USA > Vermont > Windsor County > Ludlow > History of Ludlow, Vermont > Part 6
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HARDSHIPS OF THE EARLY SETTLERS
The customs of the early settlers were very much dif- ferent from the ways practiced at the present time. The people, as well as the condition of the country, were dif- ferent, and their ideas of the necessities of life were more moderate. Fashion, which even then ruled in less primitive society, had not become so fully developed in this country, the rudiments of education sufficed for a man, in almost any position he might occupy, and there was not so much pushing and crowding to get to the head, urged by the greed of gaining worldly renown. People were content with their common lot in life, and settled down to the hard manual labor of clearing up their farms and bringing them under cultivation, that they might get an honest living therefrom, and, at the same time, lay the foundation upon which their children, and their ever-grasping descendants might ob- tain a livelihood, from the fruits of their laborious work.
When the first settlers came to Ludlow, the first thing to be done, was to build log houses to live in. Then they proceeded at once to fell the trees to make clearings. The trees were cut into sections, so that they could be more easily handled, and then the neighbors clubbed together, and made what they called "logging bees", where, with their great muscular powers stimulated by new rum, they
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rolled the logs into large piles, and burned them. One of our oldest residents stated that when he was a small boy, he could stand in the door of his father's house, and count the fires in seventy-five different choppings where the land was being cleared. At this time, about the only source from which cash could be obtained, was the ashes made by burning large maple logs. These were leached, and the lye was boiled down into salts in large iron kettles. These salts were then put into another kettle and melted and set aside to cool, when they became as hard as rock, and were called potash. It was then ground and refined, and became pearlash. Some of this product was used for saleratus in making bread, and the druggists used it in small quantities for medical purposes, as potassa. Pearlash sold in those days at twelve cents per pound, so this was a slow way of getting money. It would take a man a year to earn enough in this way to equal a lawyer's fees for one day in these advanced times.
In those days, farming implements were rude and un- wieldly in make, and awkward to use. Grass was all cut by hand with thick, clumsy scythes, fastened to large, heavy snaths by an iron band, into which a small iron wedge was driven to hold the scythe tight. The scythe snath was made straight, with the handle for the left hand about eight inches long, so as to let the heel of the snath down to the ground. It was an everyday scene in haying time, to see ten or fifteen men all mowing in one field. In this way, a large field could be mowed over in one forenoon. Each one took his turn in mowing the head swath, and every time they mowed around the field, a jug of new rum was passed around. In spite of the laborious toil, the haying season was a merry time for many of them.
Mowing machines did not come into use in Ludlow until 1858. Wesley Barton was the owner of the first mowing machine brought into town. It was called the Kirby machine, and had but one drive-wheel. The cutter-bar was in line with the center of the wheel, and was stationary. The oper- ator had to get off and raise the bar by hand to get over a stone or other obstacle.
The first settlers used hay-forks and manure-forks forged
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by the common blacksmith, not much like those in use now. The first grind stones used in town, were made by sawing blocks about four inches thick from large maple logs, and trimming them so that they were round. Then the face of the rims was pounded full of course sand while the wood was green, and is it dried it would hold the sand in place, so that it would cut away steel, and make quite a good edge.
The ox-carts were heavy and bungling to manage. Be- fore this, all wagons in use had but one shaft. A brace crossed from the end of the shaft to the opposite side of the horse, so that he could guide the wagon. Previous to 1820, wagons were not in use very much in any part of the country. The cart or sled, drawn by slow but faith- ful oxen, was the general means of conveyance to church or market, while for longer trips, or where there was no better highway than a bridle-path, horse-back riding was practiced. The first settler went to Cavendish or Chester to meeting on horse-back. Sometimes ox-teams were driven to Boston with loads of produce, and returned with loads of other goods.
Wagons were not brought into town until about 1820. The first top-buggy was brought into town by Asa Fletcher about 1840. He sold it in 1842 to Parker Pettigrew, who gave it to his son, Josiah W. Pettigrew.
