History of Royalton, Vermont, with family genealogies, 1769-1911, Part 32

Author: Lovejoy, Mary Evelyn Wood, 1847-
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Burlington, Vt., Free press printing company
Number of Pages: 1280

USA > Vermont > Windsor County > Royalton > History of Royalton, Vermont, with family genealogies, 1769-1911 > Part 32

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).

This committee made its report at an adjourned meeting, Nov. 13, 1832, and they then voted that Jacob Collamer con- tinue his agency in defending the town from building a bridge across White river near Mr. Fox's. At their March meeting, 1833, the voters refused to consider the question of further

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action in the Fox bridge matter. They met again May 7, in re- sponse to a petition asking if the town would build or assist to build a bridge where the last turnpike bridge stood near Jacob Fox's. Daniel Rix, Jireh Tucker, and Elisha Rix were appointed a committee to confer with the corporation of the Royalton and Woodstock Turnpike Company in relation to this bridge matter. The result of this conference is not given, but they voted to adopt a Resolution of Nathaniel Sprague, as follows :

"If Jacob Fox will build or will procure to be built & completed by the first day of March A. D., 1834, to the acceptance of the select- men of Royalton a bridge after the form of Towne's patent with only one span at the place near J. Foxes tavern in sd Royalton which was designated by the Courts Committee in August 1832, to be not less than 25 feet wide, to be roofed, & shingled, & covered on the sides, & of sufficient height, two pathways, to be made and finished in all re- spects in a substantial and perfect manner, & with good & suitable materials, and the stonework to wit, the abutments to be good and substantial & to be to the acceptance of sd selectmen, then the town will assign over to the sd Fox all the subscriptions which have been raised running to sd Royalton to aid in building said bridge & will raise & pay to sd Fox the sum of fourteen hundred dollars to be paid one half at the acceptance of the bridge by said Selectmen, & the other half in one year after sd acceptance, the approaches to sd bridge to be made so as to be good passing to & from sd bridge with carriages & teams sd Fox on accepting the conditions of the above resolution shall give bonds to the Selectmen for the faithful performance of the same according to its conditions."

Mr. Fox accepted the conditions and built the bridge in 1833. It does not seem to have been accepted that year. On September 3, the selectmen were directed to secure the abut- ment on the east side from washing out, and on January 16, 1834, a meeting was held to consider the Fox bridge. The warning reads, "Whereas the Bridge across White River near Jacob Foxes has failed & is in such a bad condition as requires early & expensive repairs, therefore," etc. The bridge had probably been accepted at this time, and may have failed by reason of a freshet. On January 24th Mr. Fox received from the selectmen two one-hundred-dollar orders for the bridge, on the 4th of March an order for two hundred dollars and another for three hundred dollars. On January 29th of the next year he was paid $400, and March 13th $300, so that he was paid according to contract.

When the voters met Jan. 16th, 1834, Lawyer Francis presented the following resolution which was adopted: "Re- solved that a committee of 4 be appointed in conjunction with the selectmen with power if they think it expedient to take down the bridge across White River at Jacob Foxes & secure it by piling the same on the bank of the River, provided in their

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opinion the town will come under no liability in so doing- unless the sd committee shall in their opinion think the sd bridge can be repaired substantially for the sum of three hun- dred dollars, in which case the sd committee are authorized to lay out that sum." John Marshall, Edwin Pierce, Calvin Parkhurst, and Harry Bingham were chosen for the committee. Nathaniel Sprague then offered the following resolution, which was adopted: "Resolved that the foregoing committee be in- structed to report at the next town meeting (in case the com- mittee take down the bridge) the mode or modes of repairing the same, & the expence of each mode & of rebuilding the same." On March 3d the selectmen were empowered to make what dis- position they pleased of the timber and materials saved of the bridge near Jacob Fox's, and to report at next March meeting, so the bridge was probably taken down. On the 13th of the month the selectmen were again petitioned to call a meeting by Jacob Fox and seven others to take action on building a bridge across the river at Jacob Fox's. The bridge was down, but the question would not stay down. They voted 70 to 57 to take no action.

