USA > Vermont > Lamoille County > Johnson > History of the town of Johnson, Vt. 1784-1904 > Part 5
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Then voted that the above burying yards Should be Cleared and fenced as soon as may be after Deeded to the Town.
Voted to choose a Com. of three with the advice of the Inhabitants to Stake out and Superintend the Clearing and fencing three Graveyards in this town.
Voted John Simons, Geo. Westgate and Jonathan Burnham as a Commit- tee to Carry the above into efect.
Voted the Selectmen Should take Deeds of the above Lands that are or Shall be procured for Burying yards in behalf of the Town of Johnson."
At a town meeting called in April, it was "Voted to raise 114 Dol- lars as a Tax to repair the Bridge near John Simons," (now the lower arch bridge).
"Voted that four-fifths of the aforesaid Tax may be paid by the In- habitants Lyable to pay sd. Tax in Labour, and that the selectmen as a Committee be and hereby are directed to call on the several surveyors in sd. Town for the Quota of men, Team and Tools that may be necessary each day to Carry on the Business of repairing sd. Bridge and that the surveyors shall duly Notify such a part of their destrict as required by sd. Committee and make return of the same at least 24 Hours before the time that the Labourers are needed and that sd. surveyors be directed to take what ever Number of men is wanted on the List of their bill as is enroled in sd. list by sd. Com- mittee, and that on the Neglect of any Person being so duly Notified he, she or they shall be for ever after Liable to pay their proportion in hard money."
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At the March meeting in 1805 it was voted to hold the Town Meetings for the year at Araunah Waterman's, as they had been do- ing.
The first record of "warning a person out of town" was made in that year.
"Johnson, June 11, 1805.
To either Constable of Johnson in the Co. of Franklin, Greeting:
You are hereby required to summons Festus Prince (Black man) now residing in Johnson to depart said Town. Hereof fail not, but of this precept and your doings herein due return make according to law," &c.
The Constable did his duty, and made proper return thereof, fee 75 cents.
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At a meeting held in June to see about building a bridge over the branch by the Mills, it was "voted not to rebuild the bridge in the old place." (It is supposed that the first bridge was carried out by the breaking away of Eden Pond in April of that year.) A committee was appointed to report where was the best place to build the bridge, and they reported it best to "set it below the Island that is nighest the Gristmill."
"Voted to raise a Tax of 85 Dollars payable in Grain Next Jan- uary for the purpose of building the Bridge."
At a special meeting called in August they reconsidered the vote taken as to the best place to build the bridge, and "voted, to build it over the Island," (practically where the twin bridges are now).
At the March meeting 1806, it was voted to hold Town Meetings at Amos Dodge's for the year ensuing. The Plot was beginning to have aspirations towards being a center of influence. The ratable property at that time was $5,695.
At the September meeting there were 41 votes for Governor. One hundred and eighty-six towns were represented in the Legislature.
March 1807 it was "voted to hold Town meetings at Araunah Wa- terman's for the time being."
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The Legislature that year assessed a tax of one cent an acre for the purpose of building a State's Prison.
At the March meeting, 1809, it was "voted to raise a tax to supply the town with ammunition as the law directs."
"Voted to have the town meetings at the school-house in the Cen- ter of the Town." [The school-house by the Plot cemetery].
March meeting, 1810, "voted to build a pound, and to set it on the plot near to the corner of the roads near Aaron Smith's, and voted to raise a tax of $40 to defray the expense of building it."
"Voted to hold the town meetings at Araunah Waterman's the next year."
"June 11th, 1811. This may certify that the following persons are law- fully equipped for military duty :
Thomas Waterman
Sam C. Cook
Daniel Griswold
Isaac Griswold
Daniel Dodge
Asa Waterman
Elisha Dodge, Jr.
William Dodge
Josiah Jones
Azariah Waterman."
March meeting of 1812, "voted to hold the town meetings for the ensuing year at Amos Dodge's."
It must be remembered that war with England was declared in June of that year. At a special meeting called July 20th, the town
"Voted to raise a tax sufficient to raise the wages of each man who is or may be detached from this town previous to Oct. next and who shall be called into actual service, so that no man shall receive a less sum than ten dollars per month with what shall be allowed by the Gov't. of the U. S. provided he shall serve his time to the satisfaction of the commanding of- ficer." "Voted to make up the detached soldier wages in money or grain to be made upon the Grand List of 1811."
