History of Rutland County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 67

Author: Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925. 1n; Rann, William S
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., D. Mason & co.
Number of Pages: 1170

USA > Vermont > Rutland County > History of Rutland County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 67

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The March town meetings have often been no less exciting than the free- men's meetings in September. In 1885, after balloting all day, the meeting adjourned one week and balloted all of another day to elect the necessary town officers. The bitter quarrels and petty rings in the town, and the practice of pulling down instead of helping their fellow townsmen, have destroyed their in- fluence, so that, although there are many able men in town, no one, as men- tioned before, has held any county or State office for twenty-eight years.

565

TOWN OF CLARENDON.

Military .- Clarendon Light Infantry was organized at an early day. Col- onel Nathaniel Crary, of Clarendon, was among the first who had command of the company ; he was succeeded by Rufus Parker. About 1811 or 1812, Thomas Tower commanded. John Bowman, Ira Seward, Green Arnold, Ruel Parker, Gershom Cheney and perhaps others, were captains of the company before it was disbanded.

About 1821 the " Union Military Band " was organized, most of the mem- bers residing in Clarendon ; Pliny Parker, leader. This band carried one bugle, four clarionets, two German flutes, two octaves, two violins, two bassoons, a bass drum and triangle. After a few years this band was scattered and dis- banded.

The " Clarendon Guards " were organized September 10, 1842; first cap- tain, Stephen Fowler ; afterwards Captain Daniel Wing, succeeded by Cap- tain Cyrel Carpenter. This company kept. up its organization nine years. These companies were all well uniformed.

On Sunday, September 12, 1814, the news came that a British army was marching on Plattsburg. Many immediately enlisted and started for the seat of war. Thus Clarendon has ever responded to the calls for patriotic duty. Her sons fought on the red fields of Mexico. They saw the rebel flag shine in the morning sunlight of victory at Bethel, and they saw it furled on the night of eternal defeat at Appomattox. Her brave boys are sleeping on the battle-fields of the Republic from Gettysburgh to the gulf; yet Clarendon, as a town, spreads no flowers on the graves nor writes on marble column the names of her gallant dead.

The following are the names of some of the soldiers of the Revolution, who lived and are buried in Clarendon : John Smith, aged 80; William Crossman, 88 ; Abel Titus, 80 ; Gideon Hewitt, 89 (had twenty children) ; Zebulon Cram, 90; Nathan Lounsbury, 102.

In the late War of the Rebellion volunteers from this town played a con- spicuous and honorable part, as the following list of enlistments and the chap- ter devoted to the military history of the county will show.

The town of Clarendon furnished the following named soldiers who valiantly aided in the suppression of the Rebellion. No drafted men went from this town : -

First regiment, three months men, mustered into service May 2, 1861. Mustered out of service August 15, 1861 .- William Crothers, Harrison Combs, James L. Congdon, George Lincoln, John W. Ross, William H. Smith, Gilbert Stewart, co. G, William McC. Rounds, John Donnelly, Samuel H. Kelley, Moses W. Leach, James W. Ross, Alonzo E. Smith, Henry Webb, co. K.

Procured substitutes. - Willis Benson, Barney Riley, Henry C. Round, Lucien P. Smith, Edwin C. Taylor, William L. Wylie.

Volunteers for three years ; credited previous to call for 300,000 volunteers

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HISTORY OF RUTLAND COUNTY.

