USA > Vermont > Rutland County > Middletown > The history of Middletown, Vermont, in three discourses, delivered before the citizens of that town, February 7 and 21, and March 30, 1867 > Part 2
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Thomas Morgan " made the first clearing," as he once said to me, and of which there can be no doubt ; and as before mentioned, it was about three-fourths of a mile south of where the village now is. Mr. Morgan claimed to have built the first framed house in town, though he said Filmore and Richard Haskins each com- menced building the same season, but that his house was first. com- pleted. The house is now standing and owned by his grandson, Daniel Morgan, and of late years has been occupied by tenants Mr. Morgan was from the town of Kent, in Connecticut. He was three times married, but had one child only, the late Jonathan Morgan. Thomas Morgan lived where he first settled up to about the time of his death which occurred December 20th, 1841, at the age of ninety-four years. Jonathan Morgan was born in 1782, and was the first child born in Middletown, (that is in what became Middletown in 1784.) Mr. Morgan was regarded by many as being over tenacious of his rights, and has often been accused of being needlessly violent in asserting his rights ;-- but he was a man of good judgment, well informed, and always kept himself familiar with all the affairs of the town. . He was for for many years a justice of the peace ; represented the town in 1838, and very often held the office of selectman, and other offices, the duties of which he was never known to neglect, but discharged them understandingly, and with an honest purpose. In the latter part of November, 1857, Mr. Morgan then quite feeble, drove his horse and carriage from his house to the village upon some errand, and on his return, his horse took fright soon after crossing the bridge in the south part of the village, threw
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him out of his carriage, and so injured him that he never recov -. ered. If he had been well the fall might not have injured him much, but feeble as he was, he survived the shock but a few days. He died at Mrs. Green's, December 3d, 1847, at the age of seventy-five.
Jonathan Morgan left seven children; three sons and four daughters. The oldest son was in California when last heard from ; the second, Daniel, now occupies and owns the homestead of his father, also the homestead of his grandfather. The third son, Merritt, recently moved from Middletown to Cambridge, Vt. The oldest daughter, Huldah, married Daniel Cushman, of Pawlet, and now resides in that town; the second daughter married Nathan Winn, and lives in Wallingford ; the third daughter, Lorensy, died about two years ago ; the youngest daughter lives in Lowell, Massachusetts, and is unmarried. Daniel Morgan is. the only representative of Thomas Morgan now left in Middletown.
Luther Filmore was the man who felled the forest where the village now is. He came here from Bennington, but where he was from originally is not in my power to say. His grandson once told me that he was a brother of the grandfather of Millard Fil- more, the late President of the United States. If that was so, we shall not claim that he was any better or worse for being a brother of a man who had so distinguished a grandson; but the old folks all agree in giving Mr. Filmore the credit of being a sensible man, and a good citizen. He seemed to have the public interest at heart, and did much towards giving a start to the village. He had put up his temporary cabin, (as before men- tioned,) on the south-west corner of the common or " green," as it is called. He afterwards built a framed house on the opposite side of the road, and in what is now Mrs. Gray's door yard, or that part of it situated on the west side of the house in which she now lives. Mr. Filmore owned the land now occupied as a burial ground, and gave a deed of it to the town September 30th, 1787. Ile also owned the " green ;" also owned one hundred and fifty acres which included the present limits of the village. To Mr. Filmore belongs the honor of being the first Inn keeper in town. He commenced keeping tåvern soon after he built his house, and
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a tavern was kept in the house by him and one of the Brewster family until some years after 1800. Sometime after 1811, Henry Gray bought the place, and lived in the house until about 1835, when he built the brick house, which has since been occupied by him and his family. The old tavern house was moved down below " cider mill hill," repaired, and has since been occupied by tenants of Mr. Gray. Luther Filmore died February 9th, 1809, at the age of sixty. He left several sons, none are now living. Mrs. Hutchins, the widow of Elisha Hutchins, now living in this town, is a grand daughter of Luther Filmore, and is the only descendant in town left. Mrs. Hutchins has two brothers, Luther and Edmund Filmore, who were natives of the town, but are now living in some of the western states.
