USA > Vermont > Windsor County > History of Windsor County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 21
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The next newspaper of Ludlow was The Black River Gazette, founded in December, 1866, by R. S. Warner and Moses Burbank. In March, 1867, Mr. Burbank died, and another owner succeeded to his place Without attempting to follow in detail all the changes in ownership of the Gazette, it is sufficient to state that the paper was continued with varying and in- different success until 1884, when the then owner moved the whole plant to Brandon, and thenceforth as a Windsor county journal it ceased to exist.
The Vermont Tribune, the present newspaper of Ludlow, was founded in 1876, the first number appearing on November 24th. Its first pub- lishers were Mott Brothers. The Tribune has continued, with changes, of course, in ownership, to the present day, and is now counted among the prosperous journals of the county. Its prosperity is evinced by its general appearance and the character of its contents; and it is no ful- some flattery to say that the Tribune, under the management of Mr. E. G. Allis, is as clean, bright, newsy and interesting a paper as can be found
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
in the county to-day. Mr. Allis succeeded to the proprietorship of the Tribune in April, 1881, his predecessor being L. B. Hibbard, who pur- chased from W. A. McArthur in July, 1879. The latter bought the pa- per in September, 1877, from F. W. Bacon, who was the successor of the founders, in February of the same year.
The Bethel Courier, while it is hardly a newspaper of the county, nev- ertheless circulates as such, is still entitled to at least a passing notice. The paper is printed at West Randolph, and has an edition under the above title ; also it has an editor at Bethel, Walter M. Brooks.
Among the other newspapers of the county in times passed was the Patron's Rural, of Rochester, a monthly publication, devoted to the Grange interest, not printed, however, in that town, but at Bellows Falls. It was started in 1882, under the local management of Alpha Messer.
The township of Royalton has had three newspapers, the first the Vermont Advocate, published by Wyman & Spooner for a time, and then moved to another county ; the Greenback Herald, started in April, 1878, by E. D. Pratt, who undoubtedly expected, or at least hoped, to flood the county with greenbacks, through the efforts of the short-lived party of that name, but they did not-more's the pity ; and the South Royalton Gazette, established in 1880, by Charles Culver, and contin- ued only about three months.
Then, in other parts, was the Citizen Soldier, of Norwich, a paper purporting to represent the militia interests. It opened the "campaign" in July, 1840, and was "commanded " by Major Sweet. In February, 1841, " headquarters " were moved to Windsor, and here, in July fol- lowing, it was " captured "-by the hand of misfortune.
The Vermont News was started in Springfield in 1879. It ceased publication seven weeks later.
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TOWN OF WOODSTOCK.
CHAPTER XIV.
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF WOODSTOCK, AND THE INCORPO- RATED VILLAGE OF WOODSTOCK-THE SEAT OF JUSTICE OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
T THE history of the town of Woodstock has recently been made the subject of a considerable volume, the results of the patient toil and deep research of Mr. Henry Swan Dana ; and it is no fulsome com- pliment to say concerning Mr. Dana's work that it is all that could be desired ; clearly and concisely written, admirably well done, an honor to its editor, to its publisher, and an agreeable and welcome record to the people of the town to which it relates. Therefore it seems that an- other history of Woodstock, following so closely upon that just pub- lished, would be an absolutely useless undertaking, but a history of Windsor county without a history of its shire town would be much like a play minus the leading character. But one fortunate effect of the recent publication is to greatly lessen the bulk or volume of the present chapter, and renders only necessary in this connection the briefest ref- erence to the events of the town's interesting history, for the gratifica- tion and use of the people of those towns of the county in which it is hardly to be expected that Mr. Dana's work will circulate.
Town Description and Boundaries .- Among the towns of Windsor county Woodstock occupies a central position, and this fact was one of the strongest arguments in favor of its selection as the county seat. The town is bounded on the north by Pomfret and a small part of Hartford ; on the east by Hartland; on the south by Reading and West Windsor; and on the west by Bridgewater.
In common with the great majority of the county's towns, Woodstock is considered a mountainous district, but there is less of extreme heights than are found in many other localities, while between the broken ranges are extensive interval lands, more, perhaps, of the latter than numbers of other towns can boast; and in these valleys, as well as on some of the elevated rolling lands, are most excellent farms which produce abundant returns under proper cultivation.
