The History of Washington County in the Vermont historical gazetteer : including a county chapter and the local histories of the towns of Montpelier., Part 55

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 55

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June 30, 1881, Jesse Hutchinson, aged 74, by taking poison.

CRIMES.

In 1840, an Irishman was killed in a fight with one of his countrymen, near the old Arch Bridge, and the homicide was tried and sent to the State Prison, but in a few years pardoned.

April 25, 1867, Patrick Fitzgibbons was killed on State street. He was intoxicated, and quarreled with three traveling agents in the Village Hall, where they were at- tending a dance. The agents leaving the hall, Fitzgibbons followed, accompanied by a companion, his brother-in-law. An officer, anticipating trouble, followed them. When passing through the alley-way, he came upon Fitzgibbons, who was in a sit- ting position in a chair, which he carried from the hall, dead, having been stabbed through the heart. All were arrested and acquitted, it always remaining a mystery whether he was killed by one of the agents, or by his brother-in-law through a mis- take, the night being very dark.

Oct. 1864, Patrick Branigan, who had just returned home from three years' ser- vice in the war as a member of the Ist Vt. Battery, very mysteriouely disappeared. He was last heard of late at night, return- ing home in an intoxicated condition, sing- ing on his way. When nearly to his house. which was opposite the Washing- ton County jail, his voice suddenly ceased. His not putting in an appearance the fol- lowing day, foul play was suspected, as he had quite a large sum of money on his person. The river which passes in the rear of the house was very high at the time. Thinking that his body might be found in the river, it was dragged as soon as possible, but was not found, and his fate yet remains a mystery.

Aug. 29, 1873, Albert N. Daniels, an

employee of the Montpelier Manufacturing Company, attempted to take the life of a young lady, an employee of the same works, with whom he was keeping com- pany. He fired two shots at her with a revolver, only one taking effect, and that not proving fatal. After shooting two shots at her, he shot himself through the heart, instantly expiring. The act was committed during the working hours in the room in which the lady was employed.

On Sept. 27, 1880, Joseph Dumas, of Northfield, who formerly resided at Mont- pelier, came to the latter place, and was last seen on the street that evening. A week later his body was found in the Branch, just below the Academy bridge, with several cuts upon the head. Parties last seen with him were strongly suspected of foul play, but sufficient evidence could not be obtained to warrant their arrest.

FIRES.

The number of disastrous fires which had occurred in town previous to 1860 are small. The first one, it is believed, was in 1801, when the first frame school house, standing near the west end of the old bury- ing ground on the Branch, accidently caught fire and was consumed.

In Dec., 1813, a fire occurred which re- sulted in the entire destruction of the large two-story cotton-mill, that had been for some time in successful operation at the river falls, not far from the site now occu- pied by E. W. Bailey's grist mill.

August, 1813, barn of J. B. Wheeler, Esq., with most of his crop of new hay, was struck by lightning.

In 1815, the dwelling house of Seth Par- sons was burned, at a loss of $1,500.

Winter of 1816, a school-house on East . hill, while the school was being kept by Shubael Wheeler.

December, 1818, a paper mill and cloth- ing works occupying the old site of the cotton factory, was burned, with a loss of about $4,000.

About 1820, dwelling-house of Abijah Howard.

In 1822, the blacksmith shop of Joseph Howes was burned, and the same year the

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old Academy building was totally con- sumed by fire.

1824, two-story house of the late Hon. David Wing, Jr.

In March, 1826, occurred, considering the loss of life and personal injuries, the most calamitous fire, perhaps, ever expe- rienced in town up to that time. The wool- en factory and grist mill, on the falls of the North Branch, owned by Araunah Waterman and Seth Parsons, caught fire about daybreak, and was totally consumed, causing a loss of many thousand dollars to the proprietors.

