USA > Vermont > Rutland County > History of Rutland County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 35
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Chipman Lodge, No. 52 (Wallingford). - The charter of this lodge was granted January 11, 1861, and the following were the first officers : Frederick Button, W. M. ; D. H. Sabin, S. W. ; H. Shaw, J. W. The charter members were Jonathan Remington, E. D. Sabin, P. H. Emerson, O. A. Eddy, T. L. Reed, Frederick Button, Seth Phillips, Hosea Eddy, Harvey Shaw, D. H. Sa- bin, Highland Shaw. Following is a list of masters : O. A. Eddy, Highland Bump, E. E. Clark, A. F. Mattison, J. H. Mandigo, E. L. Cobb, F. H. Hoad- ley. The lodge has now about forty-five members and the following officers : E. A. Fuller, W. M .; C O. Allen, S. W .; E. P. Ely, J. W. ; C. L. Higgins, treasurer ; Charles H. Congdon, secretary ; H. G. Thompson, S. D. ; J. N. Brown, J. D. John Avery, chaplain ; E. J. Tufts, S. S. ; L. H. Edmonds, J. S .; F. H. Hoadley, marshall; N. Fassett, tyler.
Mt. Moriah, No. 96, (East Wallingford). - This lodge was chartered June
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26, 1871, and the following were the officers appointed at that time : Ransel Frost, W. M. ; Alvin Frost, S. W .; O. M. Pelsue, J. W. ; James Starkey, sec- retary ; Elias Streeter, treasurer. The membership is now about fifty-five. Following are the names of the present officers : P. L. Allard, W. M .; O. M. Pelsue, S. W .; Charles T. Miner, J. W .; D. C. Allard, treasurer ; B. W. Al- drich, secretary ; A. E. Doty, S. D .; L. D. Warner, J. D. ; J. R. Priest, chap- lain ; M. Anderson, marshal; E. Stewart, Eugene Chase, stewards; D. A. Graves, tyler. The past masters have been, Gilbert E. Johnson, O. M. Pelsue, Lucius R. Earle, John R. Priest, Marshall Anderson.
It will be seen by this brief record of Free Masonry in Rutland county, that a large portion of the leading men of the county, those who have either made a deep impression upon the various communities represented by them, through their public services, or gained the universal respect of their fellows by their high character, have been members of this ancient order. At the present time Masonry is in a healthy condition in the county and embraces in its ranks very many of the leading men.
Odd Fellowship. - This order has flourished to some extent in this county for nearly forty years, and at the present time one lodge and an encampment are in existence in Rutland village.
The first lodge instituted in the county was
Otter Creek Lodge, No. 10. - On the 9th day of March, 1847, R. M. Fuller, James Mitchell, Nathaniel Parker, M. G. Rathburn and S. C. Hyde, of Ben- nington, and Charles S. Terrill, of Middlebury, appeared and constituted this lodge and installed its officers, who were as follows : Dr. James B. Porter, N. G .; Evelyn Pierpoint, V. G. ; General F. W. Hopkins, secretary ; Dr. Cyrus Porter, treasurer ; George W. Strong, warden. The by-laws were suspended and Robert Hopkins was duly initiated, by Brothers Mitchell, Pierpoint, Fuller, and Hyde ; George W. Strong served as warden. The record of this initiation reads as follows : " The ceremony on the part of all was conducted with true dignity and skill, and particularly in the new office of warden ; and on the part of the initiated with becoming fortitude and bearing worthy an Odd Fellow."
The five original petitioners were prominent citizens of Rutland, as the reader of this work will learn. The first regular meeting of the lodge was held on the 16th of March, 1847. On this occasion Brother Charles Woodhouse, then of Clarendon, presented a card of clearance from Charter Oak Lodge, No. 2, of Hartford, Conn., was admitted as an Ancient Odd Fellow and thus became the second member of the lodge. He had been for many years an Odd Fellow and is now a member of Killington Lodge, in the active perform- ance of the duties of the order. It will not be out of place here to remark that Brother Woodhouse has well and faithfully performed all duties laid upon him and held honorable rank and position, and been honored as a representative of the Grand Lodge of Vermont in the Grand Lodge of the United States - the
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highest legislative branch of the order - a position which he filled faithfully and with distinguished ability for two years. He stands to-day, possibly, as the oldest Odd Fellow in Vermont, enjoying the high regard of all his brethren.
