USA > Vermont > Addison County > Middlebury > History of the town of Middlebury, in the county of Addison, Vermont > Part 27
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" The 2d article with regard to re considering the former vote of building a meeting house, at the place where the stake was pitched, was tried and passed in the negative, and of course the 3rd and 4th articles fell. The fifth article was then taken up and passed in the negative."
" Voted to meet at Samuel Mattocks', till such time as the seloctmen shall notify the town, that Mr. Daniel Foot's house is convenient, and then at such place as they shall direct, for public worship on Sundays."
Previous to the meeting held in December 1791, the town and religious meetings had been uniformly held at Daniel Foot's. He had built a large barn, just south of the place, where his large house was afterwards built, for the express purpose of accommoda- ting the meetings ; and in this building Mr. Barnett had been or- dained. During this time Mr. Foot had declined further to accom- modate the meeting. For two or three years the town meetings had been for some reason, held at Philip Foot's and Appleton Foot's, in the same neighborhood, and the religious meetings, in the sum -. mer of 1793, were held in Dea. Sumner's barn. During this time much excitement had arisen, in relation to the place for the centre of town business. The people, in the neighborhood of Mr. Foot, and in the south part of the town, were anxious to have the ques- tion settled, by fixing on the place for erecting a meeting house ; while the people of the village, and the inhabitants north of it " played off," to use a familiar expression.
The village had the advantage of an excellent water power, with mills on both sides. Mechanics and merchants had begun to crowd into it; the only lawyer and the only physicians in town had located themselves there ; the legislature at their session in 1791, had di- rected the courts of the county to be held there, and the population and business of the place were fast increasing. The inhabitants of
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HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
the village therefore looked forward with confidence to the time when . they would have such a decided majority of the votes as to control the decision of the question, and were not in a hurry to have it then set- tled. This will be readily perceived by the proceedings we have copied above. They were willing to take a lease of land "for the use of a green, as long as they shall want it for that purpose. They would pay the " interest of the sum that " the meeting house to be built at the expense of Daniel Foot "is worth in cash," "as long as said town makes use of said house." And when it was voted to hold meetings at Mattocks' in the village, with an apparent inten- tion to return, it was on such conditions as to render that event hopeless. On the other hand, it is said Mr. Foot being dissatisfied with the delay in settling the question, declined further to accommo- date the meetings, for the purpose of pressing the town to a decis- ion. Mr. Barnett also, having purchased a lot directly opposite the place where the meeting house was expected to be built, began to be uneasy. But the decision was virtually made. The religious meetings were never afterwards held out of the village. The town meetings were, for a time, held at Philip Foot's and Appleton Foot's. But at the annual meeting in 1796, as will be seen, the question was finally settled, and the meetings were ordered to be held in the village "in future."
March meeting, 1795, " Voted that there be five selectmen for the year ensuing; that they shall not have any compensation for their services." The selectmen cho- sen were Joshua Hyde, Stephen Goodrich, Nathaniel Munger, Ebenezer Severance and Daniel Chipman, who were also appointed " a committee to examine the bridge at the falls and repair it, if it wants."
" March, 1796, "Voted to receive that part of the town of Cornwall,and petition the legislature to have the same annexed to the town of Middlebury, which said town of Cornwall have voted should be annexed to said Middlebury."
" Voted not to set off the westerly part of Middlebury to Cornwall."
" Voted that the house of Samuel Mattooks be the place of holding town and freemen's meetings in future."
The annual March meeting in 1798, was notified to be held at Samuel Mattocks', but was immediately adjourned to the Court House, that building having been finished about this time. At this meeting it was " Voted to divide the town into three pound districts, to wit : one ponnd to be erected at the corner of the road by Capt. 22
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HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
Goodrich's; one at the corner of the road south of Abel Case's, and one at the corner of the roads south of Martin Everts', and north of Martin Foot's." "Voted, each district to build their own pounds at their own expense."
