USA > Vermont > Rutland County > Wallingford > History of Wallingford, Vermont > Part 2
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10
-
WALLINGFORD FROM TITE WEST HILL.
fact that through his endeavors more young men received a collegiate education from his town than all the rest of the county. He was a great help to Mr. Burr in the founding of Burr and Burton Sem- inary in Manchester and Middlebury College owed much to his interest and assistance. One of his daughters married the Rev. Cyrus Hamlin who later founded Roberts College in Constantinople, and whose centenary of birth is celebrated this year, 1911.
26
HISTORY OF WALLINGFORD.
A beautiful view of Wallingford is seen from the West Hill. The village appears to nestle in the valley and at various places in the roadway the lake is seen glistening like an immense jewel. Upon this hill settled one John Hopkins, who came from Salem, N. Y., in 1770. He cleared a piece of land and sowed it with wheat. Hopkins was then eighteen years of age. He had his bread baked in Danby, and depended upon his gun for meat. Having no house he slept in a hollow log with .closed ends to keep wild animals out. In the fall of the year he went to Danby and married Charity Bromly. Returning early the following summer he built a log house and his wife soon after joined him. The wheat he had sown the year before had grown so tall that he could tie the stalks together over his head. Mr. Hopkins was a staunch Presby- terian and would not allow any swearing in his presence. It is related that a man who worked for him (Nehemiah White,) in gathering wheat was pricked by the beards and uttered an oath, on which he was informed that there could be no more such talk. Repeating the offence a little later, his employer drove him out of the field with a pitchfork. Mr. Hopkins resided upon West Hill until his death at an advanced age.
Before the days of Ephraim Seeley and John Hopkins, there was an inhabitant who had no title to his land and exercised squatters rights. His name was George Scott and according to all ac- counts he was indolent and shiftless. Thomas Rowley one of the early settlers of Danby, when out on a hunting trip was caught in a storm and forced to stay with Scott over night. He was a poet of more than local renown and he described his experiences as follows:
27
THE EARLY SETTLEMENT OF THE TOWN.
"When't fell to my lot to vist Scott, In one cold winter's storm;
I did propose to dry my clo'se And my cold body warm.
I stepp'd in door, when on the floor A herd of swine there met me,
Which round me plied, on every side, And well nigh overset me.
Beyond the herd a man appeared As one without a soul, Who hung his head as if half dead Above a fire-coal.
His lovely wife to save her life Sat in the dust and sand.
Her knees erect, her chin protect, Her nose she holds in her hand.
Poor souls, they'll freeze, unless the trees Shall drop their limbs down chimbly, Or some kind friends a hand shall lend To help them very nimbly."
Scott's habitation was nearly opposite the schoolhouse that used to be in the Gurley Marsh district, (moved and made into a residence, now occupied by Mr. F. Miner on River Street). It was a mere shanty and hardly worthy to be called a human dwelling. Mrs. Scott's name was Lois and she is described as a little dumpy woman with blear eyes. Her two daughters Grace and Achsah were like the mother and took delight in any cloth- ing calculated to make a show. The father wore what he could get and did not pay very much attention to what he had. There is a tradition that when the proprietors found Scott in his squatters home they tried to induce him to leave
28
HISTORY OF WALLINGFORD.
it, by promising him the first lot to be run out in the new town. To this he agreed, but when they came to the survey, wishing to be rid of him and his family, they alloted him a portion in that part of the town lying next to Mt. Tabor, which has never been and never can be cultivated. But Scott was not outdone for he stuck to the township and was supported many years at its expense.
Within the next two or three years the town was slowly settled, and the new inhabitants found themselves in the midst of the sharp controversies that were raging in regard to the land grants. Governor Wentworth, by means of charter fees and the sale of his lots in the new townships, had accumulated a large fortune. The Governor of New York, desiring to have a share in such profits, issued a proclamation in 1763, claiming that New York embraced "all the lands from the west side of the Connecticut river to the east side of Dela- ware Bay". The King of England in 1764 decided in favor of New York and Governor Wentworth abandoned the contest. New York began to treat the New Hampshire grantees as trespassers and required them to surrender their charters. Some complied but the majority refused and several of the towns organized committees of Safety. A mili- tary organization was formed with Ethan Allen as its leader assisted by Seth Warner, Remember Baker and others. The Governor of New York threatened to drive the rebellious settlers into the Green Mountains, hence the name of "Green Moun- tain Boys" which they adopted. Doubtless a long drawn out contest would have resulted if it had not been for the breaking out of the Revolutionary War, which caused the settlers to turn their atten- tion from themselves to the fighting of a common enemy.
