The History of Washington County in the Vermont historical gazetteer : including a county chapter and the local histories of the towns of Montpelier., Part 30

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 30

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On one occasion Paul Boyce was going ff into the woods with his oxen, when he et a bear with two cubs face to face. The eeting was not a remarkably pleasant one him ; he being a Quaker and averse to ;hting, was pleased when the bear turned d trotted off.

farm. He resided there as long as he lived, and his companion, who survived him many years, died there. The place has never passed out of the family, a grand- daughter at present residing there. This farm and the Brigham farm are the only ones in South Fayston which have never passed out of the families of the first set- tlers.

Deer-yards were frequently found on the eastern slopes of the hills. The early set- tlers used to hunt them in winter when the snow was deep, so that they could not es- cape. Buck's horns were often found in the woods. Sable were quite abundant. Ezra Meach, of Shelburne, passed through the town in 1809, setting his line of traps for sable, and blazed trees along his route. He found it quite profitable business, as these animals were exceedingly good in the western part of the town. The panther, the great dread of the juvenile community, was often seen, or supposed to be seen, but never captured in this town.

UNCLE JOHN'S INDIAN RAID.

Some time about 1803, there were then five or six families settled in what is now known as South Fayston. There were Uncle John and Uncle Rufus Barrett-I call them Uncle John and Uncle Rufus, as these were the names by which I knew them in my early childhood, albeit they were both young men at the date of my story. There were Squire Wait and Thos. Green, and if there were others I do not know their names.

Now at that time the raising of a new house or barn was a job that required plenty of muscle and new rum, for they were built of logs, and very heavy.

On a certain day, somebody in Warren was to raise a barn, and as the country was sparsely settled, everybody was in- vited far and near, and all the men of Fays- ton went except Uncle John. Whether he stayed at home to guard the women and children from the bears and wolves, tra- dition saith not. I only know he "tarried by the stuff," and all went well till near sundown, when suddenly there burst upon

About the year 1809, Stephen Griggs migrated from Pomfret, Conn., and set- d about one-half mile from Esquire Wait's | his ears a long, wild cry, between a howl

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and a whoop. Uncle John was on the alert ; he listened with bated breath a few moments ; louder and nearer than before came that terrible howl, this time in a dif- ferent direction.

"'Tis the Indian war whoop," said Uncle John ; “ no doubt we are surround- ed, and the men all away." He stood not upon the order of going, but went at once. Uncle John was no coward, and if the red- skins got his scalp, they should buy it dearly, he resolved, and seizing his gun, bidding his wife to follow, he ran to alarm the neighbors, and get them all together, that he might defend them as long as pos- sible. In a short time every woman and child in the settlement was ensconced in Uncle Rufus' domicile, with all the fire- arms the settlement contained, the door barricaded, and all the preparations made to receive the red-skins that one man could do, aided by a few courageous women. They listened, with hearing made acute by fear, for the repetition of the war whoop. Now they heard it evidently nearing them -Uncle John loaded all the guns-now they heard it further away. With pale faces and palpitating hearts, they awaited the onset. The twilight shades deepened, the night closed in, but still the Indians did not attack them.

Now there was an additional anxiety among the inmates of the little cabin, for it was time for the men to be returning from the raising, and as they were un- armed, they would fall an easy prey to the Indians.

Meanwhile the men, having finished their labors, were returning home, all uncon- scious of the danger menacing them. They reached home, but were surprised to find those homes deserted. "Come on to my house," said Uncle Rufus, "perhaps the women were lonesome, and have gone to make my wife a visit." So, not knowing what else to do, they went on. Yes, there was a light at Uncle Rufus', sure enough, and a glance sufficed to show that there was some unusual commotion within. What could it be ?

" Hark, I hear voices," cried one of the women, " it is the Indians this time, sure."

The children began to cry, and I suppose it would have been very delicate if the women had fainted, but they did no such thing.

"What are you all about here? why don't you let us in?" cried Uncle Rufus, shaking the door. The door was opened speedily, and instead of being scalped by the Indians, they fell into the arms of their astonished husbands.

" What is all this pow-wow about, any- way?" said one. Then Uncle John ex- plained how he had heard the Indian war- whoop off in the woods, and had gathered the women and children there together for protection. The men burst into a loud laugh. "It was the wolves," said Squire Wait, "we heard them howling on the mountain as we came home. I'll be bound there isn't a red-skin within 50 miles."

