USA > Vermont > Rutland County > Gazetteer and business directory of Rutland county, Vt., for 1881-82 > Part 18
USA > Vermont > Rutland County > Gazetteer and business directory of Rutland county, Vt., for 1881-82 > Part 18
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150
TOWN OF MENDON.
in search of him, but the whites would secrete him until they left. On one occasion John was cornered by three Indians, when he promptly shot two of them and wounded the third. After this he was molested no more. John lived to be very old, none knew his age, but was supposed to be about ninety when he died.
In May, 1871, a large fire occurred in the part of Mendon called the " Notch," by which a saw-mill, two barns and seven dwellings were burned, with the goods and household stuff they contained. Several families were left destitute. The loss was estimated at about $20,000.00.
Zidon Edson from Grafton, Vt., was one of the early settlers of Parkers- town. He built the first mill in town, in 1810, which was destroyed by a freshet in 1811.
James K. Pearson came to Mendon from Rutland in 1835. He was a prominent man and held several town offices. He died in March, 1853.
Cyrus Edson from Bridgewater, Mass., moved to Parkerstown in 1825, where he lived until his death, at the advanced age of 85.
William Shedd was one of the early settlers of Rutland, and subsequently removed to Mendon, in 1846, where he resided until his death, April 26, 1873. His son, Henry, born June 5, 1841, came to Mendon with his father and has resided in the town ever since; he represented the town in the General Assembly in 1880, and has been selectman a number of years.
Daniel Gleason, with his son Abel, came to Rutland from Keene, N. H., about the year 1800. Henry, son of Abel, is now a resident of Mendon.
Dr. Orel Cook was born in Rutland in 1813, and located in Mendon in 1870. Dr. Cook was graduated at Dartmouth College. During the war he was acting surgeon of the hospital at Louisville, Ky. He has held various offices in the town, and was a member of Assembly from Mendon in 1872 and '74, and is now State Senator.
The following is a list of the town clerks since the organization of the town : John Page, 1806; Johnson Richardson, 1808; John Page, 1809; Philip Perkins, 1810; Zidon Edson, 1811 ; John Shaw, 1812; Wm. Sabin, 1813 ; Elisha Easterbrooks, 1817; Nathan Fisher, 1823; Draper Ruggles, 1833 ; Edward Mussey, 1834; Ira Seward, 1835; Edward Mussey, 1836; Zidon Edson, 1840; James K. Pearson, 1841; Ebon C. French, 1850; James K. Pearson, 1852 ; J. R. Royce Pearson, 1863 ; Alpheus S. Snow, 1855; James W. Kimball, 1857; James E. Seward, 1859 ; Newton Squires, 1860. Mr. Squires still holds the office, 1881.
While Johnson Richardson was keeping the public house at Mendon, it was necessary for Mrs. Richardson to keep a servant. On one occasion this servant happened to be a bright, smart lass, by the name of Lydia Fales. Mrs Richardson's son, Rufus, had an eye for beauty, and consequently paid numerous little attentions to the pretty Lydia, and as a natural consequence, they soon became very much in love with each other. Both were "workers," and quite economical, and neither liked to spare time to go
15İ
TOWN OF MIDDLETOWN.
to Rutland to get married, that being the nearest place they could get any one to perform the ceremony. Thus affairs stood, until one day Esq. Williams of Rutland, while on his way to Woodstock, stopped at Richardson's to bait his horse. Lydia was washing that day, and had finished all but mopping the floor. She was right in the midst of this healthful exercise, when Rufus came rushing in and informed her a justice of the peace was in the house, and they could be married immediately. This Lydia agreed to, pro- viding she could have the ceremony performed just as she was, without hav- ing to stop to change her dress. This was agreed to, and she dropped her mop, the Squire came and performed the ceremony, after which she resumed her work. She made him a good wife, was a good neighbor, and a kind mother to a large family of children. Rufus became one of the first busi- ness men of the town, and was considered so as long as he lived.
During the late war of 1861 and '65, Mendon furnished, in number, for soldiers, more than half the number of legal voters in the town, paid $13,000 bounty money, and $2,400 commutation money. She also furnished two men over the quota required of her. Quite a number of men belonging to Mendon, enlisted in and went for other towns.
The Methodist Episcopal Church of Mendon, located at Mendon village, was organized by the Union Society, July 28, 1859, with Elder Spencer as pastor. At its organization it had but twenty members, the membership having since increased to forty, with John S. Mott for their present pastor. The building was erected in 1860, will comfortably seat about 300 persons, and cost $1,000. The value of the church property is at present estimated at about $1,200.
