The History of Washington County in the Vermont historical gazetteer : including a county chapter and the local histories of the towns of Montpelier., Part 13

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 13

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Long ago this wild frolicsome power was seized for the service of the early settlers. At the foot of the first fall was the first saw- mill, and at the foot of the second the first grist-mill erected in the county. Whether the ascent to the mills on the one side was too steep, or the descent on the other too difficult, or whether it came to be thought of mills as it did of churches-better to put them in the valleys than on the hill- top, we may not now know, but standing on the ground and seeing left only the foundation walls and the millstone lying in the stream below, one questions whether

the stream itself had not something to do in their abandonment, this turbulent, wil- ful thing, so fascinating in its beauty, so destructive in its power; now abating somewhat of its violence, turning aside here and there into little nooks, coquetting with the fallen trunks of trees, then back again over the smaller rocks in its bed, giving, as it emerges from the shelter of the woods, a tithe of its power to turn the wheel of a little mill-thus " working out its highway tax," and then after one short, sharp and final plunge, gracefully yielding to the inevitable, making its way through the fertile meadows, passes quietly into the waters of the Winooski.

HENRY LUTHER STUART, ESQ.,

died Sept. 17, 1879, at Athens, Ga., the day being his 64th birthday. He was born . at Berlin, in this State, and after studying medicine, law and engineering, he went to New York in 1843, where he became known in connection with the first efforts to lay an Atlantic cable, and also as the designer of the model on which the public schools are still built. He was also the first to introduce the piano into these insti- tutions. He aided in founding the Five Points Mission in 1851, and was later in- strumental in causing the establishment of the Normal College. He was an old friend of Horace Greeley. He devoted his whole life to the public service, and the Woman's Hospital of New York State and the Eclec- tic Medical College are, in a measure, in- debted to him for their foundation. He was also much interested in the progress of experiments with torpedoes as a means of coast defence. His visit to Georgia was undertaken in connection with the honors lately paid there to Dr. Long, whose name is well known in connection with the his- tory of anæsthetics. His death was caused by paralysis .- Burlington Free Press.

HON. CHARLES BULKLEY,

a native of Colchester, Ct., came to Berlin previous to 1800, and settled near the red arch bridge. He was a prominent lawyer, his office being in Montpelier. He was Judge of Probate for Orange County Court in 1800 and 1801, and chief judge of Wash-

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ington County on its organization in 1813, and representative for Berlin in the State Legislature in 1818. He was an able man, a good citizen and an earnest and efficient member of the Congregational church here in its early days, and at his death was the oldest member of the bar in this County. He died April, 1836, age 72 years. We were late in finding the data for this no- tice, or it would have appeared among the early settlers previously noticed.

George Fowler, an old, early settler of this town, used to hunt with Capt. Joe, Indian.

PUBLIC MONEY JUDICIOUSLY EXPENDED.

Previous to the great flood in Oct. 18-, Berlin street, leading east from the red arch bridge, was anything but a pleasant place to live in, being low, and in spring a complete slough, and the houses old tumble-down affairs. The water having washed out part of the street, the town in- vested $1800 in filling and grading about ¿ mile, and 2 years later, nearly as much more. The improvement seemed catch- ing. The inhabitants took the idea, and almost every house is newly covered ; new ones have been built, a new street laid out with additional buildings, and now, 1881, it is not only a pleasant place in which to live, but one of the pleasant drives near Montpelier.

STEVENS BRANCH.

When the first settlers in this vicinity visited the lower part of this stream they found upon its banks near the mouth a hunter's cabin, and in the cabin the body of a man far gone in the process of decay. He had evidently died alone and unat- tended. They carefully buried the body as well as circumstances would admit. It was afterwards ascertained that he came from Corinth, and his name was Stevens. Hence, the name "Stevens Branch." I is said that on account of disappointment in a love affair he left society and took to the forest.

DOG RIVER

received its name in consequence of a hunter by the name of Martin, losing his

favorite dog in the following manner : He set his gun at night near his camp for the purpose of shooting a bear. During the night he heard the report of the gun, and called his dog to ascertain the results, but failing to find him he waited till morn- ing, when he found the dog was the victim. He threw the dog into the stream, saying " this stream shall be called Dog River."

CABOT.

BY JOHN M. FISHER.

