History of Chittenden County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 69

Author: Rann, W. S. (William S.)
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason & Co.
Number of Pages: 1054

USA > Vermont > Chittenden County > History of Chittenden County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 69

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HISTORY OF CHITTENDEN COUNTY.

a good record as a good Christian man and citizen. He represented the town in the " General Assembly " and held important offices of trust in town. Other members of this family located in Jericho, and some of them were among the early emigrants to the "West." Still further down the river, James Pelton, William Blood, Daniel Littlefield, who was town representative two years and held other important town offices, Samuel Bradley, Alvin Bassett, John Hal- bert, William Ingraham, Nathan and Jabez Woodworth, James Keeler, James · Gates, Gideon Curtis, Robert Reynolds, Elijah and Samuel Bixby, and David Hamilton were among the early settlers. Mr. Hamilton was for many years deacon of the Congregational Church and prominent in its affairs. Later in life he removed to Burlington, where he died. On the west side of the river Stephen Butler settled in 1794, and near him Caleb Olds. And these were the only settlers between Brown's River and "the Center" for many years. North of what is called the Center the early settlers were Captain Morgan Noble, Colonel Stephen and Levi Noble, Nathaniel Blood, Ezra Woodworth, Mr. Bryant, Mr. Folsom, Daniel Hobart, Andrew Morgan, Betly Hatch, John Griffin, Averill . Noble, Ezra Slater, Jonathan and Thomas Chipman, Peter Hobart, Mr. Haz- elton, Joshua Bates. Colonel Noble kept a store at a very early day in the house now occupied by Mr. Nichols. Andrew Morgan held the office of town clerk for many years. On the road leading north from "Page's Corners " to Westford, David Tyler, Israel Joslin, and later his brother Benjamin, and Branscom Perrigo were the early settlers. Mr. Benjamin Joslin came into town when eighteen years of age, lived and died on the homestead now occupied by Captain Gilbert Morton, who married his daughter. Mr. Joslin was a straight- forward business man, for many years a prominent member of the Methodist Church, and a liberal contributor to the building of its church edifice. In the northeast part of the town Ezra Baker, and his son Solomon, Henry Slater, Henry Kelly, Asa Brigham, Russell Kellogg, and later, Nelson, his son, Zadoc Bellows, and later his son Amasa, and Silas McClellan were among the first settlers. In the western part of the town, familiarly called the " Lost Nation" on account of somebody having been "lost " there and found after a long search, Samuel Atherton, Moses Parsons, David and Childs Day, and Alonzo Stevens were among the first settlers. Samuel Atherton located upon the farm afterward occupied by his son Asa, who was born in 1800 and lived to see one of the largest families in town grow up to man and womanhood and taking part in the active duties of life.

Organization of the Town .- The warning for the town meeting, at which the organization of the town took place, was dated Jericho, March 10, 1786, and was signed John Fassett, assistant. The meeting was held March 22, 1786, at the house of Dr. Elkanah Billings, in the south part of the town. The day named in the charter for the organization was July 12, 1763, and John Bogart, jr., esq., was to call the meeting, and " is hereby appointed modera-

