USA > Vermont > The Lake Champlain and Lake George valleys, Vol II > Part 34
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The presidents of the medical societies in western Vermont as listed in the Annual Report of the Vermont State Medical Society for 1938 were: Addison County-B. F. Andrews, Middlebury; Bennington County-W. H. Browning, Bennington; Burlington and Chittenden County Clinical Society-A. R. Hogan, Burlington; Franklin County -M. A. Bisson, St. Albans; Rutland County-F. E. Quigley, Rutland. The heads of the New York county medical societies in 1939 were: Clinton County-E. Wessell, Plattsburgh; Essex County-V. R. McCasland, Moriah; Saratoga County-R. B. Post, Ballston Spa; Warren County-D. M. Sawyer, Glens Falls; Washington County- W. B. Nuzzo, Hartford.
In spite of the fact that much has already been written about the development of the springs at Saratoga from the resort angle, no chapter on medicine in this area would be complete without further reference to them from the point of view of health. It is the first true spa that the United States has ever had, and is an institution owned and operated by New York State for the treatment, mainly, of chronic diseases. The natural carbon dioxide content of the waters exceeds by from 50% to 75% the amount usually found in artificially pre- pared baths, and this great amount of gas, combined with the natural mineral content of the waters, accounts for the great success of Sara- toga Spa therapies. In 1936 approximately 31% of the patients came here for the curing of heart and circulatory disorders; 24% for rheu- matic conditions; 18% for gastro-intestinal ailments; 8% for nerv- ous conditions, functional and organic; 4% for metabolic diseases; 2% for non-infectious skin diseases; 3% for miscellaneous reasons ; and 10% for no disease, chiefly general debility.
In the treatment not only for stomach and intestinal ailments, but also of such rheumatic conditions as arthritis, neuritis and muscular rheumatism, mineral water is used both internally and externally.
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Chronic respiratory ailments, including irritation of nasal membranes and accessory nasal cavities, as well as those affecting the air passages to the lungs, are soothed and benefited by inhaling the waters. When combined with certain medications such inhalations will often reduce the number and severity of attacks of asthma. Obesity is also cor- rected here. The waters have been found particularly effective "in cases with mild to moderate weakening of the heart muscle (myocar- ditis), in conditions affecting the arteries of the heart (angina), in general arteriosclerosis, variations from normal blood pressure, whether high or low, and in functional heart conditions." It is an ideal place for the restoration of those who have undergone severe strain or who are generally run down. The stimulation of the baths followed with rubs and massages does much to restore tired souls, particularly when accompanied by the relaxations incidental to a summer resort, the excitement of hoof-beats and the beauty of the countryside. There is every reason to believe that the medicinal prop- erties of the mineral waters at Saratoga Springs will be used more and more in the future, and that this city is destined to even greater fame in the field of medicine than it possesses at present.
There can be no question but that one of the greatest contribu- tions of this section to the Nation and the world is in the field of pub- lic health. There is no way to estimate its value, but it certainly is tremendous. Most of the people comprising the multitudes that flock to our lakes, mountains, ponds, rivers and camps yearly are benefited in this respect whether the improvement of their health is the primary reason for their visits or not.
The beauty of nature alone is a tonic to a tired and depressed soul. Life must sometimes become meaningless and dull to one who is confined to the dust and monotony of city streets, rushing here and there with all the efficiency characteristic of an ant. Even where parks do exist, he may not find time to visit them, or if he does do so the crowd may be so great that the beauty that does exist there is lost. Contrast this with a visit to a mountain paradise. Here for a few short days he may be locked in Mother Nature's fond embrace. Peace and quiet pervade the hillsides, and in the beauty and holiness of his Creator's presence, life is given meaning and purpose. Various aspects of his existence assume their proper place in his thoughts, and he returns to his usual haunts with zest and a quickened step.
