USA > Vermont > Bennington County > Gazetteer and business directory of Bennington County, Vt. for 1880-81 > Part 10
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37
Eldad's brother, Captain Elijah Dewey, kept the tavern, now the Walloomsac House, and on the day of the battle his wife was busy preparing food, when a tall young stranger entered and called for dinner. He was told there was none for him. "What," said he, "have you in the kettles," seeing several boiling in the fire place. " That," said Mrs. Dewey, " is food for the men who have gone to fight for their country, where you ought to be." The young man then explained his business; he was a commis- sary agent out on duty to secure provisions for the army, and had ridden from Albany, via. Williamstown, on that day. It is need- less to say, Mrs. Dewey provided the dinner. The young man was afterwards "Governor" Isaac Tichenor.
Another old house is that now occupied by Mrs. Sexton at the "Center," and James Hicks built the one now occupied by his son Uel, about 1795.
From 1775 to 1800, the village of Bennington, (now Benning- ton Center,) was, in a business aspect, of much more importance than now. During that time, besides the county buildings, there were three hotels, a goodly number of stores and mechanic shops.
108
TOWN OF BENNINGTON.
Besides the jail, for the incarceration of the greater criminals, the " Pillory" stood about three rods south of Mr. Huling's line on the road side, and the " Whipping Post " on the opposite side of the street.
"Catamount Tavern," the headquarters of the "Council of Safety," during revolutionary days, stood about ten rods north of the geographical center of the town.
The "Hospital," where the sick and wounded soldiers were cared for after the battle, stood about fifteen rods south of the "Catamount Tavern." The "sign post" on which was the 'stuffed Catamount, with face grinning towards New York," and where the " Beach Seal" was administered, stood about four rods south of the granite monument that now commemorates and stands directly opposite the front door of the Catamount Tavern.
The spot where David Redding was hung for "enemical con- duct," Jan. 11, 1778, was about five rods north-west of the Gov- ernor Titchenor house, now the Dea. Geo. Lyman house. The old first meeting house stood on the green just north of the cross walk betwen the Waloomsac House and the present First Church.
The store house which contained the provisions coveted by Burgoyne, stood on the brow of the hill just north of the State arms house.
Ethan Allen's residence during the years 1785-6 was on the site of the present " Ethan Allen Hall"
Clio Hall, the first Academy incorporated in the State, Nov. 3, 1780, stood on the corner where the present First Church stands. It was for a long time a flourishing school. The build- ing was burned in 1803.
Bennington Battle-day, was celebrated in the year succeeding the battle, and yearly since. In Bennington it is recognized with as much joy and demonstration as Independence day.
The Vermont Gazette of August 21, 1786, contains a lengthy account of the 9th Anniversary Celebration, in which the day was ushered in by thirteen discharges of cannon. Students of Clio Hall, under tuition of Mr. Hackley, and Mr. Lester, convened at the meeting house, and after prayer by Rev. Mr. Swift, the
109
TOWN OF BENNINGTON.
quarterly examinations were had and an exhibition given ; fol- lowing which a splendid entertainment was given by Majors Blod- gett and Fay, to a number of respectable inhabitants and strang- ers. This was followed by fourteen toasts, which were drunk with much hilarity. A ball was given in the evening, in which the ladies, by their brilliancy and good humor added much to the conviviality of the day.
In July, 1787, Mr. Blodgett of this town, issued a map of the State of Vermont, which was 3 by 23 feet in size, as appears by advertisement in Vermont Gazette ; who has a copy of that old map now ?
On the 9th of April, 1789, fifteen young women met at the house of Mr. Gideon Randall, Sen., in this town, and from sun- rise to three o'clock in the afternoon, spun 123 seven knotted skeins of good linen yarn. An example of industry worthy of imitation .- Vermont Gazette.
That the citizens of Bennington in the early days, appreciated and enjoyed dramatic entertainments may be inferred from the frequent advertisements, relating to such amusements, as early as 1787-9, and which were usually held in the court house, " To begin at 6 o'clock exactly." In those good old times the people doubtless thought more of "early to bed and early to rise " than do their descendents of the present day.
In August, 1793, a public library was proposed and a meeting of subscribers called. A library was established in April, 1796, for the benefit of those who choose to become proprietors, under direction of Rev. Job Swift, Col. Nathaniel Brush, Dr. Micah J. Lyman, Anthony Haswell and Capt. John Norton; David Rus- sell was secretary.