IDDLETOWN is situated in the south-west part of the county, in lat. 43° 28', and long. 3º 57' east from Washington, bounded north by Poultney and Ira, east by Ira and Tinmouth, south by Tinmouth and Wells, and west by Wells and Poultney, the territory which comprises it being taken from these four towns. It is entirely surrounded by high mountains, causing ingress and egress to be exceedingly inconvenient, if not to say difficult ; and it is owing to this fact that the town is in existence. This statement will be explained by the following extract from the records of the February session of the General Assembly of the State of Vermont, held at Bennington, in 1784 :-
" A petition signed by Joseph Spaulding and fifty others, inhabitants of the north-west corner of Tinmouth, north-east corner of Wells, south-east corner of Poultney, and south-west corner of Ira, setting forth that the mountains around them are so impracticable to pass that it is with great trouble and difficulty that they can meet with the towns they belong to, in town and other meetings, &c., and praying that they may be incorporated into a town, with the privileges, &c., was read and referred to a committee of five, to join a committee from the Council, to take the same into consider- ation, state facts and make report. The members chosen were Mr. Whipple, Moses Robinson, Mr. Jewett, Mr. Taylor and Mr. Cogsell."
152
TOWN OF MIDDLETOWN.
That the committee looked upon the matter in a favorable light is shown by the following Act of the Legislature, in session at Rutland, on the 28th of October, 1784 :-
" Whereas, the inhabitants of a part of the towns of Wells, Tinmouth, Poultney and Ira, which are included in the bounds hereinafter described, have, by their petition represented, that they labor under great inconvenience with meeting with their several towns for public worship and town business, by reason of being surrounded by high mountains.
" Be it therefore enacted, and it is hereby enacted by the representa- tives of the freemen of the State of Vermont in General As- sembly met, and by authority of the same, that the tract of land or district of land hereinafter described, be and is hereby created and incor- porated into a township, by the name of Middletown, and the inhabitants thereof and their successors with the like privileges and prerogatives which the other towns in the state are invested with, viz: Beginning at a beech tree marked, standing west 26° south 310 chains from the north-east corner of Wells ; thence east 40° south 290 chains, to a white ash tree standing in Tinmouth west line; thence east 10° south 45 chains, to a beech marked ; thence north 33° east 264 chains, to a beech tree marked; thence north 10 west 333 chains, to a stake and stones standing in Poultney, east line; thence south 10° west 28 chains, to stake and stones; thence west 11º north 60 chains, to a small beech marked; thence south 45 chains, to a hard beech tree ; thence west 40° south 207 chains 5 links, to a stake and stones stand- ing in Wells north line; thence west - south 4 chains, to a stake ; thence south 10° west 185 chains, to the first mentioned bounds."
From the north-west corner of Tinmouth was taken 3,510 acres ; from the north-east corner of Wells, 6,118 acres; from the south-east corner of Poultney, 2,388 acres, and from the south-west corner of Ira, 1,825 acres, giving the township an area of 13,841 acres. Joseph Spaulding, the first in- stigator of the petition presented at Bennington, was a practical surveyor. He took the lead in the movement, and made the survey of the town, in which he was governed by his own judgment, the people submitting that mat- ter to him, and he seems to have given general satisfaction in his decision. After he had made his survey, and completed his arrangements for bringing the matter before the Legislature, the people conceded to him the honor of naming the town, which he did. Mr. Spaulding had removed to this section from Middletown, Conn., hence that name was thereby suggested to him as being very appropriate, as the new township would lie in the middle of a section composed of four towns. On the 17th of the following month (November, 1784) a meeting for the organization of the town was held at the Congregational church, then a log structure, standing near the south-east corner of the burial ground. At this meeting Edmund Bigelow was chosen moderator ; Joseph Rockwell, town clerk, and Edmund Bigelow, justice of the peace. A committee was also appointed, consisting of Edmund Bigelow, Joseph Rockwell and Joseph Spaulding, to reckon with several of the inhabitants of the town, respecting the costs made in getting the town established, for which services the said committee, at an adjourned meeting, were voted £2. 125. 6d. The first annual town meeting was held
I53
TOWN OF MIDDLETOWN.
