USA > Vermont > Grand Isle County > History of Franklin and Grand Isle counties, Vermont : With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of the prominent men and pioneers. > Part 29
USA > Vermont > Franklin County > History of Franklin and Grand Isle counties, Vermont : With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of the prominent men and pioneers. > Part 29
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309
FREE MASONRY.
was renewed and action was deferred until 1808, when the matter seems to have been indefinitely postponed, for no charter was ever granted to the Masons of Middle Hero. October 9, 1821, a charter was granted to Isle of Patmos Lodge, No. 54. Its charter members were Abner Keeler, Nathaniel Healey, Alson Landon, Abiel Adams, Ephraim Beardsley, Bird Landon, Ebenezer Allen, Jonathan Worthing, Consider Belding, Franklin Robinson, William Gale and Timothy Allen. It continued work until 1828 and suspended until January 5, 1850, when it was again received into the Grand Lodge and re-numbered 17. Its territory is limited, and its membership small, numbering, at last report, thirty- cne.
Past masters : Robinson Ferris, Horace Wardsworth, Stephen Wards worth, Socrates Reynolds, William M. Fletcher, George B. Keeler, Henry W. Conro, Charles W. Petty, and Fred W. Sears.
Isle La Motte Lodge, No. 81, Isle La Motte .- On the 28th day of No- vember, 1867, a charter was granted to Ira Hill, Harry Hill, N. S. Hill, Elisha R. Goodsell, Harry J. Hill, Winfield S. Carrow, Henry H. Hill, N. G. Hill, B. E. Lengfield and C. J. Thomas to establish a lodge on Isle La Motte. It was a compliment to Hon. Ira Hill, who had then been a Mason for more than half a century. The little island affords but few candidates, but the lodge owns a building well adapted to its use, and has been noted for its able and well posted members. No more zealous Masons could have been found in the state than Hon. Ira Hill, Hon. Harry Hill and Dr. B. E. Lengfield. Membership, twenty-two.
Past masters : Harry Hill, Henry H. Goodsell, B. E. Lengfield, James Hurst and R. W. Hill.
Hill Chapter, No. 14, Alburgh .- Another compliment to Hon. Ira Hill was the granting of a charter October 3, 1866, to Ira Hill, Jason Washburn, Danford Mott, and others, for a chapter at Alburgh, named for him, and numbered 14. Ira Hill was the first high priest, and the chapter joined Columbus Lodge in the occupancy of the hall in the town house. Although having few members it is a body of life and given to the best social entertainments of any Masonic body in Northern Ver- mont. Its patrons are earnest and zealous, and a bright and prosperous future is well assured. Membership, twenty- five.
Past high priests : Ira Hill, H. L. Sowles, M. T. Mott, P. A. Wheeler, George Lyman, H. C. Phelps, Henry Mott and H. R. Titus.
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HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND GRAND ISLE COUNTIES.
CHAPTER XIX.
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF ST. ALBANS, AND OF THE INCORPO- RATED VILLAGE OF ST. ALBANS, THE SEAT OF JUS- TICE OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.
0 N THE 17th day of August, in the year 1763, Benning Wentworth, provincial governor of New Hampshire, granted charters for four separate towns, St. Albans, Swanton, Highgate and Georgia, each of which bordered or touched upon the waters of Lake Champlain.
As provided in the charter the boundaries of the town of St. Albans were as follows: "Beginning at the northeasterly corner of Georgia, a town this day granted, which lies on the east side of Lake Champlain ; from thence running westerly by Georgia line to Lake Champlain; then turning off northerly and running by the shores of said lake to a stake and stones by the side of the lake, at six miles distance on a straight line from the northwesterly corner of Georgia aforesaid; then turning off easterly, and running on a parallel line with the northerly side of Georgia, so far as that a straight line drawn to the northeasterly corner of Georgia aforesaid, the bounds began at, shall make and include the contents of six miles square."
This is the fair and clear description of the town boundaries of St Al- bans as provided in the charter made as aforesaid, by Governor Went- worth ; and it will be observed that the same calls for a square tract of territory. In fact the charter itself has a map or plan of the town out- lined on the back of the instrument, and it is there represented as being in the form of an almost perfect square. Governor Wentworth, prior to the making of charters, had caused surveys to be made of each town, and the plan of each was made a part of the charter to which it related.
