USA > Vermont > Orleans County > Irasburg > History of Irasburgh to 1856 > Part 2
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direction, and on it there are, at the village, several valuable water privileges, but partially improved. The valley of the river furnishes a large tract of excellent intervails, and it is thought by many that the soil of the township and other ad- vantages will compare favorably with any other town in the county. For agricultural purposes it has few superiors in the State.
The Congregational church was organized in January, 1818, by the Rev. James Hobart, Missionary, and the Rev. Luther Leland, of Derby. It was composed then of only 8 members, 3 males and 5 females; its first deacon was Zadock Bloss. The first settled minister in town was the Rev. James Johnson, Congregationalist, who was installed February 13, A. D. 1839. The first general revival of religion was in 1827. In the spring of that year three sudden deaths, in the vicinity, two suicides, and one death in his chair, awakened an unusual seriousness in the community. Meetings were more frequently held, Elders Ide and Cheney of the Baptist Church and others of other demoninations were called in, and the work progressed, extending into all parts of the town. June training approached, a day formerly given up to drinking and rioting. Much anxiety rested upon the minds of Christians as to the effect of the day upon seriousness, as they were then in the midst of the revival. The day arrived and as one of the principal officers had just obtained hope it was proposed to hear prayers. The Company was formed into a hollow square, and the two deacons offered up their heartfelt prayers. Astonishment seemed to sit upon the faces of that part of the company to which such a scene was new. In the forenoon they went through with their review with much solemnity, but the afternoon was turned into a religious meeting at the court house. Meetings were also held in other parts of the town on the same day, and as a result it appeared that this June training was the day of New Birth of 16 individuals. In that revival about 80 obtained hope, most of whom gave good evidence of the genuineness of the work in their subsequent life. The Baptist Church was organized later, October 26, 1816. Composed of sixteen members, its first Deacon was Nathaniel Killam, but for many years they were destitute of any regular preaching. Deacon Bloss and Deacon Killam jointly officiated, one being the superior reader and the other excelling
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in prayer, and they occupied according to their respective gifts and were instrumental in doing much good in those primitive ages of the church. One of them was Baptist, the other Con- gregational, and their united labors were a bright and profitable example of that unity and brotherly kindness which should ever characterize the followers of him whose they professed to be.
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As Mr. Johnson was the first settled minister, the right of land reserved by the grant would necessarily have passed to him by the charter. Consequently there was considerable excite- ment in connection with his installation. Committees were appointed and arrangements made by which the people under- stood that Mr. Johnson agreed to relinquish his right to the support of preaching in town. But after his dismission he com- menced an action to recover the right himself. The suit had various fortunes, alternating between the parties, first towards this Town and then towards the claimant until it was finally arranged by paying Mr. Johnson a sum of money and his giving a quit claim of the entire right to the town. It is said that very few of these rights granted to the first settled ministers in the various towns were ever beneficial either to the ministry or the Church.
The churches in Irasburgh have had a chequered history. At one time prosperous and flourishing; and then cold and declining. At the present time the Methodist Church is quite low, having no stationed preacher; the Congregational Church numbers not one third so many as it has in some former times, although it is even at that, more prosperous than either of the others. Perhaps the Church members too will charge their want of success and spirituality to "lease land." Certain it is that for some cause, the Churches are very cold and low, giving promise of the opposite of prosperity and success. They have their comfortable and convenient houses of worship but the occupants are few. I have occupied much of your time, but bear with me for a moment while I give a short notice of the public press in Irasburgh.