Richard Haskins, who settled, as before stated, near where Lucius Copeland, Esq., now lives, did not return after Bennington battle as soon as his brother Benjamin did, but was kept longer in the service. Mr. Haskins was from Norwich, Conn., the same town from which the Wood families came ; he had lived with them in Connecticut. When the Woods came in 1782, they took pos- session of his settlement there, and Haskins took the next lot north, which is now known as Mr. Copeland Haskins' farm. Haskins put that farm under improvement, lived a long and indus- trious life, raised a large family of children, drew a pension of ninety-six dollars a year, and died about 1845 in Highgate, Vt., where he had a short time before gone to reside with one of his sons. He was over eighty years old when he died. He has no descendants now in town.
Benjamin Haskins, though somewhat erratic, was a more useful man to society in his time, than his brother Richard, and had a more reputable family. He was a member of the congregational church, and a sober, sedate, eccentric man, and was called " Deacon Ben," though he never held the office of Deacon. Though to appearances, a dull, slow man, yet when occasion required, he showed himself to be a resolute, and powerful man. On one occasion while driving some cattle from Pawlet to his home, which we have seen was where Dea. A. Haynes now lives, he was set upon by a pack of fourteen wolves near what is known
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as the Wait place, about two miles south of his house. He pre- pared himself on their approach with a strong cudgel, and suc- ceeded in beating them off, and bringing himself and cattle away unharmed. He was a kind and obliging neighbor, and zealous in all good works. He died in 1824, at the age of seventy.
Phineas Clough died September 24th, 1809 on the same farm on which he early settled. He left but one child, a daughter, who married Erasmus Orcutt. She succeeded to the farm by inheritance, and it has since been known as the Orcutt farm. Major Clough, as he was always called, was also an eccentric man, but a man of good material for a new country. If anything was necessary to be done which required great exertion, he was not the man to avoid the responsibility. He was not a member of any church, but was a member of the Congregational Society. On one occasion, at a meeting of the society, some measure was proposed which would require a large expenditure, and was at first strongly opposed by a majority of the society, including in that majority many members of the church. Mr. Clough came to the rescue. He told the society that he regarded it of vital importance that the measure should be carried; that he was will- ing to give his farm, if necessary, rather than have it fail ; that although he was not a professor of religion, yet he was sensible that property was of no account unless the institutions of religion could be sustained. It is almost needless to add that Mr. Clough prevailed. Mrs. Orcutt had five children, only one is now living, Phineas C. Orcutt, who res:des in Western New York.
Azor Perry comes next in the order of settlement. Mr. Perry procured a deed of one of the original proprietors of the town of Tinmouth in 1777, of a large piece of land then in that town, now Middletown. The deed was executed in Bennington, and in the spring of 1778 he shouldered his ax, all he had to bring but the clothes he wore, and took possession of his land. It was the same piece of land long known as the Azor Perry farm, and now owned and occupied by Jonathan Atwater. He put up a log lamise, between where Mr. Atwater's dwelling house now is and his cider mill, and about where his corn house now stands. Ile covered his house with poles and bark. He made a bedstead of
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poles, and used elm bark as a substitute for cords. He lived alone the first year, and managed to get a cow the first summer, which he wintered on browse ; that is, he cut down trees, and the cow eat the tops. Ile was married at Bennington in 1779. He . had managed, in the year before he was married, to save enough to get a calico wedding dress for his wife, and some few indispen- sible articles of household furniture to commence with. Mr. Perry was a rough, unpolished man, and a man of strong will and undoubted courage. He was from the town of Orange, Conn., but lived a while in Bennington before coming to Middletown. He was in Bennington battle, and in one or two engagements in the first year of the war. A good many good stories were told of his encounters with bears and wolves, during his first years in Middle- town. We can make room for but one or two :- On one occasion he was in the woods about a mile from his house, when he saw a young bear, a cub, and having no weapons to kill it, he ran and caught it, when the cub seizing one of his hands in his mouth, bit- ing through his hand, held it fast in its mouth. Perry, in vain tried to extricate his hand from the cub's mouth, and when he saw . he could not do it without help, he took the cub, weighing over one hundred pounds, under his arm and carried it to his house, a mile or more, where with assistance he was relieved.
