USA > Vermont > History of the Baptists in Vermont > Part 45
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fore. On the Monday following, Dr. Colver wished to see Mr. Barnes and myself, and an interview followed. An adjournment was made till we could call William Cook, of Whitehall, a godly man, full of good deeds. At this meeting, held at the home of the writer, Dr. Colver said substantially this: 'that God had laid upon him the work of providing a Theological Seminary for the West, where young men called to the ministry could, in some measure, pre- pare themselves for their great work. He said there were to be a great number of them; that they were generally poor, and could not come East for training and study. With great earnestness he pleaded for these young men. He continued, 'The churches must have trained pastors.' As he walked the floor he said, 'O, we must have this seminary.'
"Then he told us his plan; that we three men pledge his salary for five years, at $1,500 per year, while he should work it up. We agreed to this and pledged as follows: Lawrence Barnes, $3,000; Wm. Cook, $3,000; Mial Davis, $1,500, or $7,500 for the five years.
"Dr. Colver started off, happy as a lark in the morning, to his work. Very soon he returned to us and said that God had blessed him in presenting it, so that he was sure it would come. 'Now,' he says, 'I wish, if you will, to pay the $7,500 as the commence- ment of the fund for the Institution.' This we did, and paid the money. The dear Mr. Goodman of The Standard, with other friends, took hold of the matter and subscriptions followed. The Seminary came up. Dr. G. W. Northrop has said to the writer that the nest egg of the Seminary was laid in Burlington, which was true. And now, dear Dr. Colver, Brother Barnes, and Brother Cook have some years since passed over to the heavenly land, and I remain alone to tell the story. To God be all the glory of a work so far reaching in its results."
Mention ought to be made in this connection, of men who, not connected with any of our literary institutions, have neverthe- less performed distinguished service in the ministry in various parts of the country. Among these, we record the names of H. C. Fish, so long the distinguished pastor in New Jersey, and the author of valuable religious works, who was brought up in Halifax, and converted in the little Baptist church there; E. H. Gray,
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D. D., of whom we have spoken, was the gift of the now extinct church in Bridport; S. H. Green, D. D., so long the loved pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Washington, D. C., came from the feeble church in Montgomery; Alvah S. Hobart, now professor in Crozer Theological Institution, was born in Georgia, Vt .; A. T. Dunn, came from Fairfax, and S. S. Cutting, D. D., so prominent in educational and editorial work, was the gift of the church in Windsor to service in other states.
ACADEMIES
The first allusion to the State Convention's interest in academies occurs in the minutes of 1830. In reply to a com- munication received from the trustees of the Burr Seminary, to be located in Manchester, the Convention passed the following: Resolved, that we cordially approve the plan of said Seminary, as presented in the prospectus, and that we wish its friends success in their important enterprise; yet, as we have, during the present session of the Convention, organized a branch of The Northern Baptist Education Society within this State, and as institutions to which we are already pledged imperiously demand our patronage, we feel ourselves unable at present to render that assistance, which, under other circumstances, might have been afforded.
THE ACADEMY AT BRANDON
On the evening of October 26, 1831, a meeting of the friends of education was held at the home of Esq. Fletcher, in Ludlow, and a resolution was passed recommending to the Convention to take measures for the establishment of a literary institution in the State. The following day the Convention approved the resolu- tion and appointed twenty-five persons to serve as trustees of said institution.
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(Names of trustees appointed by the Convention to take measures to establish a literary institution, 1831) :
Hon. J. D. Farnsworth, Charlotte, Dea. J. Clark, St. Johnsbury, J. Conant, Esq., Brandon, Rev. A. Leland, Chester,
J. P. Skinner, Esq., Windsor, Rev. D. Packer, Mount Holly,
Rev. A. Sabin, Georgia,
Dea. T. Galusha, Jericho,
Dea. S. Riggs, Rutland, Mr. Joseph Smith, 2d, Shoreham, Hon. N. H. Bottom, Shaftsbury, Dr. A. McKee, Arlington, Rev. E. B. Smith, Poultney,
E. E. Starkweather, Irasburg, Rev. J. M. Graves, Jericho, Rev. H. Proctor, Rutland,
Rev. L. Howard, Windsor, Rev. R. M. Ely, Rockingham, Dea. D. Mason, Westminster, Dea. E. Ransom, Townshend, Rev. M. Bruce, Wilmington, Asa Fletcher, Esq., Ludlow, Rev. J. Merriam, Bridport, A. Clark, Esq., Hinesburg.
