The history of the town of Baltimore, Vermont, Part 9

Author: Pollard, Annie M. (Annie Maydora), -1946
Publication date: 1954
Publisher: Montpelier, Vermont Historical Society
Number of Pages: 238


USA > Vermont > Windsor County > Baltimore > The history of the town of Baltimore, Vermont > Part 9


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23


In 1849 Amasa sold the little wedge-shaped piece of land border- ing the brook of 13 sq. rd. over which the road now passes after making the abrupt turn near the end of the road leading to George Cook's house. John Piper paid him $1.50 for it. The next day Amasa sold his daughter-in-law, Joanna Gregory, the 40 acres west of the road to the Chester line. This was an important move; in its entirety it was never a part of that farm again except the five- acre lot now belonging to the Sundgren farm on the Geo. Cook road. All the rest of this 40 acre tract was sold later to John W. Piper on the Geo. Cook place and still remains a part of that farm.


Amasa died in Dec. 1849. Then it was that the Gregory acres were cut and divided into pieces as if to make a jig-saw puzzle. If we will refer to Amasa's will, we find Widow Lydia was bequeathed the usual widow's thirds. It appears from the grand list books that those thirds did not consist of a single tract of land equal to one-third the total acreage of the farm. In 1855 we find Wd. Lydia Gregory possessed of 9 acres meadow land, 5 acres pasture land, 2 acres plough land, 3 acres woodland besides a share in the buildings. The widow's holdings apparently included all the kinds of land necessary for farming operations on a small scale and not necessarily contiguous.


When we further consider Amasa's will and learn that after pay- ment of the legacies as specified, sons Isaac and Newton were to divide the remaining property between them, we can easily account for some of the 24 records of deeds indexed in The Land Records Book 2 under the Gregory name. The grand dissolution began in 1851 when Lydia, Newton and Isaac sold the Burnam pasture to Isaac Gregory Davis, son of William. This tract was a very con- venient addition to the Davis farm, a well-built barnway in its · extreme southeastern corner testifying to its use. Not until 1871


75


Baltimore, Vermont


was this pasture sold back to Sylvester Ellison, and it became again and still remains a part of the Gregory farm. This tract also in- cluded the little orchard now on the Sundgren place.


On July 10, 1851, Lydia and son Isaac sold Newton the 21 acres bordering the Wm. Davis farm; Isaac and Newton sold Lydia the whole corner lot where the house stands, 8 acres 102 sq. rd. for $329. This price indicates that the house was included; also Lydia on the same day was deeded the 1212 acres or the barn lot and another piece of land on Chester line. Again on that same eventful day Lydia deeded Newton for $150 the house with 8 feet of land on each of three sides and 48 feet along the highway, also the old 40 foot barn, shed and hog house and "land enough to go from said barn to watter and to cart around said hog house." Thus did Lydia deed the buildings to Newton alone who was occupying them, but she deeded her three pieces of land to Isaac and Newton both.


Perhaps Lydia began to have misgivings as to the wisdom of her actions; maybe she became lonesome for her old home because in less than a month on Aug. 4 of that year Isaac and Newton signed an indenture giving Mother Lydia a lease of all the last-mentioned lands during the term of the natural life of the said Lydia Gregory fully to be completed and ended.


Isaac and family moved to the house which stood on the corner where Sidney Ward now lives in North Springfield. That house burned while Isaac resided in it. He then moved to Wisconsin, later to Cresco, Ia. Newton too may have been getting restless. Evidently he was not prospering too well as he mortgaged his land adjoining the Wm. Davis farm and finally sold it (21 acres 102 sq. rd.) to Leonard Redfield in 1856, also the 40 acre tract west of the highway to John Piper as previously mentioned. In this manner was the good old farm of Amasa Gregory divided and subdivided. It was in the same year 1856 that Amasa and Joanna with their little daughter moved to Stoughton, Dunkirk township, Wis. Isaac and family were already in Dunkirk when they deeded to Carter Piper Jan. 9, 1857.


