USA > Vermont > Windham County > Whitingham > Green leaves from Whitingham, Vermont: a history of the town > Part 8
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DEXTER BRIGHAM, son of Edmond Brigham, closed his life by taking poison, administered by his own hand, November 4, 1832, at the age of 32 years.
JOHN PIKE, son of Orris Pike Sen., shot himself, April 9, 1854, at the age of 38 years.
ALBERT W. CHASE, son of Warren Chase, took laudanum and died, May 11, 1857, aged 23 years.
SYLVESTER J. DIX, youngest son of Jonathan and Polly (Reed) Dix, committed suicide by throwing himself from a high beam in his barn and thereby causing immediate death, Dec. 25, 1863, at the age of 29 years.
ROLLIN O. PLUMB, son of Hiram Plumb, hung him- self in his father's barn, May 28, 1869, at the age of 17 years and 6 months. No cause was known.
RUFUS CARLEY drowned himself in a small pond near the residence of Peter Holbrook, November 2, 1870, at the age of 82 years. Cause unknown.
WILLIS H. WHEELER, son of Zechariah 2d. and Caroline I. (Allard) Wheeler, hung himself, Sept. 14, 1871, at the age of 23 years.
EDSON L. FULLER, after having been convicted of
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murder, hung himself in Bennington jail, March 2, 1882, at the age of 62 years.
ACCIDENTAL EVENTS.
Accidents are not without cause, but they belong to that class of events that occur before the cause which produces them is known; and in some instan- ces no satisfactory cause is ever fully demonstrated so as to be comprehended by all minds alike.
Only such accidents as have resulted in death are here recorded, and probably some have been omitted through necessary reliance upon tradition.
SQUIRE BLISS Sen. was killed at the raising of Bax- ter Hall's house, in 1798. This house was afterwards owned and occupied by Dr. Charles. H. Denison.
NATHAN EAMES, son of David and Esther (Bacon) Eames, fell from a chamber window, his head strik- ing upon the edge of an iron kettle. About nine days from that time he began to complain and died soon after, September 14, 1814, aged 6 years three months and 9 days.
NATHAN SHERMAN, cousin of Rev. N. D. Sherman, was drowned in Deerfield river, in 1817, aged 21 ys.
ASA SMITH, son of Elijah Smith, was scalded to ' death by falling into a kettle of boiling water, in 1820, at the age of 10 years.
ABIATHAR WINN wa's killed by the kick of a horse, September 3, 1821, at the age of 45 years.
DAVID HALL, son of Capt. Baxter and Patty (Put-
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nam) Hall, drank a solution of potash which caused his death, Feb. 27, 1823, at the age of 17 years.
Dr. CHARLES H. DENISON fell at the raising of Stephen Putnam's barn, and was injured so that he died May 4, 1830, aged 45 years.
ALTON STREETER was instantly killed in a sand pit, a short distance south of the Nathan Green place, October 9, 1832, at the age of 43 years.
SALLY CUTTING, dau. of James and Cynthia (Win- chester) Cutting, was scalded by the upsetting of a teapot as she lay in her cradle, in 1832, aged 6 mo.
JAMES UPTON was found frozen and dead, near the centre of the town, February 19, 1833, aged 49 years.
NANCY MARIA JILLSON, daughter of Stephen and Nancy (Corbett) Jillson, was drowned in a wash tub, July 30, 1834, aged 1 year and 8 months.
DANIEL WHEELER, son of Deliverance and Betsey (Whitman) Wheeler, was drowned in Deerfield river, July 4, 1834, aged 51 years.
LUCINA PARSONS, daughter of John and Sarah (Ballou) Parsons, was drowned in Deerfield river, while attempting to pass over in a boat alone, Aug. 17, 1836, aged 25 years and 6 days.
AMBROSE BOYD, son of James Boyd, fell and died, August, 1840, at the age of 40 years.
JONATHAN DALRYMPLE, son of Jonathan Dalrymple, was killed while blasting rocks, in 1842.
CHARLES EDWIN LAMB, son of Levi and Lucy (Fair- banks) Lamb, was drowned July 19, 1843, aged 4 ys.
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CALVIN REED was found dead between the Alfred Green place and the house of James Jillson, where he then resided, March 21, 1859, aged 65 years.
LEVI P. FISKE was killed by falling from a load of shingles, May 29, 1860, aged 31 years. The horses were not injured, but they collided with another team and that horse was killed, the driver barely escaping.
D. PALMER WHEELER, son of Deliverance and Mary (Briggs) Wheeler, injured one of his feet which resulted in lockjaw, causing his death July 2, 1861, at the age of 10 years 2 months and 24 days.
