Gazetteer of Orange County, Vt., 1762-1888, Part 45

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- comp. cn
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., The Syracuse journal company, printers
Number of Pages: 836

USA > Vermont > Orange County > Gazetteer of Orange County, Vt., 1762-1888 > Part 45

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).

"Voted, that Jacob Bayley Esq. shall represent the town of Newbury at the council, which was voted to meet for said installment down country where is thought most convenient.

" JACOB KENT, " Town Clerk."

Accordingly the council met at Hollis, N. H., and Mr. Powers was there installed, that being the place "thought most convenient." He continued his labors successfully with the church in Newbury, through a period of over seventeen years, and was dismisse 1 sometime in 1782. Mr. Powers's field of labor was Newbury and Haverhill, but his place of preaching was at the " Ox Bow" in Newbury. His congregation, however, was not confined to these towns. Several people from Ryegate and from Moretown (now Brad- ford) came regularly to the place of worship to enjoy the ordinance of the gospel. After leaving Newbury Mr. Powers preached a year or two in Hav --

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erhill, N. H., and went from there to Deer Isle, in Maine, where he was pastor of the Congregational church in that place until his death, in 1800. Since his pastorate the church has had eight different pastors, including the present pastor, Rev. S. L. Bates, who was installed over the church in Jan- uary, 1872. It has also had fifteen different deacons, including the present incumbents in the diaconate.

According to the best information, the first meeting-house was erected within a year or two after the settlement of Mr. Powers. It was built of logs, and was located at the " Ox Bow." Its dimensions were 28 x 25 feet. After some years the congregation became too large to be accommodated in this house, and public worship was held in a building opposite the cemetery, which was erected for a court-house. In 1790 a church edifice was built on what was formerly called the " Little Plain." This was the first church edi- fice in the state that was built with a steeple. It was occupied as a house of worship about fifty years. In 1840 a new edifice was erected on the site occupied by the present church, and was dedicated November 13th, of that year. On Sunday morning, January 13, 1856, this building was totally de- * stroyed by fire. The society immediately set about the erection of another, and early in the ensuing fall they were enabled to complete the present house of worship, which was dedicated September 23, 1856.

Two colonies have gone out from this church. In August, 1840, twenty- four persons from its membership were formed into a branch church at Wells River, which became an independent organization June 13, 1842. In Feb- ruary, 1867, twenty-one members of the church were dismissed, and organ- ized with others (February 13, 1867,) into the Congregational church at West Newbury.

The Methodist Episcopal church of Newbury .- The early history of Meth- odism, in Newbury, has come down to the present generation only in a very fragmentary form. The old circuit system, by which several towns were grouped together, to be served by a number of itinerant preachers, who in rotation held religious services, was unfavorable to the preservation of church documents. The class-leaders in the several towns had simply a record of the class membership. The recording steward of the circuit held the most important records ; and while many of these were capable of affording very imperfect data out of which to write church history, their transfer from one officer to another, and often, likewise, from one town to another, resulted, as the years passed on, in their entire loss frequently, so that much information valuble to the local churches has disappeared and cannot be recovered.

Authoritative traces of the organization of the Methodist Episcopal church in Newbury had well nigh perished in this way, but fortunately the record has been rescued from oblivion through the correspondence of E. C. Stocker (one of the present trustees and class-leaders) with Mrs. J. S. Taplin, of Oskosh, Wis. Mrs. Taplin is the daughter of Mr. Joseph Prescott, who was

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one of the citizens of Newbury years ago, and also one of the members of the first Methodist class formed in town.