Uncle John was somewhat crestfallen, but he was rather glad after all that it wasn't Indians, for he preferred to have his scalp in its proper place, rather than dangling from the red-skins' belts.

Some time in 1814, there was a rumor current of great treasure buried by the Spanish Legions at the forks of Shepherd's brook, and William Boyce, having a desire for " the root of all evil," resolved to find it. He engaged one Arad Sherman, a man of such magical powers that in his hands a witch-hażel rod performed as many antics as the rod of Aaron, and they went about the search. Arad took the enchanted rod, and lo! it pointed out the exact location of the buried treasure, bu it remained for them to dig and get it. I had been revealed to Arad that they mus dig in the night time, and no word mus be spoken by any one of the number dur ing the whole time of the digging, else th treasure would be lost to them. So on night they started on their secret exped tion. Nothing was heard but the dull thu of the bars in the earth, and grating of th spade. The earth was obstinate, but the were determined no powers of earth shou cheat them of their treasure. The hou wore on, when suddenly William's b struck against the iron chest containing tl treasure, with a sharp " clink." Ove

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joyed at their success, William forgot the caution and cried out "I've found it !" At that instant the box shook with an ominous rattle, and sank down, down, far below the sight of their longing eyes, taking the bar and all with it, says the tradition. Fright- ened nearly out of their wits, they "ske- daddled" for home, sadder if not better men, and the treasure remains buried there to this day.

In the winter of 1826, a beautiful doe was run down Shepherd's brook to Mad river, near Jason Carpenter's and brought up in an open eddy out of the reach of the dogs. Judge Carpenter caught it in his arms, and, seven or eight hunters coming up just then, he told them that they could not have the doe, but each one of them might go and select a sheep from his flock, if they would go home about their busi- ness. Nothing but the beautiful doe would satisfy these blood-thirsty hunters, and, seizing the deer by main force, they killed it on the spot.

Pigeons were abundant. One device for keeping them off the grain patches was a boy threshing a log chain around a stump. They used also to construct bough houses on the edge of the field, and draw a huge net over the baiting place, thus se- curing dozens at a haul. Partridges were caught on their drumming logs in snares, or, if not there, the gunner was sure to find them in some thicket. So it came to be a proverb, " hunted like a partridge."

In early days Uncle Moses Eaton used to bring corn from Richmond on the backs of two horses, the roads not being passable for any vehicle.

On his journey Uncle Moses met Uncle® Joe Clark, of Duxbury, at Pride's tavern in Waterbury. "Now," said Uncle Joe, " you will want some pork to go with that corn, and you just call at my house, and tell Aunt Betsey to put you up a good clear piece of pork." The next time they met Uncle Moses said, " I called on Aunt Bet- sey, as you told me, and she raised her hands and blessed herself, saying, " What on airth does that man mean, sending any one here for pork, when he knows that we haint had any kind of meat in the house

for six months ?" But Uncle Joe enjoyed the joke hugely.

In Fayston there was considerable snow on the 8th and 9th of June, 1816, and everything was frozen down to the ground. The trees put out new leaves three times during that season, having been cut off ' twice by frost ; hardly anything ripened, and the settlers saw dreary times.

WILLIAM NEWCOMB

came to the township quite early in its set- tlement, and finished his days here. He built one of the first framed houses in town, Esquire Wait's being the first ; Mr. Newcomb and Merrill. Tyler each built theirs the same year, but I am unable to learn in what year. Mr. Newcomb's farm was occupied by his son Hosea many years, but has passed into the hands of strangers. The old house was burned during a high wind, in Oct. 1878.

DR. DAN NEWCOMB, son of Hosea New- comb, was born and reared here, but has been for several years a practicing physi- cian in Steele County, Ill. He is also the author of a medical work entitled, " When and How," a work of considerable merit. Don Carlos, another son, is a prominent wholesale merchant of Atchison, Kansas.

NATHAN AND JACOB BOYCE.

In 1808, Nathan Boyce and his wife, Zeviah, came to Fayston, and settled on Shephard's brook, near Paul Boyce, of whom he was a relative, and also of the Quaker faith. Nathan Boyce died many years ago ; his wife in 1856, aged about 90, I think. She resided with her son Jacob, who died in 186 -. His wife still survives him, at the age of 81 (1878. She is still living, Aug. 1881.) She lives on the old farm with her son, Seth Boyce. The farm has always remained in the family.