Both Mr. Fox and the town were pretty well occupied with the new road up the Second Branch in 1835, and the bridge was allowed to rest for a short time. The town had seemed to be invariably worsted when pitted against a Court's Committee, but failure did not intimidate, and so Mar. 7, 1836, they chose John Francis, Daniel Rix, and Stephen Freeman to oppose the building of the bridge near Jacob Fox's. The futility of op- position became apparent before May 17th of that year, when at a special meeting, they voted 65 to 47 to dismiss the committee appointed to defend the bridge case. It was then moved that an agent be appointed to see at the next County Court to the taxing of the costs of the hearing before the commissioners, and also to the ordering of the time for the building of the bridge. When the attorneys for the petitioners assured them that no more costs and no earlier time than that set by the Committee, would be asked for, the motion was lost, and quiet reigned once more.

The Court's Committee had ordered the bridge to be built "the next season." The voters met November 8th and ap- pointed T. H. Safford, Stephen Freeman, and John Marshall to ascertain for what sum a bridge could be built, and to su- perintend the building, if the bridge was built. Garner Rix and Harry Bingham were added to this committee on Dec. 6th, with instructions to fix upon a plan for the bridge, and to sell the building of it in all its parts to the lowest bidder at public auction January 1, 1837. The bridge was to be built by Dec.

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1, of that year, and be accepted by the committee before pay- ment should be made. £ The committee could dispose of the building by private sale within six days after the auction, if deemed best. Mr. Fox had on his side now such able men as Dr. Richard Bloss, Daniel Woodward, and the lawyer, A. C. Noble. When they met again Jan. 28, 1837, the committee was authorized to proceed and build the bridge, and was limited in the expense to $1600, this to include all the expense except the approaches to and from the bridge. The committee was em- powered to borrow $1000 of the trustees of the surplus revenue, who were authorized to lend the same at six per cent interest. The building committee reported September 5th that the bridge was built, and at a cost of about $1566.69, which report was ac- cepted, and once more Mr. Fox and the town had a bridge over the river at North Royalton. Horace Childs was the architect, and received on April 5, 1838, $182.56 for patent fee on the bridge "built by him."

Again in 1866 the bridge needed rebuilding, and seventy- five cents on a dollar was voted for this purpose at a special meeting in August. No record has been found of the cost of the bridge, but it is said to have been built by the same archi- tects that built the last bridge at the center of the town. The selectmen were instructed to build it "after the plan of the Bridge across White River in Royalton Center Village." This bridge erected in 1866 has stood the test of freshets and other wear, and is still in good condition.

In the town meeting of 1852 an article was inserted "to see what measures the Town will take with regard to the River Bridge." It was passed over, and no record has been found showing that the town authorized the bridge to be built there that year, yet one was built, and the selectmen drew orders that year for the payment of it. Samuel P. Thrasher built the two abutments, and James Tasker probably did the wood work, be- ing paid at one time $1400. The whole expense as reported in town meeting, 1853, was $3550. This was a covered truss bridge, thoroughly built, and stands today, and bids fair to last another half century, barring some unusual river disturbance.

As soon as Daniel Tarbell, Jr. determined that there should be a village at South Royalton, he worked indefatigably for a bridge across the river at that point. To continue crossing by the fordway was not to be thought of, and to compel people to go to Royalton village to cross the river there, where a center of business was well established, was to defeat his own purpose. A bridge South Royalton must have, and a bridge it was going to have. The selectmen were not responsive to his appeals, neither was the Road Committee, so one Sunday Mr. Tarbell

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drove to Tunbridge, and sought out his old neighbor, but young friend, Lewis Dickerman, a man of means and influence. He persuaded him that, if he signed his name to a subscription pa- per, promising $1000, with the help of a few others like Lyman Benson, Phineas Pierce, and Cyrus Safford, the bridge was a sure thing, and they would never have to pay a red cent of their subscriptions, and so it proved.

Lyman Benson took the contract for the south abutment, and Orison Foster of Tunbridge for the north one, and Cyrus Safford did the wood work. The bridge was built and completed in 1848. Two gates were set up and John Parker was installed as gate keeper. The public would rather pay a few cents toll, than to drive two miles, then back two miles just to get across the river, though some were so indignant over the building of the bridge, that they did this very thing for some time.

When the road was laid out from Chelsea to South Royal- ton a little later, the Court's Committee assessed the bridge at $4000, but the Court changed the damages and cut down the bridge to $2000, and the three towns of Royalton, Tunbridge, and Chelsea were to share equally in maintaining the bridge. In March, 1853, the selectmen report an order given for $2000, and acknowledge receipt from Tunbridge and Chelsea for $1536.41. The two towns continued to contribute to the sup- port of the bridge for a time, then Mr. Dickerman, who was selectman in Tunbridge, thought his town ought to pay less, and quietly got a bill through the Legislature by which means the share of Tunbridge was cut down to one fourth. Time went on, and Mr. Dickerman was sent to the Legislature as represen- tative from Tunbridge. He was then instrumental in having a bill passed which made it incumbent upon towns that were able to maintain their own bridges to do so, and from that date Royalton has had to pay her own bridge bills. Daniel Tarbell in his autobiography states that the bridge cost $3600. It was subsequently made free by a subscription of $1800.

