USA > Vermont > Windsor County > Royalton > History of Royalton, Vermont, with family genealogies, 1769-1911 > Part 44
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"Issued by JIGGER CENTRAL ELECTRIC R. R. SO. ROYALTON to BROOKLYN CROSSING. Change for Dairy Hill and Onionville.
Connections are made here with the Steamer Abbie Barney, strik- ing all points on Hartwell's Narrow Gauge, including Happy Hollow and Miller's Bend."
The last coupon, which brought the traveller to Chelsea, told the holder that "This Town is the Head-quarters for the Fish and Game League, and all other Sporting miscellanies per- taining to the Boot and Shoe business. You can also view speci- mens of the Tunbridge Granite here." Doubtless some who read this will recall the fun they had with these coupons. People alighting from the trains would often call out, "Is the train in on the Jigger Central ?"
Mail route No. 29 was changed from once to twice a week in 1811. It was made to end at Montpelier, a distance of 61
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miles, in 1825. In 1829 it again had for terminals Windsor and Burlington, and mails three times a week in four-horse stages. The contractors were Pettes, Barker & Co. Mail from Royalton to Burlington was provided for also three times a week by route No. 503, going to East Bethel, East Randolph, East Brookfield, East Williamstown, South Barre, Barre, Montpelier, and from that point following route No. 29. In 1837 the terminals were Montpelier and Claremont, N. H. The stage ran daily, and every other day by Barre, South Barre, East Williamstown, East Brookfield, and East Randolph. The contractor was James Bark. In 1841 the route was divided. One route went from Montpelier by Barre to East Bethel three times a week, and thence by Royalton, East Barnard and Woodstock to Windsor six times a week. Samuel Blodgett and Robert Barker were the contractors. In 1845 the line ran from Montpelier by Barre to Lebanon, N. H., six times a week, 52 miles, running alter- nately by the South Barre route to Royalton, Sharon, West Hart- ford, Hartford, West Lebanon, N. H., to Lebanon on one road, and by Washington, Chelsea, Strafford, South Strafford, Nor- wich and Hanover, N. H., to Lebanon on the other route; O. Hinton, contractor. Another route went from Montpelier by Northfield, East Roxbury, and Woodstock to Windsor six times a week, going alternately to Brookfield, Randolph, East Bethel, Royalton, and East Barnard on the one road, and by Braintree, West Randolph, Bethel, and Barnard, on the other road; con- tractor, Chester W. Chapin. In 1849 Montpelier and Royalton were made the terminals, with service three times a week; con- tractor, S. S. Smith. L. Boutwell in 1853 took the same route, holding it until 1861, when John Robinson bid it off. Tupper and Robinson had the route from 1865 to 1873, running the stage six times a week. In 1873 the terminals were Barre and Roy- alton; Chester Sanborn, contractor. Montpelier was omitted Oct. 27, 1875. Mr. Sanborn continued on the route until 1881, when J. R. Tupper secured it. His route was curtailed in 1885, to run from East Brookfield to Royalton, 16 miles. The subse- quent contractors on this route have been W. A. Stoddard, F. S. Smith, Ambrose A. Call, William A. Richardson, and William Skinner. The route is now from East Randolph to Royalton.
On Route No. 6, from Middlebury to Hanover, N. H., through Royalton, a stage was run once a week in 1818. This route was lengthened in 1824 by passing through Stockbridge and Hartford, and it was shortened in 1829 by making Royalton a terminus. The four-horse stage now ran only three times a week; contractor, John Perry. In 1833 Shaw and Tilden were the contractors, and B. B. Brown in 1837. The stage was run with two horses in 1841-45 by Simeon A. Babbitt, contractor.
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From 1845 to 1849, N. S. Chandler had the contract. After the railroad was completed this route was discontinued.
A route from Boston was established in 1829, which ran in stages from Boston to Washington six times a week, and from that place to Royalton, three times a week. It went by Lowell, North Chelmsford, Tyngsboro, Dunstable, Mass., Centerville, Amherst, Mt. Vernon, Francistown, West Deering, Hillsboro, Washington, Goshen, Unity, Newport, Claremont, N. H., Wind- sor, Woodstock, and Barnard, to Royalton; contractors, Pettes, Barker & Co. In 1833 the route was extended to Montpelier, running four times a week in four-horse post coaches. Another route from Amherst ran through New Boston, Weare, Henniker, Bradford, Fisherfield, Wendell, Newport, Claremont, Royalton, East Bethel, East Brookfield, East Williamstown, South Barre, and Barre, to Montpelier, three times a week; contractors, James Barker & Co.
