USA > Vermont > Addison County > Cornwall > History of the town of Cornwall, Vermont > Part 25
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Isaac. WATROUS, JABEZ and ELIZABETH IVES.
Anna, born May 11, 1788.
Ruby.
N. Jones. Abraham L.
Bell. WILLIAMSON, ABRAHAM & RHODA BLODGET.
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Elijah J. STOWELL, NATHAN.
Alba, a son.
Pamela, born January 19, 1782. Orry, May 24, 1787.
DA POND. 'Hiram.
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CHAPTER XXVII.
CARE OF THE POOR-MODE OF PROVISION --- STATISTICS OF PROPERTY -LISTS - DECIMAL CURRENCY WHEN FIRST USED --- TAXES FOR ROADS, AND OTHER SPECIFIG OBJECTS.
The story of the provision for the poor of Cornwall is brief and simple. Inspection of the town records, from which most of our knowledge on this subject, especially of early times, must be de- rived, informs us that the settlers manifested, from the first, a com- mendable spirit in regard to the support of the poor. The number of persons in a new settlement, of middle aged and young men who would need the aid of charity, would of course be compara- tively small. This was true in Cornwall, but those who were needy, were kindly cared for at the expense of the public. The question was occasionally raised in town, whether money might not be saved by the purchase or erection of a house for this purpose, but the proposal never met with sufficient favor to secure its adoption. By vote of the town in 1816, however, the overseers of the poor, of whom, at that period there were usually three-often the selectmen -- were authorized to hire a house for this purpose: How far they availed themselves of this authority does not appear. The poor were commonly boarded in families where they could be accommo- dated, or aided to live in houses which they called home, down to, the year 1833, and the town was accustomed to make appropria- tions from year to year, to meet the expense thus incurred. In 1822 and again in 1833, the town so far swerved from their pre-
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vious uniformly humane policy, as to order by vote, that the care of the poor should be committed to the lowest bidder. Happily the expedient was not often resorted to. Assuredly the sufferings of virtuous poverty are sufficiently grievous, without being aggrava- ted by the tortures inflicted by unfeeling cupidity, for the enhance- ment of private gains.
Once since the organization of the town, (in 1837, ) a proposal was brought forward for consideration, for a conference with other towns in the vicinity respecting a sort of union poor house, such as is provided by law in some States, to be established and sustain- ed at the joint expense of the several towns. But the proposal did not meet with favor. The practice of the fathers has continued with little variation down to the present time - that of allowing the poor to live and be taken care of, where they could be most comfortable, with reasonable expense. Indeed, the only variation worthy of notice for years, has been the appointment of one in- stead of three overseers of the poor; and that one has had no oth- er than general instructions, to treat the poor as they ought to be treated, and report his disbursements to the town. It may be but justice to add, that Dea. Abram Foot has, for many years, with characteristic kindness, discharged the duties of this office to the acceptance of his fellow-citizens. The disbursements of the town for the poor have been from a few dollars annually, at the begin- ning, to nearly eight hundred within the last year.
The first votes of the town, which I find on record, respecting the care of the poor, are as follows :- March 5, 1787, " Voted to pay Nathan Foot six shillings for bringing up something for the Widow Linsly." September 2d, 1788, " Voted to pay Dr. Ford eight pounds in grain, for service he did for Win. Kellogg before June, 1787." " Voted to lay a penny tax, in addition to tho last tax that was laid, to pay Frederick Ford." Thus, without a sys- tem, which was probably not needed at the time, individual cases were provided for as they occurred.
The first detailed report of the expense of the town for the sup- port of the poor, which appears in the records, was rendered at the annual town meeting in 1818, for the year preceding. Previously
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sums are mentioned as paid for individual paupers, but no ag- gregate is given us. It may perhaps interest some readers to have presented the expenditures for this object for a few years. It should be remembered that the sums reported were for the year preceding the date of the report. '
1834. . .. 137 81.
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1819. ... 482 69. 1820. . .. 318 08. 1835. ... 200 85. 1822. ... 411 95. 1837 .... 283 26.
1823. . .. 528 11.
1838 ... 587 38.
1828 .... 869 69.
1839 .... 702 30.
1829 .... 336 61. 1840. .314 23.
1830. ... 255 53. 1831. . .. 194 36.
1841. . . 873 84.
