USA > Vermont > Orleans County > The history of Orleans county, Vermont. Civil, ecclesiastical, biographical and military > Part 5
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68
52
VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.
R. B. Hovey's family, together with one sister, afterwards Mrs. Phelps, and two younger brothers. Simeon married for his first wife the daughter of Eli Chamberlin, Esq., and set- tled on a farm. This wife soon after died, which so disarranged his plans that he after- wards sold his farm and went into the mer- cantile business, at Albany Centre. He lived to marry the second time and also to enjoy the confidence of the people. He represented the town 2 years, and died the February fol- lowing, very suddenly, leaving a wife and 2 small children, and a large community of friends and townsmen to lament his early death. A more extended account of this friend might be deemed appropriate to this work, but time will fail the writer to speak of all at length.
In summing up this history we find the pop- ulation of the town in 1830, 683; the grand list $3,704. But the reader must remember the grand list was not made up on the same rate per cent. then as now. With all the gain of property the present (1869) grand-list is but about $200 more than then.
From 1830 there is a noted increase of the population, very many changes among neigh- bors, and a steady appearance of thrift .- Roads had been laid out, and made, centering into the different places of business. School districts had been organized, and school houses built. Small farms, full of stumps, dotted every section of the town. Log cabins, or small houses were very common, especially on the river road. There was occasionally a good house and out-buildings, but they were few and far between. No rich old charter- man occupied a prominent position among the denizens of Lutterloh or Albany. Col. Lut- terloh, who gave the charter name to the town, was either too poor, or else unwilling to pay the charter expenses, and consequently lost his chance to monopolize the larger proportion of the proprietors' rights, and by that means control the public affairs.
Equality and independence seem to have been the general characteristics of the early Albanians. Scarcely a family came into town from the date of the organization till 1820, but what was peremptorily ordered to depart from the town with their family. Property or respectability was of no account. The se- lectmen treated all alike.
- Additions were made to some of the then ex- isting churches. To the Congregational church 35 were added, and their prospects appeared to be bright. The building of a meeting- house was in contemplation by this church at this time. A division among the members as to location, postponed the work -- schisms crept in, their minister left, and the church was very much weakened. This state of affairs with this church, offered a fine opportunity to the Methodists to start the work of build- ing them a house. This element had been very much strengthened by immigration for several years past. These forces were now consolidated, and the result was that in 1833 they erected the first meeting-house in this town. Much dissatisfaction existed touching this matter, and many years went by before the attempt was made to build another meet- ing-house.
However, in 1841, the Congregational so- ciety erected a house of worship at the centre of the town. This house they occupied about 5 years, when it was burned down. This was an exceedingly heavy drawback to the pros- perity of the church.
In 1842 the Baptists, who had heretofore occupied the town-house some, and the Meth- odist chapel some, when they were not able to supply the pulpit all the time, having received additional strength from time to time, erected a church for their use, at the place now known as the Albany Village, on the river road .- After 4 or five years, when the new house at the Centre was burned down, it was proposed to sell a part of the Baptist house to the Congregational society, which proposition was accepted, to the general satisfaction of both societies, taking the circumstances of both into the account. To be sure some on both sides were not quite satisfied. This joint own- ership and occupancy of this house contin- ued about 20 years, when the partnership was dissolved, and the Baptists took the old house, paying therefor the stipulated price. This house they thoroughly remodeled and repaired the same year.
One year later the Congregational society erected for their use their second house, in the same village, and near the Baptist house .- While these doings were being enacted in the Center and west part of the town, the peo- ple of the north and east part were not relig iously idle. The "Free-willers," as they are
From 1830 to '33, the religious interest ap- pears to have created quite an excitement .- , called, commenced and erected a very pretty
53
ALBANY.
