USA > Vermont > Washington County > Waterbury > History of Waterbury, Vermont, 1763-1915 > Part 14
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Memories of by-gone political campaigns in the town and the incidental rallies of early post bellum days are not so easily evoked as might seem possible. This is probably due to the matter-of-course results of those campaigns. A citizen, who would instantly resent the imputation that his memory is anything but photographic, expresses wonder why one should be interested in knowing about the various national and state administrations succeeding the war. Yet interesting inci- dents occurred. Once Honorable Edward J. Phelps, later
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HISTORY OF WATERBURY, VERMONT
ambassador to the Court of St. James, delivered a political speech from the steps of the Congregational Church, in which his disparaging remarks on the subject of the negro as a possi- ble citizen aroused much rancor and disapprobation, even among the Democrats in the audience, and afforded an oppor- tunity to an interested auditor, Mr. O. A. Seabury, to make an inimitable and speaking cartoon of the orator.
Some reminiscent citizens recall the advent to the town of a typical South Carolinian ex-Confederate officer and spell- binder. Now ex-Confederates were not popular in Water- bury, whatever their oratorical powers might be. The par- ticular speaker was one whose reputation as an orator had preceded him and it was readily admitted on all sides that he deserved it, but to the bewilderment of the people this ex- Confederate did not seek to win them by oratory; moreover, he actually did win them by his natural courtesy, charming manners and liberal give-and-take attitude in argument. To many this first rebel seen out of captivity or hostile engagement was an agreeable disappointment.
The baseball enthusiasts of today in Waterbury may be interested to know that the national game was not overlooked locally forty-eight years ago. There is now in existence a re- port of a game between the Green Mountain team of Bolton and the Annulet team of Waterbury, played at Bolton on the 3Ist of May, 1867. It goes without saying that the team from Waterbury won, but the grotesque score of 115 to 46 runs is not quite understandable. In the Annulet roster are found such names as William Deal, pitcher; Fullerton (Judge), first base; J. J. Colby, second base (now of Los Angeles, Cali- fornia); Charles Atherton, catcher (now of Essex); Leander Kirby, center field; Proctor, short stop; Canning, third base; William Guptil, right field; and E. Hutchins, left field.
The year 1870 found Waterbury with a population of 2,633. The town government included such tried officials as John D. Smith, clerk; Horace Fales, C. C. Robinson and S. R. Huse, selectmen; C. N. Arms, treasurer; Daniel Hopkins, constable, and Melville E. Smilie, superintendent. The listers were Nathaniel Moody, John D. Smith, and Andrew J. Brown;
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PERIOD 1850-1875
overseer, P. L. Muzzey; agent, Noah Robinson; postmasters were Justin W. Moody and (Center) John D. Smith. The bar was represented by Paul Dillingham, William P. Dilling- ham, C. F. Clough, E. F. Palmer, George W. Kennedy and M. E. Smilie. Physicians were Henry Janes, Horace Fales, J. E. Frink, L. H. Thomas, G. T. Flanders, and P. W. Thomas, oculist. E. F. Skinner was the local dentist. There were about thirty merchants of all sorts and dealers in staple arti- cles. The manufacturers numbered about a dozen. The hotels were the Waterbury Hotel, kept by W. H. Skinner; Village Hotel, by J. Brown, and Green Mountain House, by H. J. Campbell. There were eight churches in the Village and the Center. Leander Hutchins was president of the Waterbury National Bank, and Curtis Wells was cashier.
Few changes occurred between 1870 and 1875 in the business life of the town. There was a change in the roster of bank officials when Paul Dillingham succeeded Leander Hutchins as president of the Waterbury National Bank. The leading names of those in professional, commercial and manufacturing circles were much the same as those given before.
The list of manufacturers included B. F. Peckett, boots and shoes; A. H. Selleck, cassimeres and flannels; Fairbanks & Smith, chair seats; O. E. Scott, clocks and watches; Colby Wringer Company, clothes wringers, etc .; H. W. Smith & Company, inks; C. C. Warren, leather; G. W. Randall, Shurt- leff & Fullerton, leather. The merchants were: M. M. Knight, Richardson & Fullerton, C. E. Wyman; books and stationery, J. W. Moody; boots and shoes, L. Parmalee; butter and pro- duce, J. A. Burleigh; drugs and medicines, W. E. Carpenter, M. O. Evans; flour, meal and grain, Zenas Watts; furniture, A. A. Atherton, F. B. Taylor; hardware, Cecil Graves; milli- nery, Mrs. H. J. Parker, Mrs. A. C. Stebbins; picture frames, caskets, etc., G. H. Atherton; wholesale groceries, Arms & Haines. There were about four stores at the Center at this time, 1875.