CABOT is situated in the N. E. part of Washington Co .; lat. 40°, 23'; long. 4°, 42' ; 6 miles square ; bounded N. by Wal- den and Danville, E. by Danville and Peacham, S. by Marshfield, and W. by Woodbury, and lies 21 miles easterly from Montpelier. It was granted Nov. 6, 1780 ; chartered by Vermont to Jesse Leven- worth and 65 others, Aug. 17, 1781 ; but not surveyed and lotted till 1786. The survey was made by - - Cabot, of Con- necticut, and James Whitelaw. Thomas Lyford, whose father was one of the first settlers, being at that time a young man, 18 years of age, worked with them through the survey. In the extreme west part of the town Mr. Cabot broke the glass in his compass, and was obliged to go through the wilderness to the nearest house about 6 miles away, and take a square of glass out of the window to replace it.

The names of the grantees were not en- tered upon the town records, and it can- not be determined with certainty who of those ever settled in town. By what we can gather from the original plan of the town, it appears very few of them ever made this town their home.

The township was lotted by James Whitelaw, and a field-book written out by him September, 1786, contains the num- ber of each lot and full description of the same, measurement, etc., closing each with a statement of what in his judgment the land is adapted to, whether pasture or general farming. There were 12 lots in each division, and 6 divisions, making 72 lots in town. The first meeting of the

CABOT.

proprietors was warned by Alexander Har- vey, justice of the peace,

To meet at the house of Jonathan Elkins, in Peacham, County of Orange, on the 2d Monday in June, 1786, to transact the fol- lowing business, viz .: Ist, to choose a moderator to govern said meeting ; 2d, to choose a clerk ; 3d, to agree what they will do respecting the settlers in said town, and to see what encouragement they will give to settlers ; 4th, to lay a tax to de- fray the expense of surveying and lotting said town.

At this meeting, Jonathan Elkins was chosen moderator, and Jesse Levenworth, clerk.

Meetings were adjourned from time to time. November 3, 1786, they met at the house of Thomas Chittenden, in Arling- ton, and the survey being completed and presented to the meeting, it was

Voted that Giles Chittenden and Tru- man Chittenden, being indifferent per- sons, be a committee to draw the lots,

which being done by them in the presence of the meeting as the law directs, was as follows :

Jesse Levenworth, lot No. 5 ; Jesse Lev- enworth, 55; Mark Levenworth, 10; Wil- liam Levenworth, I ; Evans Munson, 57 ; Isaac Doolittle, 64 ; Robert Fairchild, 19; Ebenezer Crafts, 14; Timothy Newel, 72 ; James Lane, 66; Elias Townsend, 28; William Holmes, 18; Richard Mansfield, 70 ; Nathan Levenworth, 15 ; Moses Baker, 20 ; Jas. Whitelaw, 7; Philander Harvey, 65 ; David Bryant, 51 ; Frederick Leven- worth, 53; Jonathan Heath, 33; Eames Johnson, 45 ; Thomas Lyford, 21 ; Edmund Chapman, 50; Benjamin Webster, 40; David Blanchard, 56; Jonathan Elkins, 26; Jonathan Elkins, Jr., 42; William Chamberlin, 60; Ephraim Foster, 44; Abel Blanchard, 58; Benjamin Ambrose, 34 ; Minister, 62 ; Minister, 63 ; Grammar School, 69 ; College, 3 ; William Douglas, 49 ; Asa Douglas, II ; John Douglas, 22 ; Alson Douglas, 68; Beriah Palmer, 17; Martha Douglas, 13; Ebenezer Jones, 67 ; Jesse Gardner, 41 ; Mary Andrus, 47 ; William Douglas, 52; Content Douglas, 46 ; Asa Douglas, Jr., 12 ; Zebulon Doug- las, 48 ; Lyman Hitchcock, 54; Nathaniel

Wales, 36; Saphiah Hitchcock, 2; John Batchelder, 32; Eliphalet Richards, 29; Jonathan Pettet, 30; Matthew Watson, 38 ; Ezekiel Tiffany, 43; Abel Blanchard, 39 ; Peter Blanchard, 27 ; Reuben Blanch- ard, 35 ; Jason Cross, 16; Solomon John- son, 9 ; Robert Hains, 61 ; Samuel Russell, 23; David Waters, 6 ; Thomas Chittenden, Esq., 4 ; Paul Spooner, 25; Joseph Fay, Esq., 8; Abigail Gunn, 59; Barnabas Morse, 24.

Voted that there be a tax of ten shillings to pay the expenses of lotting. There be- ing but 71 proprietors and 72 lots, it was

Voted that lot No. 24 be disposed of, as the settlers now in town should see fit.

Lots No. 62 and 63 were set as minister lots, the rent to go for the support of preaching in town; No. 69, grammar school, the rent of which goes to Peacham Academy ; lots 71 and 72, town school ; lot No. 3, college.

