USA > Vermont > Windsor County > Royalton > History of Royalton, Vermont, with family genealogies, 1769-1911 > Part 69
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Mr. Rix was not supported in his candidacy, though the town records show that he received the vote of his party in Roy- alton, and that the ticket was "scratched." He was up again for Councillor to be elected in September. Windsor county was to have two nominees by right of population, while Grand Isle and Essex had none. He was again opposed by members of his own party, particularly by the Observer, and stoutly supported by the Advocate. If his real merits were not known, it was no fault of Mr. Spooner. In the issue of Aug. 9th, Mr. Spooner, at the request of voters, had a lengthy article on nominations for State elections. This proved a red rag to the Woodstock editor, and Mr. Spooner replied, "This arrogant knot of political aspirants - - - have let fly the repeated arrows of detraction at Mr. Rix, who is obnoxious solely because his character and stand- ing place it beyond a hope that they can ever induce him to become recreant to his constituents, to subserve them." Of the legal decisions of Mr. Rix he says, "they have long distinguished him as a magistrate intimately acquainted with our laws and the fundamental principles of our institutions." Mr. Rix was not one of the nominees of the caucus that met at Woodstock in June, but seems to have run independently.
The fight resulted in other candidates being placed before the people. The Advocate stood for Mr. Rix and Judge Forbes of Windsor, and was charged with an ambition to divide Wind- sor county and make Royalton and Windsor the shire towns. Judge Bridge was the Observer's candidate, who was said to have been regularly nominated at Montpelier by members of the leg- islature from Windsor county. Judge Forbes withdrew. The
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final vote for councillors in Windsor county was, Everett, 1,967; Bridge, 1,185; Rix, 1,160. Royalton gave Mr. Rix 160 votes, and Windsor, 255. The vote for the State was, Everett, 7,741; Bridge, 6,739; Rix, 2,317. Where Mr. Rix was best known he polled the largest number of votes.
In June Mr. Spooner announced that his subscription list was 900, and he again asked for pay in advance. He was en- couraged, and speaking of his paper said, "Its success far ex- ceeds our most sanguine expectations." At the end of the first year he declared that the support which he had received de- termined him to continue the publication of the Advocate, and he claimed a larger circulation than any other paper in the county. He complained that he had not received the contribu- tions from literary gentlemen that he had a right to expect. This general fault in the state he thought might be due to indolence or affected dignity, which considers it derogatory to the high standing of a profession to contribute for the press. This is interesting, as showing the expectations of editors and the stand- ing of writers in those days in Royalton. Today editors kindle their fires with the supernumerary effusions thrust upon them in the hope of winning fame. His prospectus is racy reading.
"We have in reserve for the moralist, 'Laconic Sermons,' strictures on the economy of human life, and instructions in the whole duty of man-for the humorist, bon mots and drollery-for the politician, the president's message, congressional squabbles, the signs of the times, and the standing theme, the presidency-for news mongers, Europe igniting foreign broils and internal commotion, wars and rumors of wars, 'raw heads and bloody bones', robberies, murders, thefts, duels, conflagra- tions, and details of all the ills that flesh is heir to,-for speculators, 'the way to raise the wind,'-for lawyers, precedents, opinions, and decisions,-for doctors, cases, cures, and operations, not excepting the wonderful effect, as a quietus, of cayenne, lobelia, and the Thompsonian steam engine-for merchants, reasons for opposing the tariff-for manu- facturers, arguments in favor of the woollen bill-for mechanics, new inventions, and hints on economy and the effects of industry and promptitude, and of faithful and skillful workmanship-for farmers, essays and experiments, premiums and practices for improving cattle and crops, cheapening labor, and enhancing profits,-for the miscel- lanist, cullings from fancy's choicest flowers, 'heaven, earth and ocean plundered of their sweets,'-for old bachelors, secrets worth knowing, a remedy for ennui, and the way to win the fair,-for old maids, the art of being contented without a contented mind, and a full list of happy matches-for the fair, sense, sentiment, poetry, and breaches of promise,-comprising a total of something for all."
He ends with a specimen of his tact at story telling:
"In by-gone days, when people were in the habit of marrying and giving in marriage, after the fashion of these latter times, an honest Dutch justice in York state, who spoke as he was moved, was called upon to make the twain, one, by noosing them in the chord matri- monial. With a gravity suited to the occasion, and a readiness which saw the end from the beginning, he proceeded with the ceremony, and having linked them 'for better, for worse,' he announced the consum- 40
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mation of their union, and closed with the following improvised version of the benediction-'what God has joined together let no man put asunder-and now where ish mine tollar?'"
