USA > Vermont > Windsor County > Royalton > History of Royalton, Vermont, with family genealogies, 1769-1911 > Part 63
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Help was telegraphed for to Northfield, Royalton, W. Ran- dolph, and White River Junction, but before they arrived the greater part of the business portion was in ruins, the whole being in ashes within an hour. Contributions of clothing and food were sent in from neighboring towns and citizens of Royalton.
The scene after this holocaust of fire is shown in one of the. cuts. Sad and weary were the faces of those suffering severe losses, but they were not disheartened. Not a thing in the mer- cantile line could be purchased in the village, except at the store of Mrs. Waterman. Hundreds of people came to see the ruins, and express their sympathy in word and deed.
Of those burned out, M. S. Adams established a temporary office and storehouse in the depot shed. J. B. Durkee moved into the Vermont Central Hotel. H. H. Whitcomb opened the post- office and a store in Daniel Tarbell's storehouse, where also moved Edson Bixby. M. J. Sargent's quarters were in John
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HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT
Mudgett's dwelling, which also accommodated Manchester & Rog- ers. J. H. Hewitt, Seymour Durkee, and W. H. Martin opened stores in their houses, and by Sep. 30, nearly all merchants were ready for business.
Before the ruins had done smoking, and the smoke did not cease to ascend for ten days, it had been decided by the business men to unite in erecting one large brick block on the north side of the street, if the town would vote to buy the lots on the south side, and devote them to widening the street and enlarging the Park. There was some opposition to this by those not immedi- ately interested, but at a special town meeting, through the wise counsel of the Hon. D. C. Denison, the selectmen were instructed to buy the lots for the purpose asked in the petition. This was done.
The insurance was not enough to cover losses, but with brave, hopeful hearts the work of rebuilding went on. Mr. Guernsey of Montpelier was selected as the architect, H. A. Maxham was given the supervision of the wood work, and M. S. Adams took the contract for furnishing the brick. The Block was to be 280 by 100 feet. By Sept. 23d the foundations for five of the stores were laid, and L. C. Dickerman had his building ready for the roof. The Block was completed in the spring of 1887.
The Vermont Central House had been in existence but fif- teen years when it was doomed to destruction. D. C. Jones was the landlord at the time the fire occurred, June 12, 1887. The flames were first seen at 3:30 a. m. With the hotel perished a paint shop and one or two other small buildings near. The com- mendable efforts of the Fire Company and other helpers from the two villages saved the outbuildings of the South Royalton House, which were quite close to the burning buildings. The fire was thought to have been due to a defective chimney. There was no insurance.
Another small fire on July 5, 1893, destroyed the house and barn known as the Alden Chamberlain premises, then owned by Mrs. S. C. Rowell, and occupied by G. G. Cotton. It also burned one end of L. C. Dickerman's barn, but was checked without fur- ther damage.
Another fire of considerable proportions started on the morn- ing of Oct. 2, 1893, about 2 o'clock, in Mrs. Hannah Wallace's barn. While the South Royalton Fire Company with their little engine were fighting the flames there, the barn of L. C. Dicker- man was discovered to be on fire, and as there was more danger of an extensive conflagration in that quarter, the company left the Wallace premises to try to save the buildings contiguous to the Dickerman barn. This doomed the old Wallace house, the oldest in the village, which Lyman Benson purchased about 1843.
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HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT
The efforts of the Fire Company and of the citizens to save the Dickerman store, the store and house of Mrs. Waterman east of it, and the John Mudgett shop still farther east, were without avail. The entire loss was estimated at $20,000, partially covered by insurance.
So many fires occurring at short intervals led to the sus- picion that some or all of them were incendiary, and a searching investigation was held to determine the cause of this last fire, but it proved fruitless.
What might have proved a serious conflagration was discov- ered in the early morning hours of April 19, 1903. The jewelry store of L. F. Terry was seen to be full of smoke, and a search for the cause of the same revealed the presence of a slow match laid beneath the floor of the upper hall near the head of the stair- way leading to the tenement in the Martin block. There ap- peared to have been a small hole bored through the floor and through the ceiling over Mr. Terry's store. It was so evidently the work of an incendiary, that the occupant of the tenement was summoned before the proper authorities and a rigid inquest held, which resulted in bringing a charge against the man. At the June term of court he was tried, convicted, and sentenced to State's prison. There were many then, and there are still more now, who believed that the man was wrongly accused and con- victed. Efforts were made to secure his pardon, which were suc- cessful after the sentence had been partly served.
