USA > Vermont > Windham County > Guilford > Official history of Guilford, Vermont, 1678-1961. With genealogies and biographical sketches > Part 16
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The first town constable named Carpenter was Cyrus, 2d., who was first chosen constable in 1837, and served for three or more years consecutively. This may serve to approximate the time of the last use of the whipping post.
In 1805 the town was indicted by the spring term of County Court for failure to maintain the stage road in proper condition. The road in question was that leading from Brattleboro to Bernardston. A special town meeting was held on July 1, 1805, and the sum of seventy dollars raised for repairing the road.
Royall Tyler: In 1790 Royall Tyler settled in Guilford. Born in Boston July 18, 1757, he was graduated from Harvard in 1776. He studied law under John Adams and was an aide to Gen'l Benjamin
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Lincoln for a time during the Revolutionary War and Shays Rebellion of 1787.
He was admitted to the Bar in 1779 and in 1790 he began the practice of law in Guilford. Later that year he became Judge of the Vermont Supreme Court. The only legal papers he had published were two volumes of court cases, 1800-1803.
Tyler was much better known as a writer of humorous articles. He was the first American playwright, his drama "The Contrast" being the first play by an American to be professionally produced. Later works included "May Day in Town or New York in an Uproar", "Georgia Spec or Land in the Moon" and the books "Algerine Captive" pub- lished in 1797, the first American novel to be reprinted in England, and "Yankee in London".
"The Contrast" was published separately in 1920 and included in Allan G. Halline's "American Plays" in 1935.
Thunderbolt: In the early part of the 1800's a modern Robinhood lived in the county and helped at least one family in Guilford. The story as printed in the Greenfield Recorder Gazette follows:
About 150 years ago a man by the name of Wilson was graduated from a medical college in England. The many wrongs suffered by the poor in England aroused his sympathy. Many were put in jail for a small debt while their loved ones suffered from cold or hunger. As a physician, he had entrance to many homes where wealth abounded and so the idea occurred to him that it would be no real sin to take from the rich and help those in trouble.
This he did so carefully many people received help when in despair in such a way it seemed right from Heaven. Finally this was discovered and he barely escaped with his life. He came to Brattleboro and settled in Brookline, a town east of Newfane.
All he possessed in the new country was love for friends and his education. Finding no school in this town, he offered to help build one, and teach for a nominal pay. With the help of the town he built the round brick schoolhouse in Brookline (I am told the only one of the kind in the United States), with windows on all sides-so English officers could not surprise him.
He also lived for a while in Williamsville. Some of his personal things were displayed for years in the Brooks Hotel office in Brattle- boro. After a life of adventure spent for the good of others, he was laid to rest in the Brattleboro cemetery.
He made many friends as he never sought things for himself but always helped others, and no one ever betrayed his activities. A man who helped him a great deal was called Lightfoot, said to be half Indian. This man was finally caught and executed in Boston, I am told,
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and Thunderbolt, as the Englishman was called, nearly lost his life in a rescue attempt.
Thunderbolt was said to have the strength of any two men, al- though he had one club foot. He did a great deal of walking and when he needed help of any kind, Lightfoot would always help out as he was a great runner and a good scout.
On one trip in Guilford, Thunderbolt stayed over night at a farm- house and found the family in trouble. A bad case of sickness in the family had caused them to borrow $500 and payment was due the next day. Thunderbolt asked why they did not borrow it somewhere else, but the man said he had tried and failed; the man who loaned the money wanted the farm which was worth $2,000.
Thunderbolt replied that he would lend the money and he gave it to the family with a receipt for the same. When the creditor came, he watched him and when business was finished and the creditor had gone a half mile, a man stepped out of the bushes with a big pistol and said, "Stand and deliver!" Thunderbolt took back his money, went back through the window at the farmhouse and to sleep again.
Aaron Barney (1810-13) was the tenth man to become Town Clerk. He was one of 12 children of Capt. John Barney and Rebecca (Martin) Barney. Aaron married Betsey Chase, daughter of Paul and Betsey (Kennicutt) Chase. The Kennicutt family traced back to the Mayflower. The Barney home was on the Merton Clark farm. Aaron must have been an able man, as he represented the town in the legislature for a number of years. He also did a large amount of work as Justice of the Peace and was General of Militia.
Cyrus Martin was the next Town Clerk (1813-15). He lived on the Earl Jaqueth farm and later moved to where the library now stands. In 1814 there is a record of 716 scholars in town, divided among 14 schools.
