The history of Washington county, in the Vermont historical gazetteer:, Part 122

Author: Hemenway, Abby Maria, 1828-1890, [from old catalog] ed
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Montpelier, Vt., Vermont watchman and state journal press
Number of Pages: 1066

USA > Vermont > Washington County > The history of Washington county, in the Vermont historical gazetteer: > Part 122

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E. N. Spaulding's steam-mill burned down in November, since I wrote up the

manufacturing business, and another one was well under way here when I came from Roxbury. Stephen Butterfield has been station agent and telegraph operator nearly the whole time since the railroad came to Roxbury. E. N. Spalding is a promi- nent business man, dealing heavily in lumber. Will Spalding, his son, is now " dispatcher " in an office in Boston.

THANKS are especially due O. W. Orcutt, Aaron Webster and Zed Stanton, Esq. I have received considerable information from three grand-daughters of Samuel Rich- ardson-Mrs. York, Mrs. Woodard and Mrs. Youngs ; also from O. Richardson, a former resident of this town. Many have no doubt felt interested who have devoted no time, therefore much will be left out, inevitably, which cannot fail of being a source of regret to their posterity ; for, however this may seem to us of to-day, to whom much of this history is familiar, future generations will peruse it with the greatest interest, and every incident of the hardships, privations and heroism of the pioneers, related at many firesides by our children's children. S. B. M.

ROXBURY CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION.

The day chosen for the Celebration fell on Tuesday, fair and fine as one could wish. The procession of citizens and visitors formed at the town-house, and led by Northfield Cornet Band, drum corps, mil- itia, old folks' temperance organization, grange and civilians, marched to a charm- ing little grove near the' depot, where a stand had been erected for music and speakers, tables laid for an old-fashioned dinner in a little vale just below, tended by young ladies, picturesque in short waists, enormous puffed sleeves and narrow gored skirts, guiltless of trimmings. Among the visitors who were assigned seats of honor upon the stand were Philip Cram, the first child born in Roxbury, from Brookfield ; Mrs. Orcutt, widow of Sam- uel Orcutt, and mother of those residing in Roxbury and Northfield of that name, the oldest person present, being 94 years of age. There were 39 persons over 70, 30 of them being over 80.

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HISTORICAL ADDRESS,

(BY Z. S. STANTON, ESQ.)

Delivered at Roxbury, Aug. 22, 1876, Maj. Allen Spaulding, president of the oc- casion ; a large concourse of citizens and visitors present ; from which we ex- tract the portions pertaining strictly to the history of the town not already covered by the papers of Mrs. Mansfield, given :

" Many of the early settlers of this town- ship were veterans of the Revolution. Doubtless the tract of land now known as the town of Roxbury was never the per- manent home of the Indians. Yet it may be inferred from the geographical position of this portion of our State, that the Indians, in their predatory excursions against the colonial settlements of New England, passed through here. The Iro- quois, Cossuck and St. Francis tribes fre- quented this portion of our State at various times while on their hunting excursions, and doubtless the smoke of their camp- fires wended up from this little valley many times. In the fall of 1780, the town of Royalton was pillaged and burned by a band of Indians from Canada, who on their return passed through the west part of Brookfield, and probably the east part of this town. Arrow-heads and other relics have been found here at various times, which prove conclusively that the red man was here at a time previous to any white man's emigration to this township. Nov. 6, 1780, this township was granted, and it was chartered by the Governor, Council and General Assembly of the State, Aug. 5, 1781, to Benjamin Emmons and 64 others, nearly all of whom were residents of Windsor County. I think two of these persons afterwards resided in this town. Among the names of those to whom this township was chartered, I find those of Thomas Chittenden, Paul Spooner, and others prominent in the early history of Vermont. Besides the land chartered to those men, there was chartered one right for the use of a seminary or college, one for the use of a county grammar school, one for the purpose of the settlement of a Jacob Wardner came to this town in 1801, and built a log house on the farm now owned by H. A. Thayer. The next year he moved his family to this place. He was a German, and was born on board a vessel while his parents were emigrating to this country, and he used to boast that he 'never was born on the face of God's earth.' minister of the gospel, one for the support of the social worship of God, and one for the support of an English school or schools in this town. The proprietors of this township held their first meeting at the house of Benjamin Burtch, an innholder in Hartford, County of Windsor, Nov. 20, 1783; Hon. Paul Spooner, moderator, and Briant Brown, clerk. A committee, consisting of Briant Brown, Esq., Capt. Samuel Robinson and Samuel M. Orcutt were at one time associated in mercantile John Strong, Elisha Gallup, Abel Lyman and Asa Taylor were chosen to examine | business, and occupied the room now used

