USA > Vermont > Windsor County > Baltimore > The history of the town of Baltimore, Vermont > Part 11
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The first four of these children came to Baltimore soon after marriage, and all their children were born in this town, in houses of their own building. There were thirty-eight own cousins all living to mature men and women except one. Such a bevy of first cousins, some of them double cousins, three families of them on farms that joined! Think of the baseball nines and football elevens those cousins could have organized! If they lacked a player or two, they could just go over to their Aunt Anna Pierce's in Springfield who lived on a farm in Eureka. She had nine children, five of them boys.
Parkman, the oldest son of Alex. P. and Abigail, lived in Royalston, Mass. His granddaughter, Isaline Davis, has an interesting legal contract in her possession, dated Aug. 1800, in fulfillment of which he was to go by "vessel" from Boston to Georgia to cut live oak or other timber the following winter. He was to provide his own axes, blankets and other tools, the company to provide him transpor- tation, washing to be done at three cents a piece, food, tea at least once a day, beef or pork with bread or rice, peas or beans or other vegetables in sufficient quantities, and when at actual work, one- half pint new rum per day, or other drink of equal value and wages at $15 per month. What a munificent remuneration!
This Parkman came to Baltimore in 1802. Early the next year he was married to Sally Forbush, and he and his brother-in-law John Woodbury on Apr. 12, 1803, purchased from Brown & Putnam 152 acres on the northern half of the original right of Joseph Web- ster. The tract was rectangular 192 rods by 130 rods. They divid- ed the land between them in this manner-
The diagonal line divided the rectangle into two equal trape- zoids, the northern-most one belonging to Parkman who paid $260 for his part, John paying 192 $300 for his. They were the first owners to dwell upon their newly acquired acres Parkman Davis of wild forest land. These 40 06 tracts are now known as the Frank Kendall farm and Allen pasture. Park- man built a log cabin and 06 in it their first baby Harriet John Woodbury was born Oct. 15, 1803. We may as well insert here 40 the names of their children and dates of their birth.
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Harriet-b. Oct. 15, 1803-m. Phinehas C. Robinson; d. Mar. 1882. Ray-b. Feb. 2, 1805-m. Feb. 1, 1823, Sarah Farmer; m. 2nd June 8, 1834, Hannah Brown, Troy, Vt.
Willard-b. Jan. 19, 1806-m. Delia Shepherd Leland; d. Aug. 22,1850.
Sally-b. May 31, 1808-unmarried; d. Aug. 21, 1826, age 18 yrs. 2 mos.
Elvira-b. July 26, 1809-unmarried; d. Sept. 15, 1844, age 35. Mary-b. Dec. 2, 1811-unmarried; d. Mar. 1, 1840, age 28. Betsey-b. Apr. 30, 1813-unmarried; d. Sept. 30, 1884. Irena-b. Oct. 11, 1814-married Albert Webster.
Parkman, Jr .- b. Apr. 16, 1816-m. Abigail Eunice Pierce; d. May 30, 1900.
Chauncey-b. Nov. 8, 1817-unmarried; d. Jan. 2, 1884. Franklin-b. Aug. 13, 1819; d. July 28, 1826, age 7 yrs.
Lydia-b. May 24, 1821-unmarried; d. Apr. 7, 1895; insane for many years.
The first seven of these children were born in the log cabin, the site of which is not known. Irena was born in the small frame house which is still standing and is used as a back room by the present occupants. The new house appears to have had but one large room downstairs. A lean-to of uncertain age may have been part of the original structure. A spacious fireplace was at one side of the room. Square timbers projected into the room and some of the plastering still clings to the sidewalls.
What a peculiar process it must have been to nail the split laths to the studding! The stairway at the end of the room was very narrow and steep, but it afforded a passageway to the open chamber above. The fireplace was large, the room small, the children numerous, yet the mother and her girls would sit with blankets over their shoulders while knitting during the long winter evenings.
Under the same roof with this house was a woodshed, the cham- bers of which might have been used for sleeping quarters. A well of cold water was close by the back door and is still used for refrigera- tion purposes.
This new house probably seemed the acme of comfort and con- venience to that family, filling their hearts with joy and satisfaction. Irena was the eighth baby and Harriet, the oldest, was then just about eleven years of age. But Sally raised every baby to adult- hood except Franklin, and he lived to be about seven years old.
