USA > Vermont > Windsor County > History of Windsor County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 42
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The Reformed Methodist Church .- This church is located in the west- ern part of the town, and the edifice was erected in 1840 ; it has a seat- ing capacity of two hundred. The formation of the society antedates that time, and meetings were held in the school- house in the district, the first preacher as far as known having been Elder Ebenezer Davis. Elder William Mack officiated as early as 1840, and was in charge when the church was dedicated. From 1847 to 1849 Elder Theophilus Smith was in the pulpit. On May 11, 1852, the society received a perpetual lease of the church building from Benjamin Lewis, as long as it was used for no other purposes than the religious services of the Reformed Methodists. At this time the society was re-organized by Benjamin Lewis, George E. Lewis, W. B. Chittenden, William Kirk, Benjamin Aldrich, and others, and had a membership of thirty- six ; this number is now reduced, owing to deaths and removals, to about eighteen. Since the re-organi- zation of the society the pulpit has been filled by different pastors, Elder George E. Lewis having had almost sole charge of the congregation. It is largely owing to his unselfish labor that the society has been main- tained.
The Free Will Baptists .- A society of this denomination was organ- ized in the northern part of the town as early as 1793. Meetings were held in the dwellings of Daniel Field and Isaac Ellis, and also in the school-house. The first preacher seems to have been Elder J. Watkins, who preached to the early settlers of both the Baptist and Congrega- tional sects. He was succeeded by Elder Thomas Cook, and he by Elder Stephen Place. The society was finally dissolved for lack of members.
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
The Christian Church .- Owing to the exertions of Elder Daniel Hazen, a Christian- Baptist who had before been a Free Will Baptist, several meetings were held in 1831 at North Springfield, and a society was organized. No stated meetings were held, but at different times the following ministers officiated : Elders James Hudson, Seth Ross, and I. H. Shipman. In the year 1840, that being the time when the second coming of Christ was prophesied, a number of revivals were held, but the society finally died out.
The Second Advent Church .- This is located at North Springfield, and was organized by the Rev. H. F. Carpenter, who became the first pastor of the society, October 6, 1869. He resigned in July, 1874, and the Rev. Ballard B. Chedel succeeded. He continued to preach until the summer of 1881, and was succeeded by Rev. D. W. Davis, who was dis- missed in 1887. The society was without a pastor until January 5, 1889, when the Rev. Oscar Beckwith was installed. The membership is thirty-five.
St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church .- Meetings of Catholics were held in Springfield previous to 1872 in a hall, but not at stated times. In that year a society was organized, and purchased from the town their present building, which was remodeled. Services were held once a month, but since 1889 have been held on alternate Sundays. The first priest was Rev. Edward Jeandious, who was followed by Rev. Edward Reynolds, both of Bellows Falls, Vt. The present pastor is Rev. P. J. Houlihan.
SPRINGFIELD VILLAGE.
The village is situated at Lockwood Falls on the Black River, four and a half miles from its junction with the Connecticut. The falls amount to IIO feet in an eighth of a mile, fifty of which are nearly per- pendicular, and are regarded as one of the greatest curiosities in the State. In some places the channel through which the river passes is not more than nine feet wide, and for twenty rods it passes through a deep ravine from nine to fifteen feet in width, walled by perpendicular ledges of mica slate from sixty to eighty feet high. The village and the sur- rounding scenery is highly romantic and interesting.
The first attempt to establish any definite boundaries was made in
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JOHN DAVIDSON.
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VILLAGE OF SPRINGFIELD.
1819. On November IIth of that year an act was passed by the State Legislature in regard to restricting certain animals running at large in villages, and the following boundaries were designated by the selectmen of the town on the petition of fourteen freeholders, December 27, 1819 : " Beginning at Eli Ames' house on the road through the village, cross- ing Black River by the woolen-mill, as far down the river as ten rods south of Noah Safford's house. Also, from the bridge across the falls eastwardly to the west line of Bezaleel Wood's farm. Also, from Peter White's to the foot of the hill near the school-house in the center school district, including the common by the east meeting-house ; also from the bridge by Mr. Carlisle's westwardly as far as four rods west of the Methodist meeting-house in said Springfield and including common by said meeting house." There was no other authority conferred by this act other than that specified, therefore no organization was necessary.
