USA > Vermont > Windham County > Gazetteer and business directory of Windham county, Vt., 1724-1884 > Part 45
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The Congregational church of South Wardsboro. - The first Congrega. tional church was organized May 1, 1793, over which the Rev. James Tufts was ordained November 4, 1795. In 1796 they built a church building about half a mile west of West Wardsboro, at what is known as the "old common," a wood structure, which did good service until 1840, when it was decided to change the church site. The building was then torn down, while the society was divided, some to help build a church at South Wardsboro, and others to build a church at Wardsboro. Thus, the South Wardsboro people date the organization at the time of the original organization, while the people at Wardsboro date their church organization at the time their church building
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was completed, in 1842. The church at South Wardsboro has at present fifty-six members, with Rev. Nathaniel Richardson, pastor. The church building is a wood structure, valued, including grounds, at $1,500.00, and will comfortably seat 350 persons.
The Baptist church of West Wardsboro was organized by a council con- vened for that purpose, in 1793, Elder Stephen Choat being settled as their pastor, in 1806. Their church building, a wood structure built in 1795, will comfortably seat 225 persons and, is valued, including grounds, at $2,000.00. The society now has seventy-six members, under the charge of Rev. Henry M. Hopkinson.
The Methodist Episcopal church, located at Wardsboro, was organized in 1831, by Revs. Guy Beckley and James M. Fuller, with six members, Rev. Guy Beckley being installed as first pastor. Their church building was erected the following year, at a cost of $800.00. It will seat 350 persons, and is valued, including grounds, at $2,500.00, while they have, in addition, a parsonage valued at $1,000.00. The society has at present ninety-eight members, under the pastorial charge of Rev. William A. Bryant.
The Congregational church of Wardsboro, located on Main street, was organized in November, 1842, with ten members, Rev., Willard Brigham being the first pastor. Their church building was erected in 1842, at a cost of $1,300.00, and dedicated in 1843. It is a wood structure capable of seat- ing 350 persons, and is valued, including grounds, at $1,500.00. The soci- ety has at present twenty members, with no regular pastor.
W ESTMINSTER lies in the northeastern part of the county, in lat. 43° 5' and long. 4° 32', bounded north by Rockingham, east by the west bank of Connecticut river, south by Putney, and west by Brookline and Athens. The town was originally granted by Massachusetts, about 1735. The circumstances leading to this grant, and the history of the early settlement, are well detailed by Hall, in his History of Eastern Vermont, as follows :-
"Many petitions having been presented to the general assembly of Mass- achusetts, in the year 1735, praying for grants of land on the Connecticut and Merrimack rivers, that body, on the 15th of January, 1735 or'36, ordered a sur- vey of the lands between the aforesaid rivers, from the northwest corner of the town of Rumford on the latter stream to the Great Falls on the former, of twelve miles in breadth from north to south, and the same to be laid out in townships of six miles square each. They also voted to divide the lands bordering the east side of Connecticut river, south of the Great Falls, into townships of the same size; and on the west side, the territory between the Great Falls and the Equivalent Lands into two townships of the same size if the space would allow, and if not into one township. Eleven persons were appointed to conduct the survey and division. Twenty-eight townships were accordingly laid out between the Connecticut and Merri- mack rivers, and on the west bank of Connecticut river, township Number
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One, now Westminster, was surveyed and granted to a number of persons from Taunton, Norton, and Easton, in Massachusetts, and from Ashford and Killingly in Connecticut, who had petitioned for the same.
"The terms upon which the grant of Number One and of the other town- ships, was made, were these : Each settler was required to give bonds to the amount of forty pounds as security for performing the conditions enjoined Those who had not within the space of seven years last past received grants of land were admitted as grantees; but in case enough of this class could not be found, then those were admitted who, having received grants of land else- where within the specified time, had fulfilled the conditions upon which they had received them. The grantees were obliged to build a dwelling house eighteen feet square and seven feet stud at the least, on their respective house lots, and fence in and break up for ploughing, or clear and stock with English grass five acres of land, and cause their respective lots to be inhabited within three years from the date of their admittance. They were further required within the same time to build and furnish a convenient meeting-house for the public worship of God, and settle a learned orthodox minister. On fail- ing to perform these terms their rights became forfeit, and were to be again granted to such settlers as would fulfill the above conditions within one year after receiving the grant. Each township was divided into sixty-three rights -sixty for the settlers, one for the first settled minister, another for the second settled minister, and the third for a school. The land in township Number One was divided into house lots and 'intervale' lots, and one of each kind was included in the right of every grantee. As to the remainder of the on- divided land, an agreement was made that it should be shared equally and alike by the settlers when divided.