HOLLIS A. TYLER, son of Samuel and Charlotte (Sprague) Tyler, was drowned in Deerfield river, July 4, 1861, aged 14 years and 6 days.
ALMA PIKE, daughter of Jesse and Lydia (Upton) Wheeler, wife of Albert L. Pike, was drowned in Deerfield river, June 10, 1866, aged 25 years.
FLORA BLANCHARD, daughter of Kinsley and Cor- delia (Bliss) Blanchard, was drowned in Deerfield river, June 10, 1866, aged 12 years and 6 months.
GEORGE W. CARLEY, son of Newman B. and Mary J. (Williams) Carley, was drowned June 21, 1871, at the age of 14 years.
WALTER M. SMITH, son of Joseph E. and Eliza (Carley) Smith was drowned June 21, 1871, at the age of 10 years.
ARTHUR B. WHEELER, son of Otis B. and Sylvia Ann (Chamberlain) Wheeler, was scalded by the up- setting of a teapot, and died June 18, 1871, aged 2 years II months and 23 days.
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HENRY BURRINGTON (TOBEY), adopted son of James and Lucy A. (Russell) Burrington, was drowned in Sadawga pond, August 29, 1871, at the age of 15 years and I month.
EDWARD BARNEY GALLUP was found dead near the Philander Hall place, Nov. 29, 1871, aged 52 years.
ABBOT W. DAVIS, son of Arad and Rosetta (Bish- op) Davis, was drowned in Deerfield river, July 3, 1873, aged 17 years.
TYLER HICKS was drowned in the pond near Jack- sonville, June 29, 1874, at the age of 41 years I month and 6 days.
ALBERT L. PIKE, son of Orris Pike Jr., was instant- ly killed by a falling tree, June 26, 1877.
TRUMAN DIX, son of Jonathan and Polly (Reed) Dix, fell from a load of logs and was killed, the sled pass- ing over his body, December 6, 1880, aged 61 years.
HENRY W. GALE, son of Luther Gale, while at work in his wood lot, was caught under a log where he remained nearly two days, and died September 25, 1881, aged 36 years.
ALBRO C. CORSE, while submitting to a surgical operation by physicians, died almost instantly, March 29, 1881, aged 21 years 5 months and 25 days.
WESLEY HICKS, son of Emerson and Eliza (Priest) Hicks, had his toe injured by machinery, resulting in lockjaw and death, February 13, 1882, aged33 years.
ZECHARIAH WHEELER 2d., son of Daniel Wheeler, was killed by a falling tree, December 10, 1884, at the age of 57 years.
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THOMAS FLINN was instantly killed, Feb. 11, 1886, by falling from a scaffold in his barn.
HARRIET SHUMWAY, daughter of Captain Amasa Shumway, was drowned in a watering trough, Sept. 20, 1887, aged 81 years, 2 months and 12 days.
EDWARD E. PUTNAM, son of Charles and Mercy Putnam, was instantly killed by a limb falling from a tree, Nov. 22, 1887, aged 42 years 27 days.
There have been two or three other fatal accidents in this town, but thus far it has been impossible to obtain sufficient data from which to make an accu- rate statement of facts.
Among so many fatalities perhaps it is not strange that there should be some remarkable coincidences connected with them, all tending to show how little we know of what is likely to happen to destroy our happines or take our lives.
When the Hall-Denison house was being raised, in 1798, Squire Bliss Sr. was present and killed, while assisting at the raising ; and the same Dr. Denison was killed 32 years after at the raising of a barn.
In 1871, Willis H. Wheeler hung himself; 13 years after his father, Zechariah Wheeler, 2d. was killed by a falling tree. Alma Pike was drowned in Deer- field river in the presence of her husband, Albert L. Pike, in 1866. Eleven years later Mr. Pike was in- stantly and accidentally killed by a falling tree.
George W. Carley and Walter M. Smith, cousins, were drowned at the same time and place. Carley
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was a good swimmer and the water not very deep.
In some of the cases here mentioned, it will be discovered that the casualty occurred just over the line in another town, but the persons suffering injury had either been long residents of Whitingham, or were then residing there, being only temporarily over the town line.
In the hurry and confusion of active life, with ambitious competition foremost in all business affairs, it is easy to overlook the grief of others and become a stranger to sorrow, till the "grim messenger" enters our own household and there strikes down the idol of a happy family, his chosen victim.
