History of Chittenden County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 76

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 76

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whose first branch was thirty feet from the ground, and ere long gained the desired position, and with the cry "Stand from under," he pitched the bears from the tree, two of which were killed by men and dogs as they came tumbling down, while the third escaped.

These men, Stone, Pease and Butts, believed in exact justice to deserving men, as was shown in the treatment of one Casey, a hired man of Mr. Pease. For some offense, real or supposed, Casey took a son of his to the woods at night, and after a dreadful whipping left him tied to a tree until his screams brought a neighbor to his relief in the early morning. Next day notice of the case was given to " Billy " Young and a Mr. Prouty, executors of the law in this case, who appeared at the abode of Casey the next night, and with the " beech seal " and rawhide well laid on sought to change the spirit of the sav- age to milder form, while David and George stood by to witness that the con- viction was sufficiently deep to produce genuine conversion, and Gaius stood at a little distance, peering through the darkness to be satisfied of the same fact. These men were law-abiding citizens, but in this case could not wait the coming of tardy justice - and perhaps they were right.

John Lyman, from Salisbury, Conn., settled in Jericho soon after the Rev- olutionary War, in which he had been a brave and faithful soldier. He was a man of deep thought, sound judgment, and Christian character. It is said that " he was a mighty hunter and an accurate marksman, and that perhaps his skill as a hunter, his erect stature, dark complexion, and small black eyes, justi- fied the idea of a deacon in a certain place that Mr. Lyman was the Indian preacher sent to supply their pulpit the next Sabbath after his coming to the place." He was positive in his convictions, firm in his purposes, and not to be turned from his pursuit of the right course when once his opinions had been deliberately formed. These characteristics of the father were prominent in his children, two of whom, John and Daniel, honored, beloved and useful citizens, spent their long, prosperous and happy lives in Jericho, dying but a few years ago. Charles, a son of Daniel, worthily bearing the honored name of his father, is the only descendant now living in town.

David and Jedediah Field, brothers, came to Jericho from Guilford, Conn., about 1797, and were among the most honored of the early settlers. None of the children of David, of whom he had seven, is now living; and Erastus, son of Jedediah, is the only member of his family still a resident of Jericho. He has held most of the town offices, being justice of the peace thirty years, and having been representative of the town. He is a man of great wealth and highly respected. He is eighty-eight years old.

But want of time and space forbid extended mention of all the earlier set- tlers of the town, among whom are prominent, besides those already mentioned, Martin Chittenden, John Lee, Caleb Nash, Benjamin Day, Polli C. Packard, Jesse Gloyd, Jesse Thompson, James Marsh, Isaac Benham, Oliver Lowry, Truman

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Barney, Truman Galusha, Nathaniel Pliny, Lemuel Blackman, Elias Bartlett, Ho- sea Spaulding, Timothy Bliss, all honorable men, to some of whom we may have occasion to refer hereafter. Nor are these all. Compared with many men of these days and in this country, the early inhabitants of Jericho were very peculiar men. They had a high sense of honor, respect for their word of promise, considering it as valid as a bond, believed in fair dealing and honest work; they were in- dustrious, frugal, economical, paid their debts, trained well their children, hon- ored their wives, and in action were true to their convictions both religious and political. Peace to their ashes !

It will not be amiss, perhaps, to refer again briefly to the first meetings and first officers of the town. I find by reference to the town records that at a town meeting, March 12, 1787, " David Stanton was chosen tavern-keeper," and March 20, 1788, " Azariah Rood and James Farnsworth were chosen com- mittee to hire a candidate, and voted that we will raise money to pay a candi- date for preaching two months." On the 28th of September, 1789, " Town tax was granted to pay Mr. Reuben Parmelee for preaching the past season, £6, 5s. Iod." September 7, 1790, " Chose Martin Chittenden representative, and voted to give Mr. Ebenezer Kingsbury a call to settle in the ministry." No- vember 18, 1795, " Chose Noah Chittenden, esq., superintendent to take care of and superintend the building of a meeting-house." March 8, 1798, " Voted that the pole now ready to be raised be the town sign-post." March 2, 1801, " Voted to give liberty to the town to set up the small-pox next fall under the direction of the selectmen." It is presumed that the town made a profitable speculation from this " set up " by the selectmen, and that they did the work faithfully.