While the fire, which, when discovered, had gained too much headway to leave much hope of saving the factory, was raging in one part of the lower story, Mr. Waterman, Mr. Joel Mead, and Robert Patterson, a leading workman in the es- tablishment, made their way to the upper story, and fell to work to gather up and throw from one of the windows what cloths and stock they supposed they might have time to save. But the fire below spread with such unexpected rapidity, that before they were aware of any danger, the fire burst into the room, cutting off their re- treat downward by the stairs, and even preventing access to the windows the least elevated from irregular ground be- neath. At this crisis Mr. Waterman. closely followed by Mr. Mead, made a des- perate rush through the smoke and flame for a window in the end of the building next the Branch, stove out the sash with the heel of his boot, and threw himself half suffocated through the aperture to the rough and frozen ground or ice some 30 feet below. Mr. Mead followed in the perilous leap, and they were both taken up nearly senseless from the shock, terribly bruised and considerably burned in the face and hands. But none of their bones were broken, and they both in a few weeks recovered. Nothing more was seen of the fated Patterson except his charred skel- eton, which was found in the ruins after the fire subsided. For some reason he had decided not to follow Mr. Waterman and Mr. Mead in the only way of escape then left open to them, and the next min-

ute probably perished in the smoke and fire which must then suddenly have en- veloped him.

May, 1827; a two-story wooden build- ing, standing on the site of the present Argus building, and then owned and oc- cupied by Wiggins & Seeley as a store, was burned, causing a loss of probably not over $2,000.

April, 1828, a paper mill owned by Goss & Reed, of Montpelier, situated at the falls on the Berlin side of the river, was burned ; loss about $4,000.

1834, the oil mill and saw mill, in the former of which was W. Sprague's machine shop, standing also on the Berlin side of the river, but mostly owned and worked by Montpelier men, were both wholly burned.

Feb. 1835, the first Union House, built by Col. Davis about 45 years before, caught fire about ·midday, and was entirely con- sumed ; loss about $3,000.

1842, the dwelling-house of O. H. Smith, Esq., caught fire, and the roof part of the building was destroyed.

1843, the new brick Court House, stand- ing near the present one, was burned, but the records and files were mostly saved.

1848, school-house in the Wheeler dis- trict.

1849, barn of John Gallison, with hay, five horses and colts.

1849, dwelling-house, barn and sheds of Charles Burnham.

1853, the dwelling-house of Harry Rich- ardson, near the Union House, was wholly destroyed by fire.

1854, the building of Ira Town, occu- pied by him as a goldsmith's shop, stand- ing on the present site of A. A. Mead's shop, was burned in part, and the adjoin- ing building of the Patriot office consider- ably injured.

1854, also, the roof part of the upper story of Walton's book-store was destroy- ed by fire, and but for the timely striking of a shower on the excessively dry roofs, that whole block of wooden buildings would probably have been destroyed.

1854, was burned a two-story house standing back of the old Masonic Hall.

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1854, dwelling-house of Orrin Slayton. 1854, three barns of Orlando F. Lewis.

Within the year 1857, two small houses were burned near the brick-yard, and one near Keith's lodge.

1858, school-house in Henry Nutt's school district.

1858, a new one-story house of Mr. Cook- son, on the road leading from the cooper's shop north, through the great pasture, was burned; and in the beginning of the next year, another building erected by the same man, on the same spot, was also burned down.

December, 1859, the large three-story brick and wood, second Union House, val- ued about $5,000, was destroyed by fire.

We make the whole to 1860, but 24; and the property destroyed, except the State House, which was public property, to come within $50,000. Was ever a village of the size, in this respect, more favored?

1860, the old Harran house, on Upper Elm street, burned.

1861, a house occupied by Thos. Arm- strong, in rear of the Burnham hotel.

1862. the store of William W. Cadwell, on Main street, was consumed.

Jan. 1863, Mrs. Chas. G. Eastman's house, on Main street, was partially con- sumed.

In the spring of 1864, the present Union House was nearly destroyed.

Mar. 24, 1868, dry house of Lane Man- ufacturing Company consumed.

Sept. 2, 1868, R. H. Whittier's slaugh- ter house, up the " Branch," consumed.