At another time, there was a bear that lived on the hills some where between the Smith Wait and Buxton farms, and had become notorious for killing the sheep, calves and hugs, and destroying the corn in that vicinity. There had been a good deal of effort to kill the bear without success. At length, it was resolved to engage Mr. Perry to dispatch the bear, which he was very ready to undertake. This was in the fall of the year, and it had been ascertained that the old bear visited, during the evenings, a corn field near where the apple orchard now is on the Buxton farm, then owned by William Frisbie. Perry was informed of this and came on a certain evening, agreeable to appointment, and found & score or so of the citizens of the vicinity collected, and ready to render him assistance if he wanted. He told them that he wanted but one of their number; that one was selected, and the two with their muskets made their way to the cornfield. After
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arriving there, they stopped and listened awhile, and soon heard the bear at work at the corn. As soon as they had ascertained the bear's locality, Perry told his man to go to a certain point named by him, ( Perry,) and shoot at the bear, and said, " if you kill him, very well ; if you don't, the bear will be after you, and if he does, run behind me-I will stand here." The man did as directed by Perry, shot at the bear, wounded him and then ran towards Perry, the bear in a rage following. The man took shelter behind Perry, who stood quietly in his tracks until the bear had come up within twenty feet of him, when he raised his musket and snapped it, but there was no discharge. Mr. Perry began to curse his firelock, but rapidly continued to snap it until the bear had approached, walking on his hind feet, near enough to take the muzzle of the gun into his mouth, when the gun went off and, of course, killed the bear. In this affair, he did not appear to manifest any fear, or any other feeling except that he was vexed at his gun.
Mr. Perry acquired a good property-had eleven children, several of them are now living --- one, Mrs. Atwater, now lives upon the place and in the house where her father lived and died. Though not a religious man, Mr. Perry, like Major Clough, gave liberally for the support of religious institutions. He was a member of the Congregational society. He died November 15th, 1824, at the age of 69.
James and Thomas McClure would seem to come next in the order of settlement. They were brothers, and were natives of Scotland ; they landed in this country at Boston, Massachu- setts ; there were three brothers, and all came to Vermont, and first stopped at Wallingford. After a little time, the two brothers above named came to this place in 1779, looked this region over and finally concluded to settle in what is now the north-east part of the town-it was then in Ira, and they were induced to go there by representations of Isaac Clark, who had located there and had been made town clerk of Ira. Clark represented to them that the village of Ira would be there. The place where the MeClure's settled is now in Middletown, and near the line between Middle- town and Ira. It is at the upper end of the road, which leaves
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the main road, running from Middletown to Tinmouth, a little east of what is known as the " Edgerton place." It is not probable that any village or central place of business would ever have been there, if that portion of Ira had not been taken to make a part of Middletown-however, Clark and others undoubtedly thought so at the time.
The McClure brothers, like the other early settlers, set them- selves resolutely at work clearing up their lands,-I should judge, from the early records, that they were much relied on, as they hell many important positions. Thomas McClure was the first clerk of the Baptist Church, which office he held for several years. James McClure was placed on the committee at the first annual town meeting, to divide the town into school districts -- he often held town offices, and seemed to be actively engaged in laying the foundation of the institutions in the new settlement. James McClure, died February 22d, 1815, at the age of 67; Thomas, died younger, and sometime before 1800. Each left families ; of James Mellure's family, were Doctor David G. McClure and Samuel McClure. David G. succeeded Doctor Ezra Clark, as a physician in town, and was in practice here several years prior to 1822, when he removed to the State of Ohio. He has been dead some years. He left a family of a good deal of talent and enterprise.
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The history of " Old Rifle " more properly belongs to some other town, although he was on our territory for about seven years. Ile went to Castleton in 1786, and remained on the " McClure Ifill " from 1779 until that time. There are some incidents in connection with his family while residing on the territory, which afterwards became a part of Middletown, which we might reasonably claim as part of our history. Mr. Clark's wife, if she was not as good a marksman as her husband, was not behind in bravery ; on a Sabbath day, when her husband was absent, she discovered a bear in the cornfield, she took that same rifle with which her husband had won his name, went out and deliberately shot the bear.
