USA > Vermont > Addison County > Cornwall > History of the town of Cornwall, Vermont > Part 27
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dependence. In her dilemma, her most sagacious men resorted to the councils of her old friends in Litchfield County, and it is said that her final course was shaped, and her designs accomplished, by the advice of a confidential Council, assembled at the house of Gov. Walcott, in the village of Litchfield."
Coming from the land of steady habits, the fathers early evinced steadiness and self-reliance, qualities which were nurtured and strengthened by the circumstances in which they were placed by emigration. They could not rely on friends whom they had left in the homes of their youth ; they were too remote. They could not, sad did not expect much sympathy from New York on the one hand, or New Hampshire on the other, for these were rival claimants to their allegiance. And though sure of each other's friendship and sympathy they could not lean upon each other; for each already bore responsibility, which, though voluntarily assumed, was fully equal to his strength. Fach, therefore, from necessity became an independent man. In civil or ecclesiastical matters, they "called no man master," but were wont to adopt, and freely to express their, sentiments, on all subjects, and to act in accordance with their convictions.
In 1785, only the year after the organization of the town, the spirit of the settlers was manifest in their remonstrance against cer- tain doings of the General Assembly in respect to the designation of Addison as the shire town of the County, and a change in the mode of electing County officers. In reference to these topics there is a record of the following votes passed December 12, 1785 :
1. " Voted that the County town being erected at Addison, is a grievance to this town, and to the County in general, it being alto- gether aside from the body of the County.
2. " Voted that the act of the General Assembly depriving us of the privilege of choosing our county officers, is unconstitutional and very hurtful to our liberties. These grievances we are determined to have redressed if possible, and that in the most regular manner."
It is noticcable that we have here no threats to secede or to do other bad things, but a cool determination to resist supposed en- croachments. At an adjournment of this meeting, held on the third Tuesday of January, 1786, it was "voted that a committee be
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appointed to inquire into the circumstances of our public rights ; and Joel Linsly, William Slade and Samuel Benton were appointed this committee.""
The late Senator Phelps many years since remarked in my hear- ing, that he had "never been acquainted with any other community so little inclined as Cornwall, to acknowledge any men as leaders. True the people have occasionally shown deference to a few of their number, but generally each man acts as though he were the peer of every other man."
The offices of Town Clerk and Treasurer, have from motives of expedioney, been filled by the re-election of the same persons, from year to year, with only two or three exceptions, until the incumbent was disabled, or voluntarily declined further service. Thus Joel Linsly was annually chosen town clerk from the organization of the town in 1784, two years excepted, until 1818, the year of his de- cease-having proved himself not only & faithful but a most com- petent officer. Joel Linsly, Benjamin Sanford, William Hamilton and his son, Edward Hamilton, have filled the office of Town Treasurer, nearly the whole period since 1784. During the early part of our history, representatives to the General Assembly appear to have been elected by political preferences, as parties acquired the requisite strength, but for many years past it has been our practice, whatever the party in power, to elect the same person to this sta- tion only two years continuedly, with the understanding that anoth- er will succeed to the honors and responsibilities of the office for the same period. It has also been the practice in electing selectmen, to drop the first on the list of the preceding year, and advance those remaining, to the first and second places, electing a third who had not been in office, thus keeping up constant rotation, and giving each three years of service. Whatever may have been the reason for this practice, it has this advantage, that by it many are brought to a familiarity with town affairs, which qualifies them the better to judge of the measures of those in authority, and awakens in them increased interest in town matters.
It was also the practice of the town for many years, in the elec- tion of haywards, to choose to the office all who had been married
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during the year preceding ; thus occasionally swelling the catalogue of this class of officers to undue proportions.
It may not perhaps be amiss to chronicle the fact that there was a period in the history of Cornwall, when, as in other communities, intemperance found too many willing victims. The vice invaded the family and the church, and numbered among its victims some who were once most active and promising men. Some were re- claimed ; others continued their downward career to dishonored graves. As the repetition of their names could afford neither pleas- ure nor gain to posterity, let the mantle of charity fall upon their vice, while their virtues, some of which have already been recorded, are perpetuated for the imitation of their descendants. In refer- ence to this vice, it is pleasant to be able to say there has been very marked reform, though we have still ample occasion for earnest and persevering labor to render the reform complete.