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The climate, the altitude, and the fresh air which have been found so helpful in combating tuberculosis are equally valuable in other phases of health work. Many of the hordes who come here each year have as their chief aim the restoration of health by rest, relaxa- tion, or otherwise. Some seek to rest in peace and comfort at a hotel, a tourist home, or a modern farm house, while others prefer the rigors of camping, hunting, fishing or the trail. In either case, the needs of health are often paramount, and generally the vacationist returns to his urban home with better nerves, purer blood, and generally a saner outlook on the importance of maintaining his physical standards.
The communities of this area, as a rule, recognize the importance of their health resources. Public-minded individuals are zealously try- ing to guard them against selfish despoliation. Hospitals, especially in the field of tuberculosis, have developed rapidly in the last forty or fifty years. There is every reason to believe that the development of this area as a health resort will continue to progress and that the future will exceed the past. Pomeroy, Beaumont and Trudeau certainly have pro- vided us with a great heritage. The medical profession of these counties is equipped to carry high the lighted torch handed to them by the leaders of ages past, and faces the rising sun looking for other worlds to conquer.
CHAPTER XXIII
Religion and Education
1
The relationship between religion and education in this section has been close and intimate. In fact, much of the progress of the schools has been due fundamentally to the abiding faith and active work on the part of church groups. On the early frontier those who were most interested in the betterment of morals and the redemption of souls were also the most concerned with the improvement of minds. The same is true in this present day. At any school meeting we find that the good fight for improved educational facilities is led by those who are also vitally concerned with the moral improvement of man. This relationship is but natural, for in both fields the ultimate aim is concerned with the cultural development of the individual.
More often than not the early clergyman was the intellectual as well as spiritual leader in his community, because he, as a rule, had acquired a more extensive education than his neighbors. Because of his dual position alone there was a close link between education and religion. In addition, the Bible was not only the corner stone of fron- tier religion but it was also the leading textbook. In fact, the chief motive for learning to read at all was to be able to interpret the Scrip- tures. The pioneer possessed few books, but among them the Bible was prominent; sometimes it constituted the entire family library. Debate, both formal and informal, was a favorite intellectual exer- cise in the early communities, and one favorite topic of discussion, challenged only by politics, was religion or theology. In the early schools there were daily readings from the Bible and considerable religious discussion. The teacher, himself, might be a clergyman or one who was preparing to enter that profession. During the last cen-
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tury, except in the case of parochial schools, there has been a trend toward the separation of religion and education into distinct and unrelated fields, although we keenly realize even today that to make a well-rounded individual there must be proper physical development, mental growth and moral maturity.
At first itinerant clergymen held services in frontier cabins or in barns. Sometimes a schoolhouse was used, while on other occasions
(Courtesy of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce )
SOUTHWICK MEMORIAL, UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT
the congregation gathered together outdoors. It is claimed that the first church of Washington County was built at Salem in 1765. The sides were made of logs, filled in with clay, the floor consisted of bare earth, while the seats were unhewn timbers laid across blocks of wood. In these early churches there was no provision made for heating. During the cold winter months the congregation kept itself from freezing by wearing heavy clothes and carrying along foot-stoves of
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sheet-iron. Those who did not go to church on foot or horseback were jolted over the uneven roads on wagons which were used on the farms on week days. At first, all dressed in rough homespun. Churches were few and far between and sometimes groups gathered from considerable distances. On such occasions church-goers would make a day of it. After listening to a long sermon in the forenoon, ending only when the clergyman had exhausted himself or his subject or both, they were in the habit of gathering at the meetinghouse steps for lunch. When the pangs of hunger were more or less appeased, the morning sermon was discussed in all its aspects with occasional references here and there to the weather, crops or politics. Later on in the afternoon when the minister had recovered from his previous exhortation, he preached another long sermon to his patient listeners. Then toward evening the wagons turned homeward, continuing on thus long into the night in some instances. Perhaps more than four hours of "doctrine and edification" had been packed into preaching, Sunday school and Bible class.
At first there were no musical instruments in churches at all. The violin and the cello were the foremost in putting in their appearance. As might be expected, this innovation created dissension among the churchmen. On the other hand it is surprising to what a great extent antipathy was aroused, tales coming down to us of deacons blowing on tin horns to drown out the sound of violin and cello. Misbehavior in church, such as giggling and distracting attention, was punishable by fines, and could constitute a greater drain than the collection plate on the pocketbook.
