USA > Vermont > Windsor County > Baltimore > The history of the town of Baltimore, Vermont > Part 17
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The first tract Woodbury purchased was the one farthest west and at the base of the mountain. It was all an unbroken forest when Jona. tackled it in 1791 by clearing some land and sowing patches of wheat. He went back to Massachusetts for the winter, and in the spring of 1792 he returned, cleared more land and built a log house on the second piece of land he bought of Atherton that year. After harvesting the wheat he returned again to Royalston. On one of his trips he found some miscreant had stolen the store of wheat cherished for seed purposes.
It was probably a happy journey to Vermont the third time as he brought to his newly built cabin his bride, Sally Davis, to whom he was married Jan. 20, 1793. They had a shorter trip than some of the other newcomers as Royalston, Mass., is only a few miles below the Vermont state line. Jona. and Sally came on horseback and their household goods were brought by an ox team.
It was a beautiful spot to which Jona. brought his bride that day in June 1793, one of the sightliest locations in Baltimore, an im- mense sweep of hills and valleys reaching before one in every direction except to the north. What might have been the thoughts and emotions that stirred within the breasts of these newly weds! Did the sight of those near and distant heavily wooded hills and valleys give them faith, strength, courage to face the future as to the Psalmist of old? Whatever thoughts of loneliness came to her
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mind it is probable that young Sally was proud of what Jona. had accomplished, and she said to herself, "This is our home and may I be worthy of a place in life beside Jonathan."
Ten children were born to Jona. and Sally, John their first child being the first boy born after Baltimore was organized as a town 1794. He died when 17 years old.
The nearest gristmill was over the mountain in Whitesville in Cavendish. At first Jona. carried the grain on his back to get it ground for the family needs. Other supplies had to be purchased at Charlestown, N. H., which was reached either by the Crown Point road through Weathersfield or by way of Chester.
Not long was Jona. contented with the two tracts of land pur- chased before his marriage. In 1794 he bought 29 acres more which began at the basswood tree mentioned in the deed of 1792 and which extended east to Joseph Atherton's line, then north to a maple tree on the hill, then west to the northeast corner of his first purchase.
Jona. and Asa Robinson together in 1796 bought the Wm. Briant field of 30 acres for £30 lawful money, this being the parcel of land on which the Basso buildings now stand. A little controversy seems to have arisen over that land; a bit of space given to it will explain why six acres bounded on three sides by the Basso land should have been a part of the Thomas Preston farm, so-called, now for nearly a century.
It appears that Asa quit-claimed to Jona. in 1798 all his right and title to the above land for the sum of $16. 75, but this deed was never recorded until May 17, 1800. It might not have received the atten- tion due even then if Peter Robinson, administrator of his father's estate, on May 15, 1800, (two days before the recording as per above) had not sold to John B. Curtis two pieces out of this land which Asa and wife had occupied. These pieces cornered diagonally, separated by the road which led to Jona. Woodbury's dwelling. Jona., being the newly elected town clerk in 1800, hastened to record his deed from Asa as Peter, administrator, was selling this same land. It is possible that Jona. and Asa had engaged in a transaction unbeknown to son Peter or wife Margaret and that the latter had never signed away her homestead rights (women may have had a few rights even in 1800).
According to its records, the Probate Court "set off for the Widow's dower during her natural life" the parcel of land above the road on which the house was built. The probate records reveal that poor Widow Margaret needed all that was her due as Asa's real estate was appraised for only $173. 33, his personal property $65.26, and he had debts owing $77.87. It was well Widow Margaret had a "friend in court."
Before Peter sold the land, however, he was obliged to pay Jona. $30. 00 for a quit-claim deed that would clear the title. Even though this tract of land passed from Peter to John Curtis, from him to Ephraim Martin, then to Seth Houghton in 1808, to Lemuel Hough-
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ton in 1813, to John Woodbury in 1819, even as late as 1822 in each conveyance occurs this statement, "Be it remembered and forever understood that the said Margaret Robinson is to have and occupy the above mentioned piece of land set for her dower during her natural life."
Margaret evidently lived and clung to her rights over twenty- two years, but we wonder if she actually occupied the property in person. We know from the 1800 census that John Curtis and his family lived there and later Ephraim Martin and family. In 1846 Earle Woodbury, son of John, deeded this 6 acre tract to Thomas Preston, and it has since remained a part of the Thomas Preston farm, so-called. Jona. was able to purchase the westerly tract of about 7 acres below the road from Ephraim Martin, and we can easily surmise that both Jona. Woodburys coveted those 6 acres, and it is strange that with all their land buying they never regain- ed possession of them.