What seemed at one time irretrievable calamities have, in large measure, proved blessings in disguise to South Royalton. The village has greatly improved in appearance since the new Block was built, and several chaste, neat homes have been estab- lished across the river, in what is rather facetiously called "Brooklyn." The beautiful views from that section, and the attractions of the place have been sung by Mrs. Nettie Waldo, who is frequently called upon to furnish rhymes for special occa- sions. This poem will have interest for many, both residents and occasional visitors, and is subjoined as a fitting close to this sketch.
SOUTH ROYALTON, VERMONT. By Nettie M. Waldo, 1910.
There is a village in the vale joined by the Brooklyn Bridge- I fain would call it Flowery Dale viewed from the Sweetfern Ridge. 'Tis there the scenes are to the eye a source of pure delight;
'Tis there the sunshine lingers nigh till stars shine out at night; 'Tis there the skies are deep and blue above the Elephant, And moonbeams linger on the view with softest shadows blent; White River sings a charming song so sweet for me and you; Unceasingly its notes prolong the old songs ever new.
O dreamers, dream not of the sea, come where White River sings To Flowery Dale, and listen to its dear old murmurings.
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HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT
Our visitors from out the north or south or east or west Exclaim, "This view of all the rest is fairest and the best!" And so they linger through the days of June time with the pledge, "Next year, if I can get away, I'll go to Sweetfern Ridge, And see the river gliding on with mirrored trees and bridge; I'll go again to dear Lake John and climb the old Kent Ledge; So happy, while my bosom thrills with love for fields and trees, And in the arbors fringed with frills of leaves I'll be at ease. Amid the hills and meadows green I'll dream not of the seas; 'Tis better far to dream a dream of birds and flowers and trees."
So picturesque between the hills our own dear Flowery Dale, Where church and school their missions fill within the village vale, United by the Brooklyn Bridge that spans White River well, To link the roads with rural homes where thriving farmers dwell. 'Tis there the wild deer freely roam and leap the fence and hedge; 'Tis there the sweet arbutus blooms above the Skinner Ledge, And Happy Hollow's winding brook sings on unceasingly. The pictures there would fill a book with fairest scenery. O dreamers, dream not of the sea, come to the leafy dells, While gardens bloom with fleur-de-lis and charming daffodils.
O there are many lovely spots that ne'er can be forgot, In pastures and in meadow lots with pretty house and cot- The Dairy Hills, the busy mills, the singing brooks and rills, The robins and the whippoorwills, the vale with music fills; The pasture bars, the lowing cows, the pails of foaming milk, The bees and hives, the rural drives, and mosses soft as silk; We love the scenes along the way o'er mountain pass and ridge- The bluebells and lilies gay, the roses by the bridge. O dreamers, dream not of the sea, come to the Shepard farm, Where Mill Brook sings so restfully the old song, "Home, Sweet Home."
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CHAPTER XXXVIII.
THE CENTRAL VERMONT RAILROAD.
There is not space to give even a brief history of the begin- ning of railroads in the United States, however interesting that might be; suffice it to say that Pennsylvania took the lead in rail- road legislation in 1823, and Massachusetts in railroad building in 1826.
Twenty years after the first railroad was built in the United States, the Vermont Central Railroad was projected. It was, however, discussed ten or more years previous to 1846. The Watchman and other Montpelier papers early saw the value to the state in developing its resources, which a railroad would af- ford. Gov. Charles Paine used his influence, and the legislature passed an act in 1835, which granted a charter to the line through Vermont. It was not until eight years later that much was ac- complished. Then a new charter was obtained, the next year a convention was held in Montpelier, at which time James R. Lang- don, Esq., advanced $10,000 for a survey, and work was begun on this survey. The road was to be built from some point on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain, up the valley of the Onion river to some convenient point on the Connecticut river. The points selected were Windsor and Burlington. This survey was to be & part of the connecting link between Boston and Lake Ontario.
Work began at Windsor, Dec. 15, 1845. The first rail was laid at White River Junction early in 1847. Isaac B. Culver, as assistant division engineer, drove the first spike. Little by little the work progressed through Hartford, and through the town of Sharon. A gang of Irishmen were at work in the summer of 1847 on the cuts above and below South Royalton. It is remem- bered that they had their weekly Sunday drunks, when timid women stayed in their houses.
The people of this town had ample time to think about the lengthening railroad, and the probable effect it would have upon their property, before it reached them. Its advent was, no doubt, recognized by every one as a good thing for the state and the town as a whole, but, as in case of all improvements, it was not unmixed with evil. Yes, a railroad was needed, a railroad was wanted, a railroad was welcomed, but each land owner along its line hoped he would escape serious injury in having his land cut
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HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT
up, or his buildings menaced. As the road was finally laid out, it necessitated the moving of some buildings, and the ruin of the fine lawns in Royalton village, the pride of their owners, and the chief beauty of the hamlet. It is needless to say that the route was bitterly opposed by many of the people of Royalton village, but all to no purpose. They had hoped it would run nearer the river, along the border of the village, instead of cutting through the heart of the settlement.