A hundred years ago, stoves were almost unheard of ar- ticles of household furniture, and when they were first introduced, such was the prejudice against them, that food cooked by them was considered unhealthy. Every house was provided with one or more fire-places, where large logs were piled on the fire. Old people say that sometimes the largest logs were drawn into the house with a horse. These were called back-logs, and, as the name implies they were placed at the back of the fire-place as the foundation for the fire. In front of the back-log was placed a smaller log called the fore-stick, and when these, with plenty of smaller fuel, sent the flames roaring up the big chimney, there was but little need of kerosene, gas or even electricity, to make the fireside bright and cheery on winter evenings.
It was quite essential that the fire should not become entirely extinguished, as the method of obtaining fire in
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those days was not very convenient, so it was the practice to keep coals buried in ashes for immediate use. If these failed, and a neighbor was conveniently near, a messenger was sent with a small kettle, to borrow some fire. It was necessary to be expeditious in doing this errand, and from this arose the saying of anyone who seemed to be in haste, that he was "after fire."
A bundle of small dry sticks, either of pine or spruce, was kept on hand, which, lighted in the coals, served to light the candle or pipe. When coals were not to be had, fire was obtained by the use of a flint and steel. Sparks of fire would fly from the flint, (a peculiarly hard rock,) when struck with the steel, and these ignited a bit of tow, or dry punk. The last was decayed pine or maple wood, thoroughly dried, and very inflammable.
Matches came into use in 1829. They were similar to the parlor matches now in use, only a little smaller, and some- what longer. The brimstone on them was blue instead of red, and they were put up in small, round, wooden boxes, fifty in a box, which sold for ten cents. The flint and steel were used for several years after matches came into use.
In the fire-place, and extending nearly across it, was an iron bar called a crane, and on this, kettles were hung by means of hooks for heating water, boiling meat, veg- etables, etc. Large brick ovens were built at the base of the chimney, where the baking for the family was done. It was quite a task to heat this great oven, so the house-wife had her regular baking days, and prepared food to last several days. Brown bread, and baked beans cooked in a brick oven were far superior to those cooked nowadays in the modern range, doubtless because the heat was steady and of long continuance. If warm cakes of any sort were desired on a day not devoted to baking, they were exposed to the heat of the fire in the front of the fire-place. In later years, this method was improved by a sheet-iron baker. A potato roasted in the ashes, or a Johnny-cake baked on a shingle, was a dainty as much relished by the rosy children of that time, as the most delicate dish that modern inven- tion can contrive is now by our more pampered and less healthy appetites.
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The diet of the people was very different then, from what it is now. Corn and rye furnished most of the bread supply, fish and game were more abundant, sweets were rarities, and tea or coffee a luxury to be indulged in very sparingly, if at all. Bean porridge was a common dish in nearly every household. There were different ways of mak- ing this, but the general one was by boiling beans with chopped meats. When properly made, this was a very nour- ishing dish, and one easily prepared. Brown bread or mush and milk was another staple article of diet, both for old and young. If these articles of diet could be brought into use at the present day, it would no doubt prove beneficial to the pale-faced, dyspeptic young Americans whose diet is made up of the starch of wheat and potatoes, made still more injurious by adulteration of the ingredients used in cooking. At that time, potatoes were not as extensively used as now. We have been told by an old lady, that when her father put up a hogshead of potatoes for the winter's' supply, they thought it an abundance, and the same amount of apples was considered a rich store. At about that time, potatoes were raised and sold at the starch-factory in Cavendish owned by William Smith. In 1838, Enos and Adolphus Mayo raised eleven hundred bushels of potatoes on two acres of land, and sold them to Mr. Smith at eleven cents per bushel. This was considered a good price. The crop was raised on the farm where J. A. Mayo formerly lived, and was of the California variety. These proved to be the greatest yielders of any potato ever introduced, and excelled in the percentage of starch contained in them.