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tor." No reason is assigned for the change in time. The record of this town meeting shows that Dubartis Willard, or " Barty " as he was familiarly called, was chosen moderator ; Elkanah Billings, town clerk; Dubartis Willard, Justin Day, and Joel Woodworth, selectmen; Samuel Smith, treasurer; Abraham Stevens, constable ; Solomon Stanton, Elkanah Billings, and Samuel Bradley, highway surveyors. The only vote passed at this meeting was "to raise seventy pounds lawful money for the purpose of repairing roads in said town, to be wrought out on said roads at six shillings a day for each man who works in September ; and four shillings a day for each man who works in the month of October ; and three shillings a day for each yoke of oxen." At the annual meeting in 1787 Samuel Bradley was chosen town clerk, and he held the office continuously for five years; Jonathan Winchell, Abraham Stevens, Samuel Smith, selectmen ; Joel Woodworth, treasurer ; Justin Day, constable ; David Thompson and David Day, jurors; Abraham Stevens, Joel Wood- worth, and Dubartis Willard, fence viewers, and William Thompson, sealer of weights and measures. In 1788 Samuel Bradley, Simon Tubbs, and Dubartis Willard were chosen listers, and Steven Noble, and Captain McNall were chosen tythingmen, officers whose duty it was to take care of the naughty boys at church and other meetings, and preserve order generally. The last tythingman who officiated in that capacity was Daniel Dunlop, as late as 1843. The selectmen of 1788 were Colonel John Childs, Timothy Bliss, esq., and Captain Morgan Noble ; Justin Day, treasurer ; Steven Noble, constable ; Joseph Ely, pound-keeper; James Thompson, and John Lawrence, haywards- an office which in later years was conferred upon the newly-married couples in town. In 1789 Joel Woodworth, esq., Peter Pixley, and Abel Castle were selectmen; Dubartis Willard, constable. Barty held the office two years. One of the two votes passed at the meeting was "that said town raise three pence on the pound on the list of 1788 to be paid in wheat, to defray town charges, said wheat to be collected by the first day of December, 1789." This com- modity seems to have been lawful tender for town services in those days. There was little money in circulation. In 1791 a similar vote was passed rais- ing five pence on the pound and fixing the price of wheat at five shillings per bushel. In 1794 the tax raised was one penny half-penny on the pound, to be paid in wheat at four shillings a bushel, or money. In 1797 the number of tax-payers in town was 125. There were only three persons that had a list of six dollars and fifty cents. In 1810 the number was 165. The State tax of that year was one cent on the dollar of the grand list. The amount raised was $180.96, showing a grand list of $1,806.90. The only person who paid a tax of over four dollars was Abraham Stevens. His tax was $4.55. In 1819 the number of tax-payers was 155. The town tax was two cents on the dollar. The amount raised was $312.80 and the grand list was $1,580.02. Mr. Stevens was the largest tax-payer, his tax being over eight dollars. In 1886, one

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hundred years after the organization of the town, the grand list is $9,404.93. There was no State tax, but the town tax was one hundred cents on the dol- lar. Two paid a tax of over two hundred dollars each, and five over one hun- dred dollars each. Quite a large number paid taxes of twenty dollars and up- wards. This heavy taxation was occasioned by bonding the town to the sum of twenty thousand dollars in aid of the Burlington and Lamoille Railroad. The officers of the town for this year were Clark W. Bates, George Butler, and William Hunter, selectmen ; J. W. R. Nichols, town clerk-who has held the office continuously for twenty-three years; George H. Brown, treasurer ; E. D. Baker, constable ; S. G. Butler, E. H. Tyler, and J. K. Warner, listers and assessors.

On the 2d day of September, 1794, supposed to have been the "first Tuesday," the first " freemen's meeting " was held. At this meeting forty- eight votes were cast for governor, of which Thomas Chittenden had thirty-six. On the 30th day of December of the same year the first votes for representa- tive to Congress were given, of which Noah Smith had thirty-six. The " free- men's meeting" in 1797 was held at the house of Russell Kellogg, and the number of votes cast was sixty-eight, of which Gideon Olin, for governor, had thirty- four. In 1799 the meeting was held at the house of John Knicker- bocker. The whole number of votes cast, seventy-nine, of which Daniel Chip- man had thirty. In 1795 the number was fifty-one; in 1796, fifty; in 1800, sixty-five. These votes indicate that the settlement of the town was not rapid. At its organization there were probably fifty families, for such was the require- ment of the charter. In 1790 the population was 354; in 1800 it was 729 ; and at the expiration of one hundred years from its settlement it is 2, III ; and the number of votes cast for governor was 423.

The division of the town into seventy-two equal shares was nominally rec- ognized by the early settlers, but as the population increased and new claims were staked out by new comers, it was found that infringements had been made upon the claims of others. One settler had overlapped his neighbor, or two settlers claimed the same share. To remedy this growing inquietude, under the law of the Legislature for this purpose, the first recorded meeting of the proprietors and land owners was called, " to meet on the second Monday of October, 1804, at the dwelling house of Samuel Ferras, in said Essex, at nine o'clock in the forenoon," for the purpose of organization, etc. At this meeting Simon Tubbs was chosen moderator; Nathan Castle, proprietors' clerk ; Samuel Buell, treasurer ; and Stephen Butler, collector. It was voted to survey the town and divide the same into severalty, agreeable to the special act of the Legislature. It was also voted " that the survey should be made as near agreeable to the former allotment and lines as may be consistent with an accurate survey, and that each claimer shall be quieted agreeable to his bounds where there are no interposing claims "; in which case the committee appointed