But those who think, will be reminded by these pages of the fact that the forty-eight deaths here alluded to, were sudden and unexpected. The child, the youth, the middle aged, and the grey haired man, joined in the solemn march of "dust to dust" without preparation or warning. The little circle of friends wept over the graves of their comrades, the routine of business was resumed, the sorrow forgotten, till the story of some new fatality called attention to the past and revived the cruel pangs of unremembered grief. Forty- eight times has this been repeated in Whiting- ham,-inexorable as the decree of fate itself.
CHAPTER V.
CHURCHES AND THEIR HISTORY.
M ANY OF The early settlers were from much more populous towns, and accustomed to hearing the gospel preached every Sabbath ; but when they undertook to es- tablish new homes among the mountains of Vermont, their church privileges had to be abandoned till they became sufficiently numer- ous to build a church and support preaching.
On the 26th day of March, 1781, the town "Voted, that the Selekmen shall run a Senter Line through the town east and west; north and south, and Lay out two main roads as near the Senter Lines as the ' land will allow of." These roads crossed each other near James Highly Reed's house, since known as the Eli Higley place.
At this time no effort had been made by the town
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to establish a church, but on the 24th day of June, 1780, the first steps were taken by certain individuals for the erection of a house adapted to public worship. It appears that Wilmington, Marlboro' and Halifax, were interested in this enterprise, and persons from the four towns joined in signing subscription papers, to secure labor and materials for building the house.
The wording of these papers indicate that no or- ganization had been formed, of a sectarian character, but that the people felt the need of religious instruct- ion, and were willing to unite in a common effort to support a minister of the gospel. The first paper seems to be a reminder of spelling schools, but has no signatures. The second bears the names of some of the prominent men of Whitingham as shown by the following. Both are exact copies.
Halifax Dec'r ye 20th 1780.
WE the Subscribers Do this Day Covenant & Engage hereby Volentarily the Several Gifts or Donations aforesaid to each of our folloing Names Severally, money or whatever other substance For the Purpose of Erecting a Fraim & Civering the Saim the Summer Encuing this Date in the Senter Four mile Distant Part of Halifax, Whitingham, Wilmington, & Marlborough, for the Purpose of Sup- porting the Publick worship of God.
. IN WITNESS Whereof we have hereunto set our hands.
WHEREAS we the Subscribers being Desireous to Have the Gos- pel propegated amongst us and our posterity Trained up in The ways of Christianity have hereunto Set our Names with the labour &c. that we will give towards building a House of Worship As Near the four Corners of Hallifax, Molborough, Wilmington and
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Whitingham As may be a Convenient spot found for to set said Meeting House Viz :
June ye 24th, 1781.
SILAS HAMILTON six days work & one Thousand Boards. LEVI HALL six days work & one Thousand Boards.
JAMES ROBERTS two days work. JAMES GARDNER four days work.
JONOTHAN RICH six days work.
JOHN HALL five days work.
JOEL HALL six days work.
ISRAEL GUIL six days work.
JASPER HUNT four days work with a team & three Thousand Shingles. JAMES COSE four days work.
RUFUS COSE four days work.
LEVI ADAMS four days work.
HAZAEL SHEPARD six days work & one Thousand Boards.
BENJAMIN BARTON two days work.
REPLEY MERRIL two days work.
ISAAC LYMAN four days work.
AMOS PEABODY ten days work.
JOHN WOOD one gallon Rum. ZEBULON AMES Six days work. THOS. HUNT five days work.
This contemplated house of worship was never built, though the subscription of 92 days work, three thousand feet of boards, three thousand shingles and a gallon of Rum shows a liberal spirit.
After three years had passed away the people were not sure that the cross-roads indicated where the "Senter" of the town was, therefore, on the first day of March, 1784, the town "Voted, that the Selectmen find the Senter of Said Town and make report at the Next March annuall Town Meeting."
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If any report was made it was not recorded; but it is evident that the selectmen had been on the lookout to find a suitable place whereon to build a church, near the centre of the town.
The above vote was the first action taken by the town, as such, towards locating a church. It appears that the selectmen had driven a stake where they thought the meetinghouse ought to stand. This is indicated by a vote of the town passed on the 7th day of September, 1784, when it was "Voted, that , the Town will not except the spot the Selectmen put the Stake for the Meetinghouse."
This stake was probably near where the church was finally built, for after rejecting this location the the town "Voted, that the meetinghouse [be] East- erly from James Reed's house about 60 or 70 Rod on the hill amongst the windfalls." Further prepa- rations were made to secure ample room for the transaction of business and the location of a church on the seventh of March, 1785, when the town voted, "that the Road be Surveyed & Recorded ten rods wide that leads from Mr. Graves' westerly by the spot of Land Voted by the town for the Place to build a meetinghouse, Sd wedth of rods beginning fifteen rods East of the meetinghouse place thence running as the road is now laid to the road that leads through the town north and South."