In 1829 a stage ran from Concord, N. H., by Boscawen, Salisbury, Andover, Wilmot, Springfield, Enfield, Lebanon, Han- over, N. H., Hartford, West Hartford, and Sharon, to Royalton, daily; contractors, Shepard & Downer. In 1833 the contractor was James Barker & Co., and in 1837, Ephraim Hutchins & Co. Hanover was omitted in 1841, when John Glass and Nathan Chandler became the contractors. This route was shortened in 1845, Royalton and Lebanon were made the terminals, and the four-horse coach gave place to a two-horse stage. N. S. Chand- ler was the contractor. This route also disappeared with the advent of the railroad, and a route was established from East Barnard to Royalton in 1849, to run three times a week, Sidney S. Smith being the contractor. In 1853 William Skinner held this contract. It was about this time that Stephen Freeman drove the stage. Levi Johnson had the contract in 1857, and Oliver C. Woodward in 1861. This route was abandoned about 1869, and a route from South Royalton to East Barnard estab- lished. Washington Leonard was the contractor and carrier. He served twelve successive years. The mail at first went down the river and round by the mouth of Broad Brook, but the route was changed when the new hill road to Broad Brook was com- pleted and open to the public in 1871. Mr. Leonard was suc- ceeded by Azro Davis, who drove the stage four years, when Mr. Leonard again took the contract for four years, making his period of service longer than that of any other one on this route. Fred Culver was awarded the contract July 1, 1885, and held it eight years, when he was succeeded by L. Dudley Leavitt, who drove the stage about one and one-half years. Mr. Culver fin- ished out his term, and was followed July 1, 1897, by Mrs. W. Lyman Allen, whose term expired June 30, 1901. Mr. Leavitt
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then again took the contract, and continued in service until the introduction of the Rural Delivery routes. The Rural Delivery has proved a boon to many living on the hill farms, but in some other cases the mail facilities are not so good as under the old regime of stages.
The high tide of stages for Royalton was in the period be- tween 1829 and 1832, when six stages regularly drove out with prancing horses. Royalton was the end terminal for the stages from Boston, Middlebury, and Concord, N. H., and the starting point for stages to Haverhill, N. H., and Burlington. The other stage ran from Windsor to Burlington, passing through Royal- ton. Each of these stages made the trip three times a week, except the Concord stage, which ran daily. The well-known hostelry of Jacob Fox at "Foxville" had its share of patronage, and the owners of what is now the "Cascadnac House," Amos Bosworth and Samuel Blodgett, no doubt depended largely for their profits on the custom from the various stages, whose driv- ers, guards, and passengers, would daily mingle together at their tables and replenish their coffers. There was not much class distinction at that time, but plenty of jollity. The anecdotes which follow were stored in the retentive memory of William W. Culver of West Lebanon, N. H., who, as a boy in Royalton, had often listened to tales of the olden time.
A man by the name of Cushman at one period drove the stage passing through Woodstock. John Lull had charge of the horses. After the animals were well cared for at the barn, one evening, John came into the bar-room as usual. Seeing a new fur cap, he took it up to examine it. "How's that, John ?" Cushman asked rather proudly. "That's real otter." "Ought ter pay for it is all the otter there is about it," unkindly re- sponded John. Cushman at one time drove an opposition stage to the regular line owned by the proprietor of the hotel at Roy- alton village. The landlady one day had their passengers wait- ing in the back parlor. While she was absent a few minutes Cushman wormed his way in to them, and as he was spiriting them away, like the pied piper, he met the hostess in the hall. The irate lady cried out, "You're stealing my passengers, and I'll singe your whiskers," and she did, much to his discomfiture, for his whiskers were the pride of his life.
It is related that at another time a passenger desired the services of a barber, and asked Cushman if there was one at the tavern. "No, not regular," he answered, "but a man over in that store will shave you." The unsuspecting stranger under- stood the joke when he asked the merchant for the barber. On still another occasion a passenger was leisurely surveying the buildings, while waiting for the stage proprietor. He noticed
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the law signs opposite, and turning to Ephraim Barnes, who was sawing wood near by, he remarked, "This seems to be a small town for so many lawyers. How many are there ?" "Forty," laconically replied Mr. Barnes. "Forty! How so?" asked the astounded stranger. "Wall, you see that sign, Marcy & Deni- son, that's two-Slade & Walker, that's four." "Yes?" wait- ing for further information. "You see that other sign ? That's nothin'. Aint that forty ?"