Samuel MeClare was a farmer and lived in Middletown until his death, which occurred about fifteen years ago. He had a large family ; three sons and two daughters are now living. David G.,
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the oldest, now lives in Rutland ; he had two sons and three daughters ; the sons, both have responsible positions on some of the railroads. The two oldest daughters are married-one to C. M. Haven, a route agent on the Rutland and Washington railroad ; the other to Albert H. Tuttle, one of the proprietors of the " Rutland Herald."
Harry B. MeClure, the second son of Samuel MeClure, always has and still resides in Middletown, and has for many years been one of the active and leading men of the town. He has a very respectable family of six children, all boys, and all disposed to work for a living.
Warren McClure, the youngest son of Samuel MeClure, also resides in Middletown, is a mechanic-he served his country thres years in the war of 1861.
The next in the order of time of settlement, was William Frisbie, whose name, it will be seen, is on the roll of 1785. Ilis native place was Bethlehem, Coun .; to this place, and Harwinton, Conn., all that I have ever known of the name, trace their ancestry. IIc lived in Stillwater, New York, for a good many years before he came here-all his children were born there. He was in the battle of Saratoga, which was near his then residence. A relative of his was one of the original proprietors of the town of Wells, of whom he purchased his land, and his family consisting of his wife and six children, and his effects he brought here on an ox sled. The land he bought was what is now known as the " Buxton farm." He first put up a log house in the vicinity of where the brick house now is, and in 1785 or '86 he built a frame house three or four rods a little north of west of where the brick house now stands, William Frisbie, from all we have learned of him, was somewhat eccentric, but unlike some of his descendants, he was a very active man; prompt and positive in the expression of his opinions, and fearlessly uttered whatever came into his mind, whoever might be present. Ile was inflexible and unyielding in his principles, and could not endure any wavering on the part of any one else. The old folks have told me that, on one occasion, in a church meeting, he was unusnally severe upon some wayward brother, when some one pre- sent felt it his duty to rebuke him, and told him that it was his
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duty to exercise charity towards the offending brother. Ilis reply was that " charity could not go without legs." William Frisbie died March 1st, 1813, at the age of 76. Ile had two sons and four daughters, two of his daughters died before he did. His oldest son, William, Jr., was 17 years old when his father came here. He had the reputation of being a good scholar and well educated for the time. He studied medicine with Doctor Ezra Clark, and after he had received his diploma, commenced practice in company with Doctor Clark in Middletown, but soon went to Pittsford, Vt., where he was in practice until about 1820. He was in practice in Pittsford, according to the best of our informa- tion, about 25 years. He removed from Pittsford to Phelps, N. Y., where he lived until his death, which occurred about the year 1837. He had the reputation of being a good physician, had a large practice in Pittsford, and as I have been informed by the old people in that town, was highly esteemed by all who knew him, Some of his descendants are now living in Phelps, others are in the Western States, and all seem to have traits of character similar to those of the older William Frisbie. Zenas Frisbie, the second son of William, Sr., was a farmer, lived and died in Middletown, --- his age was 76 years-he died January 19th, 1851. He had eight children, three are dead ; of the surviving, two sons and a daughter are at the far West, one son in Poultney, and a daughter, Mrs. Lucy A. Thomas, in Middletown, who is the only one left here of the race.
