USA > Vermont > Orleans County > The history of Orleans county, Vermont. Civil, ecclesiastical, biographical and military > Part 33
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Mr. Scott's fields of labor have been Dor- chester, Mass., Sandwich, Landaff, N. H., Newbury, Sutton, Guildhall, Chelsea, Barre, Burke, Greensboro, Glover, Hardwick, Wal- den, Cabot, Williamstown, Lyndon, North Danville, Barton Landing, Coventry and Waitsfield, Vt., but about one fourth of the whole time has been spent in Glover. Dur- ing his last ministry of 8 years, the charge became separated from that of Barton and the church now numbers about 50 members.
Mr. Scott married in Glover, Dorothy, the daughter of Mr. Jonas and Mrs. Dorothy B. Phillips.
It should be added that quite a portion of the inhabitants in the south-west part of Glover (Scotch) have been accustomed to worship with the Presbyterian church in Craftsbury, and have helped to sustain preach- ing in that town.
THE PHYSICIANS AND LAWYERS OF GLOVER.
The history of Glover would be by no means complete without some reference to the phy- sicians and lawyers who have resided in this town, and who have served the people in their respective professions.
PHYSICIANS.
In early years, Dr. Frederick W. Adams of Barton, practiced to a considerable extent in Glover.
The first resident doctors so far as the wri- ter can learn, were Bela Bowman and Jonas Boardman. Next-Dr. Daniel Bates, now in practice in Northfield.
In 1835, Dr. Sandford Atherton came to this town. He died from poison imbibed in connection with a post mortem examination, in 1843. He was followed by Dr. Frederick A. Garfield, who died in 1848. These men were both public spirited and were highly gifted in debate. They did much to sustain the lyceum at Glover village. Then Dr. George Damon who died in 1862; Dr. J. V. Smith ; Dr. Frank Bugbee; Dr. F. W. Good- all ; Dr. C. L. French ; Dr. Tyler Mason, of West Glover. Many of these have been ac- counted sound in learning and skillful in practice, and all of them have favored the allopathic mode.
In addition there have been Drs. Martin Scott, C. B. Davis, homeopathic ; J. S. Sias, botanic, and W. F. Templeton, eclectic-the last of whom commenced to practice in Glover after service as surgeon in the army, in the winter of 1864.
NATIVE PHYSICIANS,-Nelson Cheney, Hen- ry Bickford, David Baker, Charles L. French.
LAWYERS.
It is perhaps to the credit of Glover, that its citizens have never been disposed to a very great extent, to engage in lawsuits, one against another, hence, although they have re- garded lawyers with respect according to their merits, as a class, yet they have never given them any great encouragment, to tarry with them.
The record of the names of the principal ones is as follows :
William H. Martin, who represented the town in the legislature for one year, viz. 1841. Josiah A. Fletcher, Isaac N. Cushman, well known at Irasburgh and throughout the county. Albert M. Holbrook, who died in Glover in the year 1853, and George W. Todd, Esq .- also principal of the academy.
Marcellus Beach, a promising young man from Glover, died in 1857, at Charleston, S. C., where he had just been admitted to the bar.
Jefferson Clark, a graduate of Amherst college, class of 1867, and the first college graduate from this town, has since pursued the study of law in New York city.
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GREENSBORO.
TO THE OLD CHURCH IN WEST GLOVER. BY FREDERICK P. CHENEY, ESQ., OF GLOVER.
Seated within thy venerable walls, How many bye-gone days the scene recalls. The seats once filled by friends in manhood's pride Now vacant, or by others occupied. Here the elder and the younger Bliss belonged, Accustomed both to prayer, the last to song, Baker, Lyman, Woods and others whom we knew Come fresh to mind, the face and voice and pew. Here Mason taught the doctrines of the "Prince of Peace ;"
"Inasmuch as to the least of these ye have done good, Ye did it unto me in giving shelter, rest and food. Ifon God's humble poor ye still will heap Oppression, wrong and outrage, foul, and deep, Will He His promises forget to keep? Not He-' God's wrath will not forever sleep., " Prophetic words ! unyielding champion of right, Who striving long in an unequal fight, Desired the freedom of a race, but died without the sight.