The stage from Boston seems to have been called the Brit- ish mail. This mail through the town brought out the boys and many an older person. It had the most skillful drivers and the fleetest horses, and halted only for changes and the necessary rest for guards. After a good American supper, a guard at one time found his way into the shop of Mr. Adams, a carpenter, near the tavern. Seeing a gun on its rests over the work bench, he drawled, "Aw, that reminds me of our little unpleasantness. You seem ready for emergencies." Another guard strolling about after supper, twirling his gold-headed cane, saw a very small animal in his path, which he tossed aside with his cane. He hurried back to the tavern, and approaching the landlord, said, "Mr. Landlord, can you inform me what small animal that is with a very disagreeable odor like garlic?"
Before the bridge was built in South Royalton in 1850, peo- ple in that village had to cross the river by the fordway or go to Royalton for crossing the bridge at that place. The stage to Chelsea was connected with Royalton until July 1, 1849, when a route was established from South Royalton to Chelsea three times a week. It was bid off by Sidney S. Smith, who lived at Royalton village, and had to get mail from South Royalton. While Smith was contractor, Daniel Tarbell, the founder of South Royalton, ran a rival stage over the same route. The competition between the two was so sharp that passengers were carried over the whole distance free of charge, and it is even said that they were paid to ride in the one stage or the other. Mr. Tarbell made it pay through the patronage he gained at his store in South Royalton, and the entertainment of guests at his hotels in the same village and in Chelsea, where he had a large hostelry. He also had a hotel at Williamstown, and ran a rival stage there. This route was also owned by Mr. Smith. It was not so much a rivalry between individuals as between the two villages, and it seems to have ceased when another contractor, not a resident of Royalton, took the Chelsea route, in 1853.
No very serious accident in connection with the stages is recalled, except an incident which Dr. Alden C. Latham con- tributed shortly before his death, for use in this volume. It is given in his words.
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"In 1848 or 1849, when the Central R. R. had reached West Leb- anon, occurred an accident in which the driver of one coach and three passengers, two being English through-passengers for Montreal, were killed. The driver was a strenuous and capable young man, and was not drunk. Nothing held the coach but ruts in the frozen ground. When the wheels left these, Smith plied the whip, the only possible hope, but the heavy load drew the coach and four horses off the per- pendicular bank, the coach bottom up, landing on driver and passen- gers, and the horses on the coach. Smith was called drunk, but this was denied by the Sharon innkeeper. He did all the best sober man could do in a dark winter's night."
This was probably the stage from Montpelier to Lebanon, N. H., a four-horse stage on its return trip, running through Sharon and Royalton. The place where the accident occurred is called the "Point of Rocks," the difficult place that Joel Shep- ard refers to in his account of the early settlement of Sharon. In 1797 there was a post-road from Burlington to Montreal, so that stages from Boston connecting with Burlington furnished conveyance to passengers from Boston to Montreal. This stage which was demolished was, perhaps, the Boston & Providence Mail Pilot, which Miss Gertrude Denison states in a sketch of hers "plunged down the bank this side of Sharon, the news being brought to this village (Royalton) by a man on horse- back, dashing wildly through the town for help."
In an advertisement of Stafford Smith's in the Vermont Ad- vocate printed at Royalton in 1827, he says of his tavern stand that it is the "greatest resort for stages, perhaps in the state, averaging from four to five stages six nights in the week."
The Hon. Frederick Billings, a native of Royalton, in an address delivered at the Centennial of the Congregational church, in telling of his youthful ideals, said, "But the man who was my special admiration was Field, the stage-driver, who came in at sundown on the Burlington stage on his way to Bos- ton, blowing his bugle with one hand, while with the other he guided six grey horses. In all my life I have never seen any one quite up to what he seemed to me." There were swift coaches in those days which advertised "Boston to Montreal in two days." Of course this could only be done by travelling night and day.
CHAPTER XXVI.
THE INDUSTRIES OF THE TOWN.
The man who could wield an axe deftly, cut down the lordly trees of the forest, and build from them a home for his family was the man of most value industriously considered, in the earli- est development of the town. No doubt there were several who excelled their companions in labor of this kind, and who were employed in such service by their weaker or more affluent towns- men. Paths had to be cleared between the scattered houses, that communication of family with family might be facilitated. Those rude paths would be deemed almost impassable at the present day. Just think for a moment of the attempt to drive an auto or a carriage over such a stump-defying road !