The legislature, in 1832, granted the above named persons, and their successors in office, an Act of Incorporation, with the usual powers and privileges of like institutions in the State. The trustees held their first meeting in Rutland, and adjourned from time to time, receiving proposals from several towns in the State for the location of the institution. Finally the proposal from Bran- don was considered the most liberal and was accepted, and the institution located there by the name of the Vermont Literary and Scientific Institution.
The people of Brandon subscribed $5,000 and erected a four- story building of brick. It was commodious, conveniently placed and handsome; one hundred feet in length and forty feet in width. This building was opened February, 1833. The school was under the instruction of Hadley Proctor, principal; Mr. N. N. Wood, assistant, first quarter; Myron N. Dean, assistant, second quarter; Mr. Curtis K. Harvey, teacher of languages; Mr. Josiah C. Hazel- tine in the English department, and Hiram A. Graves, A. B., teacher of penmanship. In the female department, Miss Sophia Fox, principal; Miss H. K. Seaver, assistant, first term; Miss Susan M. Griggs, assistant, second term. Number of students: Males, one hundred and twenty-one; females, eighty-two; total, two hun-
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dred and three. This school never had an endowment, although some contributions were made through the Convention for fur- nishing its room. It fitted a considerable number of students for college, some of whom became eminent.
In 1866, the trustees leased the buildings to the consolidated school district of Brandon village for graded schools, provided said district would put the building in order and sustain a first- class graded school, according to the school laws of Vermont.
In 1842, the Convention acknowledged its obligation to this institution by the following resolution :
"Resolved, that the Scientific and Literary Institution in Brandon is entitled to all the aid that the Convention and the. denomination in the State can give it; that since it was brought into existence by the Convention it may reasonably look to us for support. We, therefore, recommend to our brethren that such agents as the trustees may send out be favorably received, and their efforts be crowned with funds, scholarships and scholars."
The hopes expressed in this resolution were not fulfilled. John Conant, Esq., one of the founders of the institution, in letters to William Churchill, wrote:
"This institution has, from the commencement, felt great need of the fostering hand which was extended, not to say pledged, from the denomination, for want of which its course of instruction has been fluctuating, and without permanent professors, and is at present supported by the tuition bills and such other aid as a few in the village can afford to it. Could the Baptist Convention be induced to give it, the small sum of $1 to each member of the Bap- tist churches, it could soon be in a flourishing condition again and be of great general use, and honorary to the denomination. The trustees feel that such a fund is due to their efforts in raising the institution and still hope that their brethren feel it too, and will not leave them to serve alone an object so important to the good of the whole."
In a note to the letter from which we have just quoted, allud- ing to an understanding that the original trustees were expected to raise $1,000 before proceeding with the work of founding the institution, Mr. Conant writes:
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"The $1,000 was never half subscribed, and this is the point on which its failure turned. The trustees anticipated too much; they should not have started a peg until the sum was raised."
In a later letter he said, "The Institution was got up by the State Convention; that is, by their choosing a board of trustees to take measures to raise funds for and locate the Institution where they might judge most advantageous for the State, for the general good of the whole State. This was expected by the people of Brandon, when they expended $5,000 for the building. But we were sadly disappointed when we saw immediately spring up other small academies, in different sections of the State, and fostered, more or less, by men whose names were on our list of trustees. Instead of supporting our Institution, and making that a respecta- ble one, the denomination countenanced other small ones, and, so dividing the interest, ruined all."
(Letters in the possession of the Vermont Baptist Historical Society.)
The schools to which Mr. Conant referred were doubtless those established at Townshend, Ludlow and Derby.
LELAND AND GRAY SEMINARY
As nearly as can be determined, Rev. Joseph Freeman, D. D., of Cavendish, was the father of the movement for the establish- ment of a Baptist school within the limits of the Woodstock As- sociation. He introduced the subject to the Association in 1833, and it met with favor. Plans were formed as soon as possible and steps taken to carry them into effect. Money and a suitable loca- tion were the first things to engage attention. To awaken interest and secure means, the Association authorized or sanctioned the appointment of mass meetings in various places. On these oc- casions the character of the undertaking, plans for raising funds, and especially the matter of a suitable location, were fully and freely discussed.