this township, and to lay out 100 acres to each proprietor as a first division, with the allowance of five per cent. for highways. They were also instructed to procure a surveyor, chainmen and provisions. They held an adjourned meeting Dec. 25 the same year, and voted to lay a tax of 10 s. lawful money, on each proprietor's right or share of land, for the purpose of paying the expenses of surveying. This tax was to be paid in money, wheat, beef or pork, at cash price. They chose Capt. John Strong collector, and Major Joel Mathews, treasurer. They also voted a tax of 2 s. lawful money, on each proprietor's right or share of land in this township, for the pur- pose of defraying charges that had arisen in procuring the charter. It is impossible to ascertain just how many meetings were held by the proprietors of this township, or when the survey was made. I think, however, that the survey was not made at this time, and possibly not until several years later. There was a proprietors' meeting held at the house of Asa Edgerton, in Randolph, Aug. 6, 1788; Major Elijah Paine, moderator, and Deacon David Bates, clerk. A vote similar to the one taken at Hartford, with the addition of an- other division, was passed. It is possible that the survey of the township was made previous to this time, but I have no author- ity for saying so. Each proprietor had one lot in each division. On the 21st day of May, 1789, the first settlement was made in this township.

Mr. Huntington, the first settler, was an elderly man, and was accompanied by several children, some of whom had ar- rived at maturity at that time. Three of his sons, Jedediah, Thomas and Jonathan were quite prominent in town affairs when the town was organized. I am not able to say who the next settlers of this township were, but soon after Huntington and Rich- ardson came here, Mr. Isaac Lewis settled in this town-hip, and Messrs. David, Robert and Jonathan Cram located on the farms now owned and occupied by Messrs. Chatterton, Bowman and Clough. [See previous account of.]

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by J. F. Pearson as a harness shop. This was the second store kept in town. They did a good business, and to use my in- formant's own words, 'There was not so many Bostons then as now; then the Granger did not trouble the merchant, and the potato bug did not bother the Granger ; then the merchants drew their molasses without the help of patent gates, and sold new rum without a license.'

Elijah Ellis lived where Mrs. Brackett now does. He built the house at this place, and it was the first house built in town that was arranged for the use of stoves, I am informed. He had no fire- place or ' stack of chimneys,' as they were called, and people thought it a great de- parture from the old ways. Ellis also built the first clover-mill in town. [See Mrs. Mansfield's record.]

About this time Moses Woodard lived where Peter Gilbert now does, whose son was the noted manufacturer of the frames of saddles. There was a tavern kept here for some time, and the place was known as the center of the town. Below Wood- ward's, on the road leading to where the village now is, lived James Bancroft, who was for many years town clerk, and has left upon the town records some splendid specimens of penmanship, that might well serve for copies for many at this day. There were in 1810 but three houses where the village now is-the house of Mr. Bur- roughs, near where Mrs. Martelllives, and two others, near where Charles Leonard now resides. At this time, 1810, there was a considerable portion of the town settled.

After the return of our volunteers from Plattsburgh, with the exception of town meetings and trainings, the town was com- paratively quiet. These trainings were held at various places, sometimes at Billa Woodard's and Capt. Orcutt's, on the east hill, and often near the tavern of John M. Spaulding. Mr. Spaulding kept this tav- ern, and was also proprietor of a saw-mill and grist-mill at this place. Then one day in each week was set apart for the grind- ing of salt. Coarse salt was the only kind of that commodity that could be obtained, and as the thrifty housewives then, as now, took great pride in making good butter, they had of necessity to grind their salt at the grist-mill. Mr. Spaulding built the hotel in the village in 1830. He was an energetic business man, and accumulated a handsome property for those honest days. For many years the town meetings were held at dwellings in various parts of the town. I find by consulting the town rec- ords that these meetings were held at the houses of the following-named gentlemen,

in the order that they occur : Jedediah Huntington, Samuel Richardson, Chris- topher Huntington, Lemuel Smith, Ichabod Munsel, Billa Woodard, Samuel M. Orcutt and Luther Ainsworth. After this they were held at the village, in the meeting- house and hotel hall, until the town-house was built, in 1854.

The verd antique marble was discovered in Roxbury, 1833, by a gentlemen named McCain.

