USA > Vermont > Chittenden County > Jericho > The history of Jericho, Vermont > Part 10
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Then came the Herald-and strange to say he was a colored gentleman with an equally dusky female companion. His satires on "white folks'" faults and foibles were thoroughly enjoyed.
During the dark days of the Civil War, when the town was sending its sons to defend our country's flag, the women of the village had frequent "sewing circles," where they prepared hospital supplies and comforts for those at the front. Their pa- triotism prompted them to make a large and beautiful flag. This had been hidden for fifty years in the closet of some good care- taker, and in its state of perfect preservation, was spread across the front of the Congregational Church as a background for the speakers' platform which was in front of the church.
Who more fitting to occupy that platform than the orator, our former townsman and now summer guest, Judge C. S.
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Palmer, who fifty years and one month before, had followed the flag over the hills and dales of Gettysburg's red field? The nobler patriotism resulting from the country's sacrifice of blood and treasure during those trying days was an important theme with him.
At twelve, dinners were served in the Methodist and Congre- gational church dining rooms, with cold lunches at the Baptist church.
It was the aim of the parade committee to have the day's doings as largely historical and symbolical as possible. The reproduction of the capture of the Brown Family by the In- dians in 1780 necessitated the building of a cabin in surround- ings closely resembling the original site. The cabin was built on Athletic Field close against a rocky ledge, just about the height of the original bluff which was back of the old cabin home, and at no great distance from the same little river. Brown and family at one o'clock moved into town in an ox cart containing their household goods, brass kettles hanging to the axle, a cow and calf tied to the cart end, and set up housekeeping in the log cabin. The persons who represented the settlers were lineal descendants of Mr. Brown, and all bore his name.
The parade formed in line at the Rawson farm continuing on through the village. The "town fathers," selectmen, constables, etc., set their approval on the affair by leading it. Of course the earliest inhabitants came first. The Indians, both sexes on horse back, were followed by a a float representing the denizens of the forests and birds of the air. Bears and cruel looking lynx crouched beneath the green trees, while the birds rested on the branches. A float representing Indian life and occupations, women caring for the camp, and making blankets beside the tall wigwam, was quite attractive.
All the joys of Christmas-tide were brought back to the children by the beautiful Santa Claus float drawn by four white horses. Santa, himself, Mrs. Santa, beautiful gifts, "Red Rid- ing Hood," and "Little Boy Blue," were all there.
What is older than Time, and aren't the fairies and Cupid about as old? There they all were. Father Time with his scythe, beautiful fairies with gauzy wings, dressed in dainty colors,
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Cupid with his bow and arrows, winged for flight, rolling along on a float whose wheels were clock faces.
Jericho has a man whose work adorns the cabinets of museums the world over. Wilson Bentley's accurately magni- fied photos of our snow crystals are rare indeed. A float covered with evergreens for a background had huge representations of snow crystals displayed on the sides. But what's that pole on the back end of the float rising out of a mass of ice? Why? the north pole itself, with the rival claims of Cook and Peary inscribed thereon.
How beautiful the equestrian figures! Of course, Uncle Sam was there,-and America so fine! A beautiful woman, daughter of one of our oldest families, was mounted on a gray horse. Her dress was white, draped with a gold fringed silken flag, with stars on her head and the shield on her arm. Vermont followed on a Morgan horse. Her costume was very appropri- ate, being of green and gold with a crown of clover, the State's flower. This was Jericho's birthday, the town's golden day, so the fair young girl who represented the town was dressed in golden yellow, and mounted on a black horse.
The old time country doctor with saddle-bags before him, rode his way, also the Puritan maid and the two couples riding to church by pillion. One of these was a bridal couple. The folds of the beautiful bride's ample veil and white watered silk, floated out as she sat perched up beside her high-hatted chosen one.
A murmur of song floated on the air ; it was "Aunt Nabby," sung by the gentle souls of "Ye Olden Time." Dear souls who lived when clothes and "bunnits" were made to cover the human form divine! Full skirts, billowy crinoline, big bonnets all there. Of course a man of their age and time drove the horses of their float, but near them was "the Spirit of Home." Was this float typical of woman's new freedom? There were bare- armed, bare-headed girls, clad in clinging, filmy dresses of white, one of them driving the white-trimmed horses and canopied float, the others carrying wands tipped with white blossoms. Just as good, just as sweet as their older sisters.