That Parkman and Sally's children had some interest in religious matters is evinced by the story that has come down to the present day. The children used to walk down to the Baptist Church in North Springfield, probably to that first church on the plains across from what is now Charlie Rumrill's home. To save their shoes they would carry them in their hands and go barefooted or wear old shoes, changing them before reaching the church and reversing the pro- cedure on the return trip. It was probably no hardship in the
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minds of those children to go barefooted. More likely did they regard shoes as the "prison cells of pride."
Parkman Davis Sr. was very ingenious in planning contrivances. The first hay from the clearing was hauled by oxen on a sled, but by another year he had constructed a cart with wheels for that purpose.
In spite of his large family Parkman seems to have been prosper- ous and progressive. In 1823 he purchased about ten acres of land that joined his farm on the west. Six years later he bought 2412 acres on the north from the Woodburys. The tillage land on the Parkman Davis farm still holds the reputation of being some of the very best in town, sloping gently towards the east in smooth fertile fields comparatively free from rocks. He, like most of the other farmers, owned pasture land on the mountain.
Parkman Davis and John Woodbury were not so active in town affairs as were the other two brothers-in-law, William Davis and Jonathan Woodbury. Parkman was elected highway surveyor, also lister several times, and often served as town grand juror, if and when there was any serving to be done in that capacity.
In 1831 Parkman Sr. deeded his son Willard one-half of all his land for $700, four parcels in all besides the mountain land. Willard was the "boy who stayed home."
It would appear that the main part of the present house was erected about this time. Willard had taken his Freeman's Oath Sept. 1827. In 1830 he was elected district collector for the school, in 1831 committee man. In 1832 he bid off the master's board four weeks at 78g per week. In 1833 he lowered his bid to 77 cents per week, but in 1834 Willard bid off one week at 78 cents and one week at 80 cents! We may safely infer that Willard had married and was living in a separate house. They certainly had no room for boarders in the first new house. Little Aurora was born in 1834, and it was ten years before Willard bid off the teacher's board again. He then received $4.08 for boarding the school mistress six weeks. Let us hope the fair lady did not demand much in the way of knick knacks or special attention.
The second structure was well built and consisted of two rooms downstairs and two chambers finished off. Between the two rooms downstairs was a large chimney in the center with two big fireplaces, flanked by a commodious closet on one side and an entry with out- side door on the other side. The parlor bears evidence of good workmanship with handmade moulding outlining the casings and quite an elaborate mantelpiece and frame for the fireplace. With three large windows it is today an attractive room.
In 1828 Parkman's house was appraised for $72.75. In 1832 all the appraisals on houses in Baltimore were raised, and Parkman and Willard Davis' house was appraised for $150, only one house being listed to them. In April 1836 Willard was assessed for 2/3 house $100 and Wd. Sally 1/3 house for $50. But in 1838 Willard Davis' house was valued at $177 and Sally had a separate house listed at $58. Perhaps that first house was always referred to as
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the "new house" and Willard had finally completed the second and much better house.
Parkman Sr. died in 1836. His half of the real estate was ap- praised for $815. 50, one-third of which was set off as Widow Sally's dower. She was given 18 acres of land adjoining to Edmund Batchelder's west lines, 2 acres on Earle Woodbury's land, also the "new house so called" with a privilege to the well and woodshed and dooryard and the use of 25 apple trees in the yard west and adjoin- ing the house, likewise one rod wide on the south side of the garden, also 10 feet off the west end of the barn, with a privilege in the yard and water and likewise the privilege of going to and from the barn and to her land and from the same. Unlike most of her family, Sally lived to be an old, old lady, 86 years old at her death. Let us hope she was able physically to avail herself of the above-mentioned privileges. The grand lists of those years show that Widow Sally Davis always had one cow.
Probably son Willard and his family lived in the second house with its two rooms.
From those same grand lists we can learn the exact number of farm animals kept by the various owners. In 1828 Parkman had 2 oxen, 4 cows, 2 two-year-olds, 1 horse. Not many head of cattle to support such a large family. In 1835 Parkman and Willard together had 4 oxen (a yoke for each man), 9 cows, 2 two-year-olds, 1 horse and 25 sheep. In 1839 Willard kept 78 sheep. In those days they raised all they fed their animals, no buying of grain or expensive silos to fill. None of the farmers seemed to plan farm products to sell in great quantities.