· The Yeomans Record published and edited by E. Rawson was established in the fall of 1845, and ran about three years when it passed into the hands of A. G. Conant who published it less than a year, when it was attached for debt and was consigned to William H. Rand, and afterwards passed back into the hands of E. Rawson who continued to publish it till the spring of
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1850 when it died. In May of the same year Mr. L. B. Jameson, now of Chicago, Ill., started the Orleans County Gazette, edited by his brother, John A. Jameson, now also of Chicago. The Gazette was considerably larger than the Record, and was much better conducted. The highest number of subscribers at one time was 700. It was published by Jameson three years, when it was sold to James M. Dana, now of Montpelier. He published it three years when it was nearly run out. It then passed into the hands of G. W. Hartshorn who enlarged it and published it about eight months, and from him it passed into the hands of Sylvester Howard, Jr., who took a partner and published it under the editorship of Howard & Morris and sold out to the North Union. The first of January, 1856, the Independent Standard edited and published by Mr. A. A. Earle, commenced its career and is now thought to be firmly established, circulating over 1100 copies. It may not be improper briefly to speak of the history and present condition of the lease lands difficulty of Irasburgh in this connection. In doing so I shall be obliged to go back in history. The State of Vermont had something of a Kansas history in its early stages. Much of it was chartered by Governor Wentworth of New Hampshire under implied per- mission (or supposed permission) from the British Crown. Claim- ing similar rights and perhaps equally entitled to them, New York also chartered a large portion of the townships of the state, and as a consequence these charters, some of them, covered the same territory. And, as each claimed the title, each undertook to exercise jurisdiction. Hence frequent conflicts ensued. But the people becoming disgusted with the opposing interests, cast off the authority of both claimants and set up for themselves. Their principle difficulty however seemed to be with New York in whose favor the home government finally decided. Between them and New Hampshire was a better understanding. But they came to be a community independent of both belligerent states, and men, as the event proved, both able and willing to take care of themselves. From the ranges of mountains running through the disputed territory, which came near being the center of their operations, they received the name, famous through all the nation, and even in England and Europe, of the "Green Mountain Boys." And their independent mode of life well fitted them to be the most sagacious, hardy, and brave people on the
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continent. Compelled to defend themselves against the New York authorities, they resorted to various means to worry out and drive off their foes, many of which were novel in their char- acter and extremely picturesque in their application. The most prominent mark which they applied to the officers and minions of York was denominated by them "The Beech Seal" a mode of marking which would have done well for the free state men in Kansas to apply to Missourians, had not the latter been upheld by the U. S. Army, and whole power of the President. The first victory gained by the Americans after Lexington was achieved by the "Green Mountain Boys" under Ethan Allen at Ticon- deroga and shows that these so called outlaws were still loyal to their country. The victory of Stark and Warner at Bennington by the same Green Mountain Boys turned the scale against Burgoyne, who surrendered at Saratoga. It would not be difficult to trace these victories by the line of light to those very conflicts with the Yorkers, those hardy times which tried these sons of New England and strengthened them as the oak, stand- ing in the open field by its conflict with the elements is made more solid than that grown in the forest where the wind of heaven does not blow upon it too roughly. And through these victories, it is not fanciful to trace the final success of the Colonies. But as the territory was neither under New York nor New Hampshire; nor had a recognized Colonial existence of its own, it did not seem to come into the general plan of government and was unable to depend upon the Continental Congress for defence against the common enemy.
· It was also exposed to the Canadians all along its northern frontier, and lying on Lake Champlain, which was then in the hands of the enemy, its condition was extremely exposed and critical. In view of this fact, although the people were as brave and powerful as any equal number under heaven, to undertake to defend themselves against Great Britain single handed, would have been nothing but the extreme of rashness. Learning that the enemy had collected an army of 10,000 men in Canada with which to subdue them, the "Committee of safety" as also the recognized authorities of the state resorted to diplomacy. They undertook to secure that peace and safety by finesse that they despaired of obtaining by force. A hope entertained by the commanders of the British forces in Canada that they should be
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able to detach Vermont from the American cause and join it to the interests of the crown favored their designs.
During the spring of 1780, some of the scouting parties of the northern frontier had fallen into the hands of the British, and as a large number of the enemy had previously fallen into the hands of Vermont, Colonel Ira Allen and Major Joseph Fay were com- missioned by Governor Chittenden to negotiate for an exchange of prisoners. Their mission was entirely successful and the British seized their visit as a favorable opportunity of entering upon their proposed negotiations for the surrender of Vermont to the crown.
