USA > Vermont > Addison County > Cornwall > History of the town of Cornwall, Vermont > Part 9
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J.H.BEN-Es Lica Boston
Nathan Bells
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HISTORY OF CORNWALL.
When Mr. Eells first came to Cornwall, he purchased in the south-west part of the town, a lot already mentioned, of Nathan Delano, which now belongs to Dea. Casey. The failure of his health prevented his encountering the severe labor of clearing a new farm, and he abandoned the undertaking and betook himself to making wrought nails for building purposes. In this employment he continued several years until firmer health enabled him to re- sume his chosen calling. His farm was made up, besides the por- tions bought of Fenn and Andrus, of a lot bought of Simeon Linsly. He became so much distinguished among his brother farmers, for the energy and system with which he conducted his business, that he received from them the title of General, by which appellation, he is still remembered. He believed himself, and no doubt correctly, to have been the first farmer in town who employed Gypsum, or Plaster of Paris, as a fertilizer.
His account of his first experiment, as related to me by himself, is on this wise : In the summer of 1816, when the continuance of cold and even snow as late as the 10th of June, discouraged the hopes of the husbandman, Mr. Eells determined that he would make a trial of plaster on his corn. Some of his neighbors, and especially his father-in-law, Morgan, who had planted a field of corn side by side with his, laughed at his book farming. But when Mr. Eells had deliberately made up his mind in any case, derision was lost upon him. He drove to Troy, N. Y., then the nearest point at which the article could be obtained, procured as much as his team could conveniently draw, and returned in season to celebrate the fourth of July, by putting it on his corn. He put a spoonful on every hill in the lot, except two rows. At harvest, when most corn fields were worthless, and his father Morgan's, whose field on the fourth of July was as promising as his own, had not a single sound ear, Mr. Eells gathered from his a middling crop of fair corn, except from the two unplastered rows, which furnished none that was sound. From this time, whatever his neighbors thought of book farming in general, they could not doubt, in some cases, the value of plaster.
Mr. Eells exhibited a measure of fairness and generosity in his
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dealings, which won the respect of those with whom he had inter- course. His word might always be trusted with regard either to the quality or quantity of a commodity he offered for sale. He possessed, withal, a peculiarly genial spirit, which rendered him happy in promoting the happiness of others. Having been blessed with a numerous family of children, he was wont to convey them to and from school, especially in forbidding weather in winter. The appearance of his ample sleigh and strong team, was always the pledge of a ride to all who might be so fortunate as to be passing in the same direction. Having had occasion to pass over the same road in rart, on my way to and from school, it was often my priv- ilege to be one of his passengers, and to see his capacious sleigh freighted with a company, which, in these days, would of itself constitute a respectable school.
A lady who was much in Mr. Eells' family, assures me that she has heard him say that in his youth, being in want of pantaloons, and being short of material to make them, he gathered a species of nettles and dressed them like flax, from which his mother spun and wove the cloth for the purpose - an example perhaps which our southern friends would fain compel us to follow, or yield compli- ance with their wishes.
In 1805, Mr. Eells received into his family his sister-in-law, Mrs. Mary Eells, from Coventry, Conn. with her only son, the late Oliver J. Eells, M. D., then in early childhood. In this . family the widowed mother, and her son found a hospitable home, and the education of the son commenced under his uncle's fostering care. Mr. Eells died in 1850 ; aged 82.
The farm now owned by James T. Lanc, was first settled by. Gideon Judd at a very early date, who built his first cabin some rods west of the present buildings. Judd sold to Enos Morgan who came from Rochester in this state about 1806. Mr. Morgan died in 1820, at the advanced age of 90 years. After his decease the farm became the property of his grand-son, John Eells, who, in 1839, at the age of 31 years, was killed by an imperfection of his rifle. He saw a bird light down near his house, and for the pur- pose of shooting it, took his gun, which he had just brought from
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the gun-smith. The same charge which killed the bird, drove the breech-pin from the barrel backward through his skull, and lodged it near his brain. The surgeon was unable to extract it, and after two weeks of suffering, he expired, leaving a widow and three chil- dren to mourn his untimely death. The breech-pin is said to have been too small, and to have been put in with tow as packing, with- out any warning from the gunsmith of its condition. It is not easy to exonerate from the charge of mouslaughter, the faithless mechanic who returned a gun to its owner, in such a condition, without a premomition of its unfitness for service. After the death of Mr. Eells, James T. Lane married his widow, and has since occupied the farm.
