USA > Vermont > Windsor County > Ludlow > History of Ludlow, Vermont > Part 4
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18
As early as 1840, Rev. Mr. Leonard and Rev. Mr. Pier . held religious services in Ludlow. The present society was organized in 1872. At this time, twelve members withdrew from the Proctorsville church, and became members of this church. Their names were: Mr. and Mrs. Lucius Whitney, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Chapman, Celia Pratt, Mrs. B. F. Petti- grew, Mrs. S. L. White, Homer W. Parker, Albert B. Riggs, Mrs. Martin Bailey, Chas. W. Hemenway, and Mrs. Lucy Fuller.
The present church was built in 1875, at an expense of $7,200, including the grounds. The church was repaired in 1895, the repairs including the slating of the roof. The church was dedicated Dec. 22, 1875.
When the present society was organized, Rev. N. F. Perry became the first pastor, Apr. 1, 1872, and remained
42
till Apr. 1, 1875. Rev. Lyman E. Rockwell was pastor from 1875 to 1877. Rev. Geo. F. Buckley took charge as pastor in April, 1877, and remained one year, after whom came Rev. F. H. Roberts in May, 1878, and remained till 1880. In the spring of 1880, Rev. A. J. Hough took up his labors with this church, and remained till 1882. He was as able a speaker as this society ever had, and was also one of Vermont's finest poets.
Rev. Elihu Snow came in 1882, and remained till 1885 when he was succeeded by Rev. W. D. Malcolm who re- mained till 1887. Next came Rev. E. E. Reynolds, and re- mained till 1892. He was followed by Rev. Richard Morgan, who was pastor only a few months, being instantly killed by being thrown from a carriage. Rev. W. A. Bryant acted as supply till 1894. The following have served this church from that time till the present year, 1931.
Rev. A. E. Atwater, 1894 to 1896,
Rev. G. H. Sisson, 1896 to 1898,
Rev. J. E. Badger, 1898 to 1900,
Rev. X. M. Fowler, 1900 to 1904,
Rev. W. E. Allen, 1904 to 1906,
Rev. Frederick A. Woodworth, Apr. 1906 to 1911, Rev. Urban H. Layton, 1911 to Sept. 1911,
Rev. J. Cecil Hayes, Sept. 1911, to Apr. 1913, Rev. Ashfield Ashford, Apr. 1913, to Apr. 1914, Rev. Harrison, supply, Apr. 1914 to June 1914,
Rev. Frederick C. Robinson, June 1914 to Apr. 1916, Rev. Edw. Forrest Wood, Apr. 1916 to Apr. 1919, Rev. Francis T. Clark, Apr. 1919 to Apr. 1920,
Rev. Harold M. Hayward, Apr. 1920 to Apr. 1922, Rev. Geo. R. Akers, Apr. 1922 to Oct. 1925,
Rev. Buell O. Campbell, Oct. 1925 to Sept. 1926, Rev. Geo. H. Sutherland, Sept. 1926 to Dec. 1927, Rev. J. Roy Dinsmore, Dec. 1927 to Apr. 1928, Rev. Geo. C. Westcot, Apr. 1928 to Apr. 1930, Rev. Norman M. Moss, Apr. 1930.
In April, 1930, the Congregationalists and Methodists united in their work and became known as The United
43
Church of Ludlow. At the present time (1931), the member- ship of the Methodist is 108.
Alva Sprafford was the first one to be baptized into the Methodist church in this town, Aug. 6, 1871.
Following are the names of those born and brought up in Ludlow, who have become ministers of the gospel: Wat- tos, son of Capt. John Warren, Congregationalist, Henry, son of Ephraim Warren, Universalist, Richard and Mar- cellus, sons of Stephen Wright, Congregationalist, Eph- raim, son of Zachariah Spaulding, Congregationalist, Ora, son of Joseph Taylor, Baptist, Albert, son of Calvin Riggs, Methodist, John Mervin, son of Dea. John Hull, Baptist, Henry M., son of M. H. Goddard, Congregationalist, Charles L., son of Asa Lawrence, Methodist, Wm. P., son of Patrick Crosby, Roman Catholic, and Henry C., son of F. C. Robbins, Baptist. The last was not born here, but came to Ludlow when an infant.
The Church of the Annunciation
This church was organized July 23, 1876. There were, at that time, about three hundred members. The church edifice had been erected at a cost of about seven thousand dollars, and was dedicated on the same day on which the society was organized. Previous to the erection of this church, the Roman Catholics in town attended divine ser- vices at Proctorsville or Springfield, Vt., usually at Proc- torsville.