Of late years the old cemetery at Bennington Center had become sadly neglected. It was rough and uneven, and numer- ous boulders and bunches of briars disgraced the hallowed spot, until 1866, when Mr. Wm. S. Montague, whose ancestors were buried here, determined to grade the ground partially at his own expense, if the town would appropriate a further specified sum for the purpose. In part this aid was furnished by the town and the ground has been graded and turfed, and the head stones set up- right and regular. Mr. Montague prepared a foundation for a -7.
110
TOWN OF BENNINGTON.
receiving vault, but a further appropriation is needed to erect the building.
In 1802, a tragedy occurred at the house of Col. R. Mosely, in which Geo. Tibbetts of Pownal, and Geo. Whitney of Stamford, so badly injured an Indian named Gordon that he died next day. The murder created much excitement, though the crimi- nals escaped with a slight punishment. It is said that Col. Mosely was afraid some harm might come to him in consequence of the murder, if he remained and he decided to sell out and move away. It so happened that Daniel Hinman, who was then living at Charlotte, where he had moved in 1794, was on his way to pay an annual visit to his parents in Connecticut. On stopping at Ben- nington, he heard of Mr. Moseley's desire to sell, and finally bought the place, and moved here in 1803 with his son-in-law, Samuel Brown. At Mr. Hinman's death his grand-son Maj. Samuel H. Brown succeeded to the property,-now belonging to Mrs. Paige.
Situated near the corner of the State, Bennington could not hope to be made the seat of government, yet several sessions of the Legislature were held here. The first in Jan. 1778, organized in the "Catamount Tavern," and then adjourned to meet during the remainder of the session in the meeting house. The sessions of Feb. 1779, Oct. 1780, June 1781, Jan. 1782, Feb. 1784, Feb. 1787, and in Jan. 1791, were also held here. The convention which adopted the constitution of the United States, and assented to the admission of Vermont into the Union, assembled here January 6, 1791. The United States Circuit Court also held its sessions here in June 1791-'92-'93, and May 1794 and '96, after which that Court was held at Rutland.
.
.
One of the earliest and most widely known settlers of North Bennington was Capt. Moses Sage, whose business ability and energy soon made the place quite prominent, and so closely was he identified with its early growth that it became known solely by the name of Sage's City, which name it retained until 1828, when a post-office was established.
His wife wasvAnna Haviland, the daughter of a tory residing in the vicinity, whom he niarried before the breaking out of the revolutionary war ; but while the father remained a royalist, and
----
---- -
III
TOWN OF BENNINGTON.
a partisan of New York, the daughter was a staunch patriot, and with her husband cast her lot with the Green Mountain Boys.
Prior to 1777, Capt. Sage assisted by Haviland, built the grist mill which stood on the site where the stone paper mill of Mr. Welling no: stands, in the village of North Bennington. The 'grist-mill built by Capt. Sage was afterward rebuilt, and this was in time succeeded by the present building which was erected in 1832, in which the old mill stones were used by being broken in halves and the halves placed over the windows in the form of a semi-circle.
It was the duty of Capt. Sage to act as commissary for the troops, which were hastily gathered in the vicinity to oppose the force sent by Burgoyne to Bennington, in August, 1877.
An important item of the rations furnished the troops was corn meal, which was made into bread and "johnny cakes" by the women of the vicinity and also in Shaftsbury, and which was grou 'd at Capt. Sage's mill, by his wife, while he hauled the meal to those who baked, and the bread from them to the soldiers. Late in the afternoon of August 16th, 1777, word was brought Capt. Sage of the arrival of Col. Warner's regiment in a famish- ing condition, after a forced march from Manchester, and which was then engaged in the fight with the British re-enforcements just arrived on the battle-field under Col. Breyman, with an urgent request that Col. Warner's men be furnished something to eat forthwith. Having just distributed among the men under Gen. Stark, and their prisoners taken in the earlier fight, all the provisions he had, he at his wife's suggestion improvised a sup- p.r for the men by calling in requisition all the pots and kettles in the place, and employing all the women to make " hasty pudding" while the boys were milking the cows, and soon the pots of pud- diny and pails of milk were dispatched to the hungry men.
The interest of Haviland in the grist-mill was conveyed to Sage to place it beyond the reach of the sequestration act of July 28, 1777, and after the defeat of the British he left the place and it is believed never returned.
In ISor Capt. Sage erected the first furnace in the State for making iron by smelting ore. The furnace was built on the stream still known as Furnace Brook, on a site now owned by
قطعة
112
TOWN OF BENNINGTON.
the estate of the late Lafayette Lyon, and formerly occupied by him for a saw mill, a short distance north of the present works.
