USA > Vermont > Addison County > Shoreham > History of the town of Shoreham, Vermont, from the date of its charter, October 8th, 1761, to the present time > Part 11
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Now it appears that quite a number of persons of this faith set- tled in this town, from that county, prior to 1800. Lieut. Thomas Rich, brother to Caleb Rich. and his son Charles Rich, came from Warwick and settled here in 1787. The father was for a few years united with the Baptists here, yet from the time of the organization of the Universalist Society in 1806, he was a supporter and con- stant attendant on their meetings. His son Charles, (who subse- quently filled high stations of honor and trust in the town, and in the State, and in Congress, ) cherished the faith of his uncle, Caleb Rich, when he emigrated here. And his eight children, who gen- erally settled in this town, and had families, were of the same faith; as were also all the sons and daughters of Lieut. Thomas Rich.
Jonathan and William Willson senrs., and also Dr. John Will- son, came from Warwick, and also Ebenezer Atwood and Amos At- wood were from the same place. The first named person held many offices of trust in this town.
To this list may be added the names of the following persons, who originated mainly from Warwick and vicinity, though some of them were from other parts of New England : John Ormsbee, Ben- jamin Healy, Daniel Newton, Timothy Goodale, Noah Callender, Wm. J. Bailey, Benjamin Bailey, Bealy Bailey, Benjamin Bissel, Jonas Marsh, Leonard Marsh, John Ramsdell, Ashbel Catlin Sen., Ebenezer Hawes, John Beard, Ebenezer Wright, Joel Doolittle and Levi Jenison, the father of Silas HI. Jenison. The latter was six years Governor of the State, and to his death a truly valuable member of the society, and constant attendant on its meetings.
These men were open avowers and supporters of the aforesaid sentiments, and so were, generally, the large families which many of them gathered around them here.
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From 1795 to 1806, the Universalists of Shoreham had, occa- sionally, the services of Elders Rich, Hilliard and Farewell, and their meetings being held at Richville, were numerously attended.
În 1806 they effected a society organization, and they secured the services of Rev. Richard Carrigue as their pastor. He resided with them until about 1814. In 1810, feeling the necessity of a more convenient place of worship than District School Houses, the Hon. C. Rich presented the plan of an Academy to be erected on the Common in the central village. The building was to be sixty by forty feet, with a chapel above of the same dimensions. This was to be used by the religious societies who desired it, according to the shares they owned, for Sabbath worship. Forty of the fifty- six stockholders either belonged to the Universalist society or fa- vored their meetings, and fifty-five of the seventy-one shares sold were taken by the aforesaid subscribers, which secured the occu- pancy of the chapel to them three-fourths of the time, though it was not always improved by them to this amount. They subse- quently erected better free scats, and added a pulpit and an organ, which improved it much as a place of worship. This was their place of worship until 1852, when having completed a commodious brick church, in the most modern style, forty-four by sixty-six feet, they vacated the former, and commenced and still continue to wor- ship in " the latter house."'
From 1814 to 1825 the society was supplied with the labors of Mr. Johnson, Barzillai Streeter, S. C. Loveland, and James Bab- bitt. They resided with them more or less, and also visited them as opportunity offered.
From the commencement of 1825 to the close of 1827, they were supplied a few Sabbaths each year by Rev. K. Haven, then residing at Bethel, Vt. In the commencement of 1828 he located with them, and is their resident clergyman.
It may be well to state that during their existence of rising half a century, as a religious society, they have not been exempt from the reverses and changes common to such bodies. Death has been in their midst, taking yearly valuable members from their ranks, till the last in the preceding list of original settlers has departed.
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Others, not named, who came into town prior to 1800, with their parents, and were among its most worthy citizens, have been also taken from them :- yet their ranks have, generally, been well sup- plied by their descendants.
Considering the decrease of native population, which has been going on for years by emigration, and the consequent influx of for- eign help, who give no support to Protestant societies,-and also the aggregation of land into large farms, thus reducing the number of freeholders in town, (an operation in which they have fully par- ticipated, ) they may consider their condition, numerically, fiscally and socially, quite as eligible as the average condition of religious bodies in town :- while harmony has crowned all their fraternal in- terests and religious efforts.