29
THE EARLY SETTLEMENT OF THE TOWN.
The first Continental Congress was held in Phil- adelphia, 1774, petitioning the King of England "as the loving father of the whole people" to redress their wrongs. This was unheeded, taxes in- creased and the spirit of discontent multiplied. Political tracts were scattered broadcast, indig- nation meetings held, patriotic sermons preached and preparations made for a military struggle. On January 16, 1776, war broke out. Throughout the district of the grants committees met in con- ventions and their resolves came to have the effect of laws. This was especially true in all civil and military matters.
Such a convention met "at the house of Cephas Kent, innholder" in Dorset, July 24, 1776. Thirty- two towns were represented by forty-nine dele- gates. Joseph Bowker of Rutland was appointed chairman and Dr. Jonas Fay of Bennington, clerk. They decided to do all in their power for the com- mon cause "but were not willing to put themselves under the honorable, the provincial Congress of New York". Two acts of this Convention were as follows:
"Resolved that application be made to the in- habitants of said grants to form the same into a separate district."
"Voted to appoint a Committee to treat with the inhabitants of the New Hampshire grants on the east side of the range of Green Mountains, relative to their associating with this body."
Wallingford sent two delegates to this conven- tion, viz. Abraham Jackson and Matthew Lyon. In all probability it was the oldest son of the first legal settler for he served as town clerk at this time. Matthew Lyon became later the founder of the town of Fair Haven (The late Senator Redfield Proctor published a fac-simile of the minutes of
30
HISTORY OF WALLINGFORD.
35
's Consequences of theginagoing Mancould,il
2. dadurch
sond Land V ough hadley
Gideon Girmeby )
Rupert
( Tinment).
Ogarenotletting
5
Him Ward
17%. Dolanan
-
Johan Tagen
the Dorset Con- vention, and I am indebted to his son, Ex-Gov- ernor Fletcher D. Proctor in being able to repro- duce the above cut.) The index finger indicates the North Wal- lingford dele- gates. Abraham Ives likewise served in a simi- lar capacity at one of these con- ventions.
All through Minutes of the Dorset Convention. the section of the Grants there was a growing spirit of independence and it culminated in the Windsor Convention. At first it was decided to call the new state by the name of "New Connecticut" but this was after- wards changed to Vermont (Verd Mont meaning Green Mountains). At the town meeting of March 27, 1781, it "was voted to allow Mr. Elihu Allen £2.2.0 for his attendance at Windsor concerning a constitution". A year later it was voted "that the Burying place be under the inspection and care of the Selectmen, also that two men be Raised for Service." In all probability they were raised for active service because in 1782 a rate of seven- pence on the list was raised to defray town charges and to pay soldiers while the Vermont Revolution-
31
THE EARLY SETTLEMENT OF THE TOWN.
ary Rolls give two or three militia companies whose commanders and many of the men came from Wallingford. Capt. Abraham Ives with eight sub-officers and thirty two men were a part of Col.
Eben E. Allen's regi- ment in 1780 and a year later at Cas- tleton, Capt. Abraham Jackson had charge of a similar com- pany. Among the names we find Joseph "Old Constitution House", Windsor. Randal, Lt., Steph. Clark, Ensn., Elisha Allen, Asabel Jackson, Wm. Crary, Win. Fisher, Sergts., Jonah Ives and Joel Naten, Corpls., and Googer Clark, Fifer.
A state law was passed in 1779 requiring "that every town in this state shall make and maintain at their own charge a good pair of stocks with a lock and key suf . ficient to hold and secure such offenders as shall be sentenced to sit therein" so at the town meeting held in 1780, it was "voted to erect a sine post and In the Stocks. stocks". At this meeting a resolution was "voted that Titus. Andrews to be an inhabitant of the said town on his good behavior and his making a publiek acknowledgement to the inhabitants of the said town". It is not known in what way
32
HISTORY OF WALLINGFORD.
