The history of Orleans county, Vermont. Civil, ecclesiastical, biographical and military, Part 2

Author:
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: White River Junction, Vt., White River Paper Co.
Number of Pages: 404

USA > Vermont > Orleans County > The history of Orleans county, Vermont. Civil, ecclesiastical, biographical and military > Part 2

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.

the meeting, and delivered the opening address. Lectures were delivered by Hiram Orcott, of Lebanon, N. H., on " the education of woman," -by Pref. G. N. Webber, on " the Relation of Language to Thought"-by Gen. John W. Phelps, on " Good Behavior"-by Prof. M. H. Buckham, on "Practical Education," and by Prof. B. Kellogg, on " The diseases and Misuse of the Mind. A paper by the Rev. C. E. Fer- rin, upon "The Relation to each other of the Common School, the Academy and the Col- lege," was read. The subjects of " School Dis- cipline" and "The Best Method of Teaching English Grammar," were discussed by teachers and friends of education from various parts of the State.

PASTORS OF CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHES IN ORLEANS COUNTY,

Arranged according to dates of their settlement. Jacob S. Clark, Morgan, Jan. 11, 1827. Daniel Wild, Brookfield, July 1, 1820. Samuel R. Hall, Brownington, Jan. 4, 1854. Jabez S. Howard, Holland, June 3, 1844. S. K. B. Perkins, Glover, Jan. 11, 1860. Azro A. Smith, Westfield, Feb. 10, 1864. John H. Woodward, Trasburgh, Sept. 21,1864. Azel W. Weld, Greensboro, Oct. 26, 1864. The longest pastorate is that of Rev. Jacob S. Clark, which has continued now more than 38 years-but is now merely nominal. Coventry, June 7, 1866.

SONS OF ORLEANS COUNTY MINISTERS IN THE WAR OF '61.

William Chamberlin, son of the late Rev. Schuyler Chamberlin of Craftsbury, a private in the 1st Vt. Cavalry.

John C. Chapin, son of the late Rev. Wm. A. Chapin of Greensboro-was a private in a west- ern regiment, and died of a wound received at the battle of Shiloh.

Charles W. Liscomb, Co. B, 13th regiment, John E. Liscomb of Co. D, 8th Reg., and Hi- rum Liscomb of 118th N. Y. Reg., were sons of the Rev. Cyrus Liscomb of Irasburgh.

John A. Ryder of the 8th Reg. and Ziba Ryder of the 9th, are sons of Rev. Samuel Ry- der of Coventry.

Aug., 1863.

The first Paper published in Orleans county was the " Northern Oziris," at Derby-the first number of which appeared Dec. 15, 1831. It was published by J. M. Stevens for the pro- prietors. After an interval of a month the sec- oud number appeared, in which it was said, " It will be published on every Thursday morning

during the year, and we have no good reason to doubt it will so continue to be published for the next half century." The final number, however, appeared Apr. 19, 1832.

"Lamoille River Express" commenced on Friday, June 1, 1838-J. W. Remington, pub- lisher.

" The Yeoman's Record" made its first ap- pearance at Irasburgh Aug. 13, 1845, edited and published by E. Rawson. It was purchas- ed by A. G. Conant. who assumed the publica- tion Sept. 29, 1847, E. Rawson resumed the control March 22, 1848, and the paper was dis- continued March 20, 1850.

The " Orleans County Gazette" was first is- sued May 11, 1850. It was published by Leon- ard B. Jameson, and edited by him and John A. Jameson. At the commencement of the third volume, May 8, 1852, J. M. Dana became the sole editor and publisher. At the com- mencement of the fifth volume, June 17, 1854, George W. Hartshorn became the editor and publisher, and edited the paper during the re- mainder of its existence. With No. 29, the "North Union" was established June 10, 1854, by E. E. G. Wheeler and F. C. Harrington, pub- lishers and editors. At the 16th No., Sept. 23 1854, Mr. Wheeler retired from the paper, and it was edited and published by F. C. Harring- ton. Vol. 3 of the North Union began on the 19th of June, 1856-ended about the first of October. With No. 3 it passed into the hands of stockholders-G. A. Hinman, editor. Of the fifth volume Sylvester Howard, Jr., became publisher, and published it till the close of the volume, having as partner for a few weeks A. A. Earle, and for the last 3 months H. D. Morris. At the close of the 5th volume the Gazette was united with the "North Union."