Jesse Graves lived near the foot of the hill where the new road to Jacksonville intersects with the old
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road a few rods easterly of where it passes between the sites of the old church and the academy building. The southerly part of the lot east of where the old church stood and between it and the wall running south from the easterly corner of the Pound, was a part of the ten rod road laid out in 1785. This ten rod road was only about fifty rods in length, and when the change was made under the survey of 1784, the land taken to make this wide street was on the north- erly side of the original road:
On the 2 Ist day of July, 1788, the town "Voted, to meet on the second Monday of September next to clear off a place to build a meetinghouse."
It was six years before the town passed another vote relating to the church. During all this time meetings were not regularly held, but now and then a preacher would find his way into this churchless community, many of whom were glad to welcome him to their homes, where they would invite their neighbors to listen to his spiritual teachings.
. The first recorded Warrant for a town meeting was for the meeting held on the 3d of March, 1794. The time of this meeting was occupied in discussing matters relative to building a meetinghouse.
On the 6th day of July, 1795, the town transacted the following business :-
Voted, that they will build a house for public worship 40 feet wide and 50 feet long, by a majority of 29 against 8.
Voted, to raise the amount of £200 in timber, boards, shingles,
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and money, in the following manner :- Said timber boards and shingles sufficient to erect and cover said frame to be apportioned out in manner following, that each man that is liable to be rated for the purpose of building Sd house shall have his proportion of timber, boards and shingles apportioned out to him by the com- mittee to be appointed to superintend the building of Sd house, each of said articles to be apportioned to each man according to his list in Sd Town, and of what sort and dimention, and that whoever fails of delivering his proportion of timber set to him as aforesaid, at the place where the said house shall be built, by the first day of June, 1796, and his proportion of boards and shingles at the same place by the first day of July, 1796, shall be considered as having forfeited his privilege of providing such article or articles as he shall be deficient in at either of the times appointed as above for the delivery hereof and shall be liable to pay the money in lieu thereof.
Voted, to appoint a committee of three persons to superintend the building of said house.
Voted, that persons of every religious denomination have free access to and in said house on every day of the week without ob- struction or molestation.
A Committee of three was appointed, consisting of
Jan Day Samuel Day, James Roberts and Jabez Foster; two being Selectmen, Foster and Roberts. Jesse Graves was elected Moderator.
Without any regard to the location of the house by a former vote, on the 29th day of Sept. the town "Voted, that the meeting house be set on height of land a few rods east of the school house in the cen- ter school district." The schoolhouse stood on the north side of what was called the "common," nearly opposite the present hotel.
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The preliminary arrangements for building a meet- ing house seemed now to be complete, except to contract with some person to perform the labor ; but there was still opposition to the scheme, and several influential men were arrayed against its being built.
On the Ist day of Feb., 1796, an effort was made to reconsider the vote of July 6, 1795, but it failed by a vote of 22 to 13. An attempt was then made to postpone the building for one year, which was de- feated by a vote of 14 to 8. On the twenty-first day of March, 1798, the following plain proposition was presented to the voters for their consideration: "will you build a meetinghouse?" The town voted no.
A negative vote on such a proposition was a sad surprise to many, for the reason that the voters well knew that a house of public worship was needed, and that it was the duty of the town to build and support such a structure. This vote was supposed to annul that of July 6, 1795, and that satisfied its advocates.
On the 18th day of March, 1799, the town consid- ered church matters again, as follows :-
Voted, that the said house shall be built 45 feet by 50 on the - ground, and that said house shall be compleatly finished on the outside, painting excepted, and glazed ; lower flowers Leyed, and Door made and Hung ; to bee Well boarded, claboarded and shingled, and as many and as large Windows in proportion, and as well set, as they are in Wilmington meeting-house, and to be compleated on or before the first day of December Next.
Voted, that said house shall be erected on the flat on the top of the Hill on the common East of the Center School House in said Whitingham.
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Voted, that the building of said House be set up by the Mod- erator to the Lowest Bidder for one third cash and two-thirds Neat Stock, said cash to be paid on the first day of October next.
Voted, that the Town Will Raise six hundred and ninety Dol- lars to Defray the Expense of Building said House, to be Raised on the List of 1798.
Voted, to underpin the meetinghouse With Stone Laid in Lime, to be compleated as soon as the House is Ready for Raising.