It was about this time that Algiers got its name (An unofficial designation as explained by John E. Gale):
During the war of 1812, which was closed by the Treaty of Ghent, in 1814, American shipping had suffered serious damage through the operations of privates on the Mediterranean sea, and especially off the coast of Algeria.
As soon as the Treaty of Ghent was consummated our Commodore Decatur was sent to Algiers, the seat of government of the African country, with a fleet of nine war ships, and Decatur very promptly repaired to that vicinity.
While on his way, near the Straits of Gibraltar, he fell in with the principal frigate of the Algerian squadron, which he captured in just twenty minutes of hot work.
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Thirty of the pirates were killed, including the admiral, and over 400 men were taken prisoners. Two days later Decatur captured an- other Algerian vessel, with 20 guns, and 108 men. Soon afterward he sailed into the harbor of Algiers and dictated his own terms to the terrified Dey, or emperor, of Algeria. This was known as the War with Algiers, and was a current topic of conversation at the time.
The village of East Guilford was largely built in 1817 and 1818, only three or four houses having been built there before that time, when several buildings were erected immediately after the erection of the Episcopal church.
Among these early structures was the Broad Brook House, built in 1818, first conducted by Elihu Field, Sr., under a lease from the owner, Sol C. Pratt. There were later two distilleries located in the village, one on the Cutler, now Flagg, place, and one on the "flatiron tract."
The official name of the little village is Guilford, and its post office, established in 1828, was so named.
The appellation "Algiers" never properly belonged to the place, and its use was much resented by certain of the older residents, espe- cially by the feminine portion, and most particularly by the old-time postmistress, who was especially aggravated when letters came to her post office addressed to "Algiers, near Guilford."
In the early days Guilford was the metropolis, and Brattleboro a promising suburb, and had already become something of a rival. Men of many occupations and professions had located in both towns- physicians, lawyers, doctors, clergymen, artisans, and undoubtedly some of other vocations-more or less praiseworthy.
It is related that parties from the adjoining villages of Guilford and Brattleboro often visited each other for the purpose of a social evening at "old Sledge" or "seven up," or other kindred amusements, and to give zest to the proceedings there was usually more or less "coin of the realm" upon the card tables. One winter, after a some- what protracted series, and interchange of visits, it appeared that the Guilford men had succeeded in taking unto themselves by far the greater portion of the stakes, which were not inconsiderable, so great had been the interest in these frequent encounters.
The Brattleboro men thereupon held a conference, and decided to send a strong delegation of their most expert gamesters, equipped with all the available funds remaining in their control, to recoup their waning fortunes, and incidentally to administer a severe castigation upon the presumptuous Guilfordites.
A date was fixed upon and a contest held according to program, but by reason of some unforseen misfortune the principal part of the plan miscarried, and the visitors returned to their homes in the small
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hours of the morning minus their money. It was some days before they appeared in their usual haunts, and when at last they were in- terrogated as to the result of their expedition they would say nothing except that the Guilford men were a gang of Algerines and pirates. The "war with Algiers" was the subject of harrowing jest and deep chagrin for many years, but the vanquished had their revenge in fastening upon the village of East Guilford the name of Algiers, which after more than a hundred years bids fair to remain to the end of time.
Guilford Slate Quarries: Outcroppings of argillite, or argillaceous slate were so numerous along the entire eastern border of the town that the early settlers investigated the deposits in many places, and soon learned that the cleavage was so straight and perfect that the stone could be readily split and worked into roofing slate, manteltrees, gravestones, drain covers, walks and other useful things.
Although originally formed in water by the deposit of clay in a level or horizontal position, and converted into stone by intense heat and pressure through long ages of creative process, great con- vulsions of nature which forced the mountain ridges through great cracks or openings in the crust of the earth left these deposits of slate in an almost perpendicular position, greatly facilitating the work of quarrying. The color of Guilford slate is of a uniformly dark blue, never fading, darkening a little after long exposure to the air. So far as known, no fossils have been taken from these quarries, but many have been taken from slate ledges in the bed of the Connecticut river, not many miles to the southward.