It was through the courtesy of Mr. Otis Metcalf of Norwich, that the first year's files of the Advocate were secured for ex- amination. No other copies have been found. No reason can be assigned for the removal of the paper to Chelsea. No doubt Mr. Spooner hoped to see Royalton a shire town of Windsor county, and disappointed in that expectation, he turned to the shire town of Orange county. Though bred to the printer's trade, his tastes as he grew older ran in the direction of the law and politics.
From Mr. Albert C. Beckwith, formerly president of Wal- worth County Historical Society, Wisconsin, the further facts regarding Mr. Spooner which follow have been obtained.
Wyman Spooner was born in Hardwick, Mass., July 2, 1795, the son of Jeduthun and Hannah (Crowell) Spooner. He was the sixth in the direct line of descent from John Alden. At the age of fourteen Wyman entered the printing office of his uncle Alden at Windsor, and became master printer on becoming of age. He married at Hardwick, Nov. 10, 1818, Elizabeth Fish, daughter of Henry and Elizabeth (Holmes) Fish. She was born at Upton, Mass., Nov. 17, 1794. They had five children, two of whom are living.
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While in Royalton he studied law with Hon. Jacob Col- lamer, and at Chelsea with Hon. Daniel A. A. Buck, and was admitted to the bar in 1833. In 1835 he removed to Canton, Ohio, and associated himself with Hiram Griswold in the prac- tice of law in the counties of Stark and Tuscarawas. In 1842 he removed to Elkhorn, Wis., where he spent the rest of his life. He was judge of Walworth county Probate Court, 1846-49. He was appointed Circuit judge in 1853. He was a member of the Wisconsin Assembly, 1850-51, 1857, 1861, and served as Speaker of the House. He was state senator in 1862, and chosen presi- dent pro tem. The death of the governor made him acting lieut .- governor, and the three following terms, by election he presided in the Senate. He was a Republican, but desired re- form in his party. He gave up active life in 1872, and died, Nov. 18, 1877, at the home of his son, Wyman, in Lyons, Wis. He and his wife are buried in Hazel Ridge, Elkhorn, Wis.
This is Mr. Beckwith's description of Mr. Spooner :
"Full stature, slender, having keen but kindly blue-gray eyes with bushy and overhanging brows, high and broad forehead, his other fea- tures strong but not coarse, hair and beard full. In a front view of his head and face there was a reminder of the portraits of Calhoun. - · His manner was at once easy and dignified, his speech courteous and plain-his whole life an example of 'plain living and high think- ing.' - - Whether as editor, contributor, public speaker, judge, chair- man, or conversationalist, he appeared to be fully equipped for instant
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service. - His style as speaker and writer was direct and forceful, and had much in it of classic 'high seriousness,' though not unrelieved by humor, irony, telling allusion, and apt quotation."
A former partner of his in estimating his ability as a lawyer, said, "He was thoroughly educated in the principles of his pro- fession, and regarded its practice as a means to secure justice as its end."
Stimulated by the example of Mr. Spooner, or perhaps in connection with him, George W. Smith thought to turn an honest penny by starting a book bindery in Royalton. In the issue of April 2, 1827, he advertises his business "on the south side of the common." Nothing is known of his success in this under- taking. There is proof, however, that at least one book was printed at Royalton. The father of Mrs. Joel F. Whitney, Rev. Phineas Bailey, a Congregational minister in East Berkshire, was the author of a system of shorthand, which he first published at Montpelier in 1820. Other editions followed in other places. How he chanced to favor Royalton is not known, but in 1829 a fourth edition was issued from the press of "W. Spooner" in Royalton. This was a 12 mo. publication of forty-four pages, and illustrated with four copper plates. But two copies are now known to exist. It is said to have been the last unphonetic edi- tion issued. A few years later Mr. Bailey published his phonetic system, a great advance in the history of stenography.
The Advocate was well patronized by advertisers. From these advertisements one finds that the people of Royalton were readers of good books, and that they had the bad habit, still com- mon, of borrowing books and not promptly returning them. In one of the first numbers of the Advocate, G. W. Collamer re- quests those having his books in their possession to return them at once, and heads his call, "Alas, Master, for it was borrowed." Stafford Smith was another so unfortunate as to have books which his careless neighbors coveted. In August, 1827, he, also, asks for return of the following books, "The Economy of Human Life," "The Cabinet of Comus," and "The Life of Franklin."