A recapitulation of the town vote in gubernatorial and presidential elections between 1860 and 1875 is given: the Freeman's meeting in November of 1860 gave, respectively,
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Governor Erastus Fairbanks 240 votes as against John G. Saxe's 140, and the Abraham Lincoln Republican electors 227, as against the John C. Breckenridge Democrats' 116.
In 1861 the town polled 195 for Governor Frederick Hol- brook, as against Andrew Tracy's 102, Benjamin H. Smalley's II, and Paul Dillingham's I.
In 1862 Governor Holbrook was reelected, receiving from Waterbury 183 votes to Benjamin H. Smalley's 12.
In 1863 Governor John Gregory Smith received Waterbury's offering of 226 votes, to Timothy P. Redfield's 88.
In 1864 Governor John Gregory Smith succeeded himself, obtaining from Waterbury 237 votes, as against Timothy P. Redfield's 109.
Waterbury repeated her emphatic testimony in favor of the Abraham Lincoln Republican electors by giving them 316 votes, as against 115 for the McClellan Democrats at the November election in 1864.
In 1865 Waterbury, the home town of the (Union) Republi- can gubernatorial candidate, Paul Dillingham, gave him 289 votes to 62 for Charles N. Davenport.
In 1866 Governor Paul Dillingham succeeded himself, receiving in Waterbury 239, to Charles N. Davenport's 52.
In 1867 Governor John B. Page received in Waterbury 237 votes, to John L. Edwards' 77.
In 1868 Governor Page was reelected, Waterbury giving him 387 votes, as against J. L. Edwards' 128. This being the presidential year, the vote was heavier at the September elections than ordinarily.
In 1869 the town gave Governor Peter T. Washburn 228 votes, as against 57 for Homer W. Heaton.
In 1870 Governor John W. Stewart received 203 votes, against Homer W. Heaton's 78.
In 1872, the first biennial gubernatorial election, Governor Julius Converse received from the town 327 votes, as against 12I for A. B. Gardner.
The political wiseacres argued from these figures, as usual, a substantial ballot for the Republican Grant electors in No- vember, nor were they disappointed; but this vote exceeded
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PERIOD 1850-1875
the Republican gubernatorial vote by only 2, the Grant elect- ors receiving 329, as against the Greeley (Liberal Republican) electors' 80. President Grant at this time was at the very apex of his personal popularity. The unfortunate scandals of his first administration made possible by designing politi- cians had not served to alter Vermont's loyalty toward him.
It was not surprising that the candidacy of Horace Greeley, running as a Liberal Republican on the Democratic ticket, should have caused some anxiety to old-line Republicans in Waterbury. The New York Tribune, either in its weekly or semi-weekly edition, had long been accepted as a sort of po- litical bible by many subscribers who had followed Greeley's uncompromising hostility to every thing Democratic, up to 1872, with unconcealed approval. They argued that if Greeley, whose honesty and purity of motives were unassail- able, should desert the regular organization there must be some good reason for it, but when the candidate in his Maine speeches called for Southern support, the inevitable reaction set in. Waterbury did not hold Southern support in high esteem in 1872.
In 1874 Governor Ashael Peck received 259 votes in Water- bury, as against W. H. H. Bingham's 113. It was during Governor Peck's term that William P. Dillingham served as Secretary of Civil and Military Affairs and this administration brings us to 1876.
All this while Waterbury was largely dependent for her news service on semi-weekly New York and Boston newspapers for outside news. Nearer at home were the daily and weekly Burlington Free Press, Burlington Times, St. Albans Daily Messenger, Montpelier weeklies, Watchman and State Journal, Argus and Patriot, Green Mountain Freeman, Burlington Sen- tinel and St. Albans Transcript. These newspapers, for the most part, were repositories of political and miscellaneous information; they were well edited and some gained wide cir- culation beyond the state boundaries. A few were indelibly stamped with the characteristics of their editors and were sources of much entertainment as well as bald information.
11
CHAPTER V
1876-1900
This period, beginning with Centennial year, brought little to disturb the placid serenity of Waterbury. Quite naturally the fall Freeman's meetings remained the never-failing boon for public interest in dry times-dry in the non-technical sense, be it said. The people of Waterbury did not permit themselves to become aroused over the presidential campaign. It remains very distinctly to the everlasting credit of the sound sense of village communities like Waterbury that they were able to discount such inflammatory matter as was put before the people in the platforms of both leading parties of that year.
