USA > Vermont > Bennington County > History of Bennington County, Vt. : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 42
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A summary of the polls and listed property of the township for the year 1805 showed as follows : Number of polls, 174; acres of improved land, 6,050; other property listed, $10,891.50; houses assessed, $394.80 ; other property assessed, $1,290. The total assessment for the year 1805 was $31,941.04. The listers for the year were Eli Pettebone, David Vaughn, Richard Skinner, Joshua French and Daniel Ormsby.
The succeeding year, 1806, according to the report of the listers, showed a slight increase, there being 187 polls ; 6,182} acres of improved land (as- sessed at $1.75 per acre) ; houses assessed at $506; other property, $12,053 : two folds added, $6, 138 ; exemptions, 85 militiamen at $20 each, $1700; 10
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Bases of cavalry at $13.50, $135, a total of $1,835, which being deducted som the gross assessment left a balance of $31,421.373.
An examination of the list made in 1816, the year next succeeding the Rose of the war of 1812-15, showed a total of but 99 polls, 6,737 acres of im- proved land, 100 houses (estimated) ; 120 oxen, 670 cows, 229 two-year olds, :16 horses and mules of three years old, 23 horses and mules of three years od, 29 horses and mules of two years old, 29 horses and mules one year old, four stallions of four years old, pleasure carriages assessed in the whole at $95 ; 6 house clocks, 2 gold watches, 14 silver watches, money on hand and at in- terest, $960; attorneys assessed for their profession, $60; physicians assessed att $40; merchants and traders assessed in the whole at $150, and owners of mills assessed in the whole at $113.
At this time pleasure carriages were assessed against Eli Brownson, - Martin, Calvin Sheldon, Frederick Smith, Richard Skinner, Anson J. Sperry, Eliphalet Wells, executor, Robert Pierpont, B. Raymond, S. C. Raymond, Israel Roach, and Martin Roberts. The possessors of gold watches were Richard Skinner and Martin Roberts. The attorneys of the town were Calvin Sheldon and Anson J. Sperry, each of whom was assessed at $30. The physi- cians who were listed at $20 cach were Dr. Ezra Isham and Elijah Littlefield. The merchants and traders were Peter Black, S. C. Raymond, Benjamin Rob- erts, Martin Roberts, and E. and J. Wells. The mill and machine owners were Samuel Adams, James Borland, Baker & Jennings, Nathaniel Collins, Hiram Cornell, and Horatio Walker.
No unusual event occurred to disturb the peace, harmony and progress of the people of Manchester from the time of the recognition of Vermont's inde- pendence until the outbreak of the memorable war of 1812-15, by which the freedom of American institutions was again threatened. To this service the town contributed thirty-four men, a few of whom laid down their lives in that struggle, but the majority, after a service of from six months to two years, returned unharmed to the town.
The names of the persons from this town that were actively engaged in the service during this war, although no accurate roster of the same is now to be found, are believed to be substantially as follows : John S. Pettebone, Benja- min Munson, Alvah Bishop, Leonard Sargeant, Truman Kimpton, David Reynolds, James Whelpley, John Black, Truman Hill, Silas Smith, Jabez Haw- ley, Benjamin Dibble, Elijah Burton, Matthew Logan, Nathan Thompson, John Harris, Lemuel Collins, John C. Walker, Dr. Elijah Littlefield, Joseph Burton, Samuel R. Whedden, Daniel Olds, Eliphalet Wells, Jeremiah Odel, Serenus Kilburn, John R. Pettebone, Robert Anderson, Burton Straight, Apol- los Harvey, Gurdon Eaton, Thomas Wait, Abram C. Fowler.
Of these whose names are recorded, some recollections are gleaned from the files of the Manchester Journal. James Whelpley will be remembered as a
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substantial merchant of the town, whose store building stood about on the site now occupied by Burton & Co.
John Black was a sergeant in Captain Weed's Company. He afterward kept a hotel in Rupert, of which town the captain was a resident.
Truman Hill was a corporal while in the service; he afterward went to Allegheny county, N. Y., where he died.
Silas Smith was a private ; he subsequently lived in Dorset.
Jabez Hawley was an ensign, but was promoted to lieutenant. After the war he moved to Dorset, and still later to New York State, where he died.