The office of town clerk, first given to Lewis Chapin, was at length con- ferred upon Jonathan Castle, and he was soon succeeded by Lewis Chapin, and he again by Jonathan Castle. These two men evidently believed in "rotation in office." Castle rotated Chapin out, then Chapin rotated himself in, until finally, in 1798, Thomas D. Rood obtained the office ; but Mr. Chapin "turned the table " upon him in 1802, and afterward held the place for many years un- disturbed. The records show that in 1801 James A. Potter was chosen repre- sentative; Martin Chittenden, in 1802; James A Potter, in 1803 and 1804; Thomas D. Rood, in 1805; James A. Potter, in 1806. Mr. Potter believed in rotation too, and so did the people. At the election of Mr. Potter in 1806 there were five candidates, and the election was made on the second ballot by one majority. The successor of Mr. Potter in 1807, was Salmon Fay.

Having now found the people active and earnest in their political action we turn our attention to their means of communication in regard to roads, bridges, etc., and to their progress in agriculture, manufactures, science, art. With the removal of the forest, and the coming of the plow, the hoe, the scythe and the rake, the sowing and the reaping, and with the slow but ever-increasing advent

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of new settlers, there came also the beginning and the gradual increase of roads, in the making of which the people seem to have been guided by the directions of nature and the dictates of reason ; and therefore, in but few in- stances, I think, have there been any material changes in the places of roads as first laid out. From the nature of the soil in most parts of the town, and from the character of the localities of the roads, they were, as a general thing, easily made, and have been easily kept in repair. Some of the roads in town are re- markably good, affording easy and exceedingly pleasant drives. Especially so is that along Little River, and that in the valley of Mill Brook, that along the bank of the Winooski, and again that extending from Jericho Corners to Un- derhill Flat. Some of the cross roads, however, extending from valley to valley, are by no means inviting to the traveler, but they seem to justify the expression that " the longest way round is the nearest way home." Of this character is the road extending south from the house of Martin V. Willard to Nashville, on Mill Brook. It is in surface rough ; in height, prodigious. Again, looking upon the beginning of the road leading from the home of Milo Doug- lass, on Little River, northwest, toward Underhill Flat, we may be reminded of "such getting up stairs I never did see." The ascent of the hill is dreadful, the descent, terrible.

The streams of water flowing through the town are small ; consequently, though there are many bridges, there is none of very extended dimensions, the length of the largest being not more than sixty feet, probably.

Early in the life of the town, while agriculture flourished, various mechanic arts obtained vigorous growth, and manufactures of lumber, leather, cloth, potash, starch, and even whisky and cider brandy sprang into being. On Lit- tle River, just above the settlements of Stone, Pease and Butts, there was a saw-mill operated by Daniel Hale; afterwards by Joseph Butts, then by Sam- uel Andrews, since and now, by Edgar Barney. On the same river, about one mile from the center of the town, there is a building used many years ago by Ephraim Stiles as a fulling-mill. In it there was also a carding-machine, and later on, wool carding was the principal business of the shop. It is now used by Lyman Stimson, an old and respected citizen, as a carriage and paint-shop. On Mill Brook were some mills and shops doing considerable business years ago, but they are doing very little now. At North Jericho, which forms a large part of the village called Underhill Flat, there is a steam saw and grist- mill owned and operated by Hon. Buel H. Day and Edward S. Whitcomb, jr. Near this mill they also have a large cheese factory in successful operation. There is another factory of the same kind in the valley of Mill Brook, about one mile and a half south of the Center. As there is no water power at the Center, there is entire lack of any extensive manufacturing interest in that place, and so it has been from the first, though there was long ago a tannery near by, and a manufactory of potash of some importance. But these fell into disuse long ago.