Late in summer, after the early crops had been gathered, some sects, particularly the Methodists, were in the habit of congregating in the woods. "These meetings were celebrated with a fervor of religious warmth, and whether by day the white tents and enthusias- tic worshippers were splashed and sprinkled with sunlight shot through the canopy of leaves, or lit at night by the lateral glare of the pine- knot torches flaring from a score of scaffolds set on the tree-trunks, the scene was wierd and picturesque beyond what the fancy can con- jure from the modern fashionable camp-meeting, with its trim cottages and steadily burning lamps and unmoved throng, and one can but think that another fire than that of the old pine torches burned out with them." (Robinson, Rowland E .: "Vermont.")
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Because of the prevailing Calvinism in this area, there were rigid regulations governing the conduct of the early settlers. This was par- ticularly true regarding the observance of the Sabbath. All work was taboo except necessary chores. Even singing and the reading of light literature were contrary to the rigid ideals of conduct. Travel, except to church, was also considered "breaking the Sabbath." The early residents of Washington County seem to have been particularly active in preserving the holiness of the Sabbath as they saw it. It was the duty of every inhabitant to halt people traveling on Sunday, and at Salem, in 1797, authorities were directed not to give license to Sabbath breakers. There were also stringent and well-enforced laws against breaking the Sabbath at Argyle. We have previously referred to the fact that Timothy Dwight was stopped in Washington County in the early years of the nineteenth century while traveling on Sunday. When, however, the zealous guardian of the Sabbath learned that Dwight was on his way to church, he guided him to his destina- tion. In Vermont the picking of strawberries on Sunday was punish- able by fines.
Censorship of human behavior was not confined to Sundays, how- ever. For example, in Salem, no one was allowed in a tavern after nine o'clock at night, unless necessary. It was also customary for the good deacons or congregations to petition the legislatures on the gen- eral subject of immorality. A fair sample of the moral censorship of the times is an 1834 resolution on church discipline from the com- munity of Beekmantown in Clinton County :
"Res. That dancing and frollicking shall be considered a disrep- utable offense in the church.
"Res. That playing ball is an unprofitable waste of time, and ought to be reproved.
"Res. That horse-racing shall be a disreputable offense.
"Res. That we shall consider that person to be guilty of slander who reports unchristian conduct about a member of the church in any other manner than is pointed out in the gospel."
On the other hand there seems to have been a great amount of gambling in the early days and lotteries were rather common at one time.
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Over the decades the puritanical influence of Calvinism has slowly faded; but even today there are evident certain remnants of its former moral dictatorship as we would find in New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts. In Vermont certain "blue laws" have proved to be durable and many communities are barren of entertainment on Sunday.
To a certain extent religious growth was encouraged by govern- ment. In the land grants in Vermont made by New Hampshire three rights were reserved for the support and propagation of Christianity ; one as a glebe for a minister of the Church of England; one for the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts; while one was reserved for the first settled minister. The grants made by Ver- mont also reserved one right for the first minister.
From the early days to the present, the religious groups have exerted a profound influence in politics, particularly when moral ques- tions have been involved. In no field has this authority been felt more than in the matter of temperance. In the early days prodigious quan- tities of liquor were consumed. The distilling of whiskey was an important economic interest in most communities and provided an important market for farm produce. The social and moral conse- quences were correspondingly great. The first great crusade against the evils of drink was led by the Methodists and the Quakers, but the other denominations were not slow in joining in the fight. By the 1830s, in both northern New York and in Vermont, the temperance movement had increased to strong proportions. By 1850, when Ver- mont voted on licensing for the sale of liquor, there were 12,606 affirmative ballots and 19,910 negative, while in 1852 in the same State a bill to stop the manufacture and sale of liquor except for sacra- mental purposes was ratified by a vote of 22,215 to 21,045. The ministers from their pulpits were also the leaders in the crusade to abolish slavery. They quoted the Bible just as readily to maintain their position as did their brethren of the Southern States in upholding the institution of slavery.
