USA > Vermont > Windham County > Rockingham > History of the town of Rockingham, Vermont, including the villages of Bellows Falls, Saxtons River, Rockingham, Cambridgeport and Bartonsville, 1753-1907, with family genealogies > Part 27
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" A large freight business was done for many years between Hartford, Ct., and Bellows Falls by boats that floated down with the current and came back by tug from Hartford to Springfield and from there sailing when the wind was favorable, and poling, or "snubbing" the boat along when necessary .
"The two boats best known locally engaged in this business were owned here by Col. Asa Wentworth, Jr. of Bellows Falls, and Benjamin Smith of Cambridgeport, and were run respectively by Captains Charles and Austin Davenport. The boats were seventy-two feet long, eleven and a half feet wide, and when loaded to their capacity of about thirty tons would draw only two to three feet feet of water. They were flat-bottomed boats, having a cabin at the stern, a mast in the centre, around which the freight was packed, and with a gunwale extending around the entire boat. The main sail was about twenty feet square and was fastened in its centre, extending some feet each side of the boat. A top sail was about eight feet wide at its bottom, narrowing towards the top. In addition to these a third sail was placed above the top sail in very light winds.
" When the wind was not available as a motive power the men used long stout poles in pushing the boats along. The man on each side would place one end of the pole firmly on the bottom of the river, and, with the other end against the shoulder, walk from bow to stern, seventy-two feet, thus propelling the boat. When work first began in the spring this caused the shoulders to become very sore, and later there would be callous places upon each shoulder as large as the hand.
" The boats carried down loads of freestone, shingles and other produce, bringing back heavy freight such as iron, sugar, molasses, grindstones, salt, etc., while a specialty was made of new rum during the last of June.
"Boats usually took three days on the downward trip, going as far as Northfield, Mass., the first day, from there to Springfield the second, and to Hartford on the third. It took much longer to come up the river, the time
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varying with the wind. The round trip averaged about two weeks. The return trip from . Miller's Mills,' as they were then called, at the mouth of Miller's river, was once made in a single night. I was on that boat, owned by Mr. Smith and run by Captain Austin Davenport. That night we got through the locks at Miller's behind the Wentworth boat run by Captain Charles Davenport. When the two boats got up as far as Northfield Farms, where we would tie up for the night under ordinary circumstances, Austin said, 'Boys, let's go on by Charles. Don't make any noise and we'll give him a surprise in the morning, I can steer.' So by the light of a full moon and with the aid of a strong south wind, we came along all night arriving at Bellows Falls about day-break. The next night, after getting our boat all unloaded, about dusk we saw Charles' boat coming round the bend south of the eddy. Ile certainly was surprised, to say nothing of being mad, at thus having the march stolen on him, as he had supposed all day that we were behind him.
" In leaving the canal at Bellows Falls, going down the river, considerable difficulty was often experienced in getting out of the eddy owing to the currents, which were very different from what they now are. I think the average amount of water in the river now is not over forty per cent of what it was in those days. A strong current came down from the falls in the main river, and striking through the middle of the eddy it divided at the lower end, eddying around, so that on both the Vermont and New Hampshire sides of the river the current near the shore actually set strongly up stream. The trouble was to get through this northerly current and into the main stream, especially if a strong, south wind was blowing. Boats would often eddy around a number of times, going clear over to the New Hampshire side, often taking many hours before the current could be struck which would take them out of the eddy. To overcome this difficulty, a post was set in the river at the south end of the eddy and a rope passed through a pully fastened to it. Old Seth Hapgood, who lived where Miss Ann Hapgood does now, kept a pair of oxen for the purpose of helping boats out of the trouble. He would ride as far into the river as possible on the . nigh ' ox and with the aid of the rope attached to the boat and passed through the pulley on the post, draw the boat out into the right current. It used to be a common saying among river- men that 'Old Seth Hapgood prayed every morning for a south wind so boatmen would have to employ him to get them out of the eddy.'
" Mr. Hapgood was also employed by the boatmen coming up the river, using his oxen attached to a long rope to draw the loaded boats over the swift water on the bar at the mouth of Saxtons river. Men now living tell of the competition between the boys of the village in their race to tell Mr. Hapgood of the appearance of boats headed up stream that he might be ready, and the old man never failed of rewarding the first informant with a few pennies.
