USA > Vermont > Windham County > Brattleboro > Brattleboro, Windham County, Vermont; early history, with biographical sketches of some of its citizens > Part 17
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the eldest son, received his commission as Brig .- General in 1834. He was one of the .partners in the publishing house at the time a re-organization was effected, in 1836, and the business assumed by the "Brattleboro Typographic Company." He married Henrietta, eldest daughter of Maj. Henry Smith. Their eldest son, Freder- ick H. Fessenden, was killed while fight- ing for the Union in the late civil war.
Gen'l Fessenden was a valuable member of society, highly esteemed for his many noble qualities, and died in Brattleboro, much lamented, in 1862, aged 51 years.
THOMAS K.,
obtained a collegiate education and fitted for the ministry. For many years he has been a faithful pastor of the Congrega- tional church in New York State and Connecticut.
In the summer of 1826, William, son of Joseph, a promising lad of 6 years, was drowned in the Connecticut river, op- posite the village. His body, and that of another lad, Andrew Jackson Shattuck, drowned at the same time and place, was taken from the water by some members of a circus troupe, at that time near the river making preparations for their exhi- bition.
In 1836, Elizabeth, noted for personal beauty, healthy appearance, and superior
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mental qualities, died with consumption, aged 18 years.
THOMAS GREEN FESSENDEN,
author of "Democracy Unveiled," and "Terrible Tractoration," was the eldest son of this gifted family. He graduated at Dartmouth College in 1796, and soon after removed to Rutland, Vt., where he studied law with Nathaniel Chipman, Esq., and afterwards, if we are not misinformed, was connected in business with Mr. Chip- man.
During this period, as well as during his residence at college, Mr. Fessenden contributed articles from his pen for The Eagle, a newspaper of Dartmouth, and the Farmer's Weekly Museum, a well known classic paper of Walpole, N. H. His extreme diffidence produced almost a religious scruple against allowing his name to be attached to any of his productions. Therefore it has not been generally known to whom the public has been indebted for several patriotic songs, and other very hu- morous pieces of his composition, which have had general circulation and admira- tion through the country. Like most per- sons who have ever done anything worthy of note, he passed through the refining furnace.
In 1801,* Mr. Fessenden embarked for London, where he engaged in the con- struction of a mill, or some kind of ma- chinery, to be operated by the water of the Thames. Several men of rank and influence, among whom was the then Lord Mayor of London, being patrons of the undertaking, and other circumstances holding out a reasonable prospect of great success, Mr. Fessenden ventured on a pur- chase of one-fifth of the concern; but, be- ing deserted by his associates, before there was sufficient time to give the mill a fair experiment, the whole burden fell upon his shoulders. To use his own expression, in describing the character of his associ- ates, "they were guilty of everything but common sense and common honesty."
Far from home, with limited means and among strangers, amidst vexatious embar- rassments and distracting cares with which this engagement constantly harrassed him, he undertook, and within the term of four weeks, a part of which was under the in .
fluence of severe sickness, which confined him to his bed, executed the first edition of "Terrible Tractoration." This work' received high compliments from the Eng- lish press, and was favorably compared with "Butler's Hudibras." The first Amer- ican, from the second London edition, was published here in 1804.
How long Mr. Fessenden made Brattle- boro his home, we are not able to state; but lie was living here in 1816, and was editor of The Reporter for some time after the death of his brother William. After leaving this place, he becanie exten- sively known as editor of the New Eng- land Farmer, published in Boston, Mass. For many years we saw for sale "Thomas Green Fessenden's Almanac." Before the almanac became a medium for medical advertisements, this work by Mr. Fessen- den had an extensive sale. Some 35 years have elapsed since his life closed in the same, apparently, painless and sudden manner as did the lives of his brothers.
JOHN . FESSENDEN.
Travelers often look back upon the land- scape they have passed over to discover beauties they could never realize or appre- ciate when too near the vision. As we regretfully look back upon the misused hours, so thickly scattered on that half- century road we have passed over, the memory of "Uncle Jolin," as all made free to call the kind-hearted bachelor, comes to us with the reviving influences of youth and a pleasant Sunday morning in that season of the year when Brattle- boro is the abode of fairies. As leader of the choir, we invariably saw him at his post in that old semi circular gallery of the church, then on the common. Clad in costume, a la Daniel Webster, blue coat, gilt buttons and buff vest, he gave a dignity to that office we have never seen surpassed.