" White River Advertiser and Vermont Family Gazette" commenced on Wednesday Oct. 6, 1852.

"Orleans Independent Standard," com- menced in 1856, at Irasburgh, A. A. Earle editor,-now published at Barton.

The "Newport News" was discontinued Dec. 8, 1864, and the materials and good-will were sold to the " Vermont Union," at Lyndon.

" Green Mountain Express" commenced at Irasburgh in 1863, (H. & G. H. Bradford, editors,) and after about one year passed into the hands of stockholders and finally sold to W. G. Cambridge, in Sept. 1864.

The " Newport Republican" was established Oct. 19, 1864. by W. G. Cambridge, editor and

ORLEANS COUNTY.

proprietor, at $2,00 per annum. It was dis- continued Feb. 22, 1865.

The "Newport Express" commenced March 1, 1865, at $2,00-D. K. Simonds and R. Cum- mings publishers. D. K. Simonds editor.

[Mr. White left his paper unfinished, and a foregoing leaf or paragraph seems to be missing here .- Ed.]

ADMISSIONS TO THE ORLEANS COUNTY BAR. BY HON. E. A. STEWART.

March term, 1800, Moses Chase; November term, '01, William Baxter; August, '03, Ezra Carter; March, '05, Jesse Olds and Henry Works ; March, '06, Hezekiah Frost; August, '06, Charles Reynolds ; do. '07, Joseph H. El- lis ; March, '09, Horace Bassett ; August, '09, Roger G. Bulkley ; August, '10, Joshua Saw- yer ; do. '11, John Wallace ; do. 12, Peter Bur- bank ; Marck, '13, Chester W. Bloss ; August, ']5, William Richardson; March, '16, Nathan- iel Reed, Jr. ; March, '17, Salmon Nye ; Aug., '18. David Gould ; September, '22, John L. Fuller; February, '22, Samuel Upham ; Sep- tember, '24. John H. Kimball, Geo. M. Mason ; September, '25, James A. Paddock and Harvey Burton ; October, '27, Isaac F. Redfield; Au- gust '31, Dan'l F. Kimball; December, '32, Car- los Baxter; December, '33, Franklin Johnson ; June, '43, Elbridge G. Johnson ; December, '34, Elijah Farr; June, '35, Charles W. Prentiss ; June, '37, Timothy P. Redfield ; December, '42, David Chadwick and Edward A. Cahoon ; June, '43, John L. Edwards; June, '44, Wm. M. Dickerman, E. Winchester; December, '44, William. T. Barron, Eben A. Randall ; June, '45, Nathaniel S. Clark; December, '46, Isaac N. Cushman ; June, '48, Thomas Abbott and Wm. M. Heath; Dec., '48, John P. Sartle ; June, '50, Henry H. Frost ; June, '51, Fernando C. Harrington ; June, '52, Jerre E. Dickerman ; June, '53, Don A. Bartlett and George Baldwin ; Dec., '56, Frederick Mott; June, '57, Amasa Bartlett ; Dec., '57 Henley C. Akeley and R. A. Barker ; June, '58, Alonzo D. Bates, William G. P. Bates, Benjamin H. Steele and Edward A. Stewart ; Dec., '59, Enoch H. Bartlett ; June, 1860, Mer- rill J. Hill and B. F. D. Carpenter ; June, '61, Charles Williams ; December, '61, J. S. Dor- man, Charles N. Fleming and John B. Robin- son ; June, '62, George D. Wyman, Lewis .H Bisbee, John Young and Elijah S. Cowles ; June, '63, Geo. W. Todd ; Dec. '64, Riley E. Wright ; Dec., '65, Josiah Grout, Jr., June, 66, Charles B. Daggett, D. K. Simonds and

Henry C. Bates; Dec., '67, Solomon W. Dane ; Dec., '68, George P. Keeler and Israel A. Moul- ton; October, '69, Leonard S. Thompson.

