USA > Vermont > Windsor County > Baltimore > The history of the town of Baltimore, Vermont > Part 13
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The only additions of consequence Seth made to his lands were the purchase of the pasture northeast of the road between his place and Edmund Batchelder's (now Volney Foster's). Also about 6 acres of land 'from Eph. Martin which was set off to the Widow Margaret Robinson-"be it remembered and forever understood that said Margaret is to have and occupy the above mentioned piece of land . . . . . during her natural life," and 30 acres undivided and unlocated land probably on mountain.
Possibly Seth sensed that not all was well with him, for in May 1811 he sold one-half of all his lands both as to quantity and quality to his son Lemuel, "also one half of my barns reserving the dwelling house for my own use and behoof during my pleasure," Seth taking a mortgage on same.
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It would seem that Lemuel was yet single as no house room was provided for him. We found in the Springfield Town History that one Lemuel Houghton m. Lydia Holman Sept. 3, 1812.
Seth Houghton died May 4, 1815, in the 59th year of his age, dropping dead while working at his cobbling bench. He is buried in Baltimore cemetery, a plain slate slab marking his grave. At Mrs. Purmont's request Mr. Fred G. Field had a picture taken of his grave which he forwarded to her. Mrs. Purmont was desirous that the words, "Revolutionary Soldier," should be engraved on his headstone as he served in that war, enlisting from Milton, Mass.
Then it was that Lemuel proceeded to buy the rights of the nu- merous heirs, affording the town clerk several pages of recording and revealing to us the whereabouts of the children. Deeds were made out as follows: June 5, 1815 Joseph Houghton of Jay sells his rights for $150; June 26, 1815 Seth Houghton of Paris, N. Y., sells his rights for $88.90; Sept. 23, 1815 Ebenezer Houghton of Jay sells his rights for $100; Oct. 23, 1815 Jonah and Sally Houghton Bruce of Jay, N. Y., for $100; Feb. 3, 1816 Joseph and Rebekkah Houghton Bruce of Jay, N. Y., for $100. (In this deed Joseph refers twice to Becky my wife.)
Possibly the other children were not of age as none of them deeded their rights to Lemuel until Mar. 25, 1818, when Polly and Mehi- table both sold out to Lemuel for $100 each. This left the three youngest children, Elijah, Calvin and Aaron. Calvin never deeded his rights, but he signed a receipt stating he had sold, which is re- corded.
Sally Houghton's rights (his mother's) amounted to 1612 acres of land, ten feet of the south end of barn, the southwest corner room in the house, northeast bedroom, privilege in the kitchen, one-third of the cellar and one-third of the chamber and privilege at the well.
Lemuel seems to have become restless in his possessions. In 1819 he sold the Margaret Robinson property to John Woodbury. Feb. 5, 1821, Wd. Sally quit all claim to a certain part of the house that was set off to her, and Lemuel deeded Sally that small house stand- ing on south side of the road with convenient room to pass around the same. This may have been a new building as no mention was made of it. We might be pardoned if we surmised that Lemuel now had several children and wanted the big house for himself. Later in the year 1821 he sold Jonathan Woodbury all his land excepting 25 acres between Atherton's west line and the road that used to lead from the Shepard corner straight up towards the moun- tain. He reserved the house, however, and some room in the barn.
Now the farm began to be broken into small pieces. Mar. 1, 1822, Lemuel sold his sister Polly 414 acres; Calvin Houghton bought 6 acres, 78 rods in the southeast corner of the old farm from its new owner Jonathan Woodbury. The same day Lemuel sold his brother Calvin 6 acres bordering on Wd. Sally's and Polly's right. Calvin mortgaged this land to Elijah's family. April 3, 1822, Calvin gave Lemuel a receipt for $156.33 in full for "my share in my father's estate."
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Tragedy now stalks across the path of this family. On Jan. 8, 1824, Elijah committed suicide. The girl on whom he lavished his affection proved to be untrue to him. In his personal effects poems of his composition revealed what had been passing through his mind that prompted the rash act. The Administrator of his estate then sued Calvin, now gone to parts unknown, to collect the money due on the mortgage and attached the two pieces of land.
These must have been trying times for Sally, the mother, with her husband gone, one son a suicide, one son a runaway; the acres which Seth had cleared by hardest of labor were dwindling away; she was getting old. Only seven years since Seth had died, but such changes!
The next year Lemuel, now in Sutton, Vt., deeded Aaron, the youngest brother, all the land which was assigned to him by the Probate Judge, meaning the thirds and the house which the said widow now lived in.