1
Not finding sufficient iron ore in the vicinity he instituted a search for it throughout the whole region adjacent to the furnace, and discovered deposits of ore in Shaftsbury, and also the mines east of Bennington village, now known as the Burden mines. The ore of the last discovered mines proving to be of excellent quality, and in unlimited quantity, it was decided to erect furnaces near the mine, and in 1805-6 the first furnace was erected by Capt. Sage, and his son-in-law Giles Olin, Jr., on the site of the old furnaces now owned by Capt. H. L. Shields. The enterprise was not a success by reason of the high price of labor in this country, and about the year 1810 the concern failed; but Capt. Sage had in the meantime become an expert in the manu- facture of pig iron, and about the close of the war of 1812, with England, he was employed by capitalists to go to Pittsburgh, Pa. to superintend the erection and afterward to operate the first iron works at that place, where he remained until he died in 1816.
Among the pioneers in manufacturing enterprises in Benning- ton, perhaps no man in his day was more active and efficient than Giles Olin, Jr., who was born in Shaftsbury, Vt., Jan. 2, 1781.
He was a son of Giles Olin, a native of Rhode Island, who went to Shaftsbury as one of the early settlers of that town. He was employed on his father's farm until grown to manhood, but had in the mean time shown himself possessed of rare mechanical ability, and he was in a short time recognized as one of the most skillful millwrights in the country.
He married a daughter of Capt. Moses Sage of North Benning- ton, and became identified with him in the various enterprises for erecting furnaces and making iron, he being the engineer and master mechanic of those works, and also erected other iron works in this State, in Massachusetts and Connecticut.
After the stoppage of the furnaces in the east part of the town, he removed to what is now the village of Bennington, when he purchased the property now occupied by Messrs. Geo. Rockwood & Co. for a hosiery mill ; also the lands on the north side of the street, (whereon he built a house now occupied by Mr. Geo. Rock- wood, ) said lands extending northward and eastward far enough to
II3
TOWN OF BENNINGTON.
include the " Roaring Branch" stream from the Hathaway bridge up to the site of the pulp mills.
He also acquired an interest in the water privilege known as the Safford grist mill property, since used by Geo. Benton & Sons for a paper mill, and now by F. R. Smith for a saw and planing . mill, and other mill property along the stream where the knitting mills of Messrs. H. E. Bradford & Co. and others are now located, but where, at that time, ran only the water of the small brook which is used to drive the bellows of the blacksmith shop at the eastern boundary of the village. He then erected the building now standing opposite the dwelling where Mr. Geo. Rockwood now lives, for a linseed oil mill, with a saw mill on the same water privilege, and associated with him in the oil mill business was Major Reuben Colvin, a brother-in-law (who also married a daughter of Capt. Sage). This oil mill was the first built in the State, and was operated by the firm until the death of Mr. Olin, and by the family of Mr. Colvin, until they abandoned the busi- ness to engage in the present business of knitting hosiery.
About the time the oil mill was erected Mr. Olin constructed a dam across the Roaring Branch, and cut a canal across his prem- ises by which the water of the branch stream was turned into the channel of the brook before named. The canal is still in use and forms the eastern boundary of Bennington village. The water running through the canal furnishes the larger share of the water power used in Bennington village.
The water so turned has a fall of one hundred and ninety feet, within a distance of one and a quarter miles, the fall being gradual and averaging one hundred and fifty six feet per mile. The stream joins, at Beech street the Walloomsac, which flows through the center of the village and forms a part of its western boundary.
The improvement of the water power as described, and the ef- forts of Mr. Olin in aiding manufacturing business, contributed in a large measure to the growth and material prosperity of the village of Bennington. He held the office of selectman and other positions of trust in the town. He died June 27, 1825 aged 45 years.
As before mentioned, the Safford mills were erected at Ben- nington in 1762. Eldad Dewey also built a grist mill on the
.
114
TOWN OF BENNINGTON.
Walloomsac, near his house, about 1785. George Keith built a forge the following year. " At the commencement of the present century," says N. B. Hall, in the Vermont Magazine, "there were less than 20 buildings. exclusive of barns and sheds, scattered over the territory included within the limits of the village. The place was called 'Algiers' for many years. About 1824 it began to be called 'East Village' by the Algerians, and Algiers in earnest > by the more wealthy and elevated villagers one mile west."
CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARIES.
