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 6
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52
History of Rockingham
captured by the Indians in the historic raid upon "Number Four," August 30, 1754. He was carried to Canada and remained with the Indians three years, during which time he entirely forgot his native language and became almost a per- fect Indian in nature, imbibing a love for the wild life and its peculiar attractions which he never forgot and which colored all his subsequent years.
Sylvanus Johnson married Susanna Hastings, daughter of Capt. Sylvanus and Jemima Willard Hastings of Charles- town, N. H., and they had six children, none of whom ever married. Two boys were drowned in the Connecticut river, while John, Betsey and Susan lived in the old home many years after the death of their parents. The Charlestown records show that "Betsey, daughter to Sylvanus and Susanna Johnson, was born January 12, 1771," and that "James, son to Sylvanus and Susanna Johnson, was born December 30, 1772." The mother, Susanna, died December 7, 1819, and the record of Sylvanus reads, "He died, at Walpole, in 1832, aged 84 years, leaving a reputation as an honest and upright man."
"Uncle Vene," as he was familiarly called in his later years, always venerated the Indians and their customs, main- taining stoutly that they were a far more moral and upright race than the whites. As an instance of Indian honor he would tell the story of his own redemption from captivity. After paying the ransom, his white friends traveled a day's journey and encamped for the night. So homesick was little Sylvanus for his forest home that he stole away in the darkness and followed the trail back to the wigwams of his masters. In doing so he had to cross a river, swimming over with his clothes tied on his head. His Indian friends would not speak to him or recognize him in any way. They had received the money demanded for his ransom and he was theirs no longer. During his whole life he so much preferred the modes of Indian life to the prevalent customs of civilization that he often expressed regret that he was ever ransomed.
He related many hunting stories to the Chapin boys, who
53
"Uncle Vene" a Great Hunter
took great pleasure in the friendship of their remarkable neighbor. He told them he was at one time surrounded by wolves on the plains at the foot of the mountains as he was returning from wood chopping.
He heard them answering each other as they circled about him and counted seven as they one by one crept out of the woods. He prepared to meet them with his axe, his only weapon, but they were not very hungry and after a time drew off. Another time he wounded a wild cat and she dragged herself into a hole at the root of a tree. He sent his dog in after her. The dog brought her out by the throat, but the cat's claws threatened to "tear his hide into shoe strings." Mr. Johnson described how he danced about the fighting pair trying to finish the cat and save the dog, exclaiming " Zounds ! Zounds ! she'll kill my dog."
The young men of North Walpole and Bellows Falls counted it a treat to be taken by Uncle Vene on a hunt. Often the old man would pretend to get lost almost in sight of home and keep the frightened and bewildered boys out all night in a shelter made in true Indian style.
Two of his children were drowned, William in 1804 in the eddy below the falls. Phineas on November 18, 1823, started to do some threshing for a farmer in Vermont, intend- ing to walk across the river on the ice. Some time later it was found he had not reached his destination, and his hat was discovered near a hole in the ice. Still his father refused to believe that he was dead. When the young man's body was brought to the surface his father was standing near, "O dear," he exclaimed, "that's him." He at once went home, shaved and dressed in his best suit, and seated himself in his great chair, where he sat controlling his emotions in stolid dignity after the custom of an Indian chief.
Sylvanus Johnson followed the example of the Indians in his love of "fire water." At one time he was crossing the river in his canoe, having indulged his appetite in the taverns at Bellows Falls. He was caught by the strong current and would have gone over the dam had not one of his neighbors put out in a boat and towed him to shore. The old gentle-
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History of Rockingham
man was very indignant at being treated thus. When he was told that he would surely have gone over the dam he exclaimed, "Couldn't I have put out a foot and braced?"
He had a mare named "Narragansett." When he rode to town and returned under the influence of liquor the intelli- gent old animal would balance him upon her back and always bring him safely to his own door.
When he was dying he called his son John to him. There was considerable property to be divided between his children but his first thought was for his faithful old mare. "Take good care of old Narragansett," he said, "always feed her well and keep her as long as she lives." The old man was weak and he rested awhile and then tried to bring his mind to the necessary matters, but when he spoke again his thought went back to his greatest anxiety. "Take good care of Narragansett," he said, " and I don't care what the d-] becomes of the rest."