of October 17th, 1863 .- Peter Avery, co. C, 10th regt .; George Ballard, co. B, 2d regt .; Henry H. Cobb, co. C, 4th regt .; Harrison Combs, co. B, 7th regt .; Henry C. Congdon, co. E, 2d s. s .; John Crothers, co. H, 7th regt .; Charles H. Daniels and William J. Daniels, co. B, 7th regt .; Don C. Davis, Flavius Davis, Solon D. Davis, co. H, cav .; Thomas Davis, co. I, 7th regt .; Charles F. Dorsett, co. G, 5th regt .; Edwin H. Dorsett, co. B, 9th regt .; James J. Doty, co. M, 1Ith regt .; William Dyer, co. G, 5th regt .; Edward M. Edger- ton, co. B, 9th regt .; Don A. Fassett, co. G, 5th regt .; Steven B. Flanders, co. F, Ist s. s .; William Flanders, co. B, 2d regt .; Abisha G. Gee, co. B, 7th regt .; Edward B. Gee, co. H, cav .; Henry H. Giddings, co. F, Ist s. s .; Philip Greg- ory, co. C, 10th regt .; Enoch C. Hagar, co. L, IIth regt .; William W. Har- rington, co. B, 2d regt .; James B. Holden, co. H, cav .; Lorin Horton, co. D, 7th regt .; Michael Hubbard, co. C, 10th regt .; Edward L. Kelley, Samuel H. Kelley, John Lazelle, co. B, 9th regt .; George A. Langley, co. I, 7th regt .; Henry Lewis, co. G, 5th regt .; Lewis S. Maranville, co. C, 10th regt .; Lensey R. Morgan, co. H, cav .; Ira C. Monroe, co. H. cav .; Charles A. Parker, Will- iam H. Pitts, co. B, 7th regt .; Albert Perkins, co. A, 7th regt .; Jesse Plumley, co. I, 7th regt .; Darius E. Potter, Noel Potter, co. F, Ist s. s .; Daniel M. Pow- ers, co. F, cav .; William D. Powers, co. I, 7th regt .; David Quincy, co. D, 7th regt .; John Q. A. Rhodes, co. G, 5th regt .; James M. Ross, co. H, cav .; John H. Savory, co. B, 2d regt .; Merritt H. Sherman, co. C. 11th regt .; Montillion Smith, co. E, 2d s. s .; Gilbert Stewart, co. G, cav .; Nelson A. Sumner, co. B, 5th regt .; Reuben A. Sumner, co. M, IIth regt .; Abel E. Titus, Horace Tow- er, co. B, 2d regt .; George W. Wardwell, William H. H. Wardwell, co. D, 7th regt .; David Weller, co. B, 9th regt .; Henry Wescott, co. G, 7th regt .; Charles H. Wilder, co. I, 7th regt .; James R. Winn, co. C, 1 1th regt .; William Wilkins, co. B, 7th regt.

Credited under calls of October 17th, 1863, and subsequent calls for three years .- Joseph W. Darling, co. G, 5th regt .; Edward B. Gee, co. B, 9th regt .; William O. Hosmer, co. C, 11th regt .; George H. Hoyt, co. D, 9th regt,; Franklin Ives, co. B, 9th regt .; Lucian B. Parker, jr., Adrian C. Proctor, Will- iam Proctor, co. F, 10th regt .; Edwin M. Sherman, Minor B. Sherman, co. C, IIth regt .; Azro A. Shippey, co. E, 2d s. s .; William H. Smith, co. I, 17th regt.

Volunteers for one year .- George F. Aldrich, co. B, 9th regt .; Peter L. Brecette, co. C, Ist art .; Martin D. Cavanaugh, co. F. 10th regt .; Lovell A. Dawson, co. K, 9th regt .; Patrick Kelley, co. K, toth regt .; Frank Laundry, co. C, Ist art .; Daniel P. Marsh, co. I, F, cav .; Lewis Marlow, 2d bat .; An- drew J. Moore, co. I, 7th regt .; William Round. co. D, 7th regt .; Franklin A. Shippey, co. C, 7th regt .; John J. Starks, co. B, 7th regt .; Myron H. Ward- well, co. B, 7th regt .; Franklin A. Whitlock, co. C, 7th regt.

Volunteers re-enlisted .- John Crothers, co. K, 7th regt .; Robert Currin,

567

TOWN OF CLARENDON.

co. G, 5th regt .; William J. Daniels, co. B, 7th regt .; William Dyer, co. G, 5th regt .; Jesse Plumley, co. I, 7th regt .; Anthony Porter, co. B, 7th regt .; William D. Powers, co. I, 7th regt.