"Capt. Joseph Tisdale, one of the principal grantees of Number One, har- ing been empowered by the general assembly of Massachusetts, called a meeting of the grantees at the school-house in Taunton, on the 14th of January, 1736 or'37. A committee was then appointed to repair to the new township for the purpose of dividing the land, according to the wishes of the grantees. They were also required to select a suitable place for a meeting. house, a burying-place, a training-field, sites for a saw-mill and a grist-mill, and to lay out a convenient road. The proprietors held a number of meetings, some- times at Capt. Tisdale's, at other times in the old school-house, and not unfre- quently at the widow Ruth Tisdale's. A sufficient time having elapsed, the allot- ment of the sixty-three rights was declared on the 26th of September, 1737- and proposals were issued for erecting a saw-mill and a grist-mill at Number One, which was now familiarly called New Taunton, in remembrance of the town where the majority of the proprietors resided. At the same time, a number of the proprietors agreed to undertake the building of the mills, and by the records of a meeting held July 8, 1740, it appeared that the saw-mill had been built, and that means had been taken to lay out a road from it to the highway. Other improvements were made at this period by Richard Ellis and his son Reuben, of Easton, who, having purchased eight rights in the new township, built there a dwelling house, and cleared and cultivated several acres of land. Some of the settlers were also engaged at the same time in laying out roads and constructing fences, who, on their return to Massachusetts, received gratuities for their services from the other propri- etors.
"The grantees were preparing to make other improvements, having in view particularly the construction of a road to Fort Dummer, when, on the 5th of March, 1740, the northern boundary line of Massachusetts was settled
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On finding by this decision that Number One was excluded from that prov- ince, they appointed an agent on the 5th of April, 1742, to acquaint the gen- eral assembly of Massachusetts of the difficulties they had experienced, and of the money and labor they had expended in settling their grant, and to ask from that body directions by which they might firmly secure their rights, although under a different jurisdiction. The meeting at which this appoint- ment was made, was probably the last held by the proprietaries under Mass- achusetts, and there is but little doubt that the settlement was abandoned upon the breaking out of the 'Cape Breton War,' [in 1744].
" In the spring of the year 1751 John Averill, with his wife, and his son Asa, moved from Northfield, in Massachusetts, to Number One. At that time there were but two houses in the latter place. One of these, occupied by Mr. Averill, was situated on the top of Willard's or Clapp's hill, at the south end of Main street. The other below the hill, on the meadow, and un- occupied, was probably the house built by Mr. Ellis and his son in 1739. In the house into which Mr. Averill moved there had been living four men, one woman and two children. The men were William Gould and his son John, Amos Carpenter and Atherton Chaffee. Of these, Gould and Carpenter moved their families from Northfield to Number One during the summer of the same year. The first child born in Westminster was Anna Averill. Her birth took place in the autumn of 1751.
"On the 9th of November, 1752, Governor Benning Wentworth, of New Hampshire, re-granted Number One, and changed its name to Westminster. The first meeting of the new grantees was held at Westminster, New Hamp- shire, in August, 1753, at the house of Major Josiah Willard, whose father, Col. Josiah Willard, of Fort Dummer, was at the time of his death, by pur- chase from the original Massachusetts grantees, one of the principal proprie- tors of Number One. A subsequent meeting was held at Fort Dummer, in the same year, at which permission was given to those proprietors who had purchased rights under the Massachusetts title and then held them, of locating their land as at the first. Further operations were suspended by the breaking out of the French war, and the familes above enumerated were the only in- habitants of Westminster until after the close of that struggle."
