USA > Vermont > Addison County > Middlebury > History of the town of Middlebury, in the county of Addison, Vermont > Part 26
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HIST RY OF MIDDLEBURY.
June 1797, in the south part of the house now owned by Mr. Jackson, that part only being then built. This, she thinks, was a district school. Lyman Pierce set up an opposition school, because Southworth taught the Assembly's catechism. Pierce succeeded Southworth and kept in the same place. Salmon Bell kept a school two summers in her father's shop, on the west side, previous to the schools above mentioned. Miss Huntington kept a school in the court house before Miss Strong came ; and Mrs. Simmons attended Miss Strong's school there in 1800. She kept also, probably in the winter, in Dr. Campbell's south chamber. In 1802 and part of the year following, her school was in the south room of Dr. Campbell's house, which had been used for a store.
In the Vermont Mirror, September 15 1813, we find the follow- article :
" To the editor of the Vermont Mirror :---
In April, 1793, I came to Middlebury, and I counted every building in the village of Middlebury Falls, and found the number to be 62; and in the year 1813, I have counted them again, and find the number to be 316, of which 146 are dwelling houses, 14 ware stores. The dwelling houses, which stood here in 1793, were chiefly log houses, and almost wholly mere temporary buildings, built with small expense. There are now twenty dwelling houses in this village, either of which cost more than every building stand- ing in 1793. JABEZ ROGERS.
Middlebury, 28th August, 1813."
Mrs. McLeod, who came to the village with her father's family in 1796, states that at that time there were nine families besides her father's on the west side of the creek, and thirty on the east side ; that Stillman Foot had a grist mill where the north part of the wool- en factory stands, and a saw mill further up the stream, on the rocks back of the factory dry house; below these Appleton Foot had a stone grist mill and saw mill ; and below these Jonathan Nichols, Jun. had built and then carried on a forge and gun factory, which afterwards fell into the hands of Anthony Rhodes, who carried them on. Stillman Foot then lived in the house which he had built, and Appleton in the house built by him, where Dr. Harris lives, and
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HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY;
Nichols in a small house, where Capt. Leonard died. Appleton's mill house was built in 1798; Col. Storrs lived in his gambrel roof house, and Harvey Bell in the old house where John Warren after- wards built his brick house. Mrs. McLeod further states, that when she came here, the Grammar school common was a hemlock swamp, and the academy was built in 1798; that the native forest still covered the land from the mills westward to Weybridge street, and that her father's house was exposed from the fire in those woods. John H. Sherrill then had a store, erected by Jabes Rogers, and af- terwards occupied by Benjamin Seymour. She also states that the bridge, first built by Daniel Foot and covered with poles, was then standing. and was supported in the middle by a trestle ; that she used to teater on it and call it riding. The bridge, she says, was about fourteen feet wide, and has been widened wholly by extending further up stream.
Benjamin Lawrence, who came to Middlebury in 1797, states that there was no house then on the Weybridge street, and the land was covered with woods; that Anthony Rhodes' was the only two story house on the west side of the bridge, and there were only five on the east, including the old jail house. He and Mrs. McLeod say that the first school they had knowledge of, was kept by Lyman Pierce in the south part of the Jackson house.
Capt. Thomas M. Fitch* came to Middlebury, from Windham, Conn., in December, 1794, then about 14 years of age. Mattock's tavern house was then built, and Samuel Foot kept a tavern in the Deming house. These were the only two story houses in the vil- lage. Samuel Miller resided in his back kitchen. Stumps and logs . were still remaining on the common, and there was a muddy hollow just north of the bridge, running down to the watering place, over
*Capt. Fitch served his apprenticeship, at the carpenter's trade, with Col. Na- thaniel Ripley, and after he came of age, established himself in New Haven. He afterwards returned to Middlebury and purchased the lot and built the house now occupied by the family of the late Martin S. Dorrance on the Papermill road. Here he resided until within two or three years he went to reside with his son-in-law David E. Boyce. Martin S. Dorrance referred to above, after a long and distress- ing sickness, in which he gradually declined, died on the 21st August 1858, at the age of fifty-fivc
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HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
which there was a bridge for persons on foot, and it was very miry to near the Congregational church, where there has been generally in the spring a spot of deep mire. Only about an acre was cleared on the lot where Mr. Chipman afterwards built his large house. The woods. on the hill came down near the present brick house ; and except the clearing Freeman Foot had made near his house, thie woods extended to the creek. There was an old school house on Dr. Bass's land, on the rising ground beyond his house, and a dwel- ling house opposite, and a road open from there south to the Selleck lot, on which Hezekiah Wadsworth had a house. Capt. Fitch is able to reckon up only about thirty-two dwelling houses, of all de- scriptions, in the village.