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
Perhaps the most attractive mountain formation within the town is that commonly known as Mount Tom, lying in the northern portion, on the northwest of Woodstock village. This peak, if such it may be called, possesses no peculiar characteristics that are noticeably absent in the other similar mountains, but yielding to the application of man's labor, it has been made one of the most beautiful and attractive spots within the region of the county. From the main thoroughfare leading northward from the village there has been constructed, even to the mount- ain's greatest height, a comfortable wagon road, while on the summit openings have been made from which there is presented to the view of the beholder a most magnificent panorama of nature. This improve- ment upon nature's provision, as well as numerous others, is due to the generosity and public-spiritedness of Mr. Frederick Billings. Other peaks might be made equally prominent and attractive should there be expended in their adornment the same labor and attention as has been applied to Mount Tom.
The principal water course of the town is the stream of many aliases, but commonly called Quechee River. To some of the Indians, original visitors to the locality, history tells us that it was known as the " Wtatock Quitchey." Under another authority it is called, evidently from the Dutch, " Wasserqueeche," while to the early proprietors and settlers it was known as " Waterqueeche." Otherwise it has been called "Otta Quechee," but common consent has abbreviated even this, and the stream is now generally designated, in more simple English, " Que- chee River." The Quechee enters the town from the southeast part of Bridgewater, and thence has its course generally northeast to the northeast part of Woodstock, touches the corner of Pomfret, returns again, forms the boundary between this town and Hartford, and thence eastward, but an exceedingly tortuous course, and finally discharges its waters into the Connecticut in Hartland. Particularly through the val - ley of the Quechee in Woodstock is found the greatest extent of agri- cultural lands of the town, but a close second to that is the valley of the South Branch, a tributary of the main stream that has its source in the southeast part of the town, and drains the entire eastern part thereof.
Charters and Early Settlements .- The town of Woodstock was
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brought into existence by virtue of a charter granted by Benning Went- worth, provincial governor of New Hampshire, to David Page and his associates, sixty two persons in all, and dated July 10, 1761, being the same day upon which the other towns of Hertford (Hartland) and Bridgewater were chartered. As provided by the charter the town was to contain " something more than six miles square, and no more," or its equivalent in acres, about 24,900.
In nearly every respect this charter was similar to those by which other towns were brought into existence, and the reservations were in like manner substantially the same, in the charter of Woodstock as fol- lows: " His Excellency, Benning Wentworth, a tract of land to contain five hundred acres as marked in the plan B. W., which is to be accounted two of the within shares; one whole share for the incorporated Society for the propagation of the Gospel in foreign parts ; one share for a glebe for the Church of England as by law established ; one share for the first (settled) minister of the Gospel; one share for the benefit of a school in said town." The governor's two shares, five hundred acres, reserved for his own benefit and emolument, were situate in the northeast corner of the town, in the locality where is now situated the hamlet called Taftsville.
One of the provisions of the charter designated the time of the first meeting of the proprietors, and was as follows: "Also, that the first meeting for the choice of town officers, agreeable to the laws of our said province, shall be held on the last Tuesday of August next, which said meeting shall be notified by Oliver Willard, who is hereby also appointed moderator of the said first meeting, which lie is to notify and govern agreeable to the laws and customs of our said province," etc.
Under the conditions of the charter it is undoubtedly a fact that the proprietors held the prescribed first meeting and elected the several ยท town officers, following which was made the usual survey, and possi- bly a division of town lots. But the government of these proprietors was not destined to be of long continuance, for, at the time the charter of Governor Wentworth was made, the controversy between the prov- inces of New York and New Hampshire was in progress. In 1764 that controversy took a rather sudden even if not an unexpected turn, and by it the jurisdiction hitherto exercised over this district of territory by
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the provincial government of New Hampshire was vested in the province of New York.
Then, again, very soon after the granting of the original charter, cer- tain of the proprietors commenced purchasing the interests and rights of their fellows, and it was not long before a good proportion of the lands of the town were centered in ownership in the hands of a few persons ; and when the king's order of July, 1764, became generally understood, these owners of course at once sought a new charter, or at least a con- firmation of the old, at the hands of the governor of New York. And there were others, too, not previously interested in the lands of the town who longed to become possessed of the same under a new and entirely distinct charter. But it was not until the year 1772 that the New York authorities took decisive action in the premises, and they then made a charter patent for the town, naming as grantees Oliver Wil- lard and his associates, the entire number being twenty-four. The date of this charter was June 3, 1772, and conveyed to the grantees or pat- entees " twenty four thousand and seven hundred acres of land, and the usual allowance for highways, including a tract of five hundred acres of land granted to Lieutenant William Leslie, and containing, exclusive of the said tract and the four lots of land hereinafter described, the quan- tity of twenty-three thousand and two hundred acres of land and the usual allowance for highways." The lands mentioned as granted to Lieutenant Leslie referred to the five hundred-acre tract in the north- east corner of the town, originally known as the "Governor's Lands." The other reservations that contributed to the reduction of the chartered lands were the grants for public purposes.
