USA > Vermont > Rutland County > Wells > History of Wells, Vermont, for the first century after its settlement > Part 2
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There has been a remarkable change also in the price of manual labor, as well as in the price of produce, within the last fifty years ; due, in a great measure, to the introduction of machinery. Prices have increased threefold, in many instances. The price paid a laborer in haying and harvesting has increased from seventy-five cents a day to two dollars and two dollars and fifty cents ; butter from twelve and fifteen cents per pound, to forty and fifty cents ; cheese from four and five cents, to twelve and sixteen cents per pound ; corn from fifty cents to one dollar and a half per bushel ; potatoes from twenty cents to fifty cents, and frequently one dollar per bushel, and oats likewise.
And such is the enormous influx of emigrants from all parts of the world to this country, that we may look for an increase rather than a diminution of the above prices.
Notwithstanding the independence of the farmer who reaps in a measure the benefits of these high prices, and the fact that those who now hold property in land are well recom- pensed for their industry and economy, we may be allowed to state as our own humble opinion, that too many of our young men endeavor to obtain a livelihood from other sources, because less labor is required, which often proves a failure and leaves them in poverty.
In the extreme western part of the town good building stone is found, while about one hundred and fifty rods east of this range, both black and purple slate abound in large
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HISTORY OF WELLS.
quantities; and intermediate, but on lower land, appearances at the surface would indicate extensive deposits of red slate. Notwithstanding the large amount of slate mined in this vicinity, the slate interest is increasing-large quantities of it being sent off yearly on the Rutland and Washington railroad-and not only are roofing slate manufactured from this rough looking material, but elegant table-tops and mantles, beautiful coffins, tomb-stones, and wash-stands, and various other useful articles. As yet but one quarry is worked in this town, which is situated in the south-western part of the town. This quarry was opened about 1854-5, and, we are informed, has very recently passed into the hands of Evan Jones, of Granville, N. Y. A large and convenient building has been erected the past season, wherein is an engine and other machinery, for preparing slate for market. The slate of this quarry is highly prized on account of its purple color.
Before railroads existed in this vicinity, there were four distilleries in town, which manufactured brandy from cider, and whisky from rye and corn. The first distillery was owned by Peter King, was located on the site of the Union Store, formerly owned by Orlin Lewis, and was run previous to 1800, and subsequently. The next distillery was estab- lished about 1809 by Abel Potter, and was located at the foot of Pond Mountain, near the cold spring now owned by John S. Hulett. The next was established about 1826, by Samuel Rust, and was located near the residence of Winslow Goodspeed. The last was owned and run by Elijah Parks, about 1829, was located near the residence of the late Hobert Parks, and was closed several years since.
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HISTORY OF WELLS.
Among the many interesting curiosities of the past we should mention the whipping-post, where punishment was meted out to evil-doers. It was about eight inches square and was erected in the latter part of the eighteenth century, and stood about seven feet in hight, and on the green west of the Universalist Church. The last person who was whipped at this post, was a man about forty years of age, and for stealing, was sentenced by Justice Samuel Lathrop to receive ten lashes. The punishment was inflicted by the constable, and took place about 1807, but the post, it is stated, remained until it decayed, a memento of former laws.
Some three or four families of this town, in Revolutionary times, by their devotion to British rule, brought upon their heads the name of tory, and their lands were sold for "traitrous conduct."
Of remarkable seasons we might mention the year 1816, which is remembered as the cold, dry summer. Some fifteen sheep, owned by Jason Tyler, who lived at that time in the western part of the town, near the residence of Howell Clark, were found frozen to death in his barn, about the 8th of June, having been sheared but a short time before.
We are informed that in 1824 the spotted worms appeared in great numbers in this vicinity, eating the leaves of the forest and fruit trees, as they passed from west to east. Many maple trees being special objects of their attack, were destroyed.
In 1826 there were so many grasshoppers as to cause much damage to the grass and growing crops.
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HISTORY OF WELLS.
THE MOUNTAINS.