At the second meeting of the lodge W. E. C. Stoddard, then a prominent book-seller and publisher in Rutland, was initiated, and Brother Woodhouse proposed for membership the late honored brother, William D. Marsh, of Clar- endon. At the meeting on the 25th of March, William D. Marsh and George R. Orcutt were duly admitted as members. Mr. Marsh was a very efficient worker in the lodge and at one time deputy grand master of the Grand Lodge. He was a member of Killington Lodge at his death, which joined with the Masonic fraternity in paying him a mournful tribute at his burial.
Otter Creek Lodge, during the first year of its life, made a gradual increase. The persons admitted to membership were Alembert Pond, William D. Marsh, Alvin Patch, Charles H. Furness, Horace V. Bogue, E. O. Eddy, of Walling- ford, Newton Kellogg, E. W. Loveland (of Weston), O. A. Eddy (Wallingford), Josiah L. Wilder (of Weston), H. J. Marsh, William B. Shaw, George A. Tut- tle, David B. Jones (of Cuttingsville), and Charles Green.
The first visiting card granted was to W. E. C. Stoddard, for six months. At the semi-annual election the following officers were chosen : Evelyn Pier- point, N. G .; F. W. Hopkins, V. G .; George W. Strong, secretary ; Cyrus Porter, treasurer.
The first lodge-room was in an ell part of the old Fay printing-office, so called, on Main street, which stood near the site of the present residence of Hon. William M. Field. At a special meeting held August 19th, the first public address on Odd-Fellowship in Rutland was delivered by A. E. Hovey, of New York city. The second person admitted by card was B. F. March, of Franklin Lodge, No. 2, Georgia. Dr. James B. Porter was elected representa- tive, and Evelyn Pierpoint, alternate, to attend a convention at Montpelier, Au- gust 29, for the formation of a grand lodge for the State of Vermont.
Such is a brief account of the career of this lodge during its first year. The following year (1848) was its most prosperous period. The officers of the first term were, General F. W. Hopkins, N. G .; Dr. Cyrus Porter, V. G .; Dr. Charles Woodhouse, secretary ; William D. Marsh, treasurer ; George A. Tuttle, warden ; Charles Temple, conductor ; Dr. James B. Porter, guardian. Thirty new members were admitted during the year, as follows: B. Frank Wilkins, Abraham Stearns, Benjamin Lewis, Thomas L. Sheldon, J. Graves Benton, George Hopkins, and William Perkins, of Rutland, all of whom took a card of clearance, for the purpose of forming a new lodge at the place of their residence ; Henry J. Burdock, B. Rosenblatt, of East Poultney, Cassius W. Buck, Hiram W. Bennett, Harry Adams, D. L. Green, H. C. Levanway, Rev. W. W. Ford, John Price, Gilbert Foster, Hiram Adams (of Ludlow), F. C. Robbins, E. M. Boynton, L. G. Hammond (of Ludlow), W. D. Button,
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Ira Chaplin, S. W. Dame, George S. Hoard, Green Arnold, James W. Fisher, Charles H. Kinsman and Moses Frink. The officers during the second term were Dr. Cyrus Porter, N. G .; Charles Woodhouse, V. G .; W. D. Marsh, sec- retary ; George A. Tuttle, treasurer ; John Price, warden ; B. F. Wilkins, con- ductor ; C. W. Buck, inside guardian.
The lodge continued to prosper during the year and there are few inci- dents to note. The first benefits paid to a sick brother by the lodge were voted W. E. C. Stoddard February 8, 1848. The first death was that of Charles Green, which was reported February 22, 1848, and at the next meet- ing brothers George A. Tuttle and Evelyn Pierpoint reported memorial reso- lutions. The first board of trustees was created June 13, and Evelyn Pier- poin, George A. Tuttle and C. W. Buck were appointed.
