The History of Washington County in the Vermont historical gazetteer : including a county chapter and the local histories of the towns of Montpelier., Part 127

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 127

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The writer remembers of his rising to preach, (when on a visit to his daughter only a few years ago,) and saying meas- uredly, " The sermon I am about to preach will perhaps be remembered by some of you who are here to-day. If you do not remember it, it will make no difference to you. If you do, it will make a great dif- ference with me, for I shall be glad to know that you remember so well."

In his later days, he preached a sermon in which he acknowledged some change of views on doctrinal subjects. This sermon the writer has not been able to lay hold of now, but from his recollections of it, (having read it when a boy) he believes it to have shown Mr. Chandler to be precise- ly with the majority of Congregational ministers at the present time ; and though it created some discussion, and met with disapproval from some of his people whom he had trained so well to think and judge for themselves, yet we suspect it would prove to be a crowning glory to him, as showing that he was an inquirer after truth,

even at three-score-and-ten, and certainly the humility and candor of it, in frankly expressing his almost lifelong mistake as he then thought it, was noble.

When he reached his 70th birth-day, he resigned his pastoral charge, saying to his people, that he did not intend to leave them, and was ready to minister to them still, but he meant to put it out of his pow- er to pastor them when he should become childish. Thus the matter stood until his death. It would probably have been hard to have convinced his people that there was any danger of his getting childish after that.

We cannot help saying, O that he had remained in Waitsfield, while he lived ! The people were very loth to part with him in 1830, but they did not fully realize what they were losing, or they would have utterly refused to let him go, and re- sisted until they had compelled him to remain.

Rev. PERRIN B. FISK, son of Moses, was born July 6, 1792, and in youth and early manhood followed the trade of a saddler, residing at Montpelier, where he married (May, 1815), Miss Azuba Blais- dell. His talents were rather above the point of mediocrity, but he had small op- portunities for study. After his conversion he became very anxious to do more good, and in a short time was led to change his views upon the subject of baptism, in consequence to leave the Congregational for the Baptist church, by which order he was immediately licensed to preach, and was at length settled in Wardsboro, as pastor of the Baptist church. The late Rev. P. H. White was at this time one of the young men who sat under his preach- ing. His remembrance of the man, as given to the writer, was of a corpulent and jolly man, who enjoyed to sit on the store steps and smoke and tell stories, both of which he could do well. As a preacher, he was able to compare fairly with the av- erage men of his denomination. He was the father of three children, two of whom were sons. Moses, the eldest, was a shrewd and smart, but unprincipled young man, who lived fast, and died early, leav-

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ing a young widow and babe, both of whom are now dead, and Thomas was sheriff in Washington Co., N. Y., from the time he was 21 until he led his men through the bloody campaigns of the Potomac as lieutenant and captain of ar- tillery.

Rev. JOEL FISK, brother of the above, was born Oct. 26, 1796, and lived at Waitsfield until the age of 20, when, be- coming pious, he gave himself up to the work of the ministry, and at length grad- uated at Middlebury, in 1825; studied theology with Rev. Charles Walker, of Pittsford, and at the age of 30, was or- dained pastor of the Congregational church in Monkton. He was almost reprimanded while in college for his persistence in re- vival work, and this fact is a true exponent of his whole professional life. He labored successively and successfully in the follow- ing places, viz. : New Haven, Vt., Essex, N. Y., Montreal and Phillipsburgh, C. E. (as it then was), Irasburgh and Plainfield, Vt., where he died Dec. 16, 1856. He was devoted to his work, searching in his style, and a man of decided literary taste. He married, Oct. 15, 1826, Miss Clarinda Chapman, by whom he had 7 children, of whom are Harvey, of the celebrated firm of Fisk and Hatch, in New York City, and Pliny, president of the American Pot- tery Co., of Trenton, N. J.

Rev. HARVEY FISK, brother of the two last noticed, was born Apr. 12, 1799, and had in early life the reputation of being a smart, wild, but very truthful boy. At the age of 14 he was apprenticed to the late Gen. E. P. Walton, of Montpelier, to learn the printer's trade. Here he made friends and acquired much useful knowledge, but withal, had such a vein of fun and frolic and an aptness at practical joking in him, that he provoked the momentary indigna- tion, as well as the regard, of those who knew him. Having become a Christian here, he gave himself up to the work of the ministry, graduating at Hamilton Col- lege in the class of '26, and at Princeton Theological Sem. Subsequently, during his studies, he worked his way with the composing stick, and was the compiler,

and for some time the publisher, of the " American Sunday-School Union," and the compiler and publisher of the "Union Question Books" for Sunday-schools. He died very suddenly at New York City, after less than a year of ministerial labor. He married, Feb. 17, 1829, Anna M. Plumb, by whom he had one son, Harvey Jon- athan, who is at present an accountant in Detroit, Mich., thus maintaining his wid- owed mother.

