USA > Vermont > Windsor County > Reading > Centennial celebration, together with an historical sketch of Reading, Windsor County, Vermont, and its inhabitants from the first settlement of the town to 1874 > Part 6
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This is near the spot that the Indians Encampª the Night after they took M' Johnson & Family M' Labarce & Farnsworth August 30" 1754 And Mrs. Johnson was delivered of her child Half a mile up this Brook When trouble near the Lord is kind He hears the Captives Cry He can subdue the savage mind And learn it sympathy.
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50
HISTORY OF READING.
By the side of this slab stands a slab much smaller and bearing the following inscription :
On the 31ª of
August 1754 Cap' James Johnson had A daughter born
on this spot of
Ground being
Captivated with
his whole Family by the Indians.
" If mothers e'er should wander here, They'll drop a sympathetic tear For her. who in the howling wild, Was safe delivered of a child."
1
This smaller slab should be removed about half a mile up Knapp's brook and placed on the spot where the child was born, that spot being near the existing highway that has been built on the north side of that brook. The last visit paid by Mrs. Johnson to that interesting spot was in June 1808, in company with Col. Kimball and his wife, her daughter, E. Captive and Capt. Sherwin and Mr. Demell Grout. Speaking of this visit, Mrs. J. says :
" After reviewing the scene, and contemplating on the striking contrast a few moments, to add to the sensibility, we sat down and partook of a repast, and regaled ourselves with liquor mixed with water from the same fountain that I and my child first partook of in that gloomy and sorrowful day of trouble and affliction. Then my fare was meagre meal and water, and steeped roots, and a large wooden spoon to feed my infant babe; now we had the best of liquid spirits, and eatables, which in comparison might be said to be dainties. The contrast is too great for pen to describe."
The lapse of time furnishes a contrast between the ordinary re- freshments of to-day and those of even no earlier day than 1808. It is to be hoped that even " the best of liquid spirits " hardly create such enthusiasm among the elderly ladies of to-day.
Reading is not known to have been the home of any tribe of Indians but constituted a part of the great hunting and fighting ground of the Indian tribes on the north and south.
CHAPTER II-CHARTERS AND EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
The towns of Windsor, Reading, and Plymouth were severally chartered on the same day, July 6, 1761, each six miles square ; but in surveying Windsor, it was laid six and one half miles east and west ; this made the west line of Windsor about thirty feet cast of Felchville Hotel. About 1780 Col. Nathan Stone of Wind- sor, discovered this fact and applied to the Royal Gov. Benning Wentworth of N. H., for a charter of the half mile strip ; he de-
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HISTORY OF READING.
clined until the towns were notified ; this occasioned a controversy between the towns, each claiming the strip.
In 1786, Reading appointed Aaron Kimball, Nedabiah Cady, David Hapgood, Thomas Fay, John Weld, Nathaniel Pratt and Abel Jewett a committee to perambulate the line.
Jan. 5, 1790, the matter was finally settled, by running the line from the south-east to the north-west corner of the strip, giving to each town a gore.
This agreement was signed by Nathan Stone, Benj. Green, Jera- thumel Cummings, Charles Leavens and Joseph Barrett for Wind- sor, Abijah Stone, David Hapgood, Moses Chaplain and Samuel Sherwin for Reading, and witnessed by Joseph Wakefield and Leonard Cummings, and duly recorded in both towns.
The following is a copy of this charter :
Reading,
Province of New Hampshire.
L. S. George the Third, By the Grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith &c.
on on Jol. vin ng nd ith
To all persons to whom these Presents shall come,
Greeting:
Know ye, that we, of our special grace, certain knowledge and mere motion, for the due encouragement of settling a new plantation within our said Province, by and with the advice of our trusty and well beloved, Benning Wentworth Esq., our Governor and Com- nander in Chief of our said Province of New Hampshire in New England, and of our council of the said Province, have, upon the conditions and reservations hereinafter made, given and granted, und by these Presents for us, our heirs and successors do give and grant in equal shares unto our loving subjects, inhabitants of our said Province of New Hampshire and our other Governments and o their heirs and assigns forever whose names are entered on this Grant, to be divided to and amongst them into sixty-eight equal hares all that tract or parcel of land, situate, lying and being vithin our said Province of New Hampshire, containing by ad- measurement 23000 acres, which tract is to contain six miles square und no more, out of which an allowance is to be made for highways und unimprovable lands by rocks, ponds, mountains and rivers, one housand and forty acres, free, according to a plan and survey there- of made by our said Governor's order and returned into the Secretary's office and hereunto annexed, butted and bounded as follows, viz :- Beginning at the south west corner of Windsor from thence north '4° west six miles-from thence north 15° east six miles and three quarters of a mile-thence south sixty-five degrees east five miles ind one half mile to the north west corner of Windsor-thenco outh ten degrees west six miles on Windsor line to the bounds first mentioned-and that the same be and hereby is incorporated into township by the name of Reading, and the inhabitants that do or hall inhabit the said township are hereby declared to be enfran-
re as feel nd- ing de-
ing
re- 08 dly
en ·gre lid be
up
ng
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HISTORY OF READING.