In the cleared sections grain, corn, and potatoes made a fight for existence. The settlers must have food, the grain must be ground. For a time it was carried to Hartford, and then to Sharon, but early efforts were made to have a mill at home. No better place could have been chosen than the one selected, what later was known as Pierce's Mills. It was first called Curtis' Mills, then Morgan's Mills.
The proprietors realized that grist and saw mills were essen- tial to the settlement of the town, as the following record at- tests :
"The Proprietors of the town of Royalton having theretofore agreed to ensure the settlement thereof by erecting a Grist mill and Saw mill thereon for effecting of which Purpors they Proposed to Re- lease and convey Lot Number Thirty five in the first or Dutch Allotment of the said Township to Such person or Persons as wold build the said mills at certain falls which are on that part of the Stream of water that runs through the said Lot Number Thirty five & called the first Branch, and the said Proprietors having also to lend a Sum of money to the Person or Persons who Shuld Build the same mills, and E(torn) Curtis of Royalton having ben Last Summer Recommended to us the subscribers as a Proper Person (for) the Purpose aforesaid by Isaac morgan and Robert Havens who have by their own letter made themselves liable to and answerable for the Payment of any sum we think the sd Subscribers Shuld Lend the said Elias Curtis not Ex- ceding two hundred pounds this currency with the interest that Shuld grow thereon and we having upon the credit of sd Letter and the said obligation of the said Elias Lent him one hundred pounds and the said Elias having this Day signified to us the sd subscribers that
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it will be Necessary for him to have a further sum of one hundred and thirty three pounds six shillings and eight pence like money aforesaid for the payment of one hundred pounds whereof with Lawful Interest he the sd Elias has this day given us Sundry Bonds and himself and the above Named Isaac morgan several other bonds By them Duly executed and Payable to us the said Subscribers for the remaining thirty three pounds six shillings and eight pence with interest for the same. Now be it remembered that it is the firm intent and meaning of us the said Subscribers that as soon as the said Elias Curtis Shall Erect on the Said Stream of Water a good Grist mill and a good Saw mill we the said Subscribers severally convey in fee Simple to him the Said Elias our respective Shears of the sd Lot No. Thirty five and deliver up to him the Several Bonds or obligations by him and the said Isaac Morgan Executed to us as aforesaid, he the sd Elias Curtis giving us his own Bond for the principal and Interest that shall be Due to us and Mortgage the said Lot to us as a Security for the payment thereof with interest As witness our hands at New York this Eighteenth Day of December 1775
WHITEHEAD HICKS WILLIAM SMITH GOLDSBROW BANYAR JOHN KELLY
Royalton, January 1777
This is to certify the proprietors of Royalton that Elias Curtis has erected a good saw mill and a good grist mill in the aforesaid township on the above mentioned lot Number Thirty five and on the first branch of White river and hath fully answered our (illegible)." The rest is too torn and illegible to be made out.
It will be seen that in the year 1776 the township of Royal- ton was provided with the means of furnishing ground grain and sawed lumber to its inhabitants. Elias Curtis was the builder of these mills and of mills in Tunbridge, but it is a ques- tion if he ever ran them himself. The first miller seems to have been Isaac Morgan, who had a home near the mills. These mills were mostly destroyed in 1780, and there is no positive proof that Mr. Morgan rebuilt them, though that is the tradition. The fact that he was the original grantee of Lot 35 Dutch under the Vermont charter leads to the inference, that he had already come into the possession of this lot by purchase or by being sponsor for Mr. Curtis, before the date of the charter. The mills were on this lot. In 1782 Huckens Storrs was in posses- sion of them, and kept them until his death in 1786. The prop- erty passed into the hands of Major Calvin Parkhurst and He- man Durkee. In 1793 the mills were bought by Daniel Gilbert, and were long known as Gilbert's mills.
Gideon Waterman tended the grist mill for Daniel Gilbert. Some people thought he took too much flour for toll, and com- plained to Mr. Gilbert. Mr. Gilbert thought he had better in- vestigate, so he took a grist to mill, and remarked to Mr. Water- man, "They say you steal. I'm going to watch you. You are welcome to all the flour you can steal from my wheat." Mr.
