USA > Vermont > Windsor County > History of Windsor County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 57
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The town of Barnard, as has already been stated, was chartered un- der New Hampshire on the 17th of July, 1761 ; and, although the town is not understood as having been chartered, or even granted, by New York, it is, nevertheless, understood as having its original charter con- firmed by the governor of the latter province. This would seem to be corroborated by the fact that the freemen at their first meeting chose their officers in part under the New York rules and customs, by the elec- tion of assessors instead of listers.
The honor of being the first settler, although perhaps temporary, is generally conceded to James Call, who came to the town in 1774 and made a clearing, but left during the fall of that year. His name does not appear in the old records of town meetings, and no authorities seem to assert that he again returned to the locality, although the family name, but spelled " Caul," does appear among the first town officers. The first rec- ognized permanent settlement was made during the spring, in March, 1775, by Thomas and William Freeman and John Newton, and was fol- lowed during the same year by the coming of the families of Lot Whit- comb, Asa Whitcomb, Nathaniel Page, Thomas Freeman, jr., and Will- iam Cheedle. The names of these heads of families, and others as well, who were pioneers, will appear in the following extracts from the earliest town records.
In 1778 the town of Barnard was found to possess the requisite number of owners of rights, or lots of land, to entitle the inhabitants to have proprietors' meetings held within the town; in fact, to become or-
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TOWN OF BARNARD.
ganized within the meaning of the term. But even before this right was acquired, or at least before it was exercised, the people of the town made themselves known to the outside world by responding to the in- quiries of the committees of the Westminster convention, of October 30, 1776, asking their views concerning the advisability of forming the new State; and although there does not appear to have been any personal representative of the town in attendance at the adjourned meeting at Westminster on January 15th, 1777, it was, nevertheless, represented by a letter to the convention to the effect that the town had declared in favor of the new State. This convention declared the independence of the new State under the name of New Connecticut. But at the adjourned session of the convention at Windsor, held June 4, 1777, the occasion upon which the name of Vermont was adopted, the town of Barnard was repre- sented by Asa White and Asa Chandler.
The first town meeting of the inhabitants of Barnard was held at the house of William Freeman on the 9th of April, 1778, and was assembled in pursuance of a call issued by Thomas Freeman and Lot Whitcomb, the Committee of Safety of the town. The first officers were then chosen as follows: Moderator, Thomas Freeman; town clerk, Thomas W. White; selectmen, Thomas Freeman, Asa Whitcomb and Solomon Aiken ; as- sessors, Edmund Hodges, Thomas W. White and Captain (Benjamin) Cox; town treasurer, Thomas Freeman ; grand juror, William Cheedle ; constables, Joseph Byam and Joseph Bowman ; surveyors of highways, Henry Curtis and John Newton; tithingman, Ebenezer Caul. At a meeting held July 7, 1778, Asa Whitcomb was chosen justice of the peace.
The second annual town meeting was held on March 29, 1779, and these officers were chosen for the ensuing year ; Moderator, Asa Whit- comb ; town clerk, Thomas W. White ; selectmen, Asa Cheedle, Solomon Aiken and Joseph Byam ; listers, Thomas W. White, Ebenezer Caul and Asa Paige ; constable, Timothy Eastman ; collectors of rates, Timothy Eastman and Timothy Newton; surveyors of highways, Moses Davis, John Newton, Ebenezer Caul and Nathaniel Paige; leather sealer, Will- iam Cheedle ; grand juryman, Asa Cheedle ; tithingmen, Will Cheedle and Jabez White ; haywards, Elkannah Steward and Sherebiah Ballard ; brander of horses, Daniel Sharpe; sealer of weights and measures,
73
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
Thomas W. White. At the same meeting were chosen Asa Cheedle, Solomon Aiken and Joseph Byam a committee " to meet with the pro- prietors to secure and lay out three rights for the use of the town."