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CHAPTER XXII.
THE TEMPERANCE REFORM.
AT an carly day, the use of ardent spirits was almost universal. They were sold at all the stores and taverns, and many men be- came confirmed inebriates, and were reduced from a state of afflu- ence to poverty, by their habits of dissipation. About the year 1826, it was ascertained that more than six thousand gallons of ar- dent spirits were sold in one year by the merchants of this town. Large quantities of cider brandy were manufactured and used in families, contributing greatly to aggravate the evil. The following facts were furnished by Mr. Clark Rich, for insertion in the history of this town, a short time previous to his death. " About the year 1823, Rev. Daniel O. Morton lectured on this subject, and by his efforts a Temperance Society was formed, and a considerable num- ber of signatures was obtained to a pledge to abstain from the use of distilled spirits, both as a beverage and a medicine. The first year only seven names were obtained to this pledge. A larger number joined the society afterward, and many of the farmers, after this, dispensed with the use of distilled spirits in haying and harvesting. The great body of the people, however, stood aloof from the society, because the pledge prohibited the use of ardent spirits for any pur- pose whatever. The society soon became inactive, and very little was done to check the evil. In 1831 it was ascertained that forty hogsheads of distilled spirits were sold in this town. In the year 1833, the society was induced to modify the pledge, so as to allow the use of spirits as a medicine, and the author of this history lec- tured on the subject of temperance in nearly every school district in town, during the winter and spring of 1834, and obtained nearly
17
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five hundred signatures to the new pledge. Clark Rich was one of the number who signed it, at the lecture delivered at Richville in the spring of 1834. He enlisted in the cause with indefatigable zeal and industry. The next year, through his efforts a petition was circulated among the ladies of Shoreham, and signed by nearly all, requesting the merchants to discontinue the sale. Much to their credit, they all acceded to the request, and a great advance was made toward universal reform. About the year 1838 or 1839, a similar effort was made to exclude the sale from the taverns, which did not prove equally successful. At the town meeting next held, a board was elected favorable to gran ting free licenses to tavern keepers, and the prohibitionists for three years failed to elect their candidate to the State Legislature. After the Maine Law was passed, by frequent lectures on the subject, the circulation of temperance publications among the people generally, and much personal effort, the principle of that law was sustained by the votes of the people, and has become the general sentiment of the inhabitants of the town, and the reformation has been as thor- ough as in any other town in the county. The evil, however, to a limited extent still remains in clandestine sales, and the ready ac- cess which drinkers have to the unsuppressed traffic in the State of New York. A great reform has already been effected, which has contributed much to the temporal prosperity of the inhabitants. A flourishing Temperance Society is now in existence, and it is hoped that in a few years the greatest evil that has ever prevailed here will be entirely abated.
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CHAPTER XXIII.
SOCIAL AND MISCELLANEOUS-TRIALS-TRAITS-LOCALITIES -- FACTS-INCIDENTS-HABITS.
The early settlers had many hardships to encounter for the first few years. They had to carry their grain on horseback to Pittsford to be ground. Many of them were often short of provisions before the return of harvest, and without money to purchase grain else- where.
In 1790 there was so great an access to the number of inhabit- ants by immigration, and so short a crop of wheat, that the inhab- itants were reduced nearly to a state of starvation. The following instances will show the state of suffering to which many of the peo- ple were reduced. One family in the west part of the town was entirely destitute of bread for the space of six weeks. They used boiled greens as a substitute. It was with great difficulty that bread could be obtained by travelers passing through the town. A man of the name of Philip Smith had a family of three or four children. He took a job of chopping and clearing a piece of land of Levi Jenison, for which he was to receive four dollars and a half per acre, one half to be paid in cash and one half in sole leather. While performing his work, he stinted himself to an allowance of half a pint of meal, and milk as much as he wanted, for breakfast and supper, going without his dinner. He took the portion of money which he received for his work, and started off for Troy on horseback to purchase either grain or flour, but could find none there for sale; he learned, however, that it could be obtained at
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Hoosic. There he purchased flour at seven cents a pound, and thought it cheap at that. Returuing by Manchester, his father loaded a horse with corn and went with him to Shoreham. On his return, he found the last of the meal in the house was cooking.