Then Aaron went through the process of buying up the various owners. Polly sold to Aaron her 414 acres, Polly and her mother in a joint deed conveyed to Aaron and quit-claimed all their rights and title to the two pieces of land Calvin bought, but which went back on the mortgage running to Elijah. It appears all the heirs of Elijah had to sign off again to Aaron. Accordingly, Mehitable now married to a Coolidge quit-claimed their rights to Aaron. Finally, Wd. Sally now living in Jay, N. Y., sold Aaron her thirds for $200 and made her mark for the last time on a deed from her to be re- corded in Baltimore. Strange that the man who was clerk of his church for twelve years should have a wife who when signing her name was obliged to make a cross. In those days, though, people did not believe in higher education for women.
When Aaron had gathered up all the loose ends, he sold them to Wd. Mary Preston of Weathersfield. This was Jan. 20, 1827, and included the widow's thirds.
Before writing this sketch the writer thought it lamentable that Seth Houghton, father of such a large family, should be alone in the Baltimore cemetery. After following the declining fortunes of the Wd. Sally, the writer is glad that Sally could join her many children living in Jay. Just what attracted all of them except Lemuel to this particular place is not clear. Jay is located in the northern Adirondacks on the banks of the Ausable River.
We now let the curtain fall on this Houghton family with the hope that Wd. Sally found comfort and joy in her last days with her children and grandchildren. She died on June 25, 1833, and was buried in Jay.
Benjamin Houghton
His son Elijah Houghton m. Mary Andrews
His son Seth Houghton b. 1757 m. Sally Wheeler b. Oct. 24, 1760 (shoemaker)
His dau. Rebekkah Houghton m. Joseph Bruce in 1815 (son of Benj. Bruce, a shoemaker)
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Jos. Brother-Benj. Bruce Jr. m. Philadelphia Wheeler (sister of Anna Wheeler Atherton), settled in Baltimore, at one time lived on Glynn place-served in Revolution.
Benj. Bruce Jr. m. Philadelphia Wheeler May 10, 1781 shoemaker d. Sept. 13, 1838 age 80 years.
d. Sept. 11, 1839 age 80 yrs.
Data on their children:
Joseph m. Rebekkah Houghton 1815. Their dau. Mary m. Daniel Blish of Jay, N. Y. and was Mrs. Purmont's mother.
Jonah Bruce m. Sally Houghton
Polly m. Oliver Cook (Polly grew up at her Aunt Anna Atherton's).
The Preston Families (On Thomas and Basso Farms)
Women's names did not figure conspicuously on those first town records of Baltimore. Not until page 119 does the index to the land records show a woman's name, that of Widow Deliverance Burnam. But Deliverance did not add glory and prominence to her sex be- cause she was a landowner. She and her family of seven children were the first family to be ordered out of town one Christmas Day. The writer has always had a feeling akin to pity for Widow De- liverance.
About halfway through the first index Phebe Gates'name appears. But Phebe was already in the limelight as the first pauper in town, her farm the Spaulding lot being sold to aid in her support, hence the land record.
As those first settlers grew old, if the men were the first to answer the roll call, the widow's thirds were made a matter of record, but only two such entries were made, Widow Houghton and Widow Betsey Woodbury. Two young women were deeded small plots of land; so only six different women are named in the index until we come to Mary Preston, page 329.
Unlike the widows above-mentioned Mary Preston was in no sense dependent upon charity nor was just waiting for the spark of life to be extinguished. Her husband dying when a young man of thirty-three the young widow was faced with the problem of provid- ing for three children and one other posthumously, whom she named Zebina after his father.
The Prestons came from Connecticut to Weathersfield, Vt. We read in the cemetery records of Weathersfield that one Tirus Preston was drowned in his own mill pond in Ascutneyville May 30, 1798, in the 45th year of his age. His wife Esther died Apr. 25, 1830, age 71 and was buried there, too. That name Tirus was found among Widow Mary's children, generally simply spelled as Tyrus but occasionally spelled Tyrrhus-glorified spelling that.
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We herewith insert such genealogical data as is available: Zebina Preston m. Mary T. Woods Pepperill, Mass.
Mansfield, Conn.
b. 1794
d. July 6, 1823 age 33
in Weathersfield, Vt.
d. Sept. 4, 1873 age 78 yrs. 11 mos. in North Springfield.
