USA > Vermont > Windsor County > Hartford > Pictorial history of the town of Hartford, Vermont, 1761-1963 > Part 8
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The Methodist Church was closed and was transferred by deed to Frederick W. and Blanche N. Kinney on June 6, 1931. This church did not change its name to Wilder. At the time of the sale it was called the Methodist Episcopal Church of Olcott in Wilder, Vermont. Mr. Kinney removed the steeple and remodelled the build- ing and it is now used as a residence.
Recently the Federated Church in Wilder accepted the constitu- tion of the newly formed United Church of Christ combining Con- gregational and Evangelical Reformed Churches.
THE VERMONT STATE FAIR
A typical Yankee observer gave the following account of the Vermont State Fair in "The Vermonter Magazine":
"In 1890 the fair started at White River Junction, the towns- people bought the Agricultural Society Grounds, built a road through it, made a kite shaped mile track, put up buildings and built a branch line from the Woodstock railroad. It rained so much the first three years that the leading citizens gave it up and three or four others tried their hands at it but they couldn't make it go; they settled their bills for half; the public lost confidence in them and they quit. It was called the State Fair while it lasted but they never had a crowd to fill the grounds. Everyone in town had shares in the thing and would have sold out for 15¢ toward the last. They tore up the railroad; used the sheds for storage and let the buildings go to seed generally. Then in 1907 White River Junc- tion was officially designated as the place for the Vermont State Fair. Things started booming. The hotels couldn't care for the crowds, the restaurants on the grounds didn't plan to feed so many,
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HISTORY OF HARTFORD
MIDWAY
the railroads didn't send tickets enough to the stations on the line, nor have cars enough on the trains. The morning train from Woodstock with six cars got stuck on Shallies Hill and more than two hundred men had to get out and push. During the summer the railroad track was relaid, a new half-mile race track was made within the mile track, all the buildings were reshingled and painted, several new sheds and grandstands had to be built. A ticket office was set up downtown and two passenger trains made a run to the grounds every fifteen minutes. A big gipsy camp set up near the Fair with big painted wagons, tethered horses, children romping around and Gipsy folks near their fires. A group of Shakers rode in from Enfield. They brought some of their products with them. Old Charley Taylor, said to be 102 years old, made an exhibition half-mile run with the usual welcome from the grandstand. And then, they introduced automobile racing that year. It was dreaded by lots of folks who thought there would be an accident. The air was charged with that fierce ripping sound from the rapid exhaust of the machines going for all they were worth. No regular racers -just touring cars. But they were going fast enough-the best of
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HISTORY OF HARTFORD
EMERGENCY HOSPITAL
ANSINCE YMGA
PHYSICIANSS DUTY OnE.R.BARROWS 9-1030
DA N P. STANLEY JO 30-12.
DA DEAM S DRAKE 02-130 D& T.F. GARTLAND 1-30-3
DA. G. N. COBB 3-430 OR C W WORTHEM. 430{ Marsel Miestaupp MISS FLORENCE A BOKEN WINDSOR, VI
Y. M. C. A. HOSPITAL TENT
them better than forty miles an hour. They started together but it was everybody for himself after that. Each would have a man or two hanging close to the side, to get up and lean out on the curves. All in all, it was a banner year for the Vermont State Fair."
However, the fair was unlucky. For years rain would start on the first day and continue intermittently throughout the week. Dates were changed, different weeks were tried, but still it rained. Finally the project was abandoned. The land was sold in 1928 and the Fair in White River Junction closed its gates for the last time.
Canned Music
"At the State Fair two gramaphones furnished by Pike & Cole will give selec- tions of various kinds free of charge and will add to the enjoyment of visitors."- The Landmark, September 1, 1899.
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HISTORY OF HARTFORD
H.A.PERKINS O.INE FURS. HIDES, CALF SKINS AND WOOL.
PERKINS' BUILDING ON RAILROAD ROW
H. A. PERKINS CO., INC.
Henry A. Perkins, dealer in hides, raw furs, and wool, oper- ated one of the largest firms of its kind in New England.
After conducting his business in Springfield, Vermont, for twenty years, Mr. Perkins moved to White River Junction in 1891, where he operated from a building on Railroad Row. In 1896 he erected a large combined office and warehouse in the same area. This is the building now occupied by Renehan-Akers Company.
Most of the wool he handled was procured in Michigan. Furs, skins and hides were purchased throughout Vermont and New Hampshire. These furs, in season, were skunk, mink, raccoon, beaver and muskrat.