No narrow bounds, no gloomy, dim re- ligious light encircled the form or soul of "Uncle John." His generous heart ex- panded in the broad, clear, healthy sun- light of Heaven, coming in freely, as it did, unobstructed by the evil devices of modern fashion, into the most properly located church building the people of this village ever saw. With eyes oc- casionally gazing upward, seemingly,
*From old papers.
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wafting to some distant sphere, wrapped in a sweet tenor voice, his sentiments, as- pirations, or devotions, he became a sort of standpoint to us, where has gathered around many and varied recollections.
The form and features of the first minister ordained in the town comes be- fore us. We again hear, in his em- phatic tones, "There will be a meeting for prayer, at the school-house, near the residence of Mr. Jesse French, this even- ing, at half-past 6 o'clock." That "perfect likeness" of his satanic majesty, on the first page of our catechism, looms up again. Navarino bonnets, nearly as large as an umbrella, pass through the broad aisle. The warm sun exhales the perfume of co- logne, Day & Martin's sponge blacking; new "Nankeens" and the roses of June, while we listen to the prayers of saints, the songs of birds, the lisps of children, and the loud-whispered "hush" of mam- ma, as the little plump-faced cherub is leaving the house in her weary arms.
The four days' meeting, in the summer of 1831, when 8 or 10 faithful "watchmen from the walls of Zion," residing in the neighboring towns, came to the help of our worthy pastor. There came to the parson- age, each by private conveyance, Revs. Messrs. Beckley, Pitman, Newton, Field, Smith, Foster, Barstow of Keene, and "Father Packard," the "old man elo- quent," from Shelburne, Mass. After a sermon of great power, from the last named pastor, he suggested "there be, by all present, a session of silent prayer of five minutes duration, after which the choir will please sing the hymn commencing, 'Oh, there will be mourning at the judg- ment seat of Christ."
Silent indeed was that crowded house, while the face of that venerable man was prostrate on the pulpit cushion. It was but a moment, when again appeared that benevolent face, with tear-drops falling, and grandly solemn, sounded from that old choir-
"Parents and children there will part, Will part to meet no more."
At his post, calm and serene, though sympathetic his countenance, among that weeping congregation, stood "Uncle John." On his right, at the head of the soprano, was Mrs. S., and like the sad moanings of November, or, as we imagine-
"The cold, odoriferous winds that will blow Over the earth in the last days"-
sounded a German flute, while Mr. Sikes, then in manhood's prime, was in the rear, sweeping off the heavy notes from his great bass-viol. Mr. and Mrs. S-, after serv- ing in this department of worship thirty years, yet (1870) survive beside their great grandchildren, and they are said to be the most aged couple now living in this town. But "Uncle John" has long since done his work and departed. He served several years, as leader of that large choir, and acted as accountant for the publishing house aforementioned. If he had not so eminent abilities as his gifted brothers, he may have improved his five talents as well as some others have ten. However this may be, the sod now covers all that re- mains of these four brothers, for whom we do not claim perfection; enough of frailty and imperfection can be said of the best men.
The moral atmosphere of this lovely, se- cluded valley, was, at one period, far from healthy. The owls and bats of human so- ciety, from distant places, did here gather to carry on midnight gambling, with its kindred vices, until the reputation of this village became such that pastors in towns 30 miles distant, warned the young of their flocks to avoid becoming residents of this place. To the influence and labors of the Fessenden family do we largely attribute a desirable change in conditions here. Though William Fessenden was never the member of any church, he offered $400 to the society for establishing religious wor- ship and constructing the first meeting- house in the East village of Brattleboro.