At the annual meeting in 1825, on the application of the Epis- copal Society, it was voted to grant that society the privilege of erect- ing their church on the public common, provided it should be built of bricks or stone ; and a committee was appointed to fix the loca- ·tion. The present church was accordingly erected, at the place rec- ommended by the committee. A similar privilege was afterwards granted to the Methodist and Baptist societies. But neither of these bas taken advantage of the privilege:
At the time the court house was divided into two stories, it was proposed that the town should have the exclusive use of the lower room, provided they should pay towards the expense two hundred and fifty dollars. This proposition was accepted by the town meet- ing held on the 2d day of September, 1828, and the amount was accordingly paid. Previous to this, the town and freemen's meet- ings had been held in the court room, from the time of its erection. The town also paid $137 towards the alteration and repairs of the building in 1844.
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HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
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CHAPTER XV.
HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES-EARLY SURVEYS-MODE OF REPAIR- ING-BRIDGE AT THE FALLS-THREE MILE BRIDGE-CENTRE TURNPIKE-WALTHAM-ROADS ABOUT VILLAGE.
THE first settlers made their way to their neighbors by marked trees, or by paths cut through the forest by themselves, as their necessities required. The first highways laid out by any authori- ty, so far as we can learn, were surveyed in April, 1786, by a com- mittee appointed by the proprietors, consisting of Benjamin Risley, John Chipman, Robert Huston and Jonathan Chipman. The FIRST was a road eight rods wide, commencing on the south line of the town, near "the north-west corner of the dwelling house of Capt. Painter," and running north on the west line of the west tier of home lots, to New Haven line. This wide road, running through what was intended as the centre of the town, was designed as a trunk road, with which the cross roads were to be connected as branches. It was re-surveyed by the selectmen in 1788, as far as Philip Foot's farm, where the road to the falls leaves it. In September, 1789, the remainder was resurveyed to the New Haven line, but was never opened further north than Nichols and Wheeler's mill, where Phil- ip Foot, about that time, built a saw-mill. The SECOND was a six rods road, from the south line of the town, near Capt. Boardman's, northerly until it unites with the first highway, near Allen Foot's. This road, passing by the dwelling houses of the late Martin Foot and Martin Everts, was designed to connect the Hyde and Torrance neighborhood with the centre. The THIRD road surveyed at that time was four rods wide, and commenced in the west line of the last mentioned, where "that crosses the river " near the poor house, and ran westerly, by Jonathan Seeley's, to the bank of the creek near
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HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
·
the three mile bridge. The FOURTH commenced where the last ter- minated, and ran along the cast bank of the creek, through where the village now is, to New Haven line. This highway, from where it leaves the creek northerly, was six rods wide, and south of it, four rods. The FIFTH was four rods wide, commencing at the Salisbury line, and running by " the now dwelling house of Thom- as Chipman," near Lochlin Wainwright's present house, and cross- es the river near Jonathan Seeley's, and unites with the third of the above mentioned roads. The SIXTH is a six rods road, and be- gins " in the west line of an eight rods highway and on a public lot," (probably the glebe lot, ) next east of the town plat, and north of Philip Foot's farm, and runs westerly by Eli Matthews', "to the west line of the highway running from the falls to New Ha ven," near the falls. The selectmen, in 1788, laid out a road from Philip Foot's, and running into this near Millen Stowell's. In November of that year, the selectmen also laid a highway, called " Preston's road,"". six rods wide, running southerly through Munger Street, thence casterly by Abel Case's to the line between the two tiers of home lots, and on that line to Torrance's. This line, south of the late Samuel Severance's, has been discontinued. Other highways have been, from time to time, located and altered by the selectmen. For an account of these, we commend the study of the town clerk's rec- ords to those who are interested in such studies.
All highways in a new country, especially in a stiff clay soil, like that of Middlebury, after they are opened, are sufficiently difficult to travel, especially in a wet season. Persons who are accustomed only to our present conveniences for travel, and have no experience of travelling through a region in the process of being cleared of a dense forest, have little conception of the state of the roads in the early settlement of the town. Something may be learned on that subject by the representations stated elsewhere.