In 1908 Henry Perkins took into partnership his two sons, Fred H. and Leslie A. Perkins. At the time of Mr. Perkins' death in 1910 his two sons took over the operation of the business.
In 1917 the company opened a branch office in Jackson, Michigan, and erected a large wool warehouse. They built another warehouse in Jackson the following year. The firm handled more than four million pounds of wool a year during some of the years of their operation.
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HISTORY OF HARTFORD
In 1921 the firm was incorporated under the name of H. A. Perkins Company, Inc. The officers were Fred H. Perkins, presi- dent, Lawrence L. Tinkham, vice-president, and Leslie A. Perkins, secretary and treasurer. They then erected another large ware- house in White River Junction where they conducted a successful grain and feed business for two years. This property was sold to the Vermont Warehouse Company and is now the Twin State Fruit Corporation building.
The Perkins fur and hide business ceased operation in 1931.
HARTFORD LIBRARY
On July 1, 1892, a group of citizens, interested in providing a library for the benefit of the residents of the village of Hartford, formed a corporation under the laws of the State and appointed as trustees Ephraim Morris, Samuel E. Pingree, Charles M. Cone, Edward W. Morris, and Horace C. Pease.
LIBRARY
HARTFORD LIBRARY BUILDING
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HISTORY OF HARTFORD
Land for the library was deeded to the corporation as a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Horace C. Pease and the sum of $5,000 was presented to the trustees by Mr. Ephraim Morris to be used for the erection of a suitable building.
Plans offered by various contractors were then viewed and dis- cussed. A decision was reached in favor of Lyman Whipple of Lebanon, New Hampshire. The contract was awarded in September of 1892 and construction started immediately. One year later the library was completed. Dedication exercises were held on Septem- ber 16, 1893.
For many years the library has been under the care of the Hartford Women's Club. The present trustees are Mr. Arthur King, Mrs. Lockwood Reed, Mrs. Etta Pierce, and Mr. Donald Harlow. The duties of librarian are being capably performed by Mrs. Barbara Kendall.
BRIDGE IN HARTFORD VILLAGE
In 1892, while a new bridge was being built, a ferry was put into operation crossing the river at Hartford village. An item appearing in the local paper noted at the time that a ferry had been in operation at the same point in the river about fifty-six years earlier. The new ferry was capable of carrying two teams or seventy-five people and made a trip every ten minutes. The people christened it "The Great Eastern". Starting operation in June of 1892, it made as many as 170 trips in one day.
The wooden bridge being replaced had been condemned as unsafe. It had been built in 1835 or 1836. However, this was not the first bridge to span the river at Hartford. Records show that a bridge existed here as early at 1795. The bridge was a privately owned toll bridge until 1854 at which time it was purchased by the town.
When the wooden bridge was condemned, it was decided to replace it with an iron bridge. Construction started in June of 1892, and in July a temporary foot bridge was built across the river and the ferry was then used only for teams. The foot bridge was swept away by high water in September and it was necessary to build another one immediately.
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HISTORY OF HARTFORD
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HARTFORD'S FERRY
The ferry suffered damage early in October and, while it was under repair, many teams forded the river at considerable risk. The less daring drove the distance to the Junction to make the crossing.
Opening in October of 1892, the iron bridge served the public for 35 years. During the flood of 1927, floating debris sweeping downstream, crushed against the bridge and toppled it into the river.
Instead of building to the river banks, a new bridge was erected from the southern bank slanting upward to the higher village level. The height of this bridge above the river removed any possibility of future loss by flood.
Playing Safe
"H. E. Tinker borrowed H. E. Rand's umbrella the other day and carried it back without being asked to do so. When asked why he brought it back he said he didn't have any idea who Rand stole it from." The Landmark, May 27, 1882.
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HISTORY OF HARTFORD
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FIRST WHITE RIVER FIRE STATION
FIRE DISTRICT NO. 1
In May, 1893, in response to a petition submitted to them by a group of citizens of the village of White River Junction, the Select- men outlined a district of two square miles designated as Fire District No. 1.
A meeting was called June 6, 1893, and officers were elected to conduct the business of the district.
Construction of the first fire station was started in November of 1893. This building was completed at a cost of $1,474.22.
The first fire for which the local fire department was called was at West Lebanon, New Hampshire, in a small storehouse belonging to the Boston & Maine railroad. No record was taken of the date, time, or attendance.
The fire station was remodelled in 1919 and transformed into a two-story building with a tenement for the Fire Chief on the second floor. Including all necessary repairs, this project was finished for $3,433.43.