Jacob Boyce had 4 sons and 4 daughters, all of whom, save one, are settled in Fays- ton or the immediately adjacent towns.

BRIGHAM FAMILY.

In 1809, Gershom Brigham and family emigrated from Winchester, N. H., and settled in South Fayston, near Lynde Wait's. Elisha, their third child, was then 17 years old, and eventually settled on the

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same land, his other brothers and sisters finding other homes. His parents resided with him while they lived, and their bones rest in the little green grave-yard on the old Wait farm. Elisha lived here to ripe old age, raising a family of 1 1 children, all of whom are now living except one daugh- ter, who died at the age of 42. The two eldest sons and the two youngest daughters of this family have some literary talent, having all contributed to the press accept- ably, in prose and verse. The eldest son, [See separate notice of Dr. G. N. Brigham].

Elisha Brigham died in 1863, aged 70 years ; his widow in 1876, aged 77. The old home that she had resided in for more than 40 years, took fire in some mysterious manner, and was burned in the early morn- ing hours, when her demise was hourly expected. She was borne from the flam- ing house to the home of a neighbor, and breathed her last in the very house whence she went on her wedding day to be mar- ried 59 years before.

Mrs. Brigham was a woman of remark- able powers, mental and physical. Left an orphan by the death of her mother at the age of 12, she came from Randolph, Vt., her native place, to reside in the family of Esquire Wait, so she became early identi- fied with the history of the town. Her re- markably vigorous constitution and ambi- tion to excel, fitted her for the position of a pioneer's wife, and she endured the hard- ships and deprivations consequent on the building up of a new place, with great fortitude. With a large family of her own and many cares, yet she acted as nurse for half the town, and such was herskill in the management of the sick, that the old phy- sician, now dead, used always, if he had a critical case, to send for Mrs. Brigham, and said, with her to nurse them, he felt pretty sure of bringing his patients through. Her very presence and touch seemed to bring healing with them.

When Mrs. Brigham was a fair, young wife of 19, she was small, lithe and supple, with nerves of steel, and she never shrank from any of the hardships of her life. They then made sugar nearly a mile from the house. It was growing late in the

spring, and Mr. Brigham was anxious to be about his spring's work, and his wife, being equally anxious for a good supply of sugar, offered to go with her sister, a girl of 17, and boil in the sap. Taking the baby with them, they started for the sugar- camp. It was late in spring and quite warm, and babies were not killed by a breath of fresh air in those days. They boiled sap all day, Mrs. B. gathering in some sap near the boiling place. In the afternoon they heard a good deal of bark- ing off in the woods, but supposed it was some hounds after foxes. Mr. Brigham did not get up to the sugar-camp to bring down the syrup till nine o'clock, they stay- ing there alone until that time. A neigh- bor passing through the camp early the next morning, found a sheep dead at the foot of a tree where Mrs. Brigham had gathered sap at sundown. The sheep was still warm when Mr. Brigham arrived on the spot. On looking around, they found 20 sheep had been killed by the wolves. Mrs. Brigham and her fair sister did not care to boil till nine o'clock the next night.

On one occasion Mrs. Brigham, desiring to get some weaving done, mounted an un- broken, 3-years-old colt, that had never had a woman on his back before, and started on a ride of 4 miles through the woods, to Wm. Farr's, with a bag of yarn fastened to the saddle-bow. There was only a bridle- path part of the way, and the colt was shy, but he found his match in the little woman of scarce 100 pounds' weight, and carried her safely to her destination. Her busi- ness dispatched at Mr. Farr's, she started homeward by another route, having oc- casion to call at one William Marsten's, who lived far up on the road leading over the mountain into Huntington, and from thence homeward by a route so indistinctly mark- ed, blazed trees being the guide, she mis- took a path worn by the cattle for the traveled road, and did not discover her mistake till she came up to the pasture fence. Nothing daunted, she took down the fence, passed over, then replaced it, and went over, being then so near home that she felt pretty sure of her whereabouts. After the colt became better broken, she

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used often to take one child in her arms and another behind her, and go to the store, 3 or 4 miles distant, or visit a distant neighbor, or to go to meeting.

JOTHAM CARPENTER

was the first settled minister, and received the minister lot of land in this town. How many years he remained here I know not, but he has one son now living in Brook- field.