The opening and repairing roads and building bridges is one of the first necessities of a new country. At the first town meeting when any business was done, except the appointment of officers nec- essary for the nominal organization of the town, a tax was laid " to be worked out on the road ;" and a similar tax was laid, at every
HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY. 318
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subsequent town meeting, for several years. At an early day also, when the inhabitants were few, and the lands were owned mostly by absent proprietors, the legislature, in several instances, imposed taxes on all the lands for this purpose. According to the general laws of the State subsequently adopted, the selectmen in each town were required to assess a tax, prescribed in the statute, to be paid in labor on the highways. The town annually appointed the requi- site number of surveyors, to each of whom the selectmen assigned an appropriate district ; and the inhabitants in each assembled, un- der the order and notice of the surveyor, with suitable tools and teams, and were set to work. For the building of expensive bridges, or when other extraordinary expenses were required, the towns were authorized to lay an extra tax. This system was adapted to the early settlement of the country, when labor was more abundant than money, and every one felt an urgent necessity to have the roads improved. But in time it became less efficient, and the inhab- itants became more and more inclined to pay their taxes, with as little labor as possible. To encourage the payment of money instead of labor, the legislature enacted, that every tax payer should have the right to pay his tax in money, at a discount of twenty-five per cent. This was an improvement of the system, but in this town it has not provided such roads as we ought to have. The responsi- bility is divided among too many surveyors, and little care is taken of the roads, except at the general gathering in the spring. The expenses of the ordinary small bridges have generally been paid from the ordinary highway tax. But the expense of bridges, over the creek and Middlebury River, have been paid from the funds of the town.
The first bridge over the creek at the falls, subsequent to that built by Daniel Foot in 1787, was erected in 1799. The first bridge over the creek near Mr. Piper's, called the Three Mile Bridge, of which we have any knowledge, was built in 1801, although probably some cheap bridge had been built before. It ap- pears by the proceedings of the town in November 1800, that meas- ures were adopted for that purpose ; it was then called the " bridge at Mr. Henshaw's farm,"-Joshua Henshaw then owning the farm
1
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HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
now belonging to Mr. Piper. The bridge at the falls was next re- built in 1811; and again in 1823, it was still more thorougly re- built, from a tax of five cents on a dollar, and made payable in materials, beef cattle, or money at a discount of 12 1-2 per cent. The old wooden abutments were replaced with stone, and extended far- ther into the river. One stone pier was built, but the committee supposed a wooden trestle would be sufficient for the other part of the bridge. The result was, that in the spring freshet in 1832, the trestle was swept away, and that part of the bridge fell. The other stone pier was then built, and that part of the bridge rebuilt, and the timbers on the north part replaced a few years after. Besides some incidental repairs and some new timbers, the whole bridge has not been built anew since 1823, until the summer of 1855. At that time a more firm and commodious bridge, than ever before, was erected under the superintendance of Mr. Calvin Hill, first select- man, and Mr. David Piper, architect. The abutments, piers and bridge were raised two feet, with a broad side walk on each side, extending their width beyond the whole width of the former bridge.
The Three Mile Bridge, across the creek, and the road leading from it to Cornwall, were not so much used by the people of Mid- dlebury as by other travellers, and the town, desiring to get rid of the expense of supporting them, at their meeting in March, 1815, voted to discontinue both. At the term of the County Court in December, 1822, on the report of a committee appointed on the petition of some of the inhabitants west of the creek, the court or- dered a new highway to be established. somewhat varying from the old one. At the next March meeting, in 1823, the selectmen were ordered to build the bridge and "repair the road to Cornwall, or build a new one." The selectmen not promptly obeying the order, the town was indicted for the delay, and at the December term, 1824, were fined $284, with costs. At the next March meeting, in 1825, the town laid a tax to pay the judgment, with which the bridge and road were built. Since that time the town has sup- ported both. The present covered bridge was built in 1836.
At the commencement of the present century, there was about as much enthusiasm for turnpikes, to supply the deficiency of common
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HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
roads, as there has been recently for rail roads, and with about the same results. The inhabitants of Middlebury, desirous of having a more commodious connection with towns east of the mountain, the legislature, at their session in this place in 1800, with half a dozen other charters, incorporated the Centre Turnpike Company, with the privilege of making a turnpike from the Court House in Middle- bury to Woodstock, with a branch to Royalton. This was a great undertaking at the time, and the road was not wholly completed un- til 1808. The toll on the road has never been sufficient to keep the road in good repair, and has since, after a long struggle, been sur- rendered to the several towns, except a short piece in Hancock, in- cluding the steep descent on the cast slope of the mountain, which that town will not consent to take. The road in Middlebury, from the Court House to the foot of the mountain, was surrendered to the town by act of the legislature in 1817. From the foot of the moun- tain east, more recently surrendered, the town has paid $300. Daniel Chipman and Judge Keyes, of Stockbridge, were the prin- cipal superintendants and contributors, and the road has passed from them with little remuneration for their labor and contributions.
