In the autumn, when the cold season approached, and nothing more could be accomplished, he re- turned to his home in Connecticut,-and this was repeated four sum- mers, until he married and brought his young wife to his forest home."
An incident occurred during the first summer, worthy of record in itself, and important in fixing the date of the first settlement of the town. On Wednesday, the 13th of July, Messrs. Slafter, Fenton, and Smith left their home to lend their services for a few days to some friends who were making a settlement at Lebanon, six or eight miles below. Recent rains had swollen the Connecticut, and Mr. Fenton's horse in crossing was compelled to swim a short distance in the deepest part of the river, which was near the shore to which he was approach- ing. The horse was carried down the current, and passed under the trunk of a tree which had fallen into the river, the roots still clinging to the shore. In passing under the trunk of the tree, while leaning forward to avoid being carried from his seat, his horse rising at the instant, forced him with great violence upon the pommel of the saddle, causing a serious injury of the chest. It was soon found necessary for Mr. Fenton to return, and Mr. Smith and a young Mr. Hovey who had joined them, accompanied him to his camp in Norwich. They remained with him, doing what they could for him, but the injury
23
EXPERIENCES OF EARLY SETTLERS
proved so serious that he died on Friday of the same week. On Sat- urday the two young men proceeded down the river on the Vermont side, and by hallooing and discharging their muskets, endeavored to attract the attention of their friends at Lebanon, and thus communi- cate with Mr. Slafter, but in this they were unsuccessful. However, on regaining the camp before nightfall, they found that Mr. Slafter had already returned, and had been apprised of the sad and unex- pected event of his uncle's death. On Sunday morning, assisted by his companions, he proceeded to make preparation for the burial. They peeled the bark from a basswood of suitable size, and with reverent heads and sorrowing hearts placed their companion within its pure, white surface, closing it up and making it fast with thongs twisted from the tough bark of the young elm. On the bank of the Connecticut, near to its quiet waters, they placed him in the clean earth to await the resurrection day. A monument of stone was erected, and an in- scription placed upon it by Mr. Slafter. This monument remained in its place about eighty years .* At length it became broken and somewhat defaced. A portion of it, however, is still preserved, and is now in the possession of one of the grandchildren of Mr. Slafter.
The date of 1763 is so far preserved as to be clearly identified. The 1 is complete, the upper part of the 7 is gone, so is likewise the per- pendicular part of the 6, but the 3 is as distinct as when it was first chiseled upon the stone. This monument still bears testimony to the year in which this death occurred. But if this evidence were wanting, there is yet another record made at the time, which establishes the date of this occurrence beyond the possibility of a doubt. In the book of records of births and deaths in the town of Mansfield, Conn., is the following entry :- "Mr. Jacob Fenton of Mansfield, departed this life at Norwich, in New Hampshire, on ye 15th day of July A. D. 1763"
"Mr. Slafter was married at Mansfield, Ct., in the spring of 1767, and a month later departed with his young wife to his home in the New Hampshire Grants. A journey from Connecticut, with a family, was at that time an undertaking of no small moment. The distance was 150 miles, mostly through the primitive forest, and the road, for fifty miles at least, was scarcely passable except for footmen and
*The site of this monument was in the meadow.
24
HISTORY OF NORWICH
pack-horses. Several families from the same neighborhood were at this time emigrating to the Coos Country, and they accordingly joined together and 'made up a pleasant party.' It was decided to navigate the Connecticut rather than to encounter the difficulties of an over- land route. Having provided themselves with log canoes, they em- barked with their 'goods,' probably at Windsor, Conn. They left Mansfield on Thursday, the 23rd of April, and arrived at their home in Norwich on the 10th of May. Against the current of the river, which was very strong at that period of the year, they were not able to make more than eight or nine miles a day. In several places in the river the rapids, or falls, could not be passed, and they were ob- liged to unship their goods and carry them and their boats around, and reload, before they could pursue their journey. It was, as we may well imagine, a joyful moment when they arrived at their destination, and were at home in their rude habitations. These were the same as had served during the preceding summers. But preparations had already been made, and before the frosts of winter approached, Mr. Slafter had built, on the banks of the Connecticut, a comfortable and substantial dwelling. As mills for sawing lumber had not then been erected within practical distance, the material was fashioned by the axe, without the use of plane or jointer. Small trees, of not more than a foot in diameter, were carefully hewed, halved together at the intersections, and placed upon a foundation, and tier upon tier added, until a suitable height had been attained for receiving the roof. This was formed by placing upon proper rafters, bound together at fre- quent intervals by ribs or small beams, the thick, impervious bark of the hemlock and other trees. In this way a covering was made, giving complete protection from the rains of summer and snows of winter. The floors were formed of plank, hewed and fitted with the axe alone. Their furniture was of the modest kind. Their tables and chairs were puncheons of basswood, a split log having its faces a little smoothed with an axe, with legs inserted of suitable length. Such was the rude abode of the pioneer."
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