USA > Vermont > Windsor County > Baltimore > The history of the town of Baltimore, Vermont > Part 7
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Tradition tells us that a mighty effort was made once to extend the road into Baltimore by the Chittenden place and up the brook rather than along the ridge by what is now the Bibens place. Had the idea prevailed that the road be extended up the valley, the Bibens place and possibly the Allen farm would have been at the end of a lane. It is reported that the owner of said Bibens farm had more influence on the powers that were than did the valley faction.
At the town meeting in 1807 they voted Jona. Boynton and Joseph Atherton a committee to assist the selectmen to alter the road leading from Weathersfield line by Wm. Chittenden's to the road leading by David Chaplin's. That was in March, and in May of that year 1807 they met and voted to discontinue the road altogether "during the pleasure of the town." Evidently the town is still pleased to dispense with said road.
In the 1800 census Levi Davis is listed as having three boys and one girl under ten years, a female, perhaps his wife Abigail, between 16-26 and a male and a female between 26-45. So it was a family of young folks that dwelt for several years on the eastern side of the Governor's farm, so-called. Some if not all the four children were probably born in that dwelling house of short duration.
Something discouraged them evidently. In 1803 Levi sold a strip 32 rods wide from the northern end of this farm to Benj. Page for $125; the western part of this strip is now the wood lot on the Erwin Converse place. In 1806 he and Abigail sold the parcel of land 15 acres bordering on the town line now the Hammond wood lot. In Sept. 1806 he sold the tract of land directly west of the Hammond wood lot to Samuel Lockwood 25 acres for $250. On the same day he sold to Reuben Bemis and Jona. Woodbury the re- maining 55 acres more or less, being the south end of the Pollard pasture and the land east of it to the town line, for $547.05. Levi, therefore, sold out for $1072. 05 making $822. 05 on his deal. Probab- ly that was reason enough for his selling, but we like to picture in our mind's eye this homestead with its large family on the hillside, or was it near the brook? Purposely the writer has copied in full the survey of the road leading nearly to Levi's dwelling in hopes that some living generous surveyor of the present day will be moved to locate the site of this habitation.
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William Davis Family Walter Pollard Farm
When Baltimore was organized Mar. 12, 1794, Isaac Chamber- lin was living on this farm. He was the first man in Baltimore to be elected to town office, serving as moderator of that first town meeting. At the next two annual meetings he was elected modera- tor and selectman, was also elected in 1796 to serve on committee to agree with Mr. Houghton for two acres of land (for a schoolhouse) and to divide it into three shares for chopping. In 1797 he was on the committee to annex the northeast corner of Chester to Balti- more. Both these projects failed to materialize, but let us not lay the blame on Isaac.
He continued as moderator and selectman until 1801 when the office of pound-keeper fell to his lot. That was a more important office then than now; when the only means of restraining cattle, horses, sheep and swine was by building stone walls or brush fences, there were often good reasons for animals going astray. He was the first justice of the peace and for several years appears to have been the only one.
In 1800 Isaac Chamberlin of Baltimore married Molly Gannet, according to Springfield records.
Nov. 3, 1801, he sold Daniel Smith all the land on both sides of the road from Chester line to the road above the present buildings, about 50 acres, for $200. Daniel Smith lived on the premises a short time as he was elected pound-keeper in 1802, his barn to be the pound.
In May 1802 Daniel Smith sold to Elijah Hildreth the house-side of road for $300, about 25 acres, but on Oct. 19, 1802, Hildreth sold it back to Smith. The day before, Oct. 18, Samuel Davis had sold this same piece of land to Amos Lockwood. It will be remembered Samuel had bought all the Governor's farm except the Ezra Red- field place for 40 shillings. He gave Amos a straight warranty deed which evidently held in spite of Daniel Smith's claims.
Oct. 11, 1803, Amos Lockwood sold the house-side of road to William Davis of Royalston, Mass., 25 acres for $200. Nov. 14, 1803, Samuel and Levi Davis sold the other side of road, 30 acres, to William Davis for $300. These may have been the sons and heirs of Samuel Davis Sr., otherwise it is not clear how Levi Davis came into possession of this land. There were two Samuel Davises as shown by the records; and, as it happened, they were no relation to William and Parkman Davis.