The history of the organization of this class cannot better be told than to quote a portion of Mrs. Taplin's letter. She writes as follows :-

" I have often heard my father talk over the early history of the Methodist Episcopal church in Newbury, the first class being formed at his house the year he was married, which I find in the ' Prescott Memorial' was in 1801. During that year Revs. James Young, Elijah Sabin and John Broadhead visited my father and mother by invitation,-as they were all three present at their wedding,-staid over night, preached, and formed a class, appointing father class-leader. There were eleven in all in this class. Some of their names I remember seeing on the old class-book in after years. These were Joseph Prescott, Sarepta Prescott, Stephen Powers, Ashbell Buell and wife, and Hannah Tuxbury. Others I have forgotten. The circuit for many years was called the Vershire Circuit, embracing as it did all of Orange county. The first sermon I remember hearing was by Rev. Louis Bates, in father's kitchen. He was the father of Rev. L. B. Bates, now of East Boston Mission, or Seamen's Bethel."

Mrs. Taplin names several of the itinerant preachers who served on this circuit many years ago, as follows : Rev. Mr. Winchester, Eleazer Wells, « Charles D. Cahoon, John Lord, Nathan W. Scott, P. C. Richmond, William Peck, John Lovejoy, and Amasa Houghton.

A few items of interest relating to early Methodism in Newbury are found in "The Autobiography of Dan. Young," a book published in 1860. Rev. Dan. Young was an itinerant preacher, somewhat eccentric, of much more than common talent, and for a time a member of the New England confer- ence, which conference, at the date of his entrance, in 1804, embraced all of the New England states. Rev. Mr. Young located in 1809, and lived on the

old homestead in Landaff, Grafton county, N. H., for many years. He con-

tinued to preach as he found opportunity, and at one time supplied the pul- pit of the Congregational church in Newbury for a short period, when this church had no pastor. Record is also found of his preaching for the Meth- odists on an extra occasion, in the vicinity of South Newbury, to a congre- gation of nearly a thousand people in the open air, at which time he baptized twenty persons by immersion in the stream that flows down through this place from the hills on the west. Our respected townsman and Methodist, Dan. Young Ford, was named after this preacher by his parents, who held Rev. Mr. Young in very high esteem.

In 1828 seven members of the Methodist class were children of Mr. Joseph Prescott. Mrs. Taplin recalls the additional names of Jeremiah Tuxbury, Martha Tuxbury, Rivera Tuxbury, Albert Buell, Hutchins Bailey, Electa Powers, Prentice Knight and wife, Mr. Johnson and wife, Haynes Johnson, and several other persons by the name of Stevens.

At this time the only church building in Newbury was owned by the town, and occupied three Sabbaths in each month by the Congregationalists. The Methodists believing, as the church was town property, they had a just right

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to its use on the Sabbath when it was not used, applied to the proper author- ities for permission to hold meetings there on such days. The opposition to Methodism at that time was so strong that the authorities refused to grant this request. This refusal stirred up a good deal of feeling among all classes of citizens, and resulted in the building of a house of worship in 1830, which the Methodists at Newbury Street continue to occupy.

The location in Newbury of the school, popularly known as Newbury semi- nary, in 1834, contributed not a little to the local strength of Methodism. Through the agency of the quarterly conference of the M. E. church in New- bury, many young men, connected with the seminary as teachers and students, received authority to use their gifts as exhorters and local preachers. By this conference many have been recommended as suitable persons to join the an- nual conferences as traveling or itinerant preachers. A long list of names of such young men appears upon the quarterly conference records, who have done noble work in the church, both in the state of Vermont and in other states. A few names only, of the more prominent men of this class, will here be inserted, viz. : Osman C. Baker, R. S. Rust, C. N. Smith, J. W. Guernsey, J. A. Sherburne, H. P. Cushing, J. W. Bemis, C. C. Dickinson, W. D. Mal- com, J. E. King, C. W. Cushing, J. E. Latimer, J. O. Peck, S. E. Quimby, Hugh Montgomery, J. C. W. Coxe.