Carter Piper, returning from a sojourn in the West, bought the old Gregory farm perhaps at the behest of his father, John Piper, bought of Leonard Redfield the middle strip with the buildings and five acres from the Joanna 40-acre holdings and gave Wd. Lydia a written agreement to pay her $29.61 a year during the term of her natural life, which was not for long. Lydia, suffering from palsy, was obliged to make her cross in signing the document. Jan. 9, 1861 she passed away.


Son Carter may have been a disappointment to his father as he did not remain in town long but he did start to put the jig puzzle back again.


76


«


The History of


Amos Bemis Family (Farm owned by George Cook)


The one outstanding and interesting fact concerning this place is that this is the only farm in town, at the present time, owned by a direct descendant of the first settler thereon. George Cook is the great-great-grandson of Amos Bemis who came to Baltimore pre- vious to 1794. His brother Reuben purchased the southern half of Joseph Webster's right, then divided the tract with his brother Amos, the latter taking the southern half of the southern half bor- dering on Chester line, about 75 acres. The foundation of the log cabin could be outlined until quite recently, and the well still re- mains. This habitation is said to have been the first in town and located in what is known as the Hayward lot down the hill from the cellar hole where Amos later built his frame house.


Amos Bemis was on the committee in 1794 to divide the town into school districts. He was not especially active in the town's affairs but was elected tithing man, hayward, highway surveyor of South District several times, and was often elected to the office of town grand juror, the duties of which probably were not burdensome.


That Amos was diligent about his own business is evidenced by the fact that he and his wife Lydia (Goodnow) reared a family of at least seven children. The census of 1800 shows Amos Bemis to have had a family of three boys and one girl under 10 years and a boy and a girl between 10 and 16 years; he and his wife had not then reached the age of 45. Lewis was not born until 1809. So many if not all of his children were born either in the log cabin or the house.


Amos died Oct. 3, 1835, age 74, and is buried in Baltimore ceme- tery. In spite of the fact that many by the name of Bemis were born and died in Baltimore Amos is the only one buried here to have a headstone. Other graves marked by common field stones are near Amos; probably Lydia rests in one of them.


October 10, 1835, son Joel sold his rights in his father's estate to his brother Elijah for $100, who also bought Amos' right for $100. Lewis Bemis bought his brother Robert's right Nov. 16, 1835, paying $150 and lost money by so doing. It would have paid him to wait. Robert took a mortgage back on his share for $100. In March 1836 Elijah sold the three shares he now owned to Lewis for $300 and Lewis borrowed $500 of Earle Woodbury to settle with his brothers.


Dec. 26, 1835, the estate was appraised by Earle Woodbury, Jonathan Woodbury, Jr. and Jona. M. Boynton. The 100 acres of land in Baltimore and Chester were appraised for $1050; the Widow Lydia was set off 3112 acres as her dower, or thirds, bordering on land of Henry and of William Chandler. This tract must have included part of the barnyard, as two-thirds of the barnyard was reserved to the heirs to be taken off the east end. Lydia had 10 feet of the west end of the barn with a privilege of passing to and from and around it, also the northwest corner room in the house, but "reserving to the heirs the right to occupy the oven at suitable


77


Baltimore, Vermont


times." She also had one-third part of the cellar, "the chamber over her room with a privilege in the buttery and to the well."


Then each heir was to receive one equal sixth part of the residue amounting in value to $119.16. Nancy, wife of John Horton, was deeded 10 acres 6 rods on the east line of land set off to her mother. She and her husband already had built a house on this land. They did not seem to be very prosperous. This property was deeded to Dennis B. Allen in 1853 and has never been owned since by any of the Bemises.


As has been noted, Lewis had already bought his brother's share at $100, each thereby saving $19.16 on each share, except Robert's.