With the exception of possibly Isaac Chamberlin, the other owners were speculators, and it was fortunate indeed for the land involved and the future of the town when young William Davis purchased it. Probably the house in which Isaac Chamberlin lived was of flimsy construction, possibly a log cabin. It is thought William Davis proceeded to build the first frame house; and in Jan. 1807 he had it ready for his bride, Miss Phebe Sanders, of Templeton, Mass. That house in which all their eleven children
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were born is still standing, though abandoned as a home in 1827. Evidently what was the main part was moved to its present loca- tion very close to the highway. It is thought that it was connected with the building that now serves as shop and woodshed for the present owner. A cellar was discovered under what is now the shop, and the partially plastered walls would indicate that that room was probably the kitchen.
When Abigail Davis Haskell was over ninety years old, she was on several occasions a most welcome visitor at the place of her birth. In spite of her years she never failed to make the trip up into the shed chambers, remarking as she did so upon how she had helped many times to make the beds for her eight brothers who slept in that open chamber. In winter time snow often sifted in through the cracks and lay in little mounds on beds and floor.
Her tenderest recollections were for the old house and she could recall the various articles that her mother kept on each shelf. As one of the three girls in a family of eleven children, she probably had had experience in dishwashing. This old house was not dilapi- dated when it was abandoned, but it must have been greatly out- grown. That it was well-built is undeniable. Its split laths and all its big timbers projecting into the room are well-encased, and some plaster and paint still clinging to the walls bear out this state- ment. All the repairs it has ever known has been an occasional new roof.
William did not strive to be a big land owner. In 1811 he bought two pieces of lease land in Chester, and in 1818 he gained possession of one more piece. This probably afforded him pasturage and woodland. In 1826 he increased his 55 acres of Baltimore land to 94 acres by purchasing 39 acres of pasture land for $489, an ex- orbitant figure. This pasture was the further end of the present cow pasture, most of it lying across the "old road" brook. In 1854 he bought the corner pasture which Deliverance Burnam sold to Amasa Gregory in the corner between the old road and the main highway 2812 acres for $353.52.
Possibly the land which William selected for a farm was less inclined to irreclaimable wastes and rocks than some sections of Baltimore. There can be no doubt as to his being a good farmer. To this day it is related that when he went forth with his ox team to plough, his sons lined up in the freshly made furrows to wrest the stones from their dwelling places since the creation of the world, lifting them to the surface and sunlight whence they were drawn away to convenient places for wall building.
Mrs. Haskell told how her father used to look out over the field across from the house and remark "I've taken many a dollar out of that lot." As a child she believed it to be literally true and used to look to see if she herself could not pick up some dollars there- abouts. When a little older she learned he referred to the im- mense crops of potatoes he had raised there, possibly for starch factories then quite numerous in this locality.
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William and Phebe's grandest achievement was to raise eleven children to be useful, progressive citizens. Perhaps the next best monument to their ambition, skill and enterprise was the house which was completed in 1827. In 1902, just previous to the writer's coming into it as a bride, Ella Graves congratulated her on having such a good old house for her future home. She stated then that it was so commodious, and such good material and skilled workman- ship went into its construction that it was the pride of the com- munity when first built. In those days houses were appraised separately from the land, and this house was listed for $437.00; the next best house in Baltimore was valued at $300 and was owned by Earle Woodbury.
It had all the old-fashioned features, at least six fireplaces, a brick oven, fireplace and arch ensemble in the kitchen, chair rail- ings, homemade door latches, some H. L. hinges. The rooftree consists of one hewed timber thirty-six feet long, all in one piece with its wooden pins plainly in evidence.
The main part has two stories with two rooms downstairs and two chambers, each room being 15 feet square, besides a hall in the middle of the house and a dark room downstairs and one upstairs back of the hall. The hall has a winding staircase with two turns in it, with handmade banisters and square posts. Handmade mouldings outlined all the casings in the hall and the best room or "parlor."
In the ell, besides the kitchen which rambled around on three sides of the brick oven, were a milkroom with its rack for pans, a "buttery," a small bedroom, large dining-room and an entry. Up- stairs were two chambers with plenty of space at the head of the stairs to make another room. Here cheaper methods of construc- tion were used, the doors being two wide boards nailed to two cross pieces. And speaking of cupboards and closets, which could not have been numerous in the little old house, this new one boasted fifteen full-sized cupboards and closets, not counting the three little ones tucked in around the brick oven. Strange to relate, each cup- board and closet has and probably always has had its own particular use, much to the retardation of the housewife when spring cleaning comes.