THE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
If there was ever a free public library in Royalton until quite recent years, the fact does not seem to be known. On March 10, 1820, there was formed at the court house in Wood- stock the Windsor County Agricultural Society, of which John Francis of Royalton was one of the directors. Elias Stevens, Elisha Rix, and Mr. Francis were appointed a committee to pro- cure subscriptions of members in Royalton. There are in exist- ence today books once belonging to an agricultural society in town, and it may be that this society was auxiliary to the county
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organization. Some of these books are of considerable scientific value, and are in the possession of Royalton Academy. It is quite likely that the people in Royalton village had access to the academy library, and perhaps other townspeople had the same privilege. The libraries of the Sunday school in the first fifty years after its organization were much better patronized than they are today, and furnished good reading for young and old.
In 1800 a law was passed providing for the incorporation of "social library societies." Some of the Royalton merchants who advertised to furnish libraries, may have had in view such pub- lic, rather than private libraries.
A library association was formed in South Royalton some years after the Civil War. Each shareholder paid in a certain sum, and had the privilege of taking out books without charge. The books were kept in some private house, changing place from time to time. This society continued its existence until Nov. 17, 1894, a year after the graded school was established. It was then voted by the shareholders to turn over their 333 books and the money on hand to the graded school district. The share- holders retained the same right to read the books as in the past, and were to be free from assessment. Pupils were not to have access to the library, except in the presence of the librarian. One- half the directors each year were to come from the shareholders. In 1895 by vote of the association the control of the library was placed in the hands of the prudential committee of the district. The gift had been accepted Dec. 11, 1894.
The shareholders of the old library were Harry Bingham, Addie L. Bean, James H. Buck, Mrs. Clara A. Bosworth, George L. Cowdery, O. S. Curtiss, Ella C. Latham, Mrs. Sadie Chadwick, Susie Metcalf, Henry Doubleday, John B. Durkee, Edward Fos- ter, Hibbard J. Farnham, H. E. Howard, John H. Hewitt, N. D. Howland, Amos H. Lamb, Henry Hubbard, Mrs. M. J. Sargent, Mrs. Laura Soper, Henry Pierce, Mrs. J. W. Bright, Mrs. James Pike, Mrs. Charles C. Southworth, Henry Sargent, John F. Shep- ard, Mrs. Mary Belknap, Anson P. Skinner, Mrs. Sybil C. Smith, Charles P. Tarbell, Mrs. Jennie M. Viall, Herbert A. Williams, Eben. Winslow, H. H. Whitcomb, Mrs. A. C. Waterman, Charles D. Lovejoy, and Charles West. Mrs. M. J. Sargent was secre- tary, treasurer, and librarian.
By legislative enactment of 1894 provision was made for encouraging and fostering the establishment and maintenance of free public libraries. By this law any town could have such a library by electing trustees and appropriating a stipulated sum for the care of the books. It could then apply to the library commissioner of the state for books. Royalton acted on this proffer in 1896, and elected library trustees, Rev. Henry Goddard
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for one year, G. W. Ward for two years, William Skinner for three years, Mark J. Sargent for four years, and Dr. F. J. Morse for five years. The trustees met March 16th and elected Mr. Goddard president, and Dr. Morse, secretary. F. J. Porter do- nated 180 volumes to the library, and Mrs. Frederick Billings the Century Dictionary. The town voted only $25 for several years, but is now awaking to the need of a more generous ap- propriation, and voted $100 for the year 1911.
The old library association voted on June 30, 1896, to extend the use of its books to the Free Public Library. The books were divided, and part kept at Royalton village in the town clerk's office, and the other part at South Royalton in the school build- ing. The library was opened only once in two weeks in each place until 1910, when an assistant librarian was engaged for South Royalton, and books can now be obtained every week. A new card catalogue has recently been prepared, and new books are added every year. The library now consists of over 1,100 well-selected volumes.
RELICS.
At the time of the Centennial of the Indian raid in 1880, there was gathered in South Royalton such a collection of relics connected with the history of the town and its inhabitants, as is seldom seen in any place outside of the large museums. By death of the owners and subsequent division of the relics, by removals from town, and by the destructive force of time, the larger part of these relics has disappeared from the town.
