USA > Vermont > Orange County > Braintree > The history of Braintree, Vermont, including a memorial of families that have resided in town > Part 4
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Commending you to the care of the great Head of the church, and wish- ing you grace, mercy, and peace forever, I acknowledge myself
Yours affectionately,
AMMI NICHOLS.
The second week in June, 1807, was at first fixed for holding the ordina- tion services; they were subsequently postponed till the 23d of September. Means were discussed and funds raised for completing the church edifice, and it received its finishing touches and was dedicated on the day that installed the pastor. That was a day long to be remembered. An immense crowd was called together; the capacious house was packed to its utmost. A deep solem- nity prevailed. The church seemed to feel at once the impulse of new accessions of spiritual power. It helped to bring hearts nearer, to reconcile feuds; it inspired with fresh courage. The sermon on this occasion was delivered by Rev. Jonathan Strong, D.D., of Randolph, Mass.
The career of the church from this time onward was not altogether smooth; much apathy prevailed, and there are records of severe cases of dis- cipline. By a standing rule, any offensive member was labored with, and if satisfaction was not obtained, the matter was preferred to the church where it took the form of a trial. Such trials seem to have been conducted with great caution and prudence. The difficulty from inadequate support, appre- hended by Mr. Nichols in accepting the pastoral charge, was fully realized. At an adjourned meeting, March 5, 1817, the society voted to sever his pastoral connection in consequence of inability to pay his salary, but at the same time was chosen a committee to see if measures could be provided for his future sup- port. They reported: "That the Rev. Ammi Nichols will continue in this place one year and longer provided the society and subscribers will pay him agreeable to their engagement." His stated annual salary was $250 and twenty cords of wood fitted for the stove. The church also labored under some indebtedness -a veritable "thorn"-and for several years the matter of retaining Mr. Nichols's services was a serious question. He remained, but the "engage- ment" was never wholly fulfilled. Those were "dark days" in its history.
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THE BAPTIST CHURCH, THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
During his pastorate, Mr. Nichols was so intimately connected with the church that the sketch of his life, given elsewhere, is essentially the history of that body. He was dismissed March 23, 1847. After 1846, James Hobart, Truman Perrin, George Butterfield, Elbridge Knight, and A. S. Swift occupied the pulpit till 1853, when Mr. Nichols returning from the west became acting pastor and so continued till his death in 1873. John B. Griswold from Connecticut, preached two years, 1866-7. For several years theological students spent their summer vacation with the church: William I. Chalmers, 1870; William D. Hart, 1871-2; Austin E. Burr, 1873; Samuel J. Bryant, 1874; Albert T. Swing, 1875-6; William B. Hague, 1877. The society employed for a year Charles W. Dealtry, 1878, who resigned after nine months; Augustus Alvord, 1879; Lorenzo D. Place, 1881; and, united with Snowsville people, L. S. Vincent, 1882. The following are the deacons: Samuel Bass and Isaac Nichols, chosen Aug. 22, 1801; Samson Nichols, February, 1810; Giles Randall, 1822; Abner Nichols, Jr., and Augus- tus Flint, Oct. 19, 1827; Gilman Vose, Aug. 2, 1835; John S. Nichols, May 25, 1849; Charles L. Drury, Aug. 11, 1872. The aggregate membership of the church is 273; its present resident membership, 25.
THE BAPTIST CHURCHI was constituted March 5, 1799; Rev. Elijah Hunting- ton was its first pastor, ordained June 18, 1800. A house of worship was built in the summer of 1815. Elder Huntington died June 24, 1828, after which the church had no settled minister for quite a number of years; but service was sustained more or less constantly by various ministers. The church finally got into a very dead condition, and it did not revive till Nov. 5, 1859, when, owing largely to the efforts of Rev. Jonathan Tilson, then of Hingham, Mass., reorganization was effected and a new start taken. The meeting house was repaired and a minister, Rev. H. D. Hodge, of Compton, N. H., was settled over the church. Mr. Hodge remained till the autumn of 1866. Rev. George S. Chase of Chester, N. H., was installed its pastor Feb. 14, 1867, and remained two years. April 1, 1869, Rev. Samuel Woodbury began to labor with the church, and continued there several years. Revivals were enjoyed by this church in 1816, 1859, 1866-7.
The Baptist church deserves a more extended history, but these are all the facts obtained.
THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH was formed in 1817 by Elder Benjamin Put- nam with fifteen to twenty members, among whom were Lyman and Ruth Kidder, Abial and Polly Howard, Sally Waite, Henry and Dinah Brown, James and Sophia Hutchinson and Isaac Lothrop. Abial Howard and Lyman Kidder were chosen deacons. A house of worship was built soon after, it being located near the top of the hill north of Peth village. Regular meet- ings were held for many years, and the church was very prosperous. Previous to the building of the meeting house services were conducted in private dwellings and school houses. The writer, a young man at that time, well remembers the many religious gatherings in his father's long kitchen, and would now, in his advanced years, like to enjoy some of the soul-stirring ser-
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HISTORY.
mons preached by Revs. Putnam, E. B. Rollins, C. W. Martin, John Capron, Relton Davis, J. L. Green and others. The meetings were well attended, sometimes to overflowing. In process of time the church was much weakened by deaths and removals. Public sentiment had merged quite generally into Second Adventism. The new theory was preached with a zeal and fervor worthy of a better theme, and much excitement pervailed, and many confi- dently prepared for "ascension" on the 15th of February, 1843. But fanaticism always carries too far and not a little disturbance arose; in one instance on account of Elder Rollins, who, while preaching at West Randolph, came to the christian church in Braintree, claiming to "own" it. When the Advent bubble burst the low state of the church called for some action to increase its resources, material and spiritual. The Christian Society made the proposi- tion that a house be built at Snowsville, which being located as it then was on one of the main thoroughifares in the state, gave promise of considerable devel- opment. To this the church assented, and about 1844-5 donated for that purpose its house of worship at Peth. The house was soon after taken down and rebuilt, with some changes, at Snowsville. It was dedicated in December, 1852. This step practically disorganized the church, scattering its members, some to Snowsville, some to West Brookfield, and others to West Randolph. Moreover, the community in which the new house was located was split up into Christians, Congregationalists, Baptists, Universalists, Spiritualists, etc., and no one of these different orders was strong enough to support religious service constantly. They therefore united and formed a Union church, to be free to all denominations. Even then, especially in later years, the house was unoccupied for years in succession, except occasionally by transient speakers, and religious progress was of course impossible. This was the cou- dition of things in May, 1871, when Arthur T. Reed, a Yale student, was delegated by Sec. Smith to spend his four months vacation with the church. At the expiration of that time he reluctantly consented to remain a year longer on condition that the different denominations would unite in the organ- ization of a new church, which, it was definitely understood would be Evangelical, preferably Congregational, in form. It was further arranged that the new church should embrace also the church at West Brookfield. On the 24th of October, 1871, was organized "The Congregational Church of Christ in East Braintree and West Brookfield," with a membership number- ing thirty-four. Storrs S. Clongh and Jesse W. Martin were elected deacons. Service has been sustained almost continuously since the formation of the church, and a fair degree of prosperity has followed, though there has been no permanent pastor. Rev. Mr. Thyng of Brattleboro preached a few weeks after Mr. Reed left in 1872. Henry C. Howard occupied the pulpit over two years, ending Nov. 1, 1874; Henry T. Sell from May to September, 1875, Rev. Samnel W. Dike, October, 1875, to March, 1876; Samnel C. Bush- nell, May to September, 1876: J. Brainard Thrall, May to September, 1877; Rev. Charles H. Covill, two years ending November, 1879; Rev. C. P. Smith, May, 1850, to February, 1881; Rev. C. Simonds, one year ending July, 1882, and Rev. Luman S. Vincent (in connection with the church on Braintree Hill), one year ending November, 1883.
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UNITARIAN SOCIETY, BRAINTREE HILL MEETING HOUSE.
THE UNITARIAN SOCIETY .- About 1856 was formed a Unitarian Society to "embrace Unitarians, Universalists, Resorationists, Spiritualists, and all who believe that God is love, and desire spiritual light and truth and religious freedom." Its avowed object was to get a "portion of the publick money designed for the support of the gospel in this town, used for the support of publick speaking in the Unitarian Society." The society sustains its name only.