Jan. 29, 1870, I. S. Town & C. W. Storrs' block, on State street, partly con- sumed.

Apr. 26, 1870, Daniel P. Thompson's residence, on Barre street, consumed.

Dec. 29, 1870, the Vt. Mutual Fire In- surance Co's. new building badly damaged.

Jan. 26, William Moorcroft's Woolen Factory, at Wrightsville, consumed.

Sept. 18, 1871, Grovner B. Paine's house, on North street, consumed.

1872, Lane Manufacturing Company's second dry house consumed.

Dec. 5, 1872, Chas. Reed's residence, on State street, badly damaged,

May, 1873, Stephen Cochran's resi- dence, on Seminary Hill, consumed.

Mar. 12, 1875, the first great fire ; May I, the second.

Feb. 28, 1875, Andrew Burnham's house, on Court street, considerably damaged.

Apr. 22, 1875, W. A. Boutelle's black- smith shop, on Elm street, consumed.

May, 1875, a house belonging to Bart Scribner, up the " Branch."

Dec. 27, 1875, one of the Pioneer Man- ufacturing shops burned.

Feb. 1876, Alonzo Redway's residence, on Court street ; loss $5,000.

Aug. 9, T. O. Bailey's barns, on Mid- dlesex street ; loss $1,200.

Aug. 21, Wm. E. Hubbard's barn, on Barre street ; loss $600.

Nov. 13, E. D. Grey's paint shop, on Main street ; loss $800.

In 1877 no fire occurred, and also in 1874.

Aug. 26, 1878, Louis Barney's barn, on North street, consumed.

January 3, 1878, a destructive fire at Wrightsville-A. A. Green's residence and blacksmith shop and Ezra D. Rawlins' residence.

Oct. II, a barn on Gould Hill, belong- ing to Henry Cummins.

Dec. 30, the school-house near Henry Nutt's place.

Apr. 23, 1879, a barn belonging to A. D. Bancroft, on North street.

June 20, Geo. Jacob's barn, on Main street, consumed ; loss $600.

June 21, a house belonging to Medad Wright, up the " Branch," consumed.

Sept. 2, 1880, a storehouse belonging to C. H. Heath, on Barre street, consumed.

Oct. 3, 1880, W. E. Dunwoodie's res- idence, on Upper Main street, consumed ; loss $1,500.

Jan. 8, 1881, C. W. Willard's residence, on State street, badly damaged.

Jan. 17, one of the Cab Shop buildings burned, on the Berlin side.

Apr. II, a barn belonging to J. R. Langdon, on Barre street, consumed.

Aug. 4, 1881, a new slaughter house on upper North street, owned by W. L. Le- land, was consumed.

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In the year of 1875, Montpelier was visited by two very destructive fires, in- volving the loss of many thousand dollars. The first of these fires broke out about one o'clock in the morning of March 12, in a one and one-half story wooden building on Main street, owned by Thomas W. Wood, and occupied by Joseph D. Clogston as a tin shop. This was consumed, and the two adjoining ones on the east side, the first owned by Carlos Bancroft, a story and a half wooden building, occupied by Peck & Cummins, leather dealers, was also consumed ; and the second, a two and a half story wooden building, owned by James R. Langdon, and occupied by Barrows & Peck, hardware and stoves, was partly consumed. This fire was hardly under control when fire was discovered breaking out through the roof of Ira S. Town's three-story-and the C. W. Storrs' estate-wooden building, on State street. This was consumed, and the three-story brick block on the south sfde, owned by Timothy J. Hubbard, the adjoining build- ings on the north side, the first a new, three-story brick block, owned by Erastus Hubbard : the second, a large, three-story wooden building, owned by Fred E. Smith, and the Rialto, owned by W. A. Boutelle and Eli Ballou, were next consumed, and Eli Ballou's three-story wooden building was partly burned before the flames were stayed. In the rear of these was a story and a half wooden building, owned by T. J. Hubbard, and used as a tenement and storehouse, which was also burned. Aid was summoned from Barre, which was responded to by an engine and company. Nine buildings were burned, and twenty business men and firms burned out, be- sides three law firms, a dentist, photog- rapher, and four societies. The firms burned out were, on Main street, J. D. Clogston, stoves and tin shop; Peck & Cummins, leather dealers ; Barrows & Peck, hardware and stoves. On State street, C. B. Wilson, drugs and medicines ; Geo. L. Nichols, clothing ; Ira S. Town, jeweler ; Orrin Daley, fruit and restaurant : S. C. Woolson, merchant tailor ; A. A. Mead, jeweler: T. C. Phinney, books and sta-