" At Enfield just over the Connecticut line was a canal to avoid some rocky rapids in the river, and as they were not entirely impassable to boats some of the time, it was a practice to run south bound boats over the rapids, while north bound boats had to use the canal. This was done to save time as well as the canal tolls one way. Special pilots were used who knew the channel among the rocks, and the danger attending the passage led at one
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Experiences on the Flat Boats
time to the formation of a company which, for a premium, would insure the safety of boats there, but I never heard of an accident. At several points, rapids and shoal places required an additional force of men. One of these places was the rapids opposite the village of Walpole and extra men were usually taken down from here to assist, who came back on foot. At some of these places men known as ' swift-water-men ' were taken on to pilot the boats through those particular rapids. Below the locks and ' Severance Hotel ' at Turners Falls was a sharp turn in the river, known as ' Honey Pot Eddy ' where much trouble was often experienced. Just this side of the ferry at Westmoreland was a peculiarly shaped rock known as ' Whales-back,' while just below Brattleboro were rocks known among the river men as the ' Geese and Goslings.'
"At practically all points along the river where boats were supposed to stop, the country stores carried a stock of rum in addition to their other merchandise. There was a store building about where Granger block on Westminster street now stands, the front door opening on Westminster street and a flight of stairs leading down the back side of the canal. They sold rum in addition to dry goods and often disposed of a barrel full in one morning to the boatmen and raftsmen. This rum was made from distilled molasses and seldom caused drunkenness or fighting. It was sold at twenty- five cents a gallon or three cents a tumbler (} pint). Brandy, gin and West India rum sold at five cents a glass, while whiskey was unknown. In spite of the large amounts of liquor consumed, there was not as much drunkenness as at the present time."
Mr. Howard remembers that among the several attempts to establish steamboat navigation there was a little steamer named the "William Hall" which came here from Hartford. It was too big to go through the locks and it was drawn around through the village by oxen and went up to Windsor. It was drawn back around the falls by oxen on its return trip, and was run for a short time between here and Hartford once a week, but it did not pay and in later years it was used as a tug on the lower part of the river. The records of the Connecticut Valley Steamboat company show this boat as having been built at Hartford, Conn., in 1831, and as having been used as a tug below Springfield for many years. It was the boat upon which James Mulligan, late president of the Connectict River railroad, was engineer as a young man.
RAFTING ON THE RIVER
C. W. Bliss, at the present time a merchant at West Fairlee, Vt., tells the writer an interesting story of a trip
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History of Rockingham
down the river in May, 1854, when a boy of eighteen, in the capacity of cook for a rafting gang. He says :
The lumber was round logs cut sixty feet long. They were fastened together by two-inch planks at each end and in the middle of each log. Through these planks a wooden pin was driven into each log, making a solid mass about twelve feet wide and sixty long, which was called in the river parlance, a " box." From the end of the planks, at each corner of the box, a stout hard wood pin stuck up fifteen inches or more, against which was braced oars for propelling and guiding the box, and over which could be placed short planks with holes in them, thus yoking the boxes securely together. Two boxes, side by side, and three in length, six in all, constituted a " raft " or " division," and it was in this form that the trip down the river was made, except when it was necessary to " break up the rafts " into boxes in order to pass through the different canals.
There were eighteen rafts in our lot and we had eighteen men. It took two men to navigate each raft with rough oars at opposite corners and so the practice was for the men to take nine rafts as far down the river as possible and make connections with a north bound passenger train ; then go back and bring the other nine down. A rough board shanty nearly covered one box. One end was used as dining room and kitchen, the other for sleeping pur- poses. An old elevated-oven stove was used in cooking. In the sleeping end, a liberal quantity of straw was thrown loosely on the logs on which the men slept with their clothes on. They lay in two rows with heads toward the sides of the raft and feet in the middle. I bought at different points white bread and I made brown bread, cooked potatoes. beans, tea and coffee. These constituted the whole bill of fare. The men were always sure to reach the raft on which was the shanty at meal time and at night. The rafts, when left at night, or at other times, were tied to trees on the shore.