nouse, on the creek road, about 2} miles from Irasburgh common. This house was built about the year 1858. Prior to this latter date, the Wesleyan Methodists, a sect that drew off from the Episcopal Methodists, in Radi- cal Anti Slavery times, began to gather into a society, in the vicinity of South Albany, a small village in that part of the town. This society, at first small, at length succeeded in erecting a very convenient, though small house of worship, and now they have gath- ered in a working church. Their peculiar mission seems to be, to battle against sin, in all its forms, whether in cottage or in hall .- all political iniquities, all evils, social, secret, civil and religious, feel the force of the battle- axe of this religious order. But this is not all; there are also, in the east part of this town, the Catholics,-this people, so peculiar in their habits,-and they have a strong-hold upon some of the best farms in the eastern and central parts of the town ; and last year they commenced to build a church. They have the house up, and the out-side finished ; and the priest tells them when they pay in full for that, he will cause the inside to be completed, which will probably be accomplished this present year, 1870. A more thrifty or indus- trious class of people, perhaps, cannot be found in town : and with a few exceptions, they are " dacent" people, and most of the families take pains to send their children to school, though I am sorry to say some do not.
I have thus hastily sketched this chapter, upon the various religious elements and what they have done, and are doing, hoping to be able to connect with this history a more ex- tended and special account, statistical and oth- erwise, of each of these churches.
The reader will recollect that we left the political history of the town in the year 1830. From this time to the present there were great and permanent improvements in all the indus- trial interests pertinent to a new settlement. Population increased ; new families moved in, and some moved out. New farms were taken up, and older ones improved. The little log- cabin, so useful to the early settlers in this climate, soon began to be superceded by the more tidy-looking and commodious dwellings occasionally seen, even in this day, what are called "low-wide" houses, with their fire- places and large brick-chimneys-and these, by the stately and well-proportioned dwell- ings of more modern times.
Suffice it to say that Albany is deemed to be a fine agricultural town, hard to be beat, in the neatness and arrangement of its farm-dwellings and out-buildings, especially along the Black River valley road. The prospect this valley af- fords to those who are passing over the well known "Old Centre Road," of a pleasant sum- mer's day, can seldom be equalled in the State.
Other parts of the town exhibit equal evi- dences of thrift and wealth. Their forests of cedar, and apple and sugar-orchards, their rich and fertile soils, their inexhaustible beds of the richest muck and shell-marl, open up to those parts of the town the means of present prof- it, and future fertility and wealth. Industry and economy are the marked characteristics of the inhabitants, spiced strongly with the usual amount of generosity and hospitality of rural life ; and interwoven with these may readily be detected the refinements of genuinely refined society. The rough edges of pioneer life and settlements have been rounding off, and more congenial and conciliating temperaments suc- ceed the old-fashioned, "rough and ready" style of neighborly intercourse.
There are insurmountable barriers to a con centration of business. There are three or four prominent centres of business. These points are designated by their post office name, in this history.
ALBANY VILLAGE
is situated on the river road, and contains 34 dwelling-houses, 2 churches, 2 stores, 1 school- house and academy, 1 hotel, 1 post-office, 2 blacksmith-shops, 1 shoe-shop, 1 tin-shop, 1 tailoress-shop, 1 millinery-establishment, 1 saw- mill and 1 plaining-mill, 2 carriage-makers, 5 cattle, horse and sheep-brokers, 1 horse-trainer, and other agencies and interests too numerous to mention. Two mails leave this post-office : the Northern, dialy, and the Southern, three times a week.
EAST ALBANY.
There is not much show of a village, as the arrangement is comparatively new. They have several dwellings, a church, a school-house, 1 store, 1 post-office, 1 saw-mill, 1 starch-factory, 3 cattle, liorse and sheep, and produce-broker, and the place seems destined to increase.
About 2 miles north of this post-office is an- other mill, several dwellings, a school-house, and a church.
SOUTH ALBANY
is situated near the S. E. corner of the town- ship, and consists of 1 school-district, contain-
54
VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.
ing something over 30 families. The principal business is agriculture, some of the best farms in town lying here. The outlet of Hartwell Pond runs through this little village, upon which are mills. There is also 1 store, 1 church, 1 school-house, 1 blacksmith-shop, 1 painter and paper-hanger, besides other industrial inter ests. South Albany post-office is their address here.
THE CENTER
of the town has some fine residences, 1 church, 1 school-house, 1 hotel, the town-house, &c .- This is the place of town and freemen's meet- ings. There is no water-power, nor other prom- inent business interest. The inhabitants are mostly interested in agricultural pursuits. The Methodist church and a fine parsonage are lo- cated here. The post-office address is Albany.