The Orleans County Court, in the fall of '69, proved a total failure, in consequence of the floods. Judge Prout did not arrive until a week after the time.

ORLEANS COUNTY, CONTINUED.

BY REV. 8. R. HALL, LL. D.

This County is situated in the central part of northern Vermont; being bounded N. by Canada, E. by Caledonia, S. by Essex and W. by Franklin and Lamoille counties. It was an unbroken wilderness till after the Revolution- ary war, and inhabited only by Indians. Hunters had visited it, and soldiers had passed through some portions of it, in military ex- cursions. A portion of Rogers' men, return- ing, after the destruction of St. Francis Indi- an village in 1759, passed through, from Memphremagog lake, by Lake Beautiful, in Barton, on their way to the foot of the Fif- teen-mile Falls, on Connecticut river, or what was then called lower Coos. Marks made on the trees by these soldiers, it is believed have been discovered in several towns, and also a " shirt of mail" and the remnants of an " iron spider" have been found, that were probably left by them. A son of one of these soldiers was a resident in the county, after the lapse of more than a century ? *

Many years later a military road was made through the south-west portion of the county, to Hazens' notch in the present town of West- field. The traces of that road, though made during the early part of the Revolution, are still distinct in Greensboro, Craftsbury, Al- bany, and Lowell.

The county was incorporated Nov. 5, 1792, and embraced 22 townships and some gores. Craftsbury and Brownington, were consti- tuted half-shire towns. When the new County Lamoille was constituted, 3 towns were embraced in the limits of that County, and the area of Orleans was diminished by more than 100 square miles. Irasburg was constituted the shire town in 1816. The number of towns remaining in the county is 19.

The physical geography, and geology of Orleans County are diverse from any other portion of the State. It is situated almost

* Mr. Joel Priest, Brownington.

VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.

wholly within the Y of the Green mountains. The geological formations of the County sep- arate it into 3 divisions. 1. The talcose and chlorite schists characterise the four west- tern towns, bordering on the Missisco river and its tributaries. 2. The central part lies wholly in the calcareous mica slate region, consisting of impure carbonate of lime, clay and hornblend schists, with occasional beds of both older and recent granite. The lime, clay and hornblend are interstratified. The changes from one to the other, in some places occur many times, within a few rods. 3. The eastern part of the County is almost whol- ly granitic i. e. granite, gneiss and sienite. The granitic rocks are more recent than the stratified rocks; fragments of these are fre- quently found embedded in the granite .* Veins of granite are often found projected in- to fissures of the older rocks. A very interest- ing exhibition of this may be seen at Coventry Narrows, described by Dr. Hitchcock, Geo- logical Rep. p. 562, Fig. 290, nebular or con- cretionary granite described by Dr. H. p, 563, and illustrated by Fig. 292, is a great curios- ity, though of no particular value, except for cabinet specimens. This variety is largely distributed in Craftsbury. The minerals of most interest and value occur in the Missisco valley. "The most striking features of this valley are the immense ranges of serpentine and soapstone. There are two ranges of the former, and two of the latter ; extending from Potton on the north, to Lowell in the south end of the valley. The quantity of serpentine in Lowell and Westfield, is greater than in any other part of the State. The eastern range contains the veins of magnetic iron ore, which supplied the furnace at Troy. The quantity is inexhaustible ; but the ore con- tains titanium, and is hard to smelt. The iron, when manufactured, is of the best quali- ty, having great strength and hardness. It is finely adapted to make wire, screws, &c. It would make the best kind of rails for rail- roads. Should a railroad be constructed in the Missisco valley, this ore will be of im mense value to the County and State. It might, even now, be wrought with profit to the owners. It makes the most valuable hollow ware and stoves.

In the serpentine range on the west side of the river, is found chromate of iron, a min-

eral of great value in the arts. The largest beds of it are in the eastern part of Jay, within one and a half miles of Missisco river t.

Small beds of chromate of iron have been found in the serpentine range, on the east side of the river, south of the magnetic iron ore, in both Troy and Westfield. Most beau- tiful specimens of asbestos, common and lig- niform, are found in the serpentine at Lowell and Westfield. This serpentine might be wrought, and would be found of equal value to any in the State. It contains the most beautiful veins of amianthus and bitter spar. Some varieties resemble verde antique.