"Voted to raise one hundred dollars to purchase fire-arms for the use of the town."
At the September meeting of that year it was "voted to support Levi Clark, Amos Dodge, Araunah Waterman, John Simons, Sam'l
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN
Boyes, Jonathan Burnam and Samuel Miller as a Committee of Safety for the town of Johnson."
This Committee were :
"To use their endeavors to detect spies or curtail secret conspiracy to hold correspondence with each other and with similar Committees in Neigh- boring Towns and States, and in every way to aid or assist in supporting the laws of the United States, and to take any measures that shall be deemed necessary when met to carry the above into effect."
There were 74 votes cast for Governor.
March 4th, 1813, the records show that there were in the Center School District, (now known as No. 9) 76 children over 4 and under 18 years of age. The whole number in the town was 235.
"Johnson, June 1813.
This may certify that the following persons were duly equipped accord- ing to law at our annual June muster:
Thos. Waterman
Josiah Morgan, Jr.
Daniel Dodge
Joseph Foster
Josiah Jones
William Boyes
Asa Waterman
Sam'l Dodge
Levi Nichols, Jr.
Ralph Hill
John Griswold, Jr.
John H. Burnam
Azariah Waterman
Thomas Waterman, Captain."
The town meetings of that year were called at Thomas Water- man's dwelling house. The September meeting was adjourned from there to the chamber of John Wier's store. Vote for Governor, 83.
The meeting for September 1814 was called at Capt. Waterman's Inn (the old hotel).
The battle of Plattsburg occurred September II of that year, and Capt. Waterman and his company were there.
Meetings continued to be held at the Hotel and a special vote was taken, March 1815, that they should be held there the ensuing year. The same vote was taken for two years following. The "Flat" was plainly dominating the "Plot" by this time, and no more town meet- ings were held up there.
Hotel built by Thos. Waterman in 1813, and operated by him and by Dr. Meigs for over 40 years.
THE OLD MERRIAM HOUSE ON RAILROAD ST.
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The March meeting of 1818 was adjourned to Joseph Water- man's house. At that time there were 70 children in the Center School District, and 36 at what is now East Johnson.
In November 1819, "voted to rebuild the bridge across the branch and voted a tax of I cent 5 mills on the Dollar to defray the expense of said Bridge, to be paid in grain delivered at the grist mill by the Ist of February."
Money was scarce in 1820. "Voted to pay the school tax in grain, also a 3 per cent. tax for building and repairing bridges, in stock the first day of October or in grain the Ist of January."
Appraised value of property in 1821, $1,847.30.
"St. Albans, Sept. 19th, 1821.
Agreeable to an act of the Legislature of Vt. in 1820, the Listers in the Co. of Franklin met, and in averaging the several Towns in said Co. have deducted from the Land in the Town of Johnson 25 per cent on the Dollar, which brings the land in the town of Johnson to the average price of four dollars & 94 cents per acre."
There were 321 scholars in town in 1821.
March meeting 1822 met at Thomas Waterman's and adjourned to the school-house (the red school-house at the head of the street).
The first reference to care of special town paupers is found in the record of an adjourned meeting of April 5th, 1823, when it was
"Voted that John Putney, a town pauper be put up at vendue to the lowest bidder to be kept for the term of one year, (if he should live during said term) to be well fed, clothed & attended. Whereupon the said Putney was bid off by Benjamin Patch at ninety cents per week, payable in grain. The Town to be accountable for the Doctor's bills, and necessary Liquors in case of extraordinary sickness, in which case the said Patch is to notify the overseers of the Poor before making any expense to the town."
The March meeting of 1824 was called "at the School House near Azariah Waterman's."
At an adjourned meeting the same month it was "Voted to ap- propriate one hundred and fifty dollars of the Town's Public Money
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for the purpose of hiring preaching in the said Town for the ensuing year."
In 1826 the town "voted that Horses, Sheep and Swine be re- strained from running at large on the Highways and Commons in the town of Johnson."
At the March meeting in 1827 it was
"On motion, voted to settle Elder Joel P. Hayford as their first settled minister, and should he be settled it is expressly understood that the Land in said Town granted to the first settled minister, which may fall to him in consequence of such settlement, with the rents which may already have accrued on such lands, shall be, by the said Joel P. Hayford deeded and re- leased to the Town with the following conditions, that it shall be forever held sacred for the support of the Gospel in said Town, to be divided among the several societies which are or may be in said Town, acording to their number, except fifty Dollars, which he is to convey to the Baptist Society."