Children
Tyrus or Henry T. d. Aug. 14, 1863 age 45 yrs. 7 mos.
Thomas b. 1819 d. 1901
Mary m. Patrick Bryant (Emma Arvilla m. Francis Preston Wayland m. Helen Bryant)
Zebina d. Nov. 10, 1851 age 27 yrs. 10 mos.
All were buried in North Springfield cemetery except Mary and husband.
If one refers to the sketch of the Houghton family, it will be seen that after the sudden death of father Seth in 1815 the fortunes of that family dwindled. Son Lemuel bought out the other heirs and there were ten of them! But as early as 1821 Lemuel sold all the farm to Jona. Woodbury and son except about 25 acres which in- cluded his mother's thirds of 16 12 acres, then went to live in Sutton, Vt. In a few years Aaron, the youngest of the twelve Houghton children, was buying up the rights which his brothers and sisters held in their mother's thirds, a pitifully small amount of value to necessitate so many deeds and recordings. But after procuring eight deeds and getting them duly recorded, son Aaron had con- veyed and confirmed to Mary Preston two certain tracts of land. One piece was the small parcel south of the road on which the small house stood. In 1828 this dwelling was appraised for only $29.10. The other tract consisted of the Widow Sally Houghton's thirds of 16 12 acres lying north of the road which then extended from what is now known as Shepard corner directly up to the foot of the moun- tain. The parcel extended 66 rods down this road to a barway "nigh the house." The site of the present schoolhouse and the road by it were on Wd. Sally's rights and were sold after Mary Preston owned it. The thirds were most irregular in their eastern boundary and Lemuel Houghton sold one piece of two acres to his brother Calvin and 414 acres to his sister Polly which were tucked in somewhere between Sally's thirds and John Woodbury's land. The writer confesses to having spent some hours trying to fit Calvin's and Sally's irregular boundary on the east, all to no avail.
Evidently this purchase filled up the pockets or corners as Mary's tract or parcel was bounded by four straight lines, no crooks or turns. The number of acres was about 24 although not stated and the purchase price was $255, date Jan. 20, 1827.
Not a very favorable outlook for a young widow with a brood of four children, the youngest not yet three years old. But Mary Preston was the type of pioneer woman whose achievements make an interesting story. Strong, courageous, self-reliant and evidently of keen business judgment, she began the restoration of the Hough-
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ton farm to its original acerage. Her efforts were supplemented largely by son Thomas who was only eight years of age when his mother moved to Baltimore.
Wd. Mary Preston began where Sally Houghton left off. But poor Widow Sally had borne twelve children and reared eleven to adulthood. She had no education as her several conveyances show she made her cross. Yet her husband was the first clerk of the North Springfield Baptist Church. His legible handwriting com- pares most favorably with present day specimens-the pothook and hangar system that is now so evident. Those were the days when girls were not considered worthy or needful of education especially those girls likely to get married.
The late Willard Leland in speaking of the Wd. Mary Preston said that she could do all kinds of farm work except mow. They did not have mowing machines in 1827. The story has been handed down that at one time the town officials decided Wd. Mary should pay a poll tax (possibly because she was the head of the family.) Did she pray to be excused on account of her sex, or did she plead poverty? Not she, she exercised her rights as man's equal and demanded a privilege to work out her tax on the road as did the men. And she did that very thing. It is told that no further poll taxes were assessed against her; probably the men folks did not want a strong alert woman setting paces for them on road work.
The Houghton family was one of the first sketches to be written for this effort, this Preston family is the last one. During the five years which have intervened there is no trace or clue as to whatever became of the house Seth and Sally Houghton probably built and certainly occupied. At Seth's death Wd. Sally was to have ten feet off the south end of the barn and the privilege around the same, the use of the southwest corner room in the house with the northeast bed- room and a "privilege in the Kitchin and likewise a privilege of going to and from the well." In 1821 Sally forever quit-claimed all her rights in this house, but did not convey her rights in the barn. On the same day Lemuel quit-claimed to his mother all his right and title during her natural life in or unto that small house now standing on the south side of the road leading from Lemuel Houghton's to Edmund Batchelder's. The house evidently was between those two places. Two days before this swapping of houses, Lemuel had sold all the land he owned in town except the 25 acres which belonged, to his mother 1612, to sister Polly 412, and brother Calvin 2 plus. He was still living here in 1822. When he sold to Woodbury, he reserved "24 feet off the barn to be taken off the south end of the same known by the name of the new part also all other privileges set off to Sally Houghton the widow."