Here, too, did Cressey with convincing mode Lead men to seek the straight and narrow road. Stone, for rhetoric and dignity renowned, Here spoke and prayed in periods full and round. Here the gifted Hough in burning eloquence Poured forth religion's strong defence. Here has the serious, philosophic Scott By precept, and what's more, by practice taught Lessons of perseverance, patience, thought. And Windsor, Woodruff, Richardson, and Hatch, Who, I trow, finds not for seriousness In every youthful clergy, a match. Perkins, too, whom Dr. Thayer refused to pass As fit for duty in the army ; lest alas !
He could not read his text, should he lose his convex glass ;
Long may he live and preach, and practice long, Profound in learning and in logic strong.
Here with friends and neighbors we have met in pass- ing years,
In times of sorrow, when choking sighs and blinding tears.
Told the deep grief in stricken hearts that mourn
For missing ones, by death from home's dear circle torn.
Thou dear old sanctuary, built by our frugal sires in early time,
When wearing homespun dress to church was not counted crime ;
When people had more love, friendship and religion and less pride ; Ere gents with polished " dickies" were from paper mills supplied ;
Ere woman was by fashion's fiat doomed to wear
Uncouth, unwieldly waterfalls instead of comely well combed hair ;
And ere New York and cruel Paris had presumed to daro
Bid her encounter chilling winter's blast with head- shall I say bare ?
Thine architecture somewhat ancient is no doubt, And might by facing pews and people " right about" More nearly ape the modern and fashionable style, By letting down your preachers,-pshaw! you must not smile,
No levity is meant,-by letting down your preacher somewhat lower,
When he; instead of climbing up aloft, might walk across the floor.
But give me the same old style, a seat where I may sit and gaze
Upon the lips of Israel's sweet singers, as they raise The solemn, sweet, inspiring song of praise.
Glover, Dec. 10, 1866.
BAPTISMAL HYMN.
[Sung at the baptism of a child of Mr. B. Thomas and Mrs. Celestia C. Stevens of Glover, and written for the occasion by the mother.]
O Thou, the cov'nant-keeping God, we come To dedicate to Thec our little one, In love Thou gavest him to us, and we In heart and faith would give him back to Thee.
We ask not for him honor, wealth, or power,- Bubbles of earth that perish in an hour; We ask not for him length of days on earth, But O, we pray Thee, grant him the new birth.
Keep him from sinful pleasures' fatal lure And plant his feet upon foundation sure, E'en on the "Rock of ages" cleft for sin, Such the petitions we would crave for him.
If Thou dost grant him here, with us, to stay, Help us to lead him in the narrow way, Or if Thou takest him while life is young, Thy praise, in grief, be yet upon our tongue. May 9,.1869.
GREENSBORO.
BY REV. JAMES P. STONE.
This beautiful township of 6 miles square, lies in the southern extremity of Orleans County.
Its altitude is considerably above that of the neighboring towns. Indeed, it has been said that in Greensboro, was the highest cui- tivated land in the State. Owing probably to its altitude, its winters are usually some 2 weeks longer than in some of the neighbor- ing towns. But its soil is strong and pro- ductive, and its farms, in general, excellent. Few towns exhibit so many indications of thrift, especially among farmers, as Greens- boro. Its population, at the present time, is probably between 1000 and 1100. Its lakes and ponds are several and important, the most admired of which is the Caspian, some- times also called " Lake Beautiful," nearly 3 miles in length and about half that in breadth. The waters of Greensboro flow both north and south. Black river, which flows north- ward to the Memphremagog, and also the Lamoille, both have their rise in Greensboro.