Jona. was not daunted by the above disappointing deal by any means. In 1806 in company with Reuben Bemis he bought 55 acres of what is now the Pollard pasture for $547.05. (This was nearly $10 an acre and we wonder if the Levi Davis dwelling was not still standing on it). Jona. sold out to Reuben five years later.
Now he became a moneylender, taking a mortgage on Manasseh Boynton's farm for $75. In 1820 he loaned Lemuel Houghton $420, taking a mortgage on the Houghton farm which Lemuel agreed to pay in a year. Failing in this and evidently becoming discouraged, Lemuel sold to Jonathan and Jonathan Jr. all the Houghton farm, now the Thomas place, except 25 acres north of the house, 86 acres for $950. One regrets the evident lack of prosperity on the part of the Houghton family and marvels at the financial progress of the Jona. Woodburys; it was, it now is, and always will be that way.
The Houghton farm began to be cut into pieces that make an interested reader tremble for its future. In 1822 Edmund Batchel- der on the Volney Foster place bought 19 acres across from Kendall's woods for $233. In Mar. 1822 Calvin Houghton bought the 6 acres 78 rods in the northeast corner for $97.58 (figure that per acre). In the same year John Woodbury bought 21 acres adjoining what had already been sold to Batchelder and extending westerly along the highway 41 rods for $287.70.
There was still left all the land on the southerly side of the road. In 1822 Jonathan Sr. purchased the Daniel Bacon farm, now the Bibens farm in Springfield, and he sold Jona. Jr. for $1000 a one- half undivided part of the old Woodbury homestead in Baltimore, "With one half all the buildings standing on the same the other half of said buildings and premises I the said Jonathan Woodbury reserve to myself." Jona. Sr. was probably now the largest land- owner in this locality, and with the aid of his numerous stalwart sons he cultivated his acres intensively.
In 1824 he deeded son Jona. his half of the eastern end of the Houghton farm lying south of the road, 33 acres. In 1829 the two
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Jonathans sold Parkman Davis the 2412 acres off the western end of the Houghton farm for $292. This land included what is now the Kendall pasture where the new cottages are built and also northerly as far as the road which at that time extended from Shepard's cor- ner directly up toward the mountain. When the new road was built which was completed in 1832, it severed the Parkman Davis land in twain, and he was allowed damages to the extent of $73.40.
There were two dwellings once upon the Houghton place, what became of one of them is unknown; probably it was torn down to improve buildings elsewhere. This was the habitation of Seth and Sally and their twelve children. The old Houghton home evidently disappeared while the Woodburys owned it.
It is plain that Jonathan Woodbury was enterprising and success- ful in business ventures. In the History of the Town of Spring- field we read: "He commenced his business life soon after the close of the Revolutionary War when the country was poor, money was scarce and exceedingly hard to obtain. His first earnings were $3.50 per month in payment for services on a farm. Starting in the times he did, making a home in the new country and rearing a large family encouraged habits of industry and economy which he retained through life."
It may afford some satisfaction to remember he got his start in the little town of Baltimore. And he gave to the town as much as he gained because he was ever interested in doing his part in adminis- tering the affairs of the newly born town. We may well be certain he worked for those first highways and school privileges. He was voted selectman, treasurer and highway surveyor at the town's first meeting; seven years he served as treasurer; from 1800 to 1815 he was the town clerk and selectman as well, except for two of those years. He left town in 1822 before Baltimore exercised her preroga- tive to have a representative in the legislature else he might have held that honorable office.
The log cabin at the end of the lane was discarded for a frame house built a few rods farther east along the same lane, both habita- tions of Jonathan and Sally being a short distance from what was then the main road. When he sold to his oldest son Jonathan Jr., he moved the rest of his family soon to the Daniel Bacon farm now known as the Bibens place. Here he erected a large substantial farmhouse on the site 'of the present new house; the Bacon house built across the road was torn down, only roses being left now to indicate the spot.
Jonathan Jr. continued in his father's footsteps as a good farmer, businessman and townsman. He married Sally Frost of Weathers- field. In 1827-1828-1829 he served as town clerk, treasurer and selectman; in 1836-37 he represented the town in the Vermont legislature.
Neither of the Jonathans kept a large number of cattle; generally they were listed with 4 oxen, not over 11 head of other cattle. But
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in the 1830's they became interested in sheep raising, increasing their flock from 18 sheep in 1834 to 130 in 1836.