Benjamin Dibble went into the service as a substitute for Colonel Brown- son, but after the war he emigrated west.
Elijah Burton was an orderly in the regular army, and, after his service expired, moved to Euclid, O., where he became a physician. He died at the last named place.
Nathan Thompson was orderly sergeant in the Eleventh regulars ; he was afterward promoted to lieutenant. He, too, emigrated west to Indiana, and there ended his days.
Samuel Thompson, a brother of Nathan's, was shot in the neck during the battle of Lundy's Lane. He afterward became a recruiting officer at Man- chester until he was able to rejoin his command. After the war he moved to Lower Sandusky, O.
John Harris was killed in the battle at Lundy's Lane.
John C. Walker at the time the war broke out was a practicing lawyer of Manchester, and lived where Judge E. B. Burton now resides, and had a small office on the north side of the same lot. Mr. Walker entered the regular army and was made lieutenant.
Dr. Elijah Littlefield left his practice for the service and became a surgeon in the regular army. After the war he returned to the town and resumed his practice.
Joseph Burton was a non-commissioned officer in the cavalry service.
Daniel Olds was a grandson of Major Gideon Ormsbee, and was killed at the skirmish at Chateaugay.
Eliphalet Wells was a militia lieutenant. He died in town.
Jeremiah Odel was the only soldier of this town who, during this war, proved false to his allegiance. He deserted from the army and returned home ; he was found concealed not far from the old Roberts homestead, and was cap- tured by John R. Pettebone but managed to escape. He was afterward re- captured, but we have no knowledge as to whether his offense was punished.
John R. Pettebone was a soldier of the regular army, and held the rank of sergeant. After the war he moved to Michigan, where he came to his death from drowning while fording a river.
John S. Pettebone was also in the service from the town, He was after-
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waard prominently known as " Judge" Pettebone, from the fact of his having held the offices of probate judge, and also as associate judge of the County Courts. He was born in Manchester and died there, a highly respected and worthy citizen.
John Black, mentioned above as one of those who entered the service from the town, was a brother of Captain Peter Black, and engaged with the militia branch of the army. Both before and after the war John Black was connected with the hotel at Manchester, of which business Peter Black was the head. The latter was not engaged in the war, but received his title of " captain," by reason of his connection with the local militia organizations.
The Colvin Murder Case .- There was not among the early events of the town one that caused half as much discussion, excitement and widespread com- ment as that known in the history and in the courts of the county as the Col- vin murder case ; and although this event has been written and re-written and published time and again, some mention of the main facts relating to this sup- posed tragedy will not be out of place in these pages.
The families named respectively Boorn and Colvin were among the early residents of the town, both living in the vicinity of the Battenkill River. Bar- net, or as he was more commonly known, Barney Boorn, was the father of three children, Stephen, Jesse and Sally. The latter was the wife of Russell Colvin, a man of weak intellect, and at times believed to be insane. It was not unusual for him to absent himself from the home of his father-in-law, Boorn, and remain away for a considerable time, but nothing was thought of such proceeding as it was known to be one of Colvin's peculiarities. Some time during the month of May, 1812 Colvin again disappeared ; and as nothing was heard from him for some years rumors that he had met a tragic death, and at the hands of his brothers-in-law, became current. These young men, by somewhat strange actions and still more strange remarks, confirmed the growing suspicion that Colvin had been foully dealt with. The missing man's hat was found in a secluded place, and about the same time Amos Boorn, a man highly respected, an uncle of the suspected parties, " dreamed a dream " to the effect that Colvin had appeared to him and said to him that he had been murdered. Added to the excitement occasioned by Amos Boorn's dream, came the unearthing of what was pronounced to be human bones, through the kindly offices of somebody's dog; and upon the evidence thus adduced, on the 27th of April, 1819, nearly seven years after the supposed tragedy occurred, Jesse Boorn was taken into custody and arraigned before " squire" Joel Pratt for examination. At this time Stephen Boorn had become a resident of New York State, but he was afterward arrested upon the statement of his brother and brought to this county.