In the autumn of 1835 a society was formed by the ladies of the Metho- dist church, called "The Dorcas Society." The constitution adopted at that time says, " The object of this society shall be threefold: First, to pro- vide articles of clothing suitable for destitute children connected with our Indian Missions, particularly the Flat-Head Mission. Second, to provide what ever else may be needful for those missions, in our power. Third, to make and mend clothing for indigent young men connected with Newbury seminary, especially for such as design to preach the gospel." The records show that this society was actively employed in this benevolent work for several years. They secured, at different times, the leading preachers of this vicinity to address the people on the subject of missionary work, and took collections, at such times, to further the objects of the society. Correspon- dence was opened with Rev. Jason Lee, missionary to the Flat-Head Indians in Oregon. Interesting letters were received from him and his wife at differ- ent times and read before the society, and on one occasion, at least, this in- trepid missionary, accompanied by a Flat-Head Indian, was present in person to address the society. Several boxes of clothing were sent out to this mis- sion, each box valued at forty or fifty dollars. In 1844 the constitution of this society was changed, allowing its funds to be distributed according to the discretion of its members, thereafter. Asthe years passed on the Dorcas society was superseded by the Women's Foreign Missionary society, and the Women's Home Missionary society. Under the auspices of these two societies the ladies of the church continue to prepare clothing to be sent to distant. home mission fields, and in connection with the Women's Foreign Missionary so-

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ciety, of West Burke, are now supporting a school for girls in India, which is called the Newbury school.

During the pastorate of Rev. P. N. Granger, in 1876, the church edifice was thoroughly repaired, and the audience room put into modern style at a cost of about $500. Funds for the entire completion of this work coming a little short, the Methodist society was greatly gratified to find that Ross Ford and his brother D. Y. Ford had very generously offered to complete the work by making a present of the beautiful pulpit furniture now used in the church.

Several of the older members of the church, as well as other friends, have shown their love for, and appreciation of, Methodism in Newbury, by be- quests. John Atwood, long an esteemed member, left by will $200. His daughter, Mrs. Amanda Moore, of St. Louis, added to this gift $300, making it $500. James S. Johnson left, also, by bequest, $200. His wife very gen- erously increased this gift with an equal sum, making it $400.

Although the membership of the Methodist church in Newbury has never been large, neither has its wealth been great, yet this church has been an in- portant factor in the Methodism of New England. The removal of the Con- ference school from Newbury to Montpelier, in 1868, has occasioned a loss deeply felt by the church ; nevertheless the good work of evangelization is still carried on with a commendable degree of vigor. The membership at the present time is 127. In the early history of the church, as previously stated, Newbury was a part of a circuit. In the minutes of the Vermont and New Hampshire conference, Newbury first appears in 1826. The following is a list of the names of itinerant preachers who have served the church since that time, viz .: 1826, Paul C. Richmond; 1827, A. H. Houghton, John Lovejoy; 1828, A. H. Houghton, John Nayson ; 1829, C. W. Levings, Will- iam Reynolds, John Smith; 1830, Schuyler Chamberlin, R. H. Spalding ; 1831, William D. Cass, Frederick T. Dailey ; 1832, C. Cowing, W. Nelson ; 1833, R. Newhall, Charles Cowing ; 1834, S. Kelley, N. O. Way; 1835, S. Kelley ; 1836, E. J. Scott ; 1837-38, J. D. Dow ; 1839, W. M. Mann ; 1840, J. Templeton ; 1841-42, L. D. Barrows ; 1843, A. Webster assisted by O. C. Baker and C. T. Hinman, teachers in the seminary ; 1844, one to be supplied, and C. T. Hinman from the seminary ; 1845, Moses Chase; 1846, E. Pet- tingill ; 1847, Haynes Johnson ; 1848-49, S. P. Williams ; 1850-51, H. P. Cushing ; 1852-53, E. Copeland ; 1854, J. D. Dow; 1855, Haynes Johnson ; 1856-57, P. P. Ray ; 1858-59, S. Quimby ; 1860, A. G. Button ; 1861-62, W. D. Malcom ; 1863 64, E. C. Bass; 1865, D. Packer ; 1866 67, H. A. Spencer ; 1868-69, L. S. Haynes ; 1870, J. W. Cline; 1871-72, S. B. Cur- rier ; 1873-74, G. M. Tuttle; 1875-77, P. N. Granger ; 1878-79, J. Mc- Donald ; 1880-82, Leonard Dodd; 1883-85, J. H. Winslow ; 1886-87, N. W. Wilder.