Fire Chiefs
The first Chief Engineer was appointed for the department in August of 1893. The following have served in that capacity since the organization of the district :
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HISTORY OF HARTFORD
FRED A. HUTCHINSON 1914-1954
ALFRED T. WRIGHT 1954-
C. C. Bogle-August 5, 1893-April 24, 1895 A. W. Davis-April 24, 1895-March 25, 1896 W. J. King-March 25, 1896-January 24, 1903 Charles R. Jamason-January 24, 1903-January 16, 1906 A. H. Dutton-January 16, 1906-January 4, 1909 Richard F. Hoar-January 4, 1909-January 2, 1911 George Hodet-January 2, 1911-January 1, 1912 Charles R. Jamason-January 1, 1912-January 13, 1914 Fred A. Hutchinson-January 13, 1914-January 11, 1954 Alfred T. Wright-January 11, 1954-
Alfred T. Wright, the present fire chief, is also president of the New England Fire Chiefs Association. He is the fourth from the state of Vermont to have held this office in the past forty years. He is also a life member of the Vermont State Fire Fighters Associa- tion and a member of the Vermont State Fire Chiefs Association. He belongs to the Fire Chiefs Club of New Hampshire and the Fire Chiefs Club of Massachusetts. He is also a life member of the Lower Adirondack Firemen's Association of New York and belongs to the International Association of Fire Chiefs.
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HISTORY OF HARTFORD
TELEPHONE COMPANY OPERATORS AT SWITCHBOARD
TELEPHONE COMPANY
The New England Telephone Company opened its first office in White River Junction in October, 1894. The following descriptive article appeared in the local paper at that time :
"The White River Junction telephone exchange which has been under process of construction by the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company for the past three months is completed and under full operation. In addition to the new trunk line to connect at South Royalton with exchanges in the northern and western parts of the state, all of the local lines have been thoroughly rebuilt and are metallic circuits. By expending several hundred dollars in this exchange the company has made a bid for long distance as well as local business, and patrons can now talk direct with Boston, Springfield, Burlington, and nearly all points in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, the Junction now having a service equal to any in the larger towns. The exchange comprises a list of 25 subscribers and pay stations, including Hanover, Bridgewater, Olcott, Bethel, South Royalton, Sharon, West Hartford, Hartford, Woodstock, Quechee, and West Lebanon, nearly all of which are
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HISTORY OF HARTFORD
fitted with long distance phones of the latest pattern. Cross-Abbott Company, our enterprising wholesale grocer, has a neat oak desk set and long distance phone. Other local subscribers are White River Beef Company, G. W. Smith & Son, Hotel St. George, Crafts Livery, Electric Light Company, Dr. C. W. Terrill, Western Union Telegraph Company, Wilson Brothers, Sargents Hotel and R. H. Lyons. The exchange is under the management of R. H. Lyons with office tastily fitted up and centrally located in the Junction House block, and contains besides the operating board, an oak wall set, both fitted with long distance phones of the most modern con- struction."
After the building of the bank block the telephone company occupied rooms over the Hartford Savings Bank. The present build- ing was opened in 1922.
Beginning at 2:01 a.m., Sunday, November 19, 1961, dial tele- phone service replaced all manual phone service in this area.
Telephone company records, dated December 31, 1962, list 1,928 subscribers in the Town of Hartford.
CROSS-ABBOTT COMPANY
White River residents first learned that a wholesale grocery company planned to locate in the village when this article appeared in "The Landmark", the local newspaper, under date of Novem- ber 24, 1893 :
"A piece of land 50 x 100 feet on the east side of "The Land- mark" block has been leased by the Central Vermont Railroad to a number of Massachusetts gentlemen who will erect a large build- ing in which to carry on a wholesale grocery business."
In 1894 Charles A. Cross of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, in asso- ciation with Charles C. Abbott of Keene, New Hampshire, founded the Cross-Abbott Company. Mr. Abbott also operated the Abbott Grocery Company in Keene, New Hampshire, and another firm by the same name in Athol, Massachusetts.
Although Mr. Cross came to White River Junction from Massa- chusetts he actually was a native born Vermonter.
In a booklet entitled "The Cross-Abbott Story", Mr. Harold Cross, son of the founder, gives an account of his father's early days as a salesman and his establishment and operation of his own
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HISTORY OF HARTFORD
FIRST CROSS-ABBOTT BUILDING-1894
wholesale grocery business. The information below is abstracted from this booklet.