The committee charged with this duty was undoubtedly prompt in their action, for, at a meeting held July 5th of this year, 1779, it was voted " to build a Meeting-house at the Spruce Tree where the Town made the Center "; also " voted to build log meeting-house, and to meet at the center on the 15th of this month with axes in order to peel bark and cut timber for the said house." The building of this log meet- ing-house was one of the first acts of a public nature performed by the town. It was completed in due time, during that same year in which it was decided to build, and by the voluntary contribution of labor on the part of the pioneers of the town. It was built, as the resolutions or votes above indicate, at the center of the town, which would bring it on the site of the present little village of Barnard.
And about this same time the inhabitants began to stir themselves in the interest of having a saw-mill in their town; and this matter became the subject of action at the meeting of August 9, 1779, at which time it was voted to choose Captain Hodges, Lieutenant Foster and Solomon Aiken as a committee to send to Lot Whitcomb " to see if he intends to build the mill." What further action was taken, or whether or not Lot Whitcomb did build the mill, the records do not disclose, but tradition and probability both say that they did.
These proceedings, and all of them thus far referred to, occurred dur- ing the period of the war of the Revolution, and upon this subject the ancient records of the town are not altogether silent. And it will be seen, too, that a number of the persons already mentioned among the town officers were dignified with military titles, denoting that they were in some manner connected with the warlike events then transpiring in the country, though none had then been enacted in this immediate vicinity. But for this the people of Barnard had not long to wait, and it was an unexpected visitation, one not hoped for, and although un- fortunate in its results, did not cost the town a single life. This event has always been known in history as the " Attack upon Barnard," and is thus briefly described by Thompson : " On the 9th of August, 1780, this town was visited by a party of twenty-one Indians, who made prison-
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ers of Thomas M. Wright, Prince Haskell and John Newton, and carried them to Canada. Newton and Wright made their escape in the spring following, and Haskell was exchanged in the fall. They suffered many hardships while prisoners and on their return, but they arrived safely at Barnard, and were all living in 1824, upon the farms from which they were taken."
After this attack and capture the people of Barnard came to realize that they were indeed upon an unguarded and substantially defenseless frontier, and at once took such measures as would afford some semblance of protection, especially for the women and children of the community, in case another attack should be made. To this end a stockade was built in the town, but its defensive powers were never put to the test, as no further attack was made upon the town or its inhabitants. A couple of months later, however, the people were greatly distressed and alarmed by the attacks upon the neighboring towns, and although the Indians carried their depredations into the immediate vicinity of Barnard, the people here were not molested. But after these events the military authorities of the State provided for the maintenance of an armed force in several of the towns to the northward of this, and reasonably adequate protection was thus assured ; nevertheless the people of Barnard were determined to exercise every possible precaution, and had their own minutemen armed and supplied with a goodly quantity of ammunition, but they were not called into action on account of further invasions by the Indians.
At the time of the attack upon Barnard the board of war was in ses- sion at Arlington, and upon the news being brought to that body this action was taken: " Whereas it has been represented to this board by Colonel Woods that the enemy have taken several prisoners from Barnard, etc., in consequence of which a number of militia officers and other principal gentleman in the Third and Fourth Regiments of militia assembled and agreed to raise forty volunteers to be commanded by Captain Cox and a lieutenant, for the defense of the frontiers in that vicinity.
"Resolved, Therefore, on said officers' and soldiers' joining Major Eben- ezer Allen's detachment of Rangers, that they are entitled to the same pay and rations as the other part of said detachment, such pay to com-
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
mence two days before they marched, and to continue until the first day of December next, unless sooner discharged.
"Resolved, That Colonel J. Marsh, Colonel J. Safford, Major B. Wait, Captain Seaver, Captain Safford, and Captain (Benjamin) Cox be a com- mittee to station Captain Safford's and Captain Cox's companies of Rangers. That they stake out the ground for forts, and give direction how said forts and covering shall be built; and
"Resolved, That Major B. Wait furnish the necessary implements for building forts for Captain Safford's and Captain Cox's companies, and the necessary camp equipage for the same."