We can easily imagine that Jonathan Jr. took an active part in the agitation that was to decide whether the new road completed in 1832 was to pass by what is now the Basso place or to be built from near the Litch homestead directly east to the Frank Kendall place, thence past Earle Woodbury's house to connect with the Geo. Cook road. Evidently it was a bitter struggle. The lay of the land seemingly would make a main road by Kendall's less hilly. But the Jona. Woodbury, Widow Preston and Edmund Batchelder families did not relish the idea of living at the end of lanes. The hill faction came out victorious. We gather from the records that Jona. Jr. had moved his buildings down to the site of the present buildings by 1836, as in that year the road to the Woodbury house was voted discontinued.
The writer was told that the original house on the Basso place was a large one-story house painted red. It was burned in the 1870's when Rollin Sherwin lived in it, and he it was who built the present one. Some of the barns were moved down from the hill, the barn from the Wd. Robinson's six acres being used in the buildings. It was the intent and the boast of Woodbury that his barn when com- pleted was the longest one in town.
Even if Jona. and his family did finally live on the line of through traffic, evidently they became restless. Perhaps the reason lay in the fact that all the Woodbury boys were naturally inclined to mechanics as well as farming. Jona.'s eldest son made a valuable improvement on local steam engines, which was the end of farming for Jona. and his boys. He sold his farm to Lyman Litch in 1839 and father and sons moved to Rochester, N. Y., where they engaged successfully in the manufacture of engines and boilers.
The Jona. Woodbury family resided in Baltimore only about 30 years, but all of their ten children were born in the log cabin or in the house up the lane and near the foot of the mountain. Some genealogical facts have been furnished the writer by Abbie Wood- bury Rowe which are gladly inserted. The names and birth dates of the children are as follows:
John b. 1794 d. July 30, 1811, only one buried in Baltimore cemetery;
· Jonathan Jr. b. 1796 d. 1877 m. Sally Frost of Weathersfield; Esther b. 1798 m. Joel Ellis in 1830-five children;
Sally b. 1802 unm. buried in N. Springfield;
Daniel b. 1804-five children-moved to New York State; George b. 1806 d. Oct. 19, 1875 m. Mary A. Bates-10 children; Silas b. 1809 d. age 75-settled in Hardwick-no family;
Joanna b. 1812 unm. buried N. Springfield;
Joel b. 1815 d. in Kansas-5 children;
Mary b. 1818 unm. buried N. Springfield.
As will be noted, Esther was the only girl of this family to marry. She spent her married life in Hardwick, Vt., and died there. She
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had at least five children whose names were Joel A. H., Charles D., George, John Quincy and Sarah Janette. Of the above Joel A. H. came to Springfield when thirteen years old to live with his uncles, his mother having died. He proved to have an inventive mind and developed a child's cab or carriage which for a time met with ready sales. The manufacture of these carriages flourished to such an extent that it was one of the leading enterprises in Springfield. In 1872 Mr. Ellis withdrew from the company and finally settled in Beaver Falls where he engaged in the manufacture of pottery. He died in 1878, leaving his business in charge of his son Herbert Ellis. J. A. H. Ellis was characterized as a man of great energy and one of the most wide-awake and public-spirited men of the town.
Esther's only daughter to grow up was Sarah Janette. She was educated to be a teacher, went to Missouri, and taught several years until she married a banker, Mr. Yeater. They reared a family of four children to all of whom they gave college advantages.
Daniel was always more inclined to mechanics than farming. He assisted his father in building the new house on the Bacon farm, then settled in Lower Perkinsville where he and his father owned the mills there in partnership. He next moved to Rochester, N. Y., where he invented improvements in horse powers which were secured by patents. The large 12 horse sweep powers which were later used in the West to thresh 8 to 12 hundred bushels of wheat in a day were invariably the Woodbury powers. Thus did the log cabin at the foot of Hawks Mt. in Baltimore cradle men of enterprise and genius.
George Woodbury lived in Springfield; he was a farmer and respected by all who knew him. He and his wife had a family of ten children. One of his daughters, Frances A., taught school in North Springfield when Anna Tarbell Field was in the grammar grades. She married Daniel Edson, and their son was given a thorough college education, winning the degree of Master of Science from the University of Vermont. He was finally appointed to the staff of Bureau of Plant Industry in Washington, D. C. From there he was sent to Waco, Texas, by the U. S. government to in- vestigate cotton-raising problems and to establish laboratories over which he had charge. He contracted the Texas fever there and died comparatively young.