Born in Waterford, Vermont, Charles Cross left home at the age of sixteen to work for Esterbrook & Company, stock brokers, in Boston, Massachusetts. Needing additional income he found part- time employment with Charles E. Moody Company, wholesale grocers. Mr. Cross was keenly interested in the grocery business and soon became a full-time salesman for the company. After gain- ing experience he left this firm to work as a salesman for the wholesale grocery firm of Henry Calander and Company.
While still working for this firm Mr. Cross engaged in a business of his own. Kerosene being very much in demand he started filling wooden barrels with the fuel which was brought in by tank cars from Pennsylvania. While traveling for Henry Calander and Com- pany he took orders for the oil as his own separate enterprise. He opened a warehouse in Fitchburg for his oil business and employed Charles Abbott as his assistant.
In 1948 the company joined the Red & White Corporation, a voluntary association of wholesale and retail food distributors.
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HISTORY OF HARTFORD
١٣٫٣٠٠
NEW CROSS-ABBOTT BUILDING-1957
Through the years the business has enjoyed constant growth. As the business developed need for additional space became necessary and Cross-Abbott erected a building containing business offices and a very large, modern warehouse in Hartford village. The firm moved into their new quarters in 1957.
In 1963, officers and directors of the firm are:
Harold Cross, Chairman of the Board of Directors
A. Wallace Cunningham, President
Norman C. Cross, Vice-President
William H. Freeman, Vice-President
G. David Thurston, Treasurer Regis M. Aher, Assistant Treasurer
In the seventy years that Cross-Abbott has been a part of the history and growth of the Town of Hartford, the past five years have shown the greatest advances in volume of business and num- bers of personnel. During these years their grocery business with Red & White, Super Duper, and independent markets, has doubled. The company now employs over 300 people in the wholesale and re-
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HISTORY OF HARTFORD
tail division. There are twelve Super Duper markets in leading communities of Vermont and New Hampshire.
Constant improvements have been made to the warehouse. In 1962 a produce cooler was added. A food freezer-locker containing 70,000 cubic feet of storage space was installed in 1963. This is the largest freezer-locker in the State of Vermont.
Cross-Abbott also maintains a large fleet of tractor trucks and trailers, many of them refrigerated for shipping of perishables.
EXCELSIOR CARRIAGE COMPANY
In North Hartland, Vermont, during the 1880's, Henry R. Miller operated a carriage business. He erected the building now occupied by the Coutermarsh Brothers grocery store and used the second floor as a showroom. At first Mr. Miller carried a variety of car- riages by different manufacturers but after a few years he became agent for The Excelsior Carriage Company of Watertown, New
EXCELSIOR CARRIAGE COMPANY BUILDINGS
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HISTORY OF HARTFORD
York. In order to expand their business, The Excelsior Carriage Company directed Mr. Miller to look for available space in White River Junction to build a business office and showroom. Accord- ingly he bought of E. H. Bagley a vacant lot adjoining the N. P. Wheeler premises on North Main street. Construction started imme- diately and the new building was completed and opened for busi- ness in March of 1895.
In February, 1895, Herbert Miller, son of Henry Miller, left the employ of O. A. Randall in White River Junction, where he was a clerk, to work as bookkeeper for his father. Garfield Miller, another son, joined the business soon after the firm moved to their new location.
In 1907 the company in New York announced that it was dis- continuing business and proceeded to liquidate the stocks in its various agencies as an initial step. Mr. Henry Miller, his two sons, Herbert and Garfield, and Mr. Miller's brother, Howard, purchased land on Gates Street and started the Miller Automobile Company. The Excelsior Carriage Company's stock in White River Junction was liquidated by Orlo Greeley and Ed Pease. The company then sold the building to The Shepard Corporation, wholesale plumbers, who now operate from that location.
THE WILD WEST SHOW
An account of the Wild West Show as it appeared in the local paper :
"On Tuesday, July 23, 1895, thousands upon thousands of people, including many hundreds of our townspeople, congregated in this locality to witness for the first time those phases of life so contrary to modern civilization, that are exemplified by Buffalo Bill's Wild West Exhibition and Congress of the World's Rough Riders.
"The street parade which took place at 10:00 a.m. exhibited the entire aggregation to good effect. Col. Cody was the cynosure of all eyes, indeed, he was the chief object of interest, the one great magnet of the attraction during the day. The parade was not marked by the glitter and glare incident to the retinue of the circus or the show of caged animals, but was nevertheless an object of intense interest to the thousands of spectators, who literally packed into every nook and corner along the route of the parade. Next to
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HISTORY OF HARTFORD
THE LANDMARK. JULY 12. 1845.
