USA > Vermont > Windham County > Newfane > Centennial proceedings and other historical facts and incidents relating to Newfane, the county seat of Windham County, Vermont > Part 15
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At a meeting of the society, held December 10, IS39, it was voted that the old constitution be considered null and void, and a new constitution was adopted, under the name of " The First Universalist Society of Newfane."
W. W. Hayward was preacher in charge from May. IS60, to March, 1862: M. B. Newell from June, 1862. to June, 1863 ; and Joseph Barber during the summer of 1865. from which time till the summer of 1871, the society was wholly destitute of preaching. In 1870 the meeting house at Williamsville-the portion of which belonging to the Williams estate having become the property of the society- was extensively repaired, and was dedicated June 28. 1871, as a Universalist house of worship. N. C. Hodgden was preacher from July, 1871, to September. 1872 ; D. C. White from the latter date till the spring of IS74. From the close of Mr. White's term the pulpit was supplied by different persons till October, 1874, at which time Mrs. R. A. D. Tabor commenced her .labors, which were terminated in April, 1876.
The pulpit is supplied at the present time. September. 1876, by T. B. Gregory, a student from the theological sem- inary at Canton, N. Y.
Most of the public services of the society, prior to 1836. were held at Fayetteville, at first in the court house, but in the Union church after its dedication in 1832. From 1836 to IS54, the time of the preacher was divided between the two
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villages, meetings being held one-half the time in each, respectively. During the latter year regular services by this society were discontinued at Fayetteville, but have been sus- tained at Williamsville with the exception of the period from 1863 to 1871, to the present time.
METHODISM IN NEWFANE.
Methodism never obtained a very enduring foothold in this town. It has been many years since the denomination has been able to support preaching here with any degree of con- stancy. There was once an organized society, however, pos- sessing, for a while, considerable strength. It was formed in 1830, under the direction of Guy Beckley and James M. Ful- ler, members of the Vermont Conference, who, for about two years, divided their time between Fayetteville, Williamsville and Wardsboro. They were succeeded in this town, in 1832, by Wm H. Hodges, who preached at the two villages, alter- nately, most of the time till 1838. Then followed Elder Guernsey, till May, 1839, after which time, till IS48, the society was destitute of preaching, with the exception of occasional supplies. E. B. Morgan was stationed at Wil- liamsville, by Conference, in 1848, followed by John A. Wood in 1850, O. S. Morris in 1851 and '52, C. D. In- graham in 1853, and Simeon Spencer in 1862. In addition to the above, the society was often supplied by local preachers, for short lengths of time. The public services of the society were held, at Fayetteville, in the Court House and in Union Church ; at Williamsville, in Wm. H. Williams' hall, and afterward in the church, a half interest in which, until its sale to the First Universalist Society in 1868, was controlled by this denomination.
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CEMETERIES.
As has been noted in the proceedings of the Centennial Anniversary, the old Common on Fane hill was one of the first pieces of land cleared in town, and Dea. Jonathan Park one of the first men that had occasion to make use of it as a burial ground : and. as by common consent, it soon became the general burying ground. so that in 1789 the north part was set off' by the town for that purpose. And it was here that the remains of the unfortunate Sawtell family were buried. As early as 1794 it became evident that it would soon be necessary to have new grounds. and a committee was chosen to make the necessary arrangements for a new lot, and we suppose that the present yard on the hill is the result of their plans. Our Fayetteville Cemetery was first occupied by Dea. Park in the burial of a son, Moses. Feb. 29th. 1796. and soon after he gave the ground for a public lot, on the condition that the people should build and maintain a good wall around it. About 1830, Anthony Jones added a donation of some four rods of land across the south end, on condi- tion that the people remove and rebuild the wall. For many of the first years the graves were made without any regard to form or order, and it was not laid out into lots until 1832, when a plan was made and the lots mapped out 10x30 feet. In 1854, P. T. Kimball, F. Sawyer. S. W. Bowker, and Mrs. C. C. Merrifield, purchased of A. Birchard the land lying between the original lot and the Stedman farm, Mr. B. reserving unto himself and his heirs a one-fifth interest ; the first-mentioned parties to build and maintain a good wall, in a direct line from the south wall of the old yard to the Stedman land. About this time the ladies' sewing circle took the matter in hand, and caused the double bank walls to be built facing the road, and the stone stairway to be laid. For years they have kept a small deposit in the savings bank for the benefit of the yard, and in the fall of 1875 they expended a portion of this fund in building the carriage track around the old lot.