The Waltham Turnpike Company was incorporated in 1805, to construct a road from the termination of the Centre Turnpike to the Court House in Vergennes. Only that part of it which extends from the village to the paper mill bridge was located in Middlebury. Gen. Samuel Strong was the principal manager, and most of the stock fell into his hands. After struggling for many years with various opposing interests, the legislature, in 1828, passed an act declaring the turnpike to be "a free public road," on condition the corpora- tion should relinquish their claim. This they readily did.
We add, in this connection, a few alterations of roads about the village. Previous to the year 1799, the highway running south from the village, passed through Pleasant Street, and in that direc- tion to the creek, and thence southerly on its bank. That year the present road was opened, from the Court House south, and extended, through what was called the Middle Road, to Bethuel Goodrich's, and connected with the creek road near the mile bridge. In the year 1799 the present road to the paper mill was opened, and the
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HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
year previous, the road from the Court House to Dr. Bass's. Until about the year 1811, the commonly travelled road from the village to Cornwall passed over the hill north of the college, by the pres- ent residence of Abraham L. Williamson, to a road running south by Samuel Blodget's, which is now closed. In 1803 the present road was surveyed to the line of Cornwall, but was not opened for travel beyond the residence of the late Dea. Porter until 1811.
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HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
CHAPTER XVI.
SUPPORT OF THE POOR.
THE laws of the state make ample provision for the relief of the poor in the several towns; permanently, if they have a settlement, temporarily, when they have no settlement, at the expense of the town where they belong, or at the expense of the state, if they have no settlement in any town in the state. The town of Middlebury, from its organization, has made provision as required by law, for the poor within its limits. But previous to 1822, no poor house had been provided. The necessities of the poor were relieved at their residences, if they had any, and houses were rented for fami- lies who had none. In case of individuals, without families, who needed permanent support, they were boarded, at the expense of the town, in private families. Not unfrequently such persons, at pub- lic auction, were committed to the care of the lowest bidder. The following are among the records of the town meetings :
March 1, 1804, " Voted that Mrs. Frank, a pauper, be set up to be boarded by the week, to the lowest bidder. She was struck off to James Crane for a dollar a week."
March 24 1817, " Voted to set up some of the town poor to be struck off to the person or persons, who will keep them at the lowest price. Widow Frank bid off by Martin Everts, to be kept for a year at one dollar, ninety-nine cents. Thomas Clark bid off by Joshua Hyde, to be kept for three months, at one dollar a week."
This may not seem to be a very christian mode of disposing of the poor. But we believe they were always committed to respecta- ble families, who provided sufficiently for their comfort. Besides, this Mrs. Frank was looked upon with little favor, and most people thought her inability to support herself arose only from an indolent 23
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HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
and obstinate disposition. At any rate, with all her infirmities, she contrived to outlive, by many years, the patience of the people."
At the annual meeting in 1822, the overseer of the poor was authorized by vote " to rent a poor house under the direction of the selectmen." At the annual meeting in 1823, the town authorized the selectmen to " provide a poor house and furnish employment for the paupers ;" and the same vote was repeated at the next annual meeting. Under the authority of this vote, the selectmen had, previous to the annual meeting in 1825, purchased and used for a poor house, the house and lot now owned by Cyrus Morton, on the street leading to the creek, south of the rail road depot. For some reason the town seemed not to have been fully satisfied with this arrangement, and the subject was agitated at several meetings until in March 1829, when it was voted to sell the whole establishment, and it was sold. Other plans were afterwards proposed, and in 1831, a committee was appointed to confer with the other towns in the county, as to the expediency of establishing a county poor house, and petitioning the legislature to authorize it.