No State in the Union has a better rec- ord in connection with the war of the re- bellion than Vermont-and no town in the State has a better one than Roxbury. With a population of 1060, Roxbury gave the Union army 95 brave soldiers, 8 of whom re-enlisted. Co. H, 6th Vt. Regt,, under command of Capt. D. B. Davenport, was recruited in this town in the fall of 1861. Besides this company there were residents of this town in many other regiments. Twenty-six of these died in the service of their country.

Besides these, there were of those who enlisted from other places, but who were residents of this town, two that died-Homer Pearson in a rebel pris- on, at Salisbury, N. C., and Samuel Shep- herd, who was a member of a Massachu- setts regiment, in the service. In all, 29 men of this town fell in the defense of hu- man liberty. I wish that this town might imitate the action of other towns, and erect a monument to the memory of these martyrs.

So far as manufacturing is concerned, Roxbury has done but little, and doubtless the wealth that is obtained here must come through the hard hand of the farmer. Mr. Shubal Wales, who kept tavern at East Roxbury many years ago, was also propri- etor of clothing works at that place, but it was not a very extensive concern.

The people here have to a considerable extent, been dependent upon itinerant preachers. After Mr. Huntington remov- ed to Canada, the settlers at East Roxbury secured the services of Elder Seaver, of Williamstown, and meetings were held in the school house. Elder Hovey also held meetings there, and soon after a Calvinist Baptist church was formed. There has been, I think, a church organization there ever since. Their present church, the First Christian, was organized in Feb., 1863. Rev. Henry Howard is now their pastor. The union house of worship was built in this village in 1839. Previous to this, the meetings were held in school houses, and sometimes in barns. Considerable excite- ment was occasioned at the time the first minister in town was ordained. In those days, there were many lay preachers, and

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one of these, a man named Culver, was privately ordained and laid claim to this lot, together with all the improvements that had been made upon it. The select- men of the town objected to this, but Cul- ver would not yield, and then they endeav- vored to have a preacher named Smith, better known as " Happy John," ordained. He declined, and Ophir Shipman was next appealed to. He consented, and was the first regularly ordained minister in Rox- bury. He held the value of the land with- out improvements. The result of this strife was the destroying of the Baptist church at this place.

My fellow townsmen, in conclusion, let me say that I would that this task of chronicling a history of our town might have been performed by abler hands than mine. With the short time alloted me I could, of course, give nothing but a rough sketch of those incidents brought most vividly to my notice. I trust they are in the main correct. My thanks are due those who have so kindly furnished me with material, and I hope the day is not far distant when a fuller and more com- plete history may be written. If you de- rive half the pleasure in listening to this that I have in learning of those pioneers in our town, I shall be satisfied. I think we are too apt in this fast age not to look back to the lives and deeds of those who have gone before. Said Edmund Burke, " A people who do not look back to their ancestors will not look forward to their posterity," and still there are many to-day if called upon to give the maiden name of their grandmother would be una- ble to do so. To know more of those whose places we now fill, to learn of their virtues, to know wherein they erred, is our right and duty. In our little mountain town, away up among the Green Moun- tains, we have no great history to write of, no mighty deeds of valiant men to chroni- cle, no biography of some brilliant person who has gone from here and startled the world with his genius, for no native of Roxbury has been, to my knowledge, a member of Congress or of the State Prison either, but simply a story of hardy men and brave women seeking and making their homes among these hills. There are times when, perhaps, we may wish for a more genial clime and a more fertile soil, but none of us after living here a series of years will fail to love these hills, for it is our home. When we consider the changes that have been wrought in our State and nation during the past century, we know that our little town has kept pace with the rest. How different the scene of to-day and the one Samuel Richardson gazed on when

first he came here. At our feet still murmurs that little mountain stream that sparkled in the autumn sunlight of 86 years ago, but how changed is the rest. Then it was an unbroken forest, with naught but wild beasts for inmates ; now it is teeming with the marks of improvement. The iron horse is going at lightning speed through our valley ; step to yonder telegraph office and in a moment's time a thought of yours may be flashed to the Golden Gates of the Pacific, or, sent beneath the ocean's bed, may be heard on another continent ; on our hillsides are evidences of great improve- ments, machinery supplants labor, and the products of other climes may be ours at prices almost nominal. Forth from these hillsides come a thousand sparkling streams with water pure and clear as our lives should be ; across these hills the strong, invigorating air is ever waving, giving health and happiness, and here in our peaceful homes ought to be found hearts grateful to the Giver of all these blessings. But the tottering forms of these aged ones who have assembled here to-day, tell us plainly that it is but a brief happiness we have to enjoy here, and that with each re- turn of this golden harvest time, new mounds will have been made in our valleys and on our hillsides, marking the spot where some one is resting from his labors, and may God grant that when the last summons shall come, and the places we now occupy shall know us no more, that our lives shall have been such as to bear well the scrutiny of the Great Hereafter.