The town was named by Lyman Hitch- cock, one of the grantees, in honor of his bride-elect, Miss Cabot, of Connecticut, a descendant of Sebastian Cabot. Mr. Lev- enworth never settled or lived in town, but settled and built the mills at what is now known as West Danville.

In 1779, Gen. Hazen cut through the wilderness, and made a passable road for 50 miles above Peacham, running through the north-eastern part of Cabot, over what is known as Cabot Plain, through Walden and Hardwick. He camped for a few weeks on the plain about } of a mile to the south of the residence now of Springer. Here they expected an attack from the British from Canada, who were sending a portion of their forces down on the east side of the State, instead of sending them all down the Lake, upon the west side. A fortification was thrown up by Hazen's soldiers. The ground bears the name of Fortification Hill, and a small portion of the fortification is still seen, and a large rock pointed out where the army built their camp-fires.

Connected with Hazen's army was a squad called Whitcomb's Range:s, among whom was Thomas Lyford, grandfather of Thomas Lyford now living in the village

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of Cabot. Gen. Hazen expecting an at- tack from the enemy, Whitcomb and Ly- ford were sent to the north as spies. Dur- ing the long scout Whitcomb's shoes gave out, and he threatened to shoot the first man he met for his. After several days, cautiously proceeding, they heard a dis- tant crackling of the brush, then a faint tramp of feet, and at once secreted them- selves in an advantageous position, and waited. In a short time a scouting party of the enemy discovered themselves, Brit- ish and Indians, making for Gen. Hazen's quarters, commanded by Gen. Gordon. Our scouts felt upon their action for a few moments hung great results ; not only their own lives, but those of their comrades and . Gen. Hazen's army. The enemy advanced, Gen. Gordon in front, little thinking what is concealed in the thicket. Whitcomb thinks of his shoes ; tells Lyford to be cool ; takes good aim ; Gen. Gordon falls forward ; throws his arms around the neck of his horse ; the horse, frightened, turned back and ran into camp ; the Brit- ish general lived to get into camp, but died very soon after. Whitcomb was secreted under a bank where the waters in a little ravine had washed out a hole, which was covered with a log. Over this log, he said, a number of Indians ran whooping, brand- ishing their tomahawks; that he could have pulled any one of them off from the log as they passed over into the hole, but he thought it not best. Lyford was con- cealed near him. After a long search, the Indians gave up they could not find the one who sent the bullet.

As soon as Whitcomb and Lyford con- sidered it safe they came from their hiding places, and returned to the camp of Gen. Hazen with the news. Whitcomb did not get his shoes, but they had accomplished all and more than they set out for. The enemy, dismayed, retreated back to Can- ada, and thus ended what was expected to be a battle or skirmish on Cabot's Plain. [See account of Major Whitcomb and this adventure in vol. I of this work, page 1067-Ed.]

Gen. Hazen finished his road through to the town of Lowell, and then returned to

the south. This road from near Joe's pond, led to the south of the present traveled road, until it came to the three corners of a road near the present grave-yard on the plain ; here it struck what is now the pres- ent traveled road and continued to the north line of the town. It was of great benefit to the first settlers. It is still called the Hazen road.

The settlements began upon the high- est land, in town which has been known as Cabot Plain for the last 40 years ; pre- vious to that as Johnson's Plain. Colonel Thomas Johnson of Newbury, when taken prisoner with Col. Jonathan Elkins of Peacham, by the British in 1781, and car- ried to Canada, the first night of their march camped on this tract of land, and when he returned on parole, soon after, and from that time until late in the present century this locality was called Johnson's Plain. It lies between the Connecticut and Winooski river, and commands an extensive and beautiful prospect, the out- lines of which are formed by the western range of the Green mountains and by the White mountains in N. H.

BENJAMIN WEBSTER,

of Salisbury, now of Franklin, N. H., uncle of renowned Daniel Webster, en- couraged by the liberal offers of the pro- prietors, came to this town in 1783, and made the first opening in the forest for a permanent settlement. The first clearing was made a little north of where George Smith now lives, on the line of the Hazen road. In the opening, Mr. Webster built the first log cabin. Its dimensions, we are not told, but assured it was sufficiently capacious to answer for a house, barn, shed, and all necessary out-buildings ; and that this tenement completed. he returned for his family and moved them into town March, 1783, himself driving the cow, Mrs. Webster traveling on snow-shoes, and the hired man with Mrs. Webster's assistance, drawing the few goods they brought with them on a hand-sled, among which was a wash-tub, and in this tub their little daugh- ter two years of age, who afterwards be- came the wife of Hanson Rogers, Esq.,