In 1760, for the purpose of resuscitating the settlement of the town, Col. Josiah Willard, Jr., formerly of Fort Dummer, obtained a renewal of the charter, on the 11th of June, and warned a proprietor's meeting. In accord- ance with the warning a meeting was held on the 4th of February, 1761, at the house of John Averill, in Westminster, at which Benjamin Bellows, of Walpole, N. H., presided as moderator. Means were taken to apportion the land satisfactorily, and preparations were made for permanent settlement on the broad and fertile plains, which now constitute so much of the beauty of the village. At a subsequent meeting, held May 6th, several valuable lots of land were voted to Col. Willard, in addition to those he then held, provided he should build a saw-mill and a grist-mill within the limits of the town. At the same time a tax was laid on the proprietors, in order to raise a fund from which to reward him for the various services he had rendered them. These efforts to multiply inducements to settlers from the older provinces, were not without success, and before the close of the year 1766, more than fifty families were located in Westminster. According to the census of 1771, taken by the order of Governor Dunmore, of New York, the town was the
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TOWN OF WESTMINSTER.
most populous in what is now Windham county, and, indeed, in this part of the Province, the whole number of actual residents being 478. In 179t the population had increased to 1,601 souls, or about 224 more than it has to- day. It is unknown when the town was organized. Elkanah Day was town clerk, and Medad Wright, constable, in 1777, however, and there is traditional proof that they had been such for a number of years. October 19. 1787, the town was divided into two parishes, Westminster East Parish, and Westminster West Parish, and by a stipulation it was agreed that the town clerk should be changed yearly to the other parish. The first justices of the peace appointed by the State were John Norton and Elijah Ranney, in 1786. The first representative was Nathaniel Robinson, chosen in March, 1778. The erection of Westminster into a shire town, the removal of the court-house to Newfane, etc., have all been mentioned in connection with the chapter on courts and county buildings, on page 31.
The surface of the town is, in general, quite rough and mountainous. though there are large tracts of level land with an arable soil, especially in the vicinity of Westminster village. This brokenness of surface, though it in many places precludes profitable cultivation, greatly enhances the pictur- esqueness of the scenery, which is proberbial for its beauty. There are Do streams of importance in the territory, though there are many brooks and minor streams, making the town a well watered district. In the westem part of the town the streams flow both to the north and to the south, while those of the eastern part find their way in an easterly direction to the Con- necticut. The timber is that common to the towns throughout the county. The rocks entering into the geological structure of the town are calciferous mica schist and clay-slate, lying in two parallel ranges, the former underlying the western, and the latter the eastern portions.
In 1880 Westminster had a population of 1,377, and in 1882 it had eleven school districts and twelve common schools, employing two male and seven- teen female teachers, to whom was paid an aggregate salary of $1,623.80. There were 257 pupils attending common school, while the entire cost of the schools for the year, ending October 31st, was $3,230.01, with John B. Morse, superintendent.
WESTMINSTER, a handsome little post village located in the eastern part of the town, has one church (Congregational), three stores, a carriage shop. blacksmith shop, school-house, and about fifty dwellings. It lies amost entirely on one broad street, though its limits occupy a plain about a mile in diameter, lying thirty or more feet above the Connecticut, one of the beauti- ful terrace formations of a former geological epoch, common along this stream The "street " mentioned was laid out in the reign of King George II., ia 1737, and was called the " King's Highway." It was originally ten rods wide. though now but six, and two miles in length, and was designed and used as a training-ground for the early military companies of this section. About this street, now so quiet and restful, are clustered some of the most rare and
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striking legends of Vermont's historic lore Here the first newpaper in the State was published (see page 49), and it was here that, January 16, 1777, was held the convention that declared the New Hampshire grants a " free and independent State." Here the old church still stands, built in 1770, which in its early days housed a generation of worshipers who bore a prom- inent part in the struggle of the State and Nation for independent. Near the northern end of the street lies the old burying-ground which entombs the bones of the fathers, and among them those of the young and ardent patriot, William French, to whom history accords a place as the first martyr of the Revolution. A few rods distant from the cemetery, almost at the brow of a gentle hill, is the site of the old court-house (see page 33) where French was shot, in 1775, and where, two years later, the memorable convention above named was held. One prominent historic relic, the famous Tory Tavern, was demolished a few years since, to make room for another building. This tavern was the redezvous for the 'Tory faction who came here to attend court, and in it was performed the ceremony which united in marriage Gen. Ethan Allen and Mrs. Buchanan, Mrs. Buchanan, strange to say, being the daughter- in-law of the arrant Tory, Crean Brush. A one-sided glimpse of this lady's character may be caught from her indignant reply to a bantering query of the Tory Tavern proprietor, as to whether or not she would marry Ethan Allen, if an opportunity should arise : "What, marry the devil and become queen of Hell? No!"