CHARLES C. FROST, A. M.,
was born in Brattleboro, East village, No- vember 11, 1805. He is, by trade, a shoe- maker, and such has been his regular busi- ness since the age of 14 to the present time (1878). During the years of his early man- hood, he was persuaded to leave the shoe- bench, during the winter months, to act as teacher in the only school-house of this district, then standing in the north part of the village. Mr. Frost was in advance of previous teachers in this school, in his methods of imparting instruction in math- ematics, reading exercises, and such branch- es of study as were then pursued. We re:
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member his use of various forms of blocks for illustration in solving geometrical or mathematical problems. The blackboard exercise was, we believe, for the first time in this village, seen in his school. His government and good management of the pupils under his charge met with general approval. We believe his service in school teaching did not exceed two winters, though he was urged again and again, to continue to take charge of the school; but for rea- sons best known to himself, he preferred not to do so. We have a right to suppose there was not a sufficient compensation · offered in those days for a man of his abil- ities. Other young men could be found who could make as good a quill-pen and thrash as big a boy, as could Mr. Frost, for less pay. A man must possess the last mentioned qualifications, if he would com- mand $15 per month, as the principal in- structor in the district school in this vil- lage, at that time.
. Near the time of his last service to the district, he married Roxana Sargent, grand- daughter of John Sargent," who was the first English child born in Vermont. By this marriage were three sons, viz. : Charles S., Wells S., and Henry B. S. Frost. Mr. Frost established himself in the shoe busi- ness in his present location on Main street, in 1831. Since that time, he has become widely and favorably known to men of science and culture, and by savants is con- sidered the highest authority in some de- partments of science. Therefore it is he has received the degree of A. M. conferred upon him by Dartmouth and Middlebury colleges; also, that he has become a corre- sponding member of societies for the ad- vancement of learning in this country. Wise men, not only of the East, but from other directions, have come long dis- tances to his unostentatious presence and humble surroundings. For reasons in the foregoing, a biographical sketch of our na- tive townsman, for the history of Brattle- boro, is demanded from abroad, and the historian of the State has especially re- quested it.
Other men of the same avocation have, without doubt, produced as good mechan-
ical work as has the subject of our sketch; but we know of no other mechanic who has been so in love with wisdom, that not a day could pass over his head without searching for her as for hidden treasure. We learn it has been the daily practice of Mr. Frost, from his youth, to devote a portion of eve- ry day (Sabbaths excepted) to attainments in the sciences and languages. Some years ago he had made such proficiency as to pursue scientific studies in four languages. This practice has been no interruption to his mechanical or mercantile pursuits, for he has, in this manner, only occupied the intervals of business hours-the fragments of time-many heedlessly let pass in a manner often worse than wasted. He does not appear to be ambitious, or to make any display of his abilities. We have never known him to address an audience, or speak in public on any occasion, or manifest any desire for office or elevation above his legit- imate business. From his youth he has ever been plainly dressed, very prudent, and as economical in the use of money as of time, and never has suffered business embarrassments, or offered less than one hundred cents on the dollar of his indebt- edness. Other men of his acquirements usually aspire to some profession, profes- sorship or position their attainments quali- fy them to fill and maintain. He has been offered honorable positions, such as he is qualified to fill, and the compensation far greater than he ever received in his busi- ness life, yet he has as decidedly refused the offers as in early life he refused the professor's chair in that old hipped-roof school-house at the north part of the vil- lage.
The why of this unremitting, life-long devotion to study is, it seems to us, a satis- faction to the demands of his nature he can satisfy in no other way. His reward seems to be in the doing; but with most people reward is a consequence of doing. At the time Mr. Frost was 49 years of age, the following was said of him in the Country Journal :
"He received his early instructions at a common school of his native village, and has never enjoyed the advantages of the higher seminaries of learning. Being fond of mathematics, he early excelled in that department of study, and was a fair, though
*John Sargent was born at Fort Dummer, and his monument can now be seen in West River Cemetery, in this town.
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not remarkable scholar in other branches. When he left school, however, he did not lay aside his books. Some mathematical works falling into his hands, when a youth, he studied them faithfully and became master of their contents. And, having studied mathematics for several years, with little or no assistance except from books, he finally made himself familiar with the most important works on algebra, geome- try, the calculus, &c. He turned his at- tention also to astronomy, geology, miner- alogy, meteorology, and botany, in all of which branches of science he has made great proficiency, especially in botany, to which he has for the past few years more particularly devoted himself. His research- es into that department of botany relating to the cryptograms, are especially worthy of notice, and are surpassed only by those of a few living botanists. He was, for a time, connected with the Smithsonian In- stitute, as a reporter on storms, and dis- charged his duties most acceptably. In the meantime he has kept himself "posted up'' on the great moral and political questions and reforms of the age, with most of which he has strong, active sympathies. The Sunday he rigidly devoted to public wor- ship and the reading of works relating to morals, theology and religion.