A CENTURY OLD STORY.

BY MRS. SARAH BRIGHAM MANSFIELD. ( Read at the Roxbury Centennial.)

Ah! what more Inspiring theme For poet's pen or poet's dream Than to go back an hundred years- To dream of all the hopes and fears, The heart-throbs and the pain Of those who Ilved, and loved, and died- Who felled the forests, dark and wide- Who. with unswerving, constant toil, Cleared these broad aeres, tilled the soll, Themselves a home to gain.

A hundred years, or less, ago Deep waters had their ebb and flow; The willow bowed its graceful head Above the waler-lily's bed,

Where stands this village now. The bear and wolf roamed without fear, With now and then a moose or deer, And the primeval forests rang With shrieks of panther-the birds sang Their loftiest, sweetest strains, I trow.

The red man oft-times wandered through These dim old woods; ah! brave and true Were they who mid th' green hills of Vermont Sought and found homes; my word upon't, A nobler, truer raee

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Than those old yeomen ne'er were seen; Though brown of cheek, nor graceful mien Had they, their record shows

A list of deeds that brighter glows As years come on apaee.

In a sweet glade, beside a wood, A century gone, a cabin stood; A purling brook trilled joyously along, And bird-notes echoed back the song, While little children fair

Joined in the chorus at their play : What wonder that their hearts were gay- From the drea'l war papa had come, To spend his days in peace at home; How light seemed every care!

'Twas springtime; adder-tongnes were up; 'Neath the dry leaves the arbutus' enp; Rude troughs still caught the flowing sweet From the rock maple; tiny feet

Made fairy footprints all around. One little lad, with crisp brown eurls, And full white brow, fair as a girl's, With dusk-bright eyes, brim full of glee, Pet of that humble home was he- Humble, yet with love crowned.

"O, let me mind the fire," he cried, " to -day, And watch the sap, to see it boil away ; You go to dinner, one and all-

Please let me stay ; I'm not so very small, I'll have you all to know; I'm a big boy, 'most eight years old, And not a bit afraid ; now do not seold, For won't I make the kettle sing !- And don't forget my lunch to bring- I'm starved almosti-now go."

And so they left him, bright-eyed Ned; " Ile'll keep all right, we know," they said,

" And feel as proud as any king-

The little, pompous, silly thing, To think sueli work is play." And while they dined, the mother brought A dainty Inneh of tront they'd caught, And good sweet bread, both brown and white: "Now haste thee, husband, from my sight, Nor linger by The way ;

"My heart is sad-oh! strangely sad- For fear of harm to the dear lad ; I know he's brave-as brave as good-

But wild beasts lurk in the deep wood- Oh! haste thee to our child." "Fie! fie! upon thy woman's fears; The boy is safe-dry up thy tears; And when he comes with me to-night, Thou'lt smile upon this foolish fright- He loves the deep woods wild."

Yet, as his hurried steps drew near, Why blanched his cheek with sudden fear? Ah! what was there his keen eye scanned ? Prints of moccasined feet on every hand, With the bare ones of little Ned; An arrow and a wooden spoon- But where the boy they left at noon ? The frantie father called in vain;

Sad echo answered back the strain- Forever lost! it said.

On through the forest, dark and wild, The frenzied father sought his child ; Through mountain gorge, o'er hill and dale, Till steps grew slow, cheeks wan and pale, He sought, but never found.

Spring, summer, waned, and autumn came, Rich with ripe fruits and golden grain; Bnl from that pleasant cabin home The light and joy for aye had fiown. No little narrow mound,

Rose-strewn, where they could go and weep, And know their darling was asleep Beneath the flowers; no such relief Had those poor hearts; in silent grief They passed each weary day. White grew the mother's raven hair, Deep care lines on the brow onee fair, Watching and waiting all in vain ; The dear one came not back again- He was lost to them for aye.

-The stolen child was a grand-uncle of the writer.

OUR ROXBURY VISIT.