The grantees under the charter of this town were sixty-four in num- ber, but the number of shares was seventy, there being reserved to the grantor a tract embracing five hundred acres, which was to be accounted two shares, the same being situate in the southeast corner of the town. The other public rights or shares were one for the incorporated society for the propagation of the gospel in foreign parts; one share
3II
TOWN OF ST. ALBANS.
for a glebe for the Church of England as by law established ; one share for the first settled minister in said town ; and one share for the benefit of a school.
The conditions upon which the charter was made were these : First, that every grantee, his heirs or assigns, should plant and cultivate five acres of land, within the term of five years, for every fifty acres he owns ; and to continue to improve and settle the land on penalty of forfeiture of his right or share. Second, that all white or other pine trees " fit for masting our Royal Navy" be carefully preserved. Third, that a tract as near the center of the town as the land will admit shall be reserved and marked out for town lots, one for each grantee, of the size of one acre each. Fourth, "yielding and paying for ten years the annual rent of one ear of Indian corn, if lawfully demanded," the first payment to be made on the 25th of December, 1763. Fifth, every proprietor, settler or inhabitant, shall yield and pay, from and after the expiration of ten years from said 25th day of December, 1763, commencing on December 25th, 1773, one shilling proclamation money for every hundred acres he so owns or possesses.
But the worthy grantor, Governor Wentworth, never realized the shilling proclamation money from the grantees or from their assigns. He supposed, or at least acted on the supposition at the time the char- ter was executed, that the granted lands were within the jurisdiction of the province of New Hampshire, and he as its chief executive was duly authorized to convey them at pleasure. But this right was disputed by the governor of the province of New York, who claimed the right of juris- diction over the whole territory that is now Vermont; and in July, 1764, both governors having sought the royal determination of the con- troversy, the king declared the eastern boundary of the province of New York to be the west bank of the Connecticut River. So far as Governor Wentworth was concerned this decree ended his authority over the region, and he never received his annual shilling of proclamation money from the proprietors or their grantees. The five hundred acres, too, was lost to him, and was finally vested in the proprietors under the original charter.
And the province of New York, or its governor, does not appear to have attempted the granting of towns in this immediate locality, pos-
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HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND GRAND ISLE COUNTIES.
sibly for the reason that the region was at that time in possession of a warlike race of Indians, and a people who were at enmity with the con- federated Six Nations of the former province. Then, again, there had been no settlement in the neighborhood of St. Albans, and it was not the policy of New York to make charters of unoccupied lands on this side of the lake, although there may have been exceptional instances. But it does appear that the south part of what is now, and was originally, St Albans was granted by the king of France, but at what particular time cannot now be determined by the references obtainable. During the period of the French dominion in America there was granted by the king a number of seigniories, or town tracts, on both sides of Lake Champlain ; and one of these, number thirty-seven, seems to have in- cluded the south part of what afterward became St. Albans, and em - braced all of the district that now comprises the town of Georgia. Just or about when this grant was made there is no present means of deter- mining, but the map (carte) shows that the survey was made by Mon- sieur Anger, the king's surveyor, in 1732. M. Douville seems to have been the grantee of the seigniory referred to. But this is a subject that is sufficiently discussed in the earlier chapters of this volume, and this allusion is made only for the purpose of establishing the fact that French grants of territory were made of a part at least of the town of St Albans. All the other towns of this county that border on the lake were granted under the above authority, but it appears that only a small part of St. Albans was chartered.
The charter made by Benning Wentworth in 1763, of the town of St. Albans, of course vested the proprietary in the hands of the sixty- four grantees therein named, but it is understood that none of them ever became residents of the town. Their early meetings were held else- where than in the town, and their proceedings, contrary to the usual custom, were never deposited with the record and cannot now be found. The proprietors, it is understood, sold and transferred their rights, or at least a large majority of them, to the Allens, Levi and Ira, and to others, who were speculators, and bought them for small consideration for the purpose of realizing handsome profits on a small expenditure. Levi and Ira, the latter particularly, were well acquainted with the lo - cality, and knew the lands to be among the best in the province. They
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TOWN OF ST. ALBANS.
and the other proprietors caused a new survey of the town's lands to be made, and, that they might obtain the choicest of the territory, caused the lines to be run in a manner seriously at variance with the original boundaries, those prescribed by the charter. In fact the whole pro- ceeding partook of the nature of a nefarious scheme, having for its sole purpose the gaining of the most desirable lands, with the most utter dis- regard for the original or intended lines, or of the intent of the charter. The present irregular outlines of the town show that a serious fault rests somewhere, and that the proprietary were parties to the wrong doing there is no doubt The surveyors, too, were either interested in the scheme, or were grossly negligent in the performance of their plain duty.