As early as the winter of 1817-18, a temperance organization was formed, based upon a pledge of total abstinence, similar to that which in late years, has proved so efficient in diminishing the use of intoxicating drinks. In this movement Father Bushnell, Horace Jiusly, the father of the writer, and several younger men par- ticipated.
The temptations to intemperance were much increased by the necessity, elsewhere alluded to, for farmers to journey for the pur- pose of marketing their produce. Houses of entertainment were numerous, at which wayfarers often congregated for the night -- the sentiments and usages of the times warranting and even encour- aging freo use of intoxicating drinks. When the wearicd and chilled teamsters had cared for their horses for the night, and gath- ered around the cheerful bar-room fire, they were wont, especially in cold weather, to enliven their social converse with copious draughts of flip-a mixture of beer and spirits seasoned to the taste, and heated to a foam by an iron, called the "loggerhead," which was kept hot in the fire for the purpose. It is easy to see how at these gatherings the seeds of intemperance were often planted, and their germs stimulated to a rapid growth, yielding when mna- tured, a fearful harvest of wretchedness and ruin.
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It has, however, happily been true, for years, that when the question has been fairly presented to the town whether the traffic in intoxicating drinks, or the use of them, should be freely tolerated, a decided majority have answered no. The action of the town on the question of License or No License, as taken from the records during three years, when it came up for discussion, will show the feelings of the citizens in reference to the matter. The vote stood in
1847, License 47. No License, 107. 1848, 41. 66. 1849, 34 112.
The majority in favor of temperance has been similar in all sub- sequent action on the subject.
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HISTORY OF CORNWALL.
CHAPTER XXXII.
SURFACE OF THE TOWN - SOIL-PRODUCTIONS-MINERALS-MAR- BLE-BUILDING STONE-SLATE-MINERAL SPRINGS-QUALITIES OF THE WATER GENERALLY.
The surface of Cornwall is more uneven than that of the towns bordering on the Lake, though it has perhaps no more waste land. We have the rocky ridge called "the Ledges," commencing near the centre of the town, and running northward to its northern limit. This ridge is too precipitous for cultivation, and a portion of it even for pasturage, while much of it is well adapted to feed- ing sheep, and the remainder is productive as woodland.
In this ridge, east of Cyrus Abernathy's is a cave known as " Rock Rimmon," of no great pretensions as a curiosity, but which yet is visited by the school children, and which, at an early day, sufficiently attracted settlers to secure it a name, and repeated men- tion in the surveys and deeds of land in that vicinity. Gen. Ben- ton, as we have had occasion to notice, owned a tract of several hundred acres lying west of this locality, which was sometimes designatedl in the records as his " Rock Rimmon " lot.
If we have hills, we have no marshes to breed miastra, nor swamps, except a tract in the southeast part of the town, which, for its timber, is fast becoming most valuable land, and which, when suitably drained, will become highly productive as meadow. This is indeed already true of an extensive tract, already reclaimed, upon Otter Creek.
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Bordering on Lemon Fair in the West part of the town are allu- vial lands, which, like those of Egypt on the Nile, are, by the annual, and occasionally more frequent overflowing of the stream, rendered exhaustlessly fertile without the aid of artificial manures. The forest timber on these bottom lands, is an enormous growth of elm, interspersed with white oak, and occasionally black ash. The soil of these " Fair flats," is muck ten or twelve inches deep, upon a clay subsoil of about the same thickness ; underneath which is a deposit of muck of indefinite depth. The characteristics of the lands bordering on the Creek, are very similar - the soil being a vegetable mould, in some localities of great depth. In some parts of the town clay prevails, but there is no extensive tract in any quarter of the town having exclusively a clay soil. Far the largest proportion of the town is a gravelly loam, in some fields mingled with an uncomfortable abundance of stone upon the sur- face. It may be said of Cornwall that it has the desirable union of soils, which gives to most of the landholders a pleasant variety for grazing and for cultivation.
An article of culture which has much attracted the attention of our formers, is the root crop, carrots, beets, &c. The extent to which this culture has been carried, is apparent on the records of our Agricultural Society, which, in this department, has conferred on the farmers of Cornwall a very large proportion of its premiums.
The soil yields freely all those kinds of grain which are account- ed most valuable, and as in former years, the town would still raise a considerable surplus, if the attention of the people were not diverted to other pursuits, in their view involving less · labor, and more profit.