When in print so far as with Middlesex, we had no certain historian for Roxbury engaged, but learning by chance corres- pondence that Mrs. Sarah Brigham Mans- field was residing at Roxbury, made her a visit with much confidence, we had found the best person in the town to write out the historic record of Roxbury. While visiting Mrs. Mansfield, we also made a little trip into the Mad River Valley, that we had never dreamed of as so pretty ; heard Rev. P. B. Fisk in his address at the Fair at Waitsfield, and visited the birth- town of the Brigham family and Mrs. Laura Brigham Boyce. Mr. and Mrs. Mansfield pointed out many an old site named in our Fayston history, fresh from the press ; now Mr. M., the old home site of his father, which strangely the writer had somehow overlooked.

RILEY MANSFIELD, born in Winchen- don, Mass., came from there when 19 years old, with an ox-team, by marked trees, through the heart of the Vermont wilderness, and located in the valley of Fayston, clearing himself a farm and rolling up the logs for his first log-house.' He lived in this town till his death, and raised a large family, and was one of the principal landholders of his day, as the Fayston records attest. His farms and mortgages on farms covered much of the territory of the town ; but he was no op- pressor. A neighbor under embarrass- ment came to him one day, and said, "I want you to buy that 50-acre lot of mine. If I can turn it into money, I can save my farm and myself from ruin." "I will take

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it," said Mr. M., and paid him his price for the land. The man afterwards said to him, " You saved me and my family from utter failure." A little later, hard times again came, and the neighbor was again in deep gloom. How he could meet his taxes he did not know. He had some fine sheep, but sheep were down in the market; no one wanted to buy for half their worth. The melancholy man came down one afternoon to see if Mr. M. would not buy his sheep. Mr. M. was absent. He told his story to Mrs. M., and said he knew of no one else who would give him the worth of his sheep, but he thought "that Mr. M. might, and let him have the money. Mrs. M., sorry for the man, and knowing the neighborly spirit of her hus- band, told him that she thought Mr. M. might buy the sheep, and she would tell him when he came home, and she thought he would be up there that night. The man left a little encouraged. Mr. M. did not return till late. Mrs. M. told him, but it was 10 o'clock before he had his chores done, and he put off going up till the next morning. He went up then, but the man had hung himself in the night. His wife said to Mr. M., " Had you come up last night, it would have saved his life." Mr. M., although no ways obligated, always regretted that he had not gone up that night, late as it was.

He brought apple-seeds from New Hamp- shire, and planted orchards around his old homestead 63 years ago ; trees yet remain there that sprang from the seed he planted then. Mr. M. removed from where he first settled to a farm on Mill brook, where he made his home the last 25 years of his life. His first home was adjoining the old Brigham farm on Fayston hill. His house was within 20 rods of where George Boyce now lives. He sold to Mr. Brig- ham and Mr. Griggs a part of their farms (old Stephen R. Griggs was the one who committed suicide).

From Obituary .- " Riley Mansfield, of Fayston, died Jan. 14, -, aged nearly 77 years ; another of our oldest and most respected citizens is gone, almost the last of the pioneer men who came to our town

in its early settlement, or before it had be- come largely settled or improved. He came 56 years ago, and helped by his life- long industry to make the wilderness to blossom as a garden. At 23, he was con- verted at a camp-meeting, and united with the Methodist church, of which he was a member at time of his death. In 1822 he married Betsey Chase, who died Mar. 11, 73. Of a large family, but one son, Martin Mansfield, is now living. He was respect- ed for his sterling worth ; there lives no man who will say, 'Uncle Riley,' as he was called by all his neighbors, ever know- ingly cheated him one cent. Of his sudden death he seemed to have a premonition. He began to feel unwell Wednesday after- noon, and died on Friday near midnight. About an hour before he died, he dressed himself and laid down again on his bed, apparently comfortable, and died as an in- fant hushed to sleep in its mother's arms."

After his death it was found he had written in his diary the Sabbath evening before, the following :

" JAN. 9, SABBATH EVENING.

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The history of Washington county, in the Vermont historical gazetteer:, Part 122

Author: Hemenway, Abby Maria, 1828-1890, [from old catalog] ed Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Montpelier, Vt., Vermont watchman and state journal press Number of Pages: 1066

Author: Hemenway, Abby Maria, 1828-1890, [from old catalog] ed
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Montpelier, Vt., Vermont watchman and state journal press
Number of Pages: 1066