The Tilden Democracy on the one hand was denouncing the Republican administrations for a profligate waste of public lands, the failure to make good legal tender promises, the financial "imbecility" which had made no advance toward resumption of specie payments, attempts at enkindling sec- tional hatred by false issues regarding the public schools, and all efforts at blocking a national reform "necessary to estab- lish the Union now to be saved from a corrupt cen- tralism." They cried aloud that "all these abuses, wrongs and crimes, the product of the sixteen years' ascendency of the Republican party, create a necessity for reform, confessed by the Republicans themselves."
On the other hand, the Hayes Republicans were declaring for the permanent pacification of the Southern section of the Union, vaguely for duties from which revenue must be largely derived which should be adjusted to promote interests of American labor and advance the prosperity of the whole country; that the honest demands of women for additional rights, privileges and immunities should be treated with respectful consideration. While "sincerely deprecating" sec- tional feeling, the Republicans noted "with deep solicitude" that the Democratic party counted upon the electoral vote of
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HISTORY OF WATERBURY, VERMONT
a united South and charged that party with "being the same in character and spirit as when it sympathized with treason."
Here were two great parties, each vying with the other in seeking expression for thankfulness for a reunited country, and each apparently doing its best to undo everything that had been accomplished in that regard at terrible cost of life and property. There was nothing abnormal, then, in the vote given by Waterbury of 358 for Governor Horace Fairbanks and 163 for W. H. H. Bingham at the September meeting, nor was this normality disturbed in November when the Tilden Demo- cratic electors received 194 votes, to the 345 for the Hayes Re- publican electors. Well within the memory of many citizens is the tense national situation immediately succeeding Novem- ber elections and during the electoral count of the returning board and the sittings of the electoral commission. With that sense of justice characteristic of composite village sentiment, political opponents in Waterbury generously accorded to Mr. Tilden unqualified admiration for his indignant rejection of corrupt and venal overtures for the sale of Louisiana's elect- oral vote and for his dignified acquiescence in an official finding that remains questionable to this day. They realized how that acquiescence prevented a recurrence of the horrors of civil war-an eventuality that Waterbury had good reason for dreading, if ever an American town had.
The town had held its usual March meeting on the 13th, in the Centennial year, 1876, with the result of electing W. P. Dillingham as moderator; Frank N. Smith, town clerk; Luther Davis, John B. Parker and George W. Warren, select- men; James K. Fullerton, treasurer; James A. Burleigh, over- seer of the poor; Oscar W. May, constable and tax collector; Oscar W. May, A. B. Remington, I. Remington, listers; Daniel Hopkins, W. P. Dillingham, S. R. Huse, auditors; William Carpenter, public trustee; Noah Robinson, George W. Moody, Horace Fales, fence viewers; John S. Batchelder, E. F. Palmer, Daniel Hopkins, grand jurors; Lucius Parmalee, inspector of leather; E. H. Wells, pound keeper; twenty-five surveyors; Edwin F. Palmer, agent; George C. Washburne, superintend- ent of schools; George W. Randall, inspector of lumber.
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PERIOD 1876-1900
Governor Redfield Proctor's vote in the town at the Septem- ber meeting in 1878 was 253 to W. H. H. Bingham's 94, while Mr. C. C. Martin polled 104 in the same race. The two suc- cessful candidates for state senate were William P. Dillingham and Albert Dwinnell, each receiving 254 votes; James K. Tobey and Goin B. Evans each received 88, and George W. Randall and Medad Wright each 104, Waterbury furnishing three of the six senatorial candidates.
Governor Roswell B. Farnham's vote at the Freeman's meeting in September, 1880, was 327; his opponent, Edward J. Phelps, later to become ambassador at the Court of St. James, receiving 130. Messrs. Dillingham and Dwinnell were reëlected state senators, receiving 325 votes, as against 129 for Homer Heaton, and 128 for L. A. Joslyn. At the Novem- ber Freeman's meeting in 1880, the five Garfield Republican presidential electors received a town vote of 346. The two other groups of electors receiving 59 and 173 votes respectively, showing a remarkable disparity between the Democratic and Greenback vote in the town.
Governor John L. Barstow drew from Waterbury 206 votes, as against George E. Eaton's 48 in September, 1882. On the county ticket, Hiram A. Huse received a town vote for state's attorney of 206, to John H. Senter's 48, and C. F. Clough's 61, the latter a Waterbury lawyer. It is not without interest to note that in the Congressional election the town vote gave Luke P. Poland 184, George L. Fletcher 47, William W. Grout 20, William P. Dillingham 12, and H. D. Dunbar 54.