William Davis was not only industrious and thrifty, he was also extremely temperate for his day. The story has been handed down that, when he was about to raise a building, he invited the neigh- bors to come to his place on a certain day to help and stated that he would not serve any alcoholic liquors, but that there would be plenty of food. This was contrary to custom, and Wm. Davis went down in history as the first man in this locality who had a "raising" without serving rum. It so happened that there was a funeral near by that day and one of the town's men said, "We read in the Bible that it is better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting. I am going to the funeral."
William and Phebe were members of the Congregational Church in Springfield. He was a deacon and drove nearly six miles to
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church every Sunday, rain or shine. It is remembered that he always drove a span of spirited horses. It can be readily seen that the Davis children had a goodly heritage, and they surely profited thereby.
William was also duly interested in the town's affairs. At first he held minor offices such as pound-keeper, fence-viewer and high- way surveyor for the South District. He was present and voting at the Freeman's meeting in 1824 when Baltimore sent its first representative to the legislature. In 1833 he was elected selectman and served in that capacity for 12 years in succession. He was also grand juror for the town for many years.
In those days incompatibility of town offices was unheard of, and one year William served as overseer of the poor, highway surveyor, trustee and grand juror besides being selectman. In the school meeting of the South District he played a very prominent part generally serving as "commeety man," later spelled "committy"; once he was clerk of the district; so that year's record gives us a specimen of William's bold handwriting with its shading and flourishes.
William represented Baltimore in the legislature in the years 1841-2 and again in 1848 and 1857, four sessions in all and more than any other man.
In one of her visits Mrs. Haskell entered the north chamber in the main part and told us that about as soon as the house was built they failed to have a winter school in the South District. Her father hired a teacher and had a school for his own children in that very room. A study of the school records shows the district had no school in 1828. Baxter Burrows was the teacher employed. William and Phebe's children had educational advantages near at home.
That winter they did not need the warm red caps their mother knit for them in such numbers that they were called "the red headed woodpeckers." And Phebe did not get that yarn by passing a few dimes over a counter. Possibly the knitting was the easiest part of the task for that busy mother. And busy she must have been. The genealogical record shows she gave birth to eleven babies in less than sixteen years and raised them all to adulthood. She lived in her new house twenty-two years, dying the day after her forty-second wedding anniversary, Jan. 27, 1849.
William married Mrs. Sarah Lovejoy of Weston for his second wife in 1851. Because the writer fully approves of his marriage contract and because it is the only instance of such an agreement appearing on the records, a copy of the contract follows:
Weston December 9th 1851
Marriage Contract between Dea. William Davis of Baltimore, Vt. and widow Sarah Lovejoy of this town.
In view of the marriage which is this day to unite us I William Davis hereby obligate myself to support her and her daughter Lydia Lovejoy till she is eighteen years of age without requiring the use of her
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property and in case she should out live me I promise her the said Sarah Lovejoy three hundred dollars out of my estate and in case I should suffer protracted sickness before my decease another hundred dollars in addition to the above.
William Davis
This certifies that I am satisfied with the above contract.
Sarah Lovejoy
Attest-John Walker and Arathusa Walker
This certifies that Dea. William Davis of Baltimore, Vt. and Widow Sarah Lovejoy of the town were united in marriage this 9th day of December A. D. 1851. By me, John Walker Minister of the Gospel
Thus were the property rights of Phebe's children protected. Lydia Lovejoy became a pupil in the Baltimore school in due season.
It is possible William did not suffer from a protracted illness as he died of dropsy of the heart Sept. 16, 1858, in Baltimore, Vt.
Genealogy of Wm. Davis Family.
