USA > Vermont > Orange County > Gazetteer of Orange County, Vt., 1762-1888 > Part 56
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John M. Flint, born in Brookline, Windham county, in March, 1819, came to Strafford when seven years of age, and with the exception of ten years at sea, and eleven years as station master and postmaster at Pompanoosuc, has resided here all his life.
Walter S. Kittredge came to Strafford from Lowell, Mass., in 1842, and with the exception of twelve years in Norwich has lived here since. His wife was Caroline Tucker, of Tunbridge, and they had eight children, two sons- and three daughters of whom are living. Rodemah K., their eldest son, enlisted in the civil war, was a recruit of the 9th Regt., but died the day the company started for the front.
Daniel Reynolds was born in Tuftonborough, N. H., and while in his infancy his parents removed to Hanover, N. H., where he attained maturity and married Susan Everett, who bore him ten children. In 1851 he went to California with the gold-seekers. In 1858 he located in this town, dying here the same year. Three of his six sons-William A, Daniel H., and Charles C. -served in the civil war. Daniel H. enlisted twice and served five years, was twice in rebel prisons and several times wounded. He is a machinist and resides in Lowell, Mass. William A. served two years and two months. Charles C., now a resident of Vershire, served three years.
Franklin M. Towle, son of Nathan and Betsey (Morrison) Towle, was born in Piermont, N. H., in 1814. His parents settled in the eastern part of Pier- mont in 1800. His life has been that of a practical farmer except that he taught school thirty-five terms, and in 1859 visited every town in Vermont to introduce the Progressive readers and spellers for schools. In 1860 he located where he now lives, since which time he has been several times honored as the defeated candidate of the Democratic party for representative. He married, first, Percy A , daughter of Rev. E. B. Rollins, who bore him five
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children, none of whom are living. His second wife, Abbie G. (Carter), widow of John W. Harris, has one son, Eugene G. Harris, by her first mar- riage.
Freeman Stark Hewes came to Strafford from Orford, N. Y., in 1861. He is the youngest of five sons of Moody Hewes, and was born in Lyme, N. H., in 1835. His father was a son of Nathaniel and Sarah (Freeman) Hewes, who settled in Lyme in 1766, the seventh family in that town. Moody Hewes married, first, Susan Hurlbutt, who was the mother of Nathaniel Hewes, of Thompsonville, Conn., Newton, of the same place, and Norman, of Lebanon. His second wife was Lydia Chapin, whose children were Frank, who died young, Freeman S. and Susan L. Freeman S. has been engaged principally in farming, although for several years he worked at the trade of millwright. His wife is Roxana, daughter of Hazen Carr, of Orford, and their children are William W. and Frank W.
Benjamin W. Still was born in Waitsfield, Washington county, and early in life worked at shoemaking. At the age of forty-four he enlisted from Clare- mont, N. H., in Co. L, of the Ist Rhode Island Cavalry, and served one year, when he was severely injured by his horse falling upon him, since which time he has been an invalid. His father was Duran Still, and his grandfather Still, who was impressed into the British service when a youth of fourteen, deserted to the American side as soon as possible and fought for the independence of the colonies. Benjamin W. has lived in Strafford since 1862. He married Clara B. Pixley, a native of Lebanon, N. H., and has reared six sons and five daughters out of a family of fourteen.
Horace Yarrington, son of Halsey, was born in Norwich, Windsor county, in 1839. His mother died when he was seven years old, the family was broken up, his father dying in California. In 1862 Horace enlisted in Co. B, 6th Vt. Vols., served through the war, and was wounded three times. Soon after the close of the war he located in Strafford, where he has served as selectman three years and also as lister. He married Dorcas Harris, and they have two children. Merrill E. Yarrington, brother of Horace, served three years in the 9th Vt. Vols.
Charles J. Sleeper, born in Hartford, Vt., in 1839, enlisted in Co. H, 16th Vt. Vols., and served until mustered out. He settled on his present farm in Strafford in 1867. He has been selectman two years. He married Mary Durkee, of Tunbridge, and they have one son, Charles W.
