USA > Vermont > Washington County > Plainfield > The history of the towns of Plainfield, Roxbury and Fayston, Vermont : with Marshfield or Middlesex papers in fifty copies > Part 10
USA > Vermont > Washington County > Roxbury > The history of the towns of Plainfield, Roxbury and Fayston, Vermont : with Marshfield or Middlesex papers in fifty copies > Part 10
USA > Vermont > Washington County > Fayston > The history of the towns of Plainfield, Roxbury and Fayston, Vermont : with Marshfield or Middlesex papers in fifty copies > Part 10
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him : " William, I wish thee well, I hope the Lord will bless thee, but I know He wont." Says one of his descendants : " I think He didn't, for he was always in some sort of trouble or other." Let the fate of William be a warning to all young Quakers, as well as those who quake not at all, to always keep their promises.
BOYCE FAMILY OF FAYSTON.
PAUL BOYCE married Rhoda Palmer, of Waitsfield, and here on the farm they first rescued from the wilderness, they lived to a ripe old age, and were finally buried in the cemetery not far away.
Their son, ZIBA WENTWORTH BOYCE, always resided in town until his death, 1877, age, 63. He received but a common school education, but by his own efforts, ultimately became a thorough scholar, and taught school many terms. Later he served the town in various capacities, and up to the time of his death was noted for his fine mental endowments. He was often jo- cosely called the " wisdom of North Fays- ton," and not altogether without reason. He was a writer of considerable ability, both in prose and verse. His two daugh- ters inherited his talent for writing, more especially his younger daughter, Mrs. Em- ongene Smith, now a resident of Dubuque, Iowa. The eldest daughter, Mrs. S. Mi- nerva Boyce, has always remained at the homestead.
When Ziba W. was quite a young lad, his father sent him one night with his · brother after the sheep, but they having strayed from their usual pasture, they failed to find them. In the morning they found what there was left of them, eleven having been devoured by the wolves during the night.
On one occasion Paul Boyce was going off into the woods with his oxen, when he met a bear with two cubs face to face. The meeting was not a remarkably pleasant one to him ; he being a Quaker and averse to fighting, was pleased when the bear turned and trotted off.
About the year 1809, Stephen Griggs emigrated from Pomfret, Conn., and set- tled about one-half mile from Esquire Wait's |
farm. He resided there as long as he lived, and his companion, who survived him many years, died there. The place has never passed out of the family, a grand- daughter at present residing there. This farm and the Brigham farm are the only ones in South Fayston which have never passed out of the families of the first set- tlers.
Deer-yards were frequently found on the eastern slopes of the hills. The early set- tlers used to hunt them in winter when the snow was deep, so that they could not es- cape. Buck's horns were often found in the woods. Sable were quite abundant. Ezra Meach, of Shelburne, passed through the town in 1809, setting his line of traps for sable, and blazed.trees along his route. He found it quite profitable business, as these animals were exceedingly good in the western part of the town. The panther, the great dread of the juvenile community, was often seen, or supposed to be seen, but never captured in this town.
UNCLE JOHN'S INDIAN RAID.
Some time about 1803, there were then five or six families settled in what is now known as South Fayston. There were Uncle John and Uncle Rufus Barrett --- I call them Uncle John and Uncle Rufus, as these were the names by which I knew them in my early childhood, albeit they were both young men at the date of my story. There were Squire Wait and Thos. Green, and if there were others I do not know their names.
Now at that time the raising of a new house or barn was a job that required plenty of muscle and new rum, for they were built of logs, and very heavy. .