SCHOOLS.
We find it recorded, that in one of the first town meetings they raised nothing for schools. The first vote on record of money raised for schools, was taken March 16, 1814. “ Voted to raise one cent on the dollar, for the use of schools." Two years subsequently to this, two cents was raised on the dollar, on the grand-list, for the support of schools. The first school tax, as above, amounted to $15.67. In 1817, at the annual March meeting, M. Cheney, F. Delano, Eli Chamberlin, Jr., Wm. Rowell, Harvey Skin- ner, W. Bean and A Bosworth were appointed a committee to divide the town into school-dis- tricts, which, it appears, they accomplished, as we find a record of their description and bound- aries, five in number. Also, at the same time, it was voted to raise two cents on the dollar, for schooling. It will be recollected that at this time the grand-list was as 2 to 20, a young man without property paying taxes on a list of $20. Agreeably to the foregoing arrangement, we find on the 9th day of April following, a list of scholars in the Centre district, total, 19 over 4 and under 18 years. Also, April 20, same year, the number of scholars in the S. E. district be- tween 4 and 18 years to be, total, 17.
In March 12, 1820, at the annual meeting of the town, it was voted to raise 2 cents on the dollar of the grand-list, for the support of schools in said town; and "That each district should lay out their proportion of money as they see fit. to school their children." At this time the population of the town was about 250, and, per- haps, got for reasons before given, we find, but 36 scholars, returned in town, those not having regular district schools, not making any returns.
Subsequent to 1820 the school interest increased and the titles to land became permanently fixed. The liberal donation to colleges and public insti- tutions of learning, of many lots of land within the limits of this town, which lots could be leased for all time by paying an annual rent of from $7 to $18 a year, afforded a fine opportu- nity for adventurers of limited means to procure good farms, with a small capital-and all served to hasten the more general settlement of this town Population rapidly increased, and from time to time, new school districts were organ- ized, and also an increased interest and enlarge- ment of the old schools, tlll, at the date of this writing, 1870, there are 15 school districts in town, and with the exception of one or two districts, all have first-class school-houses, and some of them have large, commodious play- grounds.
Aside from the common schools, there is a regular chartered academy, located in Albany village, in which one or more terms of school are taught in each year. This school has a small permanent fund. The school for the last two years has been under the tuition of W. W. Miles, Esq., of this town. The public money distributed among the several school districts, amounts to about $450 yearly, aside from the amount raised by direct tax in each district.
GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY OF THE TOWN, TO- GETHER WITH THE MAIN ROADS.
Albany, formerly called Lutterloh, is a township, near the central part of Orleans county. It is 36 miles north of Montpelier, and about 45 miles easterly from St. Albans, in Lat. 44°, 43'. It is bounded northerly by Irasburgh, easterly by Glover, south by Craftsbury, and west by Eden and Lowell. This township is watered by Black river, and some of its principal branches. The creek, as it is called, waters the eastern part, and in its course northerly affords several mill sites and falls into Black river in Irasburgh. Black river rises in the Great Hosmore and other ponds in the eastern part of Albany, and runs south-easterly about 5 or 6 miles into Craftsbury Lower Village. Soon after passing this place it takes in the outlet of the Eligo pond, partly in Craftsbury and partly in Greensboro, when turning in the north- easterly direction it flows on towards the west- ern part of Albany. In passing through this town the river receives several considerable branches from the west. Some of these streams have falls of considerable note, and
55
ALBANY.
there is a small stream in the S. W. part of | valley, running about 3 miles in town. the town that plunges down a fall of nearly 200 feet, almost perpendicular.