THE BRAINTREE HILL MEETING HOUSE .- The dimensions of the old meeting house are not known; we can only say they were large. It stood facing the west, the north side being nearly in a line with the fence and horse sheds south side of the cemetery. The latter formerly occupied perhaps a little more than half its present limits. The meeting-house grounds were donated by Ebenezer White, to remain the property of the church and society as long as the house stands upon it. Whenever that is removed the land reverts to his heirs. The house had three entrances through the front, two directly into the side aisles of the edifice and the other into the base of the belfry, leading thence through a small entry to the middle aisle and also up a flight of stairs to the gallery. The belfry was a peculiar structure being about 8 to 10 feet square, forming a front projection to the building from the ground up. The bell that was hung in it was presented to the church by Samuel Bass of Randolph, Mass., the father of Jonathan, who also gave liberally for building the house. "It was one of the finest toned bells that ever called a congregation together. While being tolled for a funeral some years after- wards it was cracked. It was then considered to be of little value and was sold, the proceeds being applied to a church debt. At Boston the crack was sawed out and the bell was one of the best used in any church edifice in that city for many years.
As already intimated, there were three aisles, one middle and two side. Each had a row of pews on both sides. The pews were square. The backs of the seats were panneled, the tops being ornamented with round rods inserted upright a few inches apart, which were surmounted at the height of 8 or 10 inches with a top-piece a few inches wide, the last finished on the upper-edge with a moulding. There was a row of pews each side the pulpit, facing it. The pulpit was very high, requiring an ordinary flight of stairs to reach it. The gallery occupied both sides and the west end and contained a row of pews its whole extent, next to the wall, like those below, each facing the east, or the pulpit. Two rows of 'singers seats, each with a high back and a broad board for a book-rest, were on the front side of the gallery its whole length. Ladies occupied the right, and gentlemen the left gallery, the chief singers of either sex sitting in the end gallery opposite the pulpit. It was many years before a stove was used in the old meeting house. Blinded by the superstition that it was wrong to have a comfortable fire in the house of God, people shiv- ered in winter over foot-stoves. Services were quite lengthy in those days, too. The windows were large, high and without blinds. Both inside and outside the house was perfectly plain. Town meetings were held in it, 1807 to 1845-39 years.
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HISTORY.
It became expedient at last to repair or rebuild the meeting-house, which had become dilapidated, and was much too large. Nov. 26, 1844, the town by vote offered to relinquish its right thereto, provided the society would build a house and allow the town to hold meetings in it. The same offer was made Jan. 2, 1845, on condition the society would build a town hall, and John Waite, Levi Tracy and James Spear were constituted a committee to confer with a. similar committee from the society to build a town hall, with instructions not to expend more than $300 on the same. The committee on the part of the society were William Nichols, Samuel Bass, Augustus Flint, Robert Lyon, and Austin Flagg, who were empowered to expend no more than could be raised by the sale of the pews, the avails of the old house and the $300 voted by the town. Work began on this basis, the new edifice being erected in 1845 and dedicated early in 1846. Since this time the town has had nothing to do with religious matters. The spacious grounds, or "common," belonging to the church have been the scene of many lively times on election and especially June training days. When the old house was dedicated, the roadside from Ebenezer White's (William H. Nichols's) to the corner, and part of the south and the east sides of the common, were lined with stands or tents for selling eatables. Mr. White also spread a bountiful feast for hungry guests at his house.
BUSINESS.
QUAKER HILL .- The first place of business in Braintree was at the stand of Bass & French on Quaker Hill. Records show that the copartnership between Sam'l Bass of Randolph, Mass., and John French was formed not later. than November, 1795. The senior member of the firm furnished the capital and built the first store and hotel in Braintree, though never a resident here. The firm probably dissolved partnership about 1806, when French removed to Randolph. Trade was chiefly barter. They also dealt largely in real estate. The store and hotel was for a time kept in the same building, but subse- quently they built a store near it. In October of each year Bass visited Braintree for a general settlement of accounts, all kinds of marketable stock being taken for debts. Business continued here many years. We cannot state when Elijah French, Jr., opened a store on what is now the parsonage, his " old store " being among the buildings on that place. It stood between the house and the cemetery, somewhat back from the highway. French finally failed and went west not far from 1817, his being the last full-line store kept on Quaker Hill.
Dr. Ithamer Tilden, the first practicing physician in Braintree, was located on Quaker Hill, living in a little house south side of the road near the old parsonage. Dr. Samuel W. Thayer lived where Jonathan W. Belcher does. He, in company with Elisha Mann, employed agents for selling pills in other states, and had quite a large business. His office stood at the corner of his house, and has a bit of history. School was kept in it for some time. Then it was moved across the road opposite his house; thence to the corner at the old parsonage, where the widow of Phineas Filnt, Jr., occupied it for a milli-
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PETH.
nery shop; and thence half way to Dea. Nichols's house, where, supplemented by a part built on as large as itself, it has been occupied by numerous fam- ilies, and not a few children first saw daylight in it.