John Johnson continued to live in the old home with two of his sisters. He was a respected citizen and a very particular farmer, but not very forcible. Some one said of him " Uncle Johnny could putter all day in a peck measure and it wouldn't be full then."
CHAPTER VI.
RECORDS OF PROPRIETORS' MEETINGS
From the time of the granting of the Rockingham charter by authority of King George II., in 1752, until the date of the first town meeting, held the last Wednesday of March, 1761, the affairs of the town were managed by the grantees, or "Proprietors," of whom Col. Benjamin Bellows of Wal- pole was the most prominent and influential. . Evidently all in any way connected with the interests of Rockingham looked to him as the strongest man and wisest counsellor. Although never a resident of this town he was the "Proprietors' Clark " during the whole period, including the last meeting of the grantees, held March 28th, 1764, and during a portion of the time he held other offices, including those of moderator and treasurer.
When the charter was granted there were no residents within the town limits. Three settlers came the next year but were "soon driven back by the Indians." They were probably in town as late as the proprietors' meeting of May 29, 1754, as on that date they voted to Moses Wright seven pounds, and to Simeon Knight five pounds, for services rendered by them. From then until 1761 there is no record of any one living within the limits of the town.
The book of proprietors' records, in which are written, in Col. Bellows' strong and characteristic handwriting, the records of all the meetings, is well preserved and legible for a volume over one hundred and fifty years old. Except the records of meetings nothing is shown but the allotment of the different parcels of land "drawn to the original right" of each grantee, and those assigned by them to others previous to the organization of the town.
According to the conditions of the charter the first legal meeting of the proprietors was held on the last Wednesday of
56
History of Rockingham
March, 1753, and although the record shows it to have been holden "at Rockingham aforesaid," there is a tradition that it was actually holden in Walpole, to which some color of truth is given by the fact that the record itself shows the three words quoted above to have been interlined after the original record was made. By the action of this meeting each of the proprietors would at once come into possession of all his lands, each one receiving a house-lot, a river-lot and a lot on some small stream in some other part of the town. A very creditable survey of the whole town was made in 1753 by Caleb Willard, who was evidently a civil engineer of much talent for those days. This plan was eighteen by twenty- eight inches and showed the location of each "Range" and each numbered "Lott" in the whole town, the ranges number- ing twelve north and south and the lots varying in number from seventeen to about thirty in each range from east to west in accordance with the variation in actual width of the town caused by the winding of the Connecticut river. The plan showed the location of both Williams river and Saxtons river in their courses through the town, but did not show smaller streams. It was by this survey that the drawing or choice of lots was first made, and the title to a large part of the land in the town is still held by the designation of this map, making it a most important document, and yet, the map itself is lost. In 1868 the original map was taken from the town clerk's office to Newfane, to be used in evidence in a case between prominent residents of the town relating to lines run between different ranges and lots, and it was never returned. The late Elias Olcott had made two rough copies of the map, each differing slightly from the other, from which we have been able to prepare the substantially correct reproduction of the map, which is shown in this volume.
The "house lotts" referred to in the records were all laid out on the broad meadows extending north from the mouth of Williams river to the Springfield line, which was evidently to be the "city" of to-day in the minds of the first proprietors. The house lots are laid out regularly and with as much care
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56
History of Rockingham
March, 1753, and although the record shows it to have been holden "at Rockingham aforesaid," there is a tradition that it was actually holden in Walpole, to which some color of truth is given by the fact that the record itself shows the three words quoted above to have been interlined after the original record was made. By the action of this meeting each of the proprietors would at once come into possession of all his lands. each one receiving a house-lot, a river-lot and a lot on some small stream in some other part of the town. A very creditable survey of the whole town was made in 1753 by Caleb Willard, who was evidently a civil engineer of much talent for those days. This plan was eighteen by twenty- eight inches and showed the location of each "Range" and each numbered "Lott" in the whole town, the ranges number- ing twelve north and south and the lots varying in number from seventeen to about thirty in each range from east to west in accordance with the variation in actual width of the town caused by the winding of the Connecticut river. The plan showed the location of both Williams river and Saxtons river in their courses through the town, but did not show smaller streams. It was by this survey that the drawing or choice of lots was first made, and the title to a large part of the land in the town is still held by the designation of this map, making it a most important document, and yet, the map itself is lost. In 1868 the original map was taken from the town clerk's office to Newfane, to be used in evidence in a case between prominent residents of the town relating to lines run between different ranges and lots, and it was never returned. The late Elias Olcott had made two rough copies of the map, each differing slightly from the other, from which we have been able to prepare the substantially correct reproduction of the map, which is shown in this volume.