Lewis and his wife Rebecca began housekeeping on the Nahum Bemis place above Gassetts when the Rutland Railroad was being built past that place. Their two oldest children, Lydia and Mary Ellen, were born there; ten more were born to them in the old house on the hill in Baltimore. According to one of the boys "there was two years 'twixt all our ages." This house became too small probably and possibly somewhat delapidated. Anyway, they planned to build a new house nearer the barn, south of the old one. The old house was torn down, except the ell part which was moved down to the place now owned by Ernest Stevens. The cellar was partly dug for the new house when son Martin, home from the war, and Lewis bought the place now occupied by George Cook, and the family moved down there and abandoned the old homestead on the hillside.


There is an interesting item concerning an old apple tree still standing on this farm. It is claimed that this was one of the first, if not the first, apple tree to be set out in Baltimore. It was such a novelty at the time that people came from Woodstock and other places that were a day's drive distant to view this tree. Its fruit was, and is, quite inferior both in size and flavor. It seems strange to think of Baltimore with no apple trees. But if disease, insect growth, and freezing weather continue to take their toll, fifty years from now may find this section devoid of apple trees.


After this purchase, 30 acres were soon sold off the Reuben Bemis place to Walter Allen for a pasture, also 20 acres off the old Amos Bemis farm to Fred Field, who later sold to John Chandler. The farms being put together, so much pasturage was not needed, and the money received for the sale was used to reduce the debt. Perhaps at this juncture it may be well to refer to the genealogy of the family of Lewis and Rebecca Farr Bemis as far as obtained. Lewis Bemis m. Rebecca Farr


son of Amos Bemis & Lydia Goodnow


b. in Baltimore Mar. 17, 1809


d. in Baltimore Sept. 21, 1890


b. Cavendish


d. Baltimore Feb. 1895


Their Children Were


Lydia-m. Seymour Newton, moved to Dakotas-son-Herbert. Mary Ellen-m. Asahel Olney-dau. Ella m. Edward Pierce-one daughter-Ellen.


78


The History of


Edmund L .- m. Ellen Kirk-dau. Ellen m. Chas. Cook July 4, 1880. Children: George H., Floyd O., Edith R., Ethel, Eben.


Charles E .- unmarried-disappointed in love-lived and died alone. Andelucy-m. Ozias King-adopted dau. Agnes King m. Eugene Bryant.


Lowell R .- m. Clara Hall-children: Minnie m. Chas. Carlisle; Ina m. Ernest Stewart (Ina b. Jan. 24, 1871); Carrie b. Feb. 4, 1875, m. Herman Lockwood; Cora m. 1st. Arthur Davis, m. 2nd. Harold Turner; John m. Edna Matthew- man; Arthur m. Ada Pratt.


Henry H .- b. May 12, 1842 d. May 12, 1864, Co. C. 16 Reg. Vt. Vol. Martin V .- m. Cora Weightman-no children.


b. Mar. 4, 1844 d. Oct. 12, 1925.


George E .- died in war Dec. 7, 1864-buried at sea, age 18 years 5 mos. Sidney F .- m. Mrs. Adams-no children.


b. Jan. 19, 1847 d. May 2, 1932.


Solon Q .- m. Mary Hall, Feb. 2, 1871 ;- children: Loland E. b. Mar. 11, 1875; Lucian d. young.


Lucian-died Sept. 1862-diphtheria, age 10 years 10 mos.


The school records show that for several years seven children from this family were attending school, or at least were entitled to attend. Think how busy that mother must have been with the cook- ing, washing, sewing and mending necessary to be done for all those sturdy boys. And be it said to Rebecca Bemis' credit that she was a notably good housekeeper. The Bemis boys often told that their father used to buy 12 barrels of store flour each and every fall when the family was the largest, besides the buckwheat flour and corn meal which they provided for themselves. He made his living entirely off the farm and raised and trained steers as a sideline. When he died, he left $300 to each of his children besides his widow's rights.