Rev. Timothy Dwight, D. D., then president of Yale College, among his several visits, to which we shall again refer, was in Mid- dlebury in 1798. The following is a part of his record of this visit. " The township of Middlebury began to be settled about the year 1783. About 1794, the inhabitants began to build a village on both sides of the river, at the falls in the north-west part of the town- ship. The number of houses when we were on the spot was per- haps thirty. Several of them were pretty buildings." "Several mills had been erected at this place in 1798. A brewery had been established, several stores had been built, a considerable number of mechanics and several gentlemen in the liberal professions liad cho- sen this spot as their residence. An academy was also nearly com- pleted, which was intended to be the germ of a future college. Up- on the whole the seeds of future respectability were already sown."
Notwithstanding such was the condition of the village at the pe- riods above mentioned, the iehabitants had the courage in 1799 to invite the legislature to hold its session here the following year, and the invitation was accepted. The anticipation of this great event produced a universal stir among the population to make the requi- site preparations for it. Some built new houses ; others enlarged and repaired their old ones, and all were made ready for the reception of boarders. The legislature, whose session was held here in 1806, were provided with still better accommodations.
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HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
GROWTH AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE VILLAGE.
THE inducement for establishing the village was of course the water power furnished by the falls. But its growth and prosperity are not a little owing to the character of the first settlers. They were almost universally enterprising, industrious and devoted to its reputation. The population of the whole town in 1791 was only 395. From this time it began gradually to increase, in the village as well as in the town. But the immigrants were poor, as those of all new countries then were. Their first object was to obtain the riecessaries of life. At an early period the houses were almost uni- versally small. Many more kitchens were built than parlors, and the surroundings corresponded. But the tenements were gradually enlarged and improved, as the means were provided. Soon after the commencement of the present century, some of the old houses were replaced by larger and mere commodious dwellings. Dr. Dwight says,-"" In both these journies, (in 1806 and 1810) and particularly in the latter, I found Middlebury changed into a beau- tiful town, consisting of about one hundred and fifty houses. The inhabitants had finished a large and handsome church. The private dwellings are generally neat, and in several instances handsome. The town contains a book store, a printing office, twelve or fifteen stores, belonging to merchants and druggists, and a great number of Mechanics' shops." " At the same time, religion had prevailed in this town more than any other in the state; and controls very obviously the manners and the character of the inhabitants, in a de- gree uncommon and delightful." "On the whole Middlebury is one of the most prosperous and most virtuous towns in New England."
From 1800 to 1820, and especially from 1810 to the latter peri- od, the business of the village rapidly increased. During this pe- riod, it was the centre of mechanical and mercantile business, to a much larger extent than afterwards. In no place were the mechan- ics especially more prosperous, and several were ruined by their prosperity. Their rapid accumulations induced a thirst for still lar- ger incomes, and they exchanged the business with which they were acquainted, for that of which they had no knowledge. In the mean- time, mechanics and some merchants had established themselves in 21
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ILISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
the neighboring towns, from which much of the business of the vil- lage had been derived. The opening of the Northern Canal by the State of New York, not long previous to the last mentioned period, created a heavy draft upon the business of the place. Previous to that, a large share of the business from the north-eastern towns in the county centred here, which was afterwards drawn to Vergennes, where they met navigable water, which connected them with New York. The business of the western towns was also drawn to the shores of the lake for the same reason. The business since that time has scarcely increased, and has, in some branches, diminished. The population and number of buildings have, in the meantime, in- creased slowly. As the census of the village has never been taken separately from the town, we are not able to ascertain the progress correctly. In the year 1840, according to the census taken in that year, the population of the town appeared to have diminished, in the preceding ten years, about three hundred, and it was supposed to be owing to a large emigration, and extended to the village, as well as other parts of the town. But it was understood at the time that the census that year was carelessly and incorrectly taken. As an evidence that it was so, it appeared by the census of 1850, that the population had increased much more for the previous ten years, than it had diminished in the same period previous to 1840. At our request, David S. Church, Esq., who made the last enumera- tion, as deputy marshal, has separated the number in the village from the rest of the town, and makes the population in that year 2070.
