The History of Washington County in the Vermont historical gazetteer : including a county chapter and the local histories of the towns of Montpelier., Part 119

Author: Hemenway, Abby Maria, 1828-1890
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Montpelier, Vt. : Vermont Watchman and State Journal Press
Number of Pages: 1064

USA > Vermont > Washington County > Montpelier > The History of Washington County in the Vermont historical gazetteer : including a county chapter and the local histories of the towns of Montpelier. > Part 119

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KNOW YE, That We have assigned, constituted and appointed, and by these Presents do assign, constitute and appoint Our trusty and well beloved Subject, Isaac Pinney, Esq,, to be Judge of Our Court of Probate, to be holden within the District of Stafford, in our Colony of Connecticut, in New England, with the Assistance of a Clerk, to hold our said Court of Probate of Wills, granting of Administration, ap- pointing and allowing of Guardians, with full Power to act in all Matters proper for a prerogative Court.

In Testimony whereof, We have caused the Seal of Our said Colony to be hereunto affixed. Witness, Jonathan Trumbull, Esq., Governor of our said Colony of Connecticut, and with the Consent of the

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General Assembly of the same in Hart- ford, this first Day of June, in the 13th Year of Our Reign, Annoque Domini, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy- three. By His Honor's Command,

JON'A. TRUMBULL, Gov. GEORGE WYLLYS, Sec`y.

At one time he received important mes- sages from the King, and although he had six clerks, he took his daughter, afterward Mrs. R., from school as his private secre- tary. His daughters were all taught the science of medicine, and Mrs. R. attended to the sick in this town before other phy- sicians came in, and some afterwards, going about on horseback, with a heavy riding dress for unpleasant weather. She never shrank where duty called, and not expecting other recompense than the grat- itude of those she served; for in those primitive days the few inhabitants were not burdened with riches, and were neigh- borly to each other.

One fall, seeing the destitution around them, Mr. R. took a yoke of oxen to Wil- liamstown, exchanged them for potatoes, and divided them among the destitute, taking his pay in work as they could do it. Mrs. Richardson at this time gave her family two meals per day, with a cup of milk for supper, giving what they saved by so doing to the needy ones.

Living on the road that crossed the mountain to Warren, the glimmer of light from their windows was often a most wel- come sight to the benighted traveler. A man overtaken by night, with intense cold and darkness, crawled on his hands and knees for miles, fearing he should lose the track that led to their house, knowing if he did he must perish. Large, warm hearts these people had, with a hand ever out reached to help any poorer than them- selves. Their noble charities, their ex- emplary Christian characters amid all the struggles and hardships of pioneer life, are most worthy of imitation. They, with their children, all of whom reached ma- turity, now rest in the old burying-ground, near the residence of O. A. Staples.

DAVID CRAM,

one of the next to come into town, was from Lyndsboro, N. H. His son, Philip,

born Mar. 18, 1795, was the first male child born in town. Lydia Huntington, daughter of Jedediah H., got four days startof him, so the honor of being the first child born in town rests upon her. Whether she is living, I am unable to say ; but Philip Cram married Abigail Heath, of Randolph, and is now living in Brook- field.

Daniel Corbin came from Randolph about this time, and Isaac Lewis, David, Robert and Jonathan Cram located on farms now owned by Messrs. Chatterton, Bowman and Orra Boyce.

Benoni Webster came, in 1798, I think, from Connecticut, and located on the place now occupied by James Steele. Mr. Web- ster came from Connecticut with an ox- team, rather a slow mode of conveyance for the distance, but " patience and perse- verance" were household words in those days. The "blue laws" did not allow people to be moving on Sunday in the old state, and Mr. Webster was stopped in a small village to give an account of him- self. He declared it was against his principles to be traveling on the Sabbath, but his wife had been exposed to the small pox, and he was in great haste to get to his journey's end. He was allowed to pass on. His oldest son, Charles, born in Connecticut, married Eleanor P. Ryder, and settled in the east part of this town, where his second son, Aaron, now resides, and is the only one of the family in the State.

Charles Webster was killed by being thrown from his carriage in 1834. Benoni Webster, the youngest of the family, is still living, at an advanced age, in North- field. He was born in a barn, not a mod- ern affair, but an old log-barn. Whether he was cradled in a manger, tradition saith not. One of the children being so ill he could endure no noise, to secure him the quiet needed to save his life, the rest of the family moved into the barn, with the exception of one to nurse the sick child, and there they remained until he was restored to health, which was over a year.