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At the eastern extremity of the Caspian, and just below its outlet, is the beautiful little
VILLAGE OF GREENSBORO,
where are some 25 neat dwellings, a hotel. 3 or 4 stores, excellent mills for sawing and grinding, also several shops where mechani- cal business of divers sorts is carried on, 2 churches, Congregational and Presbyterian, the town house and school-house.
Such is Greensboro at the present day. But such it once was not. Less than one hundred years ago, this town and all the sur- rounding country was an unbroken wil- derness. Then " the red man of the forest " might here erect his wigwam, pursue his game, or launch his light canoe, with no fear of being molested by men boasting a higher degree of civilization; or in his absence, the wild bear, the deer and the moose might roam through these forests unscared. But time rolls on, and anon new visions meet the eye. The sound of the axe is heard, announcing the approach of civilized men. The Red Man retreats, the wild beasts retire, the thick forest is soon converted into a fruitful field, and neat and comely dwellings succeed the smoky wigwam.
As early as during the year 1776, in the midst of the Revolutionary struggle, the road was commenced by Gen. Bailey, which was, in 1779, extended and rendered passable, through Cabot, Walden, Hardwick, Greens- boro, Craftsbury, Albany to Lowell, and called the Hazen road. Upon this road, at different points, were erected block-houses, designed to serve as forts. One of these was in Greensboro, on the western side of the Caspian, on what was for many years known as the Cushing, and more recently as the William's farm.
In the summer of 1781, a party of the enemy from Canada, having been to Peacham and made prisoners of Jacob Page, Col. John- son and Col. Elkins, then a youth, Capt. Ne- hemiah Loveland, with his company, was stationed there for the protection of the in- habitants. In September, he sent a scout of four men up the Hazen road. They pro- ceeded as far as Greensboro, where, while occupying the block-house above referred to, in an unguarded hour, while at a little distance from it, they were attacked by a party of Indians, and two of them, viz. Bliss of Thetford, and Moses Sleeper of New-
bury, were shot down and scalped. Their companions, having offered no resistance, were led captives to Canada, and soon found themselves prisoners with Elkins of Peacham, in Quebec. Sometime subsequently, having been, by an exchange of prisoners released, they returned to Peacham. It was not till their return that the fate of Bliss and Sleeper was known by their friends, a party of whom at once proceeded to Greensboro ; found the remains undisturbed, but in that loathsome condition naturally consequent upon long . exposure to the weather. A grave was dug, and the putrid masses, uncoffined, were rolled in and buried. And there, this day, in calm repose they rest No monument has ever been erected, sacred to their memory ; and the traveler passes near the spot without being reminded, or so much as knowing that there once fell, in their country's service, two of her worthy sons.
In November, 1780, the township was granted, and Aug. 20, 1781, chartered to Harris Colt and 66 associates. It was first named Coltshill, in honor of Mr. Colt. The name was afterwards changed to Greensboro, in honor of Mr. Green, one of the propri- etors, and as being more euphonic.
It was not till several years subsequent to this, that attempts were made for permanent settlements here, nor is it known that during these years white men visited the place except in the capacity of huntsmen. There was the mighty hunter, Lyford of Cabot, who spent much time in the vicinity of the Caspian, having his camps at different points along its shore, the precise locations of some of which, it is said, can be pointed out to the visitor at the present day. Near one of these spots, not far from the north-western extremity of the lake, is a spring of water still known as the Lyford spring.
It was in one of those Lyford camps that the Rev. Messrs. Tolman and Wood found shelter, as they spent three days and nights in this wilderness, offering fervent and ear- nest prayers to God for the place and its future inhabitants. Thus was this soil re- ligiously consecrated, and Jehovah invoked to be the God of those who should afterwards dwell upon it, while as yet, not a single building was erected, or a field cleared, and while not a single human being could say, " this is my home."