CABOT.

and after raising a large family of children, died in the village of Cabot, Sept. 28, 1868, aged 88 yrs. 3 mos., 14 days, highly respected by all who knew her. On their journey from Peacham to their cabin, the snow was 4 feet deep upon a level ; and upon their arrival they found it drifted into their cabin, to the depth of a foot and a half. It had to be shoveled out before they could enter, and then they had only the bare ground for a floor. After getting settled a little, Mr. Webster went to New- bury for provisions. While he was away, the sun coming out warm, Mrs. Webster tapped some trees and made 40 pounds of sugar. It is said she could chop as well as a man, and greatly helped her husband in clearing up his farm.

LIEUT. JONATHAN HEATH

was the second settler. His family ar- rived the first of any settler's family. The Lieutenant came with his family two days before Benjamin Webster came with his. He built his cabin on the line of the Ha- zen road opposite the present burying- ground on the Plain.

NATHANIEL WEBSTER

and family were the third to arrive. He rolled up the logs for his cabin on the op- posite side of the Hazen road from Benja- min Webster's.

LIEUT. THOMAS LYFORD

who was with Whitcomb in the daring adventure of shooting General Gordon, was the fourth settler. He located on the south of the road, near the three corners, near the burying-ground, in what is now Eli B. Stone's field.

The nearest trading point at first was Newbury, 24 miles distant, where they had to go for milling, taking their grain on a hand-sled in winter, or at other times on their backs through the mud. After about three years, there was a mill built at Peacham, and they went there. So great was the hardship to procure milling, they often resorted to battling their grain. They had no neighbors north of them, and none on the south nearer than Peacham. It was some two or three years before any permanent addition was made to their

number. About 1787, six families were added to them, namely, Lyman Hitchcock, David Blanchard, Jeremiah McDaniels, John Lyford, James Bruce, Thomas Batch- elder, and families, emigrants from New Hampshire, who settled on the line of the Hazen road on the Plain.

Up to this time, 1788, the inhabitants had lived in primitive independence, reg- ulating themselves by the principles of common law. The following appears upon the town book as the first step towards a town organization :

Proceedings of the town of Cabot. At the request of four of the inhabitants of the town of Cabot, I hereby notify the freemen and inhabitants of the town to meet at the house of Mr. Thomas Lyford, in said Cabot, on the last Saturday instant March, ten o'clock before noon, then and there being met to choose Ist, a moderator, clerk, and necessary town officers; 2d, to see if they will raise money to defray the incidental charges, and do any other bus- iness that may be necessary.

WALTER BROCK, Justice of the Peace. February 4th, 1788.

The number of voters at the organiza- tion could not have been more than Io or 12. The records of their meetings show that the first settlers seemed to regard military title as conferring almost perma- nent virtue or qualification for office, as seen by the following choice of officers :

Capt. Jesse Levenworth, moderator ; Lieut. Jonathan Heath, Lieut. Thomas Lyford, Lieut. David Blanchard, select- men; Maj. Lyman Hitchcock, town treas- urer ; Ensign Jeremiah McDaniels, con- stable; Edmund Chapman, surveyor of highways. Ensign Jeremiah McDaniels was chosen collector of taxes. One pri- vate only was found qualified to six com- missioned officers for promotion in civil office. The foregoing officers were all sworn into office by the said justice of the peace, Walter Brock.

For 18 years of the settlement this was the metropolis of the town. The lot upon Walden line was owned by Nathaniel Webster. His house stood a little south of where the road leading from the village to Walden depot intersects with the Hazen

VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.

road. Next south was Benjamin . Web- ster's, the first settler; then came Dr. Scott's, Hanson Rogers', Mr. Shephard's, and other houses and farms for about a mile on the line of the Hazen road.

The famous "yellow house " was built by Horace and Gershom Beardsley, two stirring settlers from Massachusetts. It was the first framed house in town, and was first raised in the pasture now owned by Samuel S. Batchelder. At that time a new County was formed from towns set off from the County of Orange, and there was a strong prospect that this town would be the shire town of the new county. With this expectation, the Beardsleys cleared two acres of land in this pasture, taking out the stumps root and branch, for the site of the county buildings. Their hopes not being realized, the house was not fin- ished on this spot, and after standing here about 2 years, was taken down and re- moved to the Plain. The foundation is seen at the present time where it was first raised. The timber all hard wood, and the house two stories, it took a large amount of help to raise it, of men and whisky. All the men and women in this town, Peacham and Danville were invited to the raising. Those invited giving out word that they would drink the Beardsleys dry that day, the Beardsleys prepared themselves. They furnished a barrel of first proof rum, and a second barrel, slightly reduced. It was said never was such rum seen in Cabot be- fore or after. All were invited to take hold and help themselves. In after years the old settlers enjoyed rehearsing the scenes at that raising. They said with a great many of them it lasted two days.