The lumber in the raft on which I shipped, was owned by an old man named Richardson from Orford, N. H., who accompanied us by train, coming aboard frequently. It came from much farther north than Orford and was to go to llolyoke, but not making a sale of it there, it was taken along to Middletown. Conn. I joined the party at the locks at what is now Wilder, just north of White River Junction, and left it at Holyoke, having hired out only to go this distance, and having become tired of it. It took three weeks and four days between those two points. My pay was $1 per day while the regular men had $1.50. One " pilot " was among the men. who knew the channel of the river at all points, and he received $3 per day. An additional pilot was taken on at two different points, one called the "Geese" and the other " The Tunnel," on account of the swiftness of the water and the dangerous rocks at both places. The pilots or " swift-water men," at each place knew the rocks perfectly and they took the head of the first raft, guiding that, the rest following in exactly the same course.
When the rafts reached Bellows Falls, it took the men three days to break them up and get the one hundred and eight boxes through the locks and put them together again. One of these days was Sunday, but the river-men always had to work on Sunday the same as on other days. That day, I think
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Rafting Lumber and Freight
there were at least five hundred people on the banks of the river and the canal watching our work. There was considerable competition between the men on the different rafts on the long stretch of still water above the dam to see which raft would get down to the canal first. As the river was broad and still for some miles, it gave them their best chance for sculling, but the movement was necessarily slow.
After getting out of the lower locks at Bellows Falls, I remember seeing a number of small dwellings near the locks on the Vermont side. From one of these an old Irishman's cow had wandered down over the broad beach into the water in which she stood up to her body. The irate wife of the old man came down and called the cow loud and long, but she would not come ashore. The woman yelled a command to her " old man " to come and drive the cow out. "The divil a bit will I do it," says he, and after soundly berating him for his negleet, she calmly gathered her skirts about her high enough to keep them from getting wet, and walked in, driving the cow home herself.
Among the men was a large and powerful half-breed Indian named Sam Flint, who stood six feet four inches, and was very strong. He was a general favorite and in all cases when any of the boys went ashore, and it was thought there might be trouble from drinking or otherwise, they wanted Sam to go to protect them. There were many places along the river where rough crowds gathered at saloons. As the raft was leaving the eddy at Bellows Falls, Sam made a mistep and landed in the river, but was readily pulled aboard again and worked with his wet clothes on until they were dried. No other man got a dueking during the trip.
William H. Fuller, a native of Bellows Falls, says regarding early remembrances of his boyhood days-
" I remember distinctly watching for the flat boats to come early in the spring and fall, but during the summer months they did not run unless we had very high water. I also remember the great rafts of logs and the lumber rafts with shingles, lath, elapboards and often wool and farm produce on board. We boys used to enjoy rides through the loeks up and down, and it was a treat for us when we could assist in pushing open the great gates that let them through the locks from one erib to another. I used to see them more above than below the dam as my home was on the corner of Rockingham and Green streets. When a heavy loaded boat was pulled through the canal to the head above the dam, a number of men would tow it up to a bend in the river just at the head of Green street, and I have known boats to tie up and wait there for a day or more for a breeze, then set sail and taek from one side of the river to the other till they were out of sight around the bend above Mr. Webb's. Before the railroad was built the bend in the river just below Mr. Morgan's house used to be a place where boats and rafts tied up to piles driven for that purpose.
The large rafts that came down the river were made in sections as large as would fill one of the cribs in the loeks, were all pinned together and after tying up in the bend above the dam, were unpinned and dropped down with ropes into the canal and when through the loeks were all pinned together again, pushed out into the stream to go on down.
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Some rafts contained twelve sections and had one or two shanties built on them where the lumbermen slept and ate.
There was but little traffic by boat after 1848, but rafts continued coming down as late as 1852. There was one class of navigators that interested the people intensely every year till as late as 1852 ; remnants of the Abenaqui tribe of Indians came down the river in the spring with their canoes and dugouts, pulled them up on the shore, and came up and pitched their wigwams at the foot of Oak Hill, bringing with them baskets, bows and arrows, mats and a great many trinkets which were purchased by the people."