The Congregational church at West Newbury was organized February 13, 1867, by a council called by the First Congregational church of Newbury, and at its organization consisted of twenty-one members, with David Con-

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nell as first pastor. It now has a membership of forty-two under the pastoral charge of Rev. A. B. Lyon. Their house of worship, a wooden structure, was erected in 1833, will comfortably seat 200 persons, and is valued, in- cluding grounds and other church property, at $4,000. The Sunday-school has about seventy members, with an average attendance of thirty-five.

The Congregational church located at Wells River village was organized January 13, 1842, a branch of the Newbury Congregational church, and at its organization consisted of thirty-eight members, with Rev. Samuel R. Thrall as first pastor. It now has a membership of 200, under the pastoral charge of Rev. Eugene J. Ranslow. Their first house of worship, the pres- ent wooden structure, was built in 1840 at a cost of $2,800, will comfortably seat 400 persons, and is now valued, including grounds and other church property, at $8,000. The Sunday-school has a membership of 225.

St. Ignatius' Catholic church, at Wells River village, was organized in April, 1874, by Rev. J. S. Michaud, the first pastor, and at its organization consisted of about thirty-five residents. Their house of worship, a small one storied wooden building, 30x35 feet, was erected in 1874, will comfortably seat 140 persons, cost about $400, and is now valued, including grounds and other church property, at about $800. The parish now contains about fifty residents, under the pastoral charge of Rev. R. F. Higgins. Residents of Bath, Haverhill, and Woodsville, N. H., Groton, Newbury, and South Rye- gate villages also attend this church, which makes the average attendance over 100. About fifteen scholars also attend the Sunday-school.

0 RANGE lies in the northwest corner of the county, in latitude 44° 9' and longitude 4° 33', and is bounded north by Plainfield, Goshen and Harris Gores, in Washington county, east by Topsham, south by Corinth and Washington, and west by Barre, in Washington county. It was granted by Vermont, November 6, 1780, and chartered to Captain Ebenezer Green, Amos Robinson, Esq., and sixty-three others, August 11, 1781, and contained 23,040 acres. The territory comprising the town was also granted by New York under the name of Kempton.

The surface of the town is uneven, and in some parts rather broken. Knox mountain, in the northeasterly part of the town, is a considerable eleva- tion, and affords inexhaustible quantities of granite for building stone. The rocks entering into the geological structure of the territory are granite, sye- nite, and protogene in the northwestern corner, extending to the center of the town, while in the southern, eastern and western parts calciferous mica schist abounds. The timber is chiefly hard wood, except along the streams, where it is spruce, hemlock, cedar, pine and fir. The soil in some parts, particularly on the heights, is cold and non-productive, while in other parts, and on the streams, it is rich and productive. Jail Branch, with its

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tributaries, is the principal water-course of the town. It rises in the town of Washington, flows north into this town, where it receives a considerable stream called Cold Branch, and then passes into Barre. Branches of Wait's river pass through the northeastern and southeastern corners of the town.

The town was organized March 9, 1796, at a meeting warned by Abel Skinner, justice of the peace, and held at the house of Joseph Williams, at which meeting Joseph Thayer was elected moderator; John Sloane, town clerk ; Gould Camp, Thomas Storrs Paine and Fairbanks Bush, selectmen ; Gould Camp, treasurer; Ezra Paine, constable ; Fairbanks Bush, Ezra Goodale and Humphrey Hunt, listers ; and Joseph Williams, grand juror. The town was not represented in the state legislature until 1798, when Ezra Goodale was elected to that office.