Up to 1840, flax was raised to quite an extent in Ludlow, as well as in nearly every other town in the state. The seed was sown like wheat in the spring, and the crop ripened early in the autumn. When ripe, it was either pulled up by the roots or cradled, bound in small bundles, and set up in stooks to dry. When it was dry, the seed was threshed from the straw, and sold for making linseed oil, so extensively used in painting. The straw was spread in gavels on the ground to rot the outside, and at the same time to bleach it, and loosen and separate the fibers of the straw. It was then taken to the breaker, an implement made of a hard wood plank about four feet long, on which were fastened
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three boards about one and a half inches thick. These were worked down to an edge, and were placed on edge about two inches apart. The middle piece was fastened only at one end, and had a handle at the other end. This was worked up and down, and when raised, the flax was laid across the other two strips. When the middle piece was pressed down between the others, it broke the outside fiber of the straw. It was then taken to the swingle. This was a board about a foot wide, set up end wise, and sharpened to an edge. The flax was held over this with one hand, and beaten with a large, wooden, knife-like implement. This removed the outside shucks, and separated the inside fibers of the flax. It was then hetcheled. A hetchel was a board in which a hundred and fifty or two hundred small iron pins were set about half an inch apart. Through these pins, the flax was drawn to comb it out. It was then ready for the linen spinning-wheel. This was a small wheel at which the spinner sat while at work. The best part of the flax was spun into thread, (all the thread used at that time was home-made), and the remainder was spun for weaving into cloth.
There are now several spinning-wheels and hand looms in town, but only a few of them are much used. About the only use now made of the old-fashioned loom, is in the manufacture of rag carpets. Wool and flax were spun on different kinds of wheels, the wheel for wool being about three times as large as the linen weeel, but they were woven in the same loom. Some of these home-made cloths are still in existence in town.
It seems at this time a difficult problem to solve, how the first settlers, and the first generation of their descendants, working under so many disadvantages, without railroads, and with only newly made highways, managed to clear up their farms, build stone walls around them, and many of them accumulate wealth enough to build good buildings, while the farmers of this fast age, in a country full of push and enterprise on all sides, cannot even manage to keep the dwellings their forefathers built in fair repair, or have not the means to build new homes when needed. In many cases, when a set of buildings gets unfit for use, the farm
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is added to the list of abandoned farms. Our forefathers could find time to build miles of stone wall, while the farmers of today cannot even find time to repair them where they have tumbled down.
LIGHTS
At the time of the settlement of Ludlow, as well as all other towns in the state, the conveniences for lighting the traveler on his way, and also for illuminating the houses, were very different from what they are now. One hundred and fifty years ago, the doctors, and others who had to travel on dark nights through unbroken forests and newly cleared settlements, had no lanterns or artificial light except a stick of the striped maple, or as it is sometimes wrongly called, moosewood. A piece of this wood was cut about two or three feet long, and about two inches in di- ameter. About half its length was held in the fire till burned to charcoal. This stick the traveler would carry in one hand, and by swinging it quickly back and forth, the fire could be kept bright in it for some time, giving sufficient light so that the bridle-paths could be followed. Nevertheless, the bright full moon was a welcome visitor in those times, to the traveler who was compelled to keep on his way at night. The next step in illumination, was the tin lantern and tallow candle. These lanterns were cyl- indrical in form, about five inches in diameter by ten inches high. The sides were rudely perforated in ornamental de- signs, and through these small openings, the light from the bit of candle within shone forth, giving about as much light as a June lightning-bug. When out of the wind, the door to the lantern could be left open, much increasing the "candle-power" of the lantern. After these, came square lanterns of about the same dimensions, and having one side of glass. This was considered a great step in the science, and, stimulated by the success of this improve- ment, the lantern-makers added another pane, and still another, till finally, the lantern consisted of four panes of glass, which slid into the grooves of the frame-work, and
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were protected by transverse wires. The glass could be taken out and cleaned, and the beams of the little candle then shone forth with undimmed radiance. Both of these styles of lanterns are still to be found in the town.
About 1810, another kind of lantern was invented, hav- ing a round glass globe. The lamp was small, with one tube about a fourth of an inch in diameter. The wick used was candle-wicking, and the oil was sperm oil. Later, an- other tube was added, so that two jets of light were given. After a while, lard-oil was used, until, in the sixties, the kerosene lantern came into use. This kind was a great improvement over all others, and is still in use.