But St. Albans was not the only town in which this ruthless proceed- ing was had, for other and adjoining towns were similarly outlined. It seemed to be the prevailing custom in this region to get the best to be had that was not already taken, and subsequent engineers were obliged to run by the lines already established, however irregular they might be, and the only care they exercised was to include the full amount of lands within each town granted by the charter. Cases are not wanting in which later surveys determined that some towns embraced a large excess beyond the quantity provided by the charter. And then, too, there were surveyors who, in running lines, made extensive "gores," and these they themselves acquired and realized handsomely from their unfaithful labors.
Ira Allen became possessed of a large part of the lands of the town, and he afterward figured as an extensive grantor. Among those who became actual settlers in the town, and who purchased from Ira, were Andrew Farrand, Nathan Green, Jared Farrand, Jesse Welden, Josiah D. Dean, Daniel Meigs, Silas Hathaway, David Powers, and others whose names might be recalled. Levi Allen sold lands to William Coit, Jesse Welden, Joseph Kellogg, Freeborn Potter, Silas Hathaway, and others as well. Silas Hathaway also became largely interested in the town's lands, and likewise became an extensive grantor. The names of Timo- thy Bradley and Daniel Baker may also be mentioned in the same relation.
Levi Allen was clerk for the proprietors (charter grantees), and as such
40
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HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND GRAND ISLE COUNTIES.
kept the records of their proceedings, but he never transmitted them to the town clerk. Ira Allen was a prominent personage in connection with the government of Vermont during the early days of its existence; and, being so prominent, he had a strong influence with the controlling power. This he used to his own advantage. He proposed and exe- cuted measures for the extensive cutting of roads through the towns in which he was interested ; and this he did through the legislature, by acts directing it to be done. But the expense of these improvements fell upon the struggling pioneers of the several towns, and proved to them to be a burden grievious to be borne. The expenses of these im- provements fell heavily upon the people of St. Albans, and the oppres- sion at last became such as to call for an expression from the town meet- ing, after this wise: " March 26th, 1789. Whereas, the General As- sembly of this state at their session in October last (1788) did assess this town of St Albans the sum of eight hundred pounds in the list, and did grant a tax of five pence on the pound on said list, the town consider themselves unjustly taxed ; but do agree to pay a tax of five pence on the pound on the ratable estate of the town, amounting to 7 pounds, 8 shillings, five pence." And they also voted to indemnify the selectmen on account of not paying the tax. But this was not the first occasion, nor the last, on which the town was heavily taxed to pay for the im - provements forced upon them by the redoubtable Allen and his associ- ate proprietors.
There was a time during the early history of St. Albans in which a part of its lands were sold for taxes, but whether before or subsequent to the occasion just referred to cannot be now determined. As is under- stood it was what is commonly known as a " vendue sale," and was brought about by certain parties for the purpose of obtaining title to coveted lands. Abraham Ives was the officer who conducted the sale. From what can be learned concerning this transaction it appears that at the appointed time and place a good number of persons were present to protect their own and the town's interests, but this did not please cer- tain men who wanted the land at a low figure. As a consequence Ives adjourned the sale till twelve o'clock, meaning, presumably, the next day at twelve, for it was then afternoon; but he added in an undertone to those near him, " twelve o'clock to-night." At midnight those who
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TOWN OF ST. ALBANS.
were parties to this nefarious scheme were at the place and "bid in" the lands at a merely nominal price.
Abraham Ives, the tool of these land sharks, was sheriff of Rutland county in 1780 or 1781. He conducted similar sales in other localities, and, on account of his openly corrupt methods, was obliged to leave the country. Strange as it may appear, the courts afterward confirmed his sales as valid, on the ground that too many titles would be unsettled, and endless litigation follow, should they be set aside. It was con- ceded, however, that the sales were grossly irregular.
Early Settlement and Town Organization .- All writers of St. Albans town history have invariably agreed that the first settlement within the bounds of the town was made by Jesse Welden, a former resident of Sunderland, Vt., but who was a native of Connecticut. But it appears that no contemporary has attempted to fix the date of Mr. Welden's set- tlement in this locality ; nor will the present writer endeavor to settle this question at this time. Jesse Welden came to the town prior to the Revolutionary war, and built his home at what is called St. Albans Bay ; but the events of the war were of such a character, and the attitude of the Canadian Indians was of such a hostile nature, that our pioneer left the region and returned to the southern part of the state. Other pioneers came to the locality soon after Jesse Welden's settlement, among whom can be recalled the names of Dorsey, Dunn, and Spafford ; but these, too, were driven away by the events of the war.
