The history of Rutland county, Vermont; civil, ecclesiastical, biographical and military, pt 1, Part 2

Author: Hemenway, Abby Maria, 1828-1890
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: White River Junction VT : White River Paper Co.
Number of Pages: 868

USA > Vermont > Rutland County > The history of Rutland county, Vermont; civil, ecclesiastical, biographical and military, pt 1 > Part 2

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The first person who made a settlement in Benson was Walter Durfee. He was originally from Freetown, Massachusetts, but removed to

Among those who came in subsequent years were the following. viz :- in 1786 John Barnes, Jolını, Jonah and Jabez Carter, Deacon Stephen Crofoot, Jacob and Benoni Gleason, Othniel Goodrich, James Parkhill and Lemuel Standish : -in 1787, Benjamin Holton and Reuben Nash ; -in 1788, Capt. William Ford, Deacon Joseph Clark, Thomas Goodrich. Reuben Parsons, Eli- jah Wilcox and Samuel ILiggins. Only eight of the 75 proprietors named in the charter set- tled in the town, viz. Abraham, Isaac, Jonathan and William Meacham, Ruben Nash, Stephen Olmstead, James Parkhill and Deacon Jous-

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than Woodward. Tradition reports that Abi- jah Holabird, who came to Benson in 1784, and settled on the farm afterwards occupied by his son-in-law, Heury S. Easton, for several weeks, while he was making his clearing and erecting his log-house, used a large hollow fall- en tree on his farm for a shelter and sleeping- place. He died in Benson, Nov. 29, 1825, aged 79 years.

The first child born in the town was Thomas, the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Hale, who was born August 22, 1784. The first female child, and the second child born in the town, was Polly, the daughter of the same parents, who was born Ang. 11. 1785. About 1790-'91, Mr. Hale removed to Whitestown, in the present county of Oneida, N. Y. The third child born in the town was Roswell Barber, son of Daniel and Ruth Barber, who was born Aug. 19, 1785. He resided in the town during his whole life, and died June 19, 1849, aged nearly 64 years.

The first marriage in town was that of Levi Barber and Rebecca Hinman. He was born in Worcester, Mass., April 6, 1783, and died in Westhaven, Jan. 13, 1856, aged 93 years. She was born in Woodbury, Ct., Feb. 15, 1768, and died in Westhaven, March 4, 1857, aged 89 years. Both were buried in Benson. The date of their marriage is not known. Their first child (Betsey) was born December 11, 1786.

The first death in the town is not now known The first death recorded in the town record of deaths is that of James, an infant son of Beno- ni and Lucy Gleason, who was born April 5, 1789, and died on the next following day. The village burying-ground, the first place specially appropriated and set apart for the burial of the dead, was surveyed and laid out Oct. 5, 1700; but, previous to that time, there had been buri- als in the S. E. part of the home lot or farm now occupied by the widow of Edward S. Howard, and also in the N. W. corner of the school lot. near the present residence of Abiel R. Ladd. There never were any monuments placed to mark these burials, and no traces of the graves now remain. Excepting the death of the child above named, no inscription on any grave-stone in the village burying-ground records any death prior to that of Capt. William Barber, which occurred Ang. 11, 1789 at the age of forty six years, and he is believed, so far as is now known, to have been the first adult who died in the town.

The town of Benson may be said to have been the child of Berkshire county, -Ph.d. ki