The "house lotts" referred to in the records were all laid out on the broad meadows extending north from the mouth of Williams river to the Springfield line, which was evidently to be the "city" of to-day in the minds of the first proprietors. The house lots are laid out regularly and with as much care
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FIRST SURVEY OF ROCKINGHAM, MADE IN 1753, BY CALEB WILLARD. (See p. 56.)
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57
Governor Wentworth Chooses His Lot
as would be taken in locating lots to-day for a prospective city. The arrangement of the lots was somewhat unique, there being five sections, conforming to the shape of the different terraces, each of which was of peculiar form, but the lots were regular and creditably planned, varying in size. In referring to these house-lots, in records made by the proprietors, the name is often used "Citydale," and the inference is that this name was to be the one by which the prospective village or city should be known, but, like so many other cities upon paper, it never grew to size enough to need a name. The locality has in recent years been known as the "Williams River Meadows," the "Rockingham Mead- ows," and the northerly section as the "Upper Meadows."
There was probably no thought that the section now covered by Bellows Falls would ever be the principal centre of business. The localities now covered by the village of Rockingham and other villages of the town, were not desig- nated in any way. A large five hundred acre lot in the extreme southeastern part of the township, comprising nearly all of what is now the village of Bellows Falls, and extend- ing farther west than the present limits of the village, was retained by Governor Benning Wentworth of New Hampshire as his personal property. It is denominated on the map as "Governor Wentworth's Farm, 500 Acers."
In his choice of land for his portion, Governor Wentworth evidently displayed more shrewdness than when he made his choice of five hundred acres in the town of Walpole. The Governor, when he granted the charter to that town nearly a year earlier, did not have a very definite idea of the lay of the land in the vicinity of the "Great Falls" and supposed the land lying in that immediate locality to be the most valuable for his purpose, on account of the shad and salmon fisheries. To make the matter doubly sure he consulted Col. Bellows about the propriety of locating his plot just east of the falls. The Colonel very honestly told him that a plot in that vicinity would be of very little value to him, that "it might make a good calf pasture, but nothing better." It is presumed that
58
History of Rockingham
the Governor suspected the Colonel of a little sharp practice by undervaluing this plot, hoping to secure it himself, and so the Governor chose it, locating his missionary lot on the top and sides of what is now known as Mount Kilburn. Even to this day some of the older residents of Walpole refer to that mountain as "the Governor's calf pasture."
The story of the founding of the government of the town of Rockingham, as well as the many and severe trials of its early settlers, is shown by the proprietors' records and makes interesting reading for present day citizens as well as the student of colonial history. The value of these records increases greatly as the years covered by that era recede into the remote past.
Following is the copy of the records of the different meetings of the grantees, or proprietors. The "warnings." or calls for the different meetings are omitted after that of the second :
RECORDS OF PROPRIETORS' MEETINGS.