The Springfield Fire Department .- The State passed an act Novem- ber 3, 1832, giving towns the right to establish fire societies and to fix the bounds of the fire district. In pursuance to said act the selectmen of the town of Springfield, upon the petition of three-fourths of the free- holders of Springfield Center village, on March 19, 1833, established the following bounds: To comprise all school district number 16 except Elijah Burke's, James Whipple's and John Miller's lands ; but also in- clude within the bounds Enos Brown's and James Litchfield's home farms; Rev. Daniel O. Morton's lands occupied by George Washbourne ; Samuel Chipman's, Eleazer Crane's, Josiah Belknap's lands ; also the old meeting-house common and lands occupied by Dr. Moses Cobb. The fire society was fully organized on April 2, 1833, and the following were chosen as its officers : John Perkins, president ; Don Lovell, vice-presi- dent ; Dr. Moses Cobb, Edmund Durrin, S. W. Porter, James Chipman, Nomlas Cobb, George Washbourne and Jonathan Chase, fire wardens ; Russell Burke, clerk; and Horatio G. Hawkins, treasurer. A code of laws was adopted, of which we give a brief summary : The duties of the president were limited to presiding at meetings. The vice-president, in the absence of his superior officer, was to try and fill his place. The fire wardens were to have full charge of fires, and to carry, as a distinguish- ing badge of their office, a staff five feet long painted red with a suitable head covered with gold leaf. Every member of the society owning or
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
occupying a dwelling house requiring one fire, was provided with one leather bucket ; for four fire-places or stoves, two buckets were furn- ished ; and so on up to four buckets were provided according to the size of the house.
The society owned one hand-engine and the company who operated it was called the Springfield Engine Company No. I. The engine-house was located back of where the Woolson block now stands. This com- pany wasto consist of not less than fifteen or more than twenty-four men, and was to be officered by a captain and two lieutenants, who were re- lieved from all militia duty. In 1835, by a special act, the Springfield Center Village Corporation was incorporated as a fire district and sub- sequently the property of the fire society was purchased by that corpo- ration.
Another engine-house was built on the lot north of the Union church. There was also kept about this time a small hand-engine at the David- son & Park Machine Company, called "No. Two." In the winter of 1846 the first ladder company was formed consisting of eight members, their duty in case of fire being to bring the ladders from where they were stored and place them in position for use at the fire. Hand-engine Torrent, No. 3, was purchased in 1848, from Hunneman & Co., and a new engine company of thirty-six members was formed, they to receive as compensation $2 annually. There seems to have been an unexpended balance of $10.50 in the treasury of the old fire engine company, which was promptly donated to give an oyster supper to the new company. In 1848 the town appropriated $240 to purchase hose, couplings and carriages, to be placed in charge of Springfield Center village. For a number of years there was little activity in the fire de- partment. An attempt was made to run it on an economical plan ; the annual stipend of each member was changed to fifty cents, which he was to invest in an oyster supper ; afterwards his poll tax was to be rebated for his services ; and finally it became not a voluntary action on the part of the taxpayers, but the captains of the companies were authorized to fill vacancies, giving those chosen the privilege of furnishing a substi- tute. ' But in 1852 the corporation became more liberal and purchased forty-three uniform suits for the members, two suits of India rubber cloth- ing for the hosemen and two torch lights. In 1854 the question arose
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VILLAGE OF SPRINGFIELD.
of procuring better accommodations for the fire department, and on March 6th of that year a lot located at the east end of the falls bridge was bought for $350, and repairs amounting to over $500 were put upon the building. In the upper story a room was set aside for the use of the corporation, who held their first meeting there January 4, 1855. An- other appropriation of $200 was voted the corporation by the town of Springfield in 1859. A new act having passed in 1858, relating to fire districts, the selectmen of Springfield were petitioned by freeholders of the corporation to more clearly define its boundaries, and on February 11, 1860, a new district was formed called Fire District No. 1 ; this was again changed when the present village was incorporated by a special act which was accepted by the citizens December 3, 1866.
The following were the first officers elected under the act of incorpo- ration : F. W. Porter, B. F. Dana, James Mitchell, Charles Holt and R. C. Britton, trustees ; A. C. Bingham, chief engineer ; A. L. Robin- son, first assistant engineer ; Franklin Barney, second assistant engineer; J. M. Pierce, clerk ; Albert Brown, treasurer ; and William A. Lewis, col- lector.
The act of incorporation was amended and allowed by the Legisla- ture of 1888 and was adopted by the citizens December 3, 1888. The officers of the village elected on that date were Daniel O. Gill, president; Willie F. Miner, William Sparrow and Brad Harlow, trustees ; William H. Wheeler, treasurer ; E. C. Burke, clerk.
With these changes the fire department property passed into the hands of the new organization.