contributing the larger number of its early settlers, and Williamstown the next in nuniber. From Pittsfield came Captains James Noble, William Barber and William Ford, Lieutenant and Deacon Stephen Crofoot, Deacon Joseph Clark, Daniel and Matthew Barber, Lieutenant Solomon Martin, Josiah, Otliniel. Caleb and Thomas Goodrich, Amos and Oliver Root, Ja- cob and Benoni Gleason, and the families bear- ing the names of Strong and Belding. Asahiel Stiles, who removed to Benson from Granville, N. Y., about 1790, was originally from Pitts- field. Daniel Root, who removed to Benson about 1806, was also from Pittsfield. From Williamstown came the families bearing the names of Meacham and Olmstead-Abijah Hol- abird, (who was originally, as is believed, from Canaan, Ct.) Dea. Jonathan Woodward, (origin- ally from Plainfield, Ct.) Timothy Watson, Lem- uel and Asa Standish, James Parkhill, Benja- min Holton, John and Benjamin Shaw, (origin- ally from Brookfield, Mass.,) John Barnes and his son Aziel, (originally from Weathersfield, Ct.) Lewis Wilkinson, Jonathan Danforth and Stephen Sherwood. From Sandisfield came Thomas Hale and Calvin and William Manley. From Cheshire came Amos King, father of Dex. ter King. From Killingworth, Ct., came Allen Leet, Samuel Higgins, William Jones, David Le Baron, and the families bearing the names of Carter and Merritt. From Suffield, Ct., came Asahel Smith, Esq., and his son Channcey, Reuben Parsons, (as is believed,) and Peletiah and Eli King. From Litelifield, Ct., came Friend Gibbs and Darius Gibbs. Asa Farnham, who removed to Benson from Fairhaven, was originally from Litchfield. Allen Goodrich came from Glastenbury, Ct., and Simeon Good- rich from Weathersfield, Ct. Samuel, James and Daniel Howard came from Hartford, Ct .- Elijah Wilcox (father of Martin and Philo,) came from Goshen, Ct. The families bearing the name of Stacy came from Salem, Mass .- Robert Barber came from Brookfield, Mass .- Francis Arnold was from Norwich, Mass. - Edward and John Aiken were from Londonder- ry, N. H. David Briggs and his sons Simeon and Arnold, were from Berkley, Mass.

The town was organized at a town-meeting held March 23, 1786-Capt. Asahel Smith, moderator, and Allen Goodrich town clerk ; and at an adjourned meeting held March 30, 1786, Capt. Asabel Smith, Simeon Goodrich and Capt. . James Noble were appointed selectmen, and Jonathan Danforth constable. No listers were A. panted in this year, and it is probable that

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there was then little, if any property within the town which was subject to taxation.

The record of the two first town-meetings, although stating that the meeting was "held in Benson," does not state in either case at what place in the town the meeting was held; and no notification or warning for any town-meeting held in the town, previous to Nov., 1798, is re- corded in the town records. At a town-meeting held Sept. 28, 1786, it was voted " to raise six pounds," and " to raise it by the Pole," [poll] and " that there be six days' work per man done on the roads, with what has been done this year ;" and also " voted a petition to the General Assembly for a tax on all lands of [one penny ] per acre." At the October session of the General Assembly, in 1786, an act was passed empowering the selectmen to levy a tax of one penny on each acre of land in the town, for the purpose of making and repairing public roads and bridges in the town .- (Slade's Ver- mont State Papers, p. 509.) At the same ses- sion the General Assembly passed resolutions providing for taking the sense of the freemen of the State ou a proposed project for " emit- ting a small bank of paper-money on loan or otherwise." and in respect to the tender acts, 80 called .- (Thompson's Vermont, Civil Histo- ry, p. 79.) In reference to these resolutions it was voted at a town meeting held in Benson Nov. 23. 1786, "to say nothing about paper money."

At a town-meeting held in Benson June 13, 1786, Capt. Asahel Smith was chosen the del- egate from the town to the State Constitutional Convention, held at Manchester on the last Thursday of June, 1786, called by the Council of Censors to consider certain proposed amend- ments to the Constitution. (See Slade's Ver- mont State Papers, p. 531.) ·

The town was first represented in the Gener- al Assembly in 1788-Asahel Smith represent- ative; and it has been represented in that body at every session since that year, up to the present time ; thoughi, in 1812 the election of the sitting member was successfully contested, and he was unseated.

to be, in substance, the law of the State until 1807 .- (See the law of 1783, in Slade's Ver- mont State Papers, p. 472-law of 1737, in Statutes of Vermont, Haswell's edition of 1731, p. 202-and laws of 1797, 1801 and '07, in Laws of Vermont, Tolman's compilation, vol. ii. p. 173-180.) A large majority of the first settlers of the town were Trinitarian Congrega- tionalists ; and the providing for the preaching of the gospel, the building of a meeting.house, and the settlement of a minister, were among the first subjects which were considered in the early town-meetings.