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JOEL HILDRETH

came to this township in the autumn of 1797, from Cornish, N. H., and boarded with a family who lived on the farm now owned by G. L. Walbridge, while he built his log-house on the place now owned by Mr. George Williams, who purchased of Mr. Hildreth's grand-son, Samuel A. Hil- dreth, a few years since. One morning soon after Mr. Hildreth was settled in his cabin, he heard a rooster crow to the east- ward, and as the ringing notes came across the wooded valley, it fell upon his ears like music. He followed that " crow" for four or five miles, and at last found his new neighbors in Northfield, near where William Winch now resides.

Mr. Hildreth, with his trusty rifle, was a terror to the denizens of the forest, hav- ing, to use his own words, " unbuttoned many a bear's shirt collar." Upon one oc- casion returning late in the evening from his day's work, he heard a bear clambering down a tree close at hand. He could hear his claws clinging in the bark, and could just discern in the darkness the dim out- lines of his unwieldy figure. He was alone in the forest, a great ways from home ; thoughts of the dear ones there awaiting him nerved his arm. He dealt the bear a powerful blow with his ax, and fled. Returning next morning to the " scene of carnage," they found he had decapitated a huge hedge-hog, and pinned him to the tree with his ax. Mr. Hildreth resided on the place he had cleared up until his death in 1844.

WILLIAM GOLD,

known as Deacon Gold, came to town with Samuel Robertson, and after working for him one year, bought a piece of land, a mile east of Dog river, and built a log- cabin. This is where he had a famous bear fight. The bears had been making havoc with the Deacon's cornfield, and he swore a " pious oath" [made a pious re- solve would be better for a deacon], the thieves should be captured. A trap was devised that none but a very wise bear would fail of walking straight into, for a taste of the tempting bait. The bear that came was not a wise one, for when the

Deacon appeared on the ground next morning, bright and early, sure enough there was a great surly fellow, with one of his hind paws fast in the trap. The Deacon seized a club and rushed forward, old bruin equally ready and delighted with an interview, striking the club from his hand like a flash, cordially clasped the Deacon in his furry arms, and had about squeezed the life out of him, when the hired man, Paddleford, came to the rescue with an axe. "Don't cut the hide !" gasped the Deacon, as bruin clasped him in a still more fervid embrace. The hide was cut in several places before the poor Deacon was released, who, though " pure grit," came out of the combat in a sadly demol- ished condition, and carried the marks of bear teeth and claws to his grave.

From John Gregory's History of Northfield. DEA. WILLIAM GOLD,

born in Springfield, Mass., Oct. 30, 1780 ; came to Roxbury in 1801, and settled upon one of the highest mountains in that town. He was a deacon of the Baptist church. Any one at this day looking the mountain land over where he located, can see under what discouraging circumstances this early settler was placed.

In 1847, he removed to Northfield. He married Annevera Dewey, who was born in 1780 ; had 7 children : Annevera, Wil- liam, Sherman, Buel, Joseph, Mary, Sophia, all born in Roxbury. Deacon Gold died in 1859; Mrs. Gold in 1856.

JOHN B. CRANDALL

moved into town in 1804; was eccentric, quite a pettifogger, and always called " Judge." One time, having a lawsuit, he became disgusted with his counsel, con- sidered an able lawyer, paid him off and dismissed him before the suit was fairly commenced, plead his own case, and won it. Another time he went to Waitsfield to take charge of a lawsuit. Knowing his opponent, an attorney from Montpelier, to be extremely fastidious in his tastes and manner of dress, he chose the other ex- treme, an awfully shabby coat, and trow- sers that suggested the idea that some time in an earlier stage of existence 'they

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had been the property of a Methodist preacher-they had certainly done a great deal of knee service-a dilapidated hat, a boot on one foot, an old shoe on the other, completed his outfit. The fine gentleman strutting back and forth in dignity, won- dered why Mr. Crandall did not arrive, when some one turning to Mr. C., intro- duced them. The Montpelier attorney looked at Mr. C., surprise and contempt expressed in every feature. "What, that creature!" he at last blurted out ; " why, he don't know enough to say boo to a goose." The " Judge " drew his grotesque figure to its full height, made a low bow, and said " boo !" very emphatically in the face of the offended lawyer, which brought down the house, and the sleek gentleman was yet more discomfited when he lost his case, and the "Judge " won the laurels he had anticipated.

Mr. Crandall's widow married Jonathan Lamson, of Fayston, where she died a few years since, at the advanced age of 108. (See History of Fayston.)