On both sides of the Champlain Valley Calvinism predominated. The first Congregational Church in Vermont was organized at Ben- nington in 1762. Other sects were unwelcome in communities where Congregationalists were in control. One tendency was, particularly in Bennington County, for each religious group to settle in special communities. Throughout all eleven counties sectarianism was ramp-
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ant. Deviation was unpleasant and was considered more or less as a crime. There are many instances recorded where children were cruelly whipped for attending churches other than those favored by their parents. One father, who was a member of a Christian church, turned six of his ten children out of doors on different occasions for consorting with Methodists. On one occasion he whipped two of his daughters until blood ran to their feet before he turned them away from home. Such punishment was evidently not curative, however, for the young ladies walked fifteen miles to a Methodist society. We know that there were Methodists in Washington County in the 178os; while the first Methodist society in Vermont was organized in 1796. They differed from other denominations in that they were organized into circuits and made a practice of moving their ministers every year or two. The first Baptist Church in Vermont was organ- ized at Shaftsbury, Bennington County, in 1768, while they were also strong at Pownal. They were, as a rule, few and poor at first, but by 1790 had thirty-five churches and sixteen hundred communicants in the State. Most of the early Episcopalians came from Connecticut and settled at Manchester and Arlington, Bennington County. Due to their opposition to the American Revolution they were unpopular at first and few in number. The Quakers were strong in the Glens Falls section of Warren County, while the religious influence in Sara- toga County was to a large extent Dutch.
There were only a few scattered Roman Catholics in the Cham- plain Valley until about 1830. The leader of the early growth of this church seems to have been Father Jeremiah O'Callaghan. He was one of three priests who were active around Plattsburgh, in a move- ment which culminated in the building of the first Catholic Church here in 1827. He was also the first Catholic missionary in Vermont and paved the way for the first church at Burlington in 1833. The Jew and his religion were a still later development and the first syna- gogue at Plattsburgh was not established until 1861.
Since those early days there have been great variations in the relative importance of the religious groups. At first the Calvinists were not seriously challenged. As time went on, however, constant inroads were made on their domain by other sects, although as late at 1830 we find that in Essex County ten out of the fifteen clergymen located here were Congregationalists as compared with four Baptists
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and one Methodist. By 1850, the gulf separating the Congregation- alists from other denominations had become increasingly narrow. At that time there were, in Vermont, one hundred and seventy-five Congregationalist churches, one hundred and forty Methodist, one hundred and two Baptist, seventy-six Union, thirty-eight Uni- versalist, twenty-six Episcopal, eleven Presbyterian, nine Christian, eight Roman Catholic, seven Friends, two Unitarian, one Free, and one minor sect. Although New York State figures are not indicative of the religious interests of the people living in the Champlain Valley area they are interesting when compared with the above Vermont totals. In all New York, in 1855, the Roman Catholics were the most numer- ous religious denomination with 242,225 members. At that time there were 127,891 Methodists, 81,796 Baptists, 80,852 Presbyterians, 32,978 Episcopalians, 30,197 Dutch Reformed, and 25,946 Congre- gationalists.
Between the middle of the century and 1900 the greatest gains were made in both states by the Roman Catholic Church. In Ver- mont, in 1890, for example, there were 50,365 Catholics as compared with 20,465 Congregationalists, 17,268 Methodists, 8,933 Baptists, 4,335 Episcopalians, and 2,409 Universalists. In New York, on the same date, there were 1,356,684 Catholics, 242,492 Methodists, 127,- 218 Episcopalians, 154,083 Presbyterians, 129,711 Baptists, and 45,807 Jewish. By 1906, the percentage of Catholics in Vermont had increased from 44.2 to 59.8 per cent, and in New York from 57.I to 67.3 per cent, while the Protestant groups gained numerically but lost ground in the percentage column. By that date the Episcopal Church had risen to third place in New York, displacing the Presbyterians.