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HISTORY OF CORNWALL.
CHAPTER XII.
LOCATION OF SETTLERS CONTINUED-JARED ABERNATHY-CYRUS ABERNATHY-DR. FREDERIC FORD SEN .- MOSES GOODRICH- JABEZ WATROUS-REV. BENJAMIN WOOSTER-HENRY DAGGET AND ABBOTT TAMBLING-SAW-MILL-JOHN GILMAN-DANIEL HUNTINGTON-OLD ROAD WEST FROM P. B. WARNER'S -- DAVID SEYMOUR-TRUMAN WHEELER-CORNELIUS DUTCHER-BENJA- MIN, JOSEPH AND JOHN HAMLIN-PHILIP WARNER-" FOUR HUNDRED ACRE " LOT OF SAMUEL BENTON-WATER POWER --- GRIST AND SAW-MILL OF DAVID PRATT-VARIOUS ATTEMPTS TO USE THE BEAVER BROOK AS A MOTIVE POWER-LEVI SPERRY --- THOMAS HALL-NATHAN AND PITTS INGRAHAM- JOHN BOYNTON -JEREMIAH BINGHAM 2ND-HON. HILAND HALL-REUBEN BING- HAM-ERASTUS HATHEWAY-AARON DELONG-DEA. JEREMIAHI BINGHAM AND SONS.
Jared Abernathy was the first actual settler on the farm now owned by his son Cyrus Abernathy, having purchased his land in sections of Aaron Scott, Martha Douglass and Samuel Benton .--- His father, Cyrus Abernathy had previously bought of Samuel Benton, and built upon the farm lying next south, the house which has since been occupied by Simeon Linsly, Francis Hardy and others, and is now owned by Dea. Dan Warner.
South of the lot of Cyrus Abernathy-sen., Dr. Frederick Ford pitched a hundred acres in 1784, on which he settled and built a log-house nearly on the site now occupied by the dwelling of P. B. Warner. He afterward built a brick house near the same ground,
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HISTORY OF CORNWALL. 109
which having become dilapidated, was removed by Mr. Warner to make room for his present structure. This pitch of Dr. Ford, with a portion of the school land of the town annexed, constitutes the farms of Mr. Warner, and of Rollin W. Foot, the successor of Mulford Kitchel, who by marriage became in part owner of the original farm, and built the house in which Mr. Foot lives. While Dr. Ford resided on this farm, his son Frederick Ford jr. was born. In 1795, Dr. Ford sold this estate to his brother-in-law, Moses Goodrich, and removed to a location which much better accommo- dated his professional business-the location mentioned on a previ- ous page, as purchased of Daniel Campbell, and on which Dr. Ford lived at the time of his decease.
On the road which once run south from P. B. Warner to Mrs. Sherwood - many years since discontinued - there were several settlers at an early day, who, with their places of abode, have all disappeared. Among these settlers, Jabez Watrous built north of the east and west road from the meeting-house, as did Rev. Benja- min Wooster south of it, on land now owned by Merrill Bing- ham. On land now belonging to Chauncey II. Stowell, Abbot Tambling and Henry Dagget both settled temporarily, and one of them constructed a dam across the stream and erected a saw-mill, traces of which still remain. The supply of water, however, was too uncertain, especially after the land above was cleared, to be of much value, and the enterprise was abandoned.
Still further west of the old road above mentioned, near the brook, John Gilman owned a lot of one hundred and thirty acres, which he sold to Daniel Huntington, who settled upon it and remained till 1802. Huntington sold to Dea. Jeremiah Bingham, who retained it till his deccase, when, by his will, the proceeds of the farm were given for benevolent purposes, and the land passed into the hands of Merrill Bingham, its present owner. In the now abandoned and dilapidated dwelling on this farm, was born the Rev. Hyman A. Wilder, for years past, a devoted missionary to the Zulu's of Africa.
"The Nile itself whose broad stream
Bears health and fruitfulness through many a clime,
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HISTORY OF CORNWALL.
From an unknown, penurious, scanty source Takes its first rise. The forest oak, which shades The sultry troops in many a toilsome march, Once an unheeded acorn lay." *
HANNAH MORE.
A road was surveyed and opened very early from P. B. Warner's, westwardly across the Beaver brook, and was divided into two branches, one of which met the road passing by Joseph K. Sperry ; the other the road which passes the residence of the late R. P. Bingham, to S. S. Rockwell's. On the southern branch of this road, David Seymour settled early, having purchased in part, of Samuel Benton, and having added to his farm by pitching two small lots. Seymour sold to Isaac Hull in 1796. His dwelling has dis- appeared, and the road on which he lived has been discontinued for nearly half a century.