On a certain day, somebody in Warren was to raise a barn, and as the country was sparsely settled, everybody was in- vited far and near, and all the men of Fays- ton went except Uncle John. Whether he stayed at home to guard the women and children from the bears and wolves, tra- dition saith not. I only know he " tarried by the stuff," and all went well till near sundown, when suddenly there burst upon his ears a long, wild cry, between a howl
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and a whoop, Uncle John was on the alert ; he listened with bated breath a few moments ; louder and nearer than before came that terrible howl. this time in a dif- ferent direction
"'Tis the Indian war whoop," said Uncle John ; " no doubt we are surround- cd, and the mien all away " He stood no: upon the order of going, but wen: at once. Uncle John was no coward, and if the red- skins got his scalp, they should buy it dearly. he resolved, and seizing his gun. bidding his wife to follow, he ran to aların the neighbors, and get them all together. that he might defend them as long as pos- sible In a short time every woman and child in the settlement was ensconced in Uncle Rufus' domicile, with all the fire- arms the settlement contained, the door barricaded, and all the preparations made to receive the red skins that one man could do, aided by a few courageous women. They listened, with hearing made acute by fear, for the repetition of the war whoop. Now they heard it evidently maring them -Uncle John loaded all the gurs-now they heard it farther away. With pale faces and palpitating hearts, they awaited the onse: The twilight shades deepened. the night cludel! in, but still the Indians did not attack them
The children began to cry, and I suppose it would have been very delicate if the women had fainted, but they did no such thing.
"What are you all about here? why don't you let us in?" cried Uncle Rufus, shaking the door. The door was opened speedily, and instead of being scalped by the Indians, they feil into the arms of their astonished husbands.
" What is all this pow-wow about, any- way?" said one. Then Uncle Jolin ex- plained how he had heard the Indian war- whoop off in the woods, and had gathered the women and children there together for protection. The men burst into a loud laugh. "It was the wolves," said Squire Wait, "we heard them howling on the mountain as we came home. I'll be bound there isn't a red-skin within 50 miles."
Uncle John was somewhat crestfallen. but he was rather glad after all that it wasn't Indians, for he preferred to have his scalp in its proper place, rather than dangling from the red-skins' belts.
Some time in 1St4, there was a rumor current of great treasure buried by the Spanish legions at the forks of Shepl erd's brook, and William Boyce, having a desire for " the root of all evil." resolved to find it. He engaged one Arad Sherman. a Now there was an additional anxiety among the ininates of the little cabin, for tt was time for the tren to be returning from the rating, an! as they were un- armed, they wald fall an cas; prey to the luidans man of such magical powers that in his hands a witch hazel rod performed as n.any antics as the rod of Aaron, and they we !!! about the search And took the enchanted rod, and lo! it pointed out the exact location of the buried treasure. but Meanwhile then en. having finished their labors, were re: inine honie, all uncoli sCious of the danger menacing them. They reached kurne, but were surprised to find that hoody diverted "Come on to my hic," slid Urele Head. " perhaps the w en were lonesome, and have pline to takc wl, alle a visit " So. no: kuowing whair's tudu, they went on. Yes, there was a liebe at Undle Refus', sore enou;h. and a fence solcell to aber tis: there It remained for them to dig and get it. It had been revealed to Arad that they must dig in the night time, and no word must Lic spoken by any one of the number dur- ing the whole time of the digging, clac the treasure would be los: to them. So one night they startedl on their secret expedi. tion Nothing was heard but the dull thud of the bars in the earth, and grating of the The earth was obstinate, but they were determined no powers of earth should chat them of their treasure. The hours wine on, when suddenly William's Lar struck against the iron chest containing the w few. "it la the Indios this tose, wire " tresiffre, with a sharp " clink." Over.
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joyed at their success, William forgot the caution and cried out " I've found it !" 'At that instant the box shook with an ominous rattle, and sank down, down, far below the sight of their longing eyes, taking the bar and all with it, says the tradition. Fright- ened nearly out of their wits, they "ske- daddled" for home, sadder if not better men, and the treasure remains buried there to this day.
In the winter of 1826, a beautiful doe was run down Shepherd's brook to Mad river, near Jason Carpenter's and brought up in an open eddy out of the reach of the dogs. Judge Carpenter caught it in his arms, and, seven or eight hunters coming up just then, he told them that they could not have the doe, but each one of them might go and select a sheep from his flock, if they would go home about their busi- ness. Nothing but the beautiful doe would satisfy these blood-thirsty hunters, and, seizing the deer by main force, they killed it on the spot.