This meeting house was framed and raised during . the summer and autumn of 1799, by Levi Conant of Halifax, and was finished off later by Justus Hall, also of Halifax. When the frame was raised, James McKnight, the father of Parley McKnight, stood on his head on the ridge-pole. The contract for under- pinning was put up at vendue, and David Eames bid it off for $25.50.
On the 3d day of March, 1800, the town "Voted, that all Town meetings in futer shall Be Warned to be holden at the Meetinghouse in Whitingham."
On the 5th day of June the town "Voted to accept the meetinghouse that is Built in Said Town for a Town House. Voted, to accept the underpinning of said House." The inside was unfinished, and bench- es were used instead of pews.
A part of this structure was used for a purpose other than peace or good will to men, unless those virtues were enhanced by the smell of powder.
On the 14th day of November, 1803, the town
Voted, to raise the money that is necessary to purchase the military stores necessary to supply the town as the law directs.
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Voted, that the place to deposit said stock of amunition shall be in the upper loft of the meetinghouse in a chest to be made at the expense of the town for that purpose.
On the 19th day of May, 1806, a meeting was held "to see if the Town will have a Porch or Porcher to adjoin the meeting house." On the 14th of June it was "voted, that the town will have a Porch in front of the meeting house." The word "Porcher" may be found in the records of Whitingham, not elsewhere.
On the 14th day of April, 1806, the town
Unanimously voted, to sell the Pew Ground at Vendue, for the purpose of finishing the meeting house, and that the construction of the meeting house shall be as follows, viz : One seat on the right and one on the left of the Broad Alley, and the remaining part of to be converted into pews in the most convenient manner ; and one tier of pews in the Gallery to be con- verted into seats in the most con- Amos Brown venient manner Chose Jona. Hall,
Amos Brown and Ambrose Stone Committee to sell and superin- tend the same. Stephen Hodgrass and Justis Hall Ambroje Stone were agreed upon as a Com- mittee of acceptance when the meeting house shall be finished.
It was understood that this house was for the use of all denominations, but the town regulated all these matters. On the 10th day of April, 1809, the town
Voted, that the Baptist shall have the use of the meeting house 'half the time for the space of one year 3 months alternately to be ended on the 10th day of April next.
This house stood on a hill, in a climate far from being mild in winter, and yet it was used for religious
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and town meetings during nineteen winters before there was any fire in it, no chimney being put into it when the house was built. Time brought changes, and on the 21st day of Dec., 1818, the town voted "to have a stove and pipe erected in the meeting house, provided it can be done by the proprietors thereof." This vote savors of sarcasm, as the pro- prietors were the inhabitants of the town.
No further change was made till 1834, when there was a call for a belfry and a bell. This luxury could not be indulged in by the town, therefore, it was done by subscription, and a few persons bore the burden.
Alfred Green Sr. was the contractor, and Alfred Alfred Green Green Jr. the architect, who secured the servi- ces of David Jillson Jr. to help put the last tim- bers in place at the top of the belfry.
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I remember clearly these facts, was present and know whereof I affirm. During the early progress of this enterprise there were plenty to give advice, but the two men who went to the top were not mo- lested in their labors.
The distance between the top of the belfry and the ground interfered somewhat with communication, but the confusion of tongues was not so complete as to destroy all the emphatic words in the English lan- guage; but it had a wonderful effect on the courage of those who assumed to be in supreme authority
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near the earth. The structure was completed, and many a brave youth went up-after the stairs were · built inside-to see where the bell was to hang, and explore the adjacent country.
A bell weighing 830 pounds was secured and put in place under competent super- vision, the tones of which linger in my memory to- day. It was said to have been of proper size and OLD CHURCH IN 1834. weight for a country town. The tongue weighed 20 pounds, and when present was the chief spokesman ; but there were times when the tongue was absent on some mysterious mission, leaving the bell a silent partner.
It appears that the key to Mr. Higley's hay scales would fit the lock on the belfry door, and that the custodian of that key, whose every day countenance displayed a comical trace of solemnity, was still in condition to enjoy a good joke, even though it cost a night's repose.
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Two or more noted wags concentrated their com- bined magnetic power upon this key to such an ex- tent that it passed from the hands of said custodian to their own. They were then masters of the situa- tion, and could dictate comparative silence on the fourth of July.
The first time this little episode occurred, the tongue was hid in the tall pulpit of the old church; the second, in the desk of the Baptist church, where Elder Lamb officiated; and the third time it vanished from public view altogether. A new tongue was then made, weighing four pounds more than the old one, and it is claimed by one who ought to know, that the old one was secretly made into a crow-bar.
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