1842. .469 57.
1832 .. .220 39. 1862. .798 91.
1833. . . .216 31.
No papers have fallen under my observation which contain a valuation of the property, or in the language of the period, a " list of the Polls and' rateable estate of the inhabitants of Cornwall" previous to 1795. Such papers were, of course once in existence, as they must have contained the only data for the apportionment of taxes, but previous to that date they were not recorded. Indeed, many of the taxes for several years, especially for the opening and construction of roads, were assessed by the proprietors on land only, as they had the unquestioned power to impose taxes upon the lands of non-residents, as well as residents, for any improvements deemed necessary for the common welfare. In 1794 the town directed that "in future the Town list should be recorded."
In 1795 the number of Polls assessed was 224, showing a sur- prising rapidity of increase in the brief period of ten or eleven years, from the first permanent settlement of the town. I copy the amount of the lists as certified by the "Listers," for several years, beginning in 1795. That of 1797 is for some cause not re- corded. The figures in 1795 and '96 indicate pounds and shillings, -- afterward dollars and cents. It may here be remarked that we find the first allusion in the records, to a decimal currency in 1797, in a vote "to lay one and a half cents on the dollar, on the
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list that year." After that date this currency was exclusively used. I copy the sum of lists as follows :
1795, Town, £5702 15s. 1804, Town, . . $23,873,00.
State, £5982 10s. State, $22,698,50.
1796, Town, £5905 5s. 1806, Town, .. $27,853,25.
State, £5371 5s. State, .. $26,545,75.
1798, Town, $20,453.25. 1808, Grand List, $26,739,50.
State, $18,789,25. 1809,
$27,808,50.
1799, Town, 822,170,67. State, $20,549,67. 1860,
1811, $27,803,50.
£ 4,486,48.
1862,
66 $ 4,255,03.
1800, Town, $23,753,77. State, $22,002,27.
1801. Town, $24,281,50. State, 823,227,50.
1802, Town, $22,426.
1803, Town, $22,573.02. State, $21,055,12.
After this date, such changes were made in the laws and usages of the Stato respecting lists and taxation, as it would be irrelevant here to attempt to detail. It appears from a copy of the "True list for State Taxes," published by the State in 1800, that the State list of Cornwall exceeded that of any other Town in the County.
The figures above exhibit a steady, but very gradual increase of the property of the inhabitants. Were it expedient to copy the lists of individuals, the reader would see in the case of here and there one, a comparatively rapid accumulation of property, while many made little advances, and some, as is usual in most communities, seem to have lost the little which they brought to town.
We have already noticed that the very early taxes were laid, as was perhaps unavoidable, on land ; the assessment being a certain number of pence per acre, or a certain amount on each original right. This mode of assessing taxes, occasioned, as might be ex- pected, many sales of the lands of non-resident proprietors who were negligent respecting the payment of taxes, and the Collec-" tors' books which are still in existence, as well as the registry of deeds, show that some valuable farms in Cornwall were purchased it these land sales, for sums which amounted to no more and some-
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times less than a penny an acre. For example, the 14th of Janu- ary, 1892, John Chipman, Sheriff of the County of Addison and Collector of a certain land tax, conveyed to Frederick Ford, sen., two hundred and ninety acres of land on the original right of Josiah Dean, for the sum of eight shillings and eight pence, less than half a penny an acro, giving him a warrantce deed of the same. And again the same officer in collecting the same tax, conveyed to Nathan Delano by warantec deed the entire original right, more than 3000 acres, of Jehn Willoughby, a non-resident proprietor, for the sum of eight shillings and eight pence. It would be easy to cite a multitude of cases of the sale of valuable lots of land by tax collectors for mere nominal sums, the reason of which probably must have been in some instances at least, that the original owners wearied with the payment of taxes, and discouraged respecting the settlement of lands, resolved to rid themselves of further calls, by a sacrifice of the whole.
The taxes assessed for some purposes, it was voted might be paid in grain at a stipulated price - an expedient unavoidable where money could not be obtained. The price of wheat was sometimes fixed at three shillings, sometimes at four, and sometimes five shil- lings ; and corn at about three. In several instances we find on the records, votes of the town to petition the General Assembly for the assessment of a land tax to build roads and bridges ; and in one instance the town voted to petition the General Assembly for a lottery to aid in building the bridge at " Middlebury Falls," and if this request should be refused, for a land tax for the purpose.