A potato whiskey distillery was built a short distance west of Bass & French's store, south side of the highway, about 1809, possibly before. Its palmiest days were during the war of 1812-14, after which it ceased to pay and was soon closed.
About 1836 Thomas A. Vance kept a boot and shoe store, and subsequently a small grocery, where Albert Pearl lives, in a building formerly occupied by Abner Nichols, Jr., as a cabinet shop.
The town clerk's office has always been on Quaker Hill.
PETII .- John Hutchinson was the first to settle in Peth about 1793. In 1810 he built there the first framed house, now owned by James P. Cleveland, Jr. He also built a saw mill nearly opposite his house about 1805. Luke Fitts built the next house, Washington Ford present owner. Then Lyman Burnham's was the next, where Samuel Spear lives; in 1822 Noah B. Cady's, now occupied by Frank Herrick; next Jonathan Fitts', next east of Ford's; in 1829 Ziba Bass's, now John P. Smith's, and in 1830 Edmund Tilson, Jr.'s, between Ford's and Herrick's, which Mr. Tilson took with him to West Ran- dolph in 1856.
A little way above the saw mill a carding mill and clothier's shop was erected, the basement of which was used by James Hutchinson for an oil mill. Subsequently Edmund Tilson, Jr., and after him Willard Edson occupied the upper part, each for several years, manufacturing furniture. The building is now used for a cider mill. Aaron Harwood built a clover mill just above the bridge, which finally became the property of Samuel Bass, Jr., and Moses Bass built another farther up the stream, where the foundation walls are still to be seen. About 1822 Noah B. Cady built a cabinet shop nearly oppo- site his house, and manufactured wagons and sleighs. He was a joiner by trade, and built several houses in that vicinity. Samuel Fitts also made wagons and sleighs for several years. Just above Cady's cabinet works stood Lyman Burnham's blacksmith shop. Ziba Bass occupied this a number of years, then built one for himself. Earlier than all these were Nathaniel Spear's mills, about half or three-quarters of a mile up stream from Peth. David Smith gave Mr. Spear seven acres of land for a mill privilege, on condition that he would build a grist mill thereon, which he did about 1793. The first mill was built just below the stone bridge. It was supplied by water brought in a trough from a dam some distance above. The second was built just above the bridge, the front of the mill resting on the north side of it. For the conven- ience of customers the bridge was constructed so wide that a team could be turned around on it. The grist mill was burned on the night of Oct. 3, 1859. The saw mill was built quite early, a few rods above the bridge, but was sub- sequently moved to its present site.
On the 15th of December, 1832, Joshua Ingalls of Hancock opened the first store in Peth in the house standing next west of the residence of Sam'l Spear. The stock in trade was general merchandise. Ingalls was not very popular, and he sold out, Feb. 14, 1834, to his clerk, Luther S. Goodno, formerly of Han-
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HISTORY.
cock, who formed a copartnership with Rufus Hutchinson, under the name of Hutchinson & Goodno. In 1836 Goodno and Ira Kidder bought out the firm, but Goodno became sole owner about six months after, and so continued till 1839. Then he, Azel Lyman and Rufus Hutchinson entered into a partnership, which, however, was dissolved in 1840, Goodno continuing in trade at Snowsville. Heman A. Bass traded there for about a year, and in the mean- time formed a partnership with his brother Andrew. The firm then removed to Snowsville. Other business men of Peth are as follows: Henry Jackson, Jr., of Berlin. He moved into the old store building in March, 1832, and worked at shoemaking till August, 1839, when he returned to Berlin. His children were George, Sally, Albina, Almira, Crawford and Eliza. Alvin Braley resided with his father-in-law, John Hutchinson, about two years, coming to Braintree in 1840. He had large business capacity, and in Roxbury and Northfield, where nearly all his life was spent, he held many positions of public trust, being at the time of his death President of the Northfield National Bank. Willard Edson came from West Randolph in July, 1834. He married Anna Pratt and lived in Peth till 1845, working at shoemaking and in the furniture shop. He removed to Fond du Lac, Wis., where he and his wife have both died. Solon, their only child, resides at Fond du Lac, and has filled several responsible offices. Stillman Ruggles, brother to Samuel, Har- vey W. Corbin, Washington Coburn, Elisha P. Webster, Stephen A. Fish and Gilman Lovejoy each lived in Peth two or three years, some working at wheelwright trade, others at furniture making. Benjamin Byam of Clems- ford, Mass., moved into the Wakefield house in 1838, residing there about six years, then returned to Clemsford.