About a mile from the site of the Tory Tavern may still be seen, with its weather beaten sides and gambrel roof, the public house of the other faction, the People's Tavern. The old church mentioned above is well preserved, as it has, within a few years, been entirely remodeled inside and converted into a commodious town hall, the pulpit and a square pew and seats being removed to an upper portion of the building, where they are preserved as historic relics.
The facts relative to the famous massacre of 1775, though doubtless famil- iar to all, are briefly as follows : The stated session of the Cumberland county court was to be held at Westminster, March 13, 1775. Much dissatisfaction prevailed in the county because New York had refused to adopt the resolves of the Continental congress, and exertions were made to dissuade the judges from holding the court. But, as they persisted in doing it, some of the inhab- itants of Westminster and the adjacent towns took possession of the court- house at an early hour in order to prevent the officers of the court from enter- ing. The court party soon appeared before the court-house, armed with guns, swords and pistols, and commanded the people to disperse. But, as they refused to obey, some harsh language passed between them, and the court party retired to their quarters. The people then had an interview with Judge Chandler, who assured them that they might have quiet possession of the house till morning, when the court should come in without arms, and should hear what they had to lay before them. But, contrary to this declara-
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tion, about eleven o'clock at night, the sheriff, with the other officers of the court, attended by an armed force, repaired to the court-house. Being refused admittance, some of the party fired into the house and killed one man, William French, and wounded several others. The wounded men they seized and dragged to the court-house cells, with some others who did not succeed in making their escape. By means of those who escaped the news of this massacre was quickly spread, and before noon the next day a large body of armed men had collected. A jury of inquest brought in a verdic that the man was murdered by the court party. Several of the officers were made prisoners and confined them in the jail at Northampton, in Massachu- setts. But, upon the application of the chief justice of New York, they were released from prison and returned home.
These proceedings aroused the spirit of opposition to New York throughout the grants on the east side of the mountains. A meeting of committees from the several townships was held at Westminster, April 11, 1775, at which a number of spirited resolutions were adopted relative to the "late unhappy transactions." Among other things it was voted, " That it is the duty of the inhabitants, as predicted on the eternal and immutable law of self preserva- tion, wholly to renounce and revisit the administration of the government of New York, until such times as the lives and property of the inhabitants may be secured by it." A committee was also appointed, of which Ethan Allen was one, to remonstrate to the court of Great Britain against that government and to petition his majesty, "to be taken out of so offensive a jurisdiction and to be either annexed to some other jurisdiction, or incorporated into a new one." This was the inception of the sturdy stand taken at Lexington and Bunker Hill, resulting in our glorious Union. In November, 1872, an appropriation was made by the Vermont legislature to erect a monument to the memory of William French. The monument was erected and the original slate slab that stood at the head of his grave, now occupies a niche in the interior wall of the "Old church." Upon it is traced the following in- scription :-
"IN MEMORY OF WILLIAM FRENCH, SON TO MR. NATHANIEL FRENCH, WHO WAS SHOT IN WESTMINSTER, MARCH YE 13TH 1775, BY THE HANDS OF CRUEL MINISTERIAL TOOLS OF GEORGE VE 3D IN THE CORTHOUSE AT a 11 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT IN THE 22D YEAR OF HIS AGE.
" Here William French his Body lies. For Murder his Blood for Vengance cries. King George the third his Tory crew Tha with a bawl his head Shol threw. For Liberty and his Country's Good He Lost his Life his Dearest Blood."