August 15th and 16th, 1877, were red letter days at Benning- ton. Never before had such an aggregation of notable people, from various sections of the United States, assembled anywhere in the State. The one hundredth anniversary of two great events was celebrated. A century of years had come and gone since Ver- mont had by ber representativs at Westminster, January 17, 1777, declared herself to be a free and independent State, and since the Battle of Bennington, fought with such grand results for the American arms. Extensive and complete arrangements had been made by the Bennington Battle Monument Association, under whose auspices the invitations had been extended, and among the distinguished guests from abroad who took part in the proceedings, and in the procession on the 16th, under direction of Major A. B. Valentine, chief marshal and his staff were the President of the United States, and several members of his cabinet ; Governors Fairbanks, of Vermont, Prescott, of New Hampshire, and Connor of Maine, Lieut. Gov. Knight of Massa- chusetts, Gov. VanZandt of Rhode Island, together with the mem- bers of their staff, and aids, besides a large number of military organizations, (among them the First Regiment National Guard of Vermont, with the cannon captured from the British in 1777,) military bands, distinguished citizens, &c., made up a procession of five divisions, besides the Presidential escort, which led the column. As a matter of course the State of Vermont and es- pecially the towns in Bennington County were largely represented. The details of this great event fill a volume of near three hun- dred pages, and cannot be recited here. The day was ushered in with a salute at sunrise, from a battery of four guns, the same
1
115
TOWN OF BENNINGTON.
that were captured at the battle-fired by the Portsmouth, (N. H.) Heavy Artillery, and by the ringing of bells. The public build- ings and most of the private residences and business places in the two villages were handsomly decorated with flags, bunting, stream- ers, flowers and mottoes. The procession passed in review before the President, and short speeches were made by many distin- guished persons. The orator of the day was Rev. Samuel C. Bartlett, D. D., president of Dartmouth college, who paid a glowing tribute to the gallent leaders on that memorable day, a hundred years ago, and to the noble and brave men, the rank and file who helped to win the glorious victory.
The celebration ended, guests departed for their homes, and Bennington was again the quiet village, busy with her several in- dustries, yet year by year do her citizens honor the recurring 16th of August, and it is to be hoped ever will.
The Bennington Battle Monument Association was incorporated by an act of the Legislature of the State of Vermont, which act was approved in 1876. The purpose of the Association is to erect and maintain at Bennington, a monument to commumorate the victory of Gen. John Stark and his militia men over the British forces, under Col. Baum, August 16th, 1777.
The troops under Gen. Stark, were an independent force of men furnished by Vermont, and the States of New Hampshire and Massachusets, (Vermont had previously declared herself an independent sovereignty, and existed as such until 1791, when she was recognized as a State by being admitted into the Federal Union,) and were entirely independent of Federal control. The people of the three States named have joined in the enterprise of erecting a fitting testimonial in commemoration of the historic achievement in which they have a common interest.
The State of Vermont appropriated $15,000, Massachusetts, $7,500, New Hampshire, $5,000, and over $5,000 has been contributed by citizens toward this object. It is expected to in- crease the fund to $100,000.
The officers of the Association at the present time are as fol- lows :-
President, Ex-Gov. Benj. F. Prescott, of Epping, N. H .; Vice- President, Ex-Gov. Hiland Hall, of Bennington, Vt .; Treasurer,
.
116
TOWN OF BENNINGTON.
Luther R. Graves, of Bennington, Vt .; Recording Secretary, Olin Scott, of Bennington, Vt. ; Corresponding Secretary, Charles M. Bliss, of Benninton, Vt. ; Directors, Hon. Redfield Proctor, Suth- erland Falls, Vt. ; Hon. Thos. Talbot, Boston, Mass. ; Hon. E. J. Phelps, Burlington, Vt. ; Hon. A. B. Gardner, Bennington, Vt .; Hon. H. G. Root, Bennington, Vt. ; Hon. T. W. Park, Benning? ton, Vt .; Rev. Isaac Jennings, Bennington, Vt. ; Major A. B. Valentine, Bennington, Vt.
PICTURESQUE VIEWS.