The soapstone which accompanies the ser- pentine, is generally hard, but no doubt might, in many places, be wrought to great advantage. "}

The streams mostly flow northerly and north-westerly, towards the Memphremagog lake. The Missisco river flows northerly, till it enters Canada, and then turning west- ward re-enters Vermont, passing through the county of Franklin and pours into Champlain. But the upper valley of this stream is appro- priately classed with others, the waters from which flow into Memphremagog. The latter lake, at no very distant geological period, no doubt, covered the low lands of the Missisco valley, as well as those bordering on Black, Barton and Clyde rivers. The highest land between the lake and Missisco valley is, in some places, probably not more than 100 to 150 feet.

The County is more abundantly supplied with lakes, ponds and streams, than any other portion of Vermont, if not New Eng. land, of equal area. Black, Barton and Clyde rivers are almost entirely limited to the County, also the head waters of the Mis- sisco, and Wild branch. Several streams which flow north into Canada, and empty into Magog and St. Francis rivers, rise in ponds within the county.

A considerable portion of Memphremagog lake, Caspian lake, Willoughby lake, Morgan lake, Bellwater pond, or Lake Beautiful, are with a very large number of ponds. within the County.

These ponds and lakes furnished abundance of the finest fish, to the Indians, hunters and

t See Geol. Report, pp. 836 and 837.

4 Sumuer's list. of Missisco Valley.

* See Geological Report, p. 562.

ORLEANS COUNTY.

early settlers .* They also were the home of numerous beaver and otter ; while the mead- ows on the numerous rivers, furnished rich pasture to moose and deer, thousands of which were killed principally for their skins.

The face of the country differs considerably from other parts of the State. The general slope is northward; and though there is con- siderable difference in the hight of arable land, the highest points are reached by a gradual rise, and the summits or ridges are capable of convenient cultivation. Precipi- tous cliffs and ledges are uncommon, except on the western boundary. From Hazen's notch to Jay peak, is a continuous mountain range, varying from 2500 to 4000 feet above the ocean. The summit of Jay peak, in the north-west corner of Westfield, is 4018 feet above tide water. The summit of Westmore mountain, in the extreme east part, is nearly 3000 feet. The elevation of several ponds, lakes and towns has been ascertained.

Ft. above ocean.

Elligo Pond, Craftsbury, is 863

Hosmore Pond,

1001

Bellwater Pond, or Lake Beau- 933 tiful, Barton,

Salem Pond, Salem, 967

Pensioner's Pond, Charleston, 1140

Island Pond, Brighton, 1182

Morgan Lake, Morgan, 1160

Willoughby Lake, Westmore, 1161

Memphremagog Lake, t 695

South Troy village, 740

Irasburgh (Court House), 875

Barton village, 953

Derby (Centre),

975

* About the year 1800, Mr. Erastus Spencer, with Mr. Elijah Spencer, and two others residing in the east part of Brownington, went to a pond near the foot of Bald mountain in Westmore, and in a single day caught more than 500 pounds of trout, weighed after being dressed. They were obliged to procure oxen to carry home the avails of their day's work!

t The waters of Memphremagog lake being 695 feet above the ocean, would have to be raised only 500 feet in order to flow back, so as to unite with the waters of Island pond, in the county of Essex, and cover the site of Hosmer ponds Craftsbury, Salem pond, Derby pond, Pensioner's pond, Morgan lake, Willoughby lake, Bell- water pond, or Lake Beautiful, Runaway pond, formerly known as Long pond, and all the smaller ponds of the country. A barrior as high as that no doubt once ex- isted near the present outlet of the lake and all these various lakes and ponds were once a part of that lake. Most of the villages in both the Missisco valley and the rest of the country are located in the bed of this lake, as it existed in a former age. (See Hall's Geography and History of Vermont, p. 16.)

Ft. above ocean.