The twenty-four grantees named in the patent issued by the New York authorities were these: Oliver Willard, Isaac Corsa, Joseph Bull, John Blagge, William A. Forbes, Benjamin Stout, jr., Cornelius Van- denburgh, Peter Vandevoort, William Talman, George Birks, Henry Gulick, William Clark, John B. Stout, Benjamin Stout, Henry Beekman, John Fowler, Caleb Hyatt, Daniel Goldsmith, Daniel Green, Samuel Stevens, Charles McEvers, James Seagrove, Christopher Blindell and Adam Gilchrist. These were persons nearly every one of whom were in no manner identified with the New Hampshire Grants, directly or indirectly, but who were favorites of the governor of the province of
DR. THOMAS E. POWERS.
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New York, and as a reward for their political fealty they were made grantees under the charter. But one at least of these, Oliver Willard, seems to have had a double claim upon the good will of the governor, for he was interested in very large tracts of lands on the New Hamp- shire Grants, not only in Woodstock, but elsewhere; and he was, more- over, an ardent supporter of the cause of New York as against the claims of the inhabitants on the grants, or those claiming rightful pos- session under the New Hampshire charters.
Whether or not these patentees had an organization is unknown, but it is quite probable that they did not, for no sooner had the charter been issued than Oliver Willard began possessing himself by purchase of the rights and interests of his associates, and within the space of three days from that time he became the absolute owner and sole proprietor of the entire town, exclusive of the reserved tracts heretofore referred to; and it is believed that there was no organization of the town under this patent prior to that of 1773, concerning which mention will be found on later pages.
Notwithstanding the unsettled condition of the land titles in the town, growing out of the several attempts at obtaining charters from New York, there were pioneers who had the temerity to make settlements and improvements on the lands of the town, even before the granting of the charter to Oliver Willard and his associates. There are records, traditional or otherwise, tending to show that adventurous pioneers visited the region of the town both before and soon after the issue of the New Hampshire charter, but it is nowhere alleged that there was a permanent settlement effected prior to the coming of Timothy Knox, in the year 1765 ; and it is not understood that Knox made his settlement here under a claim of ownership of the lands he occupied, but rather that his taking up an abode here was the result of a desire to be tem- porarily exiled from the civilized and inhabited regions of the country to the southward of this State. Or, to be entirely plain, Knox, who was a student at Harvard, became disappointed in an affair of love, and, desiring to exclude himself entirely from society, came into this then wild region and built him a hut on the south branch of the Quechee, in the locality known as the Beaver Meadows, where he employed himself in trapping and hunting. He was a "squatter " on the land, but after-
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ward became a regular settler among the pioneers of the town, and in 1780 was elected as one of the town fence viewers.
The second settler in the town was Andrew Powers, who purchased from Oliver Willard, in the year 1768, a tract of land embracing several hundred acres, and by whom it was divided and parcels sold to William and James Powers, sons of Andrew, and to James Sanderson, who also became settlers in the town during that year, 1768. From this time the settlement increased steadily, but not rapidly ; and in 1771, the year in which the New York authorities caused to be made an enumeration of the inhabitants of old Cumberland county, Woodstock was found to con- tain a population of forty-two persons, which would at that time be com- prehended by from seven to ten families.
In the spring of 1773 the town was found to be possessed of a sufficient number of taxable inhabitants to warrant its organization and the elec- tion of town officers. For this purpose the inhabitants of the town assembled at the dwelling of Joab Hoisington on the third Tuesday of May, 1773, and chose the following officers : Moderator, Lieutenant John Strong ; town clerk, Joab Hoisington ; supervisor, Benjamin Emmons; overseers of the poor, Joab Hoisington and Benjamin Emmons ; assess- ors, John Strong and Daniel Waldo; collectors, John Sanderson and Asahel Hoisington ; commissioners of highway, John Strong, Benjamin Emmons and Joab Hoisington ; surveyors of highways, Joseph Call, Joab Hoisington and Sylvanus Cottle ; constables, Daniel Waldo, Joseph Cottle, Ezra Drew and Joseph Call; fence viewers, John Hoisington and William Powers.