Mr. Frost has made collections more or less extensive of minerals, insects, shells, grasses, mosses, ferns, lichens, fungi, and plants generally, and arranged them neatly and in a scientific manner. Most of these he has collected with his own hands, not a few of them in early morning, before the usual hours of business; some on excur- sions made for the purpose, and others whenever business called him abroad, nev- er omitting any opportunity to bring home any rare specimen which his quick, prac- tised eye might discover.
A part of his earnings, which had never been large, he has saved by a simple, fru- gal mode of living, and appropriated to the purchase of books, so that his library numbers some 600* volumes of valuable works, mostly of a scientific character, se- lected not for ornament, but for use. Thus by appropriating at times those small sums
of money (which might easily have been spent in gratifying the appetite, or in pro- curing the means of temporary pleasure) in the purchase of books and other instru- ments of improvement; he has a rich mine of intellectual wealth from which he can constantly draw supplies to enrich and en- noble his mind. Those hours and minutes which some men spend in idleness and loi- tering about places of concourse, or in gos- sip, or in dissipation, he has wisely em- ployed in study, and thus acquired an amount of knowledge on a variety of sub- jects, mostly scientific, which but few can boast of, who have been favored with the best advantages that wealth could pur- chase, or a college or university furnish.
His knowledge attracts to him those fond of science; those who, like himself, desire to improve, and thus he is, brought into communion with some of the best minds in the community. Scientific men from abroad, when they visit that beautiful vil- lage where he resides, find him out and make his acquaintance. And now and then a kindred lover of nature and of science, like his distinguished friend, John L. Rus- sell, of Salem, so well known among men of science, visit him, and together they explore the mountains and valleys of Ver- mont, so rich in minerals and flowers and plants of almost every description. This, to him, is a source of great pleasure and of no little profit. The satisfaction of see- ing beauties and wonders in almost every object in nature, and which are almost en- tirely hidden from ignorant or unscientific men, is worth an independent fortune."
After Mr. Frost had received a visit from Rev. Dr. C. F. Deemes, of New York, where he was pastor of the "Church of the Strangers," there appeared in "Bald- win's Monthly," from the pen of the above named clergyman, an article from which we extract the following :
"There is nothing at all striking in his appearance, but he was the man in Brattle- boro whom I particularly desired to see. I did not venture to present myself, nor did I adopt the roundabout method of en- deavoring to make an acquaintance by means of a little trade, I simply asked an- other gentleman to present me to Mr. C. C. Frost. When we met, I said: 'I wish to know the man who has more friends
*As one-fourth of a century has elapsed since this article we quote, was written, his library is much larger at the present time, (1878,) and now contains 1000 volumes.
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among the educated people of Europe, than he has in his native village.' He smiled, dropped his eyes, and replied: 'Well, I reckon I have more friends in Eu- rope than I have in Vermont.' I said: 'I find that there are people in Brattleboro who know no reason why I should desire to become acquainted with you, but I am sure there are a hundred scientific men in various parts of Europe who would be gratified with this opportunity.'