"On motion, voted that the selectmen be authorized and requested to secure bonds of Elder Joel P. Hayford, previous to his settlement in said town, conditioned that the said Hayford relinquish to the said Town the lands and avails thereof, agreeable to the vote of said Town."
For several years the main business at town-meeting seemed to be building and repairing bridges and highways, and altering, by enlarging or diminishing, the size of school districts, to suit the convenience or whim of persons interested.
March Ist, 1831, the town-meeting was called "at the school- house near the Academy," that building having been erected the year before.
March 13, 1832, made choice of John W. Fowler, sexton for the graveyard at the village." Cornelius Lynde, Jr., was elected Town Clerk in 1833, Daniel Dodge having served in that capacity for nine years.
In 1834 the number of scholars in town was 434.
To show the conservative spirit of those times, in November 1835, a meeting of the Freemen of the town was called "for the purpose of
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electing a Delegate to represent the town in a Convention at Mont- pelier to consider the amendments to the Constitution proposed by the Council of Censors." The meeting thus warned voted to adopt the following: "Resolved, That we, as a Town, instruct our Delegate to oppose all the proposed amendments to the Constitution."
At March meeting in 1838 it was voted
"On motion, that the public ministerial money which has now ac- cumulated, together with the notes which are now in the hands of the select- men, and which were given for Rents of Ministerial Land, shall be divided on or about the first day of May next, among the several religious societies in this town in proportion to their numbers, to be ascertained by each per- son's writing the name of the Society he wishes to receive his share of said money and notes, on his list, when he delivers it to the Listers on the sec- ond day of April next."
This is the first record of dividing the ministerial money, and it was taken for granted that every man with a list had a church prefer- ence.
March 1839, Dexter Whiting was chosen Town Clerk. Number of scholars in town, 494.
In 1840 the town did a little temperance missionary work by voting "to defray the collection of a fine of seven dollars due the town
from
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so long as he shall delay to drink
ardent spirits, and no longer."
S. S. Pike was elected Town Clerk in 1841, an office which he held until his death in 1877.
Number of scholars in 1841, 51I.
In 1842, at the Freemen's meeting in September, after five un- successful ballots for Representative, the vote was unanimous for ad- journment.
Again, in 1843, after two ballots the meeting adjourned.
And in 1844, after three ballots.
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January 2, 1845, a special town meeting was called "at the school- house opposite the Academy," where the Town meetings had been held for so many years, at I o'clock p. m. The meeting was opened, and voted to adjourn to S. Wires' store, probably because the old school- house could not be properly warmed, it having already been abandoned for school purposes.
At the September meeting after the fifth ballot for Town Rep- resentative resulting in no choice, the meeting adjourned.
In January 1846, a special town meeting was called at the office of S. S. Pike, and the March meeting was held at the Congregational meeting-house.
At that meeting it was "voted, that the selectmen be a committee to procure the use of one of the meeting-houses in Johnson in which to hold town and Freemen's meetings for the ensuing year, to make such bargain with either one of the Societies having the control of said Houses, as they think best for the interests of the town."
Town meetings continued to be held in the Congregational church until, the present church being built in 1851, the town the next year bought the old one for a town house.
The first town meeting called to "vote upon the question of Li- cense or no-License, in accordance with an Act of the Legislature ap- proved November 3, 1846," was in March 1847.
The result was "No License 56, License 49."
At the September meeting that year it is recorded that "At three o'clock the votes for Town Representative were duly taken, sorted and counted, and no choice made, when the meeting adjourned so far as respects the choice of a Town Representative."
In 1848 they succeeded in electing Jonathan C. Dodge, after six years of no representation.
In 1849 after three ballots there was no choice of Representative, and, on motion, the meeting adjourned.
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At March meeting 1850 the voting in relation to License was Li- cense 98, No License 15.
At the September meeting five ballots were taken for Town Rep- resentative without a choice, and the meeting adjourned.
September 1851, S. S. Pike was selected on the first ballot, and re-elected in 1852.
In 1853, after three ballots they made no choice. In 1854 W. G. Ferrin was elected on the second ballot.