Derby, (Line), 1050

Craftsbury Common, 1158

Brownington (village), 1113

Cultivated lands in Holland, Greensboro, Craftsbury, Westmore and a portion of Glo- ver, vary from 1100 to 1500 feet above the ocean. Most of the lands lying on the rivers, vary from 700 to 900. Much of the table land, lying between the streams, is of the best quality for cultivation and grazing. The meadows and intervals are unsurpassed by any in the State.

The soil differs materially in different parts of the County; by the character of the rock in place. The prevailing rock in the Missisco valley is talcose schist. This variety of rock contains very little carbonate of lime, and decomposes very slowly. The soil will, there- fore, be deficient in lime, except on the inter- vals, or drift soil. The rock in the extreme eastern part of the county is mostly granite or gneiss. The decomposition of these rocks, is not rapid, but sufficiently so, to furnish some new materials of value to the soil. The remaining portion of the county is embraced in the calcareous mica slate region. These varieties of rock, limestone, clay and horn- blend, are found interstratified, and all are inclined to very rapid decomposition, so that the soil will be constantly enriched by the addition of lime, and the other materials em- braced in the rocks. Decomposed lime, horn- blend and clay schists form the very best va- rieties of soil for wheat, grass, barley, &c.

In the northern part of the county the soil is generally a deep loam, resulting from drift agency, and in many instances, covering the rock in place to a great depth. This soil, originating in a region of purer limestone at the north, is rich in salts of lime and very highly productive. Troy, Newport, Coventry, Craftsbury, Derby, Charleston and Holland, contain many thousand acres of this variety of soil, of great excellence.

A prominent fact, in the entire calcareous mica slate region, is the immense growth of sphagnous peat or muck. This substance has already filled the basins of many original ponds, and those formed by beavers ; and is rapidly accumulating on the borders of many others. Beneath many of these beds of muck, shell marl is found in large quantities, furn- ishing abundant material for manufacturing the best quality of caustic lime. When peat

VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.

or muck is combined with wood-ashes, or lime, in the proportions of two bushels of the latter to a cord of the former, it is more val- uable as manure than any made at the barn. Nothing exceeds it in value, as a top-dressing for grass lands. The abundance and distri- bution of this substance is very remarkable. In one town the writer surveyed the beds of muck, and found more than 640 cords for' each acre of land in the township. Many other towns have an equal supply. These beds of muck constitute the future wealth of the agriculturist. Most of the arable land in the county may be easily enriched to any degree desired. The natural soil is not infe- rior to that in any portion of New England, but these resources of indefinitely increasing its fertility, add immensely to its value.

Another part should be noticed. The nu- merous rivers and streams in the county furn- ish an immense amount of most valuable wa- ter power. Excellent sites for mills, factories, &c., abound ;- only a small part of which have as yet been improved. This should ex- cite no surprise, when it is remembered that but little more than half a century has elapsed since the Indian wigwam occupied the site of our smiling villages, and the " wild fox dug his hole unscared," in what are now our best cultivated fields, and where rural dwellings are scattered over hill, plain and valley.

Falls of great beauty exist on both Missisco and Clyde rivers. The principal falls on the Missisco, are in North Troy. Rev. Z. Thomp- son says, "here the river precipitates itself over a ledge of rocks about 70 feet. These falls and the still water below present a grand and interesting spectacle, when viewed from a rock that projects over them 120 feet in perpendicular height." Accurate measure- ment, might somewhat diminish Mr. Thomp- son's estimate, but would not lessen the grandeur of the scene.

The falls on the Clyde in West Charleston cannot be viewed from a position so favorable. The descent of the water is not perpendicu- lar; but the fall is greater. Both are objects of great interest to the beholder. Many other falls on these streams furnish excellent sites for mills, factories, &c.

The climate does not vary materially from other portions of the State of similar latitude and altitude. The altitude is greater than that of the Champlain valley, but less than the upper valley of Connecticut river. The

Memphremagog lake and other large bodies of water modify the temperature, and the av- erage range of the thermometer at Craftsbury, Brownington and Derby, is only a few de- grees lower than at Burlington. The winters are long, and the cold somewhat severe. But the greater uniformity of temperature, from November to April than what is usual, either in Champlain valley, or the Atlantic slope, in the same latitude, is an important compensation. Men and animals suffer less from a continuous low temperature, than by frequent changes from a higher to a lower. The thermometer does not fall so low, as at places considerably further south. Early frosts are less frequent than in some parts of Massachusetts.