LEWIS CHATFIELD

came to town in 1810, and settled on the farm now occupied by his son, Lewis. He was a man of peculiarities, but sterling worth. He, like many of the early set- tlers, had a hard struggle to feed and clothe his family. One winter he fortu- nately captured a huge bear, whose meat and lard kept grim want from the door till spring. He made a business of hop rais- ing the last 40 years, and through indus- try and frugality, acquired a competence. He died in 1880, aged 94.

BILLA WOODARD

came from Tolland, Conn., in 1802 ; set- tled on East Hill, and was for many years engaged in the manufacture of saddle-trees, and the only one in New England for a long time in that business.

HON. CHARLES SAMSON

came here in 1810. Z. S. Stanton, in his Historical Centennial Address, thus speaks of him :

He accompanied his father, Benjamin Franklin, who was a veteran of the Revolu- tion, and participated in the battle of Lex- ington and Bunker Hill.

Mr. Samson bought the place where L. A. Rood now lives. The previous oc- cupant was Dr. Stafford, who kept a tav- ern, and the first in town. Charles Sam- son settled where Mr. Wetmore lives. He has been closely identified with the affairs of this town ever since, and is still per- mitted to be with us. He has represented the town in the legislature of the State for 13 sessions, and has held many other im- portant positions in the town and county. It was owing to his exertions that Roxbury was transferred from Orange to Washing- ton County, in 1820. In those days the main road through the west part of the town, which was also the stage road, led from where A. J. Averill now lives past where the residences of W. 1. Simonds and S. G. Stanton now' are, and intercepted the mountain road near where Mrs. Brack- ett now lives, thence up where the present road is as far as the old mill above Royal Batchelder's house, and then past the pres- ent residence of O. A. Staples, down to the " Branch road," where Samuel Ed- wards now lives. From here it followed its present course. There was also a road through the eastern part of the town, and also the central part, where E. K. Young now resides. Elijah Ellis lived where Mrs. Brackett now does. He built the house at this place, and it was the first house built in town that was arranged for the use of stoves, I am informed. He had no fireplace or "stack of chimneys," as they were called, and people thought it a great departure from the old ways. He built the first clover-mill that was erected in this town, on the site now occupied by S. N. Miller's carriage-shop. He also erected a saw-mill at this place.

BENONI WEBSTER, (BY A. WEBSTER.)

A native of Connecticut, brought his fam- ily to Roxbury in the spring of 1797. He had previously lived in Hartland, Vt., a few years.

He settled in the N. E. part of the town on lot No. 3, of the Ist range, now owned by James Steele, which he had bought in 1796, then an unbroken wilderness. His first house was logs, roofed with bark, and floored with split basswood, smoothed with an axe. In 1810, he built a large framed- house, making the rooms about 2 feet higher than it was usual to make them at that time, so that " Uncle Sam Metcalf (of Royalton), could stand up in them with his hat on." The doors were also made unusually high, so that his wife's tall rela-

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tions could come in without stooping, as he said. He was the first to plant fruit trees in town, a large apple orchard, and pear and plum trees in the garden being among his earlier improvements.

It is said that at the time of the mem- orable great November snow-storm, the effects of which may still be seen in our forests in bent and distorted trees, while the family were at dinner, the young apple trees were discovered to be breaking down beneath the fast accumulating snow, and the boys left their bowls of " hominy and milk " to shake the apple trees, which were saved only by repeating the shaking at short intervals through the afternoon and evening.

In 1804, his entire stock of cattle, con- sisting of a yoke of 4-years-old oxen and of 2 cows, were bitten by a mad dog that came along, and all died and were buried in one hole together.

Mr. Webster died Jan. 8, 1823, aged 60 years, 9 months, 21 days, leaving a wife, who died in 1838, aged 66 years, and 6 sons and 4 daughters, all of whom lived to have families of their own. Of these but two, Edmund Webster, of Randolph, and Benoni Webster, of Northfield, are known to be now living ; but the descendants of the third and fourth generations are widely scattered through the country from New Hampshire in the East to California in the West, and from Minnesota in the north to Texas in the South ; but one family, that of the writer, being left in Roxbury.

CHARLES WEBSTER.

BY A. WEBSTER.

Charles, oldest son of Benoni and Sally Metcalf Webster, was born June 5, 1790, at Lebanon Parish, Conn., and came to Roxbury with his father when 7 years old, and was educated in the common schools of district No. I and the home college by his father's hearth, reading by the light of the open fire during the autumn and winter evenings. It was his custom to keep a supply of birch bark to furnish light when the usual fire was insufficient.