Rev. PLINY FISK BARNARD was born in Waitsfield, Nov. 9, 1820 ; pursued a course of classical study at Jericho and Mont- pelier ; graduated at Dartmouth in 1843; at Bangor Theological Seminary in 1846; was settled over the Congregational church in Richmond, Me., in 1847, and after a pastorate of 9 years, removed to Williams- town, Vt., where he continues to exercise the pastoral office with much acceptance. He married, Nov. 4, 1846, Julia, daughter of Rev. James Hobart, of Berlin, by whom he has had 7 children.

Rev. PERRIN B. FISK, son of Deacon Lyman, and grandson of Deacon Moses, was born July 3, 1837 ; studied at Barre Academy and at Bangor Theological Sem- inary, where he graduated in 1863, and was immediately settled as pastor of the Congregattonal church at West Dracut, Mass ; in 1865 was dismissed, and removed to Rockport, where he supplied the First church during the European tour of Rev. W. H. Dunning, the pastor; 1866, was settled as pastor of the Congregational church in Peacham, Vt., where he still resides ; served as chaplain of the Senate of Vermont in 1869 ; otherwise chiefly dis- tinguished as the author of this sketch of Waitsfield. In 1863, he was married to Miss Harriet L. Bigelow, of Waitsfield, a great-great-grand-daughter of Gen. Wait.

Rev. ALONZO HITCHCOCK was born at Waitsfield, Nov. 29, 1814; pursued his studies mainly with a resident clergyman, and has been stationed in the following M. E. churches, viz. : Albany, St. Johns bury, East Walden, Bethel, Gaysville Randolph, Corinth, Bradford, Proctors ville, Plainfield, Cabot, E. Burke, Middle

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sex, and is now acting as agent of the Methodist Conference Sem. at Montpelier.

MATTHIAS JOSLIN was born in Waits- field, Aug. 19, 1806, and finished his lin- ited education at Royalton. In 1830, he entered upon missionary work as a teacher among the Choctaws. He had charge of the boys' school at Mayhew until the re- moval of the tribe by government to the new country assigned them west of the Mississippi, which took place in 1832. Mr. Joslin then returned to Waitsfield, and remained during the summer and fall. In September he married Miss Sophia M. Palmer, and with her returned to the Indian country, residing at Dwight among the Cherokees, and when he was about to return to his contemplated field among the Choctaws, was removed by death, Nov. 21, 1833, after an illness of only 11 days. He was a good man and his end was peace. [Mr. Joslin's widow married a Mr. Newton, and is now living at San Antonio, Texas .- E. A. F.]

IRA BUSHNELL, son of Dea. Jedediah Bushnell, was born June 11, 1826; fitted for college at Johnson, and graduated in Burlington in 1856. He was a young man of deep piety, and of much promise, who had consecrated himself to the work of the ministry. But being not the readiest, though one of the most persistent of stu- dents, and a very athletic young man, who had been accustomed to labor on a farm, his health during his college course was undermined. Soon after he graduated, he was attacked with hemorrhage of the lungs, and gradually wasted away until June 16, 1858, when he died.

GURLEY A. PHELPS, M. D., was born in Waitsfield, June 30, IS22 ; pursued a course of classical study at Montpelier and of professional study at Castleton, and the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York. Took up his residence in Jaffrey, N. H., where he has had an exten- sive practice, and attained a wide reputa- tion as a skillful physician. He married April 10, 1851, Miss Adaliza Cutter, who deserves mention as a poetess of much merit. Some time after her death he was married again (Nov. 3, 1858,) to Miss

Nancy P. Stoughton. He united at an early date with the Congregational church, and the testimony of those who know him best is, that he is both the Christian gen- . tleman and the beloved physician.