WILL EXHIBIT AT TUESDAY, JULY 23. 189 White River Junction, Vt,
First Appearance of the New, Enlarged, Greater
BUFFALO BILL'S . WILD · WEST · AND
In Inding the two pulminating start- es
Noders Science, Progress and Art, The Paris ¡Exposition Waiverselts, 1083. The Colombian World's Fair, Chicago, 1893.
hamas internet, and of all their giving it remains
The Only Complete Existing Exhibit, Cowned Premier of all Mealsyx.
.. ₿
Diplomas Awarded
COL. W. F. CODY, BUFFALO BILL.
Thương leading
CAVALRY NATIONS
GRAND
· COSMOPOLITAN .
Buffalo Bill's Wild West
* * ALLIANCE.
Are many new Historial
HON WP.ODY BUFFALO BILL
Congress - of - Rough - Riders - of - the -. World
glance and many International Exhibitions during the
ADVERTISEMENT OF BUFFALO BILL'S SHOW
Col. Cody, the Indians were the object of greatest interest-veri- table warriors of many tribes, all well skilled in the use of the scalp- ing knife and the Winchester rifle.
"The initial performance commenced at 2:00 p.m. in the presence of about 12,000 people of all ranks and callings and of many nationalities.
"One of the principal features was the attack on the Deadwood mail coach by Indians. The vehicle is the genuine old coach, now rickety with age, that was used many years ago on the route between Deadwood and Cheyenne, and in which many people were killed.
"Col. W. E. Cody, the king of them all, won immense applause by his sharpshooting at falling objects in mid-air while riding at full speed.
"There are 600 men and 200 horses attached to this exhibition, and they require 53 railroad cars for transportation. The big tent has a seating capacity for 18,000 people, but was not all used here. It is an exhibition of immense educational value which is worthy of and receives the moral support of the most enlightened people."
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HISTORY OF HARTFORD
ONE OF THE FIRST POWER PLANTS IN THE AREA
ELECTRIC LIGHTS FOR OUR STREETS
In November of 1895 the first electric street lights were installed in the village of White River Junction. Poles were set up to provide service for the two terraces of that day and for Main street from somewhere in the vicinity of the bank, south to the railroad cross- ing. There were twenty-five lights-ten on the terraces and fifteen on Main street. Expenses for this service were shared by the busi- ness establishments in the village.
A special Town Meeting was held on June 6, 1896 to see if the Town would instruct the Selectmen to contract with any person or corporation to light the villages in the Town of Hartford-the contract to include White River Junction, Olcott, and Hartford village. This article was approved by the voters.
Shortly after this meeting a petition was circularized by residents of Quechee and West Hartford for a special Town Meeting to rescind this vote. The people living in these villages declared that this was an injustice to them as they were being taxed for some- thing from which they derived no benefit. They stated that they
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HISTORY OF HARTFORD
did not want any lights except those that they could provide for themselves. The special Town Meeting was called and resulted in the former vote being upheld.
The newspaper account of the development of the project ap- peared in a July issue of "The Landmark":
"We understand that the Selectmen, or rather two of the three, acting for the Board, have closed a contract with the Mascoma Electric Light Company. Under the contract the company agrees to furnish street lights to the villages of Hartford, Olcott, and the Junction for a period of three years. The material for the street lamps has been ordered and their position will be determined next week. The Quechee people show very little interest in the matter one way or the other. A few in the village say they don't care to have the lights even if they could have them. The people of West Hartford would be glad to have them but don't expect to on account of their location. The Selectmen are thinking of putting in kerosene lamps so the streets of West Hartford will not have to be in dark- ness. We hope in a year or two those who opposed the plan will see that they are mistaken and will become firm supporters."
One hundred and four street lights were in operation in the three villages for the first time on Tuesday, August 18, 1896.
"Our town is taking its place among the progressive communities in Vermont."-The Landmark, August 22, 1896.
VERMONT BAKING COMPANY
In 1894, Mr. William Roberts, roadmaster of the Boston & Maine railroad, in partnership with his son-in-law, Herbert A. Thayer, built the two-story building near the railroad underpass on Maple street commonly called the "Practice House." The announcement concerning the new building appeared in the November 30, 1894 issue of the local newspaper :
"The new two-story building on Maple street built by H. A. Thayer & Company is nearly completed. The ground floor of the building will be used by said company for a wholesale candy manu- factory, and also for a cigar and grocery store which will be opened to the public early next month."
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