Between 1906 and 1916 the percentage of Catholics in both states declined while in Vermont there was, in addition, a numerical loss. The various denominations maintained the same order as before. Since the statistics available for 1916 are unusually extensive it seems to be the proper place to study the individual counties. In each of the eleven counties the Roman Catholics led in membership. In all except Warren and Washington they comprised more than one-half the entire church membership. As was to be expected, the counties where the Catholic Church was strongest were those nearest the border, where there is a strong French-Canadian element. In Clinton County there were 23,928 Catholics out of a total of 28,518, while in Grand
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Isle County similar figures were 1,651 and 1,940. The Methodists were the leading Protestant group in seven counties : Clinton, Essex, Saratoga, Warren, Washington, Franklin, and Grand Isle. In Addi- son, Bennington, Chittenden and Rutland the Congregationalists led.
There were more Catholics in Clinton than in any other county. The leading Methodist stronghold was Saratoga County, while the Baptists were most numerous in Washington, the Congregationalists in Rutland, Episcopalians in Saratoga, Presbyterians in Washington, Adventists in Rutland, Jews in Chittenden, and Independents in Rut- land. Saratoga County reported one hundred and ten Lutherans and seventy-eight African Methodists and was the only unit to do so. There were four hundred and ninety-six of the Reformed Church in Saratoga and three hundred and fifty-six in Washington County. Chittenden reported seven hundred and fifty Unitarians, while Rut- land had five hundred and ninety-one Welsh Calvinist Methodists, although the latter were actually Presbyterians.
Since 1916 practically all sects have made numerical gains in this area. In both states the Catholics lead by a wide margin. In New York State, however, the proportion of total membership decreased rather abruptly after the World War, from 2,745,552 out of 4,315,- 404 in 1916 to 3, 115,424 out of 6,799, 146 in 1926, or less than half.
One of the dominant features of American life since the Civil War has been centralization or amalgamation. This characteristic has received the most attention in the economic field : the story of the rise of trusts and holding companies being well known to all. In the social and political realms, the problems attending State and national control have received much consideration recently. In the religious field alone have we remained staunchly individualistic. The number of Protestant sects has multiplied, rather than decreased. While small business firms have united to form large corporations, and numerous small schools have become units in centralized systems, the organization of religion, or rather the lack of it, remains unchanged. In most towns there are several exceedingly small churches, poorly attended, served by poorly-paid clergymen, and supported financially by a remarkably few zealous individuals at considerable self-sacrifice. In their pews, the church-goers are privileged to worship in the exact patterns or moulds of their theological beliefs. This may be the last frontier of rugged individualism, for the ramparts on the economic,
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social and political fronts have apparently fallen. If this is true, their continuance may be a matter of sentimental value to Americans. In any case mere size is no sure measure of spiritual growth: a few whole-hearted individuals being more than equal to a multitude of the cool and the lukewarm. Protestant sectarianism is sometimes based on the premise that competition between groups is advantageous to the religious growth of a community, provided, of course, that it is with- out prejudice and conducted in a wholly Christian spirit.
On the other hand there is a growing belief among Protestants that strength comes from union rather than competition. They seek to pool their resources, rather than to maintain several denom- inations with separate clergymen, congregations, Sunday schools and treasuries. They have observed the efficiency of large corporations as contrasted with most small firms. They have witnessed in many communities the building of fine, well-equipped schools, in comparison with which available church rooms seem drab and uninviting to boys and girls upon whom religion must depend tomorrow. They see their potential congregations speeding on Sundays on highways made pos- sible only by the pooling of economic and political effort, in cars the possession of which is made possible to most of us only by mass pro- duction; going to places of recreation, such as parks, which more often than not are the product of organization. To them, the only solution is the amalgamation of religious groups. Although the first community church in America is said to have been built in Vermont a century and a quarter ago the trend in that direction is very recent. There are at present several community churches in these eleven coun- ties and their number is growing. In other villages the Protestant denominations come to agreements, one sect promising to withdraw from one town on condition that its competitor retire gracefully from a neighboring community.
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