In December of the following year, 1788,
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was held at Cabot a meeting of the proprie- tors of Greensboro, in attempting to attend which, one of them, Timothy Stanley lost a portion of his foot by frost. For want of surgical instruments, it is said that his toes and the lower part of his foot were removed by means of mallet and chisel, and that too, quite successfully.
During the following Spring, settlements were commenced in Greensboro. From New- bury, then called Coos, in the Spring of 1789, came to Greensboro, Messrs. Ashbel and Aaron Shepard with their families. From Cabot Plain, a distance of 16 miles, the women had to proceed on foot, and all the furniture for both families was drawn on three hand- sleds. The families consisted of but 5 per- sons, viz. Ashbel Shepard and wife, and Aaron Shepard and wife and one child. Aaron and family went into the block- house, formerly designed for a fort; Ashbel erected a log-cabin and began further south, on what has since been known as the Rand farm.
But, in August, Aaron Shepard returned to Newbury, leaving his brother Ashbel and wife through the winter as the sole inhab- itants of the town, during which time their nearest neighbors were, Mr. Benjamin Web- ster in Cabot, and Mr. Nathan Cutler in Craftsbury, then called Minden. At the same time, Col. Crafts and Mr. Trumbull, having for the winter left Minden, the Cutler family was the only family in that town ; and the two constituted for a time, the entire population within the present limits of Or- leans County.
During that dreary and lonely winter, Mr. Shepard brought all his grain from Newbury, more than 50 miles, 16 miles of which he drew it upon a hand-sled, upon snow 4 or 5 feet deep. In the same manner, also, he drew hay for the support of his cow, from a beaver meadow of wild grass, 3 miles distant. As in these excursions, he usually had his mus- ket with him, he occasionally took some game; and once, instead of hay, he drew home a fine fat moose, which by a lucky shot he had felled in his path, thus furnishing meat for his household and the sons of the forest who, fatigued and hungry, were wont to visit his cottage.
During this season of loneliness, the two families, of Greensboro and Minden, were cheered by an arrival, not of the cars, nor of a stage coach, nor yet of chaise, wagon or
sleigh ; but of a hand-sled, drawn by three cheerly young men, and bearing upon it a precious burden, a healthful, comely girl of not quite 14 years. Her name was Mary Gerould. She was the step-daughter of Mr. Cutler of Minden. From Sturbridge, Mass., where a year before she was left by her pa rents for the purpose of attending school, she was in Jan., 1790, brought on her way by Col. Joseph Scott as far as Ryegate, Vt. Hav- ing been detained some 2 weeks at Ryegate, at the house of Squire Page, she was by him conveyed to the house of Dea. Elkins in Peacham. After a delay there of another 2 weeks, she was enabled to advance a little further. Hon. Aaron Robinson of Benning- ton, brought her to the house of Squire Lev- ensworth in Dewey's Gore, which now con- stitutes parts of Danville and Peacham; there she was subjected to another delay of ten days, when she came on horseback to the house of Lieut. Lyford on Cabot plain, and the next morning proceeded as before described towards Minden, drawn by Jesse Levenworth, Josiah Elkins and Obed Cutler, a son of her step-father. The party reached the house of Mr. Shepard, the only house between Cabot and Minden, about noon. It hardly need be said that Mrs. Shepard, in the absence of her husband for a hand-sled load of hay, gave them a hearty greeting, and as comfortable a dinner as circumstances would allow. Cheered and refreshed, the party proceeded on their way, and just as the sun was going down, reached the house of the parents of Obed Cutler and Mary Gerould. For months previous to this, no female had been seen by Mrs. Shepard or Mrs. Cutler. Who can ex- press the joy of that mother, after such a sea- son of loneliness, at such an arrival? The arrival, not only of a fellow creature of her own sex, but of a tender and affectionate daughter ? And who can describe the emo- tions which stirred the bosom of that young maiden, after a dreary and lonely journey of weeks among strangers, and where much of the way human dwellings could not be seen for many miles, on being permitted in this wilderness to behold the face of her own mother ?