Thus there were present at this first town meeting at least twelve dif- ferent persons, each of whom is presumed to have been of full age, and entitled to vote, as well as to hold office under the new town government. But it is also fair to assume that there were some who were entitled to the privileges of freemen who either were not present at the meeting, and if they were there, were not inclined to accept any of the various positions and offices dealt out on that auspicious occasion. Such may have been the case at that period of our history, but it would be considered a somewhat remarkable thing among the people of the present genera- tion.
In order to bring to the attention of the reader the names of as many
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as possible of the pioneers of the town, it has been deemed advisable to extract from the town records the succession of town officers from the time of the above meeting down to and including those chosen for the year 1780, together with such other extracts from the record book of proceedings as are thought to be of interest to the present reader. It should be stated, however, that the proceedings of the town meeting of March, 1777, are nowhere on record.
Officers chosen May 17, 1774: Moderator, John Strong ; clerk, Joab Hoisington ; supervisor, Asa Whitcomb; assessors, John Strong and Joab Hoisington ; collectors, Benjamin Burch and Sylvanus Cottle ; overseers of the poor, Asa Whitcomb and Joab Hoisington ; commissioners of highways, John Sanderson, James Henwood and Oliver Farnsworth; overseers of highways, Nathan Howland, Joab Hoisington and Oliver Farnsworth ; constables, Lieutenant John Strong, Rufus Carpenter, Jo- seph Darling and Joseph Ripley ; fence viewers, Simon Davis and En- sign William Powers ; " hog drivers," James Sanderson and John San- derson ; "reefe keeper," John Hoisington ; town treasurer, Joab Hoising- ton. At this meeting the people voted to build a pound ; also voted that Benjamin Emmons and William Powers be a committee to build the pound and make a clearing for a burying-ground.
At a meeting held September 13, 1774, it was voted to hire Mr. (Rev.) Aaron Hutchinson for five years in connection with Hartford and Pom- fret. This is the first allusion made by the records in the matter of pro- curing a minister to conduct religious meetings in the town.
Officers chosen May 16, 1775 : Moderator, Lieutenant John Strong ; town clerk, Joab Hoisington; supervisor, Lieutenant Benjamin Emmons ; overseers of the poor, Joab Hoisington, Stephen Powers and Phineas Williams ; assessors, Lieutenant John Strong and Joab Hoisington ; col - lectors, Nathan Howland and Oliver Farnsworth ; constables, John Sanderson, Rufus Carpenter, James Harwood and Ebenezer Kingsley ; commissioners of highways, Simon Davis, Joseph Cottle, Phineas Williams, Joab Hoisington and Elias Thomas ; overseers of highways, John Strong, Benjamin Emmons, Phineas Williams, and Ebenezer Kingsley; fence viewers, Elias Thomas and William Powers ; treasurer, Joab Hoisington ; " hog commissioners," Benjamin Emmons and John Sanderson.
At this meeting it was voted to get a town supply of ammunition, one
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hundred pounds of powder, two hundred pounds of lead and four hun- dred flints. Joab Hoisington and James Harwood were chosen a com- mittee to procure the ammunition ; and it was provided that the treas- urer should sell to each inhabitant " one pound of powder, two pounds of lead, some flints, and no more." At this same meeting, also, Benja- min Emmons, John Strong and Joab Hoisington were chosen a "Com- mittee of Advice " (Committee of Safety).
Officers chosen May 22, 1776: Moderator, John Strong ; town clerk, Joab Hoisington ; listers, Ebenezer Kingsley, Stephen Powers and Joab Hoisington ; assessors, Colonel Joab Hoisington, Dr. Powers and Ebene- zer Kingsley; collectors, Joseph Cottle and Elias Thomas; commis- sioners of highways, Captain Williams, Colonel Joab Hoisington, Simon Davis, Elias Thomas and Joseph Cottle; overseers of highways, Simon Davis, Asahel Hoisington, Captain Williams and Elias Thomas; consta- bles, Ebenezer Kingsley and Elias Thomas; selectmen, Dr. Stephen Powers, Deacon (Benjamin) Emmons and Joab Hoisington ; fence view- ers, Amasa Delano and Elias Thomas ; " hog drivers," John Sanderson, Asahel Hoisington and Captain (Ebenezer) Williams ; sealers of weights and measures, John Hoisington and Jonathan Kingsley. 1
At a town meeting held July 13, 1776, Dr. Stephen Powers and Joab Hoisington were chosen a committee to have charge of the ammunition, and deal out to each man having fire-arms one half pound of powder and one pound of lead, and to supply others as soon as they had arms.