tionery : Jangraw & Meron, barbers ; Chas. Keene, jeweler ; C. H. Freeman, photog- rapher ; W. A. Boutelle, millinery ; E. H. Towne, merchant tailor ; J. O'Grady, boot- maker; T. W. McKee, sewing machines ; State Treasurer's office, C. H. Heath, L. . L. Durant, and Gleason & Field's law of- fices, Masonic hall, Naiad Temple of Honor hall, Post Brooks G. A. R. hall, and Sovereigns of Industry hall. The total loss on buildings and goods was about $75,000, with an insurance of about $47,000.

The only accident that occured was by the falling of the ruins of the Rialto build- ing, under which Wm. T. Dewey, a fire- man, was buried, but escaping with a broken leg.

The business firms had hardly got es- tablished in their new or temporary quar- ters, when they were visited by the second great fire, more destructive than the first. This, like the first, broke out on the west side of Main street, in the rear end of Jef- ferson Bruce's brick building, at about 12 : 30 o'clock on the morning of May I, There being a high wind at the time, the flames spread very rapidly. All the build- ings on that side of the street running south as far as the Montpelier and Wells River railroad depot were soon consumed, and also the James R. Langdon building on the north side, partly destroyed by the previous fire. All of the buildings on the opposite side of the street, from the Fred- erick Marsh residence to the railroad track, and from the head of Barre street up the street as far as the residence of Joel Foster, Jr., on one side, and the residence of Louis P. Gleason on the other, were laid in ashes in a few short hours, making a total of thirty-eight buildings burned, only three of them brick, the rest wooden, and most of them very old, among them being the old Shepard stand and the Col. Jon- athan P. Miller house. The buildings burned were owned by following parties : West side, Main street, a story and a half brick building, J. Bruce ; two large barns in the rear, T. J. Hubbard ; new, two- story wooden building, new, three-story wooden one, tenement house and out-

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buildings, all owned by James G. French ; one-story wooden one, by D. K. Bennett ; two-story and a half wooden one, by N. C. Bacon ; another of the same material and dimensions, the old Shepard tavern, and a new, one-story wooden building, all owned by Eben Scribner. On the east side of the street, the old Frederick Marsh store, the residences and out-buildings of Mrs. John Wood, William C. Lewis, and Mr. Lewis' blacksmith shop, Mrs. Timothy Cross' residence, the large, four-story wooden building, owned by Mrs. C. B. Wilson, Mr. Zenas Wood's residence, with out-buildings, the old Miller house, owned by Andrew Murray. On Barre street, south side, the residence and out-buildings of Mrs. B. M. Clark, Geo. S. Hubbard and Carlos L. Smith, and a tenement house of Mrs. Clark. Barre street, north side, Mrs. R. W. Hyde's residence, and brick house owned by James R. Langdon.