chised 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 hold- ing two Fairs, one of which shall be held on the and the other on the annually, which Fairs are not to con- tinue 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 advantageous 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 Tuesday in July Instant, which said meeting shall be notified by Zedekiab Stone who is hereby also appointed the moderator of the said first meeting which he is to notify and govern according agreeable to the laws and customs of our said Province, and that the annual meeting forever hereafter for the choice of such officers for the saic 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 appurtenances to them and their re spective heirs and assigns forever upon the following conditions VIZ :
I. That every grantee, his heirs or assigns shall plant and culti vate five acres of land within the term of five years for every fifty acres contained in his or her share or proportion of land in saic township and continue to improve and settle the same by additiona cultivations on the penalty of the forfeiture of his grant or share in the said township and of its reverting to us, our heirs and suc cessors, to be by us or them re-granted to such of our subjects a: shall effectually settle and cultivate the same.
II That all white and other pine trees within the said township: fit for masting our Royal Navy be carefully preserved for that use and none to be cut or felled without our special license 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 suc cessors as well as being subject to the penalty of any Act or Acts o Parliament that now are or hereafter shall be enacted.
III. 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 town ship as the land will admit of shall be reserved and marked ou for town lots, one of which shall be allotted to each grantee of the contents of one acre.
IV. Yielding and paying therefor to us, our heirs and successor for the space of ten years to be computed from the date hereof the rent of one ear of Indian corn only on the 25th day of Decembe: annually, if lawfully demanded, the first payment to be made of the 25th day of December 1762.
V. Every proprietor, settler or inhabitant shall yield and pa; unto us, our heirs and successors yearly and every year forever fron
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HISTORY OF READING.
and after the expiration of ten years from the above said 25th day of December which will be in the year of our Lord, 1772 one shil- ling Proclamation money for every hundred acres he 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 Ports- mouth, 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 what- soever.
In testimony whereof we have caused the seal of our said Province to be hereunto affixed. [Seal.]
Witness, Benning Wentworth Esq, our Governor and Com- mander in Chief of our said Province the sixth 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.
B. WENTWORTH.
By his Excellency's Command, with advice of Council.
THEODORE ATKINSON, Sec'y ---
Province of New Hampshire.
Recorded according to the Original under the Provincial Scal this 6th day of July 1761. THEODORE ATKINSON, Secretary.
The Names of the Grantees of Reading.
edekiah Stone, ames Clements, ohn Buttterfield, oseph Martin, oseph Howell, [ichael Metcalf, ames Putman, onas Wheeler, ohn Willson,
aleb Stone, Villiam Neyos, avid Stone, hayer Adams, lizah Mattoon. th Eaton, benezer Winslow, seph Chandler, athan Willard, aniel Pond, cob Amsdell, shua Willard, 10mas Clemmons, aniel Spooner,
Israel Stowell.
Jonathan Hammond,
William Grimes,
Nathan Stone,
Wm. Jeneson Sterns,
Jacob Addams, John Sawyer
John Wilder Junr.,
Joseph Neyos,
Nathaniel Stevens,
Phillip Mattoon,
Jonathan Sanderson,
David Nims,
Simon Stevens,
Jonathan Prescott,
John Wait,
Joel Stone,
Timothy Heald,
George Robins, Joseph Stowell, Wm. Sinead,
Nathaniel Sanderson,
Thomas Stearns,
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HISTORY OF READING.
William Temple,
Timothy Paine,
John Wilder.
Isaac Butterfield,
Wiseman Clagget Esq.