After a few years, the town, instead of voting taxes for single or specific objects, were wont to assess a tax sufficient to cover the aggregate expenses of the town, except in the case of taxes for the support of religious worship. These, as a portion were exempt from their payment, were assessed only on those who were supposed to prefer "the standing order." After a few years also grain ceas- ed to be received for taxes, and money became its substitute. It may not be amiss to add that the fathers would have been excus- able for regarding their money as of high value, and for holding it with a firma grasp, when, as was often the case, they were compelled,
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with their teams, to carry their wheat to Troy, N. Y., as the near- est available cash market, thus actually expending upon it an amount of labor and expense equal to one-half its cash value. It is not perhaps surprising that they should have become sufficiently rich in flocks and herds, while we may be surprised that money should have formed any considerable part of their estates.
The different modes of making out the lists which are the basis of taxation in different communities, or in the same communities at different periods, render it difficult and in some cases impossible to form a correct estimate of the comparative burdens imposed. For example, those not initiated would form no adequate idea of the comparative taxes in two communities, in one of which the list rep- resents the entire property, while in the other it represents but a tenth, or twentieth, or a hundredth part of the property. In one
case a tax of five or eight mills on a dollar, might be onerous, while in the other the amount would be merely nominal. Our fathers, courageous as they were, would have been startled at the proposal of a tax of thirty, or forty, or fifty cents on a dollar, while their sons with a different mode of making out their list, impose upon themselves a tax of forty or fifty cents on a dollar, and with occa- sional grumbling, generally bear the burden with commendable equanimity.
While most of our school districts have within a few years taxed themselves liberally for the erection of school houses, one of their number (No. 2) has, for this purpose, paid within four or five years, a self-imposed tax of one hundred and eighty per cent. on their Grand List.
If productive of no other benefit, it will at least be amusing to most readers to be informed of the appropriations of the town from year to year for its current expenses. Each tax the reader will bear in mind is upon the list of the year preceding its date. The first tax which I notice on the records, as assessed for the general expenses of the town, was voted in 1807. Its amount was five mills on a dollar of the list of that year. The list of that year is not on record but supposing it to be the same as that of 1808, it yielded $133. From this year until 1814, no assessment greater
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HISTORY OF CORNWALL.
than two cents on a dollar was voted, and but once greater than one cent. In 1815 four cents on a dollar was voted, but from that year till 1824, no greater tax than three cents was voted. In 1825 the tax was five and a half cents, and from that date no other so large was voted till 1837, when the tax was seven cents. In 1838 it was the same; in 1839 the tax was only four cents; in 1840, five cents ; in 1841, five and a half cents. From this date the expenses of the town were largely increased. In 1842, a tax was voted of twenty-five cents on a dollar ; and from this date not less than ten until 1847, when it was fourteen cents :
1848 .... 12c. 1856 .... 30c. 1857 .... 40c. 1849. ... 12c. 1850. . .. 25c. 1858 .... 20c. 1851 .... 12c. 1859 .... 25c.
1852 ... . 8c. 1860 .... 50c.
1853. ... 15c.
1861 .... 50c.
1854. ... 16c.
1862. ... 45c.
1855 32c
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HISTORY OF CORNWALL.
CHAPTER XXIX,
HIGHWAYS -- BRIDGES, ETC.
One of the heaviest burdens - perhaps the heaviest-which the fathers of Cornwall were called upon to assume, was the construc- tion of roals. The surveys of highways, the records of which from the earliest date, are preserved, with few exceptions, show conclusively the purpose that they should be sufficiently numerous to accommodate every settler. The roads projected, and actually located, were; indeed, more numerous than the convenience of the community required, as is evident from the fact, that several of those opened and once in use, have been discontinued as needless, while but few new ones have been located, and those mostly rather for private, than for public accommodation.