The French family and their early settlement in Brattleboro is spoken of on page 177. In addition we would say, F. F. French, who now occupies 3 part of the old homestead, married Sophia S. Doolittle, of Vernon, and has three sons, Willis F., Percy E. and Edward F. Jesse French, brother of
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William, served in the Revolution and died of disease contracted in the ser- vice August 22, 1777. In the same cemetery where lie the bones of the patriot French, also are buried the bones of Judge Thomas Chandler, whose duplicity proved a large factor in provoking the trouble. From that time forward he slowly sank into obscurity, and was finally imprisoned for debt in the old court-house cells, where he died, and where his body was left, owing to some legal technicality, until in a loathsome condition, and thien thrown into a rough box, dragged to the jail wall and thrown into a hole that was dug in a slanting direction into the cemetery.
WESTMINSTER WEST is a post village located in the western part of the town. It has one church (Congregational), a school-house, several mechanic shops, etc., and about a dozen dwellings.
WESTMINSTER STATION (p. o.) is located in the eastern part of the town on the Vt. V. R. R., and has a depot, postoffice, and a few dwellings.
Sidney Gage & Co.'s saw-mill and basket shop, located on road 11, gives employment to about thirty hands, turning out 250,000 feet of lumber per year and fifty dozen baskets per day.
The Forest Woolen Company's mill, located on road 11, employs ten hands manufacturing shoddy flock.
The Fall Mountain Paper Co.'s saw-mill, on road 9, employs thirteen hands and manufactures 1,000,000 feet of lumber per annum.
Ira Smith's saw mill, on road 37, operated by Peter Mayo, cuts 30,000 feet of lumber per annum.
H. G. Harlow's saw-mill, on road 40, the only one in the West parish, cuts about 100,000 feet of lumber per year.
Peter Mayo's grist mill, on road 37, has two runs of stones, and grinds about 6,000 bushels of grain per year.
Joseph F. Ward's brick yard, on road 30, employs ten men and has the capacity for turning out 1,500,000 bricks per year.
John Mc Clure's brick yard, on road 35, turns out about 300,000 bricks per annum.
The Westminster carriage factory, Byron F. Atcherson, proprietor, turns out about $4,000.00 worth of carriages and sleighs per year.
Horace E. Wellman, on road 39, manufactures about 200 sleighs per annum.
Capt. Azariah Wright came to Westminster from Northfield, Mass., about 1762, and located on the place where Mr. Newcomb now lives. He was a cap- tain in the Revolutionary war, and fought bravely for the rights and privileges which his descendants now enjoy. His son Joseph came with him and lived in the town till his death in 1805. He left four children, of whom only one, Joseph H., is now living. He resides on road four and is in his eighty- third year.
Elihu Wright came here from Massachusetts some time between 1760 and 1770. He died in 1832, on the farm on which Joseph H. Wright now lives.
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Medad Wright came from Northfield, Mass., previous to 1770 and took up land where his grandson Daniel C. Wright now lives. He held a lieuten- ant's commission at the time of the massacre at the court-house. He carried on farming and shoemaking, and was obliged to carry his grain to a mill in Northfield, Mass. He died in the town. His son Hollis was born February 22, 1780, and spent his life upon the homestead, where he died at the age of eighty three. His son Daniel C. now occupies the homestead on which he was born, and has built a fine residence on the site of the home of his ances- tors. He married Sarah Cragin, of Westminster, and has two sons and a daughter. He has been selectman and justice of the peace.
John Morse came to Westminster, from Massachusetts, sometime previous to 1770, and lived at East Westminster, where the Congregational church now stands. He was a member of the convention which framed the constitution of Vermont. He died here in 1843. He raised five sons, two of whom are now living, one, John R., who was born in 1813, in this town, where he has always resided. He now lives with his son, on road 23, where they own about a thousand acres of land. He had two children, only one of whom is now living.
Charles Rice was one of the first settlers in Westminster. He came here with a family named Burke, at the age of three years, and died here many years ago. His son Eliakim was born in Westminster, and resided in this town and Rockingham till his death, in 1868. He had six children, only three of whom are living, all in this town, one, Luke L., on road 25; another, Porter, on road 44 ; and the third, Mrs. Evaline Morse, at Westminster street.
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