In one of the cuts of relics in this volume can be seen a gun owned by Experience Trescott, which has been in the possession of the Joiner family, and is now owned by Theron Culver. This gun did service in the Revolution. The other of the two guns was carried in the Revolution by John Hutchinson, and is now owned by Daniel W. Bliss, a great-grandson.
The sword hanging with the guns was unearthed at the site of the cabin of Daniel Rix. It became the property of William Rix, a grandson, who had it restored, and at the death of Mrs. Rix it came into the hands of her daughter, Mrs. William Skin- ner. Mr. Rix thought it might have been lost by a British offi- cer at the time of the raid, but it is hardly likely that one accompanied the Indians in their plundering down the river. It is understood that Lieut. Houghton, perhaps the only officer who would wear a sword, remained near the mouth of the First Branch, while his minions continued their work of destruction and death. The sword may have belonged to some militia officer who was stationed at the Fort, if the Fort was located on the meadow in the rear of the Rix cabin.
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About the same time that the sword was found at the old Rix homestead, a stone was brought to light from a heap of rub- bish, which is fourteen by four inches, and half an inch thick. It has this inscription :
Daniel Rix Nov. 16 A. D. 1781.
That is thought by the Rix family to have been cut to commemo- rate the return of Garner Rix from captivity, though why the name should be Daniel and not Garner is not clear, neither is the exact date of Garner's return kept fresh in the mind of any descendant. This stone can be seen in the group under the guns, where, also, is a pint communion cup first used by the First Congregational Church.
At the right is the horn which was blown to announce the approach of Gen. Lafayette to the village of Royalton. It is resting on a mortar, which was partially destroyed at the time the Indians burned the house of John Hutchinson. The table leg is one which the Indians sawed off to gratify their savage glee by jumping on it, and trying to balance themselves. The hand yarn winder and the two articles last mentioned are owned hy D. W. Bliss. The pewter ware was the property of the Bos- worth family, and is now in the possession of Mr. William Skin- ner.
The old house in the group was known as the "Vesper House." It was built by David Adams, probably before 1800. It was occupied by William and Nicholas Vesper for many years. It came into the hands of A. C. Bean, whose love of ancient ar- chitecture was not largely developed, and he at once, in 1891, tore down the interesting old structure, the oldest building in town.
The lottery ticket was found among the probate records of Hon. John Throop of Pomfret, and it was given for use in this volume by Mr. Walter E. Perkins of Pomfret. It was probably one of those tickets over which lawsuits followed after the draw- ing, as noted in the chapter on "Bridges."
The only article in the other group of relics associated with Royalton is the gun, which is still kept at the old Tilden stand. The other articles are such as were probably to be seen in Roy- alton during Revolutionary days. This group was furnished by Mr. W. W. Culver of W. Lebanon, N. H., who has a large and valuable collection of antiques in his home.
LONGEVITY.
Royalton has an excellent record as regards longevity of its inhabitants. The period of 1884 to 1896 was taken at hazard
Alsop Latham, 1799-1878. William H. Safford, 1822-1890.
Mrs. Sally (Cole) Latham, 1795-1891. Alden Craft Latham, M. D., 1828-1908.
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GROUP OF RESIDENTS EIGHTY YEARS OLD OR OVER.
Benjamin Franklin Bosworth. Benjamin Cole Latham. Mrs. Betsey Bates ( Poole) Pike. Ebenezer Winslow. Mrs. Sarah ( Waterman) Phelps. Mrs. Abbie Taylor (Bancroft) Danforth. Mrs. Jennette S. (Lyman) Bigelow. Mrs. Hannah (Curtis) Benson.
Mrs. Sarah (Houston) Haynes. Mrs. Phebe Carson (Durkee) Latham. Mrs. Mary Jane (Gee) Davis. Ira Cur.iss. Miss Lucy Skinner. Mrs. Maria E. (Clapp) Mccullough. Rufus Bailey Cloud Mrs. Betsey (Curtis) Davis.
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for determining certain facts regarding the death record. Dur- ing this time there were 322 deaths. In 1884 thirty-three of those who died were over seventy. During this period of twelve years, eleven who died were ninety or over. The oldest was Mrs. Sally Felch, who lacked only five days of being 100. Fifty- three were between eighty and ninety, and seventy-four between seventy and eighty. There were forty-three between sixty and seventy, and only thirty-six were under thirty. Fifty-three cases of pneumonia were recorded, thirty-five of consumption, twenty- one of apoplexy, 154 of heart failure, nineteen of Bright's dis- ease, and nine of cancer.