There are quite a number of other noted men who were reared in this town ; edu- cated in her common schools and whose purposes for life were undoubtedly formed for the most part while residents, a part of whom entered into their business or began to study their profession while here. We are able in this number to mention Hon. GEO. N. DALE, at present president pro. tem. of the Vermont senate, and Col. C. H. JOYCE of Rutland, both of whom grew up to manhood in Waitsfield; NORMAN DURANT, Esq., whose promising life was lost in the search for gold in California in 1850, and LUTHER L. DURANT, (brother of the above,) at the age of 8 years be- came a resident of Waitsfield, and may, therefore be said to have received his early education in that town. And this with an occasional term at the select school com- prised all his course of general study. At his majority he entered the office of B. H. Adams, Esq., of Waitsfield, and com- menced the study of the law, completing his course with C. W. Upham of Barre. He then practiced at Waitsfield from 1852 to October, 1855, when he was invited by Hon. Paul Dillingham to enter into part- nership at Waterbury for 5 years, and at its close had hardly opened an office him- self before the same offer was repeated and accepted, which being fulfilled in Decem- ber, 1866, he removed to Montpelier and formed partnership with Col. F. V. Ran- dall. The court docket shows that their practice must now be very extensive, in- deed. Reference to his initials will bear out the pleasantry that he has the title as well as the practice; while at Waitsfield (viz., in 1853) he married Miss Julia M. Tenney of Dalton, N. H., with whom he still lives, and by whom he had 2 children.

The father of these two successful men passed away in 1868; a much esteemed citizen and devoted Christian, and a genial and intelligent man. The mother still resides at Waitsfield.

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We may also mention Hon. G. D. RICE, of Wisconsin, and Hon. EDMUND RICE, both of whom were reared and had en- . gaged in business in Waitsfield before they became pioneers in the West, and whose subsequent record we have much reason to be proud of, and Hon. WM. PINGRY, who spent a number of his best years in town as an attorney, and who had a commanding influence in the town while he remained.

We must crave the forbearance of our friends in advance, on account of the al- most certainty that some names which ought to be noticed will be overlooked, and defend ourself slightly by remarking that quite a number of the circulars we sent out to obtain accurate information have not come back to us again. We have no reason to suppose that our work will amount to more than a beginning, for the history of Waitsfield is making yet, and in closing this sketch, which, though more laborious than we anticipated, has yet afforded us much pleasure, as treasuring up much that ought to be saved, but that would in a few years have been lost. 'We ask our young friends especially to make such use of the means of education, take such a stand on all the questions of the day, and ground themselves upon such noble principles, that whoever takes up the historic pen we are now about to lay down, shall be able to say at least that the old stock has not degenerated. In some particulars it will be difficult indeed for them to obtain a better record than that.

WAITSFIELD, 1869-1882. BY DEA. E. A. FISK.

In the preceding pages, Rev. P. B. Fisk has brought the history of Waitsfield down to 1869.

Since that date, events have occurred which ought not to be left unrecorded .-- Two tasteful and commodious churches have been erected in our village ; the fire- fiend has broken loose and destroyed more property than during all the previous his- tory of the town; a radical change has been made in our common school system,

and there are many minor events which should not be omitted.

CHURCHES.

In 1870, the Methodist church was built at a cost of about $7500, On the base- ment floor, is a large room for Sabbath schools, lectures, &c., besides smaller rooms for other purposes ; while above, is the audience room, capable of seating about 300 persons. It is a good church, tasteful and convenient, and reflects great credit upon the builders, who overcame many difficulties in its erection.

It was dedicated in Feb., 1871. The following is a list of the pastors of the M. E. church since 1869: Rev. J. Hamilton, 1870-71 ; Rev. E. Folsom, 1871-74 ; Rev. J. A. Sherburne, 1874-77; Rev. C. H. Leverton, 1877-78; Rev. Geo. L. Wells, 1878-81 ; Rev. C. P. Taplin, 1881 to the present time.

In 1874, the Congregational church, which stood upon the edge of a plateau, east of the village, was taken down, and a new church built in the village, using the materials of the old as far as practicable.

Rev. J. H. Babbitt pastor of the church, was the architect, and every part of the structure bears witness of the care and skill with which his labors were performed. Several good judges have said that there are very few churches in the rural towns of Vermont that will compare with it. This church, likewise, has its audience room above, and convenient rooms, for other purposes, on the ground floor. Cost about $8600, exclusive of several hundred dollars in gratuitous labor. The building committee were able to report every dol- lar of expenses provided for soon after the dedication of the church in July, 1875 ; and what is better, the building of this church was not the cause of the least divis- ion or hard feeling among the members of the society, as is too often the case.

Rev. J. H. Babbitt continued to be the pastor of the Congregational church till Dec., 1876, when, much to the regret of his parishioners, he resigned, and was suc- ceeded by Rev. Stephen H. Robinson who was ordained in Sept., 1877, and is the pastor at the present time.