- Several early settlers located themselves north of Jared Aber- nathy ; some of them on very small lots. Among them Truman Wheeler made two pitches in 1783, which are endorsed as re-surveys of pitches which were made and duly recorded before the records were burnt in 1779. Wheeler built on the east side of the road. Between him and Abernathy, Benjamin Hamlin built on a lot of thirteen acres, which, in 1803, he sold to Abraham Balcom. Just north of Wheeler, Cornelius Dutcher also built on a fifteen acre lot, which, in 1800, he sold to Joseph Hamlin who had bought a lot of Samuel Benton in 1785, and built on the west side of the road, on land now owned by Dea. Warner. He also lived on the east side of the road, in a house which has been recently removed.
Still further north John Hamlin located himself having first built on the west side, and afterward on the east side of the road, on the farm now owned by his son, Ira Hamlin, and his grandson, Joseph Hamlin, who, two or three years since, built on the west side of the way, a neat and. tasteful dwelling. The farm of John Hamlin was composed in part of a purchase from Samuel Benton. and of two pitches made by himself in 1785 and 1789.
The farm on which Dea. Dan. Warner now lives, was first set-
• °اليدوال عدسة
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HISTORY OF CORNWALL. .
tled by Benj. Hamlin, by whom it was sold to John Rockwell, who in turn, sold to Cone Andrus and Elisha Hurlbut. By them it was sold to Philip Warner, who was a native of Stafford, Conn., but bad, for some years, resided at Ellington, in that State. He re- moved to Cornwall in 1806, and established himself as a cooper, prosecuting his trade in connection with the management of his farm. After his death in 1829, at the age of 75, his farm passed into the hands of his son, the present owner. This was the birth- place of Rollin J. Warner, M. D.
Samuel - Benton very soon after the war, had made several pitches on different original rights in this neighborhood, which amounted in the aggregate to four or five hundred acres, including the mill lot now owned by Garrison W. Foot. Several deeds of land in that vicinity allude to Col. Benton's " four hundred acre lot," and others to his " mill lot." The first dam in this vicinity was thrown across the stream about sixty rods below that of Mr. Foot. At that point were a grist and saw-mill. The grist-mill was kept up for 'several years by David Pratt, and persons now advanced in years speak of having carried grain thither for grinding. This dam having been destroyed and the building removed, several at- tempts have been made to maintain a dam where, or nearly where the present one exists ; and a saw-mill of considerable efficiency, together with other machinery, was for some years operated much to the convenience of the neighborhood. But dams here have so often been destroyed, or badly damaged by freshets, that the cost of their maintenance has been deemed disproportionate to their value. One erected some four or five years since by Garrison W. Foot, for the purpose of running a shingle mill and other machinery, on a plan different from its predecessors, and which promised more safety and permanence, was suddenly rendered useless in the autumn of 1860, by a violent freshet. The bank of the stream above the dam was suddenly broken through in such a way as to disappoint the hopes of Mr. Foot, and discourage further attempts to prosecute the enterprise.
The lot of Col. Benton above mentioned, is divided among sev- eral of the farms in the vicinity-portions of it being owned by
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HISTORY OF CORNWALL.
C. H. Warner, Jehiel K. Wright, J. K. and A. H. Sperry, Cyrus Aber- nathy, Dan Warner, John Rockwell, and perhaps Ira Hamlin and son.
Levi Sperry settled in 1788 on the farm now occupied by his son Joseph K., and his grandson, Albert H. Sperry. The deed informs us that the farm of one hundred acres was conveyed by David Sperry to his son Levi, "in consideration of his love and good will "-in other words, was a gift from the father to the son.
Thomas Hall in 1788 made pitches which included the farm now owned by Whitefield Wooster, and which with some purchases from Abel Wright and others, amounted in the aggregate to several hun- dred acres. His surveys extended as far south as the farm of the late R. P. Bingham ; so far east as to embrace a part of the farms of C. II. Warner, and Rev. J. K. Wright. His own house hc built near where Mr. Wooster now lives. His son, David, settled southwest from his dwelling, and afterward sold to William Baxter, who built the house now occupied by his widow, and her present husband, B. F. Lewis. Thomas Hall also sold to Nathan Ingra- ham in 1791, fifty acres of land, afterwd owned by his brother, Pitts Ingraham, and now owned by Elder Wright. Mr. Hall sold to Elisha Hurlbut, a lot in 1795. Elisha Hurlbut sold to John Boynton in 1798, from whom it has passed through several hands to its present owner, C. H. Warner. On this farm. was born Rev. Henry Boynton.