The same year Samuel Hunt and Thomas Rowley had the ear- liest wheat. On a day fixed upon for the purpose, these fields were parceled out, and people came from several towns to reap, each one the portion allotted to him. Several persons had to cut their grain before it was fairly ripe, and so pressing were the demands of hun- ger, that they dried it just enough to shell it, and then boiled it for food.
At an early day the country was much infested with wolves, which were very destructive to the small flocks of sheep, on which the farmers depended for wool, that was worked into cloth in the family. Their frequent depredations often drew out great numbers to engage unitedly in what was called a wolf hunt, in which the men, at a certain distance from each other, would surround a piece of woods, and in advancing would gradually close up their ranks. For several years this did not succeed, as some would; advance ahead of others, and thus break the lines, giving the wolves an op- portunity to eseape. At length Charles Rich proposed a plan ever after pursued, which made success certain against their enemies, if they were within the forest that was surrounded. The plan was this: one man went in front of each line, making a track for each line to march to and then reform. This method preserved the lines. The first time the plan was tried, three wolves were shot. The bounty was then twenty dollars for each wolf killed. The money thus obtained, was, by vote or general custom, expended in fur- nishing liquors at wolf hunts. Sixty dollars we should think would furnish a rather liberal supply. If it were but twenty, we should be left in doubt which of the two was the greatest evil, the wolves or the rum.
One of the great evils felt by the early settlers, was the want of a sound currency, and a good market for the products of their farms. Says one, who was a youth in those days, " I can remember when a large share of the deal was made for cattle pay, due October 1st,
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and much of it was delivered at my father's. In my mind's eye, I can now see from fifty to one hundred head of cattle, say October 1st, 1798, in the lot between Davis Rich's house and the school- house, and nearly as many men and boys, singly and in groups through the lot, in the store or in the bar-room, where the flip- iron was kept red hot, to season the trades ;- one cow, steer, yoke of oxen, colt, &c., would, in many instances, pay a dozen different debts ; and, perhaps, in the end, be driven back by the same per- son who drove it to the market fair." Another person, who was then older, says that similar scenes were yearly witnessed in the west part of the town, where Captain Thomas Barnum was gener- ally the appraiser for all parties. A large part of the new lands purchased were paid for in cattle. Colonel Ephraim Doolittle fre- quently received on the 1st of October, one hundred head of cattle in payment for lands he had sold.
For years after 1800, the times were famous for petty suing and taking to jail, and swearing out of after twenty days. Under the laws at that time a man could be sued in any county, however dis- tant it might be from him, if not without the limits of the State. This was semetimes very harrassing. John S. Larabee was sued before a court at Bennington, on a note given for twenty dollars. Larabee had paid the note, but he having dropped it somewhere, as he supposed, the finder brought his suit in the extreme south part of the State, at a distance of ninety miles, hoping, doubtless that the signer would choose rather to pay it, than to suffer the incon- venience and cost of contesting it so far from home. Larabee, how- ever, chose to let justice take its course, rather than to submit to such an imposition, though greatly to his own cost, and happily succeeded in proving payment. This attempt was one of the op- erations of Comfort Carpenter, who was notorious in this town for many evil practices, and was afterward an inmate of the State Prison at Sing Sing, N. Y.
There was little which the farmer raised that would command money, except at prices ruinous to his interests. This rendered it exceedingly difficult to many to meet their demands by cash pay- ments. When collections were enforced by attachment on person-
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al property, as they often were, the sale at auction was made at an immense sacrifice to the debtor.
In the fall and early part of winter the merchants fixed the price of wheat often at fifty cents, and might sell the same perhaps be- fore another harvest for a dollar. The only cash market for wheat was Troy. There was a time when the roads were such that twenty bushels were called a good load for a span of horses, and fre- quently it was sold there for seventy-five cents per bushel. A few who had means to purchase and could wait for a better market, grew wealthy ; but the great mass of the people were poor, and it was a long time before they could rise to a condition of independ- ence and comfort.