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In Sept., 1881, Pliny B. Fisk, a member of this church, who graduated at U. V. M., and studied at Yale Theo. Sem,, was ordained here as an evangelist to labor on our Western frontier.

UNIVERSALIST.

This society has had occasional preach- ng since 1869, and for a year or two pre- ious to 1875 they held regular services, Rev. John Gregory, of Northfield, and Rev. W. H. Walbridge, occupying the pulpit on- alternate Sabbaths. Some time n 1874, Mr. Walbridge was ordained here, but at the close of the year, removed to Stowe.

SCHOOLS.

The legislature of 1870, passed an act enabling a town to abolish its school dis- tricts, and bring the schools under the di- rect supervision of the town. In accord- dance with this act, Waitsfield, at its annual meeting in 1871, voted to adopt the town system of schools. It was a new measure in this State, and was regarded by many of its friends as an experiment, which they undertook with many fears, and in the face of a strong opposition. Two years later, the town voted to contin- le it by a very small majority ; but after ten years of trial, its success was such, that when the proposition was made to re- urn to the district system, nearly three Fourths of the votes cast were against it. Schools are maintained in the same places is formerly, with the exception of a very ;mall one which has been dropped from he list.

The school year, however, has been engthened from two terms, or 24 weeks, 0 3 terms, or 30 weeks in all. There has lso been greater permanence of teachers, nd the school-houses are much improved. t is but just to add that the efficient su- bervision of Dr. W. A. Jones, for 7 years ast the chairman of the board of school lirectors, has done much toward the pros- erity of our schools.

TEMPERANCE.

A Good Templars Lodge was organized n 1868, and has held weekly meetings to he present time. By this means, some ho were intemperate have reformed ;

many young persons have become thor- oughly established in temperance princi- ples, and public sentiment on the subject has greatly improved.

FIRES.

It is mentioned by Rev. P. B. Fisk, that from the settlement of the town to the time of writing his history, 15 fires had oc- curred ; but from that date to the present time there have been 12 fires of consider- able dimensions, besides two cooper-shops and several sugar-houses. In three cases an entire set of farm buildings were de- stroyed ; in one, a house and small barn in the village ; in four or five cases houses were burned, and on four occasions a barn or barns were consumed, and in two of these, cattle were burned.

As early as 1877, it began to be suspect- ed that all these fires were not accidental. In April of that year, unoccupied build- ings belonging to Mr. John Towle were burned, and this was followed in about a month by the destruction of Geo. Folsom's barns and 18 cows, and the next night L. K. Hooker's house and barns were burned. The latter could be accounted for, but the others could not.

Next in October, 1878, Mr. T. G. W. Farr's house and barns were burned under circumstances that were very mysterious, to say the least. There appeared to be no way to account for it except as the work of an incendiary, and yet it hardly seemed possible that any one could be so bold as to set a fire early in a moonlight evening, in the position where it was first observed.

In October, 1879, on the exact anniver- sary of the fire at Mr. Farr's, another large fire occurred which was equally inexplica- ble. Several barns belonging to Mr. L. R. Joslyn were burned. A pair of 4-years old oxen weighing over 4,000 pounds, and that had just taken the first premium at the State Fair, were also destroyed. This fire was the scene of desperate but success- ful effort to save Mr. Joslyn's house and other buildings. After exhausting the supplies of water near at hand, a line of men was formed reaching to the river a third of a mile away, and thus buckets of water came to hand so rapidly that by the

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aid of a small force-pump and a favorable wind the fire was stayed. About a week after this Mr. R. H. Barnard's barns were burned early one morning. It then seemed certain that some one living among us was the author of this destruction, but the evidence against any one was so meagre that no arrests were made. The next week, however, occurred the largest fire of all, and it proved to be the final one of this series.

All of Mr. E. W. Bisbee's buildings (just in the edge of Moretown,) were de- stroyed, and a man was seen running away from the barn just before the fire broke out. A court of investigation was held, and the evidence pointed in a certain direction so strongly that the person im- plicated finally confessed to having set six fires during two or three years previous. We will not attempt to immortalize his name by recording it here, but will simply say that he is now serving out a sentence of 25 years at Windsor.

Since then we have had no fires of any importance, but those times of excitement and fear made so strong an impression upon the people of Waitsfield that even at the present time they can scarcely be re- called without a shudder.

It is sometimes said that lightning never strikes twice in the same spot, but Mr. O. H. Joslin had a barn burned by light- ning in 1868, and again in 1876 another built upon the site of the old one was burned by the same cause, and a year or two after a tree very near where these barns were burned was struck, and a cow standing under it knocked kown; also a tree standing in Mr. Joslin's pasture has been twice struck by lightning, it being set on fire the last time.