No one of the comforts of life was more promptly provided for by the first settlers, "than a supply of fruit, especially of apples. This is apparent in the numerous and extensive orchards which once graced almost every farm, but which are now unhappily too often going to decay with but comparatively little effort to secure a re-supply. Clumps of apple trees, some of which are still vigor- ous and productive, point out the sites once occupied by the cab- ins of settlers. The size which these trees attained proves conclu-
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sively the adaptedness of the soil to their growth, and their ample yield of fruit, inasmuch as it was accounted of but little value as food for stock, induced the owners to erect numerous mills for its conversion into cider-an operation which, in too many cases, was injurious to their habits and morals. There was a time within my recollection, when many of our farmers numbered their barrels of cider by scores, and a few by hundreds. To use it as cider was out of the question ; to sell it at remunerative prices was also out of the question ; to find permanent storage for it, even, was impossible. Under these circumstances, the farmer, without much thought, (for it was before the days of temperance discussion, ) carried it to the distillery to be, alas ! far worse than wasted,-to be converted into cider brandy and then returned to the owner's cellar, to poison the inmates of the family, and tempt to the formation of habits destructive alike to character, to usefulness and to happiness. Amid such a state of things, it is not surprising that intemperance should have lured victims into his train.
After the discussion of temperance principles, had reformed the practices of the people, and banished the tempter from their dwell- ings, many farmers still actuated by the conviction that apples were worthless as food for stock, and that their orchards were incum- brances rather than sources of profit, applied the axe to their less desirable trees and convertel them into firewood-an operation less perilous, but scarcely less ill judged than the previous one of con- verting their abundance of apples into cider, and of cider into brandy. No fact is with most agriculturists at present better es- tablighed, than that apples are valuable, in any form, for stock, and that they are particularly useful when cooked with other vegetables -- especially in fattening swine.
The early settlers endeavored to raise pears, peaches, and quin- ces-fruits to which they were accustomed in the home of their childhood. The latter never have been productive here. Peaches were for a few years cultivated with some success, but were aban- doned as unsuited to the climate. Pears have always done well, and may be raised in this locality as easily, and in as much perfec- tion as apples. Plums and cherries in all their varieties, have also
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given ample returns for cultivation, until the curculio or some kin- dred pest hos threatened to ruin both the tree and its fruit.
The mineral deposits of Cornwall which have been wrought with profit, are building stone, of which several beds are known to exist. The quarry in the south-west part of the town, known as the "Peck ledge," has yielded a large amount of stone, which splits into lay- ers of convenient thickness, with a face as square as if wrought by the chisel, and almost as smooth as if polished. Of this stone the underpinnings of many of the best buildings in this region are constructed, as is also the front of the Chapel of Middlebury Col- lege. There is another quarry which has yielded much valuable building-stone, nearly equal to the Peck stone, on the farm of the late Mr. Bushnell, now owned by the heirs of Thompson Potter. Large and beautiful flagging stones are also procured on the farms of Loring S. Peet, and Julius Hurlbut. Several other localities are known where valuable building-stone has been obtained.
On the farm formerly belonging to Chauncey Baxter, now owned by Hon. Rollin J. Jones, there is an extensive bed of white mar- ble, which, were such stone less abundant in this region, would doubtless prove to its owner a valuable possession. About one mile oust of the " ledges " mentioned on a former page, and nearly par- allel with them, is a ridge of slate, which appears to be a continu- ation of the slate deposits in Castleton. This inference is warrant- ed by the fact that this mineral presents itself to the eye of the traveler in several places, as he moves northward from Castleton. It appears in Hubbardton, again in Sulbury, and in the south part of Whiting. In Cornwall it again appears on land belonging to the heirs of Eli Stevens; again on the land of Dr. M. O. Porter, and on nearly all the farms lying northward of that locality, to and be- yond the southern boundary of Weybridge. Though no attempt has been made to quarry this slate, in Cornwall, it has been exam- ined and pronounced a probably good article, by an experienced slater ; and there appears to be no apparent reason why the quar- rying of it may not, on trial, be found a benefit to the community, as well as a remunerative employment.