Being the oldest boy and large of his age, he was his father's chief assistant in clearing away the forest and making a cul-

tivated farm. One of his recreations at this time was fishing in the stream that runs through the valley half a mile north of his father's farm, where the brook trout were so abundant that he often hired one of the Adams boys to help him carry his fish up the hill, home.

The wolves made havoc with the sheep of the neighborhood, and he and the Gallup boys devised a plan to capture them. They built a conical pen of saplings, about 6 feet high, and placed in it a couple of lambs to entice the wolves into the trap, shrewdly calculating while it would be easy for the wolves to run up the inclined sides and leap down into the pen, it would not be so easy for them, after gorging with mutton, to leap out.

Sanguine of success, they visited the trap every morning, expecting to find a large pack of fierce wolves safely corraled and howling with rage. This for several mornings. At length, one morning when they came to inspect, beginning to wonder why the wolves were so slow in getting in ; the trap seemed to be empty. No lambs appeared skipping around within, and after a close examination, there appeared only a few bones and shreds of wool. The wolves had doubtless climbed upon the shoulders of each other and got out. Their two lambs were gone for nought. Not to be foiled in this way, the boys immediately built a much stronger and higher pen, but the wolves were not heard from afterwards, and it was supposed they left the place in dis- gust.

He commenced teaching school when quite young, and followed it for fourteen winters, acquiring such a reputation as a teacher and disciplinarian that his services were often sought for in schools where other teachers had failed.

On one occasion, it is said that some large boys burned his ferule, and made other preparations for carrying him out, as they had a previous teacher. The game commenced promptly, but a leg hastily wrenched from a bench did such effective service that there was no further use for instruments of discipline during that term.

an in in J rie The near had

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In Aug. 1823, he married Eleanor P. Ryder, and settled on his farm in East Roxbury, half a mile below the mills where his son, Aaron, now resides, where he lived till the next spring, when, having bought a part of the farm of his father's estate, he moved on to it, and lived there until the spring of 1830, when he returned to his first farm, where he lived until his death, Nov. 5, 1834.

About 1830, he raised from his famous " Wild Air " mare twin colts, of which he was proud ; but one of which, a noble and powerful animal, but skittish and uncon- trollable when frightened, was the occasion of his instantaneous death, by being thrown from his wagon in the night, near the Peck farm in Brookfield. He had often ex- pressed a presentiment that he should die by accident, and was the last of three cousins, the oldest sons of three sisters, to be killed instantly by accident.

SPAULDING FAMILY.

Darius Spaulding was from Plainfield, Conn., married Hannah Ingraham from Providence, R. I. They had a number of children when they came here, in 1799. Mr. Spaulding came in the fall, slashed a piece, built a log-house, and moved his family the next spring. Nearly, and per- haps all the Spauldings in town at the present day, and they are very numerous, are descendants of Darius and Hannah Spaulding. They reared a family of 8 sons and 3 daughters.

Gilbert, the eldest, married Renda Mc Clure, moved to New York, and died at the ripe age of 90. He was a great chop- per, even for those days, when all were supposed to know how to wield an ax. It is said 8 cords only made him a fair day's work, nothing at all to boast of.

Darius Jr. married Betsey Spaulding, and they lived and died at a good old age, in Roxbury. Two of their sons still live in town, Charles and Samuel.

John, the 3d son of Darius Sen., mar- ried Betsey McClure, of Stafford, Conn. They commenced keeping hotel in 1822, near where Julius Kent now lives. They had also a saw and grist-mill.

Mr. Burnham, merchant at Roxbury vil-

lage, says, when a small boy, he went there with his grist, and Mrs. Spaulding who was an energetic little woman, took his grain, carried it into the mill, ground it and brought it back to him.

Mr. Spaulding built the Summit House in 1830, where he remained until a few years previous to his death, in 1864. His widow is still living, hale and happy, loved and respected. Her friends celebrated her 90th birth-day the 9th of last Sept. [1881.] She has had 5 children, all of whom are living, Erastus N. Billings, Mrs. P. Wiley, Mrs. Brackett and Mrs. A. N. Tilden. All living in their native town, clustered about their aged mother.

Philip married Polly Nichols, of North- field, is now living in Hermon, N. Y., 84 years of age.

Erastus, the 4th son, built the house where Dea. Edwards now lives, and kept a hotel there several years. He married a widow, Whitcomb, by name, from Waits- field. They removed to DeKalb, N. Y., where he died a short time since, at an ad- vanced age.