Two roads were projected by the Proprietors of Cornwall pre- vious to 1778, the surveys of which are not in existence, having been destroyed with other records. One of these was the main north and south road from Whiting to Weybridge. This road, it was first supposed by the settlers, would run by the dwelling of Ebenezer Stebbins, Widow Baxter and David Parkill, and thence northward. With this expectation, Dr. Nathan Foot built his first cabin on the line of the anticipated road, on the verge of the swamp nearly a mile east of his subsequent location. But it was laid most of the way very near where it now runs, with only such variations as have already been mentioned. The other was a road from Otter Creek to Lemon Fair, and was at that time deemed very important 29 connecting the eastern and western parts of the town, and as fur-
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nishing & means of transit from the Creek, which was then the main thoroughfare for the families and goods of emigrants, who usually stopped at Asa Blodget's, at the "Ox-bow." As the swamp was utterly impassable, those who first arrived were obliged to pass around the north end of it, as far north as the road running cast from the present dwelling of Z. B. Robbins.
A vote was passed by the town in June, 1786, to establish a survey of the road from between John Holley's, now Benjamin Parkill's, and Isaac Kellogg's, now Mrs. Everts', east through the swamp to Theophilus Allen's, now Silas Piper's. This road, passing through a dense and deep portion of the swamp, though surveyed and located in December, 1785, had not been commenced on account of the expense and labor attending its construction. It was, however, deemed indispensable, and formidable as it appeared, it was undertaken, and so far prosecuted that the timber was cus through the whole distance, and logs were laid across the line of the road, "forming a causeway,' wherever the swamp required it. But it is believed it was not made passable for teams until 1825, when, owing to outside pressure from Salisbury and Ripton and East Middlebury, to secure a convenient route for the transportation of merchandise to and from Lake Champlain, the town, after much discussion, joined Middlebury in completing the road.
About the year 1825, two other roads were proposed which occa- sioned much discussion, viz : the road from the Congregational meeting-house to West Cornwall, which the town finally voted to build ; and another road in a direct line from Oliver Russell's in Shoreham to the Corner at Dr. Ford's. This project was most res- olutely and persistently opposed, and, indeed, met with little favor in the community, as involving an outlay of expense unwarranted by its prospective advantages.
Previous to 1815, a Turnpike Company which proposed to ex- tend the Hubbardton turnpike to Middlebury was chartered, called the Middlebury Turnpike Corporation. They caused a survey of the road to be made, and divided it into sections of one quarter of a mile each, preparatory to construction. The Corporation offered to the town of Corr wall the free use of the road, provided the inhabi-
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tants on the line of it would work out one-half of their annual highway tax upon it. The offer was accepted, and a vote to that effect was passed at the March meeting in 1815, but for some cause the Corporation failed to construct the road.
In 1818, a complaint was entered against the town for a neglect of its main north and south road, and a fine of four hundred dol- lars was imposed by the Court, to be expended in repairs. Though at the time the occasion of hard words, the town in October of that year, voted a tax of two and one-half per cent. on the list of 1818, which, under the supervision of three efficient Commissioners appointed by the Court, was expended in thorough and permanent repairs, which have since proved a benefit to the town and a com- fort to the traveling community.
In most of the original surveys and deeds, allowance was made of about five acres in each hundred, for highways, and the select- men authorized by law, were authorized to set off from farms that had allowance which had not been used, to others which had no allowance, or whose allowance had been used up by highways pre- viously located, enough to make the losses of the latter good. An instance of this kind may be cited. Appended to the survey bill of the road leading from the north and south road to David Parkill's we find the following memorandum :
" Whereas, the above survey takes off from Jeremiah Rockwell's land, one acre and one-half and five rods of land, and there is no allowance land in said Rockwell's land, and there being allowance land in David Parkill's lot adjoining ; therefore, we, the subscribers, selectmen of the town of Cornwall, by virtue of a certain statute empowering us to set off land in lieu of damages, do by these pres- ents set off to the aforesaid Rockwell, the following piece of land, beginning at said Rockwell's south-east corner, then north sixty- four rods, then east seven rods and eighteen links, then a straight line to the first bounds. Said land is taken from the west line of said Parkill's land.
ISAIAHI GILBERT, . JOSEPH COOK, Selectmen. NATII'L BLANCHARD,
Cornwall, Jan. 5, 1795. Received for record, .
JOEL LINSLY, T. Clerk."