Volunteers for nine months .- Lewis E. Ackley, Andrew J. Bartholomew, Josiah W. Crapo, Edward B. Gee, Marshall W. Grover, co. B, 14th regt .; Warren C. Jackson, co. K, 12th regt. ; William W. Kinsman, co. B, 14th regt .; Moses W. Leach, Thomas A. E. Moore, Edgar S. Nelson, co. K, 12th regt .; George N. Pitts, jr., co. B, 14th regt .; Aldis D. Ross, co. K, 12th regt .; Elias Smith, William H. Smith, co. B, 14th regt .; Myron H. Wardwell, co. K, 12th regt.

Furnished under draft. - Paid commutation, Richard Butler, George W. Crossman, Winslow S. Eddy, Charles Ewind, Merritt Fisk, Edgar M. Glynn, Nathan B. Smith, Wallace Smith.

Following are the present officers of this town : Seneca E. Smith, repre- sentative ; H. B. Spafford, L. F. Croft, Thomas Brown, L. Steward, J. C. Col- vin, Erastus Kelley, B. F. Crippen, justices of the peace; Edwin Congdon, town clerk; L. F. Croft, treasurer; G. R. Davis, constable ; E. L. Holden, N. S. Walker, Barney Riley, selectmen ; N. M. Powers, overseer of the poor ; William Croft, John Ridlon, L. Steward, listers. The present postmasters of the town are T. K. Horton, at Clarendon; A. Moore, at Clarendon Springs ; J. C. Spencer, at East Clarendon ; S. N. Mason, at North Clarendon.

Ecclesiastical .- Many of the early inhabitants of this town were Baptists, from Rhode Island, and very soon after settlement began a Baptist Church was formed in the east part and one in the west part of the town. Elder Isaac Beals was the first settled minister in the town. About 1800 a meeting-house was built near the south flat, and Elder William Herrington, a brother of Theoph- ilus, was settled over the church. Both of these organizations long since ceased to exist.

Congregational Church. - This church was organized February 18, 1822, by Rev. Henry Hunter, who was its first pastor and was dismissed in October, 1827. There were nine original members. After the dismissal of Mr. Hunter, Rev. N. Hurd supplied the church for a time, and Rev. Philetus Clark for sev- eral years from 1830. The next pastor was Rev. Horatio Flagg, settled in January, 1835, dismissed in November, 1836. For about six years after Janu- ary, 1837, the pulpit was supplied by Rev. S. Williams, and was succeeded for about two years by Rev. S. P. Giddings. The successors have been Revs. Ezra Jones, J. B. Clark, Moses G. Grosvenor, William T. Herrick and George H. Morss, who now serves the church. John C. Spencer and James Barrett are deacons. The brick church was erected in 1824, and in 1860 was rebuilt inside ; a bell was placed in the belfry in 1869. The church has a flourishing Sabbath-school and is earnestly supported.

There is now no settled minister in the west part of the town ; but occa- sional preaching in the old meeting-house at Chippen Hook, attended by the

568

HISTORY OF RUTLAND COUNTY.

various sects alike. The old wooden church near the south flats disappeared piece-meal about 1850. A flourishing Universalist Society existed here many years ago, to which Rev. Charles Woodhouse ministered, and a brick church was built at North Clarendon. This was demolished about 1868.

Municipal. - There are no villages in this town that aspire to more than the dignity of hamlets. Post-offices and some small business interests are located at Clarendon, East Clarendon, North Clarendon and Clarendon Springs, as already noted. The somewhat celebrated springs in this town were known to be curative in the character of their waters several years before the begin- ning of the present century. According to the statement of George Round, father of the late O. H. Round, who settled at the springs in 1781, the waters were first called medicinal in 1793, or 1794. At that time there was a space of ten rods or more in extent upon which no green thing grew, from the effects of the water. The water was heavily charged with a deposit, so that a board lying in the spring for a hundred days would be completely coated over with " a cinder-like substance " a sixteenth of an inch in thickness, or more. As early as 1800 people began to visit the springs as a cure for poisons and salt rheum. In 1781 George Round built a log-house near the springs and took a few boarders. In 1798 he erected a frame-house and kept it as a hotel. It is said that the first wonderful cure was made on a man named Shaw, who applied the white clay about the springs to a cancer and cured it. Such reputed cures soon gave the springs a great celebrity, and undoubtedly one that was to a certain extent fictitious ; although it is well settled that the use of the waters is beneficial in many complaints. The number of visitors seeking renewed health at these springs has led to the erection of hotels and boarding-houses for their accommodation. The Clarendon House is the largest of these and accommo- dates with its cottages about two hundred guests. It is now kept by the Mur- ray Brothers, and is open from June to October.