There are really but two seasons, summer and winter. The transition from one to the other is commonly sudden. The only real in- convenience to the agriculturist is the short- ness of seedtime. The summers are generally sufficiently long and warm to mature corn- the exceptions being rare, in favorable loca- tions. Domestic animals not only thrive and mature well, but have a decided preference in the market over those reared in many other sections of country. Better horses, oxen, or cows, than the average of those reared in the county, are not easy to find. The quantity of butter made from a cow, is not exceeded, if equaled, in any part of New England .*

The forest trees are similar to those gener- ally in northern New England and Canada East. The arbor vitæ (white cedar,) is how- ever more abundant, and of larger size than in any other portion of the Northern States. The sugar-maple is the glory of the forests, furnishing as it does in every town, an im- portant revenue of saccharine secretions, con- ducive alike to health, pleasure and profit.

The noble pine, formerly abundant, has, alas, suffered so much from vandal extirpators, as hardly to have a representative now of its once towering height and gigantic bulk. Ruthless hands have laid this forest king in an untimely grave! True, here and there a scattered few remain, that feebly represent the glory of the fallen, as the Indian of this age does the Phillips and Tecumsehs of the former. Would that the insane cupidity of early settlers had spared a few of these mag-

*More than 200 pounds per cow, has been sold fre- quently from dairies of considerable size, beside the supplies of a family.

ORLEANS COUNTY.

nificent specimens of the former forests. But all that our children can know of them, is learned from the large stumps that yet ad- here to the earth which reared them .*

A few of the immense elms remain, and it is hoped may long be preserved, to exhibit a trace of the magnificence of the early forests.

The botanist finds the county very rich,- most of the plants given by Mr. Thompson in his History of Vermont are found in it, a few not found elsewhere in the State.

The first settlements in the County were made simultaneously at Greensboro and Craftsbury, in 1788. Most of the other towns were settled prior to the commencement of the present century. An account of the early settlers, their hardships and sufferings will be more appropriately given in the his- tory of the several towns.

{We here omit a description of Glover and Runaway Pond, furnished by Hall, having a full account of it given in the history of Glover .- Ed.]

COUNTY SOCIETIES.

A COUNTY BIBLE SOCIETY

has existed many years, and has aided in supplying, not only the destitute within the county, but the State and country at large, with the Holy Scriptures. Many thousand dollars have been contributed for this object. Various religious denominations unite in this important work.

ORLEANS COUNTY BIBLE SOCIETY.

PRESIDENTS, IN ORDER .- Orem Newcomb, Esq., of Derby ; Dea. Samuel Baker, Greens- boro ; Rev. J. N. Loomis, Craftsbury ; Rev. S. Chamberlain, Albany ; William J. Hast- ings, Craftsbury ; J. H. Skinner of Derby ; Dea. Loring Frost, of Coventry ; Hon. E. B. Simonds, of Glover.

SECRETARIES .- Geo. Nye, Esq., Irasburgh ; Jesse Cooper, Esq., Irasburgh; Rev. Joel Fisk, Irasburgh ; Rev. A. L. Cooper, Derby ; Thomas Jameson, Irasburgh; Rev. Sidney K. B. Perkins, Glover.

DEPOSITARIES .- Geo. Worthington, Esq., Irasburgh ; Dea. Hubbard Hastings, Iras- burgh ; Jesse Cooper, Esq., Irasburgh ; Amasa Bartlett, Esq., Irasburgh ; Rev. S. R. Hall, Brownington; Rev. Thomas Bayne, Irasburgh ; Rev. Pliny H. White, Coventry ; Rev. Wm. A. Robinson, Barton.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

The history of Orleans county, Vermont. Civil, ecclesiastical, biographical and military, Part 2

Author: Publication date: 1882 Publisher: White River Junction, Vt., White River Paper Co. Number of Pages: 404

Author:
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: White River Junction, Vt., White River Paper Co.
Number of Pages: 404