March 7th, 1785, at which Hon. Thomas Porter, of Tinmouth, was chosen moderator ; Joseph Rockwell, town clerk ; Jonathan Brewster, Jacob Wood and Edmund Bigelow, selectmen ; Caleb Smith, town treasurer; Ephraim Wood, constable ; Asher Blunt, Jona Griswold, Reuben Searl, listers ; Silas Mallary, collector ; Jona Frisbie, leather sealer ; Samuel Sunderlin, Reuben Searl, grand jurymen ; Nathan Record, tithing-man ; Elisha Gilbert, hayward ; Caleb Smith, brander of horses ; Increase Rudd, sealer of measures ; Edmund Bigelow, sealer of weights; Abraham White, Solomon Hill, John Sunderlin, Benjamin Haskins, Benjamin Coy, Phineas Clough and James McClure, highway surveyors ; Luther Filmore, pound-keeper ; Thomas Morgan, Wm. Frisbie and Increase Rudd, fence viewers.
The surface of Middletown is broken and uneven, but still retains some intervales of arable productive land. The hills and mountain-sides afford pasturage for large herds of sheep and cattle; hence it is that the township is noted rather as a stock and wool-growing section than a grain-growing district. The rocks are those peculiar to most of the country lying on the Taconic range of mountains, Talcoid schist preponderating. The soil is mostly a gravelly loam, with some alluvial deposit from the mountains, both affording good farming-land, and especially along the Poultney River, where are found many excellent farms. The products are wheat, oats, rye, buck- wheat, Indian corn, potatoes and hay. ·
The only considerable stream is Poultney River, which has, however, numerous small tributaries. It rises in Tinmouth and flows a westerly course through this township into Poultney. The timber is mostly beech, birch, maple, hemlock, cedar, spruce and ash. From the maple large quantities of sugar is manufactured.
In 1880 Middletown had a population of 824, with eight common schools, employing three male, and ten female teachers, at an aggregate salary of $822.50. There were 160 pupils attending common schools, and the entire cost of the schools for the year ending October 31st., was $1,025.60. Mr. L. H. Jennings was superintendent.
MIDDLETOWN SPRINGS, a post village located in the central part of the town, on Poultney River, has three hotels, four stores, two cheese factories, three churches, one foundry, two blacksmith shops, the horse power and threshing machine works of A. W. Gray's Sons, and about fifty dwellings.
The village is also noted for the mineral springs found here, from which it derives its name. The springs are situated on the north bank of the river, and are said, in tradition, to have been used by the red man as far back as were those at Saratoga. Be that as it may, a century ago they were found by the first settlers, led to them by the Indians, and were used with great benefit ; but being off the line of any great thoroughfare, and the country at that time a wilderness, their use was local. But in the great freshet of the year 1811, the great storm flooded the Poultney River, and it overflowed its banks, cut a new channel and left these springs buried deep under hundreds
154
TOWN OF MIDDLETOWN.
of tons of dirt and debris. Their history was almost lost, and they existed only in tradition. Young men and maidens grew to manhood and woman- hood-to old age; saw their grandchildren rise up to take their places, and after more than half a century, in 1868, another flood sent the Poultney River over its banks, and by a freak of nature it undid what it had before done, and so cutting through the deposit of dirt and gravel, these healing fountains were again uncovered. Now the country is cleared. The woods have been swept back to the hill tops, and a numerous and busy population surrounds them, while hundreds come many miles each year to drink of the healthful waters.
The Montvert Hotel, connected with the Springs property, an elegant and commodious house, passed into the hands of A. W. Gray's Sons, and by them was last spring sold to the Montvert Hotel Company, Limited, with Thos. B. Wilson Esq., of New York, one of the company, as manager. The house has been thoroughly refurnished, and fitted in first class style, and on July 4th, was formerly opened with a grand celebration and display of fire-works in the evening.
A. W. Gray's Sons manufactory, situated on Poultney River, at this village, is operated by both water and steam power. The firm have been in con- tinual business here for the last forty years. At the opening of the shops, the farm labor of the country was almost entirely done by hand, the plough and the drag being almost the only implements in common use by the farmers, in which the power of the horse was substituted for that of man. The cultivator, drill, threshing-machine, wood-saw, mowing-machine, horse- rake and reaper have been introduced since. This firm began with A. W. Gray, the father, in a small way and with rude machinery ; the business has increased and the machines been improved until they are now able to offer the perfected machines of the present day. The present proprietors were brought up as boys in the shop, and taught to make every part of either wood or metal of each machine manufactured by them, having invented and perfected many of the devices in use in the machines. Arriving at manhood, they became interested as partners in the business. Many years since they assumed the sole control, and five years since became the sole owners, and have since then conducted the business under the name of A. W. Gray's Sons, by which they are widely known through the whole country, as manufacturers of agri- cultural implements, etc. They employ about 50 men and manufacture about 1,200 different machines each year.