Pigeons were abundant. One device for keeping them off the grain patches was a boy threshing a log chain around a stump. They used also to construct bough houses on the edge of the field, and draw a huge net over the baiting place, thus se- curing dozens at a haul. Partridges were caught on their drumming logs in snares, or, if not there, the gunner was sure to find them in some thicket. So it came to be a proverb, " hunted like a partridge."
In early days Uncle Moses Eaton used to bring corn from Richmond on the backs of two horses, the roads not being passable for any vehicle.
On his journey Uncle Moses met Uncle Joe Clark, of Duxbury, at Pride's tavern in Waterbury. " Now," said Uncle Joe, " you will want some pork to go with that corn, and you just call at my house, and tell Aunt Betsey to put you up a good clear piece of pork." The next time they met Uncle Moses said, "I called on Aunt Bet- sey, as you told me, and she raised her hands and blessed herself, saying, " What on airth does that man mean, sending any one here for pork, when he knows that we haint had any kind of meat in the house
for six months ?" But Uncle Joe enjoyed the joke hugely.
In Fayston there was considerable snow on the Sth and 9th of June, 1816, and everything was frozen down to the ground. The trees put out new leaves three times during that season, having been cut off twice by frost; hardly anything ripened, and the settlers saw dreary times.
WILLIAM NEWCOMB
came to the township quite early in its set- tlement, and finished his days here. He built one of the first framed houses in town, Esquire Wait's being the first ; Mr. Newcomb and Merrill Tyler each built theirs the same year, but I am unable to learn in what year. Mr. Newcomb's farm was occupied by hisson Hosea many years, but has passed into the hands of strangers. The old house was burned during a high wind, in Oct. 1878.
DR. DAN NEWCOMB, son of Hosea New- comb, was born and reared here, but has been for several years a practicing physi- cian in Steele County, Ill. He is also the author of a medical work entitled, " When and How," a work of considerable merit. Don Carlos, another son, is a prominent wholesale merchant of Atchison, Kansas.
NATHAN AND JACOB BOYCE.
In 1808, Nathan Boyce and his wife, Zeviah, came to Fayston, and settled on Shephard's brook, near Paul Boyce, of whom he was a relative, and also of the Quaker faith. Nathan" Boyce died many years ago ; his wife in 1856, aged about 90, I think. She resided with her son Jacob, who died in 186 -. His wife still survives him, at the age of 81 (1878. She is still living, Aug. ISSI.) She lives on the old farm with her son, Seth Boyce. The farm has always remained in the family.
Jacob Boyce had 4 sons and 4 daughters, all of whom, save one, are settled in Fays- ton or the immediately adjacent towns.
BRIGHAM FAMILY.
In 1809, Gershom Brigham and family emigrated from Winchester, N. H., and settled in South Fayston, near Lynde Wait's. Elisha, their third child, was then 17 years old, and eventually settled on the
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same land, his other brothers and sisters | spring, and Mr. Brigham was anxious to finding other homes. His parents resided with him while they lived, and their bones rest in the little green grave-yard on the old Wait furm. Elisha lived here to ripe old age, raising a family of it children, all of whom are now living except one daugh- ter, who died at the age of 42. The two eldest sons and the two youngest daughters of this family have some literary talent. having all contributed to the press accept- ably, in prose and verse. The eldest son, [Sce separate notice of Dr. G N. Brigham ].
Elisha Brigham died in 1863, aged 70 years ; his widow in 1876, aged 77. The old home that she had resided in for more than 40 years, took fire in some mysterious manner, and was burned in the carly miorn- ing hours, when her demise was hourly expected. She was borne from the flam- ing house to the home of a neighbor, and breathed her last in the very house whence she went on her wedding day to be mar- ried 59 years before.