Mr. Hall was born in Guilford, Conn., but removed with his father to Bennington previous to, or during the revolutionary war. He came to Cornwall in company with Dea. Jeremiah Bingham, and was an active and useful citizen during his residence in town, which, however, was rendered brief by his death about 1801. As indi- cative of the privations and wants, to which the first settlers were subjected, I present the following extract of a letter from M .. Hall to his friends in Bennington, written a few months after his arrival. The letter is kindly furnished by his kinsman, Ex-Governor Hi- land Hall.
CORNWALL, APRIL 2, 1784. Honored father and mother and brother :
This is to inform you of our welfare, and thanks to the good-
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HISTORY OF CORNWALL.
Fness of God, that we are alive. I hope you will remember us here in the wilderness and come and see us. I will let you know what we are in want of most, that if you come and see us, you may help us if you can. . We have spun what flax we have, and if you can bring us ten or a dozen pounds more, we can make use of it. ---- We Have no way to get weaving done at present. I have been building a loom for Hiland, and we can have weaving done then, if we can get a reed. I must try to get your four and thirty reed by buying or borrowing for the summer.
(Signed,) THOMAS HALL.
South of Thomas Hall's on the road to West Cornwall, or "Bing- ham Street," as it is often called, the first early settler who located himself was Jeremiah Bingham 2nd, a nephew of Dea. Bingham. He built his cabin where Owen Roakes now lives, but sold in 1793 to his uncle above named. He was a revolutionary soldier, though I am unable to recount his services.
Hon. Hiland Hall, came to Cornwall from Bennington in the winter of 1783-84, about the same time, with his uncle Thomas Hall. I am informed by his kinsman and namesake, the late Gov- ernor of this State, that "he was born at Guilford, Connecticut, but removed when young with his father to Norfolk. He served in the army as Orderly Sergeant and Commissary, for about three years. His death occurred at his father's in Norfolk, Conn., whither he had journeyed for his health in the autumn of 1789. After his decease, his widow, who was subsequently married to Ebenczer Hurlbut, of Orwell, received a considerable pension from the United States, for the services of her first husband as an officer in the army." From the records of the town we learn that, at its organization in 1784, Hiland Hall was appointed the first Treasurer. He was also the first representative from Cornwall to the General As- sembly in 1786, and at the organization of Addison County was appointed one of the Judges of the County Court. He was one of the original members of the Congregational Church, and was designated in company with Dea. Bingham, as one of its deacons. During the brief period which elapsed between his removal to Cornwall and his decease, he enjoyed the respect and confidence of his fellow citi-
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· zens in every relation, and his counsels were sought and prized boti. in secular and ecclesiastical affairs.
Judge Hall settled where the widow and daughter of the late Reuben Bingham now reside, having purchased his land of Thomas Hall, and of Erastus Hatheway, and here resided until his death. After his decease the farm passed into the proprietorship of Aaron Delong, who sold to Reuben Bingham, first located, as we have already had occasion to notice, south of Stockwell's Corner. Mr. Bingham remained upon this farm through a life protracted to advanced age, and rendered honorable and useful by persevering industry, and steady devotion to the cause of Christ. Reuben Bingham was the father of Rev. Luther G. Bingham, a graduate of Middlebury College in 1821.
Erastus Hatheway settled where Merrill Bingham now lives. In 1800 he was succeeded by Aaron Delong, Esq., who was a highly esteemed and valuable citizen. Hc held important town offices, several times represented the town in the General Assembly, and was accounted a discreet and able officer in whatever position bis services were required. Besides the sale, above mentioned, to Reu- ben Bingham, he sold to James Bingham, a brother of Reuben, the lot which the late R. P. Bingham occupied at the time of his de- cease, and which is now owned by Harrison F. Dean.
It seems but a just tribute to R. P. Bingham, to add, that he was at the time of his decease, one of our most enterprising and promising middle-aged men, both in secular and ecclesiastical affairs. He died suddenly of Cholera about 1849, at Chicago; where he was temporarily stopping on business.