Smith's carriage manufactory, located at Middletown Springs, opposite the works of A. W. Gray's Sons, was established in 1871. He manufactures all kinds of wagons and carriages, and also does repairing.
Spring Valley Cheese Factory, located at Middletown Springs, was built by a stock company in 1876. It has the capacity for manufacturing cheese from the milk of 400 cows.
Middletown Cheese Factory was one of the first established in the State.
155
TOWN OF MIDDLETOWN.
It has facilities for manufacturing the milk from 700 cows, but only uses the milk of a little over six hundred.
Cline's grist and saw mill is located on Poultney River, one half mile east of Middletown Springs. The grist-mill has one run of stones and does mostly custom work. The saw-mill has the capacity for cutting 3,000 feet of lumber per day.
Atwater's cider-mill, located about three miles south of Middletown Springs, on road 24, has the capacity for making 20 barrels of cider per day.
The exact date when the first settlers came here perhaps cannot be given. It was, however, before the Revolutionary war, and probably but a short time before. Settlement was commenced by Thomas Morgan, Richard and Benjamin Haskins, Phineas Clough and Luther Filmore. Thomas Morgan built the first frame house in town, nearly one mile south of the village, on the farm now owned by his grandson, Daniel Morgan. Mr. Morgan lived here until his death, which occurred in the year 1841. When he came to the town it was an unbroken wilderness, and he could only find his way by marked trees. After he came and commenced clearing the forest, he purchased 100 acres of land about one mile from where the village now stands, and put up a log house a few feet from where the framed house now stands on the old " Morgan Farm." By the summer of 1777 he had made considerable progress in clearing up his land, as he had that summer four acres of wheat, but he was called away to Bennington by the Revolution, and his wheat was never harvested.
Richard Haskins commenced settlement a little east of the village. He, too, in 1777, had two acres of wheat which he never harvested, but went to Bennington.
Benj. Hoskins built a log house and commenced settlement a little east of the village. Luther Filmore put up a log house on the south-west corner of what is known as the "Green," in the village. Where Phineas Clough first located is not positively known ; but he early settled on what has since been known as the "Orcutt Farm."
These five men are all who are known to have been here before the Revo- utionary war. They all left in the summer of 1777, joined the militia at Manchester, and were all in Bennington battle.
The first mills were built by Gideon Miner in 1782. They were located about one-half mile east of where the village now is. Mr. Morgan assisted Mr. Miner, as a workman, in building the mills. Morgan brought the mill- irons from Bennington on a horse. After the Revolution, when the settlers had again returned to their farms, immigration became rapid, for in the fall of 1784, the people petitioned the Legislature for a new town. It can readi- ly be seen that the settlers upon those parts of the then towns of Poultney, Ira, Tinmouth and Wells, now included in the limits of Middletown, would naturally become a community by themselves, and unite their interests and feelings in spite of town lines. They had already done so-two churches had
156
TOWN OF MIDDLETOWN.
been organized, and a log meeting-house erected, and the members of the church were from the four towns, but had a conimon centre, where it has been since and now is. If those town lines had never been changed, there must have been the same churches here, the same business, the same village. Na- ture formed the territory for a town, and as the settlers increased in numbers, they became aware of it and petitioned, as has been seen, the Legislature for the same.
On the farm of E. B. Cook is an old house, built about 100 years ago by Caleb Smith. Mr. Cook intends to tear it down this year and build anew on its site.
Asa Gardner was one of the early settlers of the township, settling about two miles north of the village. Almer, his son, was born in this town, where he resided until his death, in 1877, at the age of 82 years. Charles, brother of Almer, is still living, the oldest man in the township, aged 88. The Gard- ner place is situated on road 2, and contains the oldest house in town, being built in 1778.
Nathaniel Cleft was born in the town of Ira, April 1, 1800, where he resid- ed until 1838, when he removed to this town and settled on road 2, on the farm now owned by his son, H. R. Cleft. He died Dec. 7, 1875.
Joseph Spaulding, who laid out and surveyed the township, was also the first school teacher in the town, having taught in a log meeting house, where the village now stands. He lived one mile north of the village, where he died at the age of 96 years. His son Joseph came to the town a few years after his father, and located near the village, but afterward lived in various parts of the town. His son Harley is still living in town.