As the meetings progressed, it came to be seen that latitude, as well as other considerations, was a thing not to be overlooked, for some contended that the proposed seminary of learning should
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be in the northern part of the Association limits, and others that it should be in the southern. Elder Freeman took a stand in favor of the former view, and Major Ezekiel Ransom, of Townshend, the other. Ransom spoke of the beauties of the natural scenery and the healthfulness of the Townshend location, but natural scenery and zeal of friends could not alone win the prize for Townshend, or any other locality. Resolving not to be behind others, in January, 1834, the people of Townshend instituted measures to raise the funds needed. This was done by voluntary subscription.
The minutes of the Woodstock Association, for 1834, show that a committee was appointed by them to appoint "twenty trust- ees of the Leland Classical Institution of Townshend". The As- sociation also chose a committee of five, consisting of Chapin Howard, Wm. R. Shafter, Peter R. Taft, Daniel Cobb and Epaphro Ransom, to superintend the erection of a school building. The General Assembly, in the autumn of 1834, granted charters; one for Leland Classical and English School, at Townshend, and the other for Black River Academy, at Ludlow.
The name, Leland, was in honor of Lieutenant-Governor Aaron Leland, of Chester. The use of his name was a fitting trib- ute to the memory of one who had stood high in the councils of his own denomination and had filled a large place in the hearts of the people.
At the first meeting of the trustees, it was voted that the committee that had previously been appointed by the Association "to superintend the erection of a building, be a committee to superintend the financial affairs of said corporation until by-laws are reported and adopted by said trustees." This fact con- stituted them the prudential committee and no successors were appointed that year.
The committee appointed by The Woodstock Association contracted with Daniel Cobb, of Windham, to erect a brick build- ing on the premises, which Ezra Ober had conveyed to Chapin Howard in trust. Mr. Cobb performed the terms of the contract and received for work and material, $1,220.
The first term of the school was opened in the autumn of 1835 by Rev. Erastus Willard, in the absence of Professor A. B. Tilton,
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principal elect. Mr. Willard was a Baptist clergyman then preach- ing in Grafton, Vt., afterward missionary to Paris. Professor Tilton soon assumed the management of the school, which under him set out on a prosperous career.
The Woodstock Association continued to manifest the same fostering care for the two schools as long as both were held to be within its territorial limits, and their yearly minutes, with few exceptions, until 1856, contained some commendatory resolutions, or favorable mention, and many times they appointed visiting committees for each school.
In 1856, or thereabout, the Baptist church of Townshend, transferred its connection to the Windham Asssociation and the Seminary no longer appears in the Woodstock minutes. The Windham Association, by its yearly resolutions and in other ways, has since the last named date manifested interest in the prosperity of the school.
BLACK RIVER ACADEMY AT LUDLOW
This academy was incorporated in 1834. Its first board of trustees were nearly all Baptists and continued so through its entire existence. Among its principals were Rev. C. B. Smith, Rev. Burbank and M. C. Hyde, and its teachers were nearly all Baptists. It was often recommended to patronage by the Wood- stock Association and the Windham Association.
In 1867, the trustees were authorized by an Act of Legislature to lease the property to District No. 1, in the town of Ludlow, they still maintaining their organization and retaining a voice in the selection of teachers, and this arrangement still continues. The school has never had an endowment, although some small sums were occasionally raised for its aid, which seem to have been used for repairs, apparatus, etc.
DERBY ACADEMY
In 1839, the Danville Association, composed of the Baptist churches in Caledonia and Orleans Counties, and a part of the
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eastern townships of Canada, "feeling the need of an institution for the education specially of young men, for ministerial and other professions, chose a committee to locate such an institution under their care and direction."
This committee, after visiting Irasburg, Barton, Greensboro, Hardwick and Walden, fixed upon Derby Center as the most eligible location. The late Benjamin Hinman and Lemuel Rich- mond, members of the Baptist society in Derby, gave each an acre of land, and suitable buildings were erected by the inhabitants in the following summer-Colonel Chester Carpenter defraying nearly half the expense.