At the annual town-meeting held March 19. 1787, " at the house of Ensign Steplien Olm- sted," it was "voted to fix the house lately occupied by Solomon Chittenden, and now the property of Asa Farnam, so as shall be conven- ient to meet in on the Sabbath ;" and also " voted to hire Mr. Ralph the space of one month, to pay in wheat after harvest, at a mar- ket price ;" and it was also " voted that the committee appointed to hire Mr. Ralph are to hire him one half of the time for two months, if he will be hired for or under four dollars per Sabbath, to be paid in grain after harvest."

At a town-meeting held Dec. 29, 1783, it was " voted to lire a Minister one half of the time next summer, with Fairhaven." Mr. Levi Hackley was employed as a preacher in 1789- '90. At a town-meeting held on the 22d March, 1790, it was " voted to have Mr. Levi Hackley settle with us for our Minister,"-and " that the town will raise thirty-five pounds in necessary articles for building, to be paid to Mr. Levi Hackley for a settlement, exclusive of the right of land which naturally belongs to him as soon as he becomes our Minister"-and " to give Mr. Hackley seventy pounds salary for a year, to begin with forty pounds the urst year, and to rise with the List of the town, until it amounts to seventy pounds, and there stand :"-but the vote to settle Mr. Hackley was reconsidered at an adjourned town meeting, March 30, 1790. The town-records also men- tion the names of " Mr. Noble" (Rev. Oliver Noble,) and " Mr. Hyde," as invited or hired "to preach" in the town in 1790.

At the time when the town was organized. the towns were, under the laws of the State, THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH authorized to settle a minister, and provide for jin Benson, according to an entry in its book of his support-and also to build a meeting-house, .ec ds, was " formed at a meeting held in Ben. son March -, 1790, by the Rev. Matthias Ca- zier of Castleton, and his delegate, Mr. Sturte- vant ;" and, on its organization, Deacon Joseph Clark was appointed " Moderator of the Church," and Allen Goodrich clerk. and to assess a tax on the polls and ratable es- tate therein for these purposes: and the laws practically made the town an ecclesiastical par- ish, as well as a political or municipal corpora- tion ; and, with some changes, this continued

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The Rev. Dan Kent, who became the first settled minister in Benson, was born at Suffield, Ct., April 10, 1758. His father, Ceplias Kent, removed from that town about 1774, to Dorset, Vt., where lie was inn-keeper. (Of liim a notice is given in this work, ante, vol. i., p. 185; and see the genealogy of the Kent family in Good- win's Genealogical Notes, p. 146.) He served! as a volunteer, for short periods, in the war of the Revolution, at various times-in scouting- parties-as a minute-man, and in defence of the frontier : and, as volunteers, lie and two broth- ers were attached to the regiment of Col. Seth Warner, and engaged with it in the second at- tack in the battle of Bennington ; and for his military service he received a pension for a few

years before liis death. After the close of the war of the Revolution, he studied law for a