The first settled pastor of this church, was Rev. J. C. Mclaughlin, who remained until 1881. He was succeeded by Rev. Henry Lane, who continued here till 1885. In that year, Rev. Patrick J. Houlihan took charge of the parish, which includes Mt. Holly, Springfield, and Ludlow. He was succeeded in 1899 by Rev. Michael Carmody, who closed his work here Oct. 18, 1904, and was followed by Rev. Jerome Gelot, who died Dec. 5, 1904. Following him were:
Rev. John W. Dwyer, Jan. 1905 to Nov. 1913,
Rev. John J. Cullion, Nov. 1913 to Aug. 1919,
Rev. John M. Kennedy, Aug. 1919 to Mar. 1928, Rev. Joseph H. McCarthy, Mar. 1928 to Sept. 1928, Rev. Patrick A. Barry, Sept. 1928.
44
The present Catholic population of Ludlow is 508.
The steeple of the church, a single spire running up to a considerable height, was twice saluted by a passing thunderbolt, and was badly damaged the second time, in 1885. The present parsonage was built in 1893, and is one of the finest and most substantial residences in town. It is built of brick, elegantly finished, and has most of the modern improvements.
SCHOOLS
It was eighteen years after the coming of the first settlers to Ludlow, before a school-house was built. The cause of this delay was that the inhabitants were so thinly scattered over the township, and many of them so poor that there was neither capital nor pupils to insure the support of schools. As time went on, however, and the population increased, it was understood by the hardy pioneers that their children must learn to read, write, and manage successfully, those ten mysterious characters that even up all balances between men, in all the walks of life, in every civilized country of the world. As the Ten Commandments form the foundation on which is built the character of the Christian man, so these ten figures are the basis of all business transactions, and nothing is put into more practical use than they are. With all the science and inventive powers of the present time, nothing has been invented to surpass them in usefulness, and they have remained as unchanged as the laws of nature in the laws that govern their use, since they were passed on for the use of the civilized world, from the far-away land of the Hindoos, through the gate-way of Arabia.
In 1801, the residents of North Hill petitioned the select- men of the town to organize a school, and on April 10, 1801, the first school-meeting was held, conducted by the select- men of the town, Jesse Fletcher and Elihu Ives. Capt. Lewis Caldwell was chosen moderator and collector, and Orlando Whitney, clerk and committee. It was voted to raise sixty-six dollars to build a school-house, to be twenty feet by twenty- four, one story high, with a four-gabled roof. This was the first school-house erected in Ludlow, and, until recently,
45
still stood where its founders placed it. The remains of it may still be seen just above the four-corners of the North Hill highway.
In December of the same year, a special school-meeting was held, at which a vote was taken to raise one cent on the dollar of the grand list, to defray the current expenses of the school for the ensuing year.
The First School House, 1801
At the next annual meeting, held April 21, 1802, it was voted to raise ten dollars to pay the expenses of the school for that year. It was also voted that each scholar should furnish two feet of wood for the school. If the wood was not delivered on or before the first day of school the scholar was to be expelled from the school. It was carried still fur- ther by vote of the meeting, that any scholar who should break a pane of glass in one of the windows, or in any way damage the school-house, should repair the damage.
In this year, there were fifty-seven scholars, in 1806, there were sixty-five, and in 1808, the number of scholars who gathered at the little school-house to learn the rudiments of school knowledge, had increased to seventy.
At the annual school-meeting, Feb. 22, 1810, it was voted that money should be raised on the polls from four to
46
eighteen years of age. This will be seen to have been a very burdensome law for the poor people who had large families of children of school age, as they had all the school taxes to pay, while the rich man without children of school age, was not taxed for the support of schools. At this meet- ing the teacher's board was bid off at eighty cents per week.
At another school-meeting, March 16, 1821, it was voted that the inhabitants of that district should take turns, and board the teacher free of charge, and at a meeting held in 1833, it was voted to have three men for a committee in- stead of one. Charles Ives, Merrick Spafford, and Jeptha Spaulding were elected.
March 23,1837, it was voted to raise five cents on the dollar of the grand list. For many years after this time, the school was supported at a nominal cost, while many bright young men and women here in this little school- house, laid the foundation of their education.
In 1804, a small school-house was built in what was called the Upper District, now known as No. 5, in Grahams- ville. It stood north of where Gilman Horton now lives, just over his north line east of the highway. This school-house was burned about 1818. Some of the boys in the neighbor- hood filled the old fashioned fire-place and chimney with dry spruce brush, and set it on fire. The chimney was heated so hot that it set fire to the building.