In 1903 the town voted to build a new bridge at South Royalton. It was decided to have an iron bridge, and the con- tract was let to the United Construction Company of Albany, N. Y., for the sum of $6750. The abutments were put in by A. S. Douglass, at an expense of $4903.30. The survey was made by R. R. Harris, to whom was paid ninety dollars. The new bridge when complete cost $12281.96, and is a credit to the town.

The branch bridges have required considerable expenditure. The bridges over the Second Branch were repaired or rebuilt in 1805, 1824, and 1833, and at other times. The expense of the bridge at the last date was $537. The bridges over the First

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Branch are the more numerous. Two of them lead to houses off from the main road, the Sanborn and the Ward places. In all, the town maintains five bridges across the First Branch. In earlier years some of these were built by those living near, in consideration of having their taxes remitted for a period of years. The one near Pierce's mills has been the most expensive. It has needed rather frequent repairs, and was rebuilt in 1846 at a cost of $300. Three bridges are supported over the Second Branch, and two of some size over Broad Brook, besides numer- ous smaller ones in different parts of the town. More thorough work in recent years, and fewer destructive freshets have lessened the cost of maintaining the bridges in town. Although this expense has probably been second only to the cost of her public schools, Royalton would not part with her lovely, fitful streams for the sake of being relieved of this burden.

CHAPTER XIX.

EDUCATIONAL MATTERS.

The intelligence and enterprise of any community can be gauged by the interest shown in the education of its youth. No doubt, if the earliest records had not been destroyed, there would be ample evidence to prove that proper provision was early made for the instruction of the children of the infant town of Royalton. There is a tradition that Benjamin Park- hurst taught the three R's in his own log house, long before a school building was provided. It is quite probable that some one was found in two or three sections of the town, who was deemed capable of gathering the children of that vicinity in a home convenient to all, and of teaching the subjects common in the schools of that day. The children in the southeast part of the town were first taught by Lydia Richards, in the house of Capt. Ebenezer Parkhurst, who lived on the river below the mouth of Broad Brook, in Sharon.

The first preserved record relating to schools is dated the third Tuesday of November, 1782. The town at that time was divided into three school districts, the first, from Sharon line on "both sides of the river to Josiah Wheeler's," and on the south side, from Sharon line to the Handy lot at the fordway. At that time Mr. Wheeler owned all of 25 Dutch and three fourths of 26 Dutch. By the help of deeds the "Handy ford- way" is quite definitely located. It connected the banks of W. 17 Large Allotment and 46 Dutch. An editor's note on "Steele's Narrative," published fifty or more years ago, locates Mr. Handy on W. 16 L. A., but when the new charter was granted in 1781, Robert Handy had N. E. 22 Large Allotment. The eastern line of this last lot may have run down the river farther than is indicated on the "Original Deed of Partition."

The second district extended from the Brewster lot to "said Wheeler's," and up the Branch. The Brewster lot was 46 Dutch. The third district extended from Lieut. Lyon's, prob- ably the east side of 54 T. P., to Bethel on both sides of the river. No very sharp lines needed to be drawn in those days, with settlers few and scattered. In which district Mr. Wheeler was is not stated, the division in both cases where he is men- tioned, being to his lot.

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Something more was needed to provide the young men and women nearing their majority with means of culture, and we find that, at this same meeting, Lieut. Stevens, John Hibbard, and Lieut. Calvin Parkhurst were chosen a committee to draw up a subscription paper in order to promote a "greamory" school. As grammar schools were established by authority of the General Assembly, it may be that thus early efforts were made to induce the Assembly to locate the first Windsor County Grammar School in Royalton. We know from other sources, that there was academical instruction in Royalton, before the establishment of Royalton Academy in 1807. A separate chap- ter is devoted to that old institution.