The building of a meeting-house was a fre- quent subject for consideration in nearly every one of the carly town meetings. On Dec. 7, short time, and afterwards, for a short time, was 1789, a committee of five was appointed "to ;in business as a merchant: but he finally de- draw a subscription-paper for building a school- termined to devote his life to the ministry of the gospel. He was licensed to preach by an ecclesiastical council convened at Dorset in Feb- ruary, 1789, and for 13 months thereafter he supplied the church in that town as a preacher. house-meeting-house, and to see their subscrip- tions laid out for that purpose." In the follow- ing year (1790) a framed building of one story was erected on the school-lot in the village, a few feet in the rear, but north-easterly of the His ministry in Benson commenced in the beginning of the winter of 1791-'92, he being then in the 34th year of his age. On the 4th of June, 1792, votes were passed by both the church and the town, giving him a " call to set- tle with us in the work of the ministry." At the town-meeting it was voted "to give him forty pounds settlement, to be paid in labor and materials for building, and to give him forty-five pounds salary for the first year, and to rise an- nually with the list, until it amounts to seventy pounds, and that to be his salary." This call was presented to and accepted by Mr. Kent, in town meeting, June 25, 1792-Aug. 22, follow- ing, was appointed for his ordination, and the selectmen were appointed a committee "to provide for the Council." A memorandum on the church records states that at a meeting of the church, Aug. 22, 1792, "the ordination of Mr. Kent was postponed to the 5th of Septem- ber next, by reason of the sickness and death of Mrs. Kent, the wife of the candidate." Sept. 5, 1792, according to a memorandum on the church records, " Mr. Dan Kent [was] set apart and consecrated to the pastoral care and watch of the Church and congregation in Benson." dwelling-house in which Byron A. Carter now resides-its north line being about 4 feet south of the north line of the house-lot connected with that dwelling-house. Major Ozias John- son was the carpenter and joiner by whom this building was framed and completed. The frathe originally was 24 feet by 20, to which an addi- tion of 20 feet square was subsequently made, so that the building was 40 feet by 24. Its length, after this addition, extended north and south: but the building, shortly after it was first occupied, was turned around, so that its length extended east and west. About 1794, this building was removed about 20 rods north, to the site on the lot now occupied by the Meth- odist parsonage. The building was designed and arranged mainly as a school-house-the school-room being separated from the other room by a swing partition ; but it was occupied as a place for public worship until the new meeting.house was so far completed as to be in a fit condition to be occupied for the same pur- pose. Tlie house of Solomon Chittenden, which had previously been occupied as a place for holding religious meetings on the Sabbath, was a log-house situated on the east side of the main road leading through the village, on the farm now occupied by the widow of Benoni Ladd, and some rods north of the dwelling-house in which she now resides.

This pastoral relation, thus commenced, con- tinued until the 11th of July, 1828, when he was dismissed. At the time of his dismissal he was in his 71st year, and his service as the set- tled pastor in Benson had continued for nearly 36 years.

He was the preacher of the "Election Ser- mon" before the General Assembly, at its session at Rutland, in 1796, and this is believed to be the only one of liis sermons which was ever printed. He received the honorary degree of Master of Arts from Middlebury College in 1807. Hle was tall and commanding in presence, and his preaching was marked by earnestness, orig. inality and ability ; and he was one of the leading ministers of his denomination in the State. During his ministry there were severa seasons of unusual religions interest among the people of his charge, which resulted in large additions to his church, viz :- in 1793 the ad- ditions to the church were between 20 and 39 ;

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in 1803 there were 103 added; in 1880 be- tween 30 and 40; in 1814, 12; in 1816-'17, between 120 and 130 ; and in 1821, 151.

For nearly the entire period of his ministry, Mr. Kent was the only settled pastor in the town; and to no other man is the town so much indebted for the abiding features of its religious and social character. He was twice married-(1) to Abigail Sykes of Dorset, who died at Dorset, Aug. 18, 1792, aged 31 years ; and (2) June 9, 1793, to Betsey Griswold, daughter of Daniel Griswold, Esq. (Yale Coll., 1747) of Sharon, Ct. Mr. Kent died at Benson July 22, 1835, aged 77 years. His widow, Mrs. Betsey Kent, born at Sharon, Ct., Sept. 15, 1768, died at Benson March 30, 1854, aged 85 years, 6 months. The inscription on the mon- ument erected in memory of her husband and herself, at the place of their burial, justly says of her that, "Distinguished for her Christian wisdom and benevolence, sanctifying hier emi- nently genial social nature, she contributed much to her husband's pastoral usefulness, and she has a hallowed remembrance in the hearts of all who knew her."