On June 21, 1806, John Younglove, who then owned the large farm on the west line of Vernon, adjoining Guilford, on the Tyler Hill road, sold to Peter Willard and John Holbrook of Brattleboro, for $250, the right to quarry and manufacture all slate on a tract ex- tending from the town line to the small brook ("slate rock brook") near the Brattleboro and Bernardston road, extending the whole length of 100 acre lot No. 9, in Guilford, 160 rods. This right was sold in 1810 to John Parsons, Andrew Parsons Jr., and Nathaniel Tyler, all of Vernon, for $300, the sale including full title to the land as well as the quarry rights. In 1811 and 1813, Parsons and Tyler sold out to Thomas Bruce of Boston who also bought the entire Younglove farm, and built the large two-story house which still remains, for many years owned by Patrick Brosnahan, later by Chas. L. Amidon, and about one fourth mile east of Guilford town line, now occupied by Walter Crossman.
Bruce was an Englishman of considerable property, and the house was designed by him in the style of the old English manor house. It has eight fire places, a brick oven, and a spacious hall for social gath-
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erings, and was among the most pretentious structures of its time in this vicinity.
In 1831 Bruce bought of Thomas Colgrove a tract of land extend- ing from the brook westerly to the east side of the old road, once known as the County Road, or Stage Road, now for many years un- used, and running parallel to and westerly from the present U. S. No. 5 highway.
In 1849 John T. Bruce, son of Thomas, leased the quarry rights to his brother-in-law, Thomas Rayner, of Northampton, Mass. Bruce died during the year.
His will provided that his real estate in Guilford and Vernon was not to be sold unless $25,000 could be realized. In 1852 a conveyance was made by the Bruce heirs to Jarvis F. Burrows of Vernon, convey- ing lands in Vernon and Guilford, reserving the slate, which was sold with quarrying rights to Zelotes Dickinson of Brattleboro during that year for $3000. Dickinson conveyed his rights to the New England Mining and Quarrying Company, a Vermont corporation established by the legislature of 1852.
This quarry was known locally as the "North Rock", and two large openings were made in the slate ridge, between the state road and Vernon line.
Many workmen were employed for several years, and thousands of tons of slate waste remain at the junction of the crossroads leading to Vernon. All the quarrying operations were carried on by hand work, no machines or other power being used. All freighting was by horse team which hauled the slate to Brattleboro, Greenfield, Mass., and to Vernon, where at the latter place boats took much of it from a point long afterward called the "slate landing" across the Con- necticut river to Hinsdale. Hundreds of buildings within a radius of twenty miles owe their preservation to their permanent roofs of Guil- ford slate. For many years after the slate vein was worked out of the . North Rock this quarry was worked for building stone, and flagging for sidewalks, etc.
Among the first quarrying operations in Guilford of which we find any record, were those in the extreme northeast corner of the town, upon lot No. 130, easterly from the "old road" near Brattleboro town line. In 1810, Anthony Jones, Jr., executed a lease to John Hol- brook, of Brattleboro, and David Porter of Hartford, Conn. covering the quarry rights on this farm for the term of 999 years.
The consideration paid was $242, and the lessees were to have the right to "dig, blow, and work as they please." They opened a quarry on the high ridge about fifty rods to the eastward and in sight of the highway at a point on the town line near the Asa Boyden farm, later owned by L. D. Keyes, and subsequent owners, the quarry being al-
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most directly east of the Jones house, later known as the Sikes place, recently owned by Henry Martel. After about six months Holbrook & Porter conveyed their rights to Peter Willard of Dummerston, Vt., and Thomas Clark of Portsmouth, N. H. They sold to John Gifford and Robert Wilson of Boston, the latter selling in 1824 to Gardner Hall of Brattleboro, who sold to Peter Willard, and his heirs to Nathan Wil- lard in 1842. Much work was done here until the available supply of roofing slate was exhausted.
So far as known, the slate grave stones set in the older cemeteries of the vicinity were all obtained from the quarry now owned by H. Gordon Roberts, and long known as the Weatherhead quarry.
The record history of this quarry dates from 1815, when Phineas Rice, Jr., leased to Ivory Sole (probably Soule) of Hinsdale, N. H. the perpetual right to quarry stone "suitable for grave stones."
Rice afterward deeded his farm, reserving the quarry right, to Jeremiah Tyler of Whitingham, Vt. He deeded in 1822 to Jno. Hunt of Vernon, who conveyed to Wm. Salisbury, he to Lester Andrews, he to Arad & H. N. Burnett in 1833, they to Thomas Colgrove in 1836, he to John Birge and Zelotes Dickinson in 1840, they deeding in that year to Aurin Weatherhead. In 1852 the perpetual lease of the grave- stone ledge was conveyed by Henry Ide and Isaiah C. Soule to Samuel Parsons of Vernon.