Rev. Harvey F. J. Scribner, son of Ebenezer and Polly (Johnson) Scrib- ner, was born in Enfield, N. H., in 1823. In his early life he taught school and sold dry goods on the road. He subsequently engaged in the carpenter and joiner business, and has followed that more or less since. In 1858 he was ordained as a clergyman in the Wesleyan Methodist church, and for twenty years or more preached in various towns in New Hampshire and Ver- mont. He settled in Strafford in January, 1867, where he now lives. He has served as lister, notary public, etc., and for some years has been engaged
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in procuring pensions for soldiers. For forty-three years he has for his own in- formation kept a record of the snow-fall each winter, and for thirteen years has been a voluntary observer of the United States signal service for the rain and snow fall, direction of the wind, and temperature. The snow-fall of 1886-87, the largest in forty-three years, was eighteen feet four inches.
Rev. Henry Cummings was born in Royalton, Mass., September 12, 1823. He graduated from Amherst college in 1847, from Andover Theological seminary in 1850, and was ordained at Newport, N. H., in 1851, where he continued as pastor fifteen years. In 1866 he was installed as pastor of the Congregational church as Rutland, Mass., and from that place came to Strafford, where he was installed in July, 1874. He married Mary A. Bea- man, of Princeton, Mass., in 1851, and they have two sons and three daugh- ters, viz .: Henry B., George H, Mary E., Anna M., and Sarah R.
Frederick F. Chaffee, M. D., was born in Rochester, Windsor county, June 29, 1855. He was educated at Randolph Normal school, studied med- icine at the University of Michigan, graduating from the University of the city of New York with the class of 1877, in June of which year he located in this town, where he has since lived and built up a large practice. In 1879 he married Nellie S., daughter of Chester B. Dow. In 1884-85 he- represented this town in the legislature.
Strafford was without regular preaching until the establishment of the Bap- tist church in 1791. Yet from its earliest settlement the people were devoted to religious observances ; and though no towering church spire directed their thoughts heavenward, Nature furnished them a fitting temple. The mother of James Pennock came here to reside with her son, and brought with her a prayer-book and a volume of sermons. The people resolved to maintain public worship in some form, often met on the Sabbath at a retired spot in the forest, where one of their number would conduct their devotions, by reading appropriate prayers and a sermon from Mrs. Pennock's collection, while at proper intervals hymns of praise were sung by the entire congrega- tion. Later a barn belonging to Lieut. F. Smith was occasionally used for religious meetings. But, usually, meetings were held in private houses ; and if, perchance, a visiting or itenerant clergyman passed a Sabbath in town, it was an event to be hailed with joy by the whole community. As the appointed hour of service drew nigh, from every direction the people wended their way to the place of meeting. Thus they worshipped-and who can say that their devotion was not as pure and acceptable to the All-wise as that which ascends from costly temples, furnished with all the modern appliances of taste and ease ?
The Freewill Baptist church of Strafford was organized in 1793. The first settled pastor was Elder Aaron Buzzell. A letter dated Strafford, Vt., September 10, 1791, and addressed "To the Baptist church in New Dur- ham, N. H.," was duly received. It was written by Samuel Rich in behalf of others, and said, " We now think it expedient to come into church order,
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as the word of God directs; and being informed by brother Dickey of your standing and order, it being agreeable to our minds, we request some of the elders of your church to come, as soon as possible, to our assistance, as we are exposed to many snares, and are alone as to sentiment in this part of the world."
It was not until the next July that Elders Benjamin Randall and John Buzzell made a tour to Vermont. They bore with them letters of com- mendation, and were gladly received. It appears that a young man by the name of Robert Dickey, from Epsom, N. H., and a member of the New Durham church, was in Strafford in the employment of a relative, as a hired laborer. After mourning over the profanity and general wickedness of the people, Dickey began to exhort them to repent and flee from the wrath to come. Having an "excellent gift of exhortation," and having had the confi- dence and encouragement of Elder Benjamin Randall, he continued to warn the people; and many were wise enough to heed the admonition, notwithstand- ing the scoffs of the wicked. About thirty were hopefully converted, and hap- pily engaged in the worship of God. The converts were divided in their doctrinal views; but being filled with the spirit, they believed it possible to live in peace. Without objections they were allowed to make the trial, and were recognized as an independent church. In this condition Randall and Buzzell left them, fearful that they could not walk together, because they could not agree in the doctrines of communion, election and final persever- ance. Their fears were soon realized. The brethren could not let the dif- ference in doctrinal views rest, neither could they discuss those views in love and forbearance. A spirit of alienation soon crept in, and a mutual council was called. Randall, accompanied by a lay brother, visited them again in 1793, and met in council six others from the Calvinistic Baptist churches in the vicinity, for the settlement of their difficulties. As the division involved principles that neither party could surrender, the council advised a separa- tion. But some were undecided with which division to go; and, to make a finality of the matter, it was agreed that William Grow, a Calvinist, and Elder Randall should each preach a discourse, embodying his own views of the five points of Calvinism, and then they would poll the house. The ser- mons were accordingly preached, after which Grow, standing on one side of the house, and Randall on the other, the members were called upon to fol- low the minister of their choice. Ten stood with Grow and fifteen with Randall. Randall, on his return, informed John Buzzell of the tried state of the brethren in Vermont, and advised him to go to their relief, which he immediately did, and found them not only at variance with the Calvinists, but divided among themselves. He labored assiduously to create harmony among them, at first without success, but finally partially succeeded, and nine persons entered into a covenant engagement, and thus was constituted the first Freewill Baptist church among the green hills of Vermont-the first west of the Connecticut river in 1793. In 1860 a new church build-
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ing was erected at the South village, and the church is now in a prosperous condition.