Pond mountain on the east side of the lake, though not the the highest in town, rises very abruptly to the hight of eight hundred feet, and is so naked and barren that from places one mile or more to the westward it somewhat resembles a haystack when one half has been cut down and removed. The scenery presented to view from its summit is picturesque and varied, and for the time spent in ascending it, will well repay him who admires Nature in all its romantic forms. From its summit one may realize his own weakness and insignificance, while at the same time he perceives the power and goodness of Him whose wisdom is manifested unto man in the works of His hands. A short distance to the eastward of the Pond mountain range are Moose-horn mountain, Pine Hill and North-east mountain, lying in another range running north and south. Between the last named mountains there is a tract of land, (owned by Joseph Parks previous to his decease, the past summer,) called Bear Swamp, which years ago was frequented by bears that often committed depredations on the cornfields and the neighboring flocks of sheep.
The following anecdote was furnished us by Mr. Parks, when over eighty years of age, and is given nearly in his own words :
"Among the early settlers was one Daniel Goodsell, who living near this swamp, thought he would try his skill in setting a trap. Having procured one he had the good luck to catch a small bear, which was very fat though not very black. With the idea of selling the skin, he carried it to John C. Bishop, who kept a store in Granville, N. Y. Mr.
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HISTORY OF WELLS.
Bishop did not like to give him his price, because the skin was not large enough nor black enough. But Gocdsell finally sold him the skin, and asked him how much he would give for the largest and the blackest one he ever saw. Bishop said he would give him four dollars, and Goodsell agreed to catch him such an one. £ About one month thereafter he caught one, the largest and the blackest that had ever been caught by any of the neighbors. He carried the skin over to Mr. Bishop according to agreement, unrolled it, and asked him if it was not the largest one he had ever seen. Bishop said it was. He then asked him if it was not the blackest one he ever saw. Bishop said it was, but that the fur was not good. Goodsell said to him, that if he had told him that he wanted the fur good he would have caught him such an one. Mr. Bishop being an honest Quaker, saw that he was caught, paid him the four dollars, and Goodsell left him to his own reflections."
LAKE AUSTIN, OR ST. AUSTIN.
This lake commonly known as Wells Pond is a beautiful sheet of water, surrounded as it is by hills and mountains, and is situated in the western part of the town, extending into Poultney.
In " Thompson's Vermont Gazetteer," it is called St. Augustine ; and it further appears that, as early as 1767, it was called St. Catherine, and in relation thereto we give the following extract of a letter from the Hon. Hiland Hall, cf Bennington.
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HISTORY OF WELLS.
BENNINGTON, Nov. 12th, 1868.
Dear Sir :
It appears from the N. Y. Land Papers, in the office of the Secretary of State. at Albany, that, April 24th, 1767, a survey was returned of 5,000 acres of land for Col. John Maunsell, "in the County of Albany, on the west side of Lake St. Catherine," and that the same land was granted him March 7th, 1771. A map prepared under the direction of Gov. Tryon and published in London in 1779, purports to give the locations of the several grants made by the governors of New York up to the period of the revolution, of which map a copy on a reduced scale is given in the first volume of the Documentary History of New York. On this map, Maunsell's tract is marked as lying on the west side of a body of water designated as "St. Cathe."-doubtless an abbreviation of St. Catherine. The New Hampshire town- ships are ignored on this map; but " Wells" is engraved just east of the lake, and " Pawlet" south-east, leaving it beyond doubt that your Wells body of water was intended. It is not unlikely that Maunsell gave the name when he made the survey, and as he made no settlement under his patent, that knowledge of it did not reach others."
HILAND HALL.
We are of the opinion that the name "St. Catherine," as applied to this lake, is of New York origin, as the oldest inhabitants of the town, who are over eighty years of age, do not remember of hearing it called otherwise than Lake Austin, or Lake St. Austin. This lake is about five miles in length, its greatest width is nearly one mile, and is estimated to cover some 2,000 acres.
It is well supplied with all kinds of fish that are common to such lakes in this State. Pickerel were introduced here from Whitehall about 1821. They were caught through the ice in Lake Champlain, brought here packed in snow, and placed in the Zuriel Lewis spring on the west side of
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HISTORY OF. WELLS.
the lake, whence the most of them after thawing out swam into the lake. About 1820, three Deer were killed on this lake in the winter, by the brothers Clark and Samuel Lamb, and Cyrus Geer.