It is apparent that some years later an extension was built on to the second new house on the end next to the first house, out of which part of the present kitchen and a pantry were formed. This addition was of cheaper construction. It extended to the first house, but the corners lacked about eighteen inches of meeting and the two gable ends were not exactly at right angles to each other. For a time it seems they still had to step out of doors to pass from one house to the other. Later they extended the end of Willard's house by the end to the further corner of the first house and this addition provided an entry, the room where Lydia was confined because of her insanity, and a milk room.
It does not appear that Willard craved town office. He served as lister a few years, also as highway surveyor and auditor several times. He seems to have been far more interested in school affairs. He was often elected to the prudential committee and was frequently one of the four voters to request a school meeting. When the stone schoolhouse had been built seven years, Willard Davis "washed and cleaned it" for its first time for the princely sum of 70 cents. He furnished the stone school room with its first and only blackboard, receiving 75 cents for the same.
Willard and his wife, Delia Leland Shepard, had six children as follows:
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Aurora E. b. Dec. 2, 1834
m. Dennison White, lived in Rutland d. Dec. 11, 1925 d. July 23, 1838
Franklin W. b. June 14, 1836
Ziba Leland b. Apr. 12, 1839 m. Cynthia d. Jan. 12, 1863 Ormus Chauncey b. Mar. 15, 1841 m. 1875 Catherine Wise d. about 1890 in Boston. Ladora Elvira b. Feb. 7, 1846 and m. Seneco Gale of Michigan d. Apr. 20, 1930 in Oakland, Calif.
Eugene, who was born 1851 after the death of his father, Willard Davis, who lived to be only 44 years old.
His widow, Delia, sold her land and her other rights to her hus- band's brother Chauncey, also the family pew No. 18 in the North Springfield Baptist Church. Parkman Davis Jr. acted as Adminis- trator.
Delia and her five children moved to North Springfield to the house where John Bemis now lives, and she and her eldest daughter worked desperately hard to provide for the needs of her large family. People today remember that Aurora used to go out sewing for 25 cents per day and ply her needle from early morn until after candle- light.
Eugene Davis became a doctor and practiced in Michigan. One day in conversation with a patient, an old man whose name also was Davis, he asked him where he was born. The man replied, "I was born in the State of Vermont in a little town called Balti- more." "Why, so was I", replied Doctor Eugene, but they found that they were not related. Probably the old man was a son of Samuel Davis who purchased the "governor's farm so called", 500 acres for 40 shillings in 1795.
Parkman Davis was a "smart young fellow," according to Mr. Zenas Graves, a neighbor some years his senior. The writer was then a child, and the young Parkman Jr. referred to by Mr. Graves had a long white beard and was deemed so extremely old by the writer that it was highly amusing to her to hear him called "young Parkman". That Mr. Graves did not err in his judgment of Park- man's ability is proved by the school records in which the following items occur, "Employed Parkman Davis to keep school in the winter of 1839 and forty three months at 20 dollars per month." His daughter, Isaline, still has a little certificate in which Parkman Davis is recommended "as a person of suitable moral character and attainments as a teacher of the youth
signed J. M. Boynton Wm. Davis selectmen of Baltimore Levi Piper
Dated Nov. 24, 1838."
The above date would show that Parkman Jr. obtained the certificate before entering upon his duties as teacher. He acted as administrator of several estates and is well and most favorably remembered by Mrs. Fred G. Field as a Sunday School teacher for many years in the North Springfield Baptist Church.
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Parkman Davis Jr. married Eunice Pierce, granddaughter of Matthew Pierce, who had an interesting record as a Revolutionary soldier and was one of the 57 members to found the Baptist Church in North Springfield. Parkman and his wife Eunice lived for many years in Andover, Vt., but their latter years were spent in North Springfield in the house where Harry Davis now lives. His sister Harriet's husband, Carter Robinson, built that house. To them four children were born:
Arvilla M. b. Aug. 8, 1846 m. Henry Austin of Andover, Vt. d. Mar. 7, 1912 Their children: Will, Clarence, Minnie m. 2nd John Stevens of Chester
Harlan J. b. Feb. 1, 1848 m. Lucy Norton of Chicopee, Mass. d. June 3, 1935 Their children: Bertha Eunice, Norton E.