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to carry the vote into effect were "to determine the premises according to their best judgment and discretion." Abraham Stevens, Timothy Bliss and John Johnson were the committee. Under this action of the proprietors the rising rebellion was quieted, and a map of their survey was made by John Johnson, which, in a very dilapidated condition, is still in existence. The largest claim recognized by this committee was that of Thaddeus Tuttle, who seems to have been a large speculator in real estate. He was wont to enforce his claims for rent or pay by threats of law and writs of ejectment, and some- times found a determined settler who successfully resisted his claim. At one time he put up a sign forbidding persons taking wood from his land. Some wag who seemed to understand the nature of Mr. Tuttle's claims, wrote under it,

" Thief threatening thief will do no good ; You stole the land and we'll steal the wood."

The Settlement of the Center .- The first settlers of the town seem to have been anxious to locate their "meeting-house " as near the exact " center " of the town as was possible, and hence in town meetings they discussed the subject and directed the question to be determined by "admeasurement." The result did not quite satisfy the people, and by general consent the location now called " the Center " was fixed upon, which varies a few rods from the actual measurement. What is now the " Common " was covered with a heavy growth of pines, part of which had been prostrated by a tornado. The work of clearing it was immense. It was done by a " bee," so called, in which the people of the whole town participated. The huge logs were piled up, those of them that were not wanted før lumber, and burned. Some time about the year 1800 the first building was erected at the Center, and stood on the south- east corner of the Common. It was built by Samuel Pelton. In 1804 Mr. Pelton leased of David Morgan the right to flow land on Alder Brook, and built a saw-mill on the bank west of Lysander Woodworth's. This brook, so called from the immense grove of alders on its bank, was then a very small stream, quite shallow, emptying in Brown's River, in the northeast part of the town. Mr. Pelton diverted this brook from its natural course, carrying the water in a flume to a reservoir dam a few miles below the present gulf cross- way. In this saw-mill some of the lumber used in building the meeting-house was prepared. At this time there was no gulf, but in the great freshet of 1830 the brook became a mighty power, swept off bridges, dams and mills, cut for itself a new channel well toward a hundred feet below the original bed and forced its way over all opposing obstacles until it mingled its waters with the Winooski, many miles away, in an entirely opposite direction from its original mouth. This was one of the most destructive calamities the town ever wit- nessed, and from which the " Center " never recovered.

The second house erected at the Center was the one occupied by Joel Woodworth as the first " tavern " in town. It was brought from its former loca-

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tion and rebuilt upon the north side of the Common, the site now occupied by the hotel. It was built of pine logs nicely hewn and set up endwise. Here it was again used as a " tavern," and kept for many years by Stephen Butler, and after him by his son, B. B. Butler. At a later period a two-story front was erected and previous to and during the War of 1812 it was a noted place of resort. Its spacious hall, a large one for those days, was used for singing- schools, an occasional festive event, and by the Masonic fraternity. Sixty years ago an addition was made, converting it into its present form. For some years these were the only buildings at the Center. Between the Center and " But- ler's Corners " there was only one house. South of the Center the whole dis- tance to the Winooski in one direction and Brown's River in another, was thickly covered with huge pine trees, which the timber mania of later years swept off, without regard to the "reservation of timber for the royal navy," mentioned in the original charter of the town. North was an extended swamp through which by a narrow foot-path the people of the north portion of the town came to " meeting " on horseback or on foot. Clearing, draining and cultivation has converted this swamp into a fertile intervale bordering Alder Brook. On the southwest corner of the Common lived David Clark and after him Mr. Humphrey and then F. W. Joyner, who established a tannery and shoe shop and carried on a large business for many years in both these depart- ments. Mr. Joyner was an enterprising, public-spirited citizen and contribu- ted liberally to those public enterprises which tended to build up the village. To his public spirit the people are indebted for the beautiful maple shade trees which so handsomely adorn the east side of the Common. The northeast cor- ner of the common was occupied for many years by a wheelwright shop by Harry Aldrich and by a blacksmith shop by Henry Bliss. The northwest cor- ner was the residence for many years of Richard Samson, and when he retired from the hotel, about 1832, it became the homestead of B. B. Butler, where he lived for many years and died. Near the southeast corner was the resi- dence of B. F. Taylor, where he followed the occupation of blacksmith. " Broth- er Taylor," as he was familiarly called, was very zealous in Christian work, was a "local preacher " for many years in the Methodist Church in Westford and Essex, and died at Essex Junction. In 1819-20 the store on the corner was built by B. B. Butler, for the young merchant, Thaddeus R. Fletcher, who, with a capital of $400 borrowed of his brother, commenced the mercantile bus- iness. He was very successful ; being the only merchant in town for many years, soon purchased a building lot and built for himself what was in that day a very fine residence, and a large store also on the opposite side of the street, both of which are now occupied by George H. Brown. Here Mr. Fletcher conducted a large and flourishing business for many years, accumulating large wealth. Later he removed to Burlington, where he died. Meanwhile the " corner store" was occupied by Loren Tyler, and the competing merchants