The first method of lighting houses, was with a small iron kettle made for the purpose, standing on three legs about two and a half inches high, making the whole height of the kettle about seven inches. These kettles, or skillets as they were called, held about a quart, and were filled with the oil of the woodchuck or the skunk. A cotton rag fulfilled the office of a wick, and furnished a very good light, aided by the light from the open fire-place. When the above-mentioned oils were not at hand, lard or tallow was substituted. Another form of skillet much used, was shaped like a boat with one end covered. This end run out to a point, and had an opening through which the wick was drawn. Poor people who could not afford to buy these iron skillets, used a common saucer, or any small tin dish. Sometimes a button was tied or sewed into the rag, which made the blaze larger.
In the early part of the nineteenth century, the art of manufacturing tallow candles by a process called "dip- ping", was brought into use. By this method, it was neces- sary to use a large quantity of tallow, and a sufficient quantity of candles was made to last a family a year. But the process was slow and laborious, and after a while, tin moulds were made, which were more convenient, as a smaller quantity of material could be used, but many pre- ferred the "dip", it being harder, and therefore more dur- able. Candles were made and sold to the merchants, who kept them in stock for customers, as kerosene is kept now. Sometimes a small quantity of bees-wax was melted and
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mixed with the tallow, which hardened the candles, made them more durable, and prevented the tallow from running down at the sides. When this light was in use, the charred wick had to be cut off frequently to keep the blaze clear. For this purpose, snuffers were used, a small utensil like a pair of scissors, on one blade of which was a little box which held the candle-snuff when cut off and extinguished by the cover of the box, which was on the other blade. The tallow candle has almost passed from the memory of man.
Lard lamps were used by some during the candle era. These lamps used a broad wick, and gave much more light than the candle, but the necessity for keeping the lamp warm in order to cause the lard to draw into the wick, detracted much from their usefulness. The first oil lamp that came into use, was a small, round lamp, having the same kind of burner and using the same kind of oil, as the sperm-oil lantern previously described.
About 1846, a lamp was made called the fluid-lamp. This fluid was made from alcohol, and was very dangerous, as it was of an explosive nature. The lamp was small, and gave a small, two-jet light, but the flame was very bright and powerful. This light was not blown out, but each lamp was provided with a pair of small caps, hung to the burner by a tiny chain, and these caps were used to extinguish the blaze. Camphene was then tried in these lamps, but the same objection prevented its extensive use, it being even more explosive than the fluid. With all these lamps, the wick was pushed upward through the tubes with a pin or other sharp instrument, and in all, candle-wicking was used for the wick.
The next method of lighting was the kerosene lamp, still used as the principal means of lighting by country people, as well as among the poorer classes in cities. Pet- roleum was known to the American Indians, but was never used for lighting purposes until about 1860. Its use was suggested in 1853, but at the later date, a refined oil, pro- duced from the carbon of coal, was put upon the market by a Boston merchant named Downs, and for some time the oil was known as Down's oil.
About sixty years ago, street lamps began to be used
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in the village of Ludlow, and naptha and kerosene were used for that purpose until the coming of the electric light. Although gas was used extensively in cities for many years, it had never been used in Ludlow till put into the residence of F. O. Knights in 1896.
Electricity has almost entirely superceded all other forms of lighting in cities and villages, and a plant for lighting the streets by this means was erected in Ludlow in 1901. In 1903, a plant was erected in Grahamville at a cost of approximately $37,000, but its use has been dis- continued. In the Ludlow Woolen mills, electric lighting has been used since 1893. It remains to be seen what the next discovery will be, in the form of illumination.
FIRST SETTLERS
Jesse Fletcher, son of Timothy and Bridget Richardson Fletcher, was born in Westford, Mass., Nov. 8, 1763. He attended the common schools of his native town for a few terms. When he was nearly nineteen years of age, he was married to Lucy Keyes of Westford, Aug. 8, 1782. In the spring of the following year, he came to Cavendish, Vt., to visit his brother, Josiah Fletcher. It was while on this visit, that he prospected the wild township of Ludlow, which, at that time, was inhabited by only one family. On this expedition, he discovered the famous spring of water, and located himself near it, where the old Fletcher homestead now stands. In the spring of 1784, he brought his young wife to town. He built a small log house which he lived in till about 1792, when he built a small frame house which is now the ell of the Fletcher house. About 1805, he built the two-story addition.