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In the yard are tablets sacred to the memory of the following named soldiers : Lieut. Jonathan Park, who served at Bennington in 1777, and the boys of the late war of IS61, '5, as follows: Sardis Birchard, Wayland E. Fairbanks, Alvin G. Higgins, Frederick Miller, Morris Miller, James Newton, Samuel Ray, John S. Ward. May 16, 1868, the Hon. John Roberts, a venerable barrister of four score and seven was buried here, and some three years and a half after, his remains were removed to Jacksonville, Vt., by a nephew, Mr. Henry Roberts. Upon opening the grave the coffin was found to be a severe lift for four men, on examination the body was found slightly darkened in color, but hard and nearly as perfect as when buried.
The Williamsville Cemetery was used as a private bury- ing-ground as early as 1793, or thereabouts, by the owners of the farm of which it was a part. It was not, however, till 1830 that measures were taken to set it apart for public use. In July of that year it was deeded by the owner, Samuel Ingram, to Aaron C. Robinson, Benj. Prescott, and others, to be used as a public burying-ground forever, with the provision that they would cause it to be inclosed by a good stone wall. It was inclosed accordingly, laid out into lots, and soon came into general use by the inhabitants of that section of the town. In 1857, with a view to its more efficient management, an act of incorporation was obtained under the name of the Williamsville Cemetery Association. A new survey was immediately had and such changes made as to secure the desired uniformity in lots and walks. In 1862, chiefly through aid rendered by the ladies' sewing society, the stone wall on the south side was removed and a picket fence erected one rod nearer the road, thus enlarging the ground sufficiently for an extra tier of lots. In 1865 a receiving tomb was built. The ground is kept in order by the avails of a tax of twenty-five cents assessed annually upon each lot. The affairs of the Association are managed by a board of trustees, constituted, at present, as follows: D. D. Dickinson, D. A. Dickinson, E. R. Lin- coln, S. W. Bowker, and G. B. Williams.
Here may be found the graves of seven soldiers of the late war, viz: Myron Pratt, Frank Cook, Linus P. Miles,
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Samuel B. Lincoln, Henry C. Blashfield, Everett F. Gould and Lewis G. Brown ; also the grave of Ephraim Hall, a soldier of the Revolution.
The land for the older portion of the Pondville Cemetery was contributed by Amherst Morse, second, while a resident of the farm of which it was originally a part, and was walled in by the inhabitants of the vicinity, in fulfillment of a condi- tion of the gift. The time of its first use for burial purposes is not definitely known. The oldest gravestone bears the date of 1813, but there are several unmarked graves which may have been made at an earlier period. Situated near the dividing line of the two towns, this yard early came into general use by the inhabitants of the northern part of Marl- boro as well as the southwestern part of Newfane. and in 1864 it was found necessary to have it enlarged. Accord- ingly, in August of that year, three-fourths of an acre of land adjoining the old yard, on the east, was purchased of Ephraim Morse. then owner of the surrounding farm, by Orison Bruce, was transferred by him to Dana Morse, and has now come into the possession of Samuel Morse who disposes of lots, to individuals, as they are needed. It does not now appear that there was ever an organization having for its object the supervision of this yard : and, in conse- quence, in the older portion the lots were taken up with too little regard for that uniformity deemed so desirable in ceme- teries at the present day. In the newer portion the lots are regularly laid out. Here may be found the graves of two soldiers of the Revolution, Robert Timson and Justus Augur.
The cemetery in the parish is now but little used. Like the one on Newfane Hill it contains the graves of many of the early settlers of the town. Like it. as the more immediate descendants of its inmates are passing away, it is becoming more and more neglected. It would seem a highly appro- priate act at this time. and one in which our town would do her early settlers no greater honor than she would herself, should she assume the care of their last resting places.
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FAYETTEVILLE.
The first framed house in Fane was built in the summer of 1768 by Jonathan Park, in the yard in front of what we term the old Parks house, just north of the Fayetteville hotel. The ground was so thickly wooded at the time that when the sills were laid there were several stumps within the space they enclosed. The frame is still in existence in the house of Mrs. Orison Johnson. Its original cover was hemlock bark.
We have not been able to learn the date when Nathaniel Stedman left Fane hill and took up his farm near Fayette- ville, but it was not until after Park had taken the land on which the village stands. His first log house stood a little northeast of the barns occupied by his grandson, Mr. Wm. A. Stedman, who has pointed out the spot to us. A few traces of the old foundations being still discernible.