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made business lively. Mr. Tyler's residence was on the south side of the Com- mon, where he died after a very successful career in mercantile life. He was a good citizen and business man, an active member of the Methodist Church, contributing liberally for its support. At a later period Nathan Lothrop set- tled upon the place now owned by Mr. Lester, built the house now occupied by him, had a store and blacksmith's shop on the opposite side of the street, and was engaged for many years in the manufacture of " wrought nails," the only nails then in common use. Mr. Lothrop afterwards built the house now occupied by Mrs. Powell, and resided there when he died. He was an active business man, and a prominent member of the Congregational Church, perpet- uating his memory as one deeply interested in its prosperity and perpetuity, as well as in the spread of the gospel elsewhere, by devoting a large portion of his accumulated wealth to both objects. Meanwhile other persons, business men and farmers, located in and near the Center, and at one period in its his- tory there were two stores, three blacksmith's shops, three shoemakers, a tannery, a saw-mill, one hotel, tailor's, cooper's and wheelwright's shops and a potash man- ufactory, and it was the principal business center of the town. But since the advent of the railroads it has become the village of churches and public build- ings. There are now four churches, Congregational, Baptist, Methodist and Universalist, each of which has sufficient capacity to accommodate all who ha- bitually attend Sabbath worship. A large town hall, the upper story of which is a Masonic hall, the Essex Classical Institute and the boarding-house con- nected with it, comprise the public buildings. The town business is all trans- acted here. At the present writing there is one store, a hotel, a blacksmith's shop and two millinery and dressmaking establishments. The men of public spirit and enterprise, who gave tone and vigor and form to the moral, religious and educational interests of the Center village, and to a large extent the whole town, have all passed away. The mantle of Elijah has not fallen upon the shoulders of Elisha.

The Settlement of Page's Corners .- The first settlement of Page's Corners, so named for Colonel Samuel Page, by whose enterprise it was made the busi- ness part of the town for a considerable period, was made by James Blin and - John and Stephen Reed, probably not far from 1790. John Reed kept tavern on the northwest of the four corners, and after him Curtis Holgate on the south- east corner. Samuel Farrar was his successor. In a part of this house last occupied by Adonijah Brooks, a store was kept by Bazel Stewart in 1795. The first post-office in town was established at these Corners, and Ralph Rice, who was one of the first general merchants in town and was largely engaged in the manufacture of potash, which he marketed in Montreal, was the first postmas- ter appointed by Postmaster-General Gideon Granger. He declined to accept the office and Samuel Farrar was appointed in his stead. In a few years the post-office died out for want of support. The expense of transporting the mail

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once a week on horseback was not met by the receipts. For nearly twenty years there was no post-office in town. In 1825 or '26 it was re-established at Butler's Corners and Roswell Butler was appointed postmaster. His com- pensation for the year 1826 was $9.96. Albert Stevens, Truman Powell and David Tyler succeeded him in the office until 1838-9, when it was removed to the Center and Irad C. Day was appointed to the office. Just previous to the War of 1812 Samuel Page, an active, energetic business man, located here and gave it the name by which it has since been known. He kept a tavern for many years on the place since occupied by his descendants, established a black- smith's and wheelwright's shop, in which he did a large and flourishing business. For many years almost the entire business of the town was transacted here. The annual town meetings were held here from 1805 to 1821, when they were permanently located at the Center by vote of the town. Mercantile and man- ufacturing business was carried on quite extensively. Two taverns were in active operation and were liberally patronized. A saw-mill was built near here about 1800, among the first in town and did a good business spring and fall. In the time of the " embargo " these Corners were the scene of many exciting smuggling scenes. The "Brooks Tavern " was thought to be the " headquar- ters " of the "smugglers." Custom House officers were very active and vari- ous devices were resorted to to elude their vigilance, and occasionally they were lucky enough to seize some small article as a reward for their assiduity. But the growing business of the Center became the attraction, and one after another of the business enterprises of the Corners were abandoned, and it is now a farming community.