Those families have long since passed away. But that daughter afterward lived 70 years in Greensboro, where she died in the autumn of 1864, and is still remembered with interest and affection even by the youth and
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children, and spoken of by the endearing ing-house, where is what was recently known appellation, "Grandma'am Stanley."
About the middle of March, Mrs. Cutler, prompted by a sense of duty, as well as desire, visited her neighbor, Mrs. Shepard, making the trip with her best carriage the hand-sled; and with her she remained some little time. During this visit, Mar. 25, 1790, Mrs. Shep . ard became the joyful mother of the first white child ever born in Greensboro, and probably, within the present limits of Orleans County; viz. William Scott Shepard,-late of Southport, Wis. To him the proprietors voted a hundred acres of land near the center of the town.
About this time Mr. Aaron Shepard and family, who had left, the summer previous, returned, and with them came Mr. Horace Shepard and family. Thus were there in town three families instead of one. At or near the time of the coming of these families, came also their sister, Miss Susan Shepard, some of the way, it is said, on foot, or other- wise upon a hand-sled, to reside in the family of Ashbel, as helper and nurse .- She after- wards became the wife of Col. Levi Stevens.
The same year, also, came Timothy Stan- ley, and erected, near the outlet of the lake, a saw-mill. Soon came his brother, Joseph Stanley, in the capacity of blacksmith, and put up a shop. During the following year, 1791, arrived Mr. John Law, Dea. Peleg Hill, Peleg Hill, Jr. and James Hill and their fam- ilies, and probably some others ; about which time a grist-mill was erected by Timothy Stanley, who, early in the following year, 1792, was married to Miss Eunice Hunting- ton, of Shaftsbury, whom he removed to Greensboro, having previously built a log- house near the spot where now stands the house of Mr. Ingals.
Quite a number of families were now fairly settled here, and Mar. 29, 1793, the town was organized, the first town meeting being held at the house of Ashbel Shepard.
The precise time of the arrival of each of the first settlers it is impossible to ascer- tain. But we now fall upon another item of history by which we are enabled to ascer- tain pretty nearly who were the dwellers in Greensboro in 1793. That year, on the 25th day of July, in a frame-house, standing on the eminence west of the road about half way from the mills, to the Congregational meet-
as Maj. Waterman's garden, was a wedding, the first in the town or county. Mr. Joseph Stanley of Greensboro and Miss Mary Ger- ould of Craftsbury, were then and there joined in marriage by Timothy Stanley, Esq. As there was no minister or qualified justice in Craftsbury, and as the couple were to reside in Greensboro, it was arranged that the wedding dinner should be at Craftsbury ; after which the parties, upon horses which had been procured for the occasion from Peacham, proceeded to Greensboro for the marriage ceremony. To this wedding all the inhabitants of the town were invited, and it is believed, with the exception of five adults and a few children, attended. Mr. and Mrs. Smith who lived near Craftsbury, and Ash- bel Shepard and Levi Stevens, who had gone to Newbury for provisions, and also Mrs. Vance, failed of being present. But these were present, as remembered by Mrs. Stanley, Dea. Hill, Peleg Hill, Jr. and Jas. Hill and their wives, Mr. John Law and wife, Capt. David Stone and wife, Capt. Timothy Hin- man and family, Mr. Silas Davidson and wife, Mr. Aaron Shepard and Mr. Horace Shepard and their wives, Timothy Stanley, Esq. and wife, Mr. David Vance, Mrs. Ashbel Shepard and Mrs. Levi Stevens, and perhaps some children. After the marriage ceremony, at the house of the groom, the wedding sup- per was served up in good style, out of doors, in front of Judge Stanly's log-house. This newly married couple constituted the fifteenth family in Greensboro .*
From this period, new settlers were from time to time coming in, and new roads were being opened, and fruitful fields began to multiply. According to Mr. Thompson, there were in town in 1795, 23 families, and 108 persons. These were probably the families of the three Shepards, the three Hills, the two Stanleys, Col. Levi Stevens, Mr. David Vance, Mr. Jonathan Nay, Mr. John Law, Capt. David Stone, Mr. John Carpenter, Mr. Amos Smith, Mr. Amos Dodge, Mr. Ichabod Dagget, Mr. Jonahan Pettengill, Thomas Tolman, Esq., Mr. Asahel Jerould, Mr. Josiah Elkins, Mr. Obed Cutler and Capt. Timothy Hinman. Capt. Hinman soon removed to
* The second wedding in Greensboro was that of Mr. Samuel Stevens of Hardwick, and Miss Puah Millen of G., at the house of Capt. David Stone. The bride was Mrs. Stone's sister.