William Davis b. April 15, 1779, m. Phebe Sanders Jan. 26, 1807. She died Jan. 27, 1849. Wm. Davis died Sept. 16, 1858. Children of William and Phebe Sanders Davis all born in Baltimore, Vt .:
Born
William Jr. Oct. 26, 1807
died Feb. 7, 1835
married
Ira Feb. 17, 1809
Oct. 29, 1888
Luke Sept. 6, 1810 Mar. 22, 1855
Isaac Mar. 10, 1812
Sept. 9, 1892
Mary Crain
George Aug. 17, 1813
Feb. 7, 1887
Phebe Mar. 25, 1815 Apr. 6, 1876
Nelson Jan. 9, 1817 Nov. 30, 1893
Lewis June 20, 1818 Aug. 31, 1892
Abigail Jan. 17, 1820 Jan. 11, 1921
Albert July 27, 1821
Eliza
Apr. 6, 1823
Nov. 3, 1892 July 26, 1853
Abigail married the second time (?) Haskell
Occupations of William and Phebe Davis' children:
William Jr. lived at home with parents, unmarried, died at the age of 28. Isaac was one of the pioneers in manufacturing in Spring- field, Vt., engaged in the manufacture of shoe pegs with his brother Ira about 1835 on the ground later occupied by Gilman and Town- send. The last thirty-two years of his life he was a successful farmer on the farm now occupied by A. Glenn Woolson-Old Colonial Farm, Springfield, Vt.
Ira learned the wagon maker's trade in Dorset, Vt., and later was interested in the manufacture of shoe pegs with his brother Isaac.
George-a farmer in Baltimore; Phebe-married a farmer in Springfield, Vt.
Lewis, a shoemaker by trade; later in life he followed various oc- cupations. At one time he was school superintendent living at N. Springfield.
Lucia Lovell
Harriet Davis
Lucia Woodward Jarius Whitcomb Sarah Cutler
Mary Bradford Solon Barnard
Cordelia Leland
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Abigail-milliner by trade, married a farmer. Albert-a successful farmer in Weathersfield, Vt.
Luke-farmer in Newport, Vt.
Nelson-engaged in lumber and grain business in Newport, Vt.
In the treasurer's book we find this entry: "Sept. 10, 1846 paid Eliza Davis the sum of twelve dollars for teaching school three months. Boarded at Fox Sherwin's 11 wks. for $11.88." A possible explanation of Eliza's boarding at Fox Sherwin's might be that she was not able to stand the walk of one and one-half miles from home after the first week. It will be observed that the town paid $1.08 a week for her board, which was eight cents more than they paid for her teaching. This became a common practice. Albert Davis, Mrs. Alice D. Lawton's father, was prudential com- mittee at this time.
George Davis Family
· Dec. 24, 1857, William and Sally Davis sold the farm to his son, George Davis of Haverhill, N. H., for $3500. George gave his father a mortgage on the farm for the full amount of $3500 which he agreed to pay within five years from April 1st. of the next year. He also agreed not to sell or convey said farm during the life of said William without the consent of said William. The next year June 29, 1858, William assigned the mortgage to his son, Isaac Davis of Springfield. Isaac discharged the same Sept. 15, 1862; so George was safe and secure in his possessions we expect.
When George and Lucia Davis came to Baltimore, they were no longer young, George being 43, Lucia 37. But they were in no sense aged or decrepit. The barns previously had stood on the level ground south of the hollow almost directly in front of the house. He it was who moved them so as to take advantage of the hollow for a basement, stable, etc. He also made the first box stalls in his barns which were considered quite an innovation.
Lucia made herself unpopular with her in-laws when she chose to remodel the house that was still the pride and joy of the Wm. Davis children. Lucia was self-assertive, energetic, and a believer in women's rights. She removed three of the fireplaces, joined the little bedroom downstairs with the dark room, thus making a fair- sized convenient bedroom. Truth to tell, the writer heartily commends Lucia for the change she made.
She left the brick oven as it was and used it at times for her Saturday baking. She thought beans and brown bread were much improved by that process of baking, also had a brass kettle and used it on the arch on wash days. Lucia also left the dark chamber up- stairs unchanged believing that room to be the safer depository for woolens in the summer time.
It is true, however, that her changes did not meet with the ap- proval of her husband's brothers and sisters. On one occasion some of William's descendants were taking pictures of the house. "Just take the main part of the house that is as your grandfather built
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it. We don't want a picture of the ell that Lucia spoiled", were the orders given the young man with the camera.
The writer must plead guilty to further spoilage as she it was who planned the removal of the brick oven and all its appendages. An overgrown kitchen built around three sides of a brick oven held no charms for her. But perhaps there is no one living who can more properly state than the writer can that if Lucia Davis and Annie Pollard had been contented to leave the substantial old house as William and Phebe planned and built it, that brick oven without a break in it would command good money now.
Mrs. George Davis took much pride in appearances. She and her husband were members and regular attendants of the Univer- salist Church in Springfield. This story has been told how at one time their carriage became a little shabby. On no account would she take the main road to Springfield but went down by the ceme- tery and then along the back road to church.