Thomas Higgins, Artemas Bruce, Ephraim Fuller, and Thomas Green were among their early neighbors. Fuller settled on the first farm north of the village, now owned and occupied by M. O. Howe. Green came from Worcester and built his cabin on the hill about half a mile west of Park, upon land now owned by W. A. Stedman, and known as the Judge Allen farm. This farm has long since been vacated, nothing now remaining but the foundation of the old buildings.
Artemas Bruce came September 22, 1776. He built the first saw mill in this part of the town, of which we find any authentic record, on the brook just south of his house. Of his family we find but little reliable information. Yet it would seem that there were at least three sons ; Ephraim, Artemas Jr., and Elijah, from the latter of whom Mansfield Bruce, the Baptist divine, is a descendant. Samuel, a son of Ephraim, a carpenter by trade, built a dam and first occupied the privilege, where now stands F. O. Burditt's cabinet shop, about IS20. He rented a portion of the shop to a clothier.
From them the line of occupancy descended to Ide, Kid-
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der and - Burditt. About 1815 Thomas Cook built a dam and trip-hammer shop near the bridge south of the village. From him it passed to Newman & Newton, scythe manu- facturers. And from them to Joseph Green, in IS23, who continued the scythe business until 1839. In 1840 he erected a grist mill with a sash and blind shop on the second floor. From him it passed to its present owner, E. C. Walker, in 1851. The county buildings were located on the Parks flats, so called, in 1825, Mr. Park giving the land to the county for a common so long as the buildings remain here. It was proposed to call the place Parkville, but Mr. Park was decidedly opposed to the plan, and at the suggestion of Gen. Field it was named Fayetteville, in honor of Gen. Lafayette, who visited this country for the last time in 1824. As a matter of economy several houses in the village on the hill were taken down. moved and rebuilt here. The Fayetteville hotel and the Dr. Olds house. now standing on the right hand of Main street. fronting the common from the south, were among the number. Also, the two houses standing south of the Dr. Olds house, and one now owned by Mrs. S. K. Holland on the west side of the street, south of the Field place.
During the early growth of the village, religious meetings were held for several years in the court house. About 1830 the several religious sects united under the following title : " The Liberal and Charitable Christian Society of Newfane," and erected the Union church, in IS31. One of the articles of the association provided that each sect should have the right to occupy the desk. in proportion to the number of slips said sect owned in the house. This union was dissolved in 1838, and the Congregationalists erected their new house in 1839. The Universalists continued to occupy the old house until about 1853, when they found themselves unable to sustain a pastor. From that time the house began to decay, and in 1872 it had reached that stage that it must be repaired, or sink to utter ruin. It was repaired and remodeled into a hall by a public subscrip- tion and is now called Union Hall.
In 1845 the enterprising farmers of the county organized and established the Windham County Fair at this place,
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and with the exception of a year or so at Brattleboro, and six at Westminster, it has remained here, and as a whole been a successful and prosperous society. The Windham County Savings Bank was chartered in the fall of 1853. Upon its organization the Hon. Austin Birchard was chosen treasurer, the duties of which position he faithfully dis- charged for twenty years, retiring January 1, 1874, at the advanced age of eighty, leaving the institution with a capital of $184,500, in round numbers ; he and his brother Roger Birchard were the first merchants in Fayetteville.
In the further tracing of our business interests we find the following interesting facts in regard to the history of our post-office :
Daniel Kellogg was the first postmaster, and began to render accounts at Newfane on the first of October, ISII. It is probable, therefore, that the office was established during the summer, or early in the fall of ISII, but the exact date is not known. The following lists give the names of the several postmasters at each office, together with the dates of their appointments, as found in the record books of the P. O. Department at Washington, D. C.
NEWFANE, WINDHAM COUNTY, VERMONT.
The office was established, probably, in July, 1811.
Daniel Kellogg, appointed postmaster,
July, ISII.
Jonathan Nye,
February 24, 1812.
Adolphus Wing,
66 October 23, 1815.
Henry Kellogg, 66 66
June 2, 1817.
Martin Field, יר
David W. Sanborn,
66 November, 2, ISIS. 66 66 17, 1819.
Charles K. Field, 66
June 21, 1825.
On the twenty-fifth of November, 1825, the name of the office was changed to Fayetteville.
Charles K. Field, appointed P. M., Roswell M. Field,
November 25, 1825.
Ira McCollom,
Dexter Holbrook, 66
Wright Pomeroy,
May 1, 1826. April 26, 1830. November 25, 1831. 66 4, 1834.
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Jacob Dunklee, Jr., appointed P. M. December 27, 1837. Franklin Sawyer,
Jacob Dunklee, Jr.,
May 10, 1841. May 16, 1845.