It has been said by some writers that Jesse Welden was captured by the British, during the war, but that he soon afterward made his escape. Whether this be so or not is immaterial, but there is no reason to doubt the statement, as the pioneer was known as a somewhat daring and vent- uresome person, and his capture was not unlikely, for he visited this lo- cality during the year 1778, or at least he was given permission to do so, as will be seen from the following order :
" In Council, BENNINGTON, Feb., 1778.
" The bearer, Jesse Welder (should be Welden), having this day taken the oath of allegiance to the United States of America, is permitted to pass to his home in St. Albans, within this state, and there to remain unmolested until further orders from this Council."
The purpose of this order was to furnish our pioneer with a safe pass-
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HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND GRAND ISLE COUNTIES.
port to his home in this town, and to provide against his apprehension and arrest by the vigilant authorities acting in the interest of the newly and independently created state of Vermont. Throughout the several towns of the state were persons who were covertly serving the British, who were Tories, guilty of inimical conduct, and against whom the Green Mountain Boys were very bitter and only wanted some slight cause to visit upon the offenders condign punishment after their own methods. The capture of Welden may have been effected while on the visit to "his home," as stated in the order, for the passport could afford him no protection as against the British or their Indian allies.
After the close of the war, upon the restoration of peace and quiet, both as against British aggression and Indian depredations, settlement in the town was again commenced, and continued rapidly until a large part of the lands were taken and occupied. Among the first to come was Jesse Welden, the pioneer of former years, who renewed his abode at the Bay, but only for a time, for he soon purchased lands and built a log house a few rods south of the village, and on the west of what is now South Main street. Although not a pretentious dwelling, Mr. Welden's was one of the most prominent in the settlement, and its occupant was likewise one of the important personages of the region. In his house the first meeting of the inhabitants, for the purpose of town organization, was held, and many similar gatherings were subsequently assembled at the same place. And the front door of Mr. Welden's house also seems to have come in for a share of early history of the town, for the freemen designated it as the "sign post," on which all public notices should be placed. The owner himself was chosen one of the first board of selectmen of the town. Mr. Welden afterward built another log house in the same locality as that above referred to, but on the opposite side of the highway. But our worthy pioneer came to a tragic end, being accidentally drowned off Isle La Motte, in October, 1795, while returning to the town from St. John's with a boat-load of salt. He left a goodly estate, amounting, it is said, to something like four thousand dollars ; and out of his accumulations there was given to the University of Vermont the sum of fifty dollars, which sum he had previously subscribed. Besides Jesse Welden there were two others of the same surname among the early settlers in the town. These were
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TOWN OF ST. ALBANS.
David and Jonathan Welden, but what their relation was to Jesse no person of the present age will venture to positively state.
Jesse Welden, as the pioneer of St. Albans, has always been remem- bered by succeeding generations. In his honor there has been named not only the largest hotel in the village, but one which is justly reputed the best and most complete in the state. One of the many pleasant residence streets of the village also bears the name-Welden. So, too, the Welden National Bank of St. Albans was in the same manner named in honor of the pioneer.
The settlement of Jesse Welden in 1785, on his return to the town in that year, was soon afterward followed by others, who sought a home in the then new country. In 1786 common consent on all sides agrees that the pioneers Daniel Meigs, Andrew Potter, Amos Morrill, Freeborn Potter, Job and Nathan Green, Daniel Baker, Thomas Gibbs, and per- haps others with their families came and made settlements in the town. The Allens and their few associates were energetic men, and had, par- ticularly through Ira's name and influence, not much difficulty in in- ducing families to occupy the lands. Of course whoever did come was expected to purchase farms, and for these efforts the proprietary reaped a rich harvest. So rapid, indeed, was settlement in St. Albans that the year 1788 found the town possessed of sufficient population to entitle it to full organization ; that is, to the election of officers for the internal government of the town, and the administration of its own affairs. But, notwithstanding this, the proprietors continued their own meetings among their own members, outside the town, and kept making improve- ments, such as cutting roads and the like, independent of the town organization, but they never once forgot to charge the expense of their labors to the struggling pioneers on the land, and made them pay for it, too, however great the burden might be.
The "warning" for the first meeting of the inhabitants was issued and signed by John White, of Georgia, assistant judge for Chittenden county, and the date of his warrant was July 12, 1788. The meeting was directed to be held at the dwelling house of Jesse Welden, on the 28th of July following, and accordingly it was held as provided. " Baron " Silas Hathaway was chosen moderator ; Jonathan Hoit, town clerk; Jesse Welden, David Odel, and Andrew Potter, selectmen ; Dan- iel Meigs, constable.