Mr. Fletcher was a man of more than ordinary ability, honest and industrious, and held many town offices, having the trust and respect of all who knew him. He was a lead- ing figure in the development of the town, up to the time of his death which occurred on Feb. 14, 1831. He raised a large and very useful family. Charlotte, the eldest child, was born in Westford, Mass., Saturday, Nov. 23, 1782.
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Stephen, born in Westford, Friday, Jan. 23, 1784, was killed Feb. 18, 1790, by being run over by an ox-sled. This was the first death that occurred in town. Michael was born in Ludlow, Saturday, Feb. 12, 1785. Fanny, born Sun- day, May 14, 1786, Jesse Jr., born Friday, Sept. 21, 1787, Elijah, born Thursday, July 28, 1789, Timothy, born Thurs- day, March 10, 1791, Lucy, born Monday, June 25, 1792, Stephen, 2nd, born Thursday, Jan. 10, 1794, Lorania, born Thursday, Sept. 1, 1795, Calvin, born Saturday, Feb. 4, 1798, Miles Johnson, born Monday, Nov. 11, 1799, Dexter, born Friday, June 5, 1801, Louisa, born Thursday, April 12, 1804, Stoughton A., born Aug. 22, 1808. It was in Stoughton's childhood, about 1822, that the maples that line the highway at the old homestead, were set out. These are two hundred in number, and form the finest avenue of any artificial tree setting in town.
Josiah Fletcher, brother of Jesse, was born in Westford, Mass., in 1749. He was a soldier in the Revolution, and was in the battles of Bunker Hill, White Plains, Ticonderoga, and Bennington, and was in the Rhode Island campaign of 1778 and 1779. In 1781, he removed to Vermont, staying a short time in Cavendish, of which he was the first town clerk. He removed to Ludlow with his brother Jesse in 1784, built his house, and commenced clearing the land for his farm where J. W. Kimball formerly lived in the lower village, once known as the Amasa Adams place.
In 1792, Josiah Fletcher was made town treasurer, being the first one to hold that office in Ludlow. He died Feb. 27, 1825. At the time of his death, there was not a house in the village, south of the river. The first house in that part of the village, was raised about four months afterward.
About two or three years before Mr. Fletcher died, he had a large field of corn, something like ten acres. The rows were nearly eighty rods long, and ran parallel with East Main street, from about where the Kimball barn stands, on the north side of the street. Mr. Fletcher, though an old man, was very industrious, and he worked away alone, day after day, hoeing his corn. Evenings, he usually called at the post-office, or at the hotel, which stood where Henry Scott lived later, just west of the stone house on
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the corner of East Main street and Commonwealth avenue. The boys would inquire about the progress of his work: "Uncle Si, how did hoeing go today?" Mr. Fletcher would reply, "Well, boys, I tell you, I made it sweat today. I hoed a row and a half." His courage was good, for it is said that the ground in his cornfield was completely covered with sorrel.
In 1783, James Whitney came to Ludlow and settled on North Hill on the farm later known as the John Henry Whitney farm. He reached this place by way of the Twenty Mile Stream in Cavendish, as no road had been made in Ludlow onto North Hill.
The following year, Simeon Read settled on the road to Proctorsville, where William Bixby now lives.
Capt. John Warren moved into town about 1795, bring- ing himself, his family, and all his household goods, on the backs of two horses. He lived first on North Hill, his house standing in the field east of the H. L. Spaulding place. While living there, Mr. Warren took a walk on snow- shoes, to Rutland, to get an axe "jumped", which meant replacing the old steel in the axe with new. He took his grists to mill in Cavendish on his back. One town-meeting day, his neighbors going by his place to attend town- meeting, asked him if he were not going. He replied that he was, when his wife had made a pair of pants for him, the cloth for which was almost ready to be taken out of the loom. He reached the meeting in season, wearing the new pants. This illustrates the capability of our fore- mothers in times of need. The early pioneer could shear his sheep on Monday, and his faithful wife could card, spin, and weave the wool into cloth, and make a pair of pants or a coat before Saturday night. In those days, there were few factories, and the means of transportation were very limited, so that the families scattered about through the wilderness had to be sufficient unto themselves, both in providing material, and in manufacturing.
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