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At the Corners, a pleasant and flourishing village in the southwest part of the township, on Brown's River, there are several fine mill privileges. Hence the most important and useful manufactures have flourished here from the first ; though at one time, long ago, there was here a most destructive establishment, a whisky mill, destructive alike of corn, rye and men. Here Hon. David Fish successfully carried on the business of tanner, and boot and shoemaker for several years, but his works have perished, and he himself lives only in the respectful remembrance of neighbors and friends who survive. Here also a mill for carding wool was early established, and has been generally managed by sons of Truman Barney, who in his day was the owner of much land and other property in the village. Martin Mead, who runs the carding- machine this summer, worked in the same mill and at the same business sixty- three years ago. Near this mill and on the opposite side of the river Eu- gene Curtis has a saw-mill and a planing-mill, and is doing a fair amount of business. Just above this, on the same side of the river, is a mill belonging to L. B. & F. Howe, of which special mention will be made hereafter. A little further up the river is a building used long ago and for many years as a grist-mill. Some eight or ten years ago it was converted into a chair factory, and having been much enlarged by the owner, Henry M. Field, it did a large and prosperous business for a while ; but soon Mr. Field gave up the enter- prise and moved West. A few rods above this factory are mills belonging to Anson Field. At this place the manufacture of wood pumps and water-tubing was begun by Simon Davis about the year 1840. They were then made in a crude manner and bored by hand with a " pod auger." Soon machinery was . introduced for turning and revolving in a lathe while boring. This slow pro- cess continued for many years, but about the year 1863 new and improved machinery was built, and the business was so increased that several thousand more pumps and many miles of tubing were made and sold every year. The property changed hands several times, and finally in 1875 it was purchased by Anson Field, the present owner, who built most of the improved ma- chinery, and who has since added much to the property by the erection and arrangement of buildings and other facilities. Mr. Field has also purchased a large tract of timber on Mansfield Mountain, which supplies his saw-mill and shops with lumber. This is the only industry of the kind in Vermont, and the goods manufactured are sent all over New England and to other parts of the country. Field's pumps and water-tubing are widely known and highly ap- preciated. Too much honor cannot be accorded to Mr. Field for his great contribution to the business interests of the town. Still further up the river is a mill operated by Thomas Buxton. He has arrangements for grinding corn, oats, etc .; for sawing, making shingles, hoe handles, fork handles and the like, and is doing good business.

Twenty-one years ago L. B. Howe, one of the most thorough and enter-

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HISTORY OF CHITTENDEN COUNTY.

prising business men in the town, in company with F. Beach, another thorough man in business, bought the grist-mill which was built, owned and run for several years successfully by James H. Hutchinson. The partnership continued for five years, at the end of which time Mr. Howe became sole owner, and so remained until a few years ago, when his son, Frank, became a partner. De- siring to do more and better business than they had facilities for doing, Mr. Howe and son determined to make large and important additions to their works, and began to do so in June, 1885. Beginning at the foundation they have carried on the work to its completion with the most satisfactory and gratifying results. The works are called "The Chittenden Roller Mills," and they are the first and only mills of the kind in the New England States. The main building is forty by seventy feet on the ground, with a wheel-house adjoining, eighteen by fifty feet. In this department are four water-wheels, two of which are used for feed work, and the others for the new flouring machinery. All the floors of the mill from the basement to roof are filled with machinery of perfect and even artistic design. In connection with this system of milling wheat, there is here a new system for manufacturing corn- meal on rollers, which is far superior to the old system. A new process of reducing buckwheat by rollers has been discovered while operating this ma- chinery, and certainly it is a great improvement.

The machinery for these mills was furnished by the Case Manufacturing Company, of Columbus, O., and the manufacturers claim it to be the finest line of machinery ever sent out of Columbus. In placing it in the mill no pains or expense has been spared to make it first-rate in every particular. The super- intending millwright having built twenty-seven mills of this system, declares this to be one of the best. The water-wheels, shafting, pulleys, gears, and all machinist work, over twenty tons' weight in all, were furnished by Edwards, Stevens & Co., of Winooski, Vt. The basement and first story of the main building are of stone ; the second story, fourteen feet high, is of wood, the walls being six inches thick. The roof and sides are covered with iron. The working capacity of the mills for a day of twenty-four hours is estimated to be the production of sixty barrels of flour, seventy-five barrels of table meal, forty barrels of buckwheat, fifteen hundred bushels of meal and feed. The whole establishment in form and finish is an ornament to the village and an honor to its builders.