By the year 1786 the population had so increased, that it was voted to set off the inhabitants on the south side of the river as far down as Esquire Stevens' lot into a district, and those on the north side of the river as far as Huckens Storrs' lot into another. Pupils now would not have to cross the river in going to and from school, which must have been difficult and even dangerous, if fordways were used, or required considerable ex- tra travel if the Stevens bridge was crossed. Huckens Storrs owned the Mill Lot, 35 Dutch, and the Stevens lot was prob- ably what has lately been known as the Howard place in E. 5, Large Allotment.

In 1792 a district was set off including Dutch lots, 5, 6, 13, 14-21. Thomas Bingham now owned 13, John Warner, 5, Jedediah Pierce, 19, and William Waterman, 20. The north- west part of the town was divided into two school districts by a committee chosen in 1794. The first of these two began at the northwest corner of Royalton, and included lots in Town Plot, numbered 30-35, the parts of 18 and 26 above the Second Branch, and lots 13-16, all of 10 above the Branch, and 1 to 9 inclusive. Asa Perrin was then owner of 18, Luther Skinner of 17, and Nathaniel Perrin of 10 Town Plot.

The same day Elias Stevens, Abel Stevens, and John Bill- ings were chosen to divide the town into school districts and to number them. This committee reported Jan. 13, 1795, and with this division the more stable existence of the districts be- gins.

District Number One included lots 1, 5, 10, 16, all of 11 except a portion owned by Experience Trescott, the east third of 12, and north half of 6 Large Allotment. Number Two com- prised the district set off in 1792. Number Three was made up of Dutch lots 1-4, 9-18, 22-24. Number Four included the Dutch lots 27-40, 42-44. Number Five was composed of lots 2-4, 7-9, 13-15, and the south half of 6 Large Allotment. The Center District, which must have had much the largest number

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of residents, was made up of Dutch lots 41, 45, 46, and 54 Town Plot. The two districts set off in the northwest part of the town in 1794 were now numbered Six and Seven respectively. Number Eight comprised lots 17-19, parts of 11 and 12 not included in the first district, 22, 23, and the N. E. corner of 26 Large Allotment. Number Nine lay on both sides of the river, including lot 30, and the part of 26 L. A. not included in Dis- trict Eight, and on the north side of the river in Town Plot, the west part of 53, 4, 11, 12, the southwest corner of 10, parts of 18 and 26 south of the Branch, and lots 19, 20, 27-29, 36-38. District Ten was the smallest of all, made up of lots 34, 35, 38, and all of 39 L. A., except the south half of the west third. District Eleven was composed of lots 32, 33, 36, 37, 40, 41, and the part of 39 L. A. not included in Number Ten. Number Twelve in- cluded lots 20, 21, 24, 25, 28, 29 L. A., and also Joseph Kirbee's and David Rugg's farms, which seem to have been in 31 L. A.

Several unimportant changes took place in the boundaries of the districts previous to 1803. At the March meeting of that year two new districts were provided for. Number Thir- teen was to have lots 31, 27, 26 L. A., except what Daniel Gil- bert owned, and the farms of Benjamin Clark, Daniel Clapp, Daniel Rix, and Silas Williams in lot 30 L. A. District Four- teen embraced the whole of the Simpson lot.

At nearly every town meeting some one would ask to be divorced from the district where he had belonged, and to be united with some other. Occasionally a man in some district became so influential as to give his name to it, and the number was superfluous. It must have tickled the pride of such an one to have the town vote to set off Mr. Jones to Capt. Doe's district. The town finally grew weary of continual changes, and turned a cold shoulder to petitions to be "set off," and for a new division into districts.

In 1808 a trustee was chosen for each district. Elias Stevens for No. 1, William Pierce for No. 2, Ebenezer Dewey for No. 3, Nathaniel Evans, No. 4, Benjamin Packard, No. 5, Jared Kimball, No. 6, Joseph Pierce, No. 7, Ebenezer Parkhurst, No. 8, Joseph Bowman, No. 9, Benjamin Day, No. 10, Thomas Wheat, No. 11, Stephen Freeman, No. 12, Silas Williams, No. 13. An act was passed Oct. 31, 1797, providing for dividing towns into school districts, and saying, "the inhabitants of such towns shall appoint one or more judicious person or persons, in each district, who, in conjunction with the selectmen of such town, shall be and continue the trustees of the several schools in such towns, till others are or shall be appointed." If the town had taken action in accordance with this provision pre- vious to 1808, the records seem to be silent regarding it. Some

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of the districts had failed to organize properly, and in 1805 and 1806 such districts were warned by the selectmen to meet and organize by the election of the proper officers.