John Hilton,
Henry Hilton,
Capt. Thomas Palmer, Sam'l Wentworth of Portsmouth
Sam'I Wentworth of Boston,
Henry Loyd of Boston,
Arthur Brown Junr.,
George March,
Robert Trail Esq.,
Daniel Warner Esq,
Joseph Newmarch Esq.,
One whole share for the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, one share for the First settled minister of the Gospel, one share for the benefit of a school in said town, one share for a glebe for the Church of England, as by law established, for his Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq, ¿ tract of land to contain five hundred acres which is to be ac counted two of the within shares, marked B. W. on the plan
Recorded according to the original Charter under the Prov. Seal 6th day of June, 1761 THEODORE ATKINSON, Secy.
Province of New Hampshire Recorded from the back of the Charter of Reading the 6th day of July 1761. THEODORE ATKINSON, Secy.
Wm. Tyron, the royal governor of the province of New York however claimed jurisdiction so far east as the Connecticut river and granted the same territory May 30, 1772, to Simon Stever and others.
Simon Stevens was in those troublesome days termed a " Yorker, and undoubtedly obtained a share of this township to reward h. fidelity to the Governor of New York.
He was a prominent character in the early history of easter Vermont.
Col. Nathan Stone of Windsor was influential in obtaining th charter, and the original charter remained in his possession unt his death, and was not deposited in Reading Town Clerk's offic until 1865.
This unfortunate controversy about the lawful jurisdiction ov the grant rendered the titles to lands in Reading uncertain, ar retarded the settlement of the township. It is not my purpose furnish any details of this. The story to a student of Vermor history is as familiar as a twice told tale, and there is consider ble in it about Ethan Allen, Remember Baker, the Yorkers al the "birchen seal," but Reading was never the scene of any of th conflicts of those days, conflicts that have made Chester Cou House, Westminster Court House, Guilford and Brattlebo familiar to every student of American history. A few traces
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HISTORY OF READING.
this controversy may be found upon the records. There seems to have been doubts among the early settlers as to whether Reading was in New York, New Hampshire or Vermont.
Referring to the records, in the deed from Phineas Stevens to Andrew Spear of Walpole, in the Province of New Hampshire, dated Aug. 20, 1772, in consideration of $7 is conveved one full and whole right and share of land in Reading, in the County of Cumberland, in the Province of New York, containing 350 acres, being the whole of the right of David Nims, one of the grantees under the N. H. Charter. This Mr. Spear was the first settler of the town, and his view seems to have been that the famous Order in Council made by king George, July 20, 1764, wherein he declared " the western bank of the river Connecticut to be the boundary line between the said two provinces of New Hampshire and New York," was not intended to be retrospective in its opera- tion, but only as settling that the western bank of the Connectiont river should be from that time forward only, the line of division between the two provinces, and "consequently that their grants, being derived from the crown through the medium of one of its governors, were valid ;" and hence our sturdy settler bought land at about ten cents an acre in the state of New York but under a New Hampshire title.
June 16, 1777, Barakiah Cady, whose descendents are now with us, purchased of Wm. Grimes, one whole right of land in the town- ship of Reading in the New Hampshire Grants, but the deed con- tained this clause : " But I, said William am not to defend said land against the claims of New York, but the said Barakiah Cady is to his risk upon my only quitting my right and title."
In 1778 land here is described here as lying in the township of Reading and state of New York."
In 1779, in one conveyance the land is described as " in the state of New York," and in another as a quantity of land lying in the township of Reading in the state of New York alias Vermont. In 1771, the township is described as in Vermont.
1779. The proprietors of a township and the residents of a township, maintained separate and distinct organizations, and re- cords, the former for the proper division and sale of lands and the latter for the ordinary purposes of local government.
The proprietors of Reading did not organize according to the provisions of the charter on the day therein named, but their first meeting was holden at the house of Alexander Parmerlee, in Wind- sor, on the 16th June, 1779, having been legally warned by ad- vertising said meeting in the Connecticut newspaper according to Law of Vermont, then existing. Mr. Andrew Spear was chosen moderator and Capt. John Weld proprietors' clerk.