At an adjourned meeting in April 1839, it was " Voted to pur- chase a farm for the accommodation and support of such persons, as are or hereafter may become charageable to the town, and to pro- vide such buildings and furnish the farm with such stock, as will be necessary for the purpose said farm is intended for." A committee' was appointed, with full power to make the purchase and bind the town for the payment,-" provided the amount does not exceed the' sum of $6000." The committee were also authorized to borrow of the trustees the money belonging to the United States deposit fund, as it shall, from time to time, be paid, and deposit the same with the treasurer, to meet the orders they may draw for the purchase of the farm ; and the trustees were directed to collect, within two years, such part of said fund as may be needed for that purpose.
The committee purchased of Dan Dike the farm now occupied for that use, in the south part of the town, containing one hundred acres, with commodious buildings, being the south half of the orig- inal Slasson pitch.
At the March meeting in 1812, the selectmen were instructed to
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HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
borrow, of the trustees of the deposit fund, "all said fund not already borrowed," except the amount due the State treasurer to meet the claim required to be refunded, after the census of 1840, as elsewhere explained. At the annual meeting in 1844, the selectmen were authorized to purchase an additional tract of land, for the use of the poor establishmeut, not exceeding in amount the balance of the deposit fund; and they purchased about sixty acres.
There has been expended for the farm, buildings, stock, farming tools and furniture the sum of $7,013,33. Of the whole fund there has been lost, in small balances, the sum of $176, by the failure of the securities, and the loss of the notes by fire. As we have stated elsewhere, the sum for which the town is responsible is $7,501,76
Expended on farm, Lost, 176,00-7,189,33
7,013,33
On hand in the treasury,
$312,43
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HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
CHIPTER XVII.
HEALTH-DISEASES-MORTALITY.
Few places, we think, have been more healthful than Middlebury, with few exceptions, through its whole history. At the time of its first settlement, the fevers and chills, which are so common in new countries, prevailed here to a very limited extent, and were scarcely known. There have been occasional epidemics, to which we shall refer. But the general healthfulness of the town is proved, as well by the protracted ages of many of the first settlers, who remained in town, and whose ages we have recorded, as by the bills of mor -. tality. A very destructive epidemic commenced in the fall of 1812, and continued to rage fearfully through the year 1813, and exten- ded into 1814. It was a fever, which commenced and rapidly pro- gressed, with symptoms new to the physicians, and beyond their control. It is commonly designated as the fever of 1813. It was confined principally to persons of adult age, and an unusual number of heads of families were removed by it. The number of deaths, in proportion to the population, was greater than in any other epi- demic in Middlebury. In some of the neighboring towns it was still greater. Some have supposed, that the disease originated from the troops, employed in the war, while stationed here or passing through the country. There is however reason to doubt this sup- position. There was a recruiting station here, but the number of troops collected here, at any one time, was small, and there were none, so far as we know, in the neighboring towns, where the dis- ease most prevailed. The troops, which passed through were not delayed in this neighborhood. However that may be, the mortality was very great for a few months. Dr. Merrill says, "the deaths in Middlebury, during the months of January, February and March, with a population of about 2300, was forty-seven."
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HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
The erysipelatous fever prevailed to a fatal extent in 1826. It was particularly destructive by inducing puerperal fever, which proved fatal in almost every case, and many of the most respectable females were removed by it. Of this epidemic, Dr. Merrill says, " The number of deaths, between January 1st, and April 1st, was thirty-five, nine of them by puerperal fever. Population 3000."
In the fall of 1841, and winter and spring following, the erysip- elatous fever again prevailed very extensively, as an epidemic, as the writer of this sketch has painful occasion to recollect. The mortality was large in both these years. According to the record of the late Dr. J. A. Allen, the whole number of deaths from November 8th to May 9th was fifty; of the epidemic 34, of other diseases 16. In several other years, of which we are not able to fix the exact date, the typhus fever has prevailed, so as to increase the average mortality, as has also the dysentery, especially among children. And in some cases, where no particular disease prevailed as an epidemic, the number of deaths from old age and chronic dis- eases has been above the average. Such was the fact in 1829.
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