In 1880 Orange had a population of 731. In 1886 the town had ten school districts and ten common schools, employing three male and thirteen female teachers, to whom was paid an average weekly salary, including. board, of $6.27 and $5.29 respectively. There were 177 scholars, four of whom attended private schools. The entire income for school purposes was. $1,097.14, while the total expenditures were $1, 196.86, with Miss O. G. Houghton, superintendent.

ORANGE (p. o.) is a small hamlet located in the southwestern part of the. town, and contains one church (Union), a general store, and about a half dozen dwellings.

EAST ORANGE is a post village in the extreme southeast corner of the town, on a branch of Wait's river, and contains one church, a general store, black- smith shop, and about a dozen dwellings. The principal road through this. village lies partly in Orange and partly in Corinth.

Horace I. Johnson's grist-mill, on road 22, on a branch of Wait's river, was built by the present proprietor in 1835. It does custom grinding.

Hardy Johnson's saw-mill, located on a branch of Wait's river, on road II, was built by Aaron Sanborn in 1820, and came into the possession of the present proprietor in 1872. He employs four hands, and turns out about 100,000 feet of rough lumber annually.

Chester Wills's saw, shingle and lath mill, on road 22 corner 23, on a branch of Wait's river, was built by John Clement in 1850. It came into the possession of Mr. Wills in 1858, and now gives employment to five men, and turns out 150,000 feet of lumber annually.

William D. Flanders's saw mill, on road 13, was built by Nathaniel Richardson in 1820, and rebuilt by Carr Richardson in 1845. In 1855 it was bought by Carlos Richardson, who sold the property to his son-in-law, the present owner, in 1884. It is run by water-power, gives employment to- three men, and cuts about 175,000 feet of lumber per annum.

Raymond P. Lord's saw-mill, located on jail creek, on road 15, was built by Cook & Chandler in 1820, and came into the present proprietor'-

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possession in 1864. It is run by both steam and water-power, gives employ- ment to five men, and turns out about 500,000 feet of lumber per year.

John L. Lord's butter tub factory, built by Burnham E. Lord about 1869, came into the present proprietor's possession in 1878. He manufactures. about 3,500 butter tubs per year.

Ira O. Hutchinson's saw mill, on road 36, was built by Artemas Houghton about 1820, and became the property of Mr. Hutchinson in 1885. He em- ploys five men and cuts about 200,000 feet of coarse and dressed lumber per year.

The first settlement in the town was begun by Joseph Williams, who came here with his wife in 1793 and located in the southern part of the town. Among the other settlers who came in the next two or three years were Maj. Joseph Thayer, Christopher Carey, Humphrey and Ephraim Hunt, Gould Camp, John and Matthew Sloane, Ezra Paine, Ezra Goodale, Abel Skinner, Jabez Rodgers and Porter Lord, all of whom were honored and respected citizens, and overcame the many difficulties incident to pioneer life.) Capt. David Nelson, Col. Samuel Fifield, Dr. Eliphalet Mason Bill, Hon. Luther Carpenter, David Holbrook, Esq., and John Stacey were representative men of the town and among the early settlers.

Henry B. Stacey, whose death occurred at Revel, Russia, June 18, 1869, where for seven years he had previously resided as United States consul, was probably the most noted of any of the sons of Orange. He was a son of John Stacey, an early settler, and was the youngest, save one, of a family of twelve children. He was born in Orange August 23, 1804. In early life he lived on his father's farm. At the age of fourteen he left the farm and went to Bennington to learn the printer's trade, in the office of the Vermont Gazette. In 1828 he entered a co-partnership with Luman Foote in the publication of the Burlington Free Press, of which paper he became sole proprietor in 1832, and continued to publish as sole editor and proprietor up to 1846, when he sold to Gen. DeWitt C. Clark, and purchased a small farm located about a mile north of Burlington, where he resided with his family until he entered upon his mission as U. S. consul to Russia, in 186r. He was ever active in the affairs of the town and county wherein he resided, and held many posi- tions of trust. In 1832 he was married to Miss Maria Corning, daughter of Maj. William Corning, of Burlington.