In the general office of the C. V. R. R. in St. Albans can be seen a chart showing the different surveys made through Roy- alton in March, 1846. By one survey, the road would not cross the river near the site of the old Stevens bridge, as it does today, but run along the south bank of the river, taking a short cut from a point opposite the house of Edward Rix to a point above the John Marshall place. The second survey ran very much as the road does today, except it crossed the river nearly opposite Ed- ward Rix's, and struck the first survey a little beyond the crossing point. The final survey laid the road along the north bank of the river after crossing it below Royalton village. By the first survey the village of Royalton would have remained intact, and the distance would not have been much greater, not enough to make it an object to cut through the best part of the small settle- ment at the center of the town. Doubtless there were other good reasons which controlled the decision of the officers of the rail- road corporation.
Beginning with Sharon line the persons through whose prop- erty the road was laid were, Reuben Hartshorn, Prosper B. Slack, Elias Stevens, Cyrus Hartshorn, Elisha Flint, J. Kilburn, Oliver Curtis, Joseph Lee, Azuba Sessions, Archibald Kent, Cyrus Saf- ford, Lyman Benson, Darius Dewey, Milo Dewey, Salmon Joiner, J. S. Marcy, J. A. Denison, Jr., G. W. Bradstreet, E. P. Nevens, G. Francis, R. Sprague, H. H. Chandler, J. S. Williams, Hart- well's Estate, J. A. Denison, Parkhurst Barrett and H. J. Adams, Oramel Sawyer, Calvin Skinner, Hiram Parkhurst, George and William Rix, P. Richardson, William Smith, Solomon Downer, Simon and Coit Parkhurst, Josiah B. Powers, John Marshall, Jacob A. Davis, Lovell Hibbard, C. W. and John Bliss, Jonathan Dyer, Minot Wheeler.
The railroad awarded damages to these several persons, and the majority of them accepted the award, but there were a few cases of appeal, which resulted mostly in an increase. The esti- mated amount paid for the land taken by the railroad is not far from $15,000; the largest sum received by any one was $2,000, paid to E. P. Nevens. In 1851 or 1852 the V. C. R. R. deeded Charles Paine and Joseph Clark all land not needed in Windsor, Hartland, and Royalton. These two persons with John Smith,
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HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT
John H. Peck and Lawrence Brainard had become sureties for the road. The Royalton shareholders, like others, lost most, if not all, that they invested in the road.
The building of the road brought in a considerable number of foreign laborers. These lived mostly by themselves in unoc- cupied small houses along the line, and conditions were not favor- able for health. An epidemic broke out among them and several deaths occurred, mention of which has been made in the chapter on "Cemeteries." This epidemic was not the only evil accom- panying the construction of the road. There was a constant fight against the sale and use of intoxicants. The town could scarcely be called a prohibition town before, but the drink habit was now deplorable.
It was two years after the road was decided upon, before it was ready for travel. In the fourth annual report of the direc- tors of the V. C. R. R., issued in 1849, they state that the road was opened for travel to passengers from White River Junction to Bethel, June 26, 1848, and for freight on the 10th of July fol- lowing. On Sep. 17th the cars ran to the summit of Roxbury, on October 10th to Northfield, and from White River Junction to Windsor for the first time, Feb. 13, 1849. On June 20, 1849, the road was open for passengers to Montpelier. Until July, 1849, they had but five locomotive steam engines of a large class. Three regular trains had been running most of the time, two of them passenger trains. Passenger and freight buildings had been erected at all the stations between Windsor and Montpelier, ex- cepting at N. Hartland, West Hartford, Sharon, and Braintree. The road owned seven ( !! ) eight-wheeled passenger cars, but had twenty-five more in process of construction. The whole number of passengers carried during the year was 47,095, and the whole number of tons of freight was 25,074. The net earnings of the road were $66,126.41. They began July 1, 1849, to carry mail. The entire cost of the road of 116 and 1/10 miles was $4,155,- 813.35, and the Company was in debt $276,427.47. The condi- tion of the road at that time is of interest in comparison with the enormous business done by it today.