In this negotiation Ira Allen proved more than a match for the British agents in the subtle science of diplomacy, and so success- fully did he manage the matter that the enemy, highly elated, imagined themselves sure of a successful issue. In 1781, Colonel Allen was once more appointed to settle a cartel with the British for another exchange of prisoners, this time fully understanding what would be expected of him by the governor of Vermont as well as proposed by the enemy. In the conference, although he made no promises, yet he acknowledged that Vermont had become somewhat cold in her zeal for the cause, fearing that the success of the Americans would once more subject them to the juris- diction of New York, against whom they had become greatly exasperated and whose control they "considered the most detestable in the known world." Rather than submit to New York they would prefer to remain an independent Colony under the protection of the British Crown. With these professions and assurances the British agents were highly elated, and their hopes of success were much increased and strengthened. But it would be tedious and perhaps out of place to follow the whole history of this transaction to its termination.
Suffice it to say that by these means the enemy were kept from any open invasion, hoping through the instrumentality of some of the principal citizens of Vermont to accomplish their object by more peaceable means. And thus they continued to labor to detach Vermont from the American cause and the agents of Vermont to hold out encouraging but evasive answers until the very close of the war. Thus Vermont was saved a vast amount of expenditure and probably of blood.
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In all these transactions Ira Allen acted a prominent if not the principal part. And for his services and expenditures from time to time he received from the legislature of the state several large grants of land, among which was Irasburgh. Eight years after the grant, or in 1789, he deeded Irasburgh to Jerusha Enos, a daughter of General Enos, as a marriage settlement, agreeable to English usage, and she became his wife. Subsequent events proved that this disposal of the town was exceedingly fortunate for the family. Colonel Allen was made Major General of Ver- mont after its admission into the union. The inhabitants being at this time almost destitute of arms, he refused to review the militia until an attempt had been made to supply them. Being in possession of large landed property and of a very energetic and fertile mind, Governor Chittenden persuaded him to go to Europe and make purchases of sufficient arms for the supply, having failed to obtain them in America.
Consequently Mr. Allen, in 1796, went first to England and subsequently to France, purchased in Paris 20,000 stand of arms with bayonets, and 24 brass four pound field pieces, and embarked with these in the Olive Branch for New York, Novem- ber, 1796. The vessel was captured by a British seventy-four, the Audacious, and carried into England under pretence that the arms were designed for a rebellion in Ireland. General Allen prosecuted his captors, both in the admiralty court and court of Kings Bench with all that vigor and determination for which he was noted. Year after year the contest went on, the wilful Judge demanding that Mr. Allen should prove the arms were not designed for the purposes alleged, rather than that the holders should prove their allegation. The arms were rusting and of course becoming worthless. In four years all that had been obtained even by crossing the Channel and the Atlantic for evidence, was to get the property released on bail. The arms were then consigned to Messers Bird, Savage and Bird, of Lon- don, who according to our phrase were the receipters. In about three years from their consignment, this firm failed and the consignment with their other effects went into bankruptcy. Then, after they were forever lost to the claimant they were magnanimously released by the court. By these means he was defrauded not only of the purchase, but his expenses and near ten years of time.