Porter Lord was born in Stratford, Conn., in 1773, and came to this town from Norwich, Vt., in 1797. He married Sophia Locke, by whom he had ten children, five of whom are living, viz. : Porter, Jr., in this town ; Sophia (Mrs. Lester Tilitson) in Craftsbury, Vt .; Mary in Kansas; Angeline in Craftsbury, and John in this town.

Nathaniel Richardson was born in 1772, and came to this town with his wife in 1799. He married Hannah Martin, by whom he had eight children, six of whom-Betsey, James, Carr, Ruth, Sarah, and Polly-are dead, and two are living-Betsey (Mrs. Sandford Baldwin) and Roxana (Mrs. Henry

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Pierce) both in this town. Carr Richardson came to this town when two years of age, where he remained seventy-nine years. He married Sally Em- ory, by whom he had four children, two died in infancy, one, Carlos, in 1883, and William C. now resides in this town. Carr was a captain of militia for many years. Carlos, son of Carr, married Sarah J. Jackson, who bore him three children, viz .: Cora B. (Mrs. B. Flanders), of this town ; Bert L., now living, and Carl F., who died in infancy. William C., son of Carr, was born in Orange, July 5, 1830. He was twice married, first to Rebecca Emerson, who died in 1857. They had three children, viz .: Flora (Mrs. John H. Farn- ham), of this town, Ervin, who married Miss Altea Wood, and Clara (Mrs. Edgar Trow), of Barre, Vt. Mr. Richardson's second wife was Vilana A. Jackson, whom he married June 16, 1874.

Edward Cutler came to this town from Claremont, N. H., previous to 1800. He had a family of nine children, viz .: Jacob, Josiah, Edward, John, Joseph, Ruth, Betsey, Lydia, and Sally, all of whom are dead. Jacob was born in Marblehead, Mass., and came here with his wife before the roads were laid out, his only guide through the forest being by means of blazed trees. He first settled on a farm in the northwest corner of the town, on road 1. He married Betsey Watts, who died in 1875, aged ninety-seven years and five months. They had a family of twelve children, four of whom are living, viz .: Jacob, Jr., and Chauncy H. in this town ; Laura (Mrs. Willis Lane), of Plainfield, Vt .; and Jerusha (Mrs. Timothy Hancock) in Jersey City, N. J. Chauncy H. married twice, first, Lois Peabody, who bore him two children,-Clinton, of East Montpelier, Vt., and Cara (Mrs. Orpheus Page), of Barre, Vt.,-and second, Finette Townsend, by whom he had five children,-Delmont, Harley, Lena, Dwight, and Earl, -all of whom are living at home with their father. Jacob, Jr., married Mary L. Waterman, August II, 1842, and has five children, viz .: George W., öf Barre, Vt .; Jennette S. (Mrs. C. A. Martin), of Marshfield, Vt .; Herman E., of Plainfield, Vt .; and Wilbur and Merton, of this town. Jacob Cutler, Jr., was representative to the legislature in 1857-59, has been selectman three times, was town lister three years, and has held many other offices of trust. Ira D. Cutler, another son of Jacob, Sr., married Alvira Richardson, of this town. He died May 28, 1884, and his wife February 23, 1884. They had two children, Leora (Mrs. Ira Bucklin), of Lebanon, N. H., and Edwin, who resides in this town. He was a man of upright character, beloved and trusted by all his neighbors ; and his wife is well remembered for her many acts of kindness to the sick and distressed. When the epidemic of diphtheria prevailed in Barre and Plain- field, she was foremost of those who cared for the dying and prepared the dead for burial.

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Gazetteer of Orange County, Vt., 1762-1888, Part 45

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- comp. cn Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., The Syracuse journal company, printers Number of Pages: 836

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- comp. cn
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., The Syracuse journal company, printers
Number of Pages: 836