The Rogers brook affords a succession of falls and rapids both wild and romantic. The Phelps brook also exhibits a curious commingling of water and rocks for a dis- tance of some 40 rods, falling some 150 feet. As may be inferred there are several natural ponds in this town. The principal are the Great Hosmer, Heartwell, Page, Heart and Duck ponds. The two latter are near the River road. There are no mountains in town, except in the N. W. corner, where a spur of the Green mountains is cut off from the main chain by the Phelps brook. This mountain is familiarly known as Hovey's mountain. The general surface of the town is uneven or hilly. The Black river valley is very fine and broad, almost any variety of soil from sandy loam to clay may be found in this valley. Excellent tillage, meadow or pasture land can be found in this locality. East of the river the bed rock is mostly lime stone, while on the west the rock is usually clay slate, or talcose slate and quartz. There is a vein of clay slate that were it not for the occasional appearance of small cubes of sulphate of iron, might easily be wrought into roofing. In the central and eastern part of the town there are several rich beds of muck and shell marle. Some fine ledges of granite rocks. There is also a very fine ledge of granite in slabs of almost any de- sired thickness, and if you want it thinner it "can be split-very fine rock for building purposes. The timber is made up of the va- rieties usual in northern Vermont. Beech, birch, maple, pine, spruce, hemlock, cedar, tamarac, fir, butternut, white and brown ash are the principal.
The settlement of this town commenced just prior to 1800, at which time the popula- tion did not exceed 12. The first road through this town, crossed the south-westerly corner, and is nearly the same as now leads from Craftsbury to Lowell,-in its general direction. This road was opened in the sum- mer of 1779, by Gen. Hazen with a part of his regiment. It is said that the pretended object of this road was a thoroughfare from N. H. to Canada, but was in reality simply strategetical. This road crossed Btack river about 200 rods north of Craftsbury line, as- cended the mountain, up the Rogers brook
Some of the old road has been abandoned, but the main direction is retained and is the same as used to this day. The Center road was for many years the most important road in town. This road led from Irasburgh south to Craftsbury and other southern towns in what was then Orleans county. East of this and parallel to it is the creek road. Upon this road are several fine farms and some public buildings. On this road near Crafts- bury line was the first and only whiskey still ever operated in town. This still dried up long before my day. I think it did not run but a very few years to curse the people or the land. About 1834 or 5 the road running up and down the river in this town began to attract attention. This road had been laid out a little at a time to accommodate those who had ventured to settle in this valley, and as I was saying this road began to be looked at with a view to save some of the hills upon the center road. And the result was that this road was continued up the river through Craftsbury, and became the main thoroughfare to Burlington from the central part of Orleans Co. About the year 1806 a petition was presented to Thomas Coggswell, Esq., to call a meeting of the inhabitants of the town to meet for organization. For peti- tion, &c., see 1st page of general history.
JESSE ROGERS AND A SMUGGLING STORY OF "YE OLDEN TIME."
Jesse Rogers and his wife came into this town in the Spring of 1806 from Greenfield, N. H. They had at this time two children, Robert and Sally.
They came in on the old military road and settled in the S. W. part of the town upon the well known Rogers farm, the same as oc- cupied now by Mr. Jesse Rogers of to-day. They brought grain and some of the other necessaries of life with them; but when they got out of grain which they did before har- vest, Mr. Rogers was obliged to go to New- bury to get a supply. The nearest mill for grinding was at Hardwick, a distance of about 18 miles. At this mill he would call on his way home and get his grain ground. In a short time, however, a mill was built in Craftsbury, just above South Craftsbury vil- lage. To this mill many of the early settlers of Albany were indebted for their grinding. But to return-Mr Rogers bought him a cow, and in just 21 days the cow fell down a steep
1
56
VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.