There is very little mercantile business in the town at the present time. Among those who have at various times traded here are Benjamin Spencer, Moses Goddard, Oliver Whitney, Henry and Silas W. Hodges, Caleb Hall, Henry Brown, Lewis M. Walker, Ruel Parker, Henry Hitchcock, O. B. Bar- low, W. P. Horton.

A store is now kept by J. P. Merriam at the springs, and J. C. Spencer is in trade at East Clarendon. Mr. Spencer began business at his present location in 1852, succeeding Gaskill & Weeks, who had carried on the business eight or ten years ; they were preceded by George and Almon Bullard, and before that Calvin Crossman and George W. Bullard were in business as the first merchants here. John Bowman had a grocery some years ago, and James Eddy kept one at the depot, where the post-office was located a few years. J. E. Spencer has been postmaster for twenty-four years, succeeding James Eddy. The latter was preceded in the office by Harvey Kingsley, and he by Newman Weeks. Calvin Crossman was a still earlier official.

569

TOWN OF CLARENDON.

The first grist-mill at East Clarendon was built for Nathaniel Crary, who sold it to Chester Kingsley about 1825 ; he sold it to Harvey and Harrison Kingsley in 1839. Fourteen years later Harrison purchased his partner's in- terest. The mill was rebuilt while in the hands of the two Kingsleys, and is now owned by Harrison Kingsley. The elder Kingsley also built a carding- mill here, and a saw-mill, which were carried off in the great flood.

At North Clarendon B. E. Horton carries on a large manufacturing busi- ness, embracing a grist-mill, cider-mill, saw-mill, shingle-mill, cheese-box fac- tory and chair stock factory ; all these industries are carried on in one large building. Mr. Horton purchased the lands in 1877 and the following year built the saw-mill, grist-mill, etc., and thus started the entire establishment. He began making cider here in 1877, and built the present cider-mill in 1882 ; about 1,500 barrels are manufactured annually. From 12,000 to 20,000 cheese-boxes are annually made and eight or ten men are employed. There was in earlier years a saw and grist-mill on this same site and a carding-mill.

N. S. Walker's cheese factory is in successful operation near Chippen Hook (a hamlet in the southwestern part of the town).

Marble .- There is a marble deposit in Clarendon, but little has ever been done to develop it. Dr. O. R. Baker, of New York, and Thomas Lynch, of Rutland, have recently purchased a property lying on one of the low ranges of hills on the river about half a mile from Clarendon Springs. A small opening was made here some forty years ago, when the marble industry was in its in- fancy, and a few blocks were taken out and sawed. The owner, a man named Taylor, stopped the work because of the small promise of profits under then existing facilities for carrying on the business. W. F. Barnes subequently be- came the owner of the property and held it at the time of his death. It was re- cently sold to Gardner Gates, who transferred two-thirds of the property to the first named gentlemen. Six large openings have been made up to the present time, and the developments seem to warrant the richness and value of the deposit. Test cores of 103 feet have been taken out, several of which are three and one-half feet long. Several capitalists of New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago have become interested in the enterprise and the work will be rapidly advanced.

Biographical .- While we cannot attempt to give anything like a complete biographical record of all of the prominent men of early times in this town, it will not be out of place to briefly refer to a few of them.

Theophilus Herrington I was born in Rhode Island in 1762. He came to Clarendon in 1786, but soon afterward went back to Rhode Island on business. On his return to Vermont he saw a young woman named Betsey Buck in a house which he was passing. So strong was the impression made upon him

1 This name is spelled with both an "a " and an " e," and usually with an " a," but a reference to ourt records in Rutland shows that he himself wrote it as it appears herein.