Captain Hodges and Captain Cox were both Barnard men. The former was nominated as a proper person to serve on the board of war ; but as there were eighteen nominations, and but nine to be chosen on the board, he was not elected. These officers and Lieutenant Foster were undoubtedly the military leaders of the town. When, in Septem- ber, 1779, the freemen elected Asa Whitcomb as town representative in the General Assembly, they also " made choice of Captain Hodges, Captain Cox, and Lieutenant Foster as a committee to give instructions to the representative," from all of which it is fair to assume that the town wanted to accomplish some special thing.
The town of Barnard had several men in the service, particularly on the frontier, during the war ; and each year it was the custom of the freemen to vote " to hire " volunteers, which means that they offered a bounty as an inducement for men to enter the army.
Some of the preceding pages of this chapter have made mention of the building of the log meeting-house, through the voluntary labors of the towns-people; but it could hardly be expected that that primitive structure would fill more than a temporary want; therefore, after the events of the war had ceased to be interesting, and the struggle was practically at an end, and after the affairs of the town, incident to early years, had become settled, the people made preparations for the erection of a more substantial place for holding public worship. A committee was chosen to " treat " with Joseph Marsh and Benjamin Stebbins, pro- prietors of lands, to see if they would give lands for public rights; and it was also voted to raise twenty-five pounds, lawful money, for the purpose of building the meeting-house, and "to allow a carpenter the
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TOWN OF BARNARD.
price of a bushel of rye and a common man the price of a bushel of corn for a day's work"; also " chose Lieutenant Thomas Freeman, Lieutenant Foster, Mr. Whitcomb, Mr. Byam and Captain Cox, a com- mittee to see that the meeting-house is built."
March 17, 1782, "Voted to hire Mr. (Rev. Aaron) Hutchinson to preach with us fifteen Sabbaths, for the time (term) of six months" ; also, " voted Mr. Joshua Whitcomb and Mr. Solomon Aiken to treat with Mr. Hutchinson about preaching with us." April 4, 1782, " Voted to give Mr. Hutchinson two and one-half bushels of wheat per day for preaching with us."
During the year 1782 the meeting-house was built, and the town meeting of November was held in the building. Then the freemen commenced looking for a settled minister, and at the meeting of Novem- ber 2Ist, chose Deacon Foster, Deacon Whitcomb, Aaron Barlow, Mr. Aiken, Mr. Freeman, Lieutenant Wilber and Captain Green, a commit- tee to "treat " with Rev. Joseph Bowman with view of becoming the settled minister. This was done, and Rev. Bowman assumed pastoral charge of the church September 22, 1784, and continued that relation until his death, which occurred April 27, 1806.
It would appear from the title given to some of the men of the com- mittee last mentioned, " Deacon " Foster and " Deacon " Whitcomb, that a church society was organized at or about that time ; but the records of the town do not show such organization prior to the year 1802, but such an organization may have been made.
In 1793 a burying-ground was laid out near the common (the six- acre tract donated to the town by Benjamin Stebbens) under the direc- tion of Joseph Foster, Asa Whitcomb, and Joshua Whitcomb, who were chosen a committee for that purpose.
In order to bring prominently before the reader the names of as many as possible of the settlers of the town during its pioneer days the fol- lowing lists have been copied from the town records, the first showing the names of the petit jurors for the year 1791, as follows: Nathaniel Paige, Samuel Aiken, jr., Thomas Freeman, jr., Joseph Foster, jr., John Foster, Asa Paige, George Paige, Seth Dean, Benjamin Wilber, Thomas Swift, Elijah Barnes, Abraham Richmond, jr., Stewart Southgate, Jacob Lawton, William Freeman. And the following list shows the names of
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
those who, about this same time, were " approbated by authority of the town to take the freeman's oath," and were sworn : Paul Woods, Andrew Stevens, jr., Levi Swift, Lemuel Stevens, Peter Lurvey, Ichabod Clapp, John Cheedle, Jacob Foster, Asa Paige, Silas Woods, John Atwood, Job Read, Whitfield Swift, Solomon Blackmer, Levi Chamberlain, Ebenezer Tabor, Josiah Richmond, Samuel Steward, Nathaniel Dean, Thomas White, John Steward, Elijah Aiken.