A minister having been settled with entire unanimity, the next subject which engaged the attention of the town was the building of a meeting-house. Oct. 3, 1702, it was voted "to set the meeting-house on the rise of ground on Mr. Farnham's land." Sept. 2, 1794, a commit- tee of six was appointed " to agree upon a place to set the meeting-house ;" and it was voted " to set the meeting-house on the place where the above committee had set a stake for the purpose," and "to raise £150 to be paid in materials for building a meeting-house ;" and a committee of seven was appointed " to divide the town into classes, and to take care of the materials raised," Oct. 9, 1794, it was voted " to build the meeting-house 65 feet long and 45 feet wide," and "to allow the following prices for materials to build the meeting-house, viz. :

For 1} inch plank, £ 2 Os. per M.

14 inch boards, 2 0 do.

inch boards, 1 10 do.

good shingles, 0 12 do.

pine slit-work, 2 0 do.

oak do. 2 10 do.

clap-boards,

1 10 do."

It was also voted that Daniel Barber, Oliver et and Ozias Johnson be

"a committee to procure a draught of the meeting-house, and employ a carpenter for the purpose of building said house."

March 14, 1796, it was voted "to" postpone

framing and raising the meeting-house till a year from the 15th April next," and "to raise £150, to be paid by the first of March next." July 17, 1797, it was voted

"to adopt some measure to cover the meeting. house. the present summer, and to raise one thousand dollars, 600 of which to be paid by the first of January next. and 400 to be paid by the first of October following-to be paid in neat cattle or grain, if paid by the times set ; if not, to be paid in money,"

and that " Reuben Nash be committee for build. ing the meeting-house, in lieu of Major Jolinson, dismissed." Samuel Howard and Allen Good- rich were added to this committee on 4th May, 1801. Jan. 10, 1797, one acre and one-tifth of an acre of land on which the meeting.house was subsequently erected, was conveyed by a lease by Asa Farnam, E-q., to " the inhabitants of the town of Benson,"-" to be used and im- proved for a meeting house and green, as long as the said inhabitants shall want it for that purpose," with a condition that the lease was not to be binding, " unless the frame for a meet- ing-house is erected within one year from the date hereof." The frame of this meeting-house was raised in the spring of 1797, and covered in the same year ; but the building was not ti- nally completed until the summer of 1303. It was erected on the site couveyed by the above mentioned lease, on the west side of the main road leading northerly and southerly through the village, fronting to the east, and extending east and west in length. The carpenter or mas- ter-builder who superintended the work of build- ing and finishing this house, was Capt. Joel Dickinson of Westhaven. He was originally from Pittsfield, Mass., and had been the master- bnilder of the meeting-house erected in that town in 1790. Mr. Sinith, in his recently pub- lished " History of Pittsfield," says that he was " a skillful mechanic," and that the designs, in accordance with which that meeting-house be- came one of the finest specimens of those well proportioned, cheery wooden structures, with Grecian ornamentation, which, very similar in their general character, were about that time scattered through the more thrifty villages of New England," were furnished by Col. Bal- fineh of Boston, "an architect of repute."- His- tory of Pittsfieldl, p. 441.) In plau, model and style, (though of slightly reduced dimensions, ) the meeting.house in Benson was almost au exact copy from that in Pittsfield, and it was constructed from the same working drawings and by the summe master-builder ; and the view of the Pittsfield meeting-house given in the

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History above referred to, (p. 444,) is almost an exact re-production of the appearance of the house in Benson. The building was well fin- ished, and had a gallery on the north-east and south sides; and square pews with high backs, according to the usage of the time when it was erected ; and it was highly creditable both to the town and the builder. There were very few, if any, structures of the same kind in this vicinity, which could be considered superior to it in proportions, taste and style.