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HISTORY OF RUTLAND COUNTY.

that he stopped, made suit to her and took her with him as his wife when he left the house. They lived near Clarendon Springs and had a family of twelve children. He represented the town seven years ; was speaker of the house one year ; was chief judge of Rutland County Court three years, and was a judge of the Supreme Court ten years and until a few weeks before his death. He died the 17th of November, 1813, and was buried at Clarendon with Masonic honors. "Judge Herrington was not a lawyer ; he was a plain, rough farmer with no legal education, and but little learning of any kind ; yet he was an ex- cellent judge ; a resolute, acute, strong-minded man, caring little for the forms of law, brushing away the quibbles and sophistries of the lawyers with a strong hand and intent on doing substantial justice in every case. He was a large man, six feet high, broad-shouldered and of great muscular strength. His complexion was swarthy ; his beard black, heavy and generally unshaven ; his hair black, coarse and rarely combed. His eyes were small and keen and his face expressive." On the bench he usually appeared as if he was half asleep, and apparently paying no attention to the case on trial. Nothing, how- ever, escaped his observation or his recollection and, though the trial might last for days, it was found when he came to charge the jury, that though he had not taken a single note, he knew the names of all the witnesses, the order in which they were introduced, and the exact language in which they testified. Many anecdotes are told of this extraordinary man and his decisions, but we have space to relate but one : Judge Herrington was applied to for a warrant for the extradition of a negro, who was claimed as a slave. The claimant made out what he regarded as a prima facie case, and then "rested," but the judge intimated that the title to the slave was not satisfactorily established. Additional evidence was put in, but the judge was still not satisfied. A third attempt was made and proof was furnished that the negro and his ancestors before him had " time out of mind of man," been slaves of the claimant and his ancestors. Still the judge declared that there seemed to be a defect in the title. "Will your honor then," returned the astonished claimant, " be good enough to suggest what is lacking to make a perfect title." " A bill of sale, sir, from God Almighty," was the reply. This extraordinary decision, made at the time when many even of the Northern States held slaves, gave him a national reputation and made his fame enduring. In the great debate in Con- gress on the passage of the last fugitive slave law, the decision of Judge Her- rington was cited by the South to show the need of such a law to regain their escaping slaves.

In 1884 the Legislature of Vermont appropriated $400, and appointed W. G. Veazy, Seneca E. Smith, Hannibal Hodges, and Lyman Fish, commission- ers, to erect a monument at the grave of Theophilus Herrington in Clarendon, where

" He sleeps on the hills no slave ever trod, Nor claimant brought bills from Almighty God."

571

TOWN OF CLARENDON.

James Herrington, a brother of Theophilus, represented Clarendon in 1806 and 1807, was judge of probate in 1803 and 1804, and assistant judge of the county court in 1806 and 1807. He was a man of good natural ability and had influence in the town and county. He also had a habit of "sleeping at the most unnatural times and places. Returning from court on horse-back he would perhaps waken to find that his horse had strayed into some barn-yard by the wayside, and was helping himself to supper." His style of living, like that of his neighbors, was far from luxurious. A sea captain, hearing that his old school-fellow had become a judge in Vermont, paid him a visit. His vis- ions of possible magnificence were quickly dispelled, and in nautical terms more forcible than elegant, he pictured the simplicity of the judge's hospital- ity. " For supper a pan of milk with 'johnny cake,' which sunk as quick as a lead sinker in the milk. Each person was provided with a spoon, and gathi- ering about the pan, one after another ' made a dive,' and finally the captain made a dive, but failed to get anything. In the morning the judge conducted him to a shed and brought him a gourd filled with water in which to perform his ablutions. Breakfast was a repetition of supper, and the captain departed a wiser man."

William Herrington, a younger brother, was a Baptist minister, and was judge of probate three years, 1811-13.

Increase Mosely was a native of Connecticut, was a judge of the Supreme Court in 1784, and president of the first council of censors in 1786. He was a lawyer and had been a judge in his native State ; was "a man of staid mein and stately form," and wore in court the old-fashioned powdered wig, while Ebenezer Marvin, the first assistant judge, wore a cocked hat.