In 1826 Wd. Sally and son Aaron deeded the Woodburys for $5 all their right and title to all the land that the barn stood on that was set off to the Widow Sally Houghton as her dower and the privileges around said barn. Evidently, the barn was no longer standing, even if part of it was known as the new part.
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But the Woodburys did not pay the five dollars, not they. They made a land swap. They began at Sally's southeast corner which was at the barway north of the house and ran a line southerly across the road six rods, thence easterly 1114 rods to a corner, thence northwardly . ..... crossing the road to John and Earle Woodbury's land. Now John Woodbury's land bordered the road. It looked as if the Woodburys gained the land they coveted and Sally was deeded the public highway in exchange. In subsequent deeds we learn that the strip on which the small house sat was only three rods wide on the west and 212 rods on the east end and eleven and one-fourth rods long. The buildings must have been close to the road.
For lack of full documentary evidence the writer is forced to blend her own memories extending back to the early 90's with some imagination. We think that first barn was built on the south side of the road, we also believe a second barn was built on the same site. The writer remembers the excitement that prevailed one day when the news was flashed around town that Thomas Preston's barn had been struck by lightning during a recent heavy shower and burned to the ground. It was told that that was the second barn on that very same location to be destroyed by light- ning; so when Mr. Preston erected another new barn, he chose to build it on the same side of the road as the house, where it still stands.
It is possible that the Houghton house burned at the same time, as when that first grand list of 1828 was made out as the law then prescribed, no house was listed on that land except Mary Preston's for $29.10 as previously mentioned.
We imagine Wd. Mary may have had to build a barn for herself. Her livestock in 1828 was limited to two cows and one 2-year-old. Soon she began to keep a few sheep, and we like to think that Mary Preston could with her own hands remove the wool from the sheep's back and straightway convert it into garments for her little brood. Knitting with her was a matter of stern necessity. She did not gain prominence or popularity by knitting in public for the Red Cross.
At first the writer was misled by the name Henry T. on the tombstone in Wd. Mary Preston's family lot. In a historical sketch of the town of Baltimore it was stated that Tyrrhus Preston always remained in Weathersfield and died there. It is puzzling to most people that parents will christen a child by one name but always will call him by another, generally his middle name. For instance, in the Piper family a number of people still remember an Eleanor Piper. There was a Mary E. who was mentioned in the disposal of her father's property, also a Mary E. buried in her father's lot. Eleanor taught the school, Eleanor wove woolen blankets, etc., but not one inkling as to a Mary E. A first cousin of these Piper children was contacted who assured the writer that there never was but one girl in that Piper family. There was a Phinehas Robinson born in Baltimore according to his
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inscription on his monument, a Phinehas C. Robinson died, but while he was living, moving and having his being he was known to everyone as Carter Robinson.
We are led to believe that the Henry T. buried in North Spring- field is the Tyrus H. who lived in Baltimore, paying his first poll tax in 1840, he and his brother Thomas taking the Freeman's Oath the same day. In 1840 Tyrus was taxed on a horse, 12 cow and $100. In 1841 the 12 cow is lacking, but the horse and $100 met the Argus-eyed listers. In 1842 Tyrus had personal property in excess of debts owing that was valued at $280. In 1843 that amount was decreased to $256, the next year $250. It appears during these years that Thomas was away from home working and saving his money while Tyrus stayed with his mother.
The year 1845 found all three of Wd. Mary's boys at home, at least at listing time. They must have felt quite prosperous. Wd Mary had $103.50 in excess of debts owing to be taxed, Tyrus H. $350, Thomas $308, and young Zebina had $29 to be taxed, but no poll was assessed against him.
In 1846 Tyrus and Zebina were not on hand to be taxed, and Thomas had purchased 48 acres of land so had little money left.
Two years later, all three boys were back on the grand list again. Thomas had 54 acres real estate taxed, Tyrus nothing but a poll tax, but young Zebina had $200 to his credit. In 1851 Zebina's personal property was valued $500. This spoke well for the young man's thrift and industry. He was listed for the last time, how- ever, as he died the following November. Wd. Mary must have mourned deeply the loss of this son, the child of her days of affliction, whom the father did not live to see.
Tyrus was in Baltimore while his mother lived on the Glynn place. Unlike his brother Thomas he never bought any land in town except three acres in 1857 that cornered with the Glynn place. He was listed here in 1858, then seems to have left town. Tyrus, too, died when comparatively young, the date of his death being Aug. 14, 1863.