The first church society organized in Barnard was the Congregational, concerning which there is evidence tending to show that the organiza - tion was effected as early as 1782. But whether so or not the records clearly disclose the formation of such a society by a freemen's meeting held for the purpose on April 20, 1802. John Foster, Captain Luther Fairbank, and Aaron Barlow were chosen a committee to prepare arti- cles of association for the society, which being done, and presented, read, and adopted, were signed by the following persons: Thomas Swift, Alex- ander Bowman, Nathaniel Paige, Roger French, Luther Fairbank, jr., Jonathan Newhall, John Foster, 3d, Samuel Foster, John Newton, Moses Coolidge, Robert Tucker, John Foster, John Foster, jr., Ebenezer Sabine, Moses Barlow, John Chamberlain, Thomas W. Wright, Asa Paige, Christopher Lawton, Moses Lurvey, Nathaniel Richmond, Samuel Gray, Joseph Barlow, Peter Foster, Matthew Brown, Jacob Foster, Deacon Jo- seph Foster, Aaron Barlow, Jacob Lawton, Ezra Hudson, Ebenezer Lewis, John Foster, esq., Abel Babbitt, jr., David Pierce, Benjamin Eastman, Benjamin Wilber, William Freeman, Luther Fairbank. John Foster, 3d, was chosen society clerk.
Down to the time of the beginning of the present century, and even for some years thereafter, the members of the Congregational Society by far outnumbered any and all others. Rev. Aaron Hutchinson was the first preacher to visit and officiate in the town, but the first settled minister was Rev. Joseph Bowman, heretofore mentioned, whose pastor- ate commenced in 1784, and closed with his death in 1806. The Rev. Joel Davis succeeded to the pastorate in 1807, and served in that capac- ity until 1822, when he was dismissed. Soon after this Congregation- alism in Barnard began to decline, and finally the society became extinct.
In 1802, or thereabouts, a Methodist Episcopal society was organized in the town, and the interest the new formation created had the effect of
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TOWN OF BARNARD.
drawing many from the Congregational church. Gradually the new so- ciety gained in influence and numbers from first to last, and to-day this is the leading church organization in the town. There are two churches and two societies of this denomination, one at Barnard, and the other at East Barnard. The first church of the society at Barnard was built about 1803, and was used until about 1837, at which time a new and larger edifice was erected. In 1863 the old building was sold to the town for a town hall. The Methodist Episcopal Church Society, at East Barnard, was organized soon after 1830, and the edifice at that village was built about 1834 or 1835, a union church, the joint property of the Methodist and Universalist societies.
A Universalist society was organized in Barnard about the year 1804, under the ministerial charge of Rev. Hosea Ballou. This society, like the Methodist, gradually increased in numbers, finding many converts from the Congregational church and society ; and although possibly not so great numerically as the Methodist in the town, the Universalist so- ciety is a large one, having two church buildings, one at Barnard village, and the other, a union church, at East Barnard. The first was erected by this society at Barnard in 1803, and replaced by a more substantial structure in 1841. The church edifice at East Barnard was built in 1834 or '35.
Barnard is distinctively an agricultural town, and contains some of the best farming and grazing lands to be found in the county, except, pos- sibly, the districts bordering on the Connecticut River and other large streams of the region. But there has been made some effort at estab- lishing manufacturing industries in the town, and not without fair suc- cess. The outlet of Silver Lake furnishes one of the best water privi- leges in the county, and the industries established at this point are the property of Joseph E. Safford, and comprise a saw-mill, a grist-mill, and a chair-stock factory, neither very large, but all doing a successful busi- ness, and furnishing employment for a number of men. Below this point, and on Locust Creek, Henry Thayer has a chair-stock factory, which also does a considerable business.