About 1820, another school-house was built in this dis- trict, on the site where the present one stands. Miss Mary Tilden taught school here in 1830. Below, we give a fac- simile of the certificate under which she taught. Further
This may certify that we have examined Mip Many Tilden, as the statute requires, and think her qualified to instruct in all the manches irtually taughtme co distinti
James Bead
Ludlow, June 22, 1830
Supern=
Atherton Hall
Lewall Followed Committee
47
reference to Miss Tilden will be found in the history of South Hill Cemetery.
This second school-house was also burned, in the fall of 1850. The teacher and scholars had gathered there one evening, to have a singing-school. Late in the evening, a big fire was built for the purpose of popping corn, and shortly after the young people had gone home, in some unknown way the building took fire and was burned. At that time, there were a hundred scholars in this district, many of them being Irish children whose fathers were employed in building the railroad. The present school- house was built in 1851.
School district No. 4 was first called the Fourth District, South Hill. The voters of that district met in school-meeting for the purpose of organizing a lawful school district, Mar. 27, 1804. Arioch Smith, then one of the selectmen, was in attendance, and was chosen moderator, George Adams, clerk, Capt. John Warren, Samuel Hemenway, and William Tenney, committee, and Andrew Pettigrew, collector. It seems by the records, that a school-house was in process of construction, previous to the above date, as a vote was taken at this meeting, to finish the school-house, the material and work to be given to the lowest bidder. This school-house stood west of the road, on the line between the farms once owned by S. S. Mayo, and Charles Hem- enway.
At this school-meeting, it was also voted to raise thirty- four dollars to defray the expenses of finishing the school house. The seventh article in the warrant, was to see if the inhabitants of said district would agree to receive Leonard Ross and Andrew Pettigrew as members of the Fourth District. They then lived farther south, Mr. Pettigrew where George Dumas now lives, and. Leonard Ross on the Silas Johnson farm.
At the annual school-meeting held Jan. 14, 1805, it was voted that people who lived out of the district, sending scholars to this school, should pay ten cents per week for each scholar, and the money should be equally divided among those who had no scholars to send. The philosophy of this is difficult to see, unless it was intended to discourage
48
the increase of the population. The school-house was moved from where it first stood, to its present location, in 1834.
In 1823, the Fourth District was divided, by taking off the west side of the district, forming district No. 12. Asahel Smith, Avery Adams, and Artemas Spafford, the select- men at that time, met at the house of Putnam Bates, April 8, 1823, for the purpose of organizing the twelfth school district. At this school meeting, William Wales was chosen moderator, and John Snell clerk. Samuel Hemingway, Put- nam Bates, and William Wales, were the first board of committee for the district. Mr. Bates then lived on the farm later known as the Darius Gassett farm, now owned by Frank Moore. The school-meetings, as well as the schools, were held at the house of William Wales, who then lived in a small house standing on the cross-road opposite the place where W. H. H. Chapman formerly lived.
A school-house was finally built of brick in 1825. It stood west of the road, near the south line of the Putnam Bates farm. The brick used in the construction of this school- house, was hauled by team from Mt. Holly. In 1827, a vote was taken that one shilling should be levied from each scholar attending the school. The last school held in the old school-house, was in 1861, and the district was reverted to district No. 4, district No. 12 ceasing to be a district by itself.
In 1805, a school-house was built in district No. 6, North Hill, then known as the Northeastern District, but the first school-meeting recorded as held in that district, was March 23, 1812. Jonas Dunn was chosen moderator, Jesse Mar- shall, clerk, and Phineas Spaulding, Jonathan Whitcomb, and John Davidson were chosen committee, and Phineas Spaulding, collector. There are no other records until 1826.
The first school-house built, stood in the bend of the highway, opposite the place still known as the Calvin Whit- ney place. It was a four-gabled structure, similar in design to the one in district No. 2. At a school-meeting held Dec. 17, 1855, it was voted to build a new school-house, which was to stand nine rods east of the old one, on the road lead- ing to Proctorsville. The old school-house was sold to E. S. Whitcomb for six dollars and a half.
49
The building of this second school-house produced some unpleasantness in the district, as the vote for this expense was carried by a majority of only one. This feeling continued somewhat for more than twenty years, occasioning several unsuccessful attempts to disorganize the district. The school- house was burned on the night of the second of December, 1877. The source of the fire was never known, but many believed it to be the work of an incendiary. Shortly after, a special town meeting was called for a final attempt to dismember the district, when the projector, failing to re- ceive the support of one vote, ceased his efforts in that direction.