Leroy P. b. Mar. 18, 1855 m. Fannie Taylor of Andover No children
d. Feb. 27, 1924
Isaline b. June 4, 1857, became a very successful nurse, following her profession several years in the city of Chicago. When the Springfield Hospital was first started, Miss Davis became its first matron and her efficiency, tact and previous experience proved most valuable to the new institution still suffering from its birth pangs. She was a graduate of the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
We have traced the fortunes of Willard and Parkman Davis, Jr. Harriet, the eldest daughter, is given due mention in the sketch of the Robinson family. It is with sadness that we note that Sally, Elvira and Mary died when comparatively young, also Franklin when a little fellow of seven years.
When Chauncey bought the farm in 1851, his mother was still living. His sister Lydia, a beautiful young woman, became in- sane, so his maiden sister Betsy came to the old home to keep house for her brother and to care for her mother and sister. Widow Sally lived until Apr. 10, 1864, being then 86 years, 3 mos. 10 days of age. "Old age" was given on the records as the cause of death.
Chauncey owned and carried on the home farm the very same length of time as did his father for 32 years. Unfortunately for would-be historians the livestock kept on the farms was no longer enumerated after 1840; so we can not apply that yardstick to Chauncey's farming activities. We know, however, that he carried on the farm in a husband-like manner, and through his endeavors a very fine apple orchard was developed which has been a distinct financial asset to subsequent owners.
He did not seek to enlarge greatly the acreage of his farm. He was quite interested in making a pond at the lower end of the meadow so-called and bought small adjacent tracts of lands from what is now the Allen pasture and Volney Foster farm for that purpose. An uninformed person might well wonder what caused a perfectly straight boundary line to become so extremely irregular all at once.
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Chauncey is remembered as having been somewhat eccentric. He seems to have been a firm believer in the saying, "Good fences make good neighbors." It would appear that he had all his line fences divided and a record made of such divisions. One year he called out the fence viewers three times to settle altercations costing him $2 for each hearing. Perhaps this explains why he was often elected as fence viewer at town meeting. He had a flair for fences.
A clerk in Fred Field's store some years ago relates the following incident with much amusement. Chauncey drove to the store one evening, bought a list of groceries for which he tendered the clerk a $50 bill in payment. Mr. Field did not keep much money in the store and did not wish to change the bill. "Let it go till next time," he remarked. The next time Chauncey proffered the same bill for groceries and again and yet again. Finally, the clerk suggested to Mr. Field that the next time that bill was offered them, that he would take it to Mr. Field's house and have money on hand there to change it. Next week Chauncey came down late at night as was his habit, bought his several articles, and passed over the familiar bill. To Chauncey's surprise and evident dismay, the clerk took it announcing that he would soon be back with the right change. Chauncey protested such a procedure on the grounds that he could not settle his account that night. It appeared he had a heavy obligation to meet at a certain date. Instead of asking Mr. Field to extend him credit for a time, he had passed out the large bill in the hopes and expectations that Mr. Field would prefer to trust him rather than change the bill. He was not asking favors of Mr. Field by so doing.
The heirs of Wd. Sally Davis conveyed their individual rights to their brother Chauncey through quit-claim deeds. By referring to the records we learn their whereabouts. Harriet, wife of Phinehas C. Robinson, still lived in Baltimore; Irena, wife of Albert Webster, lived in Irasburg, Vt., in 1864. It was probably her son Ellery H. who was imprisoned in Andersonville with Geo. Bemis during the Civil War. He wrote the letter concerning George's probable fate to Martin Bemis, that letter being still preserved. Irena was a kind mother to a large family of children.
In 1858 Ray Davis for $25 quit-claimed his rights and titles. He was then living in Troy, Vt. In 1882 the children of Willard Davis had all become of age and for the sum of $25 they all re- linquished any rights they might have in their grandmother's estate. We find Aurora E. White then lived in Rutland; Ormus C. in Boston, Mass .; Dora E. Gale in Eaton Rapids, Mich .; Eugene W. in Springfield, Vt .; and Fred E. Davis in Claremont, N. H. How does the name Fred E. happen in the record? Was he not Ziba Leland under a changed name? Ziba was not such a very desirable name after all.
Chauncey passed away Jan. 2, 1884, the cause of his death being recorded as "Disease of the Kidneys." Betsey and Lydia were now the last of their family to remain in the old home place. But Betsey died the following Sept. of dropsy and paralysis. Everyone
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then living in this locality remembers Chauncey Davis. He was interested in town affairs, one year holding four town offices, and enjoyed the respect and confidence of a fairly large circle of ac- quaintances. But of his sister Betsey who lived with him only one neighbor whom the writer has contacted has any remembrance of her, that is Ellen Bemis Davidson who, as a girl, used to work for Betsey sometimes.