Mrs. Olive Evans Barnes, widow of Elijah Barnes, is the oldest inhabitant dying in town, so far as is known. She died in 1872 at the age of 102.
The cut of "Residents Eighty Years Old or Over," shows how well the aged people of Royalton hold their own, as they decline in life. Several of these have died since the cut was made, but twelve are still living, whose combined ages are 1,032, giving an average of eighty-six years. Miss Lucy Skinner died at the age of ninety-seven and over, and Mrs. Sarah H. Haynes at the age of 92 yr. 9 mo. 7 d. In 1910 Mrs. Catherine N. Fee died, aged eighty-six; Mrs. Sarah C. Eastman, aged eighty-six ; Charles West, aged 83 yr. 10 mo. 20 d., and Arunah Woodward, aged nearly ninety-two. These had all been residents of Roy- alton for a long time. Of eighteen recorded deaths of residents in 1910, nine were over seventy, three over sixty, four under forty, and only one under twenty.
In the cut just mentioned the name, Mrs. Sarah (Water- man) Phelps, should read Mrs. Sally (Gould) Felch.
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BIOGRAPHICAL
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GENEALOGICAL
RECORDS
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EXPLANATION.
It has been the aim of the compiler to give as much matter as possible in the space devoted to genealogical records, having due regard to clearness, and ease in tracing any one person's family. To this end such prepositions and conjunctions as could readily be supplied in thought have been omitted. The name of a state after a town or city has also been omitted when it was Vermont, or when it had just before been mentioned, and no mistake need occur.
Abbreviations have also been freely used. The following only need explanation : res. for reside, resided, residence; ch. for child or children; bur. for buried; Bar. for Barnard; Roy. for Royalton; Rand. for Randolph; Tunb. for Tunbridge.
The Arabic figures before the name of a person, except the numeral 1, indicate that a further record will be given before the family history is closed. A star before the name of a woman indicates that her record will be found in the family of the man whom she married.
The second generation is indicated by small Roman letters; the third, by small letters of the alphabet, enclosed in a paren- thesis; the fourth, by small Roman letters in a parenthesis. Not much space could be allowed for further descendants, nor could much space be given to the ancestry of any one family. This properly belongs to extended family genealogies, and not to a town history.
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CELEBRITIES.
Royalton is proud of the men and women who were born within her borders, or have made the town their home for a con- siderable period of time, who have become noted for business energy and acumen, for intellectual attainment, or for other suc- cess based on true and genuine worth and ability. A few, only, can be noted under the head of celebrities. A careful perusal of this volume will show that there are many others, whose lives of usefulness, and whose exceptional abilities reflect honor upon the town, and it may be pardoned for taking a natural delight in thinking, "They are mine."
In Stockbridge, on Sep. 16, 1803, there was born a child, who was destined to have a checkered career, and to do as much as any other one man to promote Catholicism in America. This was Orestes Augustus Brownson. His parents were poor, and at the age of six years he came to Royalton to live in the family of William and Luther Hunting, who had a farm on Broad Brook. This farm was in 4 and 9 Large Allotment, and the boundaries seem to indicate that it was either the Carlos Miller or the Zenas Horton place.
Here the young Brownson lived until he was well in his teens, and must have fingered his speller and learned the Rule of Three in the old Broad Brook schoolhouse. He drifted to New York State, and attended Ballston academy. He is thought to have been a cadet in Norwich University in 1823-24, and this university conferred on him the title of LL. D. in 1846.
He became a Universalist minister in 1825, but joined the Unitarians in 1832, and founded an independent society in 1836. He was a prolific writer, and advanced his views in a "Quarterly Review" established in 1838 in Boston. His first theological work was published in 1836, entitled, "New Views of Christian- ity, Society, and the Church." By degrees his views changed, he joined the Catholic church in 1843, and became an able and enthusiastic expounder of its doctrines in "Brownson's Quar- terly Review" established in 1844 in Boston. In 1857 appeared "The Convert or Leaves from My Experience."
As his health declined, he gave up strenuous literary effort, and removed to Detroit, Mich., where he died April 17, 1876. A friend wrote of him, "I knew him well. He was a very able man, but the most obstinate one I ever knew; he went all through the changes in theology, and at last found rest in the Mother Church." It is reported that a distinguished professor of Har- vard College, while traveling in England, came in contact with Lord Brougham. The professor spoke depreciatingly of Dr. Brownson. Said Lord Brougham, "Let me tell you, sir, he is
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