Another school-house was built in 1878, at a cost of two hundred and twenty-five dollars. It stands about ten rods south of the site of the first school-house, on the road lead- ing to Ludlow Village. It was thoroughly repaired in 1895, and the latest improved seats put in. The last school-meeting held in this district was Mar. 29, 1892.
In 1805, a school was organized on East Hill. For a few years, the school was kept in a small log house. In 1815, a better school-house was erected. It stood nearly on the north line of the farm known as the Major Spaulding place later owned by Fred Smith who turned the farm into a strawberry field yielding great profits on the investment. Schools were held in the school-house till 1863.
In 1810, a school-house was built on South Hill near Smokeshire. Schools were kept there till about 1830.
The first school-meeting held in Black River Lower Dis- trict, Smithville, later district No. 9, for the purpose of organizing a school, was on Mar. 27, 1806. The meeting was held at the house of Avery Denison. He then lived in a small house that stood where the house owned by Plumley & Sargent now stands. Jesse Fletcher was chosen moderator and clerk. It was voted to build a school-house that year. It was built, and stood on the site of the present one. W. Cady was the first teacher.
At a meeting held Dec. 25, 1809, it was voted to hire W. Cady to teach the winter school at twelve dollars per month for three months. He "boarded around", and warmed up the spare beds of the good housewives in the neighbor- hood. In 1810, the school-house was burned, and from that
50
time till 1822, an article was put into the school warrant, to build a new one. After twelve years of dallying with the question, they succeeded in agreeing, and voted to build a brick school-house. The contract was given to Jesse Fletcher, at two hundred and twenty-five dollars, to be paid partly in money and partly in grain, but this vote was revoked, and a special meeting was called, at which it was voted to build a wooden school-house. The work was con- tracted to Joseph Eaton at twenty-three dollars. This build- ing is standing at the present time.
In 1813, the district voted to hire Wm. Sargent to teach the summer school of that year, and to pay him a dollar and seventy-five cents per week, he to take his pay in grain, either rye or corn, at fifty cents per bushel. In the years between 1810 and 1822, the school in this district was kept in private houses. Previous to 1816, this district also in- cluded the village, which, at that time, was located entirely north of the river. In addition to the teachers' names already given, we give a list of the teachers, as complete as could be obtained. Miss Alintha Griswold, Miss Sally Searles, Miss Chloe Wilder, (afterwards married to another teacher, James Beard, who owned the farm in Grahamsville formerly owned by Josiah Wilder. They were the parents of Alanson Beard, formerly Collector of Customs of the Port of Boston). Miss Lois Denison, (resident of Smithville, afterward mar- ried Jeptha Spaulding, a farmer who, for many years, lived on North Hill), Miss Roxana Ives, (daughter of Capt. Elihu Ives, afterwards married Jonathan Atherton of Cavendish) . Alvah Clark, a student of Middlebury College, taught here in 1814.
Many other faithful teachers have done good work in this school, and during its one hundred and twenty-one years of existence, hundreds of children have trod the paths from their homes to the little school-houses that have stood on this spot. Probably, more than half have ended this life's journey, and entered the school of eternal life, while others are toiling on to the goal of fame or riches, or strug- gling to obtain even a simple livelihood.
District No. 8, known at this time as the Barton district, was formerly called the Southwestern district. The first school-meeting held in this district for the purpose of or-
51
ganizing a school, was at the house of Jesse Smith, Oct. 2, 1806. Jesse Fletcher and Asahel Smith, selectmen, were present at the meeting. The house of Jesse Smith stood southwest of the Charles Esty home, on land formerly owned by Jonathan Hemenway. Hezekiah Haven was chosen moderator, Jesse Smith, clerk, Ephraim Puffer, Dan- iel Wheaton, and Elijah Chamberlin, committee, and Thom- as Evans, collector of taxes.
Another meeting was held at Mr. Smith's house, Dec. 8, 1806, to see if the district would vote to have a winter school. A vote was given in favor of having one month's school, to be held at Ephrim Puffer's house. At this time, he lived west of that part of the road leading from Ludlow to Weston, now known as Orchard Hill. The house stood near where the butternut tree stands. Mr. Puffer was to furnish the firewood for the school, free of charge, and the teacher was to board one week with Mr. Puffer, one with Jesse Smith, one with Hezekiah Haven, and one with Jacob Hemenway.