Titus had misbehaved, possibly he may have been a "Tory" or "New York Grant" persuasion. He must have been reinstated in the good graces of the town for in 1781 he was made surveyor of highways. It was in his house that the Baptist Church was organized. Up to this time the pio- neers had settled along a north and southerly direction for about three miles and east and west about half a mile in extent. There was as yet no
OLD STYLE LOG BRIDGE.
school, no church, no laid out roads. Roaring Brook was crossed on logs. The town was devel- oping an interest in getting about with more ease for a committee of three, consisting of Abraham Ives, William Crary and Eliakim Richman, were appointed to build a bridge across Otter Creek. An appropriation of £15 was voted and then an additional £2 was added. This was the old style of log bridge that can occasionally be seen span- ning the creek. The locality for the "grate bridge" was upon Benjamin Bradleys lot and
33
THE EARLY SETTLEMENT OF THE TOWN.
doubtless in the same place as the cement bridge of today. There has been, not only a utility in the Bridges that cross the creek, but also a change of style, for the old log bridges gradually gave way
WOODEN PLANK BRIDGE.
to the wooden plank bridges. The one shown in this photograph was moved in 1907 to cross the creek near the shops of the American Fork and Hoe Co. The latest development in bridge build- ing is with cement construction, and one of the first cement bridges ever built in the state now crosses the creek where the wooden bridge for- merly was found. It cost $2,800.
The amount of land embraced in the original charter was 23,040 acres. On October 31, 1792, 3,388 acres were taken from it to form with Jack- son's Gore and a portion of Ludlow, the township of Mount Holly. In exchange the Legislature passed an act October 19, 1793, annexing to Wall- ingford a portion of the town of Tinmouth. This (3)
34
HISTORY OF WALLINGFORD.
-
CEMENT BRIDGE.
included all the section known as "West Hill" and was a full equivalent for all that had been given to Mount Holly. In the town clerk's office is one of the original charts showing the western boundary just across the creek. From the year 1783, interest was manifest in roads and schools. A rate of threepence in the pound was voted "for the purpose of opening the highway by Abraham Jackson's to Daniel Bradley's". This is the sec- tion of what is now the Main Street of the town, and at a later meeting it was decided that this road should be four rods wide. A committee of three men not residents of the town was appointed to say "where the roads should be running from the main road" and within seven or eight years, roads were built into the eastern part of the town, Sugar Hill and Hartsborough.
In 1788 at a meeting held in the home of John Miller it was decided to divide the town into dis- tricts. At first there were two districts mainly for school purposes and by 1794 the number of dis-
35
THE EARLY SETTLEMENT OF THE TOWN.
tricts had increased to six with a trustee for each district. Within the next twenty years we find the number augmented to ten with a total of 591 certified scholars for the year 1815, all over four and under eighteen years of age. One of the school houses in the northern part of the town was arranged so that half of it was in Wallingford and half in Clarendon, each town contributing to its support and sending scholars.
1128686
WALLINGFORD
LAST . SOUTHI . MILES
CHART OF TOWNSHIP.
In the town records there is a list of "the Free- men's names as they were entered in December, 1778: Abram Jackson, Ephraim Andrews. Joseph Jackson, Timothy Nichols, Willm Son Bool (now
36
HISTORY OF WALLINGFORD.
Bull), Benjm Bradley, Daniel Bradley, Stephen Clark, Goodyear Clark, Reuben Ives, Jonah Ives, Jotham Ives, Amos Ives, John Nichols, Silas Nich- ols, Geo. Nichols, Abrm. Jackson, Jr. It will readily be seen that several bore the same family names.
Abram Jackson, Jr., was a married man when he came to Wallingford with his father's family and had at one time the best built house in town, bringing brick from Connecticut to build the chim- ney. This house stood near the fordway east of Pitt Clarks and it was in this house the town was organized. Abram Jackson afterwards moved to Jackson's Gore, settling near Mechanicsville. Joseph Jackson settled near where Mr. Z. Cook now lives and Amos Ives where M. Ballou resides. Jotham Ives' home was just south of Mr. Russell Sherman's. Stephen Clark and Goodyear Clark had returned from service in the patriot army of the Revolution, settled east of the road that leads north from the village. Willm. Son Bool settled near where the meeting house stands in South Wallingford and Timothy Nichols where Mrs. Jerome Brown now lives. Edward Bumpus was south of C. D. Childs, Daniel Bradley afterwards occupying the place that Deacon Mosely Hall used as a tavern between the two villages, (near where Mr. George Stafford lives) in Hartsborough and Benj. Bradley where H. M. Hopkins now lives. Mrs. Daniel Bradley was a sister of the Ives's and her daughter Parthena Bradley is believed to have been the first child born in town. Abraham Ives kept the first store and tavern and was located near the Meachem place. He was a man of great energy and character and held the office of captain of the militia, justice of the peace and also high sheriff for the county, 1781-1785. His establish-
37
THE EARLY SETTLEMENT OF THE TOWN.
ment was not on a very large scale as he had only one room for store and tavern and a bedroom. According to an ancient source "he subsequently built a house where he kept his store and tavern, and had it painted and papered and was pretty smart". Mr. Ives one time started to go up to Mr. Richmond's, now the Ballou place, to carry home an iron wedge. When about half way he encountered a huge panther, which, with glaring eyes, stood a few feet distant in the path before him. He decided to stand his ground and hurled his wedge with all his strength at the panther's head. It gave a terrible scream and darted off into the forest, leaving the worthy captain in un- disputed pos- session.