Ecclesiastical History .- The religious denominations in Jericho are Congre- gational, Baptist, Methodist, Episcopalian and Universalist. Nine persons. united to form the first Congregational Church, March 31, 1791. Rev. Eben- ezer Kingsbury became pastor of this church soon after its organization, and remained such until May 17, 1808. Meetings were held in private houses until 1797, when the first meeting-house, a large wooden structure, was built in the middle of the "Green," around which the village of Jericho Center now

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stands. This house was demolished in 1835, and the "Brick Church," now standing on the north side of the "Green," took its place. In 1878 this house was thoroughly repaired and extensive changes were made in the inte- rior. It is not often that in either town or city there is found a church edifice more appropriate in design or finish than is this; and so long as it stands as now, it will continue to show the good judgment and excellent taste of Hon. Edgar H. Lane, under whose careful and faithful supervision the work was done.

In 1809 Rev. John Dennison succeeded Mr. Kingsbury as pastor, and he was followed by a long line of noble men and excellent ministers, most of whom had short pastorates. Rev. Austin Hazen, an able minister, beloved by the people at large, closed his pastorate of this church in the summer of 1884. He was pastor for twenty years, and was succeeded by Rev. J. K. Will- iams, a man of ability and excellent spirit, who is the present pastor.

The second Congregational Church, located at the Corners, was organized in 1826, and reorganized in 1874; and the church building having been thoroughly repaired was re-dedicated in 1877. The building was erected by aid of the Baptists, and was used in part by them from 1826 to 1858, when they built a good church of their own. Rev. D. B. Bradford is the present pastor of the Congregational Church, and Rev. Mr. Coombs of the Baptist. Both are good men and able ministers. There are two Methodist meeting- houses in town, one at the Corners, the other at North Jericho. At the latter place there is also an Episcopal Church, in which service is held most of the time. There is a Universalist house at the Center, now seldom used. So there are in all seven houses for public worship in Jericho.

Educational .- Soon after the settlement of the town, and upon the neces- sity of the case, Jericho was divided into thirteen school districts, which remain about the same, and with no material changes in their limits. Some of the school buildings are poor, but most of them are good, and especially so is that at the Corners. It has two stories, each story high from floor to ceiling, is about sixty-five by thirty feet in extension, is pleasant and convenient, being divided into two rooms on the lower floor, with a hall above. As it is kept in good repair and handsomely painted, it is an ornament to the village and an honor to the town. The people of Jericho have always been blessed with good opportunities for common school instruction, but whether they have al- ways fully and wisely improved them it is not for the writer to say. He will say, however, that he fails to see generally, either in the quantity or quality, any marked improvement in modern teaching over that of former years. It is presumed that Jericho is not alone in this regard.

In 1825 an academy was built at Jericho Center, but did not go into suc- cessful operation until the spring of 1827, when Simeon Bicknell, A. M., took charge of it and remained the principal for five years. He was a good scholar,

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a fine teacher, an excellent disciplinarian, a cultured gentleman. Under his charge the school stood second to none in Northern Vermont, and was pat- ronized largely and widely. With promise of larger reward, Mr. Bicknell went from Jericho to take charge of an academy in Malone, N. Y., and with his going the glory of Jericho Academy began to fade away. Nevertheless it held high rank among the academies of the State for several years under Prin- cipals E. J. Marsh, John Boynton, James T. Foster, and others. But its light went entirely out in 1845, and the building now stands a reminder of departed glory, but dear to those taught therein, who may still look upon it. And it is pleasant to remember that some of the most prominent men of the State and the nation received their academic training here. Among these are A. B. Maynard, an eminent lawyer of Detroit ; George Bliss, of Jericho, afterward member of Congress from Ohio; Hon. John A. Kasson, Charles A. Seymour, Hon. L. P. Poland, men of national reputation ; nor would I fail to mention the name of C. C. Parker, of Underhill, who became in due time an eminent minister of the gospel, but is now gone to his reward. Besides these, very many men and women that have been and still are useful members of society, were educated wholly or in part at Jericho Academy. Its life though short was not utterly in vain, in further proof of which we will give in addition the names of a part of those who fitted here for college - names of those we knew and re- member : George Lee Lyman, Edwin, George, James and John Blackman, Pa- raclite Sheldon, Whipple Earl, Torrey E. Wales. Most of these were graduated from the University of Vermont, and all have made good and honorable rec- ords in their various pursuits and callings.