Torrent Engine Company, No. 3, was re-organized January 7, 1867, R. C. Britton being elected captain, E. M. Eaton, first lieutenant, and George W. Graham, second lieutenant. As early as 1869 the question arose in reference to building a new engine-house, and in 1871 of buy- ing a steam fire-engine and force pump to be located at the grist-mill. Between 1871 and 1876 the town at various times decided to buy a hand fire-engine and finally a steam-engine, and a contract was made with Hunneman & Co. to build the former, but on March 7, 1876, a forfeit of $350 was paid that firm to release the village from its contract. During 1879 the force pump was put in at the grist-mill and three hy- drants built at an expense of $1,750, but owing to the severe winters
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
the pump became incapacitated and is most of the time not in running order. In the same year the W. H. H. Slack Hose, No. I, which was formerly called the Woolson Hose Company, was fully equipped by the gentleman whom it was named after and presented to the village. At last, yielding to the spirit of enterprise, the town finally voted to pur- chase a steam fire-engine, and in 1882 the committee, consisting of F. B. Ball, Adna Brown, C. D. Brink, W. H. H. Putnam and W. H. H. Slack, contracted with the Silsby Co., of Seneca Falls, N. Y., and the engine " Skitchawaug " was delivered to the village, April 19, 1882. The pres- ent house was built in the same year ; the total outlay amounted to over $8,000.
The corporation purchased on November 10, 1882, a heater which was placed in the engine- house for the purpose of always keeping water boiling, thereby saving time in getting up steam. The department is fully equipped, having, besides the steamer, three hose carts with about 2,000 feet of hose. The force consists of twenty-eight men, regularly organized and officered, and they are paid six dollars annually, and forty cents an hour when on active duty at fires.
Among the many disastrous fires that have taken place in the village that have not previously been spoken of are the following : May, 1859, Park & Woolson Machine Company was entirely burnt out ; also other buildings south of them on the river. In December, 1877, the Indus- trial Works at the upper dam were completely destroyed; loss over $30,000.
June 25, 1878, a fire occurred at Vermont Novelty Works ; loss $70,- 000; insurance $37,000. Whitmore & Dillon suffered a loss of $2,500, January 31, 1878 ; dwelling house of E. C. Nason, loss $3,500 ; insured for $1,850.
July 28, 1880, fire at barns of John Brady and Thomas Carmody on High street; loss $650, partially insured. January 1, 1881, C. M. Ball's residence on Main street burnt ; loss $1,500; insurance $1,000. Sep- tember 17 and 21, 1880, slight fires at woolen-mill ; loss $300. Feb- ruary 19, 1881, Springfield Toy Manufacturing Company suffered a loss by fire to the extent of $1,000.
On January 20, 1882, the grist-mill of John Gowing; Springfield Hosiery Company, owned by Thomas Carmody ; Fairbanks & Porter's
A LITTLE.
Seller Looks
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VILLAGE OF SPRINGFIELD.
block; and residence of Mrs. John Chipman, on Main street, totally de- stroyed by fire ; loss $30,000. Also the village force pump was lost and replaced at an expense of about $1,000.
June 8, 1882, fire broke out at the Vermont Snath Company's; loss estimated at $20,000. October 1, 1882, Sparrow's block burnt; loss about $1,500, fully insured. March 2, 1883, two dwelling houses and barn burnt just north of the covered bridge. August 21, 1885, barn of Adna Brown destroyed by fire; loss $1,500; insurance $700. Decem- ber 21, 1886, fire in Pingry block; loss $500. April 18, 1887, resi- dence of Mrs. Frederick Parks; loss $20,000 ; insured for $11,000. May 12, 1887, wheel-room and machine shop of Vermont Novelty Company burnt ; loss $3,200, fully insured.
Post- Office .- The post-office was established in 1818, Samuel W. Por- ter receiving the appointment November 28, of that year. He filled the office till 1828, and received a salary aggregating one hundred and fifty - seven dollars annually. He was succeeded by Frederic A. Porter, July 2, 1828, who made way in 1834, owing to a change in the admin- istration, for George Washburne. He retained the position till 1848, when Moses Chase was appointed and served till 1852. The Demo. crats having come into power in that year, George Washburne was re- appointed and served till 1861, when Frederic W. Porter succeeded him and was postinaster till 1868. In that year Henry Harlow took charge of the office, which he filled till 1874, when Loren B. Hurd was ap- pointed, serving till 1885, when the present incumbent, Jerome W. Pierce, received his appointment.