Officers chosen March 10, 1778: Moderator, " Deacon " Emmons; town clerk, Oliver Farnsworth; treasurer, Lieutenant Joseph Safford ; first selectman, Benjamin Emmons; second, Ensign Nathan Howland ; third, Captain Phineas Williams; fourth, Joseph Safford; fifth, Oliver Farnsworth ; constables, Nathaniel Killam and Benjamin Burch ; assess- ors, Ebenezer Kingsley, Ebenezer Craine and Joseph Churchill ; tithing- man, Rufus Carpenter; overseers of highways, Warren Cottle and Phineas Sanderson ; surveyors of highways, Charles Killam, Joseph Darling and Jabez Bennett; "hog rieffs," James Sanderson, Amasa Delano, Elias Thomas and Elijah Bayley ; fence viewers, Captain Phineas Williams and Oliver Farnsworth. Voted, at this meeting, " to build two pounds, twenty feet square, one at Oliver Farnsworth's and the other at Captain Strong's."
JOHN D. POWERS, M. D.
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TOWN OF WOODSTOCK.
Officers chosen March 30, 1779: Moderator, Lieutenant Joseph Saf- ford; town clerk, Oliver Ainsworth ; selectmen, Joseph Safford, Phineas Williams, Jabez Cottle, Samuel Dutton and Ephraim Brewster; treas- urer, Joseph Safford ; constable, Elias Thomas; collector, Stephen De- lano; highway surveyors, Jonas Matthews, Josiah Dunham, Asahel Hoisington, Jonathan Kingsley and Samuel Dutton ; listers, Abisha Sam- son, Jabez Bennett and Joseph Cottle; leather sealers, Elijah Field and Josiah Lamb; grand juror, Nathan Howland ; tithingmen, Samuel Dut- ton and Jabez Cottle ; haywards, John Sanderson and David Slayton ; branders of horses, John Strong and Phineas Powers ; sealer of weights and measures, Jonathan Kingsley ; pound keepers, Benjamin Burch and Oliver Farnsworth; deer-reefs, Timothy Rose and Phineas Powers; fence viewers, Joseph Churchill, Jesse Safford and Amasa Delano; petit jurors, Joel Matthews, Ephraim Brewster, Jabez Cottle, Joseph Safford, John Strong, Phineas Williams, Samuel Dutton and Joseph Churchill.
Among other proceedings had at this time it was voted "to build a meeting-house on the road that goes from Samuel Pratt's to the other road, west of Oliver Farnsworth's "; and at an adjourned meeting held at the house of Dr. Powers, on April 3, 1779, it was " voted to divide the town into districts for the advantage of schooling." For this business Samuel Dutton, Phineas Williams, William Hilton, Jabez Cottle and Oli- ver Farnsworth were chosen a committee. It was also voted at the same time to divide the town into five school districts. On the 24th of July, of this year, the inhabitants voted to divide the town into two parishes, by an east and west center line, and chose Joel Matthews, Phineas Williams, Warren Cottle, Joseph Cottle and Oliver Williams as a committee to make the division.
Officers chosen March 6, 1780: Moderator, Jabez Cottle ; town clerk, Gershom Palmer ; treasurer, Nathan Howland ; selectmen, Phineas Williams, Jabez Cottle, John Strong, Charles Killam and Oliver Farns- worth; constable, Nathaniel Ladd ; listers, Rufus Bassett, Stephen De- lano and Oliver Williams; grand jurors, Joel Matthews and Warren Cottle; collectors, Joseph Darling and Nathaniel Pool ; leather sealers, Elijah Field and Lemuel Harlow; tithingmen, William Hilton and Amasa Delano; brander of horses, Joel Matthews ; sealer of weights and measures, Gershom Palmer; fence viewers, Timothy Knox and Ebene-
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
zer Kingsley; highway surveyors, Elias Thomas, William Hilton, Jo- seph Churchill, Gershom Palmer and Jonathan Farnsworth.
At a meeting of the townsmen held August 14, 1780, it was voted to raise three men for service for three months on the frontier, and to pay them forty shillings per month, payable in wheat at five shillings per bushel, or rye at four shillings, or Indian corn at three shillings; also, Elias Thomas, John Strong and Phineas Williams were chosen a com- mittee to provide said men. And it was further provided at the meet- ing, probably as an extra inducement for the men to enter the service, that they have the same allowance of rum that the State allows.
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