Gideon Buel, an early settler of Middletown, left two sons and one daugh- ter, named Jared, Julia and Boswell, Sen. Boswell Buel, Sen., represented the town in the State Legislature during the years 1860 and '61. His son, Boswell, Jr., represented the town in 1850, and was a member of the Consti- tutional Convention in 1870, and a member of the Legislature in 1870, '72, '74, '75 and '76. He was instrumental in getting an appropriation of six hundred dollars for the Nathaniel Chipman monument of 1872, and in 1874 an appropriation of $150 for the purpose of erecting an iron fence around said monument.
Samuel Hutchings settled in the town at an early date. His daughter, Anna Clark, still resides here, at the advanced age of 85 years.
Moses E. Vail, an old resident of Middletown, is a son of Micah, and grand- son of Edward Vail, early settlers of Danby, spoken of in the Danby history. Moses engaged in mercantile pursuits in Middletown as early as 1841, retir- ing from active business in 1875. His son, C. B. Vail, is now one of the prominent merchants of Rutland village.
The freshet spoken of as having changed the course of Poultney River, did a great deal of damage to the town. It occurred in July, 1811. Many houses at the village, and all the mills and machinery, except those now
157
TOWN OF MT. HOLLY.
known as Gray's Mills, were swept away. The disastrous effects of this flood were severely felt in Middletown for many years, and indeed the town, as a place of business, never fully recovered from it. John Burnam, who had been the leading business man of the town, was becoming an old man, and felt disinclined to undergo the necessary labor and care which would be required to start anew in so extensive a business as he had done. He, how- ever, rebuilt his forge and saw mill, which were in operation some years after that, but without the activity which his former mills had shown. A good many men were thrown out of employment, and were obliged to seek else- where. At the census of 1820 the population of the town was but 1,039, a falling off of 168 from 1810, owing in a great measure, if not entirely, to the sad effects of the freshet. Yet, notwithstanding the great destruction of property, Middletown continued, and still is, a lively little place.
The Congregational Church, located at Middletown Springs, was organized in 1780, by the Rev. Mr. Hibbard, who was the first minister. The church building is a comfortable structure, capable of seating 300 persons, erected in 1796, and, including grounds, is valued at $4,000. The society now has a membership of 85, with Osborn Myrick as pastor.
Middletown Baptist Church, located at Middletown Springs, was organized by a delegation from Manchester and Danby, in the year 1784, with Rev. Sylvanus Haynes as pastor. The building was erected in 1806, and is valued at about $5,500, with a seating capacity of about 250. The society has now about 70 members, with Rev. T. H. Archibald as pastor.
The M. E. Church of Middletown, located at Middletown Springs, was or- ganized by the Rev. Samuel Young, on Nov. 24, 1835, with a membership of nine. The society now has fourteen members, with no regular pastor. The building was erected in the year 1836. It has a seating capacity of 200, and, together with the property at the time it was built, was valued at $1,200 ; but has since decreased in value, so that it is now estimated at about $1,000.
The Second Advent Church, located at Middletown Springs, was organized by Elder C. Kingsley in 1879, and consisted of 17 members. They have erected no building yet, and hold their services in the hall. The society now consists of 20 meinbers, with Rev. W. O. Bibbins, of Rutland, pastor.
OUNT HOLLY, located in the eastern part of the county, in lat. 43º 29' and long. 4" 14' east from Washington, was not one of the original townships. In surveying the towns on the east and west sides of the Green Mountains, there was left between Ludlow, on the east, and Walling- ford, on the west, a gore of land called "Jackson's Gore"-taking its name from Abraham Jackson, one of the original proprietors, and an early settler on the Gore. It will be seen that the State widens as we proceed north from the Massachusetts line, the west line being straight, and supposed to be a continuation of the old "twenty mile line " spoken of on page 54, while the east line was the west bank of the Connecticut River, which tends eastward.
158
TOWN OF MT. HOLLY.
Gov. Wentworth, in chartering the towns of Vermont, laid them out in town- ships, each six miles square, beginning at the south end of the State. As he surveyed farther north, those on the east followed the river, while the west- ward towns were laid out in a straight line. For the first forty miles the State is nearly uniform, being some thirty-five miles or more in width; but farther north it widens, and as the outside towns were first surveyed, the widening gore in the center of the State was left unchartered. In the years 1780 and '81, Vermont, then struggling into existence, was passing through a fearful ordeal.
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