It is related that the hunters of this and adjoining towns in early times were accustomed to meet occasionally on the banks of the stream, south of Lyman Grover's residence in the village, hang up their venison and other game in the surrounding trees, spend a few days in friendly intercourse, and that Ethan Allen frequently met with them.
The lower part of this lake, commonly called the Little Pond, is about three-fourths of a mile in length, by one-half mile in width. The following incident occurred in connection with this pond in the early settlement of the town : Abel Merriman, much disposed to merriment as his name would indicate, sold this pond in the winter season, when covered with ice and snow, as " an elegant tract of intervale land, with no trees or stumps upon it," and deeded the same. Much land, at that time, was sold by description to people living at a distance. A public house, called the Lake House, was built on the west side of the lake in 1859, by Merritt Lewis. This house is situated on a beautiful little eminence in a pleasant grove, about ten rods from the lake. It passed into the hands of Charles W. Potter in 1867, and, the past . year, has been fitted up in elegant style and provided with modern comforts and improvements, for the accommodation of pleasure parties and of those living in the city who wish to spend the warm summer months in the country. It is located amid delightful scenery and fine fishing grounds, and is a place of great resort for pleasure parties, who find much enjoyment in fishing and sailing on the lake
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HISTORY OF WELLS.
In the early settlement of the town fever-ague prevailed in the vicinity of the lake.
In a descriptive sketch of the State of Vermont, printed in London in 1797, and in the possession of Sylvester Clark of this town ; we find the following : " Castleton, Wells and Tinmouth have each a small lake of water, that in Wells is much the largest. These lakes prove very detrimental- to the inhabitants, (notwithstanding they supply them with great quantities of fish) for they are, at different seasons of the year, seized, and often cut off, with fever-ague; and experi- ence has proved that the primary cause of this destructive disease originates from the stagnated waters of these lakes ; for when that at Castleton has been drained (as has some- times been the case) they have never been scourged with the pestilence ; but as soon as they shut up the outlet of the water, it directly produces the fever again."
Though this town has no rivers to furnish an abundance of water power, it is well supplied with springs and small brooks. The principal stream is the outlet of the lake, and on this are located a saw-mill and planing mill, owned by Wilder Lewis; a wagon shop, owned by Carlos Parker ; a woolen factory, owned by Benjamin Lewis, and a gristmill, owned by Mrs. Julia Goodrich. There were formerly a saw-mill above Lewis' factory, and one near James Norton's residence ; also a tannery just west of Parker's wagon shop, owned by Levi Lewis. The woolen factory was built by Benjamin Lewis in 1853, was enlarged in 1856, and has capacity for manufac- turing one hundred yards of cloth daily. This is the third factory erected on the same site, the others having been destroyed by fire. The first factory was built some fifty or
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HISTORY OF WELLS.
sixty years ago by John Blossom. The gristmill was built in 1808, by Roswell Goodrich.
There is another stream which rises in Tinmouth and flows in a westerly direction through the southern part of the town. On this stream there is only one saw-mill and bobbin shop, owned by Winslow Goodspeed. There were, years ago, two gristmills on this stream ; one located near the residence of Joshua Howe ; the other a few rods below the residence of Hiram Francis. This stream was once well supplied with trout, and frequently one would be caught that would weigh one pound or more. Now, but few trees line its banks that afford them a safe retreat, and consequently they are caught before they reach the size they formerly attained.
The village is pleasantly situated in the southern part of the town, near the outlet of the lake, and contains about thirty dwelling houses, three churches, two blacksmith shops, formerly three stores, though now only one, two wagon shops, one school house, one public house, one grocery, one saw-mill, and a post office. A new store, a short distance west from the village, has this season been completed and furnished by Benjamin Lewis and his son, R. M. Lewis, which does honor to them as enterprising and public-spirited men.
COMMON SCHOOLS.
Our first school houses, we are informed, were built of loss, warmed by a fireplace, as there were no stoves here then, and provided with rude benches. The scholars were instructed in reading-in the old English Reader or American Preceptor, (copies of which are now seldom scen) ; in arith- metie, which the teacher was not always master of beyond
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HISTORY OF WELLS.
the rule of three ; in penmanship, in a rude hand, and in spelling. (Grammar was not taught.) The teachers were paid in grain, flax, or some other farm products. At a later day, better school houses were built, and generally provided with a continuous bench around and on three sides of the school-room, the scholars facing the center of the room.