Voted, that " John Weld, James Sawyer, Seth Sabin, Joseph ' Sawyer, Jedediah Leavens, John Sawyer, Hezekiah Leavens and "Samuel Gary have liberty to pitch and settle upon 850 acres of " land, in a body, so as to make a convenient neighborhood " as 8
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HISTORY OF READING.
those persons and a committee appointed by the proprietors might select, and Andrew Spear and James Call were appointed a com- mittee to assist John Weld and his associates in selecting said lands.
To each proprietor was granted liberty to pitch 100 acres, as laid out under the New Hampshire grant.
1780. Another meeting was held at Mr. Parmerlee's house, April 11, 1780, and voted a tax of two dollars on each right " to " be used in making a road from Windsor to Saltash and for build- " ing bridges on said road " and Asa Phelps was chosen collector of the tax. The road should be completed before the next Octo- ber, and Ebenezer Davis, Jedediah Leavens and Nathan Call were chosen committee " to see the work be faithfully done." This time was subsequently extended to Nov. 1, 1781. A committee of five was chosen to perambulate the line between Windsor and Reading.
An adjourned meeting was holden at Andrew Spear's dwelling house in Reading, Aug. 22d, when it was voted that each proprie- tor who will settle forthwith have liberty to pitch 300 acres in a body or in as many lots as he will put settlers on and pitch ac- cording to the New Hampshire survey-this liberty to continue for one year.
Ebenezer Davis and Barakiah Cady were chosen a committee to assist the selectmen in laying out the road from Windsor to Saltash.
1781. At another meeting holden May 16, 1781, at Mr. Spear's, Andrew Spear, Asa Wilkins and Benjamin Cady were chosen a committee to " new-run the lines of y' house lots."
1783. John Weld was succeeded as proprietors' clerk by Thos. Hapgood in Sept. 3d, 1773, at which meeting John Weld, Joseph Wakefield and Thos. Hapgood were chosen a committee to look up and lay out the public lands. Wm. Howard, Wm. Hawkins (1811) and John S. Hawkins (1819) subsequently held the office of Proprietors' clerk.
Sept. 8th the proprietors voted " that if Benjamin Tyler of Clare- mont have a grist mill in Reading completed by 20th Sept. 1783, and a good saw mill completed by March 1st, 1784" to give him the 100 acre lot of land on which such erections should be made.
A tax of three shillings and sixpence hard money was laid on each share of land " to defray the expense of procuring the Hamp- shire Charter " and laying out the public lands.
These publie lands were laid out by said committee in March, 1784 in the south west part of the town and were lots Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 in the 9th range and Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 in the 10th range and Nos. 2, 3 and 4 in the 11th range.
The records of these years from 1779 to 1783 are principally made up of " Pitches," the surveyors being Scottoway Whitcomb, Oliver Williams, Jon't. Whitney, Jesse Williams, Sylvanus Bennet, Joseph Gary, Alphens Morse and Jona Atherton.
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HISTORY OF READING.
CHAPTER III-EARLY SETTLERS.
Following Andrew Spear in 1772, Barakiah Cady in 1777, David Hapgood, John Weld, James Sawyer, Seth Sawyer, Joseph Sawyer, Jedediah Leavens, John Sawyer, Hezekiah Leavens and Samuel Gary in 1779, there came from Killingly, Conn., in 1780, Nedebiah Cady, who cleared up and settled on the farm now owned by Geo. W. Davis, and was for many years a highly respectable citizen. He was the father of Jefferson Cady, Esq.
Benjamin Buck, then about 12 years of age came with Mr. Ca- dy and lived with him until his majority. Mr. Buek married El- len Leavens and was blessed with a large family of children, four of whom are now respected citizens of their native town, viz : Benj. Jr., b. Nov. 10, 1791, Martha, b. July 16, 1794, Hannah, b. Dec. 15, 1796, Ellen, b. Nov. 6, 1802, Rufus, b. June 2, 1805, Dex- ter, b. May 26, 1810, Caroline, b. May 22, 1812. Nedebiah Cady was soon followed by Perley Cady who married Hannah Buck, Samuel Buck, Benoni Buck and later by Simeon Buck, all of whom made settlements in the woods as it was then called, and all except Benoni Buck settled in the north-casterly part of the town afterwards called Caper Hill. Benoni bought land of John Weld und settled where Sylvester Coburn now resides. Several of them were often chosen to public offices (to wit,) Samuel was a Baptist Deacon, Benoni was a Class-leader in the Methodist society also a ustice of the peace and overseer of poor and captain of militia. Simeon Buck was several times chosen to represent the town in he legislature, a justice of the peace, overseer of poor, collector of taxes and constable and was also a military captain. Nedebi- th Cady was constable and collector for several years. Sam- ul Buck cleared up the farm now occupied by Chas. B. Thomas. Je reared a large family and died March 1, 1848 aged 84. Ben- amin Buck died Oct. 22, 1857, aged 89 years, Benoni Buck died Nov. 13, 1821 aged 52 years, and Simeon Buck died June 13, 861, aged 88 years, all of whom were men of influence and un- ullied character : And of their male descendents only four now emain in town, Benjamin Buck, Charles Buck, Rufus Buck and Dexter Buck. Charles Buck has represented the town in the leg- slature four times, been several times chosen selectman, grand uror, overseer of poor and a justice of the peace, nearly every ear since 1826. Rufus Buck has been chosen constable and col- ector and overseer of poor several times. Benoni Buck a son of Benoni senior, (not now living in town,) held the office of State enator two years, town representative two years, selectman and astice of the peace several years, and was a captain of militia.