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HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND GRAND ISLE COUNTIES.
The second meeting was held at Jesse Welden's house on January 7, 1789, and was called for the purpose of determining whether the town " will assess the inhabitants according to a tax laid by the General As- sembly." It was voted that the selectmen, with Jonathan Hoit and Ichabod Randall, be a committee to assess the town. The duty per- formed by these persons produced the first "List of Polls and Ratable Estate of the Town " that was ever made; and a list of the persons therein named will show to the reader who were the taxable inhabitants of St. Albans during the early part of the year 1788. The list, together with the individual assessment in pounds and shillings, was a follows :
Eliphalet Edmonds, 8 pounds ; Job Green, 8; Hananiah Brooks, II; Noel Potter, 22; Jonathan Colvin, 14 pounds, 10 shillings ; David Pow- ers, 2-5 ; Freeborn Potter, 19-15 ; Nathan - (probably Green), 8; Timothy Winter, 8; Ichabod Randall, 8; Azariah Brooks, 16; Daniel B. Meigs, 17-15 ; Benjamin Bradley, 18; Andrew Potter, 44; Solo- mon Hinds, 8; Richard Biddlecome, 8 ; David Odel, 8 ; James Chadey, 8 ; Jonathan Hoit, 8; Simeon Spencer, 6; Jabez Colvin, 6; Thomas Gibbs, 10; David and Isaac Gibbs, 14-10; William Griffin, 8 ; Eleazer Brooks, 6; David Welden, 8; Silas Hathaway, 18-10; David Camp- bell, 6; Jesse Welden, 28. The total amount of the list on this assess- ment was £364, 5s. That of the year following, 1789, increased the grand list to £540, 5s.
Now for the purpose of bringing to the notice of the reader the names of as many as possible of the early settlers of St. Albans it is proposed to here give the names of all persons who took the "freeman's oath " between the years 1788 and 1798, as the same are found recorded in the first book of town business. But it is not improbable that there were some persons residing in the town who failed to take the prescribed oath ; and it is also possible that a few persons exercised the rights of freemen without having taken the oath at all : September, 1788, Daniel Meigs, Hananiah Brooks, Ichabod Randall, Simon Spencer, Jonathan Colvin, Job Green, Solomon Hinds, David Welden, James Tracey, James Harrington1, William Abbey, William Griffin, Noahdiah Saw- yer, Jonathan Welden, Winthrop Hoit, Azariah Brooks, Samuel West, Samuel Orton, Barber West, Asa Wyman, Joseph Hinds, David Odel,
' Probably an error on account of poor writing by clerk.
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TOWN OF ST. ALBANS.
Thomas Gibbs; September 1, 1789, Eliphalet Edmonds, Nathan Green, Oliver Franklin; September 7, 1790, Valentine Jenkins, jr., David Campbell ; September 6, 1791, Christopher Dutcher, Elijah Rude, Henry Tibbitts, Eleazer Brooks, Johnson Jones, Elisha Rude (or Rood), Elijah Hulburt, Isaac Powers, Asa Warren, Randall Arnold, Warren Colvin and Hazael Tupper ; September 4, 1792, Samuel Calkins, Caleb Welden, Abraham Van Duser, Elisha Tripley, D. Powers, jr .; September 3, 1793, Eleazer Jewett, Jonas Larrabee, Joseph McLin, Sylvanus Bur- dick, Abraham Spoor, Thomas Bursh, James McEvers, Ebenezer War- ren, Elijah Williston, John Kellogg; September 2, 1794, Pliny Wills, Silas Butler, Stephen Kellogg, Oliver Day, Samuel Calkins, jr., Nathan Scovill, John Colvin, William Bell, Eleazer Webster, Ezekiel Wells ; September 1, 1795, Josiah D. Dean, Asa Tarbell, Samuel Wells, Josiah Colony, Abner Eastman, Levi Hungerford ; September 6, 1796, Daniel Ryan, William Hurlbut, Solomon Calkins, Joseph Fay, Ornan Tullar ; February 10, 1797, John Mattox, Samuel Niles, Gilbert Prentiss, Theop- olis, Jonathan Bowen ; September 5, 1797, Joseph Andrews, Amos Beadle, Elijah Boardman, William Nason; September 4, 1798, Reuben Jones, Gardner Green, Potter Conger, Benjamin Fay, George Washing- ton Clark, John Church, Ithamer Hibbard, Justin Wells, Elihu Tracy.
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