Adjoining this property on the north side was a tract called the Streeter pasture, which was conveyed in 1854 by Seth Willey, Jr., to Tyler L. Johnson and Edward F. Wilson, the deed covering all slate and stone on a tract of 19 acres bordering on the west side of the main road from Brattleboro to Bernardston, on 100 acre lot No. 16; The price named was $1000. In the following year Wilson sold to Aaron Dwelly of Springfield, Mass .; Johnson and Dwelly then leased the property for five years to Hugh Pugh, then sold one half of their re- maining interests in the land and lease to John Cruse of Chicopee and Thomas Rayner of Northampton. Geo. P. Stebbins of Springfield was then taken into the partnership. A tract of four acres on the east side of the road, opposite the quarry, was bought for a dumping ground for waste. This quarry produced much fine slate, and a great pit was excavated in the solid rock, some 200 feet long, 75 feet wide, and with perpendicular walls 50 feet high in places.
A small brook near by was utilized by means of a huge overshot wheel to pump out from the quarry the water which continually fil- tered in and eventually made a deep pond which now remains and has been much used for ice cutting.
Another of the principal Guilford quarries was the Maxwell, or as later known, the Ryan quarry, located further south, on the north- east corner of 100 acre lot No. 19. In 1814 Philip Maxwell conveyed
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the quarry rights to Thomas Bruce, who operated other quarries here. An excellent vein of slate was opened here, and extensively worked. The quarry was later purchased by Patrick Ryan of Guilford. His heirs still hold the property, with a supply of slate rock of unknown limits, which may yet be worked to advantage. Several corporations were es- tablished by the Vermont legislature, for mining and quarrying, only one of which became active.
New England Mining & Quarrying Co., was incorporated in Ver- mont in 1852, by Russell Hyde, Samuel Dutton, Jarvis F. Burrows, Charles Chapin, Zelotes Dickinson, B. D. Harris and their associates, "for the purpose of exploring for iron, copper, marble, slate, oil stone, freestone and other metals and minerals, and for mining, quarrying and vending the same." They were empowered to hold real and per- sonal estate not to exceed $200,000. Their first meeting was to be held in Brattleboro, and their office located there.
The Vermont and Boston Slate Company was incorporated in Vermont in 1866, by Charles W. Morris, John Howe, Jr., Monroe T. Quimby, John F. Roberts and Pitt W. Hyde. Their capital and place of business were not named, and it is doubtful whether their organ- ization was ever completed.
The Vermont Mining and Quarrying Company was incorporated by the Vermont legislature in 1857, the corporators being Artemas H. Washburn, Hiram Johnson, Sidney S. Miller, Sheldon S. Slate, and Rowland Hunt, all of Vernon, with a capital stock of $100,000 in shares of $25 each for quarrying slate, etc. There is no evidence that this corporation ever went into operation.
The Windham County Mining Company, composed of Royall Tyler, Roswell Hunt, Amos Washburn, John Hunt, and Sheldon S. Slate, had a capital of $100,000 but was apparently never fully or- ganized.
Rock for the foundation of the present route #5 was taken from the Gaines quarry near the #13 school when it was hard-surfaced in the twenties. Thirty years later the U. S. Interstate Highway Route #91 was built nearly parallel to Route #5. Again rock was used from this quarry-approximately 283,000 cubic yards or 495,250 tons of crushed granite was taken in 1959.
CHAPTER IV The Early 1800's
War of 1812: On June 19, 1812, President Madison issued his proc- lamation declaring war against Great Britain. Congress ordered the raising of 25,000 regular troops and 50,000 volunteers, and the several states were requested to call out 100,000 militia for the defense of their coasts and harbors. In response to the proclamation issued by Gov- ernor Galusha a war meeting was called for August third by the Guil- ford selectmen, who issued the following call:
WHEREAS a large number of the freeholders and inhabitants of the Town of Guilford have made application to us, the subscribers, selectmen of said town, to call a meeting of all the inhabitants of said town, to meet at the time and place and for the purposes herein- after mentioned, these are therefore to notify and warn all the in- habitants of the town of Guilford qualified to vote in town meetings to meet together at the White Meeting House in said town on Monday, the 17th day of August, instant, at one o'clock in the afternoon, to act on the following articles.
First, to choose a moderator to govern said meeting.
Secondly, to see if the town will vote to raise a certain sum of money as an additional compensation to the patriotic Militia who have vol- unteered their services (in case they are called out) to defend the Con- stitution and Government of this state and the United States.
Thirdly, to do and transact any business thought fit and proper by the occasion.