There are within the limits of Cornwall, several mineral springs,
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some of which possess decided medicinal properties. On the farm of T. C. Branch, in the south part of the town, there is a spring whose waters are said to resemble, in their effect on cutaneous dis- eases, the well known waters of Clarendon. On the farms of Chauncey HI. Stowell and Henry Lane there are springs whose waters are actively cathartic. On the farm of the writer there is a spring highly impregnated with mineral properties. Prof. Hadley, late of Middlebury College after an analysis of its waters, remark- ed that "they were far more highly charged with valuable medi- cinal properties, than many of the springs which are attracting publie attention."
Many years since, traces of iron ore were discovered on the farm of Linus Everts, now owned by his widow, in the angle formed by the main north and south road, and that to Salisbury, and some efforts were made to obtain it. But the result proved that neither the quantity nor quality would warrant the prosecution of the enterprize.
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HISTORY OF CORNWALL.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
PURSUITS OF THE PEOPLE, CHIEFLY AGRICULTURAL - LIST OF ME- CHANICS - LACK OF WATER POWER -- MILLS --- MERCHANTS- CHANGE FROM AGRICULTURAL TO OTHER PURSUITS - HORSES - SHEEP -- " CORNWALL FINISH."
All the movements of the early settlers of Cornwall --- the character of the farms they selected ; their disregard of facilities for mechanical operations, indicated clearly their preference for agricultural pursuits, and their purpose to derive not only tempo- rary support, but ultimate affinence from the soil. The density of the forest furnished the very evidence they desired of the strength and productiveness of that soil. Hence, with a vigorous arm, and confident of success, they encountered the forest and it vanished before them. In its place waved the golden harvest, and their rude store-houses teemed with plenty.
There were, however, a sufficient number of mechanics to per- form the labor required by the community from the several trades, and these mechanics wisely located themselves where their shops would be easy of access to patrons, so that each neighborhood had its tanner and shoe-maker, its blacksmith and carpenter. There were also the saldler and harness-maker, and the clothier. The following list of mechanics were among the earliest settlers :
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HISTORY OF CORNWALL.
Harvey Bell, Clothier.
Riverius Newell, Blacksmith.
Abijah Davis, Tanner and Shoemaker.
Jacob Peck,
Felix Benton, 66
Thomas Pritchard, € :
Elisha Field,
Davis & Squier,
Stephen Blake, “ 5€
Daniel Richardson, 6 4
Jere'h Rockwell, "
66
Ambrose Judd,
Samuel Peck, Shoemaker.
Thomas Landon,
Wm. Jones,
Daniel Samson,
Samuel Ingraham, Cooper & Fan Mills.
Elijah Durfee, Cooper.
John Mazuzan,
Asahel Phelps, Joiner.
Reuben Peck,
Elizur Peck,
Cone Andrus,
The preceding names are all found on the roll of assessments for trades and professions, made out by the listers, previous to 1800. Since that date the following mechanics have been established in business, for longer or shorter periods :
Wm. Hamilton, Blacksmith.
Edward Hamilton,
Salmon North, Carpenter & Joiner. Matthew Wallace, Nathaniel Wallace, “
William Peck,
Shubacl Ripley, 66 Stephen Holliday,
Martin Hopkins,
Elijah Foot, ‹ 6.
George Walker,
Calvin Foot,
Asa Bond, Tanner and Shoemaker. Julius Delong,
Isaac Miner, Ebenezer Miner,
Joseph Myers, .
Luther Balcom,
Mark W, Mazuzan,
George Balcom, Horace A. Finney,
Daniel Ford,
William Baxter,
16
Daniel Vale, - Taylor,
Williamas Hamilton, Wheelwright.
Waterman Sunderland,
E. C. Crane,
David Clark, Jonathan Perry, Cooper. ---- Brown, Tailor.
James Piper. P. N. Cobb,
66
Philip Warner, Cooper. Benj. Atwood, Spinning Wheels. II. E. Rust, Tailor.