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Derby, where he was afterwards known as Judge Hinman.
Soon other names began to be known among the settlers. In 1796, came Mr. Wal- ton, as miller, and lived in the mill-house. In 1797, came Dr. Samuel Huntington and com- menced where is now the large house, owned and occupied these 40 years past, or more, by Col. Samuel Baker, also, Mr. Samuel Elkins, and commenced at the N. W. extremity of the Caspian, and also Mr. Amos Blanchard, where now lives H. S. Tolman Esq.
In 1798. came John Ellsworth Esq, and commenced some 2 miles east of the lake. In 1799, came Aaron Farnham and commenced towards the north part of the town, and in February of the same year Mr. Williard Lin- coln succeeded Josiah Elkins on what has since till recently, been known as the Lincoln farm.
The same year, or early the year following, came Ephriam Strong and Ashbel Hale, as merchants, with a large stock of goods, with which they commenced trade in a large bed- room in Timothy Stanly's new frame house. In 1800, they built the large house still stand- ing on the place just vacated by Capt. Hin- man, a short distance south of the village near the forks of the two roads leading to, Hardwick Street, in which both John and O. W. Ellsworth have since lived ; the south- west room of which was fitted up for a store ; in which they did business for 2 or 3 years, when they removed their goods into a large store which they had just completed, a little below the house and nearer to the road. In 1801, Mr. John Law, having sometime previ- ously removed from his original pitch, was succeeded by Mr. Charles Cook, on the farm where he lived and died, and where his son Charles Cook, Esq. lived till his death in March, 1868. During the following year came Asahel Washburn, as clothier. His house stood upon the ground now occupied by the dwelling of Jabez Pinney, Esq.
About these years began, also other settlers, among whom are remembered, Capt. Marvin Grow, afterwards known as Elder Grow, Mr. Aaron Rice, Mr. Seth Eddy, Mr. Jacob Bab- bitt, Mr. James Rollins, Mr. Nathaniel John- son, Capt. George Risley, Mr. John Phipps, Mr. Elnathan Gates, Mr. Peter Randall, and Richard Randall, Mr. Luther Scott; and Mr. Moses K. Haines, and soon his father, Mat- thias Haines, and his family, so that already
was the population of the town by no means inconsiderable. Of the period that has elapsed since those early days, we can speak but very briefly. Suffice it to say, that the population has increased slowly, but gradually and regu- larly from the first until now. The census re- turns for the several decades have been re- ported thus. In 1791, the population was 19 persons. In 1800-280; in 1810-560; in 1820-625; in 1830-784; in 1840-884; in 1850-1008; in 1860-1065.
Public roads have become sufficiently nu- merous. It is said that the first ever laid through the town after its settlment was the old road to Glover, formerly known as the Norton road, and that was done through the agency of Cap. Hinman, who was anxious to prepare the way for the settlement of Derby, by extending it to that town, in which he finally succeeded. That old Norton road, up to the time of the running away of the great pond in 1810, and the subsequent laying of the road through its bed, called the Runaway Pond Road, was the principal thoroughfare between Central and Northern Vermont; but has since been superseded by others, and is now comparatively little known to travelers.
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