The town records furnish no account of the expenses, or total cost of the house, and it is not probable that there are any sources of in- formation in respect to these expenses now in existence. Dec. 4, 1793, the town voted "to sell the pew.ground in the meeting.house, for the purpose of finishing the house ;" and the pews were sold by auction in town meeting- there being eleven adjourned meetings for this purpose, the first of which was held Jan. 1, 1799, and the last March 8, 1802.

At the meeting held May 4, 1801, it was " voted that the two pews as we go into the gallery, the one on the north side, and the other on the south side of the house, be reserved for the blacks to sit in."

The bids for the pews were to be paid " in neat cattle or grain, in three yearly instalments," and the amount of the sales of the pews was $5,895.25. This sum, with the amount previ- ously raised by the town, probably represented or covered the entire expenses of the building.

In the summer of 1824 a large bell, procured by private subscriptions at an expense of about $450.00, was placed in the belfry of this house -and this was the first bell which was brought into the town.

A religious society was organized Dec. 10, 1799, under the provisions of the act of Oct. 26, 1797, as "the first Congregational society in Benson ;" but this socicty was superceded by a new society organized under the same name, Nov. 30, 1814, agreeably to the provisions of the act passed Nov. 10, 1814; the organization of which has been maintained from that to the present time.

For a few years previous to the dismission of Mr. Kent, the pulpit of his church was sup. plied, for a large part of the time, by other preachers. Among these are remembered the Rev. Willard Child (Yale Col., 1817, ) DOW D. D., who preached here one year, ending in No. vember, 1826 ; Rev. Frye B. Read, (Middle- bury Coll., 1821,); Rev. Luther P. Blodgett, (Midd. Coll., 1505,) and Rev. Elijah Paine,

(Amb. Coll., 1923.) Rev. George W. Renslow was employed as a preacher for several months, in the fall of 1823, and the winter following. In the spring of 1829, Rev. Daniel D. Francis (Univ. of Vt, 1826,) was employed as a preach- er; and, in June following, he received and accepted a call from the church to settle here as their minister. The succession of settled ministers in the Congregational church and so- ciety, since the dismission of Mr. Kent, has been as follows, viz.

Rev. Daniel D. Francis, ordained July 29, 1829, dismissed Oct. 23, 1844; Rev. Azariah Hyde, (Midi. Coll., 1838,) ordained Jan. 29, 1846, dismissed July 8, 1856; Rev. Ebenezer Smith, ordained Sept. 16, 1857, dismissed Sept, 1, 1860; Rev. William S. Smart commenced preaching in Benson in October, 1860, ordain- ed Jan. 23, 1861, and dismissed May 21, 1867. He was honored with the degree of D. D. by Union College at its Commencement in 1871. Rev. George P. Byington, ordained March 11, 1868, and dismissed May 12, 1869. The pres- ent minister in charge is Rev. Henry M. Holmes, whose services commenced Dec. 1, 1869. He was a graduate of Amherst College in the class of 1860.

Few clergymen ever secured the respect and affeetion of their people in a larger measure than did the Rev. Mr. Smart during the time of his ministrations. His service here covered the entire period of the war of the rebellion ; and, at all times foremost in every good work, he rendered invaluable aid in promoting en- listments, and strengthening the hearts of our people for every deinand made upon them by the exigences of the war. He served with the 14th Reg't of Vt. Vols. (Col. Wm. T. Nichols, ) as its chaplain, during its service, (October, 1862, to July, 1863,) and with his regiment was in the battle of Gettysburgh. There were 22 volunteers from Benson in company D, of the same regiment. His application for a dis- mission from the pastoral charge liere, in order to accept that of the first Congregational church in Albany, N. Y., was the occasion of universal regret ; and he left the town with the sincere respect, attachment and good wishes of all our people.

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The history of Rutland county, Vermont; civil, ecclesiastical, biographical and military, pt 1, Part 2

Author: Hemenway, Abby Maria, 1828-1890 Publication date: 1882 Publisher: White River Junction VT : White River Paper Co. Number of Pages: 868

Author: Hemenway, Abby Maria, 1828-1890
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: White River Junction VT : White River Paper Co.
Number of Pages: 868