SNOWSVILLE .- Before any mills were built at Snowsville, people went to Paine's mill, Brookfield, with their grist, and later to Spear's mill. No busi- ness was done at this place probably before 1814. In that year Jeremiah Snow began running a grist mill which stood near the east end of the hotel. It was supplied with water by an aqueduct from the "little pond" that was westerly of Ruggles's house, in the stream that runs across the road, east- ward. Snow run a saw mill not long after and ran both till about 1840, when Selah Benton negotiated for his mill property on condition that Benton was to provide for Snow and his wife during life. On account of bad man- agement the property depreciated in value, and Snow was obliged to ask the town authorities to take himself and the property in charge in consequence, and he died in the hands of the overseer. Samuel Bagley built a saw mill in 1798 on the brook east of the village, above the school house. He sold it to Joseph Gooch, 3d, who ran it 52 years; also Martin B. Gooch, who bought some years after, Stephen Benton's mill which stood on the site of Laport's carriage shop. This was the first saw mill in Snowsville, and was built by Ashbel Tucker and owned by Enoch Hebard. All of these except the Bagley mill have disappeared, and the only mill in Snowsville, now, is a grist mill run by Barnard Blanchard.
Aaron Harwood carried on a whiskey distillery about a year just back of the hotel horse barn. It was washed off by the freshet of 1830. Then a tan-
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PETH.
nery was built there and run by Almon Morris, but it was a temporary affair. A more extensive tanning business was afterwards carried on by Nicholas Laport and Levi Tracy, in the building in which George W. Hunt now lives. They sold out to Francis Maynard, who was the last to work at that trade in Snowsville.
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About 1837 Alonzo Fish opened a cabinet shop in the building at the east end of the dam, and continued there several years. William Blanchard, Jr., began carriage making at the same place, and retired from it soon after, he bought the hotel about 1872. He did quite an extensive business, but did not remain at the same stand. M. D. Laport now has control of the carriage business. Silas Chadwick, John McIntire and Jason A. French have kept up harness making since 1836. Jacob Bailey was the first nail maker in Braintree who worked at that trade. His shop was where Wm. Farnsworth lives. The first blacksmith was Luther Warner, who worked in a shop located where J. A. Smith now has his garden and commenced about 1815. Daniel Loomis began blacksmithing about 1843. About 1846 he sold out to Storrs P. Paine, who continued the business till about 1872. In the meantime, Luther and James M. Warner carried on the same business. It has passed through several hands and is now carried on by A. K. McIntire and L. Tromley.
The first hotel was kept by Thomas Dutton about 1832-6, in the building on the corner, near the present hotel. He made harnesses at the same time and place. Isaac Lothrop then bought the hotel business and carried it on at the same stand for a few years, then Daniel Cram moved into the present hotel built by Nathaniel Hutchinson, his father-in-law, who owned it till his death about 1872. The hotel business was controlled successively by John Hutchinson, Mr. Shedd, Stillman Moulton, James M. Warner, Vernon D. Partridge, and lastly by its owner. About 1872 William Blanchard bought it, and has since managed it.
The first store was opened in 1828 by John Waite and Roswell Morris, under the firm name of Morris & Waite. They occupied the post office build- ing. The firm afterwards changed to Waite, Morris & Co., and later to Waite & Kingsbury. Their stock was general merchandise, and they engaged largly . in buying of farmer's produce and the manufacture of potash and pearlash. They employed two, six and eight-horse teams for freighting merchandise to and from Boston. The large teams made the trip in twenty or twenty-one days, freight charges being usually one dollar per one hundred pounds. They often purchased forty to fifty tons of pork in a single season. The last named firm occupied the large store, the Farmer's and Mechanic's building, built by Waite, who also erected the large house in which Jesse W. Martin lives. These firms carried on a large and successful business for eleven years, when Waite bought the old homestead and went to farming. Azro D. Lamson continued in trade after Waite & Kingsbury, then Farmers and Mechanics, next Currier & Hunt. About the same time, or later, L. S. Goodno, and A. & H. A. Bass, from Peth, dealt in general merchandise. The latter firm was dissolved in 1849 by the death of Andrew, and Heman A. failed a few years later. Leander Chadwick, J. Q. A. Grant, A. B. Ferry, Henry J. Hyzer,
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