The effect of the rail road passing through the village, on the business and population, is not yet very obvious. But our opinion is that both have increased, and we anticipate that the next census will show it. This road, connecting us directly with the great mar- kets, will give our business men an advantage which will, we think, draw back much of the business which has been lost. The road, we expect, will also bring into market a large amount of water pow- er now unemployed. Besides, as the farming country is obviously enriched by the road, this also will increase the business and wealth of the village.
If we cannot boast of any rapid increase of population and busi-
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HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
ness, for some past years, we think we can safely claim that the vil- lage has improved in its appearance. A few old houses have been replaced by better, and more have been enlarged and improved by internal as well as external alterations. The yards, out houses and ether surroundings have been put into better taste. Our efforts, at planting ornamental trees, were commenced with Lombardy pop- lars, which soon became unpopular and were cut down. These were succeeded by locust trees, but the borers soon began their dep- redations en these, and they too were given up. Since that we have planted, as successfully as our stiff soil will permit, our native for- est, with some exotic, trees and shrubs, in our yards and commons and along our strects. The same expense never added greater im- provement to a village, than the sum expended in inclosing and ornamenting the principal park on the east side of the creek. The ground, before that, was uneven, gullied and an almost naked mass of clay. Since that the two small parks east of it, the small park west of the creek, and more recently the large park on the Grammar School Common, and the ornamented college grounds, have added still further improvements. So that, with all our obstacles, the ap- pearance of our village passes, among strangers, as quite respectable.
INCORPORATION OF THE VILLAGE.
Among the objects, which seemed to demand some efficient organ- ization, the means of preventing and extinguishing fire had been long regarded as most pressing. Its destructive effects had been experienced over almost the whole surface of the village, and swept away a vast amount of property, as our history shows. As early as 1808, the legislature on application, passed an act, incorporating a Fire Society, with ample powers, by the appointment of fire- wardens and otherwise to extinguish fires. A company was formed, and a large engine obtained. The engine, through neglect, went out of repair, and for want of sufficient interest in the subject, the company went to decay ; the corporation was left with a small debt, for which the engine was sold on execution for a nominal sum. Thus ended the efforts and the existence of the Fire Society. This failure was attributed, we suppose correctly, to the fact, that the
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HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
purpose of the association, being limited to a single object, could not keep up interest enough to sustain it.
Accordingly in 1816, on application for that purpose, the legis- lature passed an ast incorporating the " Borough of Middlebury," with power to hold property for the use of the borough, erect public buildings, levy and collect taxes, make bylaws, appoint fire-wardens and organize a fire company. Under this act the borough was organized, by-laws and ordinances were established, taxes assessed, and some new measures adopted for the prevention of fire. But the taxes were unpopular, the organization came into disrepute, and ran down and died. The act of incorporation was revived by the legislature in 1832, the name was changed to the " Village of Mid- dlebury," and provision was made for the election of seven trustees instead of five bailiffs, provided for in the original act, and with the same powers. An amendment of this act, by the legislature in 1845, provides that the highways and streets in the village should be regarded as " village highways and streets," and gives the tras- tees the exclusive control of the streets, "with the grounds and walks of the same," and authorizes them to " receive and expend for the purposes aforesaid, such portion of the ordinary highway tax, assessed upon the inhabitants of said village and property therein, as may be assigned them by the selectmen of the town," which shall not be less than one third." These acts have been hitherto efficient in accomplishing the objects for which they were designed. The streets and walks and commons have been improved, and what is more important perhaps, an efficient fire company has been formed and kept alive, engines have been provided and pre- served in a new and substantial building erected for that purpose, and a vast amount of property has been saved from the destructive effects of fire.