Probably the work this mother did for her family was not the hardest of her burdens and cares. From that list of boys five saw service in the Civil War-Sidney, George, Martin, Lowell and Henry. The last-named must have enlisted from some other town.


From the Record of the Roll of Baltimore Soldiers available to the writer, the following is copied: "Volunteers for 3 years previous to call of Oct. 17, 1863 Sidney F. Bemis, Moses Rumrill (lived with Lyman Litch and enlisted from there). Volunteers for 3 years after call of Oct. 17, 1863 George E. Bemis, Martin V. Bemis. Volun- teers for one year Jerry Febber, Newell Wolcott (These names are entirely foreign to Baltimore. They were probably substitutes for men drafted from Baltimore A. M. P.). Volunteers for 9 mos. were Lowell R. Bemis, William M. Holden (on Volney Foster's place), John A. Landgris in U. S. navy (stranger to Baltimore)."


The story is still told of Sidney's running away to enlist when barely 16 years. He was an overgrown boy and lied about his age, so was accepted. When he came home and told the family what he had done, his father raised $300 and took his young son to Brattleboro intending to secure his release because he was under age.


79


Baltimore, Vermont


Sidney, however, declared over and again that he was going to enlist and would not give up his intentions to do so if his father did succeed in frustrating his first efforts. Seeing the futility of opposing him, the father returned with his money in his pocket but with his young son all set to be a soldier in the U. S. Army.


The battle of Waldon Railroad proved a day filled with disaster for two of the three Bemis boys engaged in it. Martin lost his arm just below the elbow and poor George was taken prisoner. Sidney was designated that day as one to draw the rations so was compara- tively safe. Martin came home and in Feb. 1865, wrote Ellery H. Webster of Irasburg, Vermont, (stepson of Irena Davis born and reared on the Parkman Davis place) to learn what he could about his brother George. The letter in reply is now treasured by Geo. H. Cook. Let us read some extracts from that letter that we may know what it meant even in those days to be a prisoner of war; and, if you are a mother, let your thoughts go out in sympathy to Rebecca Farr Bemis as she read these lines.


Irasburgh, Vermont Feb. 8th, 1865


Friend Martin.


I have just received your letter of the 4th enquiring about George. We were taken prisoners the 28th of June as you will remember. George was with us all the while until the 10th of Sept. We left Ander- sonville, Georgia and went to Charlestown, South Carolina. George was not able to go with us and he was sent to the hospital. Since then we have not heard nothing of him. I suppose I might as well tell you just what I think about him. Martin, I think your brother George is dead long ago. It was an awful place there and we did not get half enough to eat and poor unwholesome stuff at that. Out of the 50 that was taken I don't think there is a dozen alive ones now. You wanted to know how we fared. I am not able to write a long letter now and it would take a long one to tell you anything about it. I know you are anxious to hear from George so I write to you a few lines and send them by the first mail.


Yours truly, Ellery Webster


George was finally discharged from the prison at Andersonville; probably his race was about over. When on the boat coming home, he died of chronic diarrhea off the coast of South Carolina and was buried at sea. The date of his death was Dec. 7, 1864, and he was then only 18 years 4 months old.


War in 1860-65 was not so utterly destructive and annihilating as the war practices of 1939-40. But it took men of courage and daring to face the rifle fire and roaring cannons of those days. Today no one is safe in the war-torn countries; children, invalids, old people are not immune from the ravages of war. Yet the Bemis boys with other red bloods of the North went forth from homes where they were safe and comfortable to enter the deadly strife. Let us cherish the memory of their self-sacrifice.


80


¥


¥


The History of


We cannot conclude this sketch of the Bemis family without making some mention of the talent in music possessed by Lewis Bemis. He was a drummer of note, and every one remembering him at all mentions his ability with the drum, though he passed away a half century ago. A former teacher in the school, Fannie Ray- menton, relates that he used to call his big family together at meal time by playing his drum.