THE ERA OF STEAMBOATS
From 1820 to 1840 the Connecticut river was navigated with the assistance of steam to an important extent, the system gradually increasing until it reached its greatest use in 1831 and then diminishing. In a limited way, and over short reaches, many small steamers plied the river at various points, both for passenger and freight service, previous to 1826. In that year a steamer named the "Barnet," was constructed in New York City by the Connecticut River company, later known as the Connecticut Valley Steamboat company. which was expected to navigate the river regularly as far north as Barnet, Vt., and it was also planned to have others built for the same purpose. They were to carry passengers and freight, and tow the flat boats. No steamer from tide-water ever reached Barnet as was expected and the whole scheme of steam navigation of the river proved a dismal failure.
The Barnet reached Bellows Falls December 12, 1826, upon her first, and last, trip as far north as this, and the occasion was celebrated with great enthusiasm. It was a day always clearly remembered in after years, by those who participated, as the greatest day in the history of Bellows Falls to that time.
The trip had been a long and eventful one as, very naturally, many obstacles were met along the way after getting into the Connecticut river. She left Hartford about the 24th of November, 1826. On the 28th of that month she was at Enfield Falls, now Windsor Locks, Conn., making her way northward and reached Springfield the same day.
10 25 Cent a = do rohorse's ,do, ở! Twe horse., 15 Oxen . "Four 20 Three horse do , do Four horseor 120 One horse - Sled or Sleigh . 2 Each additional horse: » .25 = do Carriage Fool Passengers Rates of: Toll Established by Law July. 1 11604 = Horse &: Rider
One horse Chaise or Sulkey -Que horse Coverd .Two horse . do
Four horseo Carriage Mail & Stages
One horse . Waggon or Cart Two horse do
te - re te,' Tan qual ld to 9 at Micu- chest Linds pay- they sive SIGN REMOVED FROM THE TOLL HOUSE OF THE BELLOWS FALLS TOLL BRIDGE, NOVEMBER 1, 1904. e
JNE; P. M.
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TARIFF OF TOLL,
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AT BELLOWS FALLS CANAL, for 1818.
Every 2 Hhds Liquor, Salt or Sugar, as one Ton, at $00,75
:3 do. dry goods, grain 'or other light articles, 75
3 1.2 tierces Salt or every
25 . bushcls, . . 75 -
6 . do. dry goods, grain or light articies, 75
te
8 Buls. liquor, sugar, fish, salt, or provisions, 75
5 1-2 do. pot or pearl ashes,
75
P
10 do: Flour grain, or light Articles, 75
1
75
75 4 Crates Crockery Ware, And for every Boat passing the Canal 2,00
·ALSO. Every 1m. ft. 1 in. boards, as one Ton,
80,75
1-2 m. 2 in. Plank, (and so in proportion,) 75
1 1-2 m. saw'd Clapboards 75
6 m. 18 in. Shingles, 75
ʻ 1.2 m. Hhd. heading as one Ton, 75
2-3 m. do. Staves, 75
. 1 m. Barrel do. 75
Long Sticks passing Locks, each do. do. drawn from pond, do. Saw logs under 20 ft. in length, each 20 cts. or 75 cts 1 m.
For the accomodation of Boats' passing through the Canal, not more than six box- es of Lumber will be allowed to enter the head, at one time-and all boxes, so com- ing in, over six in number, shall pay at the rate of $1,00 per Ton, estimated as above.
For the further accomodation of Boats, and to facilitate the passing of Rafts, no boxes shall exceed 54 ft. in length, 13 ft. in width and draw more than 2 feet of wa- ter. .
All persons concerned, will govern them- selves accordingly.
N. B. Payment will be expected on pas- sing through the Locks.
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HALL & GREEN, Agenta.
Bellows Falls. January 1, 1818. 54
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NOTICE,
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First Steamboat Arrives from Tide- Water 303
It was not until Wednesday forenoon, December 13, that she appeared to a large multitude of expectant watchers at Bellows Falls that covered every available space of ground that would give a commanding view of the eddy below the falls. The crowd was composed not only of citizens of Bellows Falls but those of every town for many miles around, as the progress of the new device had been heralded for weeks, although she had been expected here much earlier.