Governor Samuel E. Pingree polled 266 town votes in Sep- tember, 1884, to Lyman W. Redington's 96. Mr. C. F. Clough of Waterbury was again a candidate for state's attorney, receiving 29 votes, the successful candidate, Harlan W. Kemp, receiving 263. Frank Atherton, candidate for sheriff, received 263 votes.
The historic Blaine-Cleveland campaign of 1884 found and left Waterbury characteristically imperturbable. The Blaine Republican electors received a town vote of 308 to the Cleveland Democratic electors' 158. The two remaining groups of electors received 18 and 22 votes, respectively. This
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HISTORY OF WATERBURY, VERMONT
was the first presidential election under the new apportionment which gave four electors to the state, instead of five as hereto- fore.
Governor Ebenezer J. Ormsbee polled 244 town votes in September, 1886, to Stephen C. Shurtleff's 114.
Naturally the gubernatorial campaign of 1888 possessed, for Waterbury, something far greater than a perfunctory interest. The candidates were William P. Dillingham, who received a town vote of 319; Stephen C. Shurtleff, who received 97; Henry Seely and C. C. Martin, each receiving 2. Gover- nor Dillingham's election was duly and appropriately cele- brated in the town with a torchlight procession, speech making and music.
The Harrison Republican electors received a town vote that year of 296, to the Cleveland Democratic electors' 103.
The early part of President Garfield's administration, in the first part of the decade 1880-1890, brought the usual confidence to Waterbury that the nation's affairs were in good hands. Besides Mr. Garfield's many qualifications as a statesman, he was known in Waterbury to have been a brave soldier and the soldier-suffrage habit was naturally strong locally. When, for the second time in sixteen years, the town was called upon to mourn the loss of a stricken President and to deplore its impotency against the assassin's stealth, it was with poignant sorrow and regret that the people turned again to the demands of the workaday world.
At the September Freeman's meeting in 1890, Governor Carroll S. Page received 174 votes, as against Herbert L. Brigham's 100.
The next candidate on the Republican side was Levi K. Fuller who received a gubernatorial vote at the September (1892) Freeman's meeting of 295, as against 154 for Bradley B. Smalley.
At the November Freeman's meeting of the same year, 1892, Waterbury gave the Harrison Republican electors an average of 255, as against the Cleveland Democratic electors' 105, this year marking the first presidential election in Ver- mont under the modified Australian ballot system and a de-
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PERIOD 1876-1900
parture from the custom of voting for the several groups of electors as unit groups.
At a special town meeting, April 30, 1894, a resolution was passed granting the petition of the Columbian United Electric Company for a franchise to occupy a portion of the side of the right of way of the highway and for crossings, widening, etc.
The gubernatorial vote in September, 1894, at the Free- man's meeting gave a town vote of 239 to Governor Urban A. Woodbury, as against George W. Smith's 75.
The successor to Governor Woodbury was Governor Josiah Grout, who received a town vote in 1896 of 381, as against John Henry Jackson's 115.
At the November (1896) Freeman's meeting, the Mckinley Republican electors received 3272 votes, as an average, against 67 for the Democratic electors.
At the September Freeman's meeting, 1898, Governor Ed- ward C. Smith received 237 town votes, as against 93 for Thomas W. Maloney.
Governor William W. Stickney in 1900 received 351 votes, to John H. Senter's 100 in the town.
At the November Freeman's meeting the Mckinley Repub- lican electors received 272 town votes, as against 93 for the Democratic electors. Again, in 1901, Waterbury was called upon to mourn the untimely death of a President taken off by the bullet of a madman.
The village of Waterbury remained unincorporated until the Legislative session of 1882 when it obtained a charter entitled "An Act to Incorporate the Village of Waterbury," approved November 20, 1882, under which fire district Number I was embraced within the designation "Village of Waterbury."
At a meeting of the fire district, December 20, 1882, it was voted to accept the charter passed and approved as above. The first roster of village officers were elected at this meeting as follows: president, C. F. Clough; trustees, George F. Ran- dall, Joseph Somerville, John Seabury, G. E. Moody; clerk, George C. Washburn; treasurer, James K. Fullerton; collector, Zenas Watts; auditors, William Wade, W. P. Dillingham,
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HISTORY OF WATERBURY, VERMONT
George W. Morse; chief engineer, Andrew J. Brown; first assistant, Charles D. Robinson; second assistant, William Deal; fire wardens, C. N. Arms, C. E. Richardson, Edward Shiple, Edward Farrar. It was voted that a committee of three be elected to draft by-laws for said village. The com- mittee elected consisted of C. F. Clough, William P. Dilling- ham and Henry Janes. The village next was duly divided into four wards by the fire wardens. The first included that part between the bridge at east line of the village and D. C. Caldwell's and the depot east; the second included Park Row to the east side of Stowe Street to the dry bridge; the third, from the west side of Stowe Street to the dry bridge including all west of the railroad and Thatcher's Brook to the tannery; the fourth included all east of the railroad and Thatcher's Brook from the tannery.