John P. Warren,
Jacob Dunklee, Jr ..
Samuel P. Miller, ..
October 26, 1864. Amherst Morse, ..
Francis W. Fairbanks.
24. 1865. January 6. 1868.
William H. Goodnow,
.. August 26, 1868.
Elliott W. Blodgett, .. . .
February 12, 1874.
who is the present incumbent.
It is so common to speak of every severe storm or other unusual feature of the weather, as being the highest or unlike anything that ever occurred before, that we think it proper to make the following notes on high water :
October 5; 1869, the New England states, and especially the Connecticut River valley, was visited by one of the severest and most extensive freshets ever known since the country was settled. The damage in this town to roads and bridges was immense, to say nothing of the loss sus- tained by individuals. Smith Brook overflowed all known bounds, and, for the first time within the memory of man, came flowing over the highest point in the road above Fayetteville, in a depth of from six to ten inches, into the village, occasioning a good deal of alarm, and not a little dismay. West River was many feet higher than it had ever before been seen, coming up and striking the Brook- line covered bridge its entire length, and extending into the meadow some twenty rods or more, entirely surrounding an oak tree that stands in Mr. Albee's meadow, upon the side of one of the ancient river banks.
May 24, 1875, Fayetteville was visited with the most terrific thunder shower ever known, raising Smith's and Bruce's brooks several inches higher than in 1869, the water flowing down the street and covering the east side of the common. The shower did not continue more than two hours. A cloud broke over the head waters of these brooks and caused the unusual flood.
September 29, 1849. October 20, 1853. August 5, 1861.
Chandler Wakefield,
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Smith brook is a short and rapid stream. In the early days when its hillsides were covered with timber it furnished a stable and abundant water power, but as the forests have been cleared away it has become unreliable, and consequently our manufacturing interests have failed to keep pace with those of our sister village. At one time Anthony Jones conceived the idea of erecting a woollen factory here, and sought to increase the flow of the stream by drawing the waters of the Kenney pond this way, and opened a canal for that purpose, the course of which is still plainly visible in land now owned by J. J. Green. Mr. Jones was a man whom some of the wise heads called visionary. But it is only simple justice to his memory to say that he had higher hopes for the future prosperity of this place than almost any other man, and bent all his energies toward bringing about a full realization of those hopes, building, as he did, not only several private dwellings, but the long building, the Fayetteville hotel and the Exchange, the latter of which stood upon the site now owned by L. I. Winslow. It was the largest building ever erected in town and was designed for a store and hotel ; in this enterprise he over-stepped his mark and failed. About 1844 he gathered up the remains of his shattered fortune, and broken in health and spirit sailed to Sicily, in the employ of a brother-in-law, Mr. Chamberlin, of New York city, from whence he returned to Rochester, N. Y., where he died soon after.
Thus we have noted the origin and growth of our village, with its incidents of flood, and the natural causes that have prevented it from becoming a prosperous manufacturing center, and perhaps we cannot better close this sketch than by appending hereto a list of those who have represented the mercantile interests of this part of the town. The date when the first store and hotel were opened can only be approximated at about 17So. The tavern was kept by Luke Brown, and the store by Luke Knowlton. They united in trade under the firmn name of Knowlton & Brown, but soon dissolved, and Knowlton took, as a second partner, Ezekiel Knowlton. Then followed, as near as can be ascertained, in the following order: John Holbrook, from 1785 to '90,
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Capt. Adams, Dr. Brooks. Oliver Chapin and Zatter Butter- field, under the firm name of Chapin & Butterfield. Joseph Ellis, David W. Sanborn and Anthony Jones. In IS22 the firm of A. & R. Birchard opened a store on the hill and continued business until IS25, when they began business here. dissolving in 1836, then it was A. Birchard, alone. until IS41 ; then Birchard & Sawyer until April 1, 1850, when Mr. Birchard retired from business. selling his interest to S. P. Miller. The firm of Sawyer & Miller dissolved in the spring of 1853. Franklin Sawyer then took a partner, Geo. Smith. and continued the business until IS58, when they dissolved and Sawyer removed his goods into the Jones Exchange. and carried on business alone until 1861, when he sold to F. D. Sawyer and Chas. Goodhue ; upon the expiration of their lease, F. Sawyer took the business again and kept it until the spring of 1869, when he sold to Winslow & Park. In IS71 they sold to Holbrook & Co., who sold to the Winslow brothers, in 1873. In March, IS74, L. I. Winslow bought out his brother's interest and the first of April following. the building, the original of the Jones Exchange, was des- troyed by fire. Mr. Winslow re-built in the summer of 1876, and kept a store until the spring of 1877. when he sold his goods and rented his store to N. M. Batchelder, the present occupant. Thus we have noted the line of trade established by the Birchard brothers, and now we will trace the competing line' founded by Anthony Jones, who began trade very soon after the Birchards. He was succeeded by Geo. A. Morse ; in 1833 came Phelps & Sanford; in 1835 it was Sanford & Baker ; from 1836 to 1840 Baker & Merri- field ; then H. E. Baker alone until 1847, who sold to Wm. L. Williams ; in 1849 the Eager brothers purchased his stock ; in 1851 it was Dunklee & Lamb; in 1853 S. P. Miller, whose dissolution with Sawyer has already been noted, took up the line and continued business until 1864, when he sold to Goodnow & Morse ; in 1865 this firm dissolved and W. H. Goodnow kept the business until IS74, when he sold to the present owner, E. W. Blodgett.