The eddy in those days was a much larger sheet of water than at present, affording better opportunity to exhibit the working of a craft of the dimensions of the Barnet than would seem possible to-day. She was seventy-five feet long fourteen and a half feet wide, with wall sides and flat bottom. In working condition, without load, she drew twenty-two inches of water. Her paddle wheel was at the stern, similar to the Mississippi river boats. She was commanded as far up the river as Northampton by Captain Palmer. At that point Captain Strong of Northampton, one of the most noted river men of that day, took command.
Her approach to the village, as she appeared coming around the bend of the river, was heralded by the ringing of the only church or school bell in town in those days, the same one still used by Immanuel church. Also by fifty discharges of a large cannon located in the only park of the village, that is now occupied by the Baptist church and its grounds. A bystander remarked at the time "That bell has a most joyous peal," and that "There are a lot of folks here to see the plaguey strange contrivance."
After taking two or three turns about the eddy to show her speed and power she was run into the lower lock of the canal, located where the present five-story coating-mill stands. The citizens of Bellows Falls had organized and chosen a committee of arrangements for the welcome and entertainment of those on board the wonderful craft. As she was moored in the lower lock the Bellows Falls' committee approached the side of the lock and delivered the following speech of welcome :
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History of Rockingham
" Gentlemen :
The inhabitants of this village have instructed us their committee to greet you with a most hearty welcome, and to assure you they feel a pleasure and delight in the novel manner you have visited them. The arrival of the steamboat Barnet to the Falls will be ever held a most memorable epoch in its history and will speak volumes of conviction to every candid mind of the practicability of improving this noble river."
To this speech President Smith of the Hartford Associa- tion For Improving Connecticut River, who was one of the passengers, responded as follows :
"Gentlemen of the Committee :
Be pleased to accept, and to tender to those whom you represent, our grateful acknowledgments for this kind and hearty welcome. The lively interest and satisfaction manifested by this numerous assemblage of citi- zens, and generally by the inhabitants of the valley who have witnessed the progress of the Barnet, will afford great pleasure to all who have promoted this first introduction of a steam boat above the tide waters of the Connecticut. No reasonable doubt remains that judicious and not diffi- cult improvements of the river will extend and secure the invaluable bene- fits of steamboat navigation, to nearly the whole population of this valley."
Between two and three o'clock of the same afternoon occurred the notable banquet tendered by Bellows Falls in honor of the occasion. It was held in the large dining-room of the Mansion House hotel that stood on the west side of the Square, the front door of which was where the front door of the F. B. F. Grocery company's store is to-day. As one entered the two-story frame building of those days the first door on the left opened into the large office, or " bar-room." Back of that was the kitchen. On the right hand the front room was the "sitting-room " or parlor, while immediately back of that was the large dining-room in which the banquet was held. The building had been erected only a short time, possibly the same year, and the proprietor who furnished the entertainment that day was Solomon Mann, one of the lead- ing "tavern keepers " of the valley in those early times.
The dining hall was filled, every available seat being occupied, and a large number waited outside to hear the speechmaking who could not be accommodated at the tables. Among those at the tables were the officers of the Association for Improving the Connecticut River who had come up on
Banquet to Officers of the " Barnet " 305
the boat ; Captains Strong and Palmer, who had brought the boat up ; the local committee of arrangements and a number of leading citizens of Bellows Falls, and many leading men of nearby towns and from other states. It was probably one of the most jubilant and yet representative gatherings which had ever occurred in all this vicinity. The banquet was termed at that time " An elegant dinner." A menu showing the viands and order of the courses would be a most interest- ing document at this time.
After the "removal of the cloth" the following toasts were announced and responded to, each being accompanied by the discharge of the cannon located on the hill in the rear, within fifty feet of the room :
The Barnet - Which scatters inducements to industry as she passes our farms ; we bid her welcome with all our hearts.
Connecticut River -To the first scattered inhabitants of her shores she gave food and sustenance : to us she promises luxury and wealth.
Steam - Perkins has made steam give power to the cannon; and our cannon proclaim the victory of steam.
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