Rah! Rah! Rah! Yes, we have a High School! See the crowd on the banner-decked float.
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The Irish inhabitants "did themselves proud." There was a great float of white with green trimmings covered with in- numerable sprigs of shamrock. Erin's fair daughters, a dozen in number, sang to the accompaniment of a golden harp, that like "the Harp that once through Tara's Halls the soul of music shed?" A green wagon contained some reliable representatives of the Emerald Isle, and there was also a jaunting car, true to life.
We consider the prosperity and purity of the National life to rest largely on the standing of the rural communities; the grange is an important factor in the betterment of country life. Mount Mansfield Grange was represented by a float decorated with fruits and grains, Flora, Ceres, and Pomona were in at- tendance, and the cutest bossie calf, pure Jersey, chewed his cud in a wire-enmeshed enclosure.
We wondered a bit at the inscription, I. C. Club. It couldn't mean womanly curiosity surely-but no, it was just a neigh- borhood group of women who industriously Irish crocheted- and talked, sometimes in megaphones.
A decorated wagon contained an organ and accompanist and a fine tenor singer, who sang,-
"This is our own our native land, "Tho' poor and rough she be, The home of many a noble soul, The birthplace of the free."
Many private rigs and automobiles were charmingly trimmed. Worthy of notice were the Shetland pony turnouts.
After proceeding to the railroad, near the station, the pro- cession turned, coming back on the westerly road, returning to Athletic Field where the Browns' capture was carried out in a realistic manner. The captive traitor led the Indians to the new home, hoping to secure his own freedom.
Estimates vary about the size of the crowd. Some said three thousand, some four, others five! But it was a fine orderly crowd, and no unfortunate accident marred the day. Suppers were served to many who stayed to enjoy the fine drama, "The Rose O' Plymouth Town," in the School House Hall that evening.
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COLUMBIA AND UNCLE SAM. MT. MANSFIELD GRANGE.
FATHER TIME AND THE FAIRIES. OX CART.
THE BEGINNING OF THE PARADE. DAUGHTERS OF ERIN AND SNOW BEAUTIES.
FLETCHER MCGINNIS SINGING "OLD NEW ENGLAND."
THE WOODS AND ITS DENIZENS. PONY TURNOUTS.
INDUSTRIES, AUTOMOBILES, ETC. THE INDIANS WITH WIGWAMS. AT ATHLETIC PARK.
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"So sleeps the pride of former days, So glory's thrill is o'er,
And hearts, that once beat high for praise, Now feel that pulse no more."
The following should be included in describing the parade :
In the long column of Pageants and Floats that passed through the streets of Jericho village was an automobile finely decorated and filled with ladies and gentlemen displaying a large banner gorgeously trimmed, on one side of which was in- scribed the words and figures, "1913; Equal Suffrage and Equal Rights. It Has Come to Stay in ten States," and on the other side were inscribed the words, "Modern Life, Votes for Wo- men. Equal Pay for Equal Work for Men and Women."
I am pleased also to quote further from the pen of Mr. Luther C. Stevens relative to the closing day's celebration :
The village was simply swamped. A conservative estimate places the number of people in attendance at 4,000. Perfect order prevailed throughout. There was not one instance of dis- turbing nature.
The Westford band was present and never did a band on a like occasion discourse better music or more of it. The com- mittee on decorations had done their work well. The village presented a gala appearance the like of which had never been seen here before. It was a pleasing conceit which prompted the placing of a couple of wigwams and attendant suggestions of Indian life on the island near the covered bridge which was one of other like displays about the village.
The exercises of the day were opened at Athletic Field with a game of baseball played by a team from Essex and the Jericho boys which was won by the latter by a score of 10 to 1. The battery for the Essex team was Sheehan and Cleveland, and for the Jericho boys the "two Ralphs," Brigham and Buxton. Then came the singing of patriotic songs by the school children in front of the school building, Mrs. Lena Whitten Rice at the organ, followed by the address of welcome by Hon. C. S. Pal- mer from the front platform of the Congregational Church upon which were seated the veterans of the Civil War.
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The school children had marched across from the school building and formed a circle in front of the speaker. E. B. Jordan presided and very happily introduced Judge Palmer, who spoke in his usual eloquent and impressive manner. At the close of the address the school children accompanied by the band and the assembled people sang America. Dinner followed which was served in the Congregational and Methodist Churches and in the Baptist Church ice cream and lunches were served. The dinner was an excellent one consisting of boiled ham, roast pork and beef, vegetables and other accessories.