The Congregational church .- Eleven years after the settlement of the town, December 28, 1779, the town voted to choose three men to select a site for a meeting-house. The site selected was just beyond the " Old City" bridge. In due time timber was drawn ; but fears of a raid by the Indians led the people to use the materials provided for a meeting-house in building a block- house for their protection. As early as April 3. 1792, at a town meeting, a vote was taken to settle a Congregational minister, and a committee of three was appointed to confer with Mr. Abishai Colton in reference to such settle- ment. About the year 1815 more than usual religious interest was awakened through the labors of a Mr. Russell from Dartmouth college. The need of a church organization was felt, and on the Lord's day, November 19, 1820, eighteen persons-two males and sixteen females-were constituted a church. For some time they were unable to support a pastor regularly. Rev. Mr. Bascom supplied them, occasionally, for a season extending from the organ- ization of the church. They sometimes met in the old union meeting-house, but more often in private houses. In January, 1830, Rev. Harvey Freegrace Leavitt began his labors here. Near the close of the second year of his la- bors he encouraged the people to move with reference to the building of a house of worship. To this end a Congregational society was legally formed " for the purpose of building a meeting-house and supporting a minister." The site for the house of worship was selected and purchased, the foundation laid, the amount pledged by the society, $800, was raised, the balance needed, $675, was obtained, some gratuitous labor was performed, and so the house was built, being completed near the close of the year 1832, and did service until 1868, when extensive alterations and repairs were made. The church build- ing was again repaired and refurnished in 1882, at a cost of about $975. Since the organization of the church it has had but four pastors whose terms of service have ranged from two to ten and one-half years in length. It has had six acting pastors whose terms of continuous service have been for periods varying from one to eight years. The present pastor began his work with this church in May, 1874, and was installed in July of the same year. In the office of deacon six persons have served ; and there is reason to conclude that the church owes, in no small degree, its prosperity to their faithfulness. The following are their names: Moses Lane, Sylvester Morris, Ziba Lyman, Phineas Walker, Daniel Gove, and William Patterson. At its organization the church had eighteen members ; in 1830 the number was forty ; in 1840, fifty-five; in 1850, fifty-six ; in 1860, twenty-six , in 1870, thirty-four; in 1880, fifty-six. The present number of members is sixty, under the pastoral charge of Rev. Henry Cummings. Their house of worship and parsonage are valued at about $2,500. The church has derived much benefit from the income from a small fund given by thoughtful members of the church. The fund now amounts to $3,500, and was bequeathed, or has been donated by
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the following persons and in the sums indicated : Miss Eunice D. Walker, $1,000 ; Mrs. Adaline Kibling, $500; Gen. F. Smith, $1,000; Seth C. Chandler, $500; Dea. Phineas Walker, $500. The society also owns a parsonage. The beautiful communion service was the gift of Mrs. E. M. Carpenter and the late Mrs. Lizzie S. House, of Troy, N. Y. The clock was placed in the audience room by Hon. J. S. Morrill. The first Sunday- school was held before the organization of the church, about 1816. The present number of members is seventy, with a library of 370 volumes.
The Christian church .- In the year 1811 Elder James Spencer began to preach in town, and awakened a general interest in the views of this order. The brethren met in conference and social meetings, benefiting by the occasional preaching of Elders Frederick Plummer and Jasper Hazen till 1814, when Elder Abel Burk became their minister. May 2, 1815, a church was organized. In June, 1817, Elder Edward B. Rollins commenced laboring with the church. During his ministry there was an extensive revival, and a large accession to the membership-twenty-four being received into church fellowship. In 1839, under the labors of Elders J. Knights and G. L. Goul- ette, the church was blessed with a revival. In 1842, during the ministry of Elder Jared L. Green, many were converted and eighteen baptized. Since the organization of the church, in addition to those above named, Elders Rufus Harvey, C. W. Martin, Amos Stevens, Daniel Hazen, Abiel Kidder, Leonard Wheeler, Seth Ross, and Jonathan Ashley have labored to good acceptance.