After the removal of the house to the Plain it was very nicely finished, and be- came the " Hub " of the town. It was 40 feet square upon the ground, with a large hall in the ell, used for all kinds of gather- ` ings, and had a long shed attached run- ning to the barn. As all the travel from the north going to the Connecticut river had to pass over Cabot Plain, it was a favorite stopping-place for travelers, and during the war of 1812, those engaged in smuggling made it their quarters.

DOINGS AND VOTES FROM 1788 TO 1806.

At the first March meeting, held the last Saturday in March, 1788, but two votes were taken, one for schools and one to raise a tax on each poll equal to two days' work for building and repairing roads.

From the first town meeting to 1840, each town officer, from town clerk to high- way surveyor, was sworn into office. In 1789, there being no justice of the peace in town, the town clerk was obliged to go to Barnet, where he received the oath of office, administered by Alexander Harvey, Esq.

When the town was fairly organized, at- tention was next given to the protection of property.

Voted to build a pound on Shepard Hill, that swine should not run at large from the 10th of May to the Ioth of October, unless with a good poke on his neck and · a ring in his nose.

The first vote to defray town expenses was Mar. 25, 1779; " To raise 12 bushels of wheat to defray necessary town ex- pense, and purchase a town book for rec- ords," and the first auditors appointed, Lieut. Thomas Lyford, Mr. Thomas Batch- elder, Lieut. Jonas Watts, to examine into accounts of town officers, and report at next meeting. The town book cost $2; wheat was 75 cents a bushel. There were $7 left on the 12 bush. voted after paying for the book, for the " necessary town ex- penses."

March meeting, 1790, the selectmen were instructed to procure a piece of land for a burying-ground .. Six years after, the first burying-ground was laid out.

Mar. 21, 1791, 20 bushels of wheat voted to pay town expenses this year.

Voted that width of sleds for the year ensuing in the town of Cabot shall be four feet and six inches from outside to out- side, and any one found with one of less dimensions on any public road in said town shall be subject to a fine of five dollars for every such offence.

1793, population 122; new school dis- trict, No. 2, formed ; first full list of town officers elected : Capt. James Moss, mod- erator; Lyman Hitchcock, town clerk; Samuel Danforth, James Moss, David

CABOT.

Blanchard, selectmen; Thomas Lyford, town treasurer; Thomas Batchelder, con- stable and collector; Ephraim Marsh, grand juryman ; James Chapman, Martin Durgin, Thomas Osgood, surveyors of highway ; Ezekiel Gilman, hog-ward ; Ed- ward Chapman, fence-viewer ; Jonathan Heath, pound-keeper; Fifield Lyford, sealer of weights and measures ; Thomas Lyford, leather sealer ; listers, selectmen, (see list of town officers).

To this time no steps had been taken to punish violators of the law in case there should be any that should require more than the civil law would give them, and it was voted to build stocks, (whipping post) and sign-post on the Shepard hill near the pound,-15 bushels of wheat was voted for town expenses or, 4s. in cash in lieu of I bushel of wheat, and 5 bushels of wheat, to purchase standard weights and measures for the town.

Voted that Reuben Kelzer be discharged from his fine of eleven shillings for profane swearing, and breaking the peace.

After arrangements had been made for the punishment of civil and criminal of- fenders " :

March, 1794,- Voted that the sum of twenty-one dollars be expended in the pur- chase of 28 pounds of powder, 2 of cwt. of lead and six dozen flints for the town stock of ammunition.

Voted that the fines that have been or shall be laid be appropriated to the use of schools. the present year.

A good use to devote them to.

Previous to 1795, the duty of listers was performed by the selectmen; at March meeting, 1795, the first board were elected : Capt. David Blanchard, Fifield Lyford, Samuel Warner.

1796. In 13 years, the settlement had extended to the south, east and west. The question began to be agitated in regard to removing the seat of government to the geographical center of the town. A meet- ing of the inhabitants was called at the school-house on the Hazen road to take the matter into consideration. As a mat- ter of course, it was stoutly opposed by the pioneers of the town, those that had borne the burden and heat of the day, saw by this move their glory departing. So

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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 13

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