The Newspapers of Springfield,-The first attempt to establish a news- paper in Springfield was in the winter of 1833, by Coolidge & Sprague. It continued to live till 1836. It was twenty years before another effort was made. On February II, 1853, L. T. Gurnsey began the issue of the Springfield Telegraph, and continued the same two years. The next attempt was made by D. L. Milliken, who issued the first number of the Record and Farmer November 1, 1866, but this paper having been bought by the Vermont Journal in April, 1868, it was discontinued. These papers were all issued weekly. On January 1, 1873, F. W. Stiles began to publish the Enterprise, a monthly. It failed in the next year. The Weekly News was started by E. D. Wright, March 1, 1873, but its
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
life was short, as six months afterward it was purchased by the Wood- stock Post. O. A. Libby issued the Springfield Bulletin, November 3, 1875, but in eight months it suffered the fate of its predecessors. Jan- uary 4, 1878, F. W. Stiles issued the first number of the Springfield Re- porter. Mr. Stiles, though discouraged by a good many of his townsmen, knew no such word as fail, and bravely pushed the Reporter through the first year of its existence. The second year it was enlarged to a 20 x 40- inch paper of four pages of eight columns, and continued to be issued at that size until January, 1889, when it was changed to an eight-page paper of six columns, the size being 30 x 44 inches. This paper gives perfect satisfaction to its patrons and no other attempt was made to es- tablish another paper, excepting that on November 14, 1879, the Ver- mont News Company began to issue the Vermont News ; but this enterprise died in its infancy, it having lived only seven weeks.
The Springfield Wesleyan Seminary .- The Methodist Episcopal So- ciety of Springfield, having built themselves a new church in the cen- ter of the village, their old meeting-house located on what is called Sem- inary Hill was vacant. An effort was made by several citizens of the town in 1846 to purchase this building and form a literary and scien- tific association under the name of the Springfield Wesleyan Seminary. Several meetings of those interested were held, but nothing was accom- plished till 1853, when a sum of money was raised among the towns- men, and an equal amount appropriated by the Vermont Conference of the Methodist Episcopal church. An act of incorporation was ob- tained November 26, 1853. Joseph C. Aspinwall, Jonathan Martin, Charles R. Harding, Samuel Taylor, John W. Bisbee, Henry Closson, Ebenezer A. Knight, Zeb. Twitchell, and Samuel W. Porter being named as incorporators. The school was opened under fovorable au- spices, and for a number of years there was a large attendance, there being at one time about three hundred students of both sexes ; but for various reasons it became non-supporting, and was finally closed. The building was occupied for several years, when it was purchased by Springfield village on May 19, 1869, for $5,000, and has been used ever since for a high school. The purchase money for starting the seminary having been contributed, half by the citizens of the village of Spring- field, they donated their part of the amount received by the sale of the
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VILLAGE OF SPRINGFIELD.
property to establish a permanent village library fund. By an act of Legislature passed November 14, 1870, the Springfield Wesleyan Sem- inary was legislated out of existence.
Springfield Town Library .- The foundation of the present library was commenced previous to the late war. About twenty-five of the citizens of Springfield, under the name of the Springfield Central Library, associated themselves together, and by paying a monthly assessment, created a fund which was to be expended in reading matter to be owned jointly, and for the mutual benefit of all. The collection of books amounted to about two hundred volumes at this time, but by the break - ing out of the war some of the subscribers to the fund left town, and in 1862 Jerome W. Pierce, having moved into the village, took the trouble to re-collect the volumes and place the library in running shape again ; he has since devoted considerable of his time to the permanent establish- ment of the library. On September 6, 1870, the town received a prop- osition from Henry Barnard, the trustees of the Wesleyan Seminary Fund, and the Springfield Central Library to establish a permanent library and a fund to support the same for the benefit of the town. This fund was to be created by the trustees paying three thousand dollars. Henry Barnard was to pay three thousand dollars, the only condition of the latter gift being that the income arising from it was to be used for the support of the library; the town failing to do this the amount was to be returned to the donor or his heirs; the Springfield Central Library contribution to the fund was all of its assets, there being at that time about eleven hundred volumes.