At a meeting of the Association, held in Burke, June, 1840, the school was called The Derby Literary and Theological Insti- tute, and the following trustees were appointed, viz .:
J. M. Morrill, L. P. Parks, John Hawes, Rev. Lewis Fisher, Rev. Rufus Godding, Enoch Thomas, Rev. Silas Davison, John Bellows, Rev. Jonathan Baldwin, Jonathan Lawrence, Rev. Aaron Angier, Luman Bornson, Rev. Silas Grow, Rev. Horace Hovey, Isaac Denison, Thomas Baldwin, E. L. Clark, Rev. S. B. Ryder, Dustin Grow, Rev. Noah Nichols, Chester Carpenter, Hon. D. M. Camp, Lemuel Richmond, Orem Newcombe, Davis Blanchard, Israel Ide, M. Cushing, Rev. Edward Mitchell, Isaac Ives, Enos Alger, Rev. N. H. Downs, W. Rexford, Joel Daggett, Rev. A. H. House, and Joseph Ide.
Executive committee, Colonel Chester Carpenter, Rev. Noah Nichols, and Dr. Lemuel Richmond.
The next September the school was opened. Heman Lincoln was principal, and Miss E. Appleton, (afterward Mrs. John Ives) preceptress. The school numbered one hundred and forty-seven, several of whom were fitting for college and have since become efficient members of the pulpit, the bar and the medical professions.
In the years, 1841 and 1842, Alvah Hovey and Miss Sarah Ayer, of New Hampton, were the principals.
1843-1851, Austin Norcross was principal, and Miss Ann Nichols, (afterward Mrs. Austin Norcross) preceptress. The number of students ranged from one hundred to one hundred and fifty per term.
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During the first few years, the Baptist Association, at its annual meetings and through its agents, Jonathan Baldwin, N. H. Downs and Aaron Angier, contributed generously toward its sup- port; but being unable, under its title of Theological Institute, to procure a charter which would entitle it to a share in the grammar school funds, the trustees, in 1845, at a meeting held in Derby, de- cided to substitute the name Derby Academy.
In 1851, the services of Frederick Mott, A. B., of Brown University, and Miss Emma Dean, of New Hampton (afterward Mrs. F. Mott), were procured and they remained three years. During this time the success of the school had more than equalled the expectations of its most sanguine friends. Perhaps no term passed without hopeful conversions of several members of the school.
But while the friends of the institution were encouraged, there had been a growing jealousy on the part of some prominent members of other religious societies in the vicinity, who used strenuous efforts to convert the academy into a union school, and at last succeeded in electing officers in equal numbers from the three societies, Baptist, Congregational, and Methodist, near the close of Mr. Mott's term of service. The school, being under the especial care of no one in particular, diminished in numbers and standing; this giving one more proof of the truthfulness of the homely adage, "What is everybody's business is nobody's."
In 1871, at the session of the Convention when the question of a new institution was under discussion, which resulted in the founding of Vermont Academy, a communication was received from the trustees of Derby Academy, offering the buildings and other property of the corporation to the Vermont Baptist State Conven- tion, and a resolution was offered by Rev. J. G. Lorimer: "That we accept the trust and manage the school."
This resolution was referred to the Board. No mention of this matter is made in the subsequent reports of the Board. In 1873, however, a committee was appointed to look after the de- nominational institutions of learning in the State, and the following year, Mr. Rugg, in behalf of the committee, made a verbal report concerning Derby Academy, and Rev. J. G. Lorimer spoke of its condition and wants.
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HON. LEVI K. FULLER Governor of Vermont 1892-1894 Born, 1841-Died, 1896
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Among the many who prepared here for college, some of whom entered one or two years in advance, mention should be made of the following who became clergymen, viz .: Marvin Hodge, D. D .; Moses Bixby, missionary; Charles S. Morse, and Zenas Goss, mis- sionaries to Turkey; W. W. Niles, Professor of languages, Trinity College, Hartford, Conn .; J. C. Hyde, Nathan Denison, Charles Willey, Isaac Waldron, Horace Hovey, B. F. Morse, Clark E. Ferrin, J. G. Lorimer, John Kimball.
Of those who became lawyers: Hon. Benjamin H. Steele, Hugh Buchanan, Edgar Bullock, Alonzo Bartlett, Major Amasa Bartlett, Enoch Bartlett, Ossian Ray, George and Charles Robin- son, L. H. Bisbee, Jerry Dickerman, B. F. D. Carpenter, Alonzo Bates.
Physicians: Geo. Hinman, Simeon Corey, Cephas Adams, John Buchanan, John Iver, John Masta.
To these should be added: John Graham, L. L. D., presi- dent of St. Francis College, Richmond; Paschal Bates, Edwin Bates, Charleston, S. C., Alva Godding, D. M. Camp, editor of Newport Express, and N. W. Bingham, known for his poetical talent.