Frances Woodbury's sister, Lorette A., married Horace Kings- bury and settled in Cavendish, Vt. Their sons were at one time, and their grandson is at the present writing, rated as the best farmers and farmer in that town.
Silas and Joel like their brother George followed the business of farming. Silas settled in Hardwick as did his married sister Esther Ellis.
Joel Woodbury was the son who stayed on the Jonathan Wood- bury Sr.'s farm. He became prominent in the town's affairs serving as lister, selectman, etc. He was elected to represent the town of
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Springfield in the legislatures of 1860 and '61. He was appointed both times to the committee on agriculture, the second term as chairman.
His religious preferences were Baptist. He was elected deacon of the North Springfield Baptist Church when 28 years old and served the church for 47 years or until he left the state. He was also a member of the choir for 43 years.
The late Anna Tarbell Field, who was employed by Mr. Woodbury to teach in North Springfield, often mentioned his untiring inter- est in the schools. He was one of the incorporators of the Town Library in Springfield.
Mr. and Mrs. Woodbury were the parents of five children: Charles E. who died when 20 years old; Henry B. m. Carrie Elliot-2 sons- went to Cawker, Kansas in 1884; Edward N. m. Elsie Grout of Cavendish-2 children-Eda and Arthur; Abbie E. m. Chas. S. Rowe of Hardwick-lived in Chicago, Ill., where Mr. Rowe's was headquarters for Hardwick Granite Co .; Emma A. unmarried-an artist, was employed in the Bureau of Fisheries in Washington, D. C. Her work received creditable mention in a pamphlet issued by the U. S. Government.
Joel Woodbury cultivated his farm forty-seven years, and all this time it was increasing in productiveness. In 1889 he and his son Edward moved to Cawker, Kansas, where his son Henry had been located for some time. There they engaged in the business of raising and feeding cattle.
The two sisters Abbie and Emma moved from Chicago after Mr. Rowe's death to Rochester, N. Y. There they spent their last days together. Strangely enough, both sisters died on the same day only a few hours apart. Both bodies were brought to North Spring- field for burial.
We must be favorably impressed by the usefulness of the progeny of Jonathan and Sally Woodbury. Their children born on the un- cleared hillsides of Vermont were destined to reach degrees of prominence in distant cities. We do not learn that their children had educational advantages beyond those afforded by our North School District, but their children's children were provided with the education that fitted many of them to fill acceptable positions of honor and public trust.
Boynton Family
The original American ancestor of the Boyntons of Baltimore, Springfield and Weathersfield was John Boynton, who with his brother William landed in Boston in 1638. John was a hatter by trade, William a tailor. In England there is an ancient village not far from the North Sea called Boynton. This village gave its name to the family as it was their principal dwelling place for cen- turies.
In Oscar Leland's genealogy we learn of twenty generations of Boyntons in England previous to 1638 when John and his brother embarked for America with a party of emigrants many of whom
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were wealthy. They bought a large tract of land which they named Rowley. John Boynton m. Ellen Pell. Seven children all born in Rowley. His son-Joseph b. 1644 m. 1st. Sarah Swan. Nine children all born Rowley. His son-Jonathan b. Aug. 19, 1684 m. Margaret Harriman. 9 children born in Rowley. His son-Jona- than b. Mar. 16, 1716 m. Elizabeth Wood. Ten children born in Rowley, except last two born in Lunenburg. His son-Jonathan b. Feb. 11, 1744 m. Elizabeth Divol. Eight children born in Fitchburg, except Jonathan the oldest. He served in Revolution, enlisting in 1780 at Fitchburg. As these children began to come to Vermont and three of them to Baltimore we will copy the names of all of them. 1. Jonathan b. Oct. 21, 1771 m. Sally Martin, Dec. 15, 1796, came to Baltimore soon after marriage. Jonathan d. June 10, 1856, Sally d. Mar. 25, 1852-9 children. 2. Elizabeth b. Feb. 1774 m. William Baldwin of Winchendon. 3. Manasseh b. Jan. 7, 1776 m. Sally Butterfield-five children-lived in Balti- more-died in Bethel, Vt. 4. Joseph b. Aug. 25, 1778 m. Mary Gray, cared for his father in his old age in Fitchburg-thirteen children. 5. Susannah b. April 29, 1783 m. Ephraim Martin- five children-lived and died in Baltimore. 6. Lucinda b. Jan. 2, 1786 m. Benj. Tilden-lived in Fitchburg-8 children. 7. Cyrus b. April 22, 1789 m. Jerusha Flint-moved to Essex, N. Y .- 9 children.