In 1855 at the annual March meeting it was "Voted that the Town purchase for the use of the Town 40 copies of Waring's Elements of Agriculture."
In January 1856, the town "Voted to accept the part of the town of Sterling which the Legislature had granted to it at its last session."
March 5, 1861. "Voted that the selectmen be instructed to engage some person at a price that would be considered reasonable to ring the church bell three times each week-day, and at usual times on the Sabbath, and on all public occasions (not including menageries and showmen) and to ring and toll the bell on all occasions of deaths and funerals for the year ensuing, free of expense to individuals and at the expense of the said town."
Sept. 16, 1862. "Voted that the selectmen be directed to borrow the sum of four hundred and fifty dollars, or such sum as may be necessary, and pay the same to the soldiers, fifty dollars each, who enlisted from Johnson under the last call of the President for troops. Payable when mustered in United States service."
December 19, 1863. "Voted that the selectmen be instructed to borrow a sum not exceeding Three Thousand Dollars, for the purpose of paying three hundred dollars each to volunteers that may hereafter enlist for the war under the recent call of the President of the United States, including the one that it is understood has enlisted, payment to be made to such en- listed men when mustered into the service of the United States."
March 24, 1865. "Voted that in case it becomes necessary to furnish more men to carry on the war, that the selectmen be authorized to hire
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN
them at their discretion, and borrow money on the credit of the town to pay the same."
February 15, 1868. "Voted, by ballot, to accept of the act of the Legisla- ture of this State entitled 'An Act to enable the towns therein named to aid in the construction of the Lamoille Valley Railroad.' Approved November 12, 1867."
"Voted to recommend and nominate Robert C. Cristy, Isaac A. Manning and Atwood Andrews to be Commissioners as named in the 3d section of said Act."
"Voted that the town take stock in said Railroad to the amount of Fifty Thousand Dollars and issue bonds for that amount."
March 3, 1885. "The following preamble and resolution were introduced by H. A. Waterman, Esq .:
Whereas Dexter Whiting, Esq., in accordance with his generous nature, has seen fit to purchase and present to the Town of Johnson a valuable and elegant Town Clock, which he has caused to be erected for the benefit and pleasure of its citizens and the public in general,
Therefore, Resolved, That we, the citizens of said Town in Town Meet- ing assembled, return to Mr. Whiting a vote of thanks to express our heart- felt gratitude for his munificence."
"Voted to adopt the foregoing preamble and resolutions."
In 1893, in accordance with a law passed by the Legislature of 1892 providing for the Town System of Schools, the Selectmen ap- praised all the school houses, sites and property.
Johnson Public Library Trustees were first elected in 1895, since which time fifty dollars has been annually voted towards its main- tenance.
Road mileage in town, not including pent roads, May 1900, 71 miles.
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CHAPTER 8.
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RECOLLECTIONS OF JOHNSON VILLAGE AS IT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LAST CENTURY *.
The population of the town of Johnson was in point of fact, 19 more, according to the census in 1840 than in 1900, so constant has been the emigration of our brightest and best into other parts of the country, notably within the last half century.
But there are certainly not more than two-thirds as many sets of farm buildings in town as there were 60 years ago, so many farms have been practically abandoned for tillage and are being allowed to revert to wilderness, which, for profit, ought never to have been cleared from them.
The village, however, is more than twice as large as in 1840. The count of the corporation in 1900 was 587, and it is much larger now. I propose to give you my earliest recollections of the village, in the early '40's.
Beginning with the Normal building, part of it, the original Academy, stood some twenty feet nearer the street, a square, two- story building surmounted by a cupola, in which hung the bell. The meadow between that and the cemetery was a swamp, wherein blue flags ran riot in their season, and multitudes of frogs made the spring evenings loud and melodious. There were only four dwellings on Stearns St., the Azariah Waterman house on the corner, where Frank Holmes now lives, and then it was all one green field, with a grassy
*Revised from a paper read before the Oread Literary Club of Johnson, by Mrs. Mattie W. Baker, in March, 1905.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN
path by its fence for a sidewalk, to where Mr. Boyles lives, then known as the Marshall Hosmer house. Then came the Caldwell house, where Mr. Odell lives, and the Leslie house opposite where Justus Dodge lived, and operated a tannery situated near where the tub-shop stands.