The year 1849 does not seem to have been so prosperous as the preceding one. The officers for the first term were, Charles Woodhouse, N. G .; William D. Marsh, V. G .; George A. Tuttle, secretary ; John Price, treasurer ; Rev. W. W. Ford, warden ; Harry Adams, outside guardian ; C. W. Buck, inside guardian. Members affiliated, Thomas Briggs, George Howard, Lewis R. Bucklin, W. H. Lyon, John Cain, H. L. Spencer, George Wood, S. W. Bent. The first visitation by grand officer occurred June 24 of this year, in the per- son of Samuel R. Price, the first grand master. He instructed the lodge in secret work and delivered an address. For the second term of the year the officers were as follows: W. D. Marsh, N. G .; George A. Tuttle, V. G .; John Price, treasurer ; D. W. Fisher, secretary ; W. H. Lyon, warden ; C. W. Buck, guardian. On the 27th of November Brother Charles Woodhouse was granted a card of clearance, and on motion of Brother John Cain, a special vote of thanks was tendered him for his faithful services. The career of this lodge need not be traced in detail ; for these pages it must suffice to say that it pursued its course with a fair degree of prosperity until the general decline of Odd-Fel- lowship in 1857, when, having apparently performed its mission, it suspended operations.
Otter Creek Encampment, No. 7 .- This encampment was organized Feb- ruary 27, 1871, with the following named charter members : Newman Weeks, L. W. Brigham, Loring Atwood, Henry R. Dyer, John H. Simmons, George W. Crawford, Charles Woodhouse and Henry Clark. The membership of the encampment is between fifty and sixty. Tho present officers are as follows : L. F. Miner, C. P .; C. A. Peppler, S. W .; T. J. Moore, scribe; Louis V. Green, treasurer ; H. H. Hibbins, H. P .; J. A. McFarland, guide ; A. M. Har- ris, J. W.
Killington Lodge, No. 29, I. O. O. F .- This lodge was chartered August 23, 1871, the charter members being as follows : Charles Woodhouse, Newman Weeks, H. R. Dyer, Henry Clark, W. L. Parsons, D. B. Channell, E. Pier- point, B. W. Marshall, George A. Tuttle, Horace Clark, L. B. Smith, and L.
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Atwood. This lodge has been a prosperous one and the present membership is one hundred and twenty-five. Meetings are held Monday evenings in their room in the Billings block, Merchant's Row. The present officers of the lodge are as follows : J. M. Portal, N. G .; T. C. Robbins, V. G .; E. B. Aldrich, record- ing secretary ; F. M. Warner, permanent secretary ; L. G. Bagley, treasurer.
Netis Lodge, I. O. O. F., No 25. - This lodge was instituted in Poultney, December 1, 1852. Henry Clark, W. O. Ruggles, Henry Ruggles, Geo. L. Hunter and Wm. Lamb were its charter members. Its first officers were W. O. Ruggles, N. G .; Henry Ruggles, V. G .; Geo. L. Hunter, secretary ; Wm. Lamb, treasurer. The early meetings were held in the Hall of the Sons of Temperance in West Poultney ; but subsequently the lodge rented the Masonic Hall until 1871, when it was removed to its rooms. In 1859 the lodge, in common with many others in the State, ceased working; but was reinstated in 1869. The following have been presiding officers of the lodge successively : W. O. Ruggles, Henry Ruggles, Henry Clark, Geo. L. Hunter, L. D. Ross, D. H. Odell, John K. Pixley, Andrew Clark, D. H. Odell, R. K. Morrill, Henry Ruggles, to 1859. Since that date, L. D. Ross, R. K. Morrill, N. C. Harris, Cyrus E. Horton, N. C. Hyde, M. G. Noyes, James Bullock, F. O. Betts.