Att A Legal Meeting of the Proprietors of the Township of Rockingham In the Province of New Hampshire Held on the twenty Eight day of March A D 1753 at Rockingham aforesaid
I ly Chose Benjamin Bellows Modrator
2 ly Voted by the propriety that thay Lay out to Each proprietor a house Lott and that the Seventy two house Lotts be Laid out In three or more Several Places as the Commette Chosen for that purpose Shall think Best Said Lott Not to Exceede Twenty acres In a Lott Nor Less then ten acers as the Commettee Shall think proper
3 ly Voted that all the Meadow or Enterval Land Lying on Connecticut River and up Williams River in sd town Not Exceeding two Miles from the Mouth of sd River as the Commettee Shall think proper be divided into Seventy two Lott being one Lott to Each Proprietor
4 ly Voted that that the Commettee Lay out all the Meadow and Enterval Land Lying upon all the Small Rivers In Sd town Into one Division or Seventy two Lotts
5 ly Voted that the Commettee Chosen take option of all the Meadow and Enterval Land in Sd town
6 ly Voted that the Commette Appointed to Lay out the Land in Sd town Copple the House Lott and Both Meadow Lott together So that they may all be drawn att one draught
7 ly Voted and Chose Benjamin Bellows Proprietors Clark
8 ly Voted that Each Right pay to Benjamin Bellows three dollars to his troble and Charge In gitting the Charter and Grant of Sd township
59
The Proprietors Apportion the Land
9 ly Voted that Each Proprietors Right pay five pounds, old tennar Equal to dollars att forty five shillings, Each for ye Use of the Proprietors to pay for Laying out the Land into Lotts
10 ly Chose Benjamin Bellows proprietors treashuer
II ly Chose Benj'a Bellows Collector
12 ly Voted that Messrs
Andrew Gardner Benj'a Bellows Jonathon Bigelow
Commettee
Stephen Farnsworth & Asahel Stebens
for to Lay out the Land Voted to be Laid out for ye proprietors and that any two of them be a Corrom.
13 ly Voted that the Commettee Lay out Six acres, of Land for a Meeting house place and for ye Proprietors
14 ly Voted and Chose Mr Andrew Gardner Silvinos Hastings and John Grout ( or Grant) for to be assessors for ye year insuing
15 ly Voted that if any of the Proprietors See Cause to Move porsonally upon Land In the town before the Meadow Land be Laid out that he Shall have Liberty to take the Lott his Labours Is done upon Provided It be In Williams River meddow So Called Without drawing for
16 ly Voted & agreed that Seven of the proprietors applying to the Clark for a Meeting of sd Proprietors the Clark shall call a meeting by Posting up a notification In Some place In sd town fourteen days before ye time of meeting
Recorded Pr Benj'a Bellows proprietors Clark
Province of ) by the desire of ten of the proprietors of the township of Newhamp's ) Rockingham these are to Notify and warn the Proprietors of Sd Rockingham that thay assemble and meet att the house of Mr Jonathan Bigelow In said Town on Wensday the twenty Ninth day of May Instant att Nine of the Clock In ye forenoon of ye day that being duly meat and formed thay may act on the Several articles hereafter mentioned If thay See Cause
First to Chouse A Moderator for sd Meeting
2 ly to hear the Report of the Commetee Chosen to Lay out the House Lott and Meadow Land In sd Township and to Draw the Same or act and Vote the same to any person or persons that shall Desire to Take thare Lott without Drawing for as Shall be thought Reasonable by ye proprietors, when meet or any other way that Shall be thought proper by sd proprietors
3 ly to See the mind, of the proprietors Wether thay will Lay out the Rest of the undivided Land in sd Township and to agree to Let It out by the grate to some one man that Shall agree to take It by the grate for a Certain Sum of money and to agree In What manner the Land Shall be Letted out and Chuse a Commette to See to the Same if thay think Best
4 ly to Chuse a Commettee to Lay out Such Road, and Ways as shall be thought needfull for sd town at Present
5 ly to Give Land to any person that has Roads Layd through thare meddow Land Whare thare Lotts Is Laid out
60
History of Rockingham
6 ly to See if the proprietors will give Leve to Benj'a Bellows to Lay out five meadow Lotts in ye Meadow Land that is Not as yet Layd out to make up the twenty one Three acre meddow Lott with ye Sixteen meddow Lott on Saxtons River which was proposed
7 ly to Grant Such Sum or Sums of Money as Shall be thought Need- full for the Use of the proprietors for Laying out thare Lands or making hie- way, or any other Use for sd proprietors, and Chuse a Collectter to Collect ye Same and Assessors
8 ly to act anything that Shall be Needfull to Bring forward the Settle- ment of said town as sone as may be