Fifteen business firms were burned out, one livery stable, a carriage-maker and blacksmith, and forty families. The bus- iness firms were: W. A. Boutelle, milli- nery; R. T. Eastman, carriage-maker ; John Q. Adams, livery ; H. C. Webster, dry goods; Putnam & Marvin, W. I. goods ; N. P. Brooks, hardware; D. K. Bennet, gunsmith ; N. C. Bacon, auction store ; Barrows & Peck, stoves, tin and hardware; Henry Cobb, marble dealer ; Geo. M. Scribner, stoves and tin ware ; Hyde & Foster, iron and heavy hardware ; J. D. Clogston, tin ware ; Philip Preston, W. I. goods. Families burned out on Main street, west side, were: J. Bruce, H. C. Webster, Fred. W. Morse, E. N. Hutchins, A. W. Edgerly, Geo. S. West, Elisha Walcott, Mrs. Harris, Geo. W. Parmenter, Chas. T. Summers, Gilman D. Scribner, Oliver P. Thompson ; Main, east side, C. W. Selinas, Frank Keyes, Jerome J. Pratt, Mrs. Glysson, Zenas Wood, Mr. I. Lovely, Mrs. S. C. Gray, Mrs. Mary Lamb, Miss Selinas, Mrs. Dyer Richard- son, Mrs. Timothy Cross, Wm. C. Lewis, Mrs. John Wood, Philip Preston, Mrs. Frederick Marsh, Carlos W. Norton ; Barre street, south side, Mrs. B. M. Clark, Chas. T. Thurston, C. M. Pitkin, Peter Nathan,

Moses Morey, Joseph Felix, Mrs. Aurelia Allard, Carl L. Smith, Hiram B. Wood- ward ; north side, Mrs. R. W. Hyde, and Col. C. B. Wilson.

The flames spread so rapidly, and the heat being so intense, very little time was given to remove the goods and furniture from the burning buildings. What was removed and carried into the street was soon burned. Many families and some business men lost their all, the total loss being about $120,000, with an insurance of about $75,000.

Several firemen and citizens were quite severely burned in their efforts to stay the flames and in saving goods. Many build- ings in various parts of the village caught fire from the falling cinders, and with great effort were extinguished. The light of the fire was seen for many miles in towns about us, and within a radius of twenty miles it was as light as day, people being awake thinking that the fire was that of some near neighbor's buildings. In the appeals for aid sent out, Barre and North- field each responded by sending fire en- gines and men, and at dawn the fire was under control. Daylight presented a såd picture from the State street bridge to the Montpelier and Wells River depot, and as far as Joel Foster's house, on Barre street, but three buildings remaining standing- T. J. Hubbard's brick and wooden build- ings on the corner, and Carlos Bancroft's brick building adjoining.

Never was more energy displayed than in the rebuilding of the burned districts, the smoke having barely cleared away when several large and splendid brick blocks were under way in the course of erection, some of them occupied within four months.

May 25, 1880, the Court House burned, leaving only the outside walls standing ; loss $15,000. It had been remodeled and enlarged the previous year, an extension of 22 feet having been added in the rear, the whole costing about $10,000. All the books and records of value were saved, the only loss being the files of the news- papers published in town for many years back, all being a total loss.

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Jan. 6, 1857, the State House, which was being warmed up on the eve of the sep- tenary Constitutional Convention, caught fire from the furnace, and all but the empty granite walls, with their brick linings, was destroyed, and all the contents, except the library, which was got out, and the books and papers in the safe of the Secretary of State's office, a few articles of furniture and the portrait of Washington, was re- duced to a heap of ruins.

BURNING OF THE STATE HOUSE. BY JOSEPH A. WING, ESQ. O'er Montpelier, beauteous town, The shades of night were closing down; The lovely moon, the queen of night, Was driving on her chariot bright; And star on star their influence lent, 'Till glowed with fire the firmament. The wind was blowing high and strong, And swept in fearful gusts along; The plercing cold had cleared the street Of merry volce and busy feet, -- And gathered 'round the cheerful hearth, The smiling face, the social mirth, Show'd that the night was gally past, While outward howled the roaring blast.

What means that wild and startling cry, To which the echoing hills reply ? First feeble, low, and faint and mild; 'Then lond, and terrible and wild. 'Tls fire! firel that awful sound! Fire! direl firel the h.lls resound! Now rising near-now heard afar, The stillness of the night to mar, Join'd with the wind's wild roaring, hear The cry of fire burst on the ear! Forth from the hearth, the shop, the store, At that dread sound, the myriads pour- And, gathering as they pass along, Each street and alley swells the throng, The rattling engines passing by, The roaring wind, the larum cry, The ringing bells, the wild affright, Still add new terrors to the night.