Paul Shoreham Crigo was the first male child born in this town, probably before the Revolution. Paul Moore gave him his name, and one hundred acres of land. Daniel Newton Kellogg was the first male child born after the Revolution. Daniel Newton gave him his name and twenty-five acres of land.
Sally Smith, now living at the age of seventy-four, was the first female born in this town. The wife of Abijah North was the first woman of the families of the settlers who died in this town. She died in 1783. Isaac Chipman, brother of Gen. T. F. Chipman, died in 1786.
The first marriage in town is not reported.
The site of the saw-mill, built by Col. Ephraim Doolittle pre- vious to the Revolution, is said to be noted on the map accompanying the Narrative of Burgoyne's Expedition, published in London in 1780. The saw-mill was burned by a scouting party of Indians during the war, and afterwards rebuilt by Doolittle, and another saw-mill and grist-mill added. The supply of water for these mills is insufficient in the summer : in spring, when set back, it becomes injurious to the grass lands affected by it, so that, by an act of the Legislature, the gate which controls it is annually to be set open on the first day of May.
Indian relies are found at various places, almost the whole length of the Lake shore in this town, on what is called the Doolittle farm, in the vicinity of the Lemon Fair and many other localities, in the
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shape of arrow-heads, knives, pestles, axes, gouges, many of them curiously wrought. On the farm of Orville Smith, Esq., a stone is found, of about one hundred and fifty pounds weight, rounded and smoothed like a cannon ball, unlike to any other rock in this vicinity, bearing all the signs of having been shaped by the action of water. It is not supposed to be meteoric, but has been brought from a distance and deposited probably by some agency of nature, where it is now found a few rods from Mr. Smith's house.
Several springs and wells on Cream Hill are so strongly impreg- nated with Epsom Salts as to make them unfit for family use.
Five Mile Point has its name from its reputed distance from the " Old Fort " at Ticonderoga. It is more extensive than other low promontories or capes of the lake border, though comprised within the limits of a farm or two, and recently, chiefly within the large farm of Horace Lapham. It appears probable that this ground was intended by the Proprietors of the town for a town plat. Lots of one acre to each right were surveyed and reserved here, as appears from the Proprietors' records copied in another place. Other lots of twenty-six acres to each right, twenty-six rods wide, were reserved and assigned in like manner along the whole lake shore, but only Five Mile Point has the idea attached to it of a city that might have been.
The name Hackley-burnie was long popularly given to what is now Richville. A destructive fire prevailed early in the settlement and vicinity, spreading a scene of desolation. Daniel Newton, it is said, coming among those who were laboring here, reiterated the exclamation, Hackle and burn ! The expression gave the idea of the name, by which the place was familiarly called till that of Rich- ville was substituted, given it out of regard to the family who were the first founders of the settlement.
A similar explanation has been given of the origin of the name of Lemon Fair river. The late Hon. Samuel S. Phelps, of Middlebury, repeated one which he had heard, which has more the air of histor- ical probability ; that the name Limon Faire, to make mud, was originally given by the French, who were the first civilized occu-
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pants of the country near the stream, and made grants in which it was included.
The settlement two miles below Richville, on the Lemon Fair, including the water-power and works of Herod Newell, has been named Unionville.
The timber trade with Canada was chiefly a cash trade. In this Frazer and Bostwick were most largely engaged, commencing as early as 1789. Thomas Delano of Cornwall was in the business about 1806 ; David Turrill, also, and John B. Catlin were in it. The principal timber was of white oak, both in staves and square timber. The farms generally abounded in white oak trees : the rafts were made up along the Lake shore, those of Delano chiefly at Hunsden's cove. A single tree from the farm of Levi Birchard, measuring two fect square, was bought for forty dollars, delivered at the Lake. The delivery was effected by a spell of the neighbors, for which Delano found the liquor.
Furs were an article of traffic to some extent in early times, Musk-rat, Fox and Wolf skins The profit was chiefly enjoyed by the lads and young men of the families. and was an important re- source to them. They were sold for cash for the markets below.