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During his absence abroad his lands were seized upon by speculators, and every means resorted to, to divert it from him, that ingenuity could invent. On one occasion his wife was offered $100,000.00 if she would give up the title deeds, his enemies politely intimating that that, with the town of Irasburgh which she held in her own right would be quite sufficient for her family. This long litigation in expensive courts, the cost of which it was decided he should pay, together with the losses at home and the entire purchase, seriously involved his estate, which before was very ample. Therefore it is safe to say this marriage settlement alluded to, saved the town to the family, or to Mrs. Allen, the sole proprietor at that time. When these facts became apparent it was plain that some means must be resorted to to make Iras- burgh of some value to the owner. As Mr. Allen had been for a long time absent, men came in and squatted upon them where ever they pleased, with the exception of a few who sought a legal title to their homestead. The people were then poor, money to any large amount could not be raised, and Mrs. Allen resorted to leases as the most favorable for the inhabitants, commencing in some instances with five cents and increasing until the sum should reach seventeen cents per acre. In this way a poor man could come at once into possession of a farm, and all the in- convenience it could ever be to him would be the difficulty of paying over the interest on about three cents per acre instead of owning the right of soil. The grantor became a perpetual creditor. At the same time the promise was held out and even the notice posted up in handbills and published in newspapers, that any man should have the privilege of paying the 17 shillings per acre, the amount of the lease, any time within 10 years from its date and receiving the fee simple of his land. This course therefore was not resorted to as a matter of choice to the grantor, (as every man bought his lands who was able and chose so to do), but as a boon to the grantees. It was the same as selling them the lands and then lending the money for payment, taking a mortgage redeemable in Io years.
The first lease recorded was to Amos Conant, August 4, A. D. 1802, and the 2d to Jeremiah Morrill, the 20th of October follow- ing. This process of conveyance was continued interspersed with an occasional sale, until there are now 60 lots of which Mr. Allen holds the lease, and 50 have been sold, out of 210 which
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the town contained originally. So that really less than one third of the lots in town have been leased by the Allen family up to this date.
After Irasburgh became the shire town of the county, its pro- gress, though slow, was steady, and improvement certain. Men of intelligence and cultivation came in, education was not for- gotten and the people were not behind their neighbors in their appreciation of civil institutions. There are at this time eleven school districts in town, several of which have new, commodious, tasty and comparatively new school edifices, creditable to their builders and hopeful for the future. The court house erected in 1816, becoming somewhat old for its uses and behind the times for its accommodations, was sold to the town for a town house, and a comfortable and tasty edifice took its place, the expense being met by the inhabitants of the town. This was A. D. 1847. Previously, i. e., about 1840, the Jail was rebuilt, which, although it is not deficient in the department of strength, is no great credit to the taste or skill of architects. In 1852 one tier of lots of 160 rods in breadth was set off from the east part of Lowell to the west part of Irasburgh, making it now, in that part, a town of 612 miles in length. The present year (A. D. 1856) a new Jail house has been erected under the supervision of Messers. Worthington, Carpenter, and Kellam, giving altogether a different aspect to that locality from what it bore previously.
Otherwise the modern history of the town furnishes few in- cidents sufficiently striking to interest any but their actors. As I said, there are 60 lots of leased land. Still, good judges and intelligent men inform me that on investigation the lands in town are less incumbered than several of the best towns north of them, notwithstanding the prejudice against them connected with leases.
The Orleans County Bank established at Irasburgh was chartered in 1832, with a capital of $60,000.00. It has a pros- perous history and was rechartered, 1849. Its present capital is $50,000.00 all paid in. Its circumstances are now prosperous and hopeful. President Elijah Cleveland, Cashier Isaac N. Cashman, Directors, E. Cleveland, Ira H. Allen, Sabin Kellam, Thomas Gild and Amos Robinson.
Near the close of the past year a long low building like the low black schooners we read of in the West Indies was reared up in
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the rear of all other buildings in the place called a ball alley, and is the latest improvement in the place (the latest improvement, or misimprovement which has come to my knowledge) built by some of the authorities of the county with the expressed assent of many principal citizens and the connivance of some professed Christians. Through this may be expected a rapid improvement in certain sciences.
I hardly dare to close this lecture without adding a word to the inhabitants of Irasburgh. You have a fine productive, easily tilled country, feasible and profitable. Would it not be well to receive the Spartan maxim, "Improve, adorn, seek no farther"? I have alluded to the one great draw back and have endeavored to show that that exists rather in sound than substance. But however that be, if it ever be an obstacle to your progress, be not therefore less energetic or hopeful. But rise superior to all obstacles and show by your enterprise and zeal that of those difficulties you cannot remove, with good health and the Smile of God you can overcome them.
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