In his will Jonathan left his widow one-third of his property, $100 to his son Cyrus, $50 cash to sons Manasseh and Jonathan, $10 to each of his daughters Betsey, Susannah and Lucinda, and all the rest to his son Joseph. He also gave and bequeathed said son Joseph "all debts that may be due oweing and comeing to me."
To Jonathan and Sally Martin nine children were born. We note that practically all the Boynton children of previous generations grew up and married, but Jonathan and Sally's children and grand- children seemed less robust. Betsey b. Sept. 12, 1797 d. Nov. 10, 1797. Sally b. Nov. 27, 1798 m. Luke Robinson. Their sketch appears under Robinson Family. Betsey b. Nov. 4, 1800 m. Joshua Leland d. Chester, Vt., Oct. 1, 1884. Joseph b. Sept. 18, 1802 m. Arathusa F. Martin dau. of Ebenezer of Baltimore-7 children. Mary b. Feb. 23, 1805 m. David Barker of Jay-one child. Jonathan Martin b. Nov. 4, 1807 m. Harriet Batchelder- 5 children. Alonzo Lewis b. Feb. 8, 1810 m. Mary Parker of Lud- low-no children. Mehitable b. Sept. 23, 1812 d. Feb. 11, 1813. John b. Nov. 23, 1814 d. June 25, 1816.
Jonathan Martin born Nov. 4, 1807, for many years resided in Baltimore-five children: Harriet Electa b. Jan. 30, 1835; Edmond Martin b. Nov. 4, 1836 d. Dec. 28, 1840; Emmerson Armiel b. Aug. 3, 1839, killed in battle Spottsylvania, Va., May 12, 1864; Francis Cyrus b. Oct. 12, 1843 d. July 27, 1844; Frederick Eugene b. Sept. 24, 1847 d. June 9, 1848.
It will be seen that only Harriet Electa and Emmerson Armiel of the above children lived to grow up. What a sad day it must have been for his parents when news came that day of the death of their
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only son, Emmerson. The writer has a picture of him in his soldier uniform which she prizes highly, a very fine-looking young man with a beard.
If the reader will refer to the Martin family sketch, it will be seen that Sally Martin was the oldest of eleven children, all of whom came to Baltimore with their parents in 1796 except Jane who had married and had gone to New York state to live. Sally and Jonathan spent all their married life in Baltimore where they reared a family of five children that became useful, highly esteemed citizens, who acquired a fair amount of the world's goods and helped in the better development of their community and church.
The first year after Jonathan came to town he was elected lister. Every year he was elected to some office of importance which shows that he was a faithful attendant at town meetings. The record of the town meeting for 1815 reads as follows:
"1 ly chose Jonathan Boynton, Moderator
2 ly chose Jonathan Boynton, Town Clerk
3 ly chose Jonathan Boynton, 1st sellectman"
Jonathan certainly led the procession that day. He served as a selectman 11 years and as town clerk 6 years. After his son Jona. Martin took the Freeman's Oath in 1828, the father became less active, held offices whose duties were light but showed his continued interest. He was a town grand juror for many years.
It appears that he was contented with only fifty acres of land in Baltimore. When in 1832 he conveyed his real estate to son Jona. Martin, the land described is the very same irregular shape he had purchased of his father-in-law Ephraim Martin. However, he owned quite a large piece of land "lying and being in Cavendish described as follows viz Beginning at a stake and stones standing on the southwest corner of Hawks Mountain, so called."
It was the old-time conveyance whereby a favored son took the old people to see through life for their property. Jona. Martin and Harriet were "to well and faithfully and truly and without fraud and covetousness maintain and support the said Jonathan and Sally according to their degree and standing in society, in sickness and in health with all necessary comfortable and convenient house- room lodging food physick nursing and attendance wood washing- a suitable horse and carriage to ride as they may desire and enter- tain and accommodate their friends when visiting."-In addition to these stipulations, Jona. Martin was to pay his brother Joseph Boynton $100 and his sister Mary Barker $20 after the decease of Father Jonathan who, by the way, lived 24 years after the above indenture was made, Sally lived 20 years. Those old settlers worked desperately hard, many of them, in their early years, but often retired when comparatively young, or so it would seem to us of the present day.
The next year after Jona. Martin took over the property his grandfather Ephraim Martin came back from North Springfield and died in the Boynton home.
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