I trust my readers will now wish to know about this Mr. Frost, in whom I was inter- ested. He is a man who knows more about plants, probably, than anyone else in New England,-perhaps than anyone in the United States. He reads scientific books equally well in four different languages. He has, besides, a very great deal of scien- tific knowledge beyond botany,-in one department of which he is an authority for scientific men on two continents; perhaps the highest authority since the death of Rev. Dr. Curtis of North Carolina. His knowledge is wide and accurate. He has habits of the closest observation and de- scription. He has been honored by being elected a member of different societies in America and Europe. He did not tell me these things-I knew them; but I desired to hear from his own lips the history of his intellectual progress. It was substan- tially this:
His father-James Frost *-- was a shoe- maker, and was the first who opened a store for selling shoes in Brattleboro. At 10 years of age, young Frost noticed that the older scholars brought their sums for him to do, and that in mathematics he was up to boys who were five to nine years old- er than himself. He did not know what that meant, but his friends afterwards told him that they had discovered in him, from his first years, a considerable mathematical genius. When he was fifteen years of age, his father became possessor of "Hutton's Mathematics," which he had taken for debt from some West Point student. Young Frost looked at it with evident delight, and his father told him that it should be his property if he could read it at twenty-one. At 19 he had mastered the whole course. He went into astronomical mathematics, took up chemistry, learned very much of
natural sciences in every department, and all the while attended to his business as a shoemaker. From some neglect of his physical habits, he superinduced mucous dyspepsia. No medical skill in his neiglı- borhood seemed able to relieve him. He went to New York to consult Dr. Willard Parker. While waiting in the ante-room, he admired intently a very handsome bou- quet of flowers on the mantel, and was examining them when the doctor called him in. Dr. Parker candidly told him he could do nothing for him: 'But,' said the skillful and honest physician, 'you can do very much for yourself. Are you fond of flowers?' 'Very much so, indeed,' said Mr. Frost. 'Then make it a point to walk one hour in the morning, and one in the even- ing, looking for flowers.'
He did so. His health constantly and rapidly improved. At first he could hardly keep on his feet through the hour, but lie soon learned to walk many miles at a stretch. His scientific mind naturally be- gan to study flowers in their scientific as- pects. He began to be a botanist. He or- dered Fries' book from London, and paid $12 for it. He did not know until he saw it that it was written in Latin, of which tongue he was ignorant. He bought a Latin grammar, devoted himself to the language, and in six months could read his new book as well as if it was written in English. In the same manner he ac- quired German and French. He has con- tributed to our scientific periodicals. He still writes. He showed me an unpublished manuscript on the Boleti of Vermont.
On my first visit, which occupied about an hour, we were interrupted six different times. He went to the counter to cut pegs out of the shoes of a factory girl, to sell a pair of slippers to a gentleman for his wife, to ply his trade with one or two country- women, etc. He never asked to be excused, but went to his business and came back and resumed just where he left off. He made no pretences. He did not play the part of a learned cobbler; he simply plunged into the things he and I both wanted to talk about. I asked him how he could be content to spend his days in that little shoe-shop, with these capabilities and acquirements?
'Why,' said he, 'it is the business of my life. Whatever I have acquired of science
*James Frost came to Brattleboro from Pax- ton, in 1799.
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came in the search of health and mental entertainment. Science is not my profes- sion-shoe making is.'"
DR. EZRA CLARK
succeeded Dr. George Holmes Hall, a phy- sician in regular practice, in the sale of drugs and medicines. The inhabitants of this place had, up to this time, purchased their drugs from a medical practitioner, therefore they came to regard the occupa- tions of druggist and physician as one and inseparable. It was on this account, we believe, the subject of our sketch was com- pelled to bear a title to which he had no claim, and was always known and spoken of here as "Dr. Clark." He came here from Northampton, Mass., in 1809, and during the time he resided here, some 10 or 11 years, was the only druggist in Brat- tleboro. About 1820, he moved, with his family, to Hartford, Ct., where, from that time until near the close of a long and suc- cessful life, he was an extensive iron deal- er. N. B. Williston, his former clerk, be- came his successor in this place, and, in copartnership with E. Hunt, purchased, excepting the building, the entire stock and fixtures of Dr. Clark. The building re- mained in possession of Dr. Clark over 20 years after his removal to Hartford, but the drug business therein was successfully continued by Messrs. Williston & Hunt, until the time of rival establishments.
Some years ago, we heard frequent men- tion of Dr. Clark in connection with the events of his time in this place; and at the present time some of the oldest inhabitants now living here find a welcome place for his memory in their reminiscences. With his well-known capability and integrity, such as caused responsible offices to seek his acceptance, but were almost invariably declined, he had some reputation as a wit, and in his conversations and social re- lations was manifested his ability as well as his approval of instructions found in Proverbs, chap. 25, verse 11.
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