Preaching has generally been of a desul- tory character, owing to the fact that North and South Fayston are divided by a nat- ural barrier of hills, that makes it far more convenient for the North section to go to Moretown, and the South part is more ac- cessible to Waitsfield, so that it seems probable that the different sections will never unite in worship. The people in N. Fayston have an organized Baptist society, and have quite frequent preaching, and some years hire a minister, and many years ago, the Methodists had quite a large society in So. Fayston, but it has been dismembered a long time, and most of its former members are dead, and those re- maining have united with the Methodist church in Waitsfield.

John and Rufus Barrett were among the early settlers, and one Thomas Green, but as they have no descendants remaining in town, I cannot tell when they settled here, but they were here as early as 1803, it is believed.

Elizabeth, widow of John Barrett, died in Waitsfield a few years since (1878) aged 93 years. She survived her husband many years.

One Jonathan Lamson died in town sev- eral years ago, at the age of 84. His wife lived to the age of 107 years. Timothy Chase died at the age of 91 ; his wife, Ruth, some years earlier, over 80. Lynde Wait, the first settler, moved from town many years ago, and eventually went West, and I have learned, died at an advanced age, over 80. Nearly all the early settlers whom I have known, lived to ripe old age, but they have passed away, and with them much of the material for a full history of the town. I have gathered as much as I

could that is reliable, but even the last two, from whom I have elicited most of the facts recorded here, have now gone to their long homes, and 'much that I have gathered here would now be forever sealed in silence, had I began my work a little later.

CAPT. ELLIOT PORTER,

the first captain of the militia in the town, was born in Hartford, Vt., 1785, married Sidney Ward in 1811, and soon after re- moved to Fayston, where they began to clear them a home in the North part of the town, where they resided till their death. He died at the age of 89 ; his wife at 86. They had 8 children. William E. Porter, their son, died at 57; 4 sons are now living.

WILLARD B. PORTER,

son of Elliot, has always resided in town, near where he was born, and has served the town in almost every official capacity. He has been town clerk 31 years, school district clerk 25 years, treasurer 14 years, justice of the peace 30 years, and in that capacity married 86 couple. He has rep- resented the town 6 sessions, including I extra session, and has attended 2 consti- tutional conventions. Mr. Porter says the first school he attended was in his father's log-house chamber ; the scholars, his eldest brother, himself and one Jane Laws; the teacher's name, Elizabeth Sherman. Mr. Willard Porter has done more business for the town than any other person now living.

WARREN C. PORTER

served as a soldier during nearly the whole war of the Rebellion, and has taught school 24 terms. Dr. Wilfred W. Porter, see separate notice. Walter, the youngest son, remains on the old homestead, and it was his care to soothe the declining years of his parents as they went slowly down the dark valley.

There was no death occurred in the family of Elliot Porter for 50 years.

WILLIAM SHERMAN

was among the early settlers of Fayston, though I am not informed in what year he

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settled here. He represented the town in the general assembly, and held other town offices. His daughter, widow of Eli Bruce, still lives on the old homestead that he re- deemed from the wilderness.

ELI BRUCE

was a long-time resident of Fayston, and did a large amount of business for the town, several times being the represent- ative, and justice of peace for many years. He died at the age of 69. His daughter was the first person buried in the cemetery in N. Fayston.

SILAS W. FISHER

resides in N. Fayston, on the farm where he has lived for 50 years. His wife has been dead some years. He has two sur- viving sons; one in the West, and the other, C. M. Fisher, is constable of Fays- ton at the present time-1878. He died in 1879.

BENJAMIN B. FISHER

was the first postmaster in town, and held the office till his death, and his wife held the office 4 years afterwards. Truman Murray is the present incumbent.

RILEY MANSFIELD

came to the town when he was quite a young man, and passed his days here, dying in 1876, aged 75 ; his wife in 1874 ; out of a large family, there is only one sur- viving child of theirs.

JOSEPH MARBLE

came to Fayston in September, 1809, and with his wife Susan passed the remnant of his days here, dying at the age of 84; his wife at 81. They had 11 children, two only are living (1878.) One daughter in Wisconsin, and Benjamin on the farm where his father began 70 years ago. He is I think now over 80 years of age-is still living, aged 86. Cynthia, daughter of Joseph Marble, and widow of Peter Quim- by, died Aug., 1878, aged 74.