Representatives of Barnard in Vermont General Assembly .- 1778, Edmond Hodges ; 1779, Asa Whitcomb; 1780, John Foster ; 1781, Benjamin Cox; 1782, Benjamin Stebbins ; 1783, Benjamin Cox ; 1784-
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
85, Aaron Barlow; 1786, Beriah Green; 1787, Benjamin Cox; 1788-89, Joseph Foster ; 1790-91, Aaron Barlow ; 1792, John Foster ; 1793, Aaron Barlow ; 1794, John Foster; 1795, Stewart Southgate; 1796-97, John Foster ; 1798-99, Aaron Barlow; 1800-01, Thomas Freeman, jr .; 1802-04, Benjamin Clapp ; 1805, Thomas Freeman ; 1806-07, Thomas Freeman, jr .; 1808 to 1816, Benjamin Clapp; 1817 to 1819, Thomas Freeman ; 1820-21, Zebina Eaton ; 1822, John Foster; 1823-24, Apol- los Warner ; 1825-26, Elijah Aiken; 1827, John S. Bicknell ; 1828-29, Ebenezer Richmond ; 1830-31, Levi Belknap; 1832-33, Thomas Free- man ; 1834, S. S. Hemenway; 1835-36, Lorenzo Richmond; 1837-38, Ebenezer Atwood, jr .; 1839, Hiram Aiken; 1840, Orrin Gambel; 1841-42, Hiram Aiken; 1843-44, Charles Walcott; 1845-46, Joseph B. Danforth ; 1847, Hiram Aiken ; 1848-49, Sebastian R. Streeter ; 1850- 51, none; 1852, H. O. Slocum; 1853, Allen Cox; 1854, none; 1855-56, Moses E. Cheney ; 1857 to 1860, Paul D. Dean ; 1861-62, William C. Danforth ; 1863, Silas Tupper ; 1864, Paul D. Dean; 1865, Hiram J. Luce ; 1866, none; 1867-68, George H. Atwood; 1869, John H. Gam- bel; 1870-71, Salmon C. Thayer; 1872-73, Adin S. Boyden; 1874-75, William C. Danforth ; 1876-77, Paul D. Dean ; 1878-79, Charles W. Black ; 1880-81, Isaac D. Davis ; 1882-83, Asa Perry ; 1884-85, Mon- roe Gambell; 1886-87, S. D. Putnam ; 1888-89, H. C. F. Atwood.
OLD FAMILIES.
It would be impossible within the compass of this work to give a genealogical sketch of each family that has been connected with the town. The remainder of this chapter is devoted to those who feel and have manifested an interest in preserving the records of their ancestors. For sketches received too late for insertion in this chapter please refer to a later chapter in this work.
Atwood, Harrison C. F., was born in Bridgewater, Vt., April 16, 1828. Caleb Atwood, his grandfather, came from Carver, Mass., with his family, and settled in Bridgewater, Vt. He married Sarah Shurtliff, and reared a family of ten children, of whom Francis S., father of Harrison C. F., was the youngest child. Caleb and his wife died in Bridge- water, and are buried in the Center burial-ground of that town. Francis S. was born in Carver, Mass., December, 1798, and married Mrs. Susan B. White, nee Babcock. Of their six children, the eldest died in infancy. Those who reached adult age were Har- rison C. F., E'win H., Emily Jane, Gilbert W., Alvin O., and Francis S., who died March 11, 1855, in Bridgewater ; his wife May 2, 1885, in Grafton. Harrison C. F. mar-
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OLD FAMILIES.