In 1779, the inhabitants voted " to divide the town into two districts, as nater has divided it, for schooling." This is supposed to refer to the Pond Mountain range as the dividing line, running north and south, making the western part of the town one school district, and the eastern part another. We hear it related that, formerly, more or less strife existed between these two sections, at elections ; especially to elect a town representative.
In 1786, the town was divided into six school districts, and, though we believe there have been elever, there are now only seven, with two fractional districts.
In 1803, the number of scholars, between four and eighteen years of age, was 401; in 1830, 288; in 1840, 224; in 1846, 293 ; in 1850, 244 ; in 1860, 169.
The decrease in numbers noticed above, arises probably from a variety of causes, but mainly from the fact that the small farms have been gradually absorbed by the more industrious and wealthy landowners, consequently causing the number of families also to diminish. Another cause arises from the fact that many of our young men on attaining their majority remove to the great West or some other part of the country, seeking their fortunes where there are greater inducements than at home. Still another cause is due to the decrease in the number of children born in almost every family.
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HISTORY OF WELLS.
GENERAL CENSUS OF THE TOWN.
The population of this town, as shown by the United States census, was in 1791, 622; in 1800, 988 ; in 1810, 1,040; in 1820, 986; in 1830, 880 ; in 1840, 740 ; in 1850, 804; in 1860, 642; in 1868, (town census.) 687.
We are not informed that any of the early settlers of this town ever lived to attain the age of one hundred years. The following are some of the more remarkable instances of longevity, viz : Mrs. Avis How died in 1857, aged 97 years, 3 months and 24 days; Abigail Nye was 97 years, and John Davis was 96 years of age at his death. Two aged persons have died in this town the present year (1868), Mrs. Vinsa Goodspeed in her ninetieth year, and Joseph Parks, aged 84.
EARLY CHURCH HISTORY.
In April, 1774, the town voted to build a " meeting house " on the east side of the channel which connects the two ponds that form Lake Austin, and a committee of five, viz :- Caleb Lewis. John Ward, Zaccheus Mallory, Ogden Mallory and Enoch Mallory-was appointed to select a site for its erection. At a subsequent meeting, the following October, a committee of five, viz :- Timothy Alling, Timothy Moss, Daniel Culver, Roger Rose and Abel Merriman-was appointed to hire a minister.
Thus it appears that the inhabitants of this town, though it had not been organized but little more than one year, deemed divine worship of so much importance, that they at once sought a situation to build a church. We notice that, in
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HISTORY OF WELLS.
1780, a committee of three men was appointed to hire a minister, also that, in 1785, the minister's name was Murdock, which is the first minister's name we have seen in the early town records.
We presume the services were held at some private residence, as we have no accounts that any church was built for some years thereafter.
In May, 1789, a committee appointed for the purpose, selected ten acres of land, and on this tract the town voted " to build a church 36 feet in length, by one story and a half high." The exact boundary of this ten acre lot is not at present known. This land is now owned by Alvah Mitchell, and is situated on the rise of land about midway between the pond bridge and pond mountain, and on the north side of the highway. This place was selected because it was considered the center of the town. The following year, 1790, the church was built, but the work inside was never wholly finished. This, we are informed, was the first church built in town, and was not confined to any particular denomination. This church building, having been used for a barn a number of years, was blown down during a storm, March 27th, 1847.
On this tract of land the first burial ground was laid out, though on the east side of the hill, and there too are buried some of the first settlers of this town, with no monuments reared to mark the graves of those long since departed.
In 1799, a committee of five men, viz : Simon Francis, Joshua Culver, Joseph Button, Samuel How and Jonathan Paul-was appointed " to circulate a subscription paper to procure means to build a house for public worship and town privileges. The following year, 1800, the second church was built in the village, on the site where the Universalist
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HISTORY OF WELLS,
church now stands. This, we suppose, might be called an union church, as it was built by subscription and held in common by the several denominations then existing here- Methodists, Episcopalians and Universalists,-and the town meetings were held therein until 1855. It was some forty or fifty fect square, and was without a stove or chimney until about 1825. It was two stories high, and was furnished with four rows of square pews, running north and south, and a gallery on three sides; and had an entrance on the west side and south side. At the time it was built, it was the largest church in this vicinity. With its large roof and no steeple, it resembled a large bara more than a church.