The special interest of the day was centered upon the exercises of the afternoon. The crowd of the morning being . largely augmented by the arrival of more people, automobiles and carriages. Just before the parade the Brown family were seen trooping into town, riding on a two-wheeled ox cart with a few primitive pieces of household goods and leading a cow and sheep.
The formal parade was led by Constable George Costello followed by the Westford band, the selectmen of the town, A. C. Johnson, D. E. Bissonett, C. E. Scribner, who with Con- stable Costello were mounted. The mounted marshals were F. G. Pease, J. H. Safford, O. H. Brown and Edward Varney.
Following these were equestrian representations in costume of "America," Mrs. Louise Galusha Mower ; "Uncle Sam," Frank Barrow ; "Vermont," Miss Mildred Chapin ; "Jericho," Miss Irene Bolger ; "Martha and George Washington," Misses Dorothy Day and Mary Wright respectively; "Pocahontas," Miss Anna Marchia ; "Indian Maiden," Miss Florence Williams; "Squaw with papoose on back," Mrs. Fred Foster ; "Old Time Doctor," L. C. Rice. There were also representations of "Going to church by pillion" and a "Newlywed Couple."
There were 25 or more floats and decorated equipages in line. Among these were "Father Time" (S. M. Palmer) and the Fairies, "Pioneer Settlers," showing what early settlers found here, woods, wild animals, birds, etc .; "Indians with wigwam," "Pony turn-outs with Indian children," "Snow Man," (Prof. W. A. Bentley) and beauties of the "North Land," with the north pole; "Childhood delights and Mrs. Santa Claus," destroy- ing the old man's whips for bad boys ; grangers, etc.
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One feature that attracted no end of attention was a float representing "Erin's Daughters." The float was decorated in green and white and eight young women in white rode in the float singing Irish songs to the accompaniment of Romeo's or- chestra. The singers included Mrs. John J. Cross, Miss Emma Mulqueen and Miss Marie V. Mclaughlin of Burlington, Mrs. G. A. Mitiguy of Montrose, N. J., Miss Margaret Reddy and Miss Mayme W. Reddy of Malone and Miss Mamie Carroll and Miss Mamie Adrien of Jericho.
A jaunting car contained Mr. and Mrs. F. P. Dower of Montpelier and Miss Mary Neary of Burlington. Another in- teresting float named "From Emerald's Isle," all in green, con- tained Thomas Adrian, John Mclaughlin and Charles Reavey. F. D. McGinnis and Miss Myrtle Alger rode in a wagon and sang "Hurrah for Old New England" at intervals to organ ac- companiment of Miss Alger. The Jericho High School had a handsome float, the pupils being aboard and giving the school yell. Prominent in the automobile section was a car represent- ing the Burlington Daily News.
In the business and mercantile line representations were made by the Jericho Granite Co. and E. B. Williams & Co.
The parade marched down Church street past the park and around the "flatiron" and back through Church street to Athletic Field where they were lined up upon one side of the field to witness the pageant of the capture of the Brown family. This scene as enacted was most spectacular and realistic. There could not have been a better setting for it. A log cabin had been erected at the foot of a high rocky ledge which bounds the eastern side of the field and from which the traitor Gibson points out to the Indians the cabin of the Brown family and over which the Indians came skulking down with their tomahawks and guns to the cabin.
This scene as enacted was historically true as to the number of Indians engaged and the members of the Brown family, the traitor Gibson and the man Olds, who escaped by jumping through the window and running to the woods pursued by the Indians with their tomahawks. After the family had been cap- tured and while being led away the cabin was fired surrounded
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by the Indians, yelling, dancing and brandishing their toma- hawks.
The principal participants in the drama included descendants of the captured family, residents of this town and were Lynn A. Brown, who represented Mrs. Joseph Brown and Ray M. Brown and two children representing Joseph Brown and his children. The Brown boys, Charles and Joseph, Jr., who were out hunting did not return until the burning of the cabin, were Francis Mc- Mahon and Clement Percival, Donald Percival was the man Olds, who escaped, and Frank Flynn represented the traitor, Gibson, who was bound and subjected to indignities by the In- dians and led away with the other captives.
After the pageant came a few sports. The 60-yard dash was won by Raymond Ouimette of Burlington, who also won the sack race. The three-legged race was won by Ralph Brig- ham of this town and Matthew Barney of Richmond.