Settlement of Essex Function. - The extensive water power at this place was utilized at an early day. It was named Hubbel's Falls, from a man who was one of the first settlers. The first dam was made by Abraham Stevens across the locality known as Rock Island. The first saw-mill was built by John Johnson and Daniel Hurlburt; later William Ward put in a carding ma- chine joining the saw-mill. Later another dam was built, probably upon the site of the present one, by Mr. Tichout, and the mills by John Bradley and Michael Sinclair. Here was located the carding and manufacturing works of Joshua Haynes, a grist-mill and a saw-mill, and a little later Roswell Butler built a hemp-mill which bid fair to be a very lucrative business enterprise when the terrible freshet of 1830 swept the whole away. The foundations of the grist-mill and carding works alone were left standing. All else was a wreck. Soon after this calamity the dam was rebuilt and a paper-mill was put in by Mr. Cutler, since which with various improvements, additions and changes in management the business has been continued in the name of Hunter & Shi- land. A few years later a large saw-mill was built just below the bridge by S. A. Brownell, and a new grain and flouring mill between that and the paper- mill by other parties. Among the first settlers here was Abraham Stevens,

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who at the age of sixteen years enlisted in the army and served under Colonel Seth Warner. He was in the campaign of Quebec, and in the attack upon that place was only a short distance from General Montgomery when he fell, mor- tally wounded. He served through the whole Revolutionary War. Immedi- ately upon its close, after spending a year in Burlington and being married, with his bride he took up his residence in the year 1784 in a log house which stood some distance from the highway leading to the Junction, opposite where Mr. Folsom now resides. Here he located his " soldier's right " of one hun- dred acres of land, and in 1799 took possession of his new-found house, which was for many years a landmark in that vicinity, now gone. Mr. Stevens was at one time the proprietor of a thousand acres of land, comprising probably the whole of what is now known as Essex Junction. He was an industrious, en- terprising man, much respected and honored in town, holding several impor- tant offices of trust and responsibility. The square and compass on his tomb- stone indicate that he was a member of the Masonic fraternity and was buried with the honors of that ancient and honorable institution. The only surviving member of his numerous family is Byron Stevens, who was born in 1799, and is probably the oldest native resident of the town living. The first building of any note erected at this place was a "gambrel-roofed house " built by one Long and located on the site now occupied by the Junction House. It was oc- cupied by Albert Stevens, son of Abram, as a tavern. It was torn down to make room for the brick house which now forms a part of that hotel. It was a noted stopping place for the weary and thirsty traveler to and from Burling- ton, and was one of the line of taverns between Westford and the city-Bow- man, Page, Buell, Tyler, Stevens. At a later period it was occupied by Henry Stanton. A post-office was established here about 1850 under the name of Painesville, in honor of Governor Paine, then railroad magnate of the State, and Mr. Stanton was appointed postmaster. Later, the name was changed to Essex Junction and it was made a post-office money-order and a postal-note office. From an early day this part of the town has been quite prominent in its manufacturing establishments, but since the inauguration and completion of the three lines of railroad which forin their junction there, it has grown quite rapidly in its business population. At the present time nearly one quarter of the inhabitants of the town are within the limits of what is known as Essex Junction. It has not drawn to any extent from the population or wealth of other portions of the town, but as a railroad center it has attracted business men and wealth from outside, and stimulated the employment of capital and labor in developing the almost unlimited resources of its splendid water power as well as improving business in all other directions. It is now the business center of the town. Occupying the water power at the present time are a pa- per, flouring and saw-mill and butter-tub factory. There are three stores, two groceries and a meat market, a drug store, a clothing establishment, two hotels,

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History of Chittenden County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 69

Author: Rann, W. S. (William S.) Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason & Co. Number of Pages: 1054

Author: Rann, W. S. (William S.)
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason & Co.
Number of Pages: 1054