MRS. MELINDA CHATTERTON.
" And He that doth the ravens feed, Yea providently caters for the sparrow,
Be comfort to my age!"
In selling the tract of land now known as Men- don, he opened the sale atmid- night of the day advertis- ed, in the in- terests of cer- tain Rutland men, the said land being purchased by Jonathan Par- ker, hence Par- kerstown. Ives fearing prose- cution for his
38
HISTORY OF WALLINGFORD.
irregularity, resigned his office, sold his property to Samuel Hull and left the state. A good deal of information regarding the early days of the town has been given by Mrs. Melinda Chatterton. She was born in Cheshire, Conn., March 19, 1772, and was seven years old when she came with her father Nathaniel Ives to settle in Wallingford. When the Congregational Church was organized, her father became the first deacon. The house where they first lived was near the spot now occupied by Mr. Geo. Sabin. It was only a log cabin. It had no chimney, no hearth, and no door un- til some time after they moved into it. For a door they Residence of Mr. Geo. Sabin. used to hang up a
coverlet until it became convenient to get one. Their nearest neighbors on the south was Mr. Ben- jamin Bradley and family (where Mr. Hopkins lives). On the north there was none nearer than the Meachem place where Abraham Ives lived. There was no bridge across Roaring Brook, but it was crossed by means of flat logs. It was more of a stream then than now and fish were found in great abundance. Down on the Otter Creek, mink muskrat and beaver were plentiful. For some time after settling in their new home, deer were found in considerable numbers in the forest; now
39
THE EARLY SETTLEMENT OF THE TOWN.
and then she would get sight of a bear or moose and at night would hear the howling of wolves and cries of other wild animals. They used to fre- quent the thick woods down by the creek. Even the birds were different for when she was a girl there were but very few robins, blue birds, orioles, swallows or bobolinks. Then the hawk, owl, blue jay, partridge, wild pigeon and woodpecker were most common. There was no store in town. They made their own sugar and their own cloth. If they
ICE FOUNTAIN CEMETERY.
wanted iron they had to go to Ticonderoga for it. It was thought a great thing if any had garments not of home manufacture. Mrs. Abraham Ives and Mrs. Abram Jackson had each a calico dress that was very much admired. They cost $15.00 a piece.
When Mrs. Chatterton came to town the ceme- tery contained eight graves, but several hundred when she died in January, 1867, almost 97 years old. It might be interesting to relate how the
40
HISTORY OF WALLINGFORD.
burial ground came to be used as such. A Tory from Manchester was going to put himself under British protection at Castleton, got as far as Green Hill on his way. The citizens learning that he was on the hill, went out after him. He pointed his gun at them and they thinking it was loaded shot him down. Afterwards it was found that his gun was unloaded when he was brought down to Mr. Benjamin Bradley's. Here he was kindly cared for but soon died of his wounds. Mr. Bradley buried him on his own land on the spot which is now the village cemetery. In the memory of some who are still living the Tory's grave can be remembered with a little picket fence around it. The original boundary of the cemetery can be readily seen by noting the line of trees that form- erly lined the outer edges. In later years it has been extended to the north and east.
As in other cemeteries there are a number of stones that testify to the mistakes of the stone carver, or present the theological ideas of the past. The ground is beautiful for situation and tempts one to linger for the scrutiny of inscriptions or the enjoyment of quiet and rest. Here, you are reminded of the great struggle for Independence, upon reading, "He was a soldier of the Revolu- tion". There, you see evidences of the manner in which some dread scourge resulted, decimating whole families as witnessed by many stones bear- ing family names, with little time between deaths. Near the entrance is an old tombstone whose date would make it appear far more ancient than it is.
THE EARLY SETTLEMENT OF THE TOWN.
41
CAL EB WARNER died June 12.1334 aged 50 yrs. 5 mos. 12 dys.
It is erected to the memory of
Caleb Warner died
June 12, 1334 Aged 50 yrs. 5 mos. 12 dys.
Evidently intended for 1834, it is surprising that it should have been placed in position with such a mistake.