One reason for Betsey's seclusion during her latter years was her devotion to her insane sister. Lydia had to be closely confined in a room with barred window and door. She was violent at times and had the appearance of desiring to kill Betsey should opportunity be given her. The Davis home was now at the end of the road, and for months at a time Betsey never left the dooryard so faith- ful was she to her sorely afflicted sister. Today we have a state institution, also a retreat where unfortunate sufferers from mental derangements can be confined and cared for; it is better thus. Betsey spent years of self-sacrifice in a hopeless cause. After her death Lydia was moved to North Springfield where she lived in her brother Parkman's house eleven more years, dying Apr. 7, 1895, in her 74th year, one of the longest-lived members of that large family. Some things are hard to understand.
The legislature of Vermont is beseeched and besieged each session for larger appropriations for the Institution for the Insane at Water- bury. The quarters for its inmates are crowded to its very doors and the number fast increasing. Some reasons given for the start- ling increase are that victims of alcoholism are sent there to get relief from the effects of intoxicants on their minds and bodies, also that elderly people whose minds are failing are sent there by ungrateful children who do not wish to be burdened with them in their dotage.
Every good movement is imposed upon. But when we think of the loyalty and sacrifice of Betsey Davis as well as that of Park- man and his wife for their poor demented sister, we marvel at the indifference of the present generation to the needs of those depen- dent on them. Many an unmarried sister of that day was a minis- tering angel to the members of her family in time of need with no thought of recompense or plaudits from the crowd.
It is gratifying to know that Chauncey so arranged his affairs that a goodly sum was due Betsey from his estate, which was settled by his brother Parkman, as was also Betsey's estate. Betsey and Chauncey both died in 1884 as previously noted.
Lydia died in North Springfield and her remains were the last of her family to be interred in the Baltimore cemetery. · Parkman Davis Sr., his wife Sally, and eight of their children all lie at rest here in God's half-acre. Willard's wife Delia is buried beside him, making eleven graves with eleven headstones all in one long row.
The old farm had been occupied eighty-one years by Parkman Davis and his children. It was owned by them 84 years in all as it was not sold until 1887 when Charles Bridges bought it.
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It was rather singular that Parkman Davis Sr. and his brother William should each buy his farm in 1803 and that each farm passed out of the Davis name in 1887; eighty-four years is a long time for one family to occupy a farm. The Graves family occupied their farm eighty-seven years.
Parkman Davis Family By Isaline A. Davis, Northfield, Mass.
This material was sent to the writer about a week before Miss Davis died, an interesting contribution by a lady then 83 years old. She was prompted to write the following notes and items in way of explanation after perusing the sketch relative to the Parkman Davis family.
Miss Davis wrote as follows:
I have heard my father say that Baltimore, Vt., is the only town of that name in U. S. except Baltimore, Md., which if verified would be an item of interest in its local history, as nearly all towns have duplicate names in many states.
Alexander Parkman Davis married a second wife, Martha, widow of Capt. John Works of Royalston, Mass., and by her had three children. In his old age he was so spry he carried the nickname "Grandsir Nimble."
I do not know the causes of the earlier mortality of half the Park- man Davis Sr. family. I think there was a factory or textile mill somewhere in the region, possibly Weathersfield or Charlestown, and that the sisters Elvira, Lydia, Sally, and perhaps Betsey, worked there for a time. I fancy Elvira and Sally went into a "decline," as it used to be called, which now might mean "T. B." (It appears that many of the people working in those early mills contracted fatal diseases. Sanitary conditions received no attention and the germ theory of disease was unknown. A. M. P.)
Parkman Davis Sr. and his wife Sally united with the Congrega- tional Church in Springfield about 1806 or '07-doubtless the date is on their church records. Among some of our papers (not now in my possession) is a writing on a slip of paper signed by them and dated, something to this effect that "we have this day united with the Cong. Church and purpose to lead Christian lives and to bring up our children in Christian faith."
My father, Parkman Jr., was their 9th child, but in the days he could remember there must have been all 12 living in the small "new house," unless possibly Ray might have gone away. At meals children did not sit at table, no room for that, but only the father and mother, and the children would come and be helped to food on their plates and go sit on a bench or the settle or whatever and eat. In his earliest remembrance they used wooden plates; and when they began to have pewter ones, did not like them, as they could not guy their fork through the meat (doubtless tough)
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