Benjamin Sawyer came from Pomfret, Conn., about 1780, and ettled upon and cleared up the farm now owned by Chas. A. Da- is, and in 1796 built the house now standing thereon.
He was a large farmer and for a time kept a hotel.
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HISTORY OF READING.
His son, Benj. Sawyer Jr., kept a hotel at the "Sawyer stand " now owned by E. M. North, from 1827 to 1834, and from 1840 to 1843. This hotel was on one of the main thoroughfares from Windsor to Rutland, and for many years lines of stages between those important towns passed this hotel, carrying the U. S. mail. The building of the Rutland and Burlington R. R. diverted travel from this route and compelled the closing of the hotel.
1781. April 14th John Sherwin then of Rindge, N. H., pur chased for £150, of Eleizer Coffeen 200 acres of land in Reading and the same season built his cabin on the farm now owned by H Stearns. He subsequently sold this land to Alpheus Garey and in Oct. 1800, bought for $400 100 acres of land, including the land east of the main street in Felchville from L. R. Kendall's farm to the " Abel Amsden farm." Moses Chaplin came the same year and settled on the farm now owned by Albert Eastman, Esq.
From 1772 to 1782 but slight progress seems to have been made in the settlement of Reading. But for the next nine years pio neer settlers appear to have been scattered generally over the town so that in 1791 the inhabitants numbered 747, and the close o: the next nine years found a population of 1123, though the people were hardly furnished with houses and domestic conveniences. Log cabins had in many instances given place to rude framed domicils but most of these were rough board or clapboard shells, without any inside ceiling or plastered walls, with rude doors with wooden latches and latch strings, and possessed of numerous crevices tha gave the chilling winds of autumn and the driving snows of winter familiar acquaintance with the inmates.
The historical address delivered at the Centennial, embraces the main facts in history of the town and the Hon. Sewall Fullan having so exhaustively gathered the dates and facts relating to the building of the different stores, mills, taverns &c., in town, and em braced them in his address (published elsewhere) delivered at the Centennial, that the editor has not deemed it advisable to compile these facts and dates into a succinct narrative, but has preferred to insert sketches of the families who have had a home in Reading so far as the materials at his command have enabled him.
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CHAPTER IV.
RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS AND CHURCH-BUILDING.
A Congregational church was organized at an early date and the Rev. Nahum Sargeant of Chelsea, Mass., was chosen pasto June 26, 1787, and on the same day the town voted to settle MI Sargeant in the ministry. One share of land in town under th provisions of the N. H. Charter, vested in Mr. Sargeant as the firs settled minister, and accordingly Joseph Crary, proprietors' sur veyor on the 30th May, 1789, surveyed to Mr. Sargeant 125 acre under this right. This land was near the centre of the town, o1
DE
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HISTORY OF READING.
the road (now discontinued) leading southerly from David E. Burnham's.
One hundred and seventy-five acres were also surveyed to Mr. Sargeant under this right May 17, 1789, bounded westerly on Sal- tash line. He erected a log house on the 125 acre tract and occu- pied the same until the erection on the same lot of a two story frame house with considerable pretensions to style and finish, which he occupied until his death in 1792. This house was long ago taken down. Mr. Sargeant left surviving him two daughters, Martha W. and Betsey, who subsequently resided in Malden, Mass.
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