South of Erastus Hatheway, Dea. Jeremiah Bingham settled in the spring of 1784. He resided in Bennington at the time of the battle in that vicinity, in which he bore a part. He came to Corn- wall before he removed his family, and built a log cabin on the rising ground south-west of the spot on which his son Asahel recent- ly lived. He afterwards built the house which he occupied at the time of his deccase, and which still remains, though it has for years exhibited indubitable indications that, like all sublunary things, it is passing away.
r
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--
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HISTORY OF CORNWALL.
. On a part of Dea. Bingham's once ample farm, his son, Jeremiah Jr., still resides in advanced age. He remains where he has long. resided, north of the paternal mansion, having reared a large and respectable family, to which belongs Rev. Hiram Bingham, a grad- Hate of Middlebury College in 1889.
Dea. Asahel Bingham, for many years resided with his father. HIe subsequently built the house south of his father's, where, after a protracted illness, he recently died. He has been town representa- tive ; was twenty years town clerk ; and has held numerous impor- tant town offices. He for many years officiated as Deacon of the Congregational and Free Churches. He was the father of Rev. Joel S., Asahel H. and Benjamin F. Bingham, elsewhere noticed among those from our town who have engaged in professional em- ployments. The birth-place of these gentlemen was the mansion of their venerable grandfather.
Dea, Jeremiah Bingham was chosen moderator of the first town meeting at the organization of the town, and the records exhibit conclusive evidence that his fellow-citizens demanded his services in almost every official station, until advancing age excused him from active labor, and a generation came forward to discharge responsi- bilities, which the fathers had so usefully and so creditably borne. He was also one of the original members of the Congregational Church ; was chosen its first Moderator and Register, and perform- ed the duties of these stations until a pastor was settled, to whom, by vote of the Church, they were transferred. He was also one of the first deacons chosen by the Congregational Church, and contin- ued to discharge the duties of the office ably till extreme age in- duced him to desire a successor.
It is not known to his children to what extent he was engaged in military service during the revolution. They know, however, that he was in the battle of Bennington, and that he was connected with the quartermaster's department of the garrison at Ticonderoga pre- vious to its surrender to Burgoyne. In this school he perhaps received the training which secured to him the systematic habits for which he was distinguished. He possessed, withal, indomitable energy and perseverance, as well as inflexible moral and religious
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principle. I recollect having been present at a meeting of the church, in which they were attending to the discipline of one of his sons. They were about proceeding to the final act of excom- munication, but were slow to act through deference to the father's feelings. Perceiving their hesitation, and understanding its meaning, the venerable man rose, his face suffused with tears, and when the emotions which choked its utterance allowed him to speak, he said :- " Brethren, I love my children, I suppose, as well as you love yours ; but if I do not love my Savior better than I love my children, I am not worthy to be called his follower. Go on, brethren, and do your duty."
Dea. Bingham devoted much time to expressing his thoughts in writing, especially on theological subjects. Several documents preserved on the Church records, evince not only remarkable familiarity with the Scriptures, but much ability in composition .- Several essays and sermons, found in manuscript among his papers, prove conclusively, that if he had felt himself called to the ministry he might have been a workman, who would have had no need " to be ashamed." His favorite mode of expressing his thoughts was in rhyme, and his favorite poetry assumed the acrostic form. Of these poems he has left enough to constitute a considerable volume.
Though it would be gratifying to the numerous relatives of this venerable servant of God, and to the still wider cirele who revere his memory, to have presented upon these pages copious extracts from his writings, our limits forbid. I copy, however, a single specimen of his poetic composition, not because of its superiority to others, but because it was addressed to a no less venerable father in the Church, Dea. Daniel Samson, his colleague in the deaconship for nearly fifty years, who in 1832, removed from Cornwall to Barre, N. Y. It is entitled,
"A FAREWELL ADDRESS,
BY DEA. BINGHAM TO DEA. SAMSON, ON PARTING."
Beloved Brother, in this strait, Let us retrace the path we've trod, These years that number forty-eight, Since we together worshippel God.
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There, in a wilderness of cares, With other saints now dead and gone, We mingled joys and hopes and prayers, Before our Heavenly Father's throne.
We used to meet a precious few Who, we believe, are gone to_rest, We felt, and often thought we knew God's word was sweet unto our taste.
In sentiment we were agreed, And Love her banner o'er us spread, Of God's dear presence felt our need, And Jesus Christ to be our bead.
We took sweet counsel on our way, As we together often met; Pleasant it was, when we could pray And at the feet of Jesus sit.
When we review these seasons past, These precious seasons once so sweet, Their relish seems as yet to last, And we in love each other greet.
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