VERMONT ACADEMY
The Vermont Baptist State Convention, which assembled in Windsor, November 10, 1869, was attended by two brethren who had pondered earnestly for some time previous, the educa- tional interests of the Baptists of Vermont and who were mutually pledged to test the practicability of inaugurating in this Conven- tion, some movement looking to the establishment of a new and well endowed academy in this State. On the joint solicitation of these brethren, the chairman of the committee on resolutions, Rev. Charles Hibbard, cordially consented to introduce the follow- ing resolution :
" Resolved, that the time has come when the Baptists of Ver- mont should awaken to an increased interest in the subject of gen- eral education, and should express that interest by taking immediate steps to secure the establishment and adequate endowment of a
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first-class literary and scientific institute for the education of our youth of both sexes." The resolution, after receiving consider- able discussion, disclosing a general incredulity of success in the project, was, however, at length adopted, the measure being al- lowed to receive, substantially uncontested, the votes of the few earnest friends. The following brethren were appointed a com- mittee to take the necessary preliminary measures for carrying the resolution into effect: T. H. Archibald, W. L. Palmer, S. F. Brown, G. S. Chase, M. A. Wilcox, R. J. Jones, Wm. M. Pingry. The progress made by the committee in their work during the fol- lowing year was reported by the chairman, Rev. T. H. Archibald, to the State Convention held in Hydeville, October 5 and 6, 1870. They had addressed a circular to all the Baptist pastors of the State, inquiring: First, Do you judge such an institution among the Baptists of this State necessary to their prosperity and ad- vancement? Secondly, Are you ready to cooperate in founding and maintaining it? The answer to both these questions, with very few exceptions, was unexpectedly hearty and emphatic in the affirmative.
A meeting was called to consider the matter further, in con- nection with the ministerial institute held in Brattleboro, in the month of February, which was addressed by S. S. Cutting, D. D., and a general expression of feeling was decided in regard to the great need of such a movement as was contemplated. Wishing to proceed intelligently in their work, the committee sent out a circular to all the churches, inquiring the number of young people between the ages of fourteen and twenty-one, connected with Baptist congregations; the number of those studying in Baptist schools; the number studying in schools of other denominations; the number studying in schools of no denominational character and the number of graduates of colleges. Returns were received and collated from only thirty-one churches, but these furnished some very suggestive facts. The committee was encouraged to believe that the enterprise was commending itself to the judgment, and entrenching itself in the hearts of benevolent, enterprising, far- seeing laymen, and that the prospect of a first-class academy, under the control of Baptists of Vermont, was bright. The report
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of the committee was received as a report of progress, and on mo- tion of one of the committee, Hon. Lawrence Barnes, of Burling- ton, and Rev. Charles Hibbard, of Chester, were added to the com- mittee. Subsequently the Convention adopted the following resolution :
"Resolved, that this Convention hails with joy the progress which has been made by the educational committee, in ascertain- ing the state of opinion and feeling in the churches on the ques- tion of establishing a first-class academy in Vermont, under the auspices of the denomination, and in giving practical direction to this important project.
"Resolved, that the committee are requested to proceed with their work, expressing always in their consultations and appeals the conviction of this body, that our churches will have done their best work for the cause of Christ, and of christian civilization, only as the higher forms of education are made easily and cheaply accessible to all our sons and daughters." During the year en- suing, the committee prosecuted their work with renewed zeal, and at the expiration of the second year of their labors the com- mittee laid before the unusually large Convention, assembled in Burlington; October 4, 1871, the following as their final report:
"Your committee, in accordance with the report of last year, have prosecuted the investigation which had then been com- menced, and ask leave to present the following report: They have received returns from sixty-five of the one hundred and two churches in the State, of which nine, including several of the most able, do not report the amount of property connected with them. These reports diselose the following facts: There are, in these sixty-five churches, two thousand, two hundred and twenty per- sons between fourteen and twenty-one years of age. Of these, one hundred and twelve are in attendance on Baptist schools, seventy of whom belong to the congregation in Fairfax, leaving forty-one from the other sixty-three churches in attendance on Baptist academies. There are attending schools of other denomi- nations, three hundred and forty-seven; and attending schools under no denominational control, three hundred and twenty-five. Sixty-nine persons over twenty-one years of age are engaged in
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