Pico Lodge, No. 32, I. O. O. F., (Wallingford). - This lodge was instituted U. D. February 7, 1871, and chartered August 23, 1871. The charter men- bers were Joel Todd, Geo. W. Kinsman, E. O. Aldrich, Horace Todd and Bradford Aldrich. The first officers were: Geo. W. Kinsman, N. G .; Joel Todd, V. G .; E. O. Aldrich, recording secretary ; Bradford B. Aldrich, permanent secretary ; Horace Todd, treasurer. The lodge was instituted at Cuttingsville and removed to East Wallingford in July, 1875. The present officers are as follows: E. R. Allen, P. G .; H. P. Hawkins, N. G .; J. I. Cong- don, V. G .; F. O. Stafford, secretary; Elias Stewart, treasurer; Edward Armstrong, warden; M. M. Tarbell, conductor; S. F. Sherman, I. G. Meet- ings are held the first and third Thursdays in each month. There are about twenty-five members.
Eureka Lodge, No 22. - This lodge was instituted in Fairhaven in June, 1851, constituing of ten members ; three others were initiated and three ad- mitted by card. The last members initiated (making in all fifty-five) was in December, 1885. The past grands were I. C. Allen, T. E. Wakefield, Joseph Adams, M. B. Dewey, I. Jones, N. Jenne, G. W. Hurlburt and H. M. Shaw. The benefit system led to the suspension of the lodge and an effort was made by Grand Commissioner B. W. Dennis, in 1869, to revive the lodge, and a dis- pensation was obtained, but there was not sufficient interest shown to make it successful.
Grand Army of the Republic. - This organization is very strong in Rut- land county, there being at the present time no less than six posts, all of which are in a healthful condition.
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HISTORY OF RUTLAND COUNTY.
Roberts Post, No 14. - This post (named in honor of the lamented Colonel Roberts, who fell on the battle-field), was chartered November 11, 1868. The charter members were J. A. Salisbury, H. W. Kingsley, E. A. Morse, E. J. Hartshorn, L. G. Kingsley, J. H. Dwyer, W. C. Landon, Wm. Y. W. Rip- ley, W. G. Veazey, E. M. Rounds, J. C. Baker, C. J. S. Randall, E. H. Ripley, Jno. H. Hazelton, Redfield Procter, W. C. Dunton, S. E. Burnham, J. B. Lee, L. B. Webster, S. G. Staley, H. Prindle, C. H. Forbes, H. C. Congdon, C. L. Long, A. W. White, J. A. Sheldon. The department commander at that time was W. G. Veazey, and the assistant adjutant-commander, J. H. Goulding.
The first meeting was held in the carpet-room of L. G. Kingsley's store, and the post occupied its present hall in the Morse Block in 1885. The first officers were as follows: Wm. Y. W. Ripley, P. C .; W. G. Veazey, S. V. C .; John A. Sheldon, J. V. C .; C. H. Forbes, adjutant ; E. A. Morse, Q. M.
The present membership of the post is 181, and the officers as follows: L. G. Kingsley, P. C .; E. H. Webster, S. V. C .; O. P. Murdick, J. V. C .; W. B. Thrall, adjt. ; Oscar Robinson, Q. M. ; C. L. Allen, surgeon ; Jno. Fayles, chaplain ; C. N. Chamberlain, O. D .; I. H. Black, O. G .; Wm. Cronan, S. M .; Jas. E. Post, Q. M. S.
Sennott Post, No 12, of West Rutland, has the following as officers: George Brown, commander ; S. B. Arnold, adjutant ; C. H. Sherman, Q. M.
Post C. F. Ormsbee, No. 18, is in Brandon, and has the following officers : Isaac S. Hall, commander ; C. H. Fobes, adjutant ; O. Meacham, Q. M.
Kearney Post, No. 48, is located in East Wallingford, with the following officers : J. P. Hawkins, commander ; R. L. Chase, adjutant ; G. R. Streeter, Q. M.
Joyce Post, No. 49, of Poultney, has the following officers: Samuel Dow- ling, commander ; M. J. Horton, adjutant; J. A. Benedict, Q. M.
Post f. H. Boswith, No 53, is in Fairhaven. Its officers are as follows : A. Bonville, commander ; D. J. Edwards, adjutant ; W. A. Smith, Q. M.
CHAPTER XIX.