The exercises of the day were brought to a close in the eve- ning by a second presentation of "A Rose O' Plymouth Town" given in the hall of the school building which was filled with an audience of 300.
To the untiring effort, the hours of thought, time and travel of Chairman B. H. Day, Vice-Chairman C. H. Hayden and Secretary E. B. Jordan, of the committee who largely planned and formulated the carrying out of the celebration is due and unanimously conceded the credit of making the event the grand success which it was.
CHAPTER IX. FINALITIES.
The financial status of the celebration is shown in the fol- lowing report, while the courtesies of the General Committee are fittingly expressed in the resolutions.
TREASURER'S REPORT ON CELEBRATION.
The Celebration Committee met Monday evening at the home of Rev. and Mrs. S. H. Barnum. C. H. Hayden, treasurer, presented his report to date as follows :
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Treasurer's Report :
Aug. 25, 1913, Total receipts of Celebration, $846.40.
Total money paid out, $590.82.
Balance on hand, $255.58.
This balance was set aside for the purpose of publishing a history of the town of Jericho.
Every feature of the Celebration work showed a profit. Much satisfaction was expressed by the members of the General Committee over the success of the celebration and the excep- tionally fine financial showing.
The following resolutions were introduced and adopted :
Resolved: That the thanks of this committee are due to the citizens of Jericho for the cordial support given in carrying out the Town Celebration program.
Resolved: That the thanks of this committee are hereby given the press of our county, who have so generously aided in giving publicity to our plans, and for the most excellent reports of the celebration by them given.
Resolved: That we fully appreciate the services of our President, B. H. Day, for the able manner in which he has pre- sided over our deliberations, also the untiring and faithful serv- ices of our Secretary, E. B. Jordan.
Resolved: That we acknowledge with gratitude the help- ful presence of the lady members of this committee and attribute much of the success of the celebration to them, not forgetting the dainties, etc., they and others furnished us, all of which have seemed to fill in so well.
Resolved: That our association should be productive of a better town and community spirit, greatly increased business ac- tivities, better schools, stronger churches and an enlarged citizen- ship.
Resolved: That the thanks of the general committee are due and are hereby tendered to the dramatic committee and especially to Mrs. Medora Schweig, as manager, and to the young ladies and gentlemen : C. Harold Hayden, Carl E. Nay, Ralph L. W. Smilie, Harlie F. Ross, Hazel E. Knight, Hope Scribner, Madeline Schweig and Olive L. Hayden and Mrs. H. H. Higgins, for the highly successful presentations of the
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beautiful drama, "A Rose O' Plymouth Town," during our celebration week.
The intention of the author of this write up has been to impartially, completely, and truthfully portray the different func- tions of the great celebration, and, if he has omitted anything which ought to have been written, or if anything has been printed which ought not to have been, it is wholly unintentional.
Is it vain for the writer to hope that the reader has pursued this recital of the events of the great celebration with a high de- gree of pleasure; has looked with some degree of satisfaction upon the pictures and scenes reproducing to the mind what then and there took place, in short, that this book will always be a source of delight because of the happy hours and memories it recalls ?
LAFAYETTE WILBUR.
Member of the General Committee. Member of the Historical Com- mittee. Member of the Banquet Committee. Author of the Early History of Vermont in four volumes, and the Morse Genealogy.
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HISTORY OF JERICHO, VERMONT.
PART THIRD.
HISTORICAL JERICHO.
By L. F. Wilbur.
CHAPTER I.
INTERESTING FACTS FROM THE EARLY RECORDS, ARRANGED CHRONOLOGICALLY.
All who became inhabitants of Jericho after the sixty-six Grantees had received their Charter by Benning Wentworth, Gov- ernor of the Province of New Hampshire under King George the III, were subject to the Charter provisions and to the Com- mon Law of England. The enforcement of contracts and the punishment of crimes were under this Common Law.
The township remained a dense, unbroken wilderness until 1774, in which year Roderick Messenger, Azariah Rood and Joseph Brown emigrated from western Massachusetts. Mes- senger located on Onion River near where the road leading from Jericho village intersects the Onion River road. Azariah Rood purchased a large tract of land and built his house in the south part of the town on what is now known as the Edgar Barber farm. Joseph Brown located and built his log house near Under- hill, a little south of the river bearing his name. This family was twice captured by Indians and taken to Canada, where they were sold to British officers at eight dollars a head and held as prisoners for more than three years. Full particulars of their capture and experiences will be found in the historical address of L. F. Wilbur, and in the presentation speech of Buel H. Day at the dedication of the Brown Marker.