ried, first, January 1, 1851, Sarah J., daughter of Lyman Cobb, of Woodstock, born in Bridgewater, January 14, 1832, died in Barnard, March 26, 1873. By this union there were five children, as follows: Abbie Jane, born October 31, 1852, married Herbert A. Shurtliff, farmer living in Bridgewater ; Lyman C., born March 5, 1856, farmer living in South Dakota; Charles Francis, born August 5, 1857, living at home ; Herman G., living at Tacoma, Wash .; Mary R., born June 17, 1865, wife of R. D. Ransom, farmer of Pom- fret. Mr. Atwood married, second. Apr 1 19, 1875, Mrs. Sarah E. Brooks, nee Gambell. She was born in Barnard, August 31, 1833 She was the daughter of Willard and Susan (Chamberlain) Gambell. She had two children by her former marriage, Willard J. and Charles H. Brooks; the former lives in Bethel, the latter in Wichita, Kan. Her maternal grandfather, William Chamberlain, was a Revolutionary soldier; was with Arnold in the expedition to Canada, taken a prisoner and carried to England, and her paternal grand- father, John Gambell, was also a Revolutionary soldier, serving under General Wash- ington. When twenty-five years of age Mr. Atwood moved from Bridgewater to Barnard, and settled on a farm in the southwest part of the town, where he has since resided. He has served as selectman of Barnard for four years, and is the present (1896) chairman of the board. He represented the town in the Legislature for 1888-89, and has been lister six years.
Cobb, John S., was born in Woodstock, Vt., September 13, 1828. Binney, his grand- father, born January 10, 1769, in Carver, Mass., married Azuba Atwood, born August 12, 1766. They reared a family of eleven children, of whom Lyman, father of John S., was the seventh, born October 14, 1801. Binney died August 9, 1839, his wife April 10, 1829. Lyman married Joanna Strong, born June 19, 1800. They had nine children, as follows : John Strong, Lyman, jr., Sarah Jones, Charles, Mary Emily, Lucia, George Washing- ton. Joseph Albert, Mary Joanna. Lyman died June 14, 1872, his wife June 6, 1853. John S. married September 8, 1852, Harriet Newell, daughter of Alvin and Lucy (Hub- bard) Parker. Mrs. Cobb was born in Windsor, Vt., September 6, 1830. They have seven children, as follows: Joanna Alice, born August 18, 1853; John Henry, born No- vember 15, 1854; Frances R., born March 10, 1856; Lucy P., born June 23, 1857; Franklin B., born August 18, 1858; Harriet Angeline, born March 21, 1868; and Emily Mabel, born December 6, 1871. Mr. Cobb resided in Bridgewater until 1867, when he removed to Barnard, where he has since lived. He has served the town as selectman three years, justice of the peace twelve years, and town agent twelve years.
Jewett, Amory, M. D., was born in Boston, Mass., January 17, 1833, the eldest in a family of two children of Amory and Lucy E. (Dieuaide) Jewett. Nathaniel, his grand- father, was a native of Dracut, Mass. He built the Bunker Hill Monument and the old State's Prison at Charlestown, Mass., also the Woodstock, Vt .. jail. Nathaniel, his only brother, is a physician and surgeon in Ashburnham, Mass. The doctor received his edu- cation in the public schools at Boston. He commenced the study of medicine with Dr. Harlow in 1849, then studied with Dr. Lindsley, of Boston Highlands, and Dr. C. E. Miles, of the same place. He received his medical diploma from the Eclectic College of Cincinnati in 1866, and commenced the practice of his profession in Boston, where he continned it until 1868, and the next four years was in Ashburnham, Mass. He was afterwards two years in Portsmouth, then in Boston and vicinity up to June, 1889, when he came to Barnard, and is the only resident physician of that town. He has filled the various offices in the Eclectic State Society of Massachusetts, and was its president at one time. He married Madaline M., daughter of John and Marinda Porter, of Hard- wick, Vt .; she died Angust 8, 1887. The doctor has three children : William A., a den- tist in Gardiner, Mass .; John P., also a dentist; and Ida D., living at home.
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