The Lake fishing was a source of family supplies, both for fresh and salt fish. Nets were introduced about 1800. Pike, pickerel and bass were salted for summer's use. The price of salt was as high as two dollars and fifty cents, when wheat was forty-six cents ; or a dollar in Troy, when wheat was seventy-five cents.
Flax was an important product, every family cultivating for themselves from a half acre to an acre, which was dressed on the place and spun and wove in the family. This continued up to about 1820.
Orchards, set from the first nurseries of apple trees cultivated in town, are still in existence. Trees, in certain instances, planted sev- enty years since are yet in bearing condition, producing excellent fruit. For a few years passed, the crop has failed in part, and orch ards need to be renewed.
The maple in early times was the sole dependence for molasses and sugar, and introduced the farming year annually with its labors,
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and its own peculiar Arcadian delights, in which all of every fam- ily had some part. Some diminution of the amount and importance of the product occurred, but of late years the business has revived from the second growth of trees, and promises to become more val- uable than ever.
Wool in 1837, was at its highest point both in price and quantity. Seventy-five cents a pound was paid for it. In 1840, the number of sheep by the census was 41,188, the product of wool 95,276 lbs. The price had already declined. At the late census, the number of sheep was 11,168, the quantity of wool 54,353 lbs. The quantity of wool to the sheep being so much increased, the profit of the erop may be greater than before. The improved quality of the animal may make the present reduced number of sheep equal to the larger number in value. This improvement is steadily advancing. The price of wool in 1840 was forty cents, in 1860, forty-five cents.
The amount of transportation in former years made many tav- erns, and these modified the social habits of the country. Infor- mation came by travelers, and a knowledge of the world was got in long journeys in the carriage of produce. All this was by teams, and chiefly in winter. Seventy teams a night, are spoken of as stopping at the Larabee house by the Lake, and an equal number at one of the taverns about Cream Hill, of which there were five in the same vicinity. These were Major and Nathaniel Callen- der's, Philemon and Jesse Wolcott's and Gen. T. F. Chipman's.
A change in the military spirit of the country occurred about twenty-five years ago. The display of the militia became unfash- ionable. So long as there were regular soldiers in the ranks, says a citizen of this town, the companies here took great pride in train- ing, and their neighbors, all the town came out to see the soldiery. There were two companies of infantry. The cavalry wore the bear skin mounted cap, red woolen coats, blue pantaloons, bore a valise at the croup, and were armed with the cutlass, pistols in their hol- sters, and spurs at their heels. The impression of half fear of the dtrooers is not easy to be lost, by one who was young enough to 18
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have felt it, or of admiration for the exercises of either corps. Training days certainly were holidays.
The Fourth of July, rather as Independence day happened, the fifth, was celebrated in Shoreham, in 1802, on the principle of the exclusion of party. The procession was conducted by Col. Pond and Gen. Chipman. The second place was assigned to Martial Mu- sic-3d, Sixteen Musketeers-4th, A flag with the inscription, We are one-5th, the Clergy and Orator-6th, the Singers-7th, the Married Ladies and Young Misses-8th, the Magistrates and Elders. -9th, the Citizens in general. The whole moved to the Meeting. House, where the exercises were as follows : 1st, Sacred Music- 2, Prayer by Rev. Abel Woods-3, Declaration of Independence, read by the Town Clerk-4, A conciliatory Oration, read by Mr. Sis- son-5, Appropriate Music. The procession returned in their pre- vious order to the Common, were formed in a hollow square, the flag and Toast-Master in the centre, when the toasts were announced accompanied with discharges of musketry. An entertainment fol- lowed provided by Mr. Ormsbee and Mr. P. Smith, at which other toasts were contributed. The Oration, written by Dr. Timothy Page, was subsequently printed.
Dancing prevailed as a social amusement with the young, up to 1810. The first party in which the late Judge Larabee had shar- ed, as he said, was at Hoolbrook's, on a floor of squared logs: There was but one room for the dancers, but a pleasant starlight without, as in gayer gardens before and since. There were quilt- ings always, of solemn purpose and gay pastime ; riding-parties, as all had horses and the fairest horse-woman was exempt from fear ; and apple-bees, of simple name enough, which gave the spring sometimes to earnest feeling.
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