It is scarcely possible to drive one or two miles on any of the roads in this town without bringing before the eye, with kaleido- scopic effect, a panarama of rare beauty. We notice but a few of the points from which fine views may be seen. From an ob- servatory erected on the top of Benj. R. Sears' carriage house at Bennington Center, the outlook in every direction is of great beauty. Eastward, in the foreground, Bennington Village lies nestled in the trees ; beyond, Bald Mountain rears its lofty head ; turning northward, Mt. Equinox is seen in the distance, while nearer and in the same range are the Arlington and Shaftsbury Mountains. Westward the woods bordering the Bennington Battlefield are plainly seen, as are also the fertile fields waving with the produce of the husbandman. South-westerly is Mount Anthony, the "mecca" of tourists in this vicinity, and south are Saddle Back, Gray Lock, and other mountains in Massachusetts. Onward to the starting point, the eye sweeps over Prospect Mountain in the distance, and the valleys of the Walloomsac and Roaring Branch in the middle ground. The shadows cast on the mountains by passing clouds, add beauty to the scene.
At the base of Mount' Anthony in the field a hundred rods northeast of the cave* may be had a most charming view of the village of Bennington, and also of the country south and north.
· On the road to Mt. Anthony Observatory, a halt should be made at Charles Wilson's, on road 62, where, from a rock on his premises, a charming picture of Pleasant Valley, the home of the Rudds for a hundred years and more, will well repay the trouble.
*This cave is on the lands of Orin Paige, and with a little expense may be greatly improved for exploration.
117
TOWN OF BENNINGTON.
-
Arriving at the Mountain, the scene is graphically described by President Bartlett, at the opening of his Centennial address at Bennington, as follows :--
"From the top of Mount Anthony the eye looks out on a panorama of singular extent and beauty. Westward the Adiron- dacks, dim with the distance of a hundred miles or more, the Hel- derbergs and the Catskills to the south, Greylock, Saddle and Bald, the long Green Mountain wall on the east, and the Killing- ton Peak sixty miles away to the north, outline a vast amphithea- tre of hill and vale, of fertile fields and graceful forests, dotted with thrifty villages and happy homes. The steam puffs up in sight from half a dozen railway lines and there are glimpses of the Hoosick and Waloomsac bordered with manufactories." It is not a pretty picture as seen with the naked eye, the view is too extensive, too grand and awe-inspiring.
To bring out the various pictures in their different aspects, one must look through a field glass or, what is better, a tube of proper size. A drive from the mountain toward the village is a pleasant one. From the old Bingham homestead, on road 13, a fine pana- rama may also be had.
Near the Woodford line, on road 50, are some splendid views of the old furnaces in ruins, ivy covered, an occasional tree growing from their midst. Near by are the acid works. The scene is altogether quite picturesque.
Furnace Grove, the summer residence of Capt. H. L. Shields, the proprietor, is charming. The old fashioned house of stone and iron, seemingly on a gentle elevation, surrounded by an ele- gant grove planted more than fifty years ago, is in reality more elevated than the top of the church steeple at Bennington Center. The air here is pure and healthful.
CHURCHES.
The First Church of Christ in Bennington, (Congregational,) at Bennington Center, (and the first church of any denomination in Vermont,) was organized Dec. 3, 1762, with 32 male and 25 female members, from the Church of Christ in Hardwick and the Church of Christ in Sunderland, Mass., uniting and becoming one body. During the summer of the following year negotiations
.
I18
TOWN OF BENNINGTON.
were perfected through which the church at Westfield, Mass., united with this church en masse. The people moved to Ben- nington and brought their minister, the Rev. Jedediah Dewey, with them. Thus augmented and strengthened, not only the church but the town flourished in consequence. Mr. Dewey, the first pastor, remained during fifteen years, when he died. The first meeting house was erected so as to be occupied about 1765- 6, but not fully completed until about ten years later. The pres- ent meeting house was erected of wood in 1804-5, and dedicated Jan. 1, 1806. The estimated cost was $7,793.23. The society at present numbers 180 members, (of absent members there are 49,) and is under the pastoral care of Rev. Isaac Jennings, who has labored here since 1853 with abundant success. A little more than ten years ago he prepared and issued " Memorials of a Cen- tury," being a valuable history of the early settlement of Benning- ton and of its first church. The church property is valued at from $20,000 to $25,000.
The Second Congregational Church of Bennington was organ- ized with 44 members April 27, 1836, by members of the First Congregational Church of Bennington Center. Rev. Aretas G. Loomis was the first pastor. In 1838 the first house of worship was erected of wood, at a cost of about $3,500. This building subsequently received a large addition, when the whole was burned Aug 11, 1864. The present one was erected of brick and stone in 1873, at an expense of $45,000. It is an excellent building, and will comfortably seat 700 persons. Rev. Edward Griffin Read is the present pastor, and the church has a membership of 265, and a Sunday school with an average attendance of 160.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.