The only sister these boys had was known to all as "litle Mary Preston." She taught school several terms. She married Patrick Bryant and went to Warsaw, N. Y., to live. In 1843 she taught three months summer school for exactly $11, and the town paid her mother $8.43 for boarding her.
If the reader has a yen for putting jig saw puzzles together, he will be interested in the following account of how Wd. Mary and son Thomas almost put the old Houghton farm back together by making purchases from time to time.
. First, Mary in 1839 bought from the Woodburys the land sur- rounding her house, which included what is now the Shepard orchard and east as far as the Frank Kendall road consisting of 9 acres 90 sq. rods for $270. Later, she bought the road which led from the corner up to the mountain from the Woodburys. This included Mary's part of restoring the Houghton farm.
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But Thomas, born in 1819, showed signs early of being industrious and thrifty. The year after he became of age he had $100 money to be taxed. In 1842 he loaned Luke Harris $108.45 and took a mortgage on Luke's farm, all that was east of the road. Luke paid it in one year. In 1846 Thomas bought of Alden Sherwin the 6 acres 52 rods in the northeast corner which Calvin Houghton once owned. Also in 1846 he bought of Earle Woodbury, now of Weathers- field, the 17 acres of land east of the highway and bounded on the south by Edmund Batchelder and northerly by Mary Preston.
Also in 1846 Thomas bought the so-called Martin lot of 6 acres, the Margaret Robinson dower (or "bower"), also in 1846 he pur- chased 30 acres on the mountain presumably "Tommy's flat" (not in the jig saw picture). The grand list of 1847 shows Thomas to be possessed of 54 acres.
In 1851 he was able to buy from Chauncey Davis the strip of pas- ture land lying between the old road leading to the mountain and the new road built past what is now Arthur Basso's farm. On Mar. 26, 1852, his mother bought the Glynn place from the Aver- ills, paying $1000 for the same. According to the late Willard Leland she finally took up her residence there. Dec. 30, 1852, Thomas bought from his mother all the land she then owned of the Houghton farm except what Wd. Mary sold the town in 1838 for the school building-"Beginning at a stake and stone in the swail and running 60 ft. on easterly side of the road."
In 1856 he bought 5 acres 149 rods of Sylvanus Newhall on mountain. (This piece will not fit into the jig saw puzzle either.) In 1866 Thomas yearned evidently for more mountain land as he was deeded 50 acres in Cavendish and Baltimore, paying $450 for same. Here he might have become somewhat reckless, land value being very high right after the Civil War. In 1873 he was able to restore the pasture opposite Kendall's woods to the original pic- ture, buying the same from Solon Bemis. This was the end of the restoration. Probably Thomas was never able to obtain a deed to that pasture land which was once the southwestern portion of the old Houghton farm, being the land south of the road leading to Arthur Basso's on which the Olney cottages are now built. We feel sure Thomas would have gladly welcomed the ownership of those acres.
In 1879 Thomas concluded his land deals by buying 40 acres from Carter Robinson. This was originally the part left of the Hastings farm. He paid $350 for it and it adjoined his land on the east.
Thus it becomes apparent that Thomas Preston, son of Mary, was a true "son of the soil." His name was never indexed as a seller of land. That he was prosperous there is no doubt. According to the late Mrs. Philario Earle of Gassetts, Thomas built the house now standing on the farm in Civil War times. She was then living in town. This information may be corroborated by the grand list of 1863. We find estate appraisal was increased from $1200 to $1700. In 1862 his personal property after deductions for debts was $437. 60, in 1863 the amount was only $17. 75.
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The Thomas Preston house was well-built and most pleasantly located. Those were the days when home builders took pride in front halls, and the one planned and built by Thomas and Adaline Preston must have afforded them satisfaction in the same degree as it excites admiration from those of the present day for whom such things hold an interest.
We expect Adaline just mentioned came into the picture about the time Thomas bought so much land-1846. Did they all live for a time in that small house on the south side of the road?
Adaline was the daughter of Levi Piper and was born and grew up on what is now the Erwin Converse place. She was indeed a happy choice and a splendid helpmate for young Thomas Preston, her parents being thrifty, industrious and God-fearing. To them seven children were born. The genealogical record of the Thomas Preston family follows:
Thomas W. Preston m. Adaline Piper b. Weathersfield, Vt. 1819 b. Baltimore, Vt. 1820 d. Springfield, Vt. 1901 d. Springfield, Vt. 1901
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