Dr. Silas Bowen came to Clarendon October, 1822. He was born in Con- necticut September 6, 1774. At the age of sixteen he went to Schodack, N. Y., with a scanty wardrobe of homespun, and ten dollars, the only money his father ever gave him. He was soon engaged in teaching in the day time, post- ing books for a merchant in the evening, and rose before daybreak to study mathematics. He became a famous physician, was an energetic, persevering, self-reliant, influential man ; a great friend of schools, public libraries and de- bating clubs. He was one of the founders of the "Medical Society of the State of Vermont." He was buried at Clarendon May 20, 1858, with Masonic honors. Colonel W. T. Nichols pronounced his eulogy.

Dr. Silas Hodges, a surgeon of Washington's army, came into Clarendon about 1783, and settled on the farm where his grandson, Hannibal Hodges, now lives, and died there in 1844. He was the progenitor of a large and distin- guished family.

Henry Hodges, the oldest son of Dr. Hodges, was born July 30, 1779, and died November 27, 1840. He built the dwelling-house and owned the farm where Edwin Congdon now lives. He was precluded from obtaining such an

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HISTORY OF RUTLAND COUNTY.

education as he ardently desired, but all his life was a studious reader of well- chosen books, and thus became possessed of more than usual culture and infor- mation. Few men in his day equaled him in the extent and accuracy of his- historical information. He was widely known as a man of remarkable ability. His courtesy was such as to compel his staunch political opponent, Judge Her- rington, to make the notedc oncession, " If there is a polite man in the county of Rutland, Harry Hodges is the man." He represented the town in 1819-20. and 1821, and was assistant judge thirteen years.

George T. Hodges, the successful merchant, member of Congress and pres- ident of the Bank of Rutland, was born in Clarendon, 1788.

Silas Wylys Hodges, Dr. Hodges's second son, was born 1785, and died April 19, 1858. He was a man of more than ordinary ability, represented the town two years; was town clerk fourteen years. His son, Hannibal Hodges, born September 12, 1817, lives on the old homestead; has represented the town and held most of the town offices.

Silas Henry Hodges, the able lawyer, and U. S. commissioner of patents, was born in Clarendon in 1804.

Edward F. Hodges, also a distinguished lawyer, was born in Clarendon in 1816.

Eliphalet Spafford was born in Temple, N. H., 1773. He settled in the northeast part of Clarendon, where he died in 1860, aged eighty-seven. He was a descendant of John Spafford, one of the first settlers of Rowley, Mass., in 1638, and of whom the following anecdote is told : During his residence at Rowley, a drought was followed by a great scarcity of food, and he repaired to Salem to purchase corn for himself and neighbors. The merchant to whom he applied, foreseeing a greater scarcity and higher prices, refused to open his store and supply his wants. Having plead in vain the necessities of himself and others, he cursed him to his face; but on being immediately taken before a magistrate, charged with profane swearing, he replied that he had not cursed profanely, but as a religious duty, and quoted Proverbs xi, 26, as his authority : " He that withholdeth corn from the hungry, the people shall curse him." He was immediately acquitted, and by the summary power of the courts of those days, the merchant was ordered to deliver him as much corn as he wished to. pay for.

He was a direct descendant of that Saxon family which occupied Spafford Castle, one of the most ancient in England at the time of the Norman conquest.1

"1 Lord Percy made a solemn feast, In Spafford's princely hall, And there came lords and there came knights, His chiefs and barons all.

" With wassail, mirth and revelry. The castle rung around ; Lord Percy called for song and harp, And pipes of martial sound.

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TOWN OF CLARENDON.

Eldad Spafford, the oldest son of Eliphalet Spafford (who had eleven chil- dren), was born October 26, 1799; and died August 25, 1874. He was well known as a blacksmith whose anvil rang in the northeast part of the town for half a century.

Hiram B. Spafford, born May 10, 1825, owns the old homestead; he is a wood-turner and insurance agent ; has served as town superintendent and text- book committee several times, and justice of the peace many years; has two sons, Charles A., and Irving, who reside in Clarendon.

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History of Rutland County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 67

Author: Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925. 1n; Rann, William S Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., D. Mason & co. Number of Pages: 1170

Author: Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925. 1n; Rann, William S
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., D. Mason & co.
Number of Pages: 1170