See yonder grand and stately pile, With lofty dome, and beauteous alsle, Our village glory and our pride, Whose granite walls old Time defied; Her halls of state, her works of art, Both please the eye, and charm the heart.

The moon's pale light on those dark walls Coldly now Is glenming; But In her proud and lofty halls A wilder light Is streaming. Now gally dancing to and fro, Now upward speeds its flight- See! on Its dome, now capped with snow, The flame doth spread its fearful glow Of purple light.

The wind roars loud, the flames flash high, Leaping and dancing to the sky ; While In the rooms below,

From hall to hall resistless rushing,

From doors and windows furious gushing- Oh! how sublime the show!

Dark clouds of smoke spread far and wide,

· And balls of fire on every side Fall Ilke the autumn hall ;

Before the fury of the blast, The rushing flames, that spread so fast, The heart of man may quail.

Ah, man, how feeble is thy power, In that dread and fearful hour

When flames are flashing free From lofty spires and windows high, And clouds of smoke obscure the sky, As onward, on, the flames rush by In wildest revelry!

Roar on, fierce flame; beneath thy power The works of years, in one short hour, Are swept from earth away; And nought is left of all their pride, But ashes, scattered far and wide, And crumbling walls, with smoke dark-dyed, Spread out in disarray.

That lofty pile, one hour ago,- The State's just pride. the Nation's show, Capp'd with its bright and virgin snow,- In beauty shone : The next, a mass of ruined walls, Of columns broke, and burning halls,- Its beauty flown.

FLOODS.

From incontestible indications, it ap- pears the water in the unprecedented rise of the Winooski in the flood of 1785, rose some three or four feet higher than the highest parts of State street. This would have submerged nearly every acre of the whole of the present site of Montpelier village from one to a dozen feet, from the rise of the hills on one side to that of the corresponding ones on the other side.

Floods filling the channels of the river and branch to the tops of their banks, with overflows in all the lower places, were of almost yearly occurrence during the first 20 years after the settlement of the town. But the first one that fairly overflowed the banks and came into the streets to much extent, occurred, as far as we have been able to ascertain, in the summer about 1810, the water submerging all the lower parts of Main and State streets, bursting over the western bank of the branch just above State street bridge, tearing out the earth near the bridge, rendering the street nearly impassible for wagons, and leaving, on the subsiding of the flood, a pond hole 6 or 8 feet deep and 20 wide, extending to the border of the street. Into this hole one of the lawyers blundered on a dark

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night some time afterwards, as we recollect from the circumstance that the wags of the village dubbed him for the time, "Walk-in-the-Water," in allusion to the name of the Indian chief, who, about the same time, had in some way become known to the public.

In this hole was subsequently drowned, from falling in during a dark evening, Carver Shurtleff, a little man with a big voice, noted for expertness in flax-dressing and his propensity for trading in dogs.

March 24, 25, 1826, on the breaking up of the river, an unusually high spring flood swept away the old trestle-bridge lead- ing across the river to Berlin, and car- ried off the grist mill of James H. Lang- don, on the Berlin side. This flood oc- curred in the night, and was entirely unexpected. Probably less than a dozen people witnessed it, and can testify to the peril in which many families were placed. As the ice broke up above Langdon's mill, it formed a dam upon the bridge and piers, and almost the entire river was turned through what is now Barre street and the lower part of Main street, in a body like a wall or large wave. My informant saw it coming near the Shepard tavern, was forced to run with all speed, and found no refuge until he reached the portico of the Union House. Fortunately this change in the course of the river lasted but a few minutes, else many houses would have been swept off. The bridge gave way, and with it the dam, taking a part of one of the paper mills and the river wall of Langdon's grist mill, and on the following day the grist mill fell into the stream.

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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 55

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