Cyrus Hartshorn had an interest in the road. He had as a neighbor Gen. Elias Stevens, then an old man, ninety-four years old. Mr. Hartshorn arranged with the road officials to give Gen. Stevens a free ride when they should first run through the town. As he was too feeble to go to the station, it was planned that the train should stop at the lower end of the cut near the Stevens residence, and take on the General, at least, they so understood it. Gen. Stevens had been through too many dangers to take any chances when one foot was in the grave, and he declined the offered courtesy. Mr. Hartshorn did not wish to seem unappre-
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HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT
ciative, and so he invited others to a free ride, and at train time nearly the whole neighborhood had gathered at the upper end of the cut, and waited for the train. Not seeing any one at the lower end of the cut, the conductor went whirling by with a full head of steam, and the crowd hungry for a ride were left to walk to the station, or return to their homes as they chose. Some re- member that the school children were at one time given a free ride, which must have been a red-letter day in their lives, though they may have been a bit terrified at the snorting of the iron horse. The steady, as well as the high-spirited horses of the farmers were not prepared to welcome such a rival, and showed their displeasure in ways not conducive to the safety of their drivers. It is told of one man in Royalton village that his horse turned squarely around with him, whereupon an odd character standing near drawled out, "Never mind! there'll be another train along in a minute, that'll turn you around the other way."
Mr. Daniel Tarbell for a time was in the good graces of the railroad officials. The depot at first in South Royalton was in his store at the end facing the tracks, where wide platforms were built. When the bridge was a sure thing, the railroad built a freight and a passenger depot at South Royalton. Royalton vil- lage was not so favored, neither was North Royalton, which were both anxious for depots. The depots at both places were built very largely through the efforts of Mr. William Skinner. The one at North Royalton was first built. The "Upper Village," or Foxville, had at this time a hotel, stores, and stage patronage. James M. Currier was in the hotel. He bound himself to pay one- fourth of the expense of "building A Passenger Depot in this Place after using the amount paid by the railroad company and what is or may be subscribed for the same purpose." Presum- ably there were three others who assumed like obligations. It was specified that Amplius French was to be the superintendent. Mr. Currier's paper was dated Jan. 29, 1848. Lewis Fish was the first agent at North Royalton, presumably the only one. The station was at the crossing between the railroad and the river, and the freight house was made from the old tannery west of it. Mr. French lost heavily in the erection of the depot, as some failed to pay their subscriptions.
Mr. French and William Patterson entered into a contract with the railroad company to erect a depot at North Royalton, then called the "Upper Village." The building was to be 20 by 50 feet, with a platform five feet wide on one side and two ends, and steps the whole length of the platform. A. B. Young was the architect making the plans for the railroad. The building was to have fourteen windows and three outside doors, and to be completed by Sep. 15, 1848. Messrs. French and Patterson were
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HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT
to receive $1,100, and to take in part payment the subscription raised at North Royalton. The depot was accepted Nov. 27, 1848. It is not known how long this depot was used by the railroad. On Sep. 11, 1849, Mr. French made over his claim in the building to William Skinner, who removed the building, after it ceased to be used as a depot, to Royalton village and converted it into the dwelling house now owned by Seymour Culver on Bridge street.
In order to secure a depot at Royalton village it was neces- sary for the citizens to raise a considerable sum. The subscrip- tion paper still exists, and shows the following names: William Skinner, $300; A. W. Titus, $250; George W. Bradstreet, $150; E. P. Nevens, $150; Dudley and Joseph A. Denison, $100; Joseph A. Denison, Jr., $100; D. L. Lyman, $100; Forest Adams, $75; Daniel Rix and Parkhurst Barrett, each $50; James M. Culver, John Sprague, Kinney & Skinner, John S. Marcy, each $25; Sid . ney S. Smith, $20; Asahel Clark, $15, the whole amounting to $1,460 of paid subscriptions.
In April, 1848, William Skinner entered into an agreement with the railroad corporation, promising to deed them the land needed for depots on either side of the highway "between Park- hurst Barrett's land and land of D. L. Lyman, known as the Sprague place." The exact date of the erection of the depot has not been found, but it was probably ready for use as soon as 1849, when Mr. Skinner bought the claim of Mr. French in the build- ing at North Royalton. William Henry of Rochester built the depot under the direction of Mr. Skinner. It stood opposite the present residence of Mr. George Laird.
When the disastrous fire of 1886 occurred in South Royalton, the freight depot was burned. Gov. Smith, then president of the railroad, was interested in the efforts of the business men to improve the appearance of the village by erecting a block on one side of the main street, and giving up the lots on the other next to the common. If they would do this, he promised to erect a new depot building that should be a credit both to the railroad and the village. This was done, and the old passenger depot was moved to its present place as a freight building, and the tracks were set back some distance, giving more space for the streets. South Royalton has now one of the best station buildings on the line for the accommodation of passengers. The depot at Roy- alton village was allowed to run down in recent years, but long- desired improvements have been made within the past two years.
The first station agent at South Royalton was Horatio K. Blake, who was also postmaster, and had the post-office in the depot. He held the position until about 1862, and was succeeded by Horace E. Stoughton, who was transeferred to Royalton vil- lage, and J. M. Fraser appointed agent at S. Royalton. In 1876
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HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT
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