John Noyes Cyrus Martin Thomas Lynde Selectmen of Guilford
The meeting was duly held and Captain Jonah Cutting was chosen moderator. It was voted "to raise a sum of money sufficient to raise the wages of the patriotic Militia who have volunteered their services, that belong to Guilford, provided that they should be called for, together with what the Government has or shall give them, to the sum of ten dollars per month."
In the First Division of Militia of the state of Vermont, compris- ing the 3d Regiment, under Colonel Jonathan Williams, was a cavalry company under Captain Luke Parsons, of Springfield, Vt. Jeremiah
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Greenleaf of Guilford was 4th Sergeant, and the only Guilford officer. In this company were Ephraim Gale, Jr., Sylvenus Tobey, Grove Streeter, Lee Alexander and Samuel Rice.
Jeremiah Greenleaf was later 2d Lieutenant of the 31st Infantry.
Philip Martin, either as Sergeant or Captain was in command of a Guilford Company, being the 2d Company of the 31st U. S. Infantry, which marched from Guilford to Plattsburgh, with sixteen soldiers and their equipment. So fas as known the list was as follows:
Privates
Samuel Roberts
Joshua Culver
Asa Bullock
Reuben Shepardson
Joel Bolster, Jr.
John Orvis
Benjamin Dennis
Alfred Shepardson
Rodolphus Eddy
Amasa Lynde
Theophilus Wadleigh
Elijah Grover
John K. Chase
Alvin Kinney
George Carpenter
Calvin Dickinson
The available records are unsatisfactory and manifestly most in- complete. We find evidence that other Guilford men were in service as follows:
Benjamin W. Stevens, Surgeon; John K. Chase, Lieutenant, after- ward Captain, of Cavalry; Isaac Brown, Captain of Militia Co .; Isaac Noyes, Captain of Infantry Co .; Nathan Conant, a pensioner of 1812; Joseph Jacobs, Jr., killed in service in the war of 1812; Hosea Aldrich (age 19), in service.
Those soldiers who had guns and equipment furnished their own, but where these were lacking they were furnished by the selectmen. Widow Mary Denison was paid four dollars for a blanket.
Elder Jeremy Packer and Cyrus Martin were also paid for blan- kets. Under date of Nov. 10, 1814, we find in the list of town orders "The town of Guilford, Dr., to an order that Col. Aaron Barney re- ceived on Cyrus Martin, treasurer for the town of Guilford, for three dollars, it being for a bullit mole and ladle he bought of Ebenezer Howe of Vernon, he being called upon to see that his Regiment was Equipted according to law by the Governor of the State of Vermont, and said town being destitute of a bullit mole and a ladle to run the bullits the Selectmen of said town considered it their duty to furnish said Town with every Equipment that was necessary in time of war like the present."
Before starting for Plattsburg the town stock of ammunition was sunned and dried and put into barrels again, Ensign Paul Chase receiving a town order for seventy cents for this work.
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Alfred Shepardson made the trip to Burlington with a baggage wagon to carry the baggage for the troops, and was paid fifteen dol- lars for services and fifteen dollars for expenses.
Two dollars was paid for "Napsacks" for Reuben Shepardson and John Orvis, and one dollar and thirty cents for four bushels of oats for Alfred Shepardson's horses for the Burlington trip.
Lieut. Thomas Lynde received fifty-eight cents for a "snapsack" which he furnished Amasa Lynde, and Samuel Clark was paid six dollars and sixty seven cents for four gallons of cider brandy and two bushels of wheat to "furnish out the Militia troops to march to Bur- lington in defense of our country and by order of Colonel Aaron Barney." Joseph Goodwin was paid one dollar "for Mis Goodwin making bread," and Jeremiah Taylor twelve dollars for one hundred weight of pork. Twenty stands of arms were transported from Wil- mington to Guilford by Col. Aaron Barney, at a cost of one dollar and thirty three cents. Minor Webster, of Bernardston, was paid seven dollars for use and damage of a gun and equipments, and Captain Jonah Cutting received eight dollars for a gun. William Shepardson also received eight dollars for a gun, Simeon Aldrich nine dollars and Ephraim Gale ten dollars each for a gun furnished. Elihu Field was paid six dollars for two blankets, and Joseph Weatherhead four dol- lars and a quarter for "the use of a gun & a catrage box and a bagenent that was lost." Lieut. Thomas Lyndes was paid three and one half dollars for a blanket and one dollar and eighty four cents for timber to fix the road and time looking up the guns to be returned.
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