Above there, to Perkinsville, now East Johnson, was a quiet, country road, no noisy mills to drown the bird-songs, no bridges spanned the Gihon, and the only house on the way was a small one where Silas Griswold lives.
Returning to our starting point, we notice by the way that there were no houses on Gulf St. A little brook with high, mossy banks flowed at its side, where school children loitering on their homeward way in the golden summer afternoons used to stop and drag their dinner baskets in the deepest places, and were sometimes lucky enough to catch a minnow, causing great excitement.
At the farther end of the level you opened a gate to go up the road on Burnham hill, or kept straight on towards Hydepark, go- ing up through the gulf thickly wooded on both sides clear to its upper end, in front of Morris Hill's, then known as the Day place; an ideal road on hot, summer days, but a pokey enough one on dark nights.
Between the Academy and the rise of land where Pearl's factory buildings are grouped, was more frog-pond, and that was all. The factory, a red painted building nearly in the same place as the present one, was burned in 1870. At its eastern end was a saw-mill, owned by Joseph Waterman, and the mill-yard, always more or less occupied by logs, extended to the street, except that a tiny dwelling-house stood where the wool-house now stands. An old two-story building, known as "the old red store" where John Wier formerly traded, stood where the blacksmith shop and hose-house now are. My earliest recollec- tions are of a printing office in its second story.
In a yard occupying the corner where the Baptist church stands, was a one-story wooden house, the original Joseph Waterman house,
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VIEW FROM THE ACADEMY IN 1847. Pencilling by S. L. Wiswall.
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moved across the street from where B. A. Hunt's brick house stands, and occupied by the Waterman family while that house was being built, in 1838. In the fall of '55, to make way for the Baptist church which was to be built there the next year, this old house again took to the road, this time being drawn up on Stearns street, where it now forms part of the tub-factory store-house.
Returning to the head of the street, the first building, opposite the Academy and standing close up to the rock where T. J. Baker has started a little park, was the "old red school-house," probably the first framed one in town, and serving as school-house, town house and church for many years. It had become too old for use, and in the winter of '44 and '45 the village school for scholars living on this side of the Branch was held in the eastern part of Mr. Scott's house, then the Caldwell furniture shop. It was also held there in the following summer, while the school-house on Railroad St. next Mrs. Pierce's, was being built. That in turn was duly abandoned, and finally, drawn up on Main St., where it serves as Mr. Scott's blacksmith shop.
What is now the M. E. parsonage was then a plain, two-story building without porches, occupied by James Clark, who had a harness shop in the chamber. An old, one-story, unpainted house stood where Mr. Patten lives, and had been occupied by S. N. Tracy, the tailor. What is now the Opera House was then the Congregational church built in 1832. There was nothing between that and the Caldwell shop, now Mr. Scott's house. Joseph Poland, who was editing a pa- per here, lived where George Baker lives. My memory of him is of how impressive his bald head looked when he stood up before us as our Sunday School superintendent. He afterwards went to Mont- pelier, where he edited a paper for many years.
After the Poland house was a fine, large garden, where Dr. Pren- tiss' house stands, belonging to the Dr. Waite house, then owned by S. S. Pike. The Peck house was built by Judson Rowell, and oc-
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN
cupied by him as a store, with dwelling above, till he failed in business and moved away. The Riddle store was built by J. M. Hotchkiss, and he, too, failed in trade. The business passed into other hands, but we believe the building has always been occupied as a store. That and the Peck building were exactly alike on the front, so that transient occupants sometimes inadvertently entered the wrong building.
Where C. P. Jones' store stands was a wide, open space, con- venient to the Hotel; at the back was the Hotel barn, with open shed towards the street. The back part of the present Hotel was then the Main building, built and occupied as a Hotel at the time of the war of 1812. The battle of Plattsburg was September 11, 1814, and Thomas Waterman, proprietor of the Hotel, was there as Captain. Many of the town's able-bodied men were there, and the cannonading that day could be plainly heard here, filling the hearts of their friends with sore anxiety. About that time a squad of British officers rode through the village, and stopping at the Hotel, ordered dinner. The whole establishment hastened to do the bidding of the unwelcome guests, setting before them the best they could compass in the way of food and drink, and only smiling indulgently when, at the close of the meal, the half-drunken men jovially smashed a few glasses. Without as much as thanks for their entertainment they rode off, leaving the town to feel thankful that they had fared no worse at the hands of their braggart visitors. .
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