In 1816 a committee was appointed to set off a school dis- trict in the Samuel Metcalf neighborhood. The committee rec- ommended that there be set off all the tract of land that had not been set off or annexed to any other school district, also comprehending the farm of Dolly Smith, and the Buck farm on which James Riggs was living, and that the district be called the fifteenth. This new district, which may not have included more than a half dozen families, had twenty-nine "scholars." District sixteen was made out of twelve and five by taking all the people on the east side of Lyman brook, all on Lot 15 and on the middle and west of Lot 14 Large Allotment, and Amos Bos- worth was chosen trustee.

In 1829 the seventeenth district was established, beginning on the turnpike at Baldwin Russell's, (then apparently living in 26 Dutch), and extending up the turnpike to Calvin Skin- ner's, with Isaac Morgan in the center, on what has lately been known as the Buck farm in 41 Dutch, and running up the north road to Abraham Hoit's farm, the Grammar School lot. This district perfected its organization at Phineas Pierce's. Daniel Morgan was chosen clerk, and Phineas Pierce, Daniel Morgan, and Thomas B. Russell were the first committee. For the next decade and more the boundaries of the districts continued to shift. In some cases the petitioners were allowed to send where they pleased, by furnishing a certificate that they had sent somewhere. Each district was a little republic by itself, and did not always submit tamely to the will of the majority as expressed in town meeting.

With the erection of the fifteenth district, the fourteenth appears to have languished, and in 1844 the Center District ceased to be known by its old name, and was called the Four- teenth. The town passed the following resolution at its March meeting of that year: "Resolved-that the 14th School Dis- trict have the privilege, at their own risk in relation to any fu- ture action of the Town, to Erect a School House on S. E. cor- ner of the Common as near the Pound as that will allow, mean- ing between the Pound and Mr. Sprague's buildings."

"Voted that the Center School District be requested to move their School House off the Common as soon as convenient." Both of these votes evidently refer to the same district, under the old and the new name.

The last district, the eighteenth, had its birth in the middle of the nineteenth century, at a December meeting, when it was voted that all the land in District No. 1 north of the line of the

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Kent farm so-called, should constitute a separate district. That was the beginning of the South Royalton Graded school district. This period was the high water mark of the district system. Soon some districts showed a surprising decrease in the num- ber of pupils, while others had more children than their small buildings could accommodate. Part of seventeen was set off and called fifteen in 1850. Two years later the two were united. This did not prove satisfactory, and the next year a new dis- trict was formed from seventeen and four, and named fifteen, extending to Tunbridge line.

Only a few of the records of the early school districts have been found, although diligent search has been made for them. District No. 2 has the earliest preserved records. The first recorded meeting was April 6, 1798. Benjamin Cole was Mod- erator, William Pierce, Clerk, Thomas Bingham and Benjamin Cole, Committee, Daniel Havens, Treasurer. They voted to raise $133.33 to build a schoolhouse, payable in neat stock or in wheat. They voted to set the building as near the crotch of the road on Daniel Havens' land as might be convenient. The house was to be 20 by 23 feet. March 28, 1799, they met and accepted the schoolhouse. This house either proved unsatisfactory or was destroyed. On Jan. 1, 1813, they voted to build a brick schoolhouse twenty feet square, and to raise money by tax on polls and ratable estates. Thomas Trescott was chosen a committee to build the house. There was a delay in the matter. On April 13, 1814, they met at Daniel Havens', and voted to unite with District No. 3, and to accept the report of the com- mittee appointed to set the schoolhouse, and chose a committee to draft a petition to lay before the town. The town does not seem to have acted on the petition, and the next month they met and voted to build a brick house 18 feet square with a por- tico of wood on the outside. The house was built and accepted in December. This probably served them until 1854 or 1855. We find them voting on Jan. 30, 1855, to build a schoolhouse on the site of the old one and to raise $150 for this purpose. They got into a tangle about the location and voted not to build that year, but Dec. 18, they "Voted to locate the schoolhouse on a side of the rode from whare the old won was burnt," and May 30, 1856 they accepted the building.

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History of Royalton, Vermont, with family genealogies, 1769-1911, Part 32

Author: Lovejoy, Mary Evelyn Wood, 1847- Publication date: 1911 Publisher: Burlington, Vt., Free press printing company Number of Pages: 1280

Author: Lovejoy, Mary Evelyn Wood, 1847-
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Burlington, Vt., Free press printing company
Number of Pages: 1280