One fall, Joseph Marble, Jr., had a log- rolling, to build a new house, the old one giving signs of failing up. In the evening the rosy cheeked lasses from far and near joined with the athletic youths in a dance. It wasn't the "German," nor waltz, nor

polka, but a genuine jig. It was a merry company who beat time to the music of a corn-stalk fiddle in farmer Marble's kitch- en, the jocund laugh and jest followed the "O be joyful," as it went its unfailing round, which it always did on such occa- sions. They grew exceedingly merry, and one fellow, feeling chock full and running over with hilarity, declared " When they felt like that they ought to kick it out." So they put in " the double shuffle, toe and heel," with such zest that the decayed sleepers gave way. Down went floor, dancers, corn-stalk fiddle, and all, into the cellar. Whether the hilarious fellow " kicked it out" to his satisfaction, we are not informed, but if his fiddle was injured in its journey it could be easily replaced.

In 1830, a little daughter of William Marston, 4 years old, strayed from home, and wandered on and on in the obscure bridle path. She came out at one Carpen- ter's, in Huntington, having crossed the mountain, and spent a day and a night in the woods ; and beasts of prey, at that time were numerous upon the mountains.

Jonathan Nelson had a son and daugh- ter lost in the woods about 1842. The boy was 12 years of age, the girl younger. After a toilsome search, they were found on the second day, unharmed, near Cam- el's Hump.

In 1847, the alarm was given that a little son of Ira Wheeler, 4 years old, had not returned from school. The neighbors turned out, and searching all day returned at night without any trace of the lost one. The mother was almost distracted. The search was continued the second day with no better results. I remember hearing my brother say, as he took a quantity of provisions with him on the third day, that they were "resolved not to return home again until the boy was found either dead or alive," though many thought that he must have perished already, either from hunger and fatigue, or from the bears in- festing the woods. He was soon found in the town of Duxbury, several miles from home, having been nearly 3 days and nights in the woods. He had carried his dinner-pail when he started from school

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at night, and providentially some of the scholars had given him some dinner that day, so that his own remained untouched.

This being the second time the men had been called out to hunt for lost children in 5 years, some of them were getting rather tired of the thing, whereupon Ziba Boyce drew up a set of resolutions and read them on the occasion, after the child was found, and all were feeling as jolly as such weary mortals could. I have not a copy of them all, but it was resolved " that mothers be instructed to take care of their children, and not let them wander off into woods to be food for the bears, or for the neighbors to hunt up."

There have been no more lost children to search for in Fayston since that, so we may suppose it to have been effective.

Fayston, along with other towns, has suffered from freshets at various times. In the year 1830, occurred what was known as the "great freshet." Buildings were swept away, one person was drowned, and others barely escaped. The famous " Green Mountain slide," which began within a few feet of the summit, where the town is divided from Buel's Gore, in sight of the homestead where I was born, occurred in the summer of 1827. It had rained quite hard some days, and the soil, becoming loosened, gave way, carrying with it trees, rocks, and the debris of ages, on its downward course. Gath- ering impetus as it advanced, for the moun- tain is very steep here, it went thundering down the mountain side a distance of a mile or more, with a crash and rumble that shook the earth for miles around, like an earthquake. One branch of Mill brook comes down from here, and, being dam- med up by the debris of this grand ava- lanche, its waters accumulated till it be- came a miniature lake, then overleaping its barriers it rushed down to its work of destruction below. In July, 1858, a destructive freshet visited Fayston, and he towns adjacent. It had been exceed- ngly dry, and water was very low. At ' o'clock in the afternoon, on Satur- lay, July, 3, the workmen in the mill of Campbell & Grandy were desiring rain,

that they might run the mill. They got what they desired, only got too much ; for instead of running the mill they ran for their lives, and let the mill run itself, as it did very rapidly down stream, in less than 2 hours after the rain commenced. The old saying "it never rains but it pours" was verified ; it came in sheets. I remem- ber watching the brooks surging through our door-yard ; we felt no alarm, thinking a thunder shower not likely to do much damage. We retired to rest, and slept undisturbed, not being in the vicinity of the large streams. We learned in the morning every bridge between Fayston and Middlesex, but one, was swept away. Campbell & Grandy's mill went off before Io o'clock, and the house pertaining to. the mill was so much undermined by the water, the inmates left, taking what valuables they could with them. Mr. Green's fam- ily also deserted their house. The water was several feet deep in the road, but, the storm soon subsiding, the houses did not go off.

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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 30

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