This proposition was accepted by the town and a yearly appropriation of two hundred dollars was voted to support the library, and a vote of thanks was extended to Henry Barnard and his associate contributors for their generous donations. By an act passed by the Legislature November 3, 1870, the following, Henry Barnard, Horace W. Thomp- son, Joel Woodbury, Franklin P. Ball, and Jerome W. Pierce, with their associates and successors, were incorporated under the name of the Springfield Town Library. Liberal as the proposition was, it never was consummated on the part of Henry Barnard, but on March 18, 1871, the trustees of the seminary fund made a payment of $2,533.68, to which was afterwards added about twenty-five dollars. The Springfield
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
Central Library performed their part of the contract, and thereby a permanent fund was established. In 1874 the town made another yearly appropriation of fifty dollars, and also in that year voted that all fines collected by the town and village should be paid into the fund ; but the latter was revoked in 1888. The death of Mr. Barnard having taken place, his heirs were notified in 1876 that the town had complied with their part of the contract in regard to his donation of three thous- and dollars, and asked them to fulfill their part, but no response has as yet been received from them. The total number of volumes is now over five thousand and the trustees are Joel Woodbury, Robert M. Colburn, Jerome W. Pierce, Frederick W. Porter and William H. Cobb.
St. John's Lodge, No. 41, F. and A. M .- The history of Masonry in Springfield dates back over one hundred years. The order was first introduced into this section of country by Colonel John Barrett, a member of Hiram Lodge, No. I, of New Haven, Conn. Colonel Barrett, with nineteen other gentlemen, under date of Cornish, Vt., November 8, 1781, petitioned the St. Andrew's Grand Lodge of Massachusetts for a charter, which was granted November 10, 1781, and named Vermont Lodge, No. I, and located at Springfield, Vt. The first meeting of the lodge was held at the inn of Abel Walker, in Charlestown, N. H., on November 29, 1781, and the following officers elected : John Barrett, M .; Phineas Hutchins, S. W .; George Eagar, J. W. The communications of the lodge continued to be held in Charlestown till 1788, when, owing to the fact that some members believed that the meetings were illegal on account of the charter stating that they should be held in Springfield, application was made to charter a new lodge at Charlestown. The lodge property was divided and the original lodge removed to Springfield. Up to this time we notice only a few of the names of the early settlers of Springfield among the lodge members. Besides Colonel Barrett there appear the names of James Martin and Roger Bates. This lodge seems to have taken no part in the formation of the Grand Lodge in 1794, but in the following year it was represented by John Barrett and Jotham White, both citizens of Springfield, the latter being elected grand junior warden at that session. A petition was also granted that year to re- move the lodge to Windsor.
The next attempt to establish a lodge of Free Masons in Springfield
ptblack
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VILLAGE OF SPRINGFIELD.
was in 1811, when James Underwood, John Davis, Andrew Dunn, Calvin Haskins, David Campbell, Ethan Allen, Sela Graves, Nathaniel Walker, Timothy Goodenow, Oliver Parmenter, Caleb Washburne, Samuel Good- ridge, John Brown, Thomas Dana, Jonathan Williams, Henry W. Read, Isaac Read, jr., Leonard Parker, Samuel Herrick, William Stoddard, Abel Bixby, Levi Harlow, jr., Ebenezer Harlow, Simeon Harlow, Bar- num Harlow, William Harlow, Leonard Walker, Amasa Bellows and John Eddy, petitioned the Grand Lodge for a charter, which was granted October 7, 1811, the lodge being named St. John's Lodge, No. 31. The first communication was held October 21, 1811, the first named charter members being elected officers. The first candidate to receive the de- grees after the charter members was Thomas Gould. The lodge held its meetings at the inn kept by Leonard Walker, located on Parker Hill, in the south part of the town, and held jurisdiction not only over Spring- field, but the balance of the towns in the southern part of the county and the adjacent towns in Windham county. The communications of the lodge continued to be held at Leonard Walker's till the fall of. 1816, when they removed to the center of the town and were held in the halls of the different inns in the village. During the anti-Masonic times the lodge rapidly decreased in membership, and for a number of years no communication was held of the Grand Lodge and the communications of the subordinate lodges were held only quarterly. The last meeting of St. John's Lodge was held at Dr. Moses Cobb's house, August 7, 1832. Though yielding for a time to public sentiment, many of the members were too deeply impressed with the principles of Masonry to let them die out forever. More than twenty years passed when we find that on May 7, 1853, there was a revival of old St. John's Lodge, No. 31, a com- munication being held on that day in a hall located in the Tontine building. The records of these communications show that those who were so reluctant to yield to the sentiment of the public in 1832 were the ones who infused new life into resurrected Masonry in 1853 ; among those who so nobly defended the principles of Masonry we mention the following : Rev. Robinson Smiley, James Chipman, Ebenezer Harlow, James Lovell, Simeon Harlow, Elias Damon, A. L. Thompson, Barnum Harlow, besides many others. Communications were held at various times and the Grand Lodge was petitioned and charter granted January
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