The hardships, difficulties and dangers that attended the coming of these first families to fell the forests and make for themselves homes in the dense wilderness that Jericho was then, may hardly be realized in this day of plenty and modern sur- roundings. Difficulties unforeseen multiplied. Vermont pio-
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neers had purchased their lands and received their titles from Governor Wentworth of New Hampshire. Afterwards New York advanced her claim to all lands west of the Connecticut river and sought to force the settlers to pay for their lands a second time. Both New Hampshire and New York claimed title to this land through grants from the same source, but New Hampshire abandoned her claim and withdrew her protection from the settlers, leaving them to contest their rights with New York as best they might.
The British, invading the rebellious colonies from the north, urged the Indians to rob and make captive the pioneers. So perilous became the position of these settlers that they were forced to withdraw until peace was declared between the States and Great Britain. Peace having been declared, Brown, Rood and Messenger returned to their land and from that time on the increase of settlers was rapid.
In 1786 a move was made to organize the town. Honorable John Fassett, a judge of the Supreme Court, legally warned a meeting of the freeholders and other inhabitants of the com- munity to be held on March 22, 1786. The meeting was held pursuant to the warning and chose James Farnsworth, moder- ator; Lewis Chapin, town clerk; and Peter McArthur, con- stable. Farnsworth was also chosen justice of the peace. The officers were sworn to discharge their duties according to law, and the meeting adjourned to meet on the "Second Tuesday of June next at ten o'clock in the morning," and on June 13th, 1786, they met according to adjournment and chose Deacon Azariah Rood, Captain Joseph Hall and Mr. Jedediah Lane, selectmen; Lewis Chapin, treasurer; Abel Castle, Daniel Stan- nard and John Fairwell, surveyors of highways.
A meeting warned by the constable met on the 13th day of June, A. D., 1786 and chose Daniel Stannard to attend a conven- tion at Manchester. It is not certain what the nature of this con- vention was, but probably it was political.
At a meeting warned by the selectmen held September 27, 1786, Captain Joseph Hall was chosen moderator, and it was voted "that the selectmen go to Esqr. Savage to see how the in- habitants can be paid for cutting roads, and agree with Esqr. Sav- age to work out sixty pounds on the roads." This meeting was ad-
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journed to October 4, on which date Lewis Chapin was chosen as agent to go to the assembly with a petition for the grant of a tax on the land in Jericho to be used in cutting roads and build- ing bridges.
By a permit from the General Assembly in session at Rut- land, October, 1786, the town of Jericho was given the liberty to choose a member to attend the assembly at its adjourned ses- sion to be held at Bennington in February, 1787. Under said permission on the 29th day of November, 1786, the town chose Jedediah Lane their representative. He was the first of a long list of representatives chosen between the years 1786 and 1913, whose names together with number of years each served, as well as a list of the town clerks, dates of their election, and number of years each served, will be found in the historical address of L. F. Wilbur given elsewhere in this volume.
Town officers were paid no extravagant salaries in these early days as is evidenced by a vote taken in March, 1806, at which it was agreed to allow the selectmen seven dollars and fifty cents for their year's services, viz. : Eleazer Hubbell, $2.50; Samuel Day, $3.00; and Jedediah Field, $2.00, with a six pence on the pound to the collector for collecting the town taxes.
The town officers for the years 1787 and 1788 were mainly the same, some of the men holding different offices. At the town meeting held March 13th, 1787, it was voted to have five select- men and John Lee was elected the fifth one, the name of the fourth selectman not being given. It was also voted to have two constables and Peter McArthur and Benjamin Farnsworth were elected. Joseph Hall was chosen grand juror; Jonathan Castle and Leonard Hodges, listers ; Roderick Messenger, leather sealer ; Joseph Hall, sealer of weights and measures; three sur- veyors of highways were elected ; Ichabod Chapin and John Fair- well were chosen tythingmen; and it was voted to give Lewis Chapin one pound and sixteen shillings for attending the assem- bly as agent, and eighteen shillings for a book of ear-marks. A tax of nine pounds in cash was also voted, as well as to accept the road from Essex line to Bolton line, and the road from Essex line to Underhill line from Jedediah Lane's through by Messrs. Castle's and Brown's.
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