The writer recalls when she was seven years old the Baltimore school held a picnic the last day in the maple grove back of Erwin Sherwin's. The pupils did not rush to the picnic grounds yelling and racing like wild Apaches. Indeed not. Our teacher, Cellie Fairbanks, paired her pupils in orderly ranks and we practiced our marching steps. When the great day came, we pupils were led by three generations of Bemises. Grandfather played the snare drum, Solon the big drum, and Lolo the fife. It is to be doubted if any better marching was ever done in Baltimore or anywhere else by children. It is safe to surmise that no better music for marching was ever provided for pupils than that which led our sprightly youthful steps to that enchanted picnic ground.


During Lewis' last sickness some of his grandchildren prevailed upon him to get out of bed and play his drum for them. That was the last time Geo. Cook saw his grandfather alive as the old man was near his end.


Solon was the child who seemed to inherit the most musical abil- ity. He could play different instruments and was a talented violin- ist. In his latter years he became quite a genius in making violins, some of which were sold to talented players. He made his first violin when sixteen years old.


Amos Bemis Family


Descendants


Robert, lived on Stevens place below Harris place.


none


Joel, lived in Chester and Baltimore- Elizabeth, wife of Wm. Weightman. died 1876 age 79 yrs. 6 mos. and Emmaline, wife of Alonzo Currier.


Elijah, lived in Cavendish and Baltimore died June 29, 1869 age 69 yrs. children by first wife-


Pauline m. George H. Piper


Roxanna m. Melvin Chapman.


children by second wife- - Asenath


d. Feb. 6, 1871 age 66 yr. 6 mos.


Albert, his son Carl m. Marian Atherton Alpheus d. Feb. 9, 1871, age 19 yrs, 8 mos. 4 d.


Elijah lived on the Sundgren place. He was killed when his horse ran away while riding down Redfield hill. Mr. Bemis was thrown out and struck a stone just around the turn at the foot of the hill, killing him almost instantly.


Amos, Jr., lived in Chester.


Lewis, lived in Baltimore with his father until the latter's death.


81


Baltimore, Vermont


Nancy, lived in Baltimore. m. John Horton.


Ezra, joined a circus and became an acrobat.


Nancy, Armanda, m. Horace Farr Mr. Charles Brown of Greenbush is a descendant, also Alice Robin- son.


Reuben Bemis Family


Several people can recall hearing the Bemis boys, Solon, Sidney or Mart, tell on occasions, "There were two Bemis brothers, Amos and Reuben, who were among the first settlers in Baltimore. Amos, our grandfather, settled on the hill and Reuben down on the place where Lewis Bemis finally bought." Aside from this bit of data and town records no other material is available. Not one person has been contacted by the writer who is a descendant or has known a direct descendant of Reuben Bemis. Yet Reuben had 11 children at the time of his death, 9 of them born in Baltimore.


The records provide rather dry factual reading; nevertheless such information is bound to be authentic. The inferences drawn there- from may be somewhat colored by imagination, but no anecdotes cr reminiscences will be forthcoming in this sketch.


We are indebted to the vital statistics of Springfield for the in- formation that Reuben Bemis and Lois Spencer were married July 23, 1794. According to the 1800 Baltimore census, Reuben Bemis had three children under ten years of age, a man over 45 in his family, six in all.


It appears that Amos was the older brother and certainly was living in Baltimore at the time of the first town meetings. He was put on the committee to divide the town into school districts. However, Reuben was the first to obtain a deed of land and have it recorded. May 20, 1792, "Asaph" Fletcher of Cavendish, physician "for and in consideration of Forty pounds paid by Reuben Bemis . . yeoman," sold one hundred acres of land being and lying in Caven- dish alias Baltimore,-it being the easterly part of the south half of the first division lot of Joseph Webster No. 34 (said Joseph was therefore the original proprietor). Not until 1806 did Reuben deed the southern half of the southern half, 78 acres to Amos for $94.