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WILLIAMSVILLE.
This village derived its name from William H. Williams, in early years the owner of the larger portion of its business interests. It doubtless owes its origin, and, in a large degree, its subsequent growth, to the natural advantages afforded by the stream upon which it is situated. The development of these advantages commenced at a very early date, as the natural result of their being more available than any other to the inhabitants of the village on the hill. The time and place of the erection of the first mill on the South Branch, and the circumstances connected therewith, are matters more of tradition than of definite knowledge ; and the different stories are of so conflicting a nature as to seem to be entitled to but little credit. Referring to the town records we find that the first conveyance of mill property was made in 1790, in October of which year John Wheeler sold to Winslow & Jones, a grist mill and saw mill standing where Hovey's carding mill now does. This property frequently changed hands till it came into the possession, soon after 1Soo, of Wm. H. Williams. who built the first carding mill in ISIo. and soon afterward conveyed it to John Robinson, from whom it passed to Hezekiah Robinson. The grist mill is not men- tioned in the deeds given after ISoo. The saw mill was owned at different times by John Robinson, John Rider and David Newman, and prior to 1830 the whole property came again into the hands of Wm. H. Williams, who retained it until his decease. It is now owned by S. M. Hovey, and operated by Isaac Hovey, who has had charge of the works for twenty-five years.
During the war of 1812-15 a small woolen factory was erected near the carding mill, by William H. Williams and Hezekiah Robinson, but was run but a few years, the venture not proving a successful one.
In April, 1794, Thomas and Darius Wheeler purchased of Abner Merrifield and Thomas Farr, for twelve pounds, the mill privilege now owned by H. H. Hoyt, together with
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one and one-half acres of land, and built, during that or the following year, a fulling mill and an oil mill. These mills were sold by the Wheelers, in February., 1801, to Wm. H. Williams, who had previously operated them for a few years. and who soon established a reputation for doing first-class work in the cloth-dressing line, and received a large and remunerative patronage until home made cloth began to be superseded by the products of the factory. W. H. Wil- liams continued the business until his decease, with the exception of a few years in which it was carried on by his son, George Williams, and others. He continued the oil making business till 1852, when it was discontinued on account of the difficulty attached to obtaining flax-seed. The mills were entirely swept away during the great freshet, September 23, 1815. but were immediately rebuilt. This property was purchased in 1874, by H. H. Hoyt, who put in, and now runs, a circular saw mill and other wood-working machinery.
A grist mill was built, near the site of the present mill, about the year 1786, by Ebenezer Morse. It was a small structure containing but a single run of stone, and was set upon the rocks, near the middle of the pond as it now is. It was run by Mr. Morse until his decease, in 1813, and was sold by his widow, in IS14, to Darius Norcross. From Norcross it passed to Samuel Dutton, Jr., in IS16; from Dutton to Wyman Richardson, in 1817; from Richardson to Roswell Ingram, in IS31 ; from Roswell to Samuel Ingram, in 1832 ; from Samuel Ingram's estate, through A.C. Robinson, James Eastman and Richmond Dunklee, in 1837, to Wm. H. Williams, who built the present mill in IS39, and retained its ownership till 1864, when it was purchased by D. B. & D. J. Lamson. From the Lamsons it passed to J. E. Benson, in 1865, and from Benson to S. W. Bowker, the present owner, in 1873. In 1874 the mill was thoroughly repaired at a large expense, and is now considered one of the best in this section of the state. Captain Ira Blashfield, who had tended this mill for several years previously, was killed March 1, 1855, by being drawn through the gearing attached to one of its wheels. In former years a saw mill was connected with this mill.
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