The Methodist Episcopal church .- Rev. Eleazer Wells preached the first Methodist sermons in town, about the year 1812. In 1813 Rev. Nathaniel Stearns became a resident here. The first, or among the first, class members, were Asahel Newton and wife, Elias Carpenter and wife, Ira Pennock and wife, and Jeremiah Baldwin and wife. Rev. Salmon Winchester was the minister in 1820 and 1821. He died here March 9, 1821, mourned by the entire com- munity. Isaac Barker was stationed here in 1825. During his ministry there was a reformation, and the church received numerous accessions. After him, and nearly in the order named, were Joel Steele, John Lord, John Foster, Silas Quimby, Job Dinsmore, John Cummings, James Campbell, Richard Newhall, James Smith, Ira Beard, James L. Slason, James H. Stevens, Eleazer Wells, Lyman Wing, H. P. Cushing, A. J. Copeland.
The Universalist church was formed in Strafford in the year 1798, under the auspices of Rev. Joab Young, who preached to the people of this town a part of the time for two years, or thereabouts, previous to the formation of said society. Rev. Joab Young was born in the year 1758, in the state of Rhode Island. He was moved into Strafford by Elisha May and Ira Pen- nock, in the year 1799, from Grantham, N. H., where he had lived for some time previous to his removal to Strafford. He settled near the center of the town, and became the first settled minister in said town, in consequence of which he came into possession of a grant of land from the state. In 1799
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the inhabitants erected a large and commodious meeting-house, which the- Universalists occupied their share of the time, and as their pastor, Mr. Young. was an effective and very popular preacher, he attracted large numbers to. hear him; and all denominations worshipped together around one common altar. The society became quite popular under the ministration of Mr. Young,. and, in 1802, a general convention of the Universalists was held at Strafford, under very favorable circumstances, at which time and place Zebulon Streeter, George Richards, Hosea Ballou, Walter Ferris and Zephaniah Lathe were appointed a committee to form a plan of faith and fellowship for the accept- ance and union of the fraternity at large. The plan of faith and fellowship which they reported, and which was afterwards adopted by the convention at Winchester, N. H., in 1803, and which is now world-wide known as the. " Winchester Confession of Faith," was as follows :-
"ART. I. We believe that the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testa- ment contain a revelation of the character of God, and of the duty, interest and final destination of mankind.
"ART. II. We believe that there is one God, whose nature is love, revealed in one Lord Jesus Christ, by one Holy Spirit of Grace, who will finally restore the whole family of mankind to holiness and happiness.
"ART. III. We believe that holiness and true happiness are inseparably connected : and that believers ought to be careful to maintain order, and practice good works ; for these things are good and profitable unto men."
Mr. Young continued his ministrations in Strafford until 1812 or '13, when he retired from the ministry-his usefulness having been somewhat impaired ;. and owing to his indiscretion the Universalist society in Strafford was par- tially broken up, and was continued in an indifferent manner, with occasional preaching, until July 29, 1826, when it was thought advisable to form a new Universalist society. About this time, under the direction of Rev. J. E. Parmer, there was a church formed of more than thirty members. Rev. John Moore and Rev. John C. Baldwin joined said church, both of them being natives of this vicinity, and men of irreproachable character. Rev. Mr. Moore continued to live and preach in Strafford until March, 1828, when he moved to Lebanon, N. H., and in September, 1833, to Danvers, Mass. In May, 1849, Mr. Moore returned to this town, where he had commenced his. ministerial labors twenty- five years before. During the year 1860 the Uni- versalists bought out the claim of the Freewill Baptists, and thoroughly repaired the meeting-house at South Strafford, built in the year 1833, by the Universalists and Freewill Baptists, and the house was re-dedicated to the service of God in the month of December, 1860.
The Advent Christian church of Strafford, located at Strafford village, was. organized in October, 1875, by George F. Earle, who was the first pastor, with about twenty-five members. The first preaching of this doctrine was. by J. H. Harding, upon his coming to Strafford in 1876, and the church has prospered since. The present number of members is thirty-one, under the- pastoral charge of Rev. George C. Haynes. The Sunday-school has an.