hill and broke her neck. This, to them at this time, was a great loss. To this family were added two sons and one. daughter, born in town. Their advantages for school were somewhat limited. Molly Wiley opened a school just in the edge of Craftsbury, and to this school those in this part of the town sent their scholars. To the nearest neigh- bors down the river, at this time, it was about 4 or 5 miles, while towards the south there were several families not very far away. Mrs. Rogers was a remarkable woman, tough and sprightly. She says she used to go down the river meadow, nearly to Irasburgh line, for her cows, who would sometimes stray off. Her route lay through an un- broken forest of every variety of timber, from the tag-alder to the sturdy elm, interwoven with the spontaneous growth of vines and weeds, perhaps higher than her head, her only guide being the certain, or uncertain, trail of her cows. Sometimes even she was overtaken by night, made hideous by the shrill and oft' repeated calls of birds and wild beasts, as they reverberated from hill to hill. Mr. Rogers was successful in his efforts to make a farm. This land was good and productive, and what was better to him, his title was all right. About 1813 smuggling was carried on in this locality to a consider- able extent. Mr. Hayden, who had been custom officer, had, for some reasons, lost his appointment, and there was no officer nearer than Irasburgh. On one occasion Robert Rogers, then a lad, had been out in the timber, where he detected a large drove of cattle on the line of what was then called Cory's smuggling road, cut through from Craftsbury under the mountain towards Lowell, coming into the Gen. Hazen road, nearly west of Albany center. Young Rogers was where he got sight of this drove of beef on the way to feed the British army in Can- ada. Robert hastened home, and then to Irasburgh, to see Major Enos, then U. S. officer of customs. The Major, taking the boy up behind him, started in hot haste for Craftsbury, where, gathering up a posse of determined loyal men, taking the Gen. Hazen road by Rogers's, and he and Robert in company, on they went for Lowell. A herd of hungry cattle are not rapid locomoters. Our boys came up to them at Curtis's tavern near Lowell corners. The drovers were just baiting their cattle. It is said, by the way,
that at this time there were lots of the men then in Lowell, that would throw up their hats as high as anybody when they were over the line. This gave confidence to the smug- glers, and when our Major politely informed the drivers of these beeves that Uncle Sam had sent him to secure this fine lot of beef, and that he was under the necessity of taking them back over the mountains for the use of our own men, they refused to let the cattle go. Two men were posted at the bars with orders to shoot down the first man that should touch one of the bars. What was to be done ? The Major, or his posse, had not so much as a horse pistol, but he had men. Mr. Joseph Chamberlain and Mr. Onios Skinner, each with an ample cane in hand, uplifted high, quickly strode up to these men, and with looks and voice said, "Hold ! the first man that fires a shot shall be the first in hell." At this juncture Mr. Wyram Mason of Crafts- bury, stepped up and coolly took out all the bars, laying them by, one by one. Through these bars the cattle were driven, and started back. It is said that the Major even offered to compromise the matter with the owners, proposing to all go in company to Burlington with the cattle, when he said the men should receive for their beef government contract prices. This offer they spurned, thinking to be able to rally forces enough to return the cattle that night, but their efforts proved abortive. The cattle, 110 in number, were taken to Craftsbury common, by the Hazen road, and watched by the citizens till morn- ing, when they were started for Burlington. They were met by Capt. Patridge on the route. Several skirmishes for the recovery occured on the road, the last of which was in Underhill, where, it is said, some blood was let. A suit was afterward instituted to re- cover the value of these cattle, and the Rogerses were summoned to Windsor to the trial, but the case was thrown out of court, and thus ended one of the most exciting and interesting seizures in this locality.
Mr. Rogers and his sons put in the first grist-mill in town. This mill was situated where the mills now stand near the village. Mr. Rogers kept a hotel for some time about 1830, and after a few years Robert Rogers, the eldest of the family, went to New York, where he amassed a fortune, and has since lived in Burlington, Vt., and now lives in New Jersey. James, with his numerous fam-
57
ALBANY.
ily, 15 in number, went West, where he died some years since. Jesse, his father's name- sake, and Mrs. Beede, still live in this local- ity. Mr. Rogers died in 1838. Mrs. Rogers lived to a good old age, retaining her faculties to the last. In her youthful days she was somewhat poetical, and her patriotic or smuggling songs were both pointed and cut- ting, but I have no specimens. She died about 1865, nearly one hundred years old.
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
The Congregational Church in the town was organized Aug. 16, 1818, by Rev. James Hob- ert of Berlin, and Rev. James Parker of Enosburgh, at the dwelling-house of Moses De- lano ; and consisted of Aaron Chamberlin, Mo- ses Chamberlin, Theodore S. Lee and Mrs. Han- nah Skinner. David Sexton was appointed the (first) deacon, in March, 1822-Jabez Page in June, 1823 ; Ephraim Carter in November fol- lowing ; Joseph B. Chamberlin Dec. 6, 1830; Dea. Durkee, Sen., about 1836 ; Moses Pcar- son in March, 1841; Orin Austin in 1842, and Nathan Skinner and Wells A. Hyde in Decem- ber, 1869. Of the above deacons J. B. Cham- berlin died in town, and all the rest moved away, except deacons Page, Skinner and Hyde, who still remain here.
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.