Nearly the whole townspeople attended the preliminary trial or examina- tion of Jesse Boorn. All evidence possible, direct, circumstantial, and even the-
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oretical, was brought to bear against the unhappy and unfortunate Jesse; but upon the examination the local gossips received a terrible shock from the fact that the physicians pronounced the exhumed bones to be those of a deceased sheep and not of a human being. But Jesse, at about the time when he would have been released from custody, made a statement that he believed that Ste- phen had killed Colvin in the field known as the "Glazier lot"; that they were hoeing, and while Colvin was about to run away Stephen had struck him on the head with a club and killed him. All this, he said, Stephen had told him the winter before.
Upon this statement a warrant was procured and an officer dispatched to New York State, and the luckless Stephen taken into custody and returned to jail in this county. Another examination was held which resulted in the in- dictment of both Stephen and Jesse Boorn.
The case was brought on for trial in November, 1819, Chief Justice Chase presiding, and associates Joel Doolittle and Willam Brayton. Calvin Sheldon, then state's attorney, appeared for the people, and Richard Skinner, Leonard Sargeant and Counselor Wellman for the prisoners. Upon the evidence, which was mainly circumstantial, except the confessions of guilt made by both pris- oners, they were found guilty and sentenced to be hanged on the 28th of Janu- ary, 1820. Subsequently, however, the sentence against Jesse Boorn was com- muted to imprisonment for life.
Notwithstanding the confessions made by the Boorns, and the other evi- dences of guilt proved on the trial, they were not the murderers of Russel Col- vin. It is true there was. a quarrel, and Colvin was struck upon the head, but the blow was not a fatal one. The supposed victim recovered his sense and left the place, and it was not until a very few days before the time set for exe- cuting Stephen Boorn that he reappeared. A new trial was petitioned for and granted, and the case subsequently dismissed. Descendants of both families, the Boorns and Colvins, still live in Manchester, and are among the most re- spected people in the township.
From the time of the close of the War of 1812-15 to the present, it would be an idle and useless task to attempt to trace the growth and de- velopment of the township of Manchester, or to attempt to record each individual change or industry established. In 1791 the population of this town was 1,276, and from that time until the year 1880, a period of eighty- nine years, there has been a total increase as shown by the census reports of 653, making according to the census of 1880 a total population of 1,929. This last was the greatest number up to that time attained, although it is confidently believed that since the year last named there has been a health- ful increase beyond the maximum then reached. This belief seems to be borne out and confimed by the present increased voting population. To show the comparative increase or decrease in population by decades from
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179! to 1880, reference is made to the census reports from which is ex- tracted the following summary : Population from 1791 to 1880, inclusive - 1791, 1,276; 1800, 1,397; 1810, 1,502; 1820, 1,508; 1830, 1,525; 1840, 1,590; 1850, 1,782; 1860, 1,688; 1870, 1,897; 1880, 1,929.
Villages .- Within the township of Manchester are three well-established and well-settled vlllages-Manchester, Manchester Centre and Manchester De- pot. The post-station of Barnumville should, perhaps, be mentioned as one of the villages of the township, although it never attained any considerable popu- lation, or held more than a single important industry, and that during later years has gone into comparative disuse. Through the efforts of Mr. James E. McNaughton a post-office was established at the place, and whatever of life and progression the hamlet has shown has been, in the main, due to the labors of Mr. McNaughton. For some years he was extensively engaged in the manufacture of charcoal at Barnumville, but this industry has declined seri- ously of late and only the old brick kilns remain of what was once a prosper ous business. As has been said concerning Barnumville may with equal truth be mentioned of that locality which many years ago was known as Marbleville, although the latter is altogether a thing of the past, while the former does yet retain evidences of recent and present prosperity.
Marbleville was so named from the mills erected there for the purpose of sawing and otherwise preparing that valuable product for the market. The town, or what there was of such, was situate on the road leading from the main road to the west road, almost opposite the residence of Judge Munson, and about half way between Manchester and Manchester Centre. But the indus- tries of Marbleville are now gone, and all that remains to mark the locality are the old tumble-down mills with large water-wheels, more substantial than the buildings, and rising above the debris. This was never a trading point nor had it a post-station, but the gathering of houses in the vicinity attest the fact that here was once a busy community.
THE VILLAGE OF MANCHESTER.