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In the carliest surveys of roads, it was common for the town to determine by vote the width. October 12, 1784, they "voted that the north and south roads be six rods wide, and the east and west roads, or highways be five rods wide." The main north and south road through the town, the survey of which was ordered at this meeting, was laid "three rods each way from the line surveyed." The width of other roads for some years, was conformed to the rule above quoted. But in 1795 the town voted that "the width of roads be discretionary with the selectmen." In the exercise of their discretion, the selectmen have since that date usually laid the roads narrower. It should be added that the people in the exercise of their discretion have made them narrower still, often encroaching on the highway, and embracing within their own enclosures, what- ever land they have deemed unnecessary for the public accommoda- tion. The wisdom and the propriety of allowing each land owner to appropriate to his own use whatever land within the highway he considers the community can spare, is at least questionable. Would it not be better that past encroachments should be surrendered ; thet future ones should be prevented - in a word, that the whole subject should be reconsidered, and that no encroachments on the prescribed limits of the highways past or future should be allowed, except by express direction of the town ?
From an early day it was the usage of the town to forbid shecp- particularly rams, running at large in the highways. The ram found out of his owner's enclosure from September 1st to November 10th, was declared forfeited to any person taking him up. Some variety of action on this subject is recorded, which may interest the reader. The allusion to it in the record of the March meeting of 1794, reads as follows :
" Voted that the person who shall take up a ram running at large contrary to the law, shall receive the ram to his own benefit, paying into the Treasury of the Town 3s, after he shall have noti- fied his apprehension of the creature with its natural and artificial marks, to the Town Clerk, which shall be done within three days after the apprehension, and the term of seven days' notice having been allowed for the owner to redeem his rom. But if in such time, the owner prove his property, and redeem his ram, he
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shall pay as a redemption, all reasonable costs, and 2s to the person who apprehended the creature, and no more, and the ram shall not be forfeited."
The same vote was re-adopted by the town at each successive March meeting for nine years. In 1804, as though the preceding arrangement had not been quite rigid enough, the town voted un- conditionally ; "That rams shall be forfeited if found at large, or of the owner's inclosure, between the 1st day of September and the tenth day of November, to any person who will take up the same:" This action was re-affirmed during several successive years.
Some years, also, all sheep were forbidden to run in the highway, and occasionally by special vote, horses and hogs were included in the prohibition. In 1842 it was resolved by the town, that "all sheep, hogs and horses, be and are hereby restrained from running at large on the commons in this town, on penalty of ten cents for each sheep, ten cents for each hog, and twenty-five cents for each horse, or horse kind."
Within the last few years, the laws of the Commonwealth have been so modified in respect to using the highway for pasture, as to leave the town less occasion for action on the subject. At present it is, with few exceptions, the desire of our citizens that the rigid rule of the law excluding all stock from the highway, except the single cor of the poor man, should be enforced.
A number of years since a request was presented to the town to have a road opened from the main north and south road near the dwelling of N. B. Douglass, Esy., to the Salisbury line. The re- request having been refused by the town, the petitioners appealed to to the court, and commissioners were appointed to examine the pro- posed route, and consider the reasons for and against the construc- tion of the road. Their report was adverse to the wishes of the petitioners. In 1860 the request was renewed, and again refused by the town, and has been again referred by the applicants to the court, with a successful result.
Before the setting off of a portion of our territory to Middlebury, this town was, conjointly with Middlebury, responsible for whatever bridges were requisite across the Creek, between our northern and
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southern limits-a fact which, as already intimated, probably had something to do in inducing our people to consent to that arrange- ment. From that time we have not been liable to large expendi- tures for bridges compared with several towns in this vicinity, be- cause we have few streams-no large ones-which are crossed by our highways. The Lemon Fair which runs a short distance through the north-west part of the town is the largest stream. *-- Next to this is the Beaver Brook, so called, which takes its rise in the north part of the town, on the farm of Charles D. Lane, and. runs south beyond the centre, to the farm of Chauncey H. Stowell, where it turns northward and pursues a meandering course very nearly to the north line of the town, discharging itself into the Fair. A. small tributary to this stream runs down from the farm of F. H. Dean, which, where it crosses the road between Cornwall and West Cornwall, has formerly occasioned the town some expense. We have two other small streams in town : one commencing near the dwelling of Charles R. Ford, and running north through Weybridge, to the Fair; the other in the south part of the town, commencing north-west of Asa Bond's, and crossing the highway near his dwell- ing, where, in the spring and autumn, a considerable pond is raised, whose waters have in years past been used to move machinery.
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