Professional, etc. - The first physician in Jericho was Matthew Cole, but his residence here was short. The first to practice medicine permanently in town was Dr. Eleazer Hutchins. He settled here in 1791 or 1792, was an energetic man, a good physician, and was surgeon of the regiment raised in this section engaged in the battle of Plattsburgh. He died in town in Febru- ary, 1833, aged sixty-seven years. The second physician permanently settled in town was Dr. George Howe. His settlement was in 1810, and his practice extended over a period of nearly fifty years. Dr. Howe was a fine man in look and manner, cordial in his intercourse and benevolent in spirit. His skil secured him a large practice and his character gained him universal respect. He died in 1857, aged seventy-six years. Dr. Jamin Hamilton was the third prominent physician. He settled at the Center, and for many years did a large and successful business, by which he gained both wealth and honor. He moved from Jericho to Albany, N. Y., several years since and died there. After these physicians came B. Y. Warner, F. F. Hovey, C. W. B. Kidder, A. C. Welch and George Lee Lyman, all of whom were skillful practitioners. Dr. Denni- son Bliss, a man of good native ability, and with a skill that promised the full- est success, having practiced a few years in fulfillment of the promise, because

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of failing health retired from practice, but still lives in town. And others there were of whom we cannot speak. The physicians now in active practice in town are A. F. Burdick, A. B. Somers, E. P. Howe, and F. H. Cilley, all of whom are able and successful practitioners. Dr. Burdick lives at North Jericho, Dr. Somers and Dr. Howe at the Corners, and Dr. Cilley at the Center.

It is said that Martin Post was the first lawyer in town, but his stay was short and nothing of importance can be said of him. The most eminent law- yers of early times who lived in Jericho and began practice here were Jacob Maeck, David A. Smalley, E. R. Hard. All these going to Burlington, still held high rank at the bar of Chittenden county, and Mr. Hard still holds it. Mr. Maeck and Mr. Smalley long since passed away. C. S. Palmer, who went from Jericho to Dakota some four years ago, gained here a good practice and a fine reputation as a lawyer; and L. F. Wilbur, who moved to Burlington in the fall of 1882, was inferior to none in legal ability and successful practice. Mr. Wilbur is emphatically a self-made man, and has been eminently successful in his profession. M. H. Alexander, a young man of promise, is the only lawyer now practicing in Jericho. But higher in honor than any other, pre-eminent in knowledge of the law, administering it as a member of the Supreme Court of the State for many years, and finally elected governor, was Hon. Asahel Peck, who spent the last years of his life on a farm in the south part of Jericho, and died there a few years ago. The farm was not specially attractive to Mr. Peck because of its position or the promise of abundant harvests, but the quietness of the place and the supervision of the farm seemed to gratify and delight him.1

Passing thus from the beginning to the present we have found vast changes in some respects. From the largest portion of the town the forest has been removed by the hand of toil, and abundance has taken the place of want. It would be well, perhaps, if some of the primeval forest were still standing. Quite a portion of the town was originally covered with large, beautiful pine trees ; especially fine were these in the south part of the town upon lands owned by Hon. Noah Chittenden, Jesse Thompson and others. Perhaps the following incident may show the reason of their early removal. Messrs. Chit- tenden and Thompson, neighbors, were in the woods on a certain day, looking over their lands and talking of their possessions, when Mr. Chittenden, point- ing to a beautiful pine one hundred feet high, said, "Mr. Thompson, the day will come, I believe, though you and I may not live to see it, when such a tree as that will be a dollar in cash !" The reason is found, then, in their high esti- mate of money, or low estimate of pine.

From very small beginning in number, there is now a population of about 1,700, with a grand list of $9,585. At the Center of Jericho there has been

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History of Chittenden County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 76

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