It was in this old brown church that the following exhibi- tion took place, as related by the Hon. Horace Grecley, in an article on Dramatic Memories, written for the New York Ledger, (January, 1868,) wherein he mentions, with other reminisences of his boyhood day's, the following incident that transpired here in 1828, and is given in his own words, as follows : " While an apprentice at, Poultney, an ' exhibi- tion' was advertised to come off one evening in the church at Wells, six miles south of us; so a party was made up to attend it, I being one of that party. Wells had rather a hard reputation in those days, (perhaps from the ill-behavior of those who went thither from neighboring towns to 'carry on,') which fame I trust it has since outgrown. It was late in winter, with deep snow, but thawing ; so that, to protect us from the balls of ice and snow constantly thrown at us from our horses' feet, a long boar I had been set up on edge across the front of our rude sleigh, or rather sled; and this, in passing a point of rock which projected into the narrow road through the forest which skirted . Lake St. Austin,' (other-
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HISTORY OF WELLS.
wise Wells Pond), was caught and held so as to rake the sled clear of its human freight, I received a hurt on my right shin which remained unhealed for years. But no one complained, all laughed ; and we were soon all on board and in motion again, reaching Wells in good time for the 'exhibition.' The church was crowded with eager though not very critical auditors ; the players were considerably older than we of Westhaven were at the date of our maiden effort ; and I presume the playing was better, mainly because it could not easily be worse. There were several pieces (most of them literally so) on the bills, and all were duly undergone ; yet, their names have escaped me. One peculiarity remains firmly imbedded in my memory. There was a scene in one of the - plays wherein a man snugly hidden amid the thick branches of an evergreen trec overheard a plot to commit robbery, and perhaps murder also. Whereupon he bides his time, and duly precipitates himself on the robber (or robbers) in the very act, putting him, or them to death or flight, and gallantly rescuing the intended victim. Well, here is where the laugh comes in. The tree-a substantial pine or hemlock, some eight inches through and twenty feet high-had been firmly implanted in the stage before the 'exhibition' began ; and there it remained to the end-forming a noticeable, but very congruous, portion of the furniture of every parlor, boudoir, prison-cell, court-room, &c., from first to last. If city audiences were less fastidious, I suspect that managers might have learned how to retrench their expenses for furniture, fixtures, scenery, attendants, &c., by studying that Wells ' exhibition.' Unluckily, some of my companions on that excursion were of the 'won't go home till morning' stamp, and could not see why any one should go to Wells
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HISTORY OF WELLS.
unless to have a ' high old time.' They controlled the team, and would neither set it on the road to Poultney, nor permit the rest to do so, until late the next day. Meantime they would neither sleep nor tolerate slumber on the part of any one else. The performances of the latter part of the night were a little wilder and rougher than I was ever before or since implicated in, however innocently, and Wells was no wise to blame therefor. I never saw the respected village save during this single visit ; and I sincerely trust that my reputation there is not based on the average conduct of my party on that exceptionally boisterous occasion. It was never before nor since so hard for me to work as during the afternoon and evening following our return to Poultney."
Though that exhibition occurred forty years ago, there are some in town who remember of being present, and the people of that day generally concur with Mr. Greeley respecting the "reputation " of the town at that time, and would cite as an instance in proof, the " carrying on" of his own party, though naught is treasured up against the honorable gentleman on account of his trip to Wells.
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HISTORY OF WELLS.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
BY WM. H. HULL.
The history of Methodism in this town dates back as far probably as it does in any town in the State. From the want of record or authentic oral tradition, we are unable to give any thing more than a brief outline of its history.
The first Methodist preacher who visited Wells, inquired for the poorest family in town, and was directed to the house of Nathaniel Lewis, who resided in the north part of the town. He preached at his house, and he and his wife and some of his children and neighbors were converted. A small class was formed and Mr. Nathaniel Lewis appointed leader. One of his children became an acceptable local preacher. The name of this first Methodist preacher, the year in which he made his first visit, or the number of members in the class organized, can not be ascertained at the present time. The event probably took place about 1780 or a little later.
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