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Waterman's wife was a small woman, but a great talker. Her husband got a chance to say to her, "Slip in and get some flour. I'll have Gilbert where he won't see you." Waterman was a noted story teller. He got Mr. Gilbert to one side absorbed in a thrilling story, and Mrs. Waterman crept in and stole some flour. Mr. Waterman invited his employer to take dinner with him. His wife was known as a prime cook, and Mr. Gilbert was nothing loath to accept the invitation. They had some fine, hot biscuit, which Mr. Gilbert enjoyed and praised. Said Mr. Waterman to him, "I suppose you don't know whose flour you are eating?" "No," answered Gilbert. Then he was told, but he could not say the flour was stolen. Afterwards he said to those complaining, "We may as well stand it. If he doesn't steal it, his wife will."
Oliver Luce was the next owner, selling to Phineas Pierce, who owned the property many years, and it was generally called Pierce's Mills.
When Huckens Storrs died, the property was divided among his heirs. A daughter of his had married Sluman Allen, and they had a part or all of the saw mill. James Searle bought a portion of the Calvin Parkhurst estate, including an interest in these mills, and they are sometimes spoken of in deeds as "Allen's" or Searle's mills.
After Heman Durkee secured an interest in the mills, he made an indenture with Seth Sylvester to build a fulling mill just below the grist mill, and to set up clothier's works, and to have it ready by Oct. 1, 1790. He probably fulfilled his con- tract, for Feb. 4, 1792, Mr. Sylvester sold to Alexander Buck- land of Connecticut the fulling mill and lot, reserving some of the apparatus. This went into the hands of Ashbel Buckland, from him to Charles Throop of Bethel, and then to Daniel Gil- bert. Mr. Gilbert obtained quitclaims from some of the Storrs' heirs as early as 1790, but did not secure all of the mill prop- erty until about 1806.
In 1809 Mr. Gilbert sold Haskell Wheelock and Luther Howe water power for a carding machine and a machine for cutting nails. A nailer's shop was erected by them on the oppo- site side of the road from the carding machine. In 1811 Mr. Gilbert sold land and water power to Nathaniel Evans, who was to maintain a trip hammer and carding machines. Two months later Mr. Evans deeded Baxter Skinner a one-half interest, and William Woodworth the other half.
Mr. Gilbert removed to Sharon, and the following year he sold to Oliver Luce the saw mill and grist mill, mill yard, dwell- ing, and four and three-fourths acres for $2,000. Mr. Luce did not seem to be prosperous in his business, and after putting two
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or more mortgages on the property he sold to Phineas Pierce in 1818. In 1813 Eliphalet Lyman and Elijah Spencer bought the carding machine and the machine for cutting nails. In March they sold to Alpheus Howe, who in turn three years later sold to Thomas Kenworthy of Bethel. Thomas held the prop- erty until 1846, when he deeded it to his son James.
In 1830 Mr. Pierce sold a half interest in his mills to Moses Morse of Royalton, who deeded back to him nine years later. The same year, 1839, Mr. Pierce sold Joab Young an interest in the fulling mill and clothier's works, but took the property back in about one year. There was a clover mill in connection with all the other mills in 1830. It would seem that the fulling mill and clothing works were not carried on after Mr. Pierce ceased to operate them. Mr. Pierce and his son, Phineas D. Pierce, held the mill property until 1870, when it was sold to George Gilson of Tunbridge. Mr. Gilson kept it but a few months be- fore selling to Martin S. and Frederick Adams. In 1874 M. S. Adams bought out his brother. The fulling mill, carding ma- chines and other manufacturing buildings, except the grist mill and saw mill, were then in a dilapidated and unused condition. The fulling mill seems to have been very near where the furni- ture factory is today, and the nailer's shop was on the other side of the Branch about opposite. The fulling mill which Seth Sylvester erected was described as just below the grist mill. When Nathaniel Evans sold his interest in 1811, he stated that he built the dam and the fulling mill, and in 1870 the fulling mill is spoken of as being east of the grist mill.
A large amount of business was done in both the grist mill and the saw mill while they were held by the Pierces and Mr. Adams. Western flour and grain were not then shipped into the town in the quantities that find a market here now. The demand for meal was greater than the farmers who raised corn could supply, and Mr. Adams shipped in the first car load of corn that ever came to town, in the early 70's.
In 1890 Sumner Chilson became the owner of the grist mill, and about the same time Charles Viall secured the saw mill. Three years later Oscar Stoughton bought the grist mill, and sold it in 1899 to John M. Kibby, who still owns it. Some of this building is the original mill erected by Isaac Morgan or Huckens Storrs. The old part is seen from the rear of the mill. In 1906 Casper P. Abbott and Elmer Doyle purchased the saw mill, and have an extensive patronage.
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