That Reuben was ambitious and enterprising is proved by his land purchases. When Samuel Davis bought the Governor's farm, it was surveyed possibly for the first time. If Reuben's buildings were then where Geo. Cook's now are, he must have found that they were located, not on the Joseph Webster right, but on the Governor's farm, so-called. Volney Foster's west boundary extended in a straight line to the east boundary of the Horton lot, thence to Chester line according to survey. So Reuben bought a three- cornered piece of land out of the Governor's farm, beginning at his southeast corner and running north ten degrees east until it strikes a small brook, then down said brook until it strikes the road that runs from Amos Bemis to Weathersfield line (no road out of Baltimore then by the Bibens place), then on said road to the first mentioned boundary (northeast corner of Horton lot.)


82


The History of


In 1803 he bought an acre of land for $10 in the southeast corner of Luke Harris' farm to provide a spring of water for his cattle. Next in 1804 he bought 25 acres for $150 from Luke Harris, running 36 rods east of the road to Parkman Davis' northwest corner. In 1806 he and Jonathan Woodbury jointly purchased 55 acres from Levi Davis for $547. This tract included the lower portion of what is now the Pollard big pasture and straight east to the town line. In 1811 Reuben bought Woodbury's share for $53. In 1808 he bought 25 acres from Samuel Lockwood for $280, the upper part of the Pollard pasture west of Hammond wood lot. With these pur- chases he now owned nearly all of what was once the Levi Davis farm.


Now we find Reuben's name on the other side of the index more frequently as a seller. In 1815 he sold David Chaplin six acres in the northwest corner of the Governor's farm lot for $108. The same day he sold 10 acres off the northern end of the Luke Harris purchase to Benj. Litch for $110. In 1823 he sold nearly 10 acres of the Luke Harris purchase to Parkman Davis for $97.19. In 1824 he sold John Woodbury 5 acres 77 rds. for $79.47, the remainder of the Luke Harris purchase. It will be seen that he almost doubled his money on this land. In 1826 Reuben was living in Springfield when he sold Wm. Davis for $487, 39 acres of the upper part of what is now the Pollard cow pasture. Also in 1826 he sold Orin Chitten- den the land east of Wm. Davis' pasture to town line $128.00 con- taining 8 acres 85 rods. In 1828 he sold his farm in Baltimore to Obed Thurston 80 acres for $1000. This deed included the three-cornered lot bordering the brook and the acre he had bought of Luke Harris, thus conveying all the land he then owned in Baltimore. Thus it will be seen that Reuben did a profitable business as a land specula- tor even in a small way.


To Reuben must be given credit for building the good house still standing on the George Cook place. Though it has undergone much in the way of remodeling, all the alterations have tended toward im- provement, and it is a very comfortable, pleasant, old-fashioned home. The exact date of its erection is unknown, but in 1828 it was appraised for $186.30, nearly as much as Joseph Atherton's house known to be a new one! Reuben's house was the fourth best one in town at that time. He himself had moved to Springfield, but his son Cyrus lived on the home place until 1828.


Reuben was a good citizen inasmuch as he took an active part in the town's affairs. Then as now the busiest men most successful in managing of their own affairs were the choice of the voters for town officials. Reuben was elected nearly every year to one im- portant town office. Six times he was elected lister, twice as town treasurer and six times as selectman. He was on the board of selectmen the year so many people were ordered out of town, among them an Ethan Spencer, also an Amos Spencer and family. Could Reuben have been so inhospitable as that to his in-laws? His wife was a Spencer.


83


Baltimore, Vermont


In 1803 he was one of the twelve who were listed as being present and voting at Freemen's meeting. But in 1824, that memorable year when Baltimore was allowed to elect her first town representa- tive, Reuben was not present. His son Cyrus, however, took the Freeman's Oath and voted. Possibly Reuben had already left town.




Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.