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF RUTLAND.1
T HE town of Rutland is centrally located in the county of the same name, and is the shire town of the county. It is bounded on the north by the town of Pittsford; on the east by Mendon ; on the south by Clarendon and Ira, and on the west by Ira. Its north line is seven and 1%% miles in length ; its
1 The history of this town is placed at the beginning of the town histories chiefly on account of its paramount importance in the county in comparison with the other towns. In the arrangement of the annals of the other towns, they will be taken up in alphabetical order.
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east line six and 7% ; its south line seven and 166, and its west line six and 130% miles. A large portion of its surface is hilly or mountainous, but along the valley of the Otter Creek and its tributaries are intervales of considerable extent especially adapted to cultivation and affording the choicest farming lands. The eastern part of the town is bordered by the Green Mountains, the western slopes of which descend to the Otter Creek valley ; and the Taconic Range extends north and south across the western part. The Otter Creek enters the town at about the middle of the south line, runs northward and divides the town into two nearly equal portions. Tributary to it are East Creek, which enters the town in the northeast corner, flows southwesterly, and joins Otter Creek near Rutland village; and Tinmouth River, which flows northward into the town and joins Otter Creek at Center Rutland ; besides these there are scores of smaller streams in various parts of the town that find their way into Otter Creek. Castleton River, which rises in the town of Pitts- ford, flows south into the town near the northwest part, and at West Rutland bends sharply to the west, leaving the town near the middle of its western line. Moon Brook flows westerly and enters Otter Creek a little south of Rutland village. On all of these streams are favorable sites for manufactories where ample water power is developed ; this is particularly true at Sutherland Falls, in the extreme north part of the town, and at the falls at Center Rutland, for- merly well known by the name of Gookin's Falls.
The soil of the town is varied in character. In the valleys and on the level portions a warm, rich loam is found, which gradually takes on a lighter and more sandy character as the uplands are reached, finally becoming rocky and barren on the mountains.
The town lies in latitude 43º 37' and longitude 4° and 4' east from Wash- ington, and contains about 26,000 acres of land. Its geological' features have already been described in another chapter, while its inexhaustible and valuable marble deposits will be properly treated a little farther on. In natural pic- turesqueness and beauty of situation, the town can scarcely be surpassed. Ly- ing at the foot of the loftiest peaks of the Green Mountains, the towering sum- mits of Killington, Pico and Shrewsbury look down upon the valley of the Otter ; the beautiful and thriving village of Rutland and its surroundings rest almost in their shadows and are apparently surrounded by an amphitheatre of hills or mountains ; but there are winding valleys that break away among the ranges, giving access to highways and railroads from various directions. Over these pass the immense resources of the town and vicinity, bringing wealth and general prosperity to her energetic people.
Charter, Grantees, etc .- The town of Rutland was chartered to the original grantees over twenty years before America became a free country. Her part in the struggle which led up to that grand consummation has been pictured in earlier chapters ; but long anterior to that event the town was probably a sort
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of center of Indian travel and traffic, and its soil was trod by a white man, who can be identified fifty years before the end of the Revolutionary War. Otter Creek was a highway from north to south, and Castleton and Cold Rivers from east to west across this territory, the convenience of which was appreciated by Indian traders, whose goods passed from Fort Dummer, in Massachusetts, to Lake Champlain. Goods were purchased in Massachusetts cheaper than they could be bought in Canada, and Rutland lay in the direct line of travel. As early as 1730 James Cross,1 with twelve Caughnawaga Indians, left Fort Dum- mer, and in seven days reached Rutland, via Black River, Plymouth Ponds and Cold River. They reached Otter Creek on Sunday evening, May 3, 1730. Other white men may have set foot on this soil at an earlier date ; but no per- son can make such positive statement. On Monday the party manufactured canoes, and Wednesday rowed thirty-five miles down Otter Creek. A poetic imagination may picture the beauty of the scene which greeted their gaze at every bend of the stream as they drifted through the unknown wilderness. Cross left a brief journal, in which is mentioned the two falls, Sutherland and Gookin's, in this town; and he wrote of the creek as being black and deep, and spoke of the soil in flattering terms.