dated the 4th day of May 1754 A D
Benj'a Bellows Propr's Clark
Recorded Pr Benj'a Bellows proprietors Clark
att a Legall Meeting of the proprietors of Rockingham In the Province of Newhamp' Held on the twenty Ninth day of May A D one thousand seven hundred and fifty four att the house of Mr Jonathon Bigelow In sd Rocking- ham
first.Voted and Chose Benjamin Bellows Modirator
2 ly Voted to Except the Repourt of the Commettee according as thay have laid out ye Land and Draw thare Lotts
3 ly Voted that Benjamin Bellows take the Lower Meadow in sd town and the Land Layd Round sd Meadow for twenty one House Lott and twenty one ten acer meadow Lott and the Meadow Land on Saxtons River being forty Eight Acers for Sixteen three acer meadow Lotts as Coppled to ye house Lott and that said Benj'a Bellows have Liberty to pick five three acer meadow Lotts and Lay them out In any of the undivided meadow Land whare he shall See Cause to pick ye same
4 ly Voted that Six acers of the North End of the House Lott Number three being thirty three Rod Square Be Set off for ye Use of the Town for to Set a Meeting House on also a Road twelve Rod wide through sd Lott
5 ly Voted that the meeting be adjourned for half an hour Meet again att time and place and Voted that Bond, be given to the Treashuer by ye men to be on the Land by the Last of March Next
6 ly Voted that Benj'a Bellows Have Liberty to Lay out ten acers or more of Meadow Land as the Commettee Shall think Proper whare he shall pick ye same to copple with House Lott Number ten In the West Range of Lott which Has no meadow Lott to cuppeled to It
7 ly Voted to Lay out all the undivided Land In sd town Into Ninty acers, in a lott and copple three of sd ninty acers together to each Share to be drawn to each Right
S ly Voted to Benjamin Bellows five pounds old tennar money accord- ing to Dollars at forty five shilling each for Laying out three Ninty acer Lott, to each Share (?) and Coppeling the same and fitting for Drawing and to be done by the first of March next
Voted that Mr Isacc Parker Mr Asahail Stebens and Benj'a Bellows be a Commettee to Lay out the Land for an Equalout for any meddow Land that may be taken for hie way
61
The Roads Laid Out
Voted that Mr Andrew Gardner, Mr Jonathan Bigelow & Mr Asahail Stebens be a Commettee to Lay out Roads
Voted that twenty Shillings old tennar as above be Laid on Each proprie- tors to be Laid out upon making Road, and that money be worked out at twenty shillings per day Between May and September else be worked out at fifteen Shillings per day
Voted that there be a Road through all the House Lott if Needed
Voted and Chose Mr. Andrew Gardner Mr Jonathan Bigelow and Mr Asahal Stebens Assessors
Voted and Chose Benj'a Bellows Collecttor
Voted to Moses Wright In old tennar Money as within and to each men In like money (Here follows a list of names to whom various amounts were voted, ranging from one pound to 98 pounds, and for various services rendered. The names are important as showing who were here at that time. They were Moses Wright, Ramon Stebens, Jacob Elmers, Benjamin Stowell, Nathan Monvel, Andrew Gardner, Jonathan Bigelow, Asahall Stebens, Stephen Farnsworth, Sam'll Ronady, Calib Willard, Benjamin Bellows, Simon Night (evidently Simeon Knight ) John Grout (or Grant) and Lemuel Hast- ings. (The charges were principally for services, giving the number of days. Bigelow, Stebens and Gardner had bills for " Bording Calib Willard," show- ing them to be keeping house and that Mr. Willard was not. Andrew Gardner was a minister of the gospel, who in the year 1748 was Chaplain of Fort Dummer at Brattleboro, and of whom further account will be given, he being an early settler here and supplying the spiritual needs of the town, as well as acting as physican and surgeon for some years.)
(Following this is the record of " A List of the Number of Each House Lott and Each Meadow Lott as assessed against Each Mans Name these meadow lot in Williams Meadow." The list is a long one giving the "Range" and number of the " Lott," each of the " House Lott," " ten acer meadow " and " 3 acer meadow" lots. )
Province of \ att a Legall Meeting of the Proprietors of Rockingham Held Newhamp's at the house of Mr Mical Lovwell In sd Rockingham on the Seventeenth day of July A D 1760
first Chose Benj'a Bellows Esq Moderator
2 ly Voted to Lay out the undivided Land In sd town ship according to the former vote and Coppel the Lotts by a Commettee Chosen for that Porpose
3 ly Chose Benj'a Bellows Esq Mr Joel Mathews and Mr Moses Wright a Commettee to Lay out sd Land In sd town and Copple the Lotts
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