Lucia's monument to her memory was a wonderful flower garden. That is the one thing she created which every one remembering her always mentions. Daffodils, lilies of the valley, roses, all the hardy shrubs grew apace under her loving care. And some of them are still growing and blooming. It would be difficult to estimate the hearts that have been cheered, the homes that have been beauti- fied by flowers and roots from Lucia Davis' garden since her passing over a half century ago.
A shade of sadness comes into the picture as we record the geneal- ogy of George and Lucia Davis. None of their children was born in Baltimore, but three of them died here; two little gravestones for Princess Ann and Freddie were left in the old cornbarn, the figure of a rose bud falling from the stem being carved on the Princess' stone. These gravestones had been replaced by a monument in North Springfield cemetery.
Geo. died Feb. 7, 1887, of typhoid pneumonia, age 73 yrs. 5 mos. 20 das. Lucia died Feb. 20, 1887, of inflammation of the bowels, age 67 yrs. 1 mo. 16 das. Almon Davis and George Wood- ard Davis were administrators of the estate. They sold the farm to Brown and Lovell of Springfield who cut off the timber and wood at much profit. They are about ready to cut the then beauti- ful thrifty maples which border the highway leading to the main road. Fortunately, they were persuaded, partly through Fred G. Field, to leave them for other generations to admire and enjoy.
Genealogy
George Davis m. July 25, 1839 Lucia Woodard Their Children
Ann P. Davis, born Oct. 24, 1840; died May 23, 1858 of consump- tion.
George Woodard Davis, born June 17, 1842; married first Wealthy Holt Oct. 29, 1867; married second Lucia A. Read Feb. 24, 1880. Geo. W. killed by lightning May 14, 1890. He was
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standing in his own barn in Claremont, N. H. His widow married Wm. W. Ballock of Cornish, N. H.
Children of Geo. W. and Lucia Davis
A baby girl born July 20, 1885, died July 30, 1885.
Fred Davis born April 20, 1888. Educated in Windsor High School, class of 1906. Unmarried. Operating his mother's farm in Cornish, N. H. Mrs. Ballock came once with her son Fred, Frank Davis's widow and her son to see her first home with her first husband, Geo. W. Davis. On entering the further chamber she was tearful as she remarked that it was in that room she and her young husband began housekeeping.
Abbie S., born Sept. 17, 1845, in Derby Vt .; married Putnam Thompson, Dec. 4, 1866, and lived on the Glenn Olney farm. She died Jan. 28, 1875, of consumption. Her husband died that same year Dec. 5, 1875.
Their Children
Carrie Thompson, born Mar. 31, 1870; died Nov. 24, 1903; married Albert Ferris, Oct. 25, 1893.
Frank, born Sept. 9, 1873; died May 22, 1917, of tuberculosis. He married first Mary Leach, Oct. 31, 1894. They had one child Ruth born Sept. 4, 1896. Frank married second Florence Cone Dunham. One child Earl born May 10, 1912. Abbie's children lived in Baltimore with their grandparents until their death in 1887. Frank was legally adopted by his grandfather and his name changed to Davis.
Almon, born Mar. 21, 1851, married first Mary E. Russ, Oct. 5, 1881. She died August 26, 1914. No children. Married second Emma Russ. No children. Almon Davis and wife used to visit the home of his boyhood every summer, driving a horse from Claremont, N. H. He and his father did quite a business in horses for several years. Almon bought them in the city of Boston when horse cars were in vogue and sent them up to recuperate on his father's farm. Probably this was the reason for the box stalls. While in Boston Almon for some years was employed as hostler by Mr. Ford, owner of The Youth's Companion. He became a member of the Ruggles St. Baptist Church, the church to which Mr. Ford made very generous contributions. Almon's wives were sisters. He and his second wife spent some of their winters in California, finally making that state their permanent residence. Almon died in Honolulu.
Freddie S., born July 16, 1855; died April 21, 1864, of canker rash.
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RENASCENCE
Long years ago in a garden Flowers grew, gay and varied in hue- Sweet roses and old-fashioned "pinies" Daffodils, petunias and rue.
The housewife tended them gladly And often would call to her aid Her husband, the farmer, and helper To work there with hoe and with spade.
The sun shone over the mountain, Freshness came with the dew and the rain,
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