Eighteen years later, when the Massachusetts trade with the Indians had been crushed by the French and Indian Wars, a party of sixty scouts came from Black River, and forty of the number passed down on the east side of Otter Creek, while the remaining twenty went north on the west side; the lat- ter thus exposed themselves to the enemy at Crown Point, were driven back up the creek and down West River, only to be taken off their guard and terri- bly defeated in Windham county.2
The year 1759 saw the opening of a passage way across this county which has passed into history under the name of the Old Military Road. It extended from what is now Charlestown, N. H., to Crown Point, and its route was sub- stantially from Charlestown through to Nott's Ferry, Springfield ; on through Wethersfield, reaching Charles Button's tavern on Mill River in Clarendon ; thence six miles to Colonel James Mead's tavern at Center Rutland ; crossed the Otter Creek, and continned northward six miles to Waters's tavern in Pitts- ford ; thence through " Brown's Camp" in Neshobe (Brandon) twenty miles to Moore's tavern in Shoreham, and thence to Crown Point. This old road, and the one cut out in 1776 from Mount Independence, in Orwell, to Hubbardton, and thence to Center Rutland, were thoroughfares of great importance in the War of the Revolution. Over the first one mentioned Rogers and his brave band passed to Crown Point, after their terrible experiences in destroying the Indian village of St. Francis, and its track was also trodden by ancestors of many Rutland county families while the State was yet a wilderness. At the
1 This name is given by different writers as "Coss," "Cass," and "Cross."
2 Address of Henry Hall at the centennial celebration in Rutland in 1870.
Pu Fuld ( Foto)
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time of the opening of the second road spoken of (1776), a bridge was built over Otter Creek at Center Rutland, giving that point still greater importance.
There were two forts erected in this town for the protection of the settlers during the troublous times of the Revolution. One of these, built about the time of the commencement of the war, stood on what is now the " burnt dis- trict," in Rutland village. The meagre details of its character that are known give it a length from north to south of ten rods and a width of eight rods, its south side being nearly on a line with the north side of the Daniels store. It was, like all of the Vermont forts of that day, made of pickets, generally of maple, sunk about five feet in the ground and fourteen feet high above ground, the sides of the pickets where they came together being hewn straight. At each corner was a redoubt, or "flanker," about eight feet square. At a con- venient height for effective shooting were port-holes, that were pierced at dis- tances of about six feet apart ; these holes radiated inward and outward, being just large enough at the centers to admit a musket, and extended around the fort. On the west side was the gate. Inside was a small building for provi- sions and ammunition, which was afterward used as a dwelling. In the south part of the inclosure was a well, over which in later years a large flat stone was placed and earth thrown on top. According to the Vermont Historical Magasine, as other forts to the north and south were erected, this one soon be- came of little consequence, and the pickets were gradually carried off for fuel.
Another fort was built at Gookin's Falls (Center Rutland) soon after the organization of the government of Vermont in March, 1778, when it was de- cided to make Rutland the headquarters of the State troops ; Captain Gideon Brownson was made commander of the force stationed at this point. It was situated on the hill east of the falls. Its construction was substantially the same as the one above described, except that the pickets were hemlock and a little higher above the ground ; and inside of the outer row was driven an- other, alternating in position with those of the outermost ones, thus rendering it bullet proof. It was elliptical or oval in form and had port holes like those already described ; it inclosed two acres, or a little more. On the east and west sides there were large plank gates for the admission of teams, and on the south side a small gate through which water was carried from Otter Creek. In the northwest part of the inclosure was a block-house of hewn logs, thirty or forty feet square, two stories high, roofed and shingled ; in the lower story were port holes and others through the eaves of the roof, which projected two feet, thus raking all the grounds surrounding the house. The north and west sides of this building formed a part of the wall of the fort, and the door was on the east side of the house. In the northeast and south- west corners were sentry boxes, elevated on poles so as to overlook the ap- proaches to the fort ; they were boarded up as high as a man's chin, covered at the top to protect from snow and rain, and a ladder ascended to the little door
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