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HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
CHAPTER XIV.
ORGANIZATION-CORPORATE PROCEEDINGS.
SOME facts belonging to the history of the town may be best un- derstood by the proceedings of their meetings. We therefore copy a few of their records, with some explanations.
The town was organized, and the first meeting held, "at the house of Mr. Daniel Foot, March 29, 1786," and the following is the record of their proceedings :
" Voted 1st, Benjamin Risley, Moderator.
" Voted 2dly. Joshua Hyde, town clerk, and sworn.
" Voted 3dly, Thomas Hinman, Constable, and sworn.
" Voted 4thily, To dissolve the meeting.
At the annual meeting, March 29, 1787, John Chipman was chosen moderator; Robert Huston, Town Clerk; Martin Foot, Constable. At a special meeting, Jan- uary 1, 1788, Jonathan Chipman and Robert Huston were chosen listers No oth- er officers at this time had been chos n in town.
At the annual meeting, March 24, 1788, " Capt. Stephen Goodrich, Joshua Hyde and John Chipman, Esq.," were chosen selectmen; and all the other usual town officers, as they were at all subsequent annual meetings. At this meeting it was " voted, that we will lay a tax ot one shilling on a pound, on the grand list of 1788, to be worked out on the roads at 4s. per day, and six pence on the pound, to be paid in wheat at 4s. 6d. per bushel."
At a special meeting, September 2, 1788, it was
" Voted, that Gamaliel Painter, Esq. be directed to forward a petition to the General Assembly, in October next, petitioning that honorable body to grant a lot- tery in order to procure pay for building the bridge across Otter Creek, under such regulations as they, in their wisdom, shall think proper."
" Voted, to recommend Elijah Foot, Esq , of New Haven, Hiland Hall, Esq , of Cornwall, and Mr. Daniel Foot, of Middlebury, managers of said lottery."
Daniel Foot had, the previous year, with some voluntary aid from the neighbors, built a bridge across the creek where the present bridge stands. The object of this vote was to raise funds to defray the expense. Instead of the lottery, the legislature granted a tax
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HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
of one penny per acre on the lands in Middlebury, and out of the proceeds of the tax, one half the expense of the bridge was paid to Daniel Foot. A similar tax was assessed on Cornwall to pay the other half. Ebenezer Johnson was appointed collector of the tax on Middlebury, and several lots were sold for the tax, and deeds given by him.
The following vote was passed, January 25, 1790 :
" Whereas, Daniel Foot was prosecuted for blocking up a certain road, and found guilty at a justice court holden by Gamaliel Painter, Esq. on the 8th day of April, 1789, and the fine being the property of the town. said Foot moved to have said town relinquishi said fine, and seconded, the vote being, was carried in the affirma- tive." March, 1790, " Voted that the selectmen shall keep a regular account of all town expenses the year ensuing, and lay it before the town, at their next March meeting, for their concurrence "
April 12 1790, " Voted, to have one burying place, as near the eentre of the town as the land will admit " " Voted, that the selectmen be a committee to pro- cure a place or places to bury the dead." " Voted that there be one burying place at the north end, and one at the south end of the town." "Voted that the select- men lease out the school lots, for the term of ten years, to the best advantage they can."
June 15, 1790, " Voted that we will build a meeting house." " Voted to choose a committee to fix on a place to set the meeting house, and draw a plan and lay it before the town at some future day." " Voted John Chipman, Esq., Daniel Foot, Capt. Stephen Goodrich, Gamaliel Painter, Esq. and Joshua Hyde be a committee for the above purpose."
September 7, 1790, " Voted Samuel Miller, Esq. and Joshua Hyde be a commit- tee to draw a conveyance between Philip Foot and Appleton Foot and the town of Middlebury, to convey land for said town for a common." " Voted to divide the town into school districts;" and a committee of five was appointed " to divide the town into districts, and report at a future day." In pursuance of these proceed- ings, the town, on the 7th December following, was divided into four districts,- the south, north-east, middle and north-west.