Mar. 17, 1807, the residents held a meeting at the house of Jesse Smith. It was voted to have six weeks schooling, the school to be kept at the house of Elijah Chamberlin. The district voted to furnish two books for the use of the school. Mr. Chamberlin lived east of the road above Will Rock's house, just before entering the "dug-way" road.
At a school-meeting held Jan. 29, 1808, at the house of Daniel Wheaton, Hezekiah Haven, Jacob Hemenway, and John Hill were chosen a committee to ascertain where the center of the district was, and make arrangements to build a log school-house. At this meeting it was voted to have two months' schooling, the school to be held at the house of Daniel Wheaton, who lived in a house that stood in the Charles Esty meadow, east of the highway, and opposite Mr. Esty's house. The idea of building a school-house was given up at that time. In June, 1813, a vote was taken to build a frame house at the foot of the path leading from the highway to Jesse Smith's house. The path joined the road near Charles Esty's house, and the school-house was to stand near the large hemlock tree that stood near the path at that time. These plans could not be carried out, but after twelve years of agitation and wrangling, an
52
agreement was reached in 1818, and a school-house, eight- een feet by twenty, was built in the corner of the roads, north of the road leading over Bear Hill. The land was given by Simon Cobb, and the lumber and other building material was sold at auction to the lowest bidder, who was to take his pay in grain, Jan. 1, 1819. The lumber was furnished at six dollars per thousand. The window glass, sixty panes of seven by nine, was furnished by David Emery at seven cents per pane.
In 1832, the school-house was moved from its first site to the Rufus Barton farm, later owned by Wesley Barton, and stood west of the brook, and east of the road as it then ran past Mr. Barton's house. It stood up the stream a few rods from where the present school-house stands, on the opposite side of the brook.
In the winter of 1843, Rufus Barton, Jr., taught the school, and among the scholars was one, Joseph Gould, who was as large as an ordinary man, and fancied that he could run the school affairs better than the teacher could. Mr. Barton thinking to the contrary, one day called Joseph out, and feruled him with a large wooden ruler. After the job was done, Joseph took his seat, and, spitting on his hand, remarked to one of his school-mates, "He didn't blister my hand." Thereupon, Mr. Barton called him out the second time, and put on the required blister, as large as a silver dollar. In those days, the winter schools as well as the scholars were large, and it required much pluck and perseverance on the part of the teachers, to keep order.
In 1844, the old school-house was sold to Martin Snell, he taking it in part payment toward building a new school- house. This one stood west of the road from where the first one stood. In 1867, the present school-house was built, and the old one was sold to Seneca Haven, who took it down and moved it to where Calvin Pollard now lives. It is the ell to that house. In 1840, there were usually from sixty to ninety scholars in this district. At the present time (1931), there are but eleven children enrolled in this school, all others in the district being in attendance in the village schools. This change has been caused in part, by many of the old farms being vacated.
In 1806, a school-house was built on South Hill, on the
53
west side of the road, about half way up the hill, south of where Horace Wadleigh formerly lived. The first school- meeting held in this district was on Jan. 14, 1806, at the house of Thomas Ross, who then lived on the Horace Wad- leigh farm. John Warren, one of the selectmen, was present at the meeting. They chose Andrew Pettigrew, moderator, and then adjourned till the seventeenth day of the same month, when they again met, and elected Thomas Ross, clerk and trustee, and Andrew Pettigrew, Leonard Ross, and Amos Wheaton, committee. At this meeting, the dis- trict was called the south-east district. In 1839, it was called No. 10.
In 1821, a stove was put into this school-house, it being the first one put into any school-house in town. In 1829, the old school-house went out of use, and a new one was built on the site of the present one. This was taken down and another built in 1860. Again, in 1929, the school-house was taken down and a new one built, standing a few rods north from where the old one stood. The attendance in the early days of the district was large, while there are but few scholars there now.
The first school records of District No. 7, the Pond dis- trict, are not to be found, therefore it can not be ascertained in just what year the first school-house was built, but it is said to have been erected about 1806, and stood on the spot occupied by the present one, excepting that it stood the width of the building farther south nearer to the high- way. The present school-house was built by contract in 1877, by Samuel L. Pinney, at a cost to the district of two hundred and sixty dollars. This school-house went out of use about 1880.
About 1840, a small school-house was built on North Hill, east of the highway, a little distance south-east of where Elisha Johnson formerly lived. The records of this school have been destroyed, so exact dates can not be given. Schools are said to have been held there only a few years. The building was moved about forty rods east, and used for a dwelling-house.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.