The water-courses of our town which have already been men- tioned in connection with bridges, are of such a character as to afford little encouragement for the crection of mills. Lemon Fair, is too sluggish to furnish power for turning machinery, and the
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James Walker, Abiel Rogers, Saddle& Harnessmaker Calvin Tilden, Spinning Wheels. Lather Tilden, Sinborn Bean, Carpenter & Joiner,
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HISTORY OF CORNWALL,
other streams-mere brooks-though for a few days in spring and autumn yielding a superabundant supply of water, during most of the year, yield no supply at all on which reliance may be placed. For this reason, attempts to render them available have been nearly abandoned. A dam once erected on the land of Chaun- cey H. Stowell for a saw-mill, was soon found of no account. The only spot on the brook where persevering efforts have been made to obtain water-power has been at or near the mill now owned by Gar- rison Foot. Here, at a very early day, when good saw and grist mills did not exist in the region, an attempt was made, with some success, to establish both. Near the location of the present mill, Jared Abernathy or Levi Sperry built a dam and a saw-mill, and both, either successively or in union, were interested in running it. The dam has often been totally or partially destroyed, and the property . has passed through many changes of ownership. Some fifty or six- ty rods below this locality, a grist-mill was erected at an carly day by David Pratt, which, for a while, furnished some accommodations to the community. This mill was also for a time managed, and wholly or in' part, owned by Levi Sperry. But the dam having been destroyed by a freshet, and better mills having been erected at Middlebury, the attempt to maintain this was deemed inexpedient.
The only other mill ever built in town was that on the little stream near Mr. Asa Bond's. Here, Luther Tilden, about the year 1816 or 1817, erected a considerable building in which he construct- ed a saw mill, and placed a set of carding machines. He soon sold the property, which has since repeatedly changed owners, and is not at present in use. The insufficient and unsteady supply of water renders it of little value as & motive power for machinery.
The first merchants in Cornwall were -- Ballard and Israel C. Janes. The latter opened a small store about the time of the organization of the town. Not many years subsequently Joshua Stockwell commenced the mercantile business, and formed a part- nership, which did not long continue, with Josiah Austin. Daniel Campbell at an early day opened a store, and for a few years prosecuted the sale of goods. These men also engaged in the making of potash, paying in goods for ashes. which were abun-
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HISTORY OF CORNWALL.
dant while the settlers wore clearing their heavily timbered Jands. Others in the business at a later date, have been
Hosea Brooks. P. W. Collins. Daniel Sanford.
Israel C. Mead. Benj. F. Haskell. Joel S. Lane.
Samuel Everts. Calvin M. Lewis. Sylvester B. Rockwell.
Wmo. H. Remsen. Ira Bingham. Cornwall Mercantile Co.
A. C. Wicker.
B. F. Haskell is the only merchant in town at the time of this writing.
The cultivation of the soil, which was the engrossing pursuit of the first settlers of Cornwall, as it unavoidably is in all newly set- tled agricultural regions, gradually yielded, in part at least, to oth- er pursuits, whose pecuniary gains could be secured with less labor and expense. The farmer who can secure an adequate income from the raising of cattle or horses or sheep, will not expend his strength in raising grain, which must be carried to market at an expense of half its market value, as was the case when the farmer was obliged, by his own team, to send his grain to Troy, N. Y. I may add that a still more urgent demand for a change of pursuits arose, when after the year 1820 the Hessian fly, and the Weevil, or more prop- erly, perhaps, the Midge, blasted the expectations of the wheat grower, and rendered all his attempts to procure a crop abortive. Our farmers resorted to the raising of cattle for the markets on the seaboard; and of horses, whose symmetry, speed and power of en- durance soon attracted the attention of amateurs throughout the land, and secured a steadily increasing demand. And in but one other class of stock, if in any other, has Vermont gained a wider, or better sustained reputation. Her horses are, at the present mo- ment, being spread over the prairies of the West, and the coast of the Pacific. These which have won the most admiration, are of the " Black Hawk " variety, a branch of the Morgan family. Of these animals several have been sold at prices ranging from five or six hundred, to three thousand dollars. Several horses of this va- riety have been, by Messrs. Jones and Rockwell, taken to California.
If any other species of Vermont stock has surpassed her horses in reputation, it is her sheep, and in raising this species of stock,
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حيث عهود ذ تت بعه.
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HISTORY OF CORNWALL.
there is perhaps no arrogance in asserting that Cornwall is second to no other town in the State. Immediately after the importation of Merino sheep from Spain by Col. Humphrey and somewhat later by Consul Jarvis, some of our farmers, who had till that time raised only native sheep, determined to improve their flocks, and for this purpose, procured some animals of this variety. Gradual im- provement soon pervaded many flocks ; indeed its influence was so far felt throughout the town that after the lapse of a few years, few if any pure native sheep remained.
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