Although the village of Manchester has no corporate existence independ- ent of the township of which it forms a part, and although it lacks the popula- tion, industries and business appearance of its sister village situate about a mile to the northward, it is unquestionably to be reckoned as the leading village of the township; leading because it is the point at which the county buildings are situate ; because of its prominent educational institution, the Burr and Burton Seminary ; because of its fame as a summer resort and its commodious and well-ordered Equinox House, a place of rest and resort for the wealthiest and most aristocratic of the country's people. The village of Manchester contains something like sixty residences and has a population of about three hundred
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HISTORY OF BENNINGTON COUNTY.
persons. Its limits cannot be well defined. The main thoroughfare of travel passes through the town in a generally north and south course; a wide, well- kept avenue, with elegant grass-plats on either side, and what is still more at- tractive an abundance of magnificent maple and elm shade trees that protect the traveler from the sun's intense heat. The street leading west up the hi!' to the seminary while less imposing in appearance, is no less an attraction. Throughout the village are good, level marble walks for pedestrians. To the north of the town the main road forks, one branch leading to the high lands on the west, while the other traverses the rich bottom lands of the valley. The history of this village is almost identical with that of the whole township. The faet of its being the seat of the county buildings for the north shire of the county has made it the most prominent center of the township, while the other features above mentioned have tended to confirm this truth.
From Judge Munson's historical address are gleaned these faets eoncerning the early occupaney of the village: "As early as 1796 Robert Pierpont became a resident of Manchester. He kept an inn where Rev. Dr. Wickham now lives. Dr. Ezra Isham came here from Litchfield, Conn., about 1798, and soon be- came the leading physician of the vicinity. In 1795 Joseph Burr, the founder of the seminary, was trading in a building which stood about where William B. Burton now lives. Before 1800 he removed to the lot now (1875) occupied by the residence of E. J. Hawley, where he passed the remainder of his business life and accumulated the greater part of his property. In 1800 Rich- ard Skinner moved into town and soon beeame prominent as a lawyer and citizen.
"The 4th of March, 1801, the day of the first inauguration of Thomas Jef- ferson, was eelebrated in Manchester by the raising of Thaddeus Munson's new inn (the building that in more recent years was the north part of the Taconic House.) The whipping-post stood on the west side of the street, nearly in front of the north side of the Equinox House, while the pillory was located on the east side of the street, a little south of the present court-house.
"In 1812," continues Judge Munson, " Manchester village had about one- third as many buildings as now. The most northerly house was the Munson homestead, then oeeupied by the widow and children of Rufus Munson. Where the Congregational Church lifts its tall spire stood the first meeting- house, unpainted, and without steeple or ornament. At the southeast corner of the old burying-ground was the district school house, and nearly in its rear stood a blacksmith shop. Anson Munson kept tavern in the lower part of the eourt-house building, and in the eourt- room in the upper story Rev. Mr. Brownson, an Episcopal clergyman of Arlington, held services every other Sabbath. Nathan Brownson, who had formerly been a merchant in the place, lived a little south of the court-house. Anson J. Sperry lived on the premises reeently oeeupied by L. C. Orvis, and had a law-offiee just south of his resi-
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dence. Joshua Raymond kept tavern at the Allis stand, and the old lodge- 100i was occupied by the select school of Miss Harris, an institution extensively patronized by the young ladies of Manchester and vicinity. Samuel Raymond traded in a store where Mrs. Lawrence now (1875) lives, and Joel Rose lived on the premises occupied by the residence of Deacon Black. Mrs. Wood's place was then occupied by Elijah Hollister and liis son, Marinus, who drove the stages between Bennington and Rutland. Dr. Elijah Littlefield had recently built, and taken possession of the house now occupied by George Stone. Deacon Asa Loveland lived where Noah P. Perkins now does, and the Hoyt place was then the tavern stand of Israel Roach. Serenus Swift lived and had an office at the Elms House Place, and just north of it was the law office of Cyrus A. Lockwood. Joseph Wells was then trading at the Burr stand, but Mr. Burr retained an office in the building for his general business.
"John C. Walker, a young lawyer, occupied the E. B. Burton place, and had an office on the north side of his lot. Calvin Sheldon lived in the house now owned by Rev. James Anderson, and his law office is still standing south of that building. Captain Peter Black kept an inn where Rev. Dr. Wickham re- sides, and also traded in a store which stood on the south side of his lot. Where Major Hawley now lives was the residence and law office of Richard Skinner, among whose students at that time were Leonard Sargent and Robert Pier- pont.