The first of the above votes was passed, as it will be seen, in an- ticipation of the report of the committee "to fix the place to set the meeting house," which was made afterwards. The location of the meeting house had already become a subject of anxiety and some agitation, as it was expected to fix the centre of business for the town.
A meeting was warned at the request of eight citizens, December 22, 1791, " To see whether the town will fix upon a centre or place for a meeting house, whenever they shall agree to build one, and see whether they will agree that a house large enough to contain the people, for several years, may be built there by individuals, without expense to the town at large, to attend public worship in, till a more
IFISTO .. Y OF MIDDLEBURY.
proper meeting house can be built. And the design is to give satisfaction to Mr. Burnett, who is uneasy in his present situation. His house, as he observes, is nei- ther decent nor comfortable. He would prepare to build next summer, was he cer- tain that his land would be near the centre " This meeting was adjourned to the 20th of the same month, when a majority of the committee appointed for that pur- pose, Daniel Foot, Stephen Goodrich and Joshua Hyde, made their report, as fol- lows :
" We the subscribers, being appointed a committee to pitch on a proper place to' build a meeting house, and fix on a green, make the following report, vi.z, that it is our opinion that it be on the west side of the north and south road, in the corner of PhiMp Foot and Appleton Foot's land,-provided they, the said Philip and Ap- pleton, throw out a green twenty-four rods square, including the roads, and also four rods wide on the west side of the north and south road, from said green north,' to where it intersects the road that leads to the falls." Whereupon it was
" Voted to accept the above report, provided the said Foot's lease the above de- scribed land to the town for the use of a green, as long as they shall want it for that purpose ; and also voted that there may be a house built on said green, large enough to meet in for public worship on Sundays, for several years, by individuals, without expense to the town at large."
March 1792. " Voted to lay a tax of two pence half penny, on the pound, on the list of 1791,-said tax to be collected by the first day of January 1793, in wheat at 4s 6d per bushel ; fifteen pounds of said tax, when collected, to be appro- priated to the use of making a road across the mountain beyond Seeley's ;* and any person, that chooses to work out their tax on said road, may have the privi- lege, on condition that they do said work before the 15th day of June next, by the directions and to the acceptance of the selectmen, and a certificate of said selectmen of any person doing work on said road as aforesaid, shall answer on sa'd tax."
" Voted, that if Mr. Daniel Foot build a house, suitable for the inhabitants of Middlebury to meet in on Sundays; and to do public business on other days, after said house is completed suitable for to meet in as above described, then said town is to pay said Foot yearly the lawful interest of the sum that said house is worth in cash, providing the value do not exceed the sum of one hundred and twenty pounds; said interest to be paid said Foot yearly, as long as said town makes use of said house, for the purposes above mentioned."
September 3, 1793. ' Voted to raise a tax of three pence on a pound, on the list of the year, 1793, to be paid into the treasury of the town, by the first day of December next, in wheat at 4s per bushel, for the purpose of covering the bridge at the falls with oak plank, for procuring weights and measures for said town, and. other incidental charges."
"' Voted Capt. Stephen Goodrich and Gamaliel Painter, Esq., be a committee to superintend the covering the bridge at the falls "
The bridge, built by Daniel Foot in 1787, was covered with poles,
*Justus Seeley, at an early day settled, and then lived, where Hendrick Hier has since lived, and where his sons, Eber and Justice now live.
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from the neighboring forest, which had probably much decayed, and the oak plank were designed to supply their places.
At a meeting at the house of John Foot, on the 9th day of December 1794, noti- fied on the application of twelve free holders.
" 2, to see if the inhabitants of said town will reconsider the former vote of building a meeting house, where the stake was pitched. 3, to agree upon a place to build a meeting house 4, if no place can be agreed on, to choose a committee to' fix on a place to build said house 5, to sce if the inhabitants will agree to lay & tax for the purpose of building said house. 6, to agree on a place or places for holding meetings this winter;" the following is the record of the proceedings :
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