I cannot any further take up the names on that roll in the order of time when they settled here. I shall next speak of Captain Joseph Spaulding, a name ever to be honored by Middletown. He first settled on what has been known as the " Micah Vail farm," now owned by C. Clift, but soon afterwards removed to where Deacon A. Spaulding now lives, which place has ever since been owned by him and his descendants. It has already appeared that Captain Spaulding was the leading spirit "in getting the town established." He was the surveyor who located the lines, and gave the town its name. The town, very properly, made him their first representative. He was about thirty-six years old when he came here, had taught school a good deal in Connecticut, and was
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in the revolutionary war from about the time of its commencement until about the time he came to this place. IIe held some office in his regiment which ranked with lieutenant, and for awhile he per- formed the duties of adjutant. IIe taught the first school in the town, and taught a good many schools after that; he taught in all during his life nearly forty winter schools, the last when he was over seventy-five years old. He was the first captain of the mili- tia in town, and held that office at the time of the Shays' rebel- lion, in 1786, and when the militia of the county were called on to sustain the courts at Rutland, he started with his company fer that place ; but on his arrival at Castleton was permitted to return, as the mob had been dispersed by militia nearer at hand. IIe was a very candid, judicious man, no appearance of vanity or ostentation about him; yet he was firm in his convictions, and decided in his opinions. He had not as much of the go-ahead in him as many others of the early settlers ; but he was, probably, the best educated of any of them, and the most capable for transacting business. Those of my age can recollect him well. The last time that I saw him, in my recollection, was on the Sabbath at church, which, I think, was not many months before his death. During the recess of service, I saw him take up a book and read without the use of spectacles; and on the same occasion myself and others engaged with him in conver- sation. He was then the same candid, intelligent, christian man. "His eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated." Captain Spaulding died February 25th, 1840, at the great age of ninety- six years.
Deacon Asahel Spaulding and Harley Spaulding, now living here, and Deacon Julius Spaulding, of Poultney, with their fami- lies, are now the only representatives left in Vermont of several numerous families who sprung from Captain Joseph Spaulding.
Jonathan Brewster settled on the farm now owned by Doctor Eliakim Paul, about one and one-half miles south of the village. The exact time when he came here cannot now be given; but from records we have found, we know it was as early as 1782. He was very active, and the acknowledged leader in the formation of the congregational church, and was its first deacon,
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and continued to act in that capacity until the infirmities of age prevented. He represented the town four years. Deacon Jon- athan Brewster died April 20th, 1820, at the age of seventy-six. On the stone at the head of the grave, we find this quotation : "There remaineth a rest for the people of God." From what we have learned of him, we think it appropriately used. He was a very dovoted man, and very laborious in the discharge of his duties as a member and officer of the church, of which we shall speak more fully when we come to the history of the churches.
Deacon Brewster had a large family of children, seven of whom survived him. Their names were Orson, Ohel, Oramel and Jona- than, Eunice, Lydia and Joanna, Orson was a valuable man. He succeeded his father in the office of deacon, which he held until the spring of 1835, when he removed to Northampton, Mass., where he died a few years since at about the age of eighty years.
Obel died many years ago. He left two daughters, one of whom is dead ; the other was the widow of the late Orson Clark, now the wife of Doctor Amos Frisbie, formerly of Poultney, now of Findlay, Ohio.
Jonathan and Oramel removed to Northern New York, and died there many years ago.
The daughters of Deacon Jonathan Brewster were excellent women. Eunice married Fitch Loomis. She was the mother of Reuben and Fitch Loomis, Jr., Mrs. Henry Gray, Mrs. Thaddeus Terrill and Mrs. Johnson. She died about 1851.
Lydia married William Fay, long the proprietor of the "Rut- land Herald." She survived her husband some years.
Joanna married Luther Cleaveland, and lived to be very old. She has been dead but a short time. She died in Pawlet.
Gideon Miner removed from Woodbury, Connecticut, to Rut- land in March, 1779, and from Rutland to Middletown in the spring of 1782. He settled about two miles east of the village, at the place formerly known as " Miner's Mills," where Merritt MIchurin now lives. He commenced at once in putting up a grist and saw mill, which were made ready for use that season. These were the first mills erected within the limits of the town, or at
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least the first that did any business, and were of great service to the new settlement. Mr. Miner had been a soldier in the French war, and lost his health there, which he never fully recovered, yet he lived to a great age. Ilis wife, whose maiden name was Eliza- beth Lewis, was a woman of uncommon ability, and great energy of character. She was held in high esteem by all who knew her, and was a noble type of those pioneer mothers who have stamped so proud a character upon the people of this state. She and her husband, and nearly or quite all of their children, were members of the congregational church. Mr. Miner died in 1808, and his wite soon after, each being, at their death, eighty years old.
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