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"Nathan Burton, who had been appointed postmaster in ISO8, lived where Mr. Miner does, and kept the post-office in a little building on the north side of the lot. Joel Pratt, the county clerk, lived on the premises now occupied Mr. Cone, and had an office adjoining his house on the north. The old Marsh Tavern was still standing tenantless and soon to be demolished. Thaddeus Munson lived in the new tavern by its side, but kept it open only in court time. Ephraim Munson lived on the premises now occupied by Mr. Shattuck." 1
Such was the village of Manchester seventy- five years ago. Since then its population and dwellings have increased some three fold. It had not then, nor has it now any manufacturing industry of any considerable magnitude. The inclination of the people has been opposed to such, and any effort tending to establish manufacture here has been discouraged. The mercantile business has, however, been sufficiently maintained to supply the demands of the townspeo- ple and the residents of the surrounding country as well. In room of the old hotels, where the traveler was wont to stop for a time, there now stands the cele- brated Equinox House, the summer abode of hundreds of people from the
1 The reader must bear carefully in mind that the above recollections are taken, almost liter- ally, from Loveland Munson's historical address, and that address was delivered in Decem- ber, 1875. The localities indicated as being occupied in 1875 may be differently occupied at the present time. That whoever peruses the pages may not be misled nor confused by the above statements this explanation is made.
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large cities of the land, while the average transient has transferred his patron- age to the hotels at Manchester Centre.
While each of the residents and property owners has done his full share to- ward the beautifying of the village, and making the same a delightful place of abode, the greatest work and the greatest success is shown by the efforts of Franklin H. Orvis, a native of the town, and proprietor of the famous Equinox House; as a result of which effort Manchester has each summer a boarding population of from three to four hundred persons in excess of its permanent dwellers. This enterprise was established by Mr. Orvis over thirty-five years ago, and upon a scale that was then thought sufficient for future wants; but the desirability of the location, and the popularity of the resort have compelled enlargements, so that the capacity of the house has been increased several fold, and the old hotel buildings have been embraced within the management of the Equinox, and connected with it are a number of cottages. The Equinox Ho- tel with its several attachments will accommodate in the neighborhood of three hundred guests, and the remainder of transient population is distributed among private residences. The Munson House is also a summer boarding establish- ment of Manchester, though of comparatively modest capacity. It is under the proprietorship of John Moffat.
The Burr and Burton Seminary .- This institution, designed for the higher education of the youth of the county and elsewhere, was founded in the year [833, and named the "Burr Seminary " in honor of the man through whose magnificent contribution its erection became possible-Joseph Burr of Man- chester, one of the leading business citizens of the community. For this in- stitution Mr. Burr's contribution amounted to the sum of $10,000 .. Accord- ing to the original intention the seminary was designed for male students only, but in the year 1849 a young ladies' department was added, which character has been maintained to the present day. In the year 1860 Josiah Burton gave to the trustees of the seminary the sum of $15,000, and in honor of that dona- tion, upon the application of the trustees to the State Legislature, the corpor- ate name of the institution was changed to the "Burr and Burton Seminary." by which it has ever since been known. The earliest instructors of the sem- inary were Rev. Lyman Coleman and Jolin Aiken. About the year 1837 Rev. Joseph D. Wickham became principal of the seminary, and so continued until 1853, when he resigned to accept a professorship at Middlebury College ; but in 1856 he returned to Manchester and resumed his position, remaining until 1862, at which time he retired. Dr. Wickham still remains in the village and enjoys the distinction of being the oldest living graduate of Yale College, hav- ing finished his course in that celebrated institution in 1815. Dr. Wickham was born at Thompson, Conn., April 4, 1797. For a number of years Will- iam A. Burnham, esq. was an instructor at Burr Seminary, being associated therein with Dr. Wickham; and it may be said, with much truth too, that the
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days of the greatest success of the institution were during the professorship of these last named persons, althoughi it is not to be inferred that the seminary is in anything like a declining condition; on the contrary its course was never higher than at the present, and the faculty is fully competent to maintain the high standing and reputation acquired for the school in earlier years.
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