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average attendance of from forty to fifty. Services are held in Hazelton's hall.
A union meeting-house was erected in the " Robinson neighborhood" in 1838, by an association, in twenty shares, the Preston, Robinson and Tyler families each taking five shares. Hiram Robinson is the only one of the original builders now living. It is a wooden structure, cost $1,400, and will comfortably seat 200 persons. No regular preaching is now held here. The Methodists, Christians, and Freewill Baptists have occupied the building more frequently than other denominations.
T HETFORD is situated in the southeast corner of Orange county, in latitude 43° 50' and longitude 4° 43,' and is bounded north by Fair- lee and West Fairlee, east by Connecticut river, which separates it from Lyme, N. H., south by Norwich, in Windsor county, and west by Straf- ford. It was granted by Governor Benning Wentworth, of New Hampshire, August 12, 1761, to extend six miles north and south, and seven miles west from Connecticut river on the south line, and six miles on the north line. It was divided into sixty-eight shares, and contained 23,200 acres. The grantees were John Phelps, Esq., Aaron, Roger, Alexander, Davenport, Amos, Timothy, Asahel, Roswell, Isaac and Oliver Phelps, and John, Jr., Alexander, Jr., and Asahel Phelps, Jr .; Capt. Samuel Filer, John, Samuel, and Samuel Filer, Jr .; David Carver; David, Oliver and Aaron Barber ; Israel Smith ; Israel Post ; Obadiah, Daniel, Daniel, Jr., and Talcott Hosford ; Capt. William Buell; David Miller; Benjamin, Benjamin, Jr., and Ebenezer Baldwin ; Daniel and Joseph Griswold ; Ezekiel, Samuel, Jr., Eliphas and Joel Jones ; Wm. Canada ; Daniel Tillotson and Daniel Tillotson, Jr .; Joseph Skinner ; Phillip Mattoon ; Stephen Palmer ; Jonathan, Elijah and Caleb Root ; Israel Taylor ; Josiah Coleman; Azariah Beach; Theodore Atkinson and Theodore Atkinson, Jr .; Benning, Hunking, Mark H., John and John Wentworth, Esq., and Samuel Wentworth Benton ; Henry Helton ; Rev. William Fogg and Wiseman Claggett ; with the usual minister's right, glebe, and school rights, and 500 acres to the governor.
On September 16, 1761, a meeting of the proprietors was held at Hebron, Conn., and a committee consisting of Jonathan Root, Joshua and John Phelps, Jr., Josiah Coleman, William White, Joseph Dewey, Solomon Tarbox, and David Carver, chosen to visit the township with a surveyor and lay out a road across it, northwardly and southwardly, eight rods wide, and one fifty acre lot to each proprietor, said lots to be fifty rods wide and one end bounded on the road. This committee reached the township October 8, 1761, and beginning on the south line 292 rods from the river, laid the road northwardly to the Fairlee line near the lake, and the lots sixty-six in num- ber. At a meeting of the proprietors in Hebron, Conn., December 16, 1761,
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these lots were drawn, the number of each lot being written on a slip of paper and drawn by a man blindfolded one for each proprietor.
The first town meeting shown upon the records was held at the house of Abner Chamberlin, in Thetford, March 8, 1768, when the following officers were chosen : John Chamberlin, moderator; Abner Howard, town clerk ; Samuel Gillett, John Chamberlin, and Josiah Goodrich, selectmen ; Noah Sweetland, constable ; Zebedee Howard, Benjamin Chamberlin and Joseph Downer, assessors ; Abner Chamberlin, treasurer ; Ebenezer Green, collector ; Edward Howard, Joseph Hosford, and Richard Baxter, surveyors of high - ways ; Samuel Wise and Elijah Howard, deer reeves; Samuel Osborn and Joseph Downer, hog constables ; Zebedee Howard and Joseph Hosford, fence viewers ; Joseph Downer and Edward Howard, tythingmen. At this meeting it was voted to join with Lyme, N. H., in hiring preaching for the ensuing summer.
October 15, 1768, the proprietors "voted that John Strong shall have sixty acres provided he build a good grist-mill and saw-mill on Gun Brook, by November 20, 1796," and David Tyler was voted a similar portion of land if he would build a grist-mill and saw-mill on "the brook near Mr. John Chamberlin's." The lands were voted to each of the above men, May 15, 1771, for having built the said mills, which were undoubtedly the first in town.
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