Upon a stone erected to the memory of a min- ister, the Rev. Oliver Emerson, who died in 1853, there is an epitaph placed in quotation marks. It may have been his last spoken words. What was intended for "my purposes are broken off" reads a little differently on account of the mason cutting an extra "s" in purposes, causing ES AR ROKEN OF. it to appear as "my W purposses are broken off".
Is this a protest against the ortho- doxy of New Eng- land theology? It hardly seems consist- ent with the doctrine of the perseverance of the elect. The futil- ity of human hopes is expressed, but it
REV. OLIYER EMERSON
DIED
APRIL22,1853 Æ 39 y'rs.
42
HISTORY OF WALLINGFORD.
really would appear more pathetic if "purposses" had been correctly carved.
There is but a short distance from the subject of eternal decrees to that of angelology as shown on this stone.
-
Sacred to the Memory of LYDIA DOUGLAS Wife of Capt DANIEL DOUGLASS who died May 17, 1811 In the 60th year of her age.
Sacred to the Memory of Lydia Douglass wife of Capt. Daniel Douglass who died May 17, 1811 in the 60th year of her age
"Blest is the hour when the Saint dies
To enter into endless rest How mildly beam the closing eyes How gently heaves the expir- ing breast
Blest is the hour when the saint dies To enter into endless rest How mildly beam the closing eyes How gently heaves the expiring breast Triumphant smiles invest the "brow Fann'a by some Angels purple wing O grave where is the victory now And now 0 death where is the sting.
Triumphant smiles invest the brow Fann'd by some Angels pur- ple wing
O grave where is thy victory now And now O death where is thy sting."
The above verse must have been somewhat of a favorite as it is found on more than one stone. The " angel's purple wing" may be poetic license or a matter of color preference. There is no foun- dation for it in the Scriptures, although Jeremiah describes it as the color that clothed the idols of Israel. The idea of its being the royal color and its usage in tabernacle, temple, and priestly dress, may have been responsible.
43
THE EARLY SETTLEMENT OF THE TOWN.
While the theology of the past may have seemed more profound, and the information regarding angelic visitors more minute, yet some of the good folk did not intend to commit themselves too strongly regarding the lives of those about them. Upon another lot are found two stones side by side. Both have a measure of adornment peculiar to their time.
Death!
IN MEMORY OF Mr Samuel Hull who died April the 27th 1791 in the 62 nd Year of his Age.
How harsh forever the way dear Saviour Still lead on nor leave till we fay father thy will be done for we can at beft but tafte the butter cup for Thou alone haft drank it up.
EUNICE HULL Consort of Samuel Hull died May 9th 1803 in the 68 year of her age. They both belonged to the samec hurch in Cheshire in Con hecticut & appeared to be persons of real piety.
On the one erected to Eunice Hull, consort of Samuel Hull appears the following:
"They both belonged to the same church in Cheshire in Connecticut and appeared to be per- sons of real piety." There is no taking chances of saying what was not so, but the truth expressed in great literalness. One comes into touch with the past, as the faint lines on these old stones are deciphered. Varied grades of humor may be
44
HISTORY OF WALLINGFORD.
revealed even in a city of the dead but no one can wander and read without catching something of the manhood and womanhood which has always been the pride of the town.
RESIDENCE OF MRS. H. EARL.
45
SKETCHES OF SOME EARLY SETTLERS.
CHAPTER IV.
Sketches of Some Early Settlers.
M ANY OF THE older inhabitants were posi- tive in their convictions and did not rave over new ideas or discoveries until tried and found certain. In a town record dated Oct. 17, 1785, it was "Voted to not have the smallpox set up By a Nokelation". But afterwards this was changed for in March, 1802, the selectmen were directed "to license one or more Physicians to innoculate all those that wish to have the small- pox under such regulation, as they shall think fit and agreeable".
Lent Ives was one of the early settlers. He was a soldier of the Revolution. His lot included the best part of what is now the center of the
THE OLD LENT IVES HOUSE.
46
HISTORY OF WALLINGFORD.
village. After living in a log house he built near the present home of Mrs. Hattie Earl, and his barn occupied the site of Mrs. Edward L. Cobb's house. The space between the house and barn and north of it, was used for many years as a public park and parade ground. This house was moved in 1855-56 to the site of the present town hall. It was moved further north when the new town hall was built and is now rapidly falling into decay.
It is a matter of tradition that Ethan Allen stayed here several times. It is built in the old gambrel roof style, the posts larger at the top than at the bottom, the walls ceiled and panelled. The floor was made of very wide hard wood planks on the lower story, and pine of a superior quality above. Mr. Ives died June 30, 1838, in his eightieth year.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.