The question of aiding the construction of the Mount Mans- field Railroad under its charter passed by the Legislature in 1888 arose at a duly called town meeting February II, 1889. The following was voted: "That the sum of seven thousand dollars be appropriated to aid in the construction of the Mount Mansfield Railroad under the charter granted to the Mount Mansfield Railroad Company by the Legislature of Vermont at its October session, A. D. 1888, such road to be constructed from Waterbury Village to Stowe Center Village by way of Waterbury Center Village. And that the selectmen are hereby authorized and directed to draw their orders in favor of said company, its successors or assigns, on the treasurer of the town for the said sum of seven thousand dollars, the same to be payable in two installments of thirty-five hundred dollars each, one in thirty days after regular passenger trains shall run to Waterbury Center Village and the other in one year thereafter. And that said selectmen, on the payment of such aid and in satisfaction therefor, are directed to subscribe for and take in the name of said town the capital stock of our said Railroad Company to the amount of said seven thousand dollars."
For many years prior to the incorporation of the village the tax rate was about $1.05 on the grand list of the town. After
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PERIOD 1876-1900
the incorporation of the village the rate by degrees ran from $1.50 to $2.00 on $1.00 of the list. This increase cannot be said to be due wholly to the incorporation of the village but coincidently with it began a steady rise in farm products and outside values increased. Within the corporate limits of the village, moreover, the real estate valuations have increased by more than 50 per cent. The increase of about the same amount on farm property within the town limits, though not due to village incorporation, has been coincident with the village realty increase. Naturally, the practical efforts at securing good roads and their maintenance and the erection of new bridges within and without the corporate limits have had their effect. Concrete sidewalks received attention at the village meeting, August 16, 1889, at which it was voted to begin "on Main Street, north side from B. Barrett's Hotel, to corner of C. E. Wyman's store, and one or more crossings and as much more as in their (trustees') judgment the appro- priation will warrant."
At a special town meeting, April 30, 1894, a resolution was passed granting the petition of the Columbian United Electric Company for a franchise to occupy a portion of the side of the right of way of the highway and for crossings, widening, etc.
The village had been inadequately lighted by oil lamps, requiring a disproportionate amount of care and attention so that when the Vermont Electric Company submitted four different propositions for lighting the streets, March 9, 1891, there was little opposition at this meeting to the acceptance of a proposition calling for sixteen arc lamps, each of 1,200 c.p. to burn from dusk until II p. m. At a subsequent meet- ing (March 23, 1891), however, it was voted to rescind the authorization of the trustees to contract with the Vermont Electric Company, passed March 9, and further consideration of electric street lighting was deferred temporarily.
An elaborate and exhaustive report was submitted at a special village meeting August 27, 1895, touching on water supply in and about Waterbury, the cost and feasibility of bringing water to the village for fire, domestic and other pur- poses. Appropriate resolutions were thereafter (December 9,
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HISTORY OF WATERBURY, VERMONT
1895) adopted authorizing the village to take and hold, under Act 195, Laws of 1894, certain springs and streams, in the towns of Waterbury and Stowe, to issue bonds to the amount of $20,000, payable in twenty years, redeemable in five years, bearing 4 per cent interest, and authorizing the treasurer to borrow on temporary loans not exceeding $14,000.
The rules and regulations governing the Village Water Works were adopted September 24, 1896.
In a communication dated May 10, 1897, the Mount Mans- field Electric Railroad Company gave notice of its purpose to begin construction from Waterbury to Stowe and described therein the section to be built in the village.
On April 12, 1898, notice was given by the village, through the village clerk, to the Vermont Telephone and Telegraph Company of its authorization to erect and maintain poles and wires thereon in certain streets.
At a special village meeting, April 13, 1900, a resolution was adopted empowering the trustees to contract with the Consolidated Lighting Company to furnish two arc lights of 2,000 c.p. each and one hundred or more incandescent lamps of 32 c.p. each as they find necessary at a price not to exceed $50 each for arc lights and $6 for each incandescent light per year for a period of five years, the lights to burn from dusk until one o'clock a.m., three hundred nights in the year.
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