Allen was their first child, born in this town in 1804, and married Hannah Sam- son in 1828 ; moved on to the Rood place, and kept a small store 3 years ; then built a store in the village, which he occupied for 10 years, near the R. R. crossing, where Geo. Butterfield now resides. He represented the town 4 years. He enlist- ed, in '61, in Co. H, 6 Vt. Reg., as major ; was appointed sergeant with captain's pay.

At one time during the war, he was or- dered to take a small squad of men, and go in search of cattle for beef, as it had been a long time the regiment had subsisted on salt meat and " hard tack." They travelled till nearly night before they got track of what they were in quest of, and they found themselves 25 miles from camp in the en- emy's territory. Being told a woman near by owned a fine flock of sheep, he took a couple of men and called on her. She with her two daughters sat on a rustic seat in a beautiful garden, surrounded with the appearances of wealth and luxury. He made known his errand, when out of her mouth poured a torrent of oaths and the

ut.

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coarsest invectives that he had ever heard a woman utter, abusing him and the Union army in general. A servant rode up on an elegant horse, and dismounting, asked his mistress " if she knew she was addressing Union officers?" She said she knew it very well. The Major informed her he came to buy her sheep, but as she had none to sell to " Union men," he should take them without if they suited him, and ordering one of his men to mount the horse her servant had just dismounted from, they rode off, amid the hysterical screams of the mother and daughters. They camped for the night on an old planta- tion, about 2 miles from there, but had pickets out to keep an eye on the move- ments of the enemy. After all was quiet at the plantation, 200 mounted darkies came, and attempted to retake the widow's property, but at the first crack of a rifle, they " skedaddled." The Major got back to camp with 25 head of fat cattle, and pre- sented the beautiful pony to the Colonel.

At another time there were 100 men sick, and the surgeon said they would all die unless they had milk. The Major was ordered to take 10 men and go and buy milk for the sick. They went to a planta- tion where 100 cows were kept, just as they were coming off the ranche to be milked. They asked to buy milk for sick soldiers. The surly old fellow said he had " no milk to sell Union soldiers." The Major went back, got a permit from the Provost Marshal, and was there early the next morning ; selected 10 fine cows, and in spite of the old gentleman's pro- testing, drove them to camp. The sick had milk freely, and when they were or- dered to Florida, in 6 weeks from that time, every man but one was able to go. The Major turned over his dairy to the Provost Marshal, according to army regu -. lations, and the surly old fellow who would not sell milk to sick soldiers, never re- covered his lost kine.

So carefully did Major Spaulding look after the interests of the soldiers, he was called the father of the regiment. He is now living, hale and hearty, at the age of 77, and the oldest person living but one

who was born in town, and has lived there the most part of his life.

SAMUEL ROBERTSON,

(BY ORAMEL RICHARDSON.)

Son of Patrick and Elizabeth Robertson, natives of Scotland, was born in New London, Ct., Aug. 18, 1775. He lost his father when quite young. His mother married again, and lived in Stafford, Ct., where he lived till he came to this town. Aug. 1801, he married Persis Richardson, of Tolland, Ct., and the next March they moved here, on to the place now owned by John Cumins, on East Hill. Their first business after getting settled was, sugaring. They made 16 pounds, their stock of sugar for that year.

There were only five or six families in that part of the town. Mr. Samuel Rich- ardson had a few years before begun a set- tlement in the extreme west part of the town, and that at this time was the "center " of civilization, and here Mr. Robertson taught a school during the winter - of 1802 and '3. The school-house was the first framed building in town, and stood very nearly where the Royal Batchelder house now does. He had 68 scholars, and the room being small, they were packed like " herrings in a box," and came from five or six miles around in different directions. He lived some 3 miles dis- tant, and walked to and from his school each day through the deep snows, with no track most of the way except what he made himself. He taught here two or three succeeding winters, and during the time moved into the school-house he had occu- pied, and lived there a few years, when he bought the land now owned by Hira G. Ellis, and made a permanent settlement, clearing up the forests and erecting com- fortable buildings. His house was on the old road leading by where Dea. W. I. Simonds and S. G. Stanton now live. He moved his buildings, about 1834, down on to the county road, where they now stand. Here he lived until within 12 years of his death.

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The History of Washington County in the Vermont historical gazetteer : including a county chapter and the local histories of the towns of Montpelier., Part 119

Author: Hemenway, Abby Maria, 1828-1890 Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Montpelier, Vt. : Vermont Watchman and State Journal Press Number of Pages: 1064

Author: Hemenway, Abby Maria, 1828-1890
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Montpelier, Vt. : Vermont Watchman and State Journal Press
Number of Pages: 1064