There has been a very noticeable im- provement in the character of farm build- ings in this town during the last few years. One large barn is now the order of the day, instead of the cluster of small ones that one used to see. This plan has been followed almost without exception where barns have been burned, thus giving us an example of the way in which good may come out of evil. And many others are

rebuilding upon the same plan, so that ac- cording to present appearances it will take but a few years longer to work a complete revolution in the appearance of barns in this town.

INSTANCES OF LONGEVITY.

The records show the death of so many aged persons in town since 1867, that some statement in regard to it seems to be de- manded. During that period 33 persons have died at an age exceeding 80 years. Of this number, 18 were more than 85, and 8 more than 90 years old. The names and ages of the latter are as follows :

Henry Dewey, aged 96, died in 1875; Mrs. Elizabeth Barrett, 94, in 1873 ; Job House, 94, 1874 ; Miss Charlotte Smith, 93, in 1882; Thomas Prentiss, 92, 1877 ; Daniel Skinner, 91, 1877 ; Avery Sherman, 99, 1873 ; Michael Ryle, 90, 1880.

Mr. Thomas Prentiss, whose name ap- pears in this list, was a great reader, and until a short time before his death there were very few persons in town who kept themselves better informed concerning the events of the times, political and general, or whose opinions in regard to the same P were more intelligent and discriminating.

PHYSICIANS.

Dr. D. C. Joslin died in 1874; Dr. E G. Hooker remained here till 1881, and acquired an extensive practice, but has re moved to Waterbury ; Dr. C. F. Cam] came here in 1881 ; Dr. J. M. Van Deuser (homœopathist), is still with us.

LAWYERS.

Hiram Carleton removed in 1876, an John W. Gregory came here in 1879.

MEMBERS OF LEGISLATURE.

Representatives .- 1870, Hiram Carleton chosen by a unanimous vote of the towr 1872, H. N. Bushnell ; 1874, M. E. Hadley 1876, '78, L. M. Tyler ; 1880, W. A. Jone

Senators .- J. H. Hastings, of this tow was State Senator in 1869 and 1870, al Ira Richardson in 1876, the latter dyi during his term of office.

R. J. Gleason has been town clerk more than 25 years, and postmaster sir the first election of Lincoln.

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TOWN CLERKS.

Moses Heaton, from March, 1794, to March, 1796; Benjamin Wait, Jr., 1796 to 1802; Salah Smith, 1802 to '4, '5 to '7 ; Ezra Jones, 1804 to '5, '7 to '10 ; Edmund Rice, 1810 to '16, '26 to '27 ; Matthias S. Jones, 1816 to '26; Jennison Jones, 1827 to '28 ; Lewis Holden, 1828 to '36; Wm. M. Pingry, 1836 to '41; Orange Smith, 1841, '43, '45 to '46 ; Jonathan Morse, 1843 to '45 ; Cyrus Joslin, 1846 to '48 ; Cyrus Skinner, 1848 to the time of his death in 1855; R. J. Gleason, June 22, 1855, to March, 1882. Mr. Gleason was appointed by the selectmen to fill the vacancy oc- casioned by the death of Mr. Skinner, and has been elected by the town at every annual meeting since that time.

ACCIDENTAL DEATHS.

At least two have occurred since Rev. Mr. Fisk made out his list in 1869.

Mary Ann Riley, a child of James Riley, aged 4 years, was killed by a cart-body alling over upon her, Sept. 16, 1876.

Seth Chase, aged 10 years, a son of Timothy Chase, who was living at Thomas Poland's, was drowned in Mad River while bathing, June 5, 1881.

REV. PLINY FISK BARNARD.

Mr. Barnard was dismissed from the church in Williamstown in 1870, and was soon settled over the Congregational church en Westhampton, Mass., where he remain- ne:d 3 years, when he was dismissed, and after a few months became acting pastor of he Congregational church in Westminis- er, where he remained till 1880, when he emoved to Ashburnham, Mass., where he esides at the present time, (1882) but has reached for the past year at South Royal- ton, Mass.

REV. PERRIN B. FISK,

vas dismissed from the Congregational hurch in Peacham in 1870, and removed · Lyndonville, where he remained until Jec., 1874. During his ministry at that lace, a church was organized, and a house f worship and a parsonage built. The lans for these buildings originated largely rith Mr. Fisk, and his cares were greatly icreased by his supervision of their

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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 127

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