Mrs. Brigham was a woman of remark- able powers, mental and physical. Left an orphan by the death of her mother at the age of 12, she came from Randolph, Vt .. her native place, 15 reside in the family of Faquire Wait, so she became early identi- ficd with the history of the town. Her re- markably vigorous constitution and ambi- tion to excel, fitted her for the position of a pioneer's wife, and she endured the hard. ships and deprivations consequent on the building up of a new place, with great fortitude. With a large family of her own and many cares, jet she acted as nurse for half the town, and such was her skill in the management of the sich, that the old phy- sidan, now dead, wed always, If he had a critical case, to send for Mrs Brigham, and salt, with her to nurse them, he felt pretty sure of bringing his patients through. Her very presente and 100ch seemed! to brice halling with :lem
be about his spring's work, and his wife. being equally anxious for a good supply of sugar, offered to go with her sister, a girl of 17, and boil in the sap. Taking the baby with them, they started for the sugar- camp. It was late in spring and quite warm, and babies were not killed by a breath of fresh air in those days. They boiled sap all day, Mrs B. gathering in some sap near the boiling place. In the afternoon they heard a good deal of bark- ing off in the woods, but supposed it was some hounds after foxes. Mr. Brigham did not get up to the sugar-camp to bring down the syrup till nine o'clock, they stay- ing there alone until that time. A neigh- bor passing through the camp early the next morning, found a sheep dead at the foot of a tree where Mrs. Brigham had gathered sap at sundown. The sheep was still warin when Mr. Brigham arrived on the spot. On looking around, they found 20 sheep had been killed by the wolves. Mrs. Brigham and her fair sister did not care to boil till nine o'clock the next night.
On one occasion Mrs. Brigham, desiring to get some weaving donc, mounted an un- broken. 3-years-old colt, that had never had a woman on his back before, and started on a ride of 4 miles through the woods, to W'm. Farr's, with a bag of yarn fastened to the saddle-bow. There was only a bridle- path part of the way, and the colt was shy. but he found his match in the little woman of scarce too pounds' weight, and carried her safely to her destination. Her busi- ness dispatched at Mr. Farr's, she started homeward by another route, having oc- casion to call at one William Marsten's, who lived far up on the road leading over the mountain into Huntington, and from thence homeward by a route so indistinctly mark- ed. blazed trees being the guide, she mis- took a flath worn by the cattle for the traveled road, and did not discover her mistake till she came up to the pasture fence. Nothing daunted, she took down the fence, poised over, then replaced it, and went over, being then so near home that she f It pretty sure of her whereabouts.
When Mre Bingham was a fair. young wife of 1), she was small. Inthe and supple. with nerves of steel, amit she never shrank from any of the harush pis of her life They then rules of nearly a mille from the house. It was prome; bis in the Miss the cole became better brunch, she
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used often to take one child in her arms and another behind her, and go to the store, 3 or 4 miles distant, or visit a distant neighbor, or to go to meeting.
JOTHAM CARPENTER
was the first settled minister, and received the minister lot of land in this town. How many years he remained here I know not, but he has one son now living in Brook- field.
Preaching has generally been of a desul- tory character, owing to the fact that North and South Fayston are divided by a nat- ural barrier of hills, that makes it far more convenient for the North section to go to Moretown, and the South part is more ac- cessible to Waitsfield, so that it seems probable that the different sections will never unite in worship. The people in N. Fayston have an organized Baptist society, and have quite frequent preaching, and some years hire a minister, and many years ago, the Methodists had quite a large society in So. Fayston, but it has been dismembered a long time, and most of its former members are dead, and those re- maining have united with the Methodist church in Waitsfield.
John and Rufus Barrett were among the early settlers, and one Thomas Green, but as they have no descendants remaining in town, I cannot tell when they settled here, but they were here as early as 1803, it is believed.
Elizabeth, widow of John Barrett, died in Waitsfield a few years since (1878) aged 93 years. She survived her husband many years.
could that is reliable, but even the last two, from whom I have elicited most of the facts recorded here, have now gone to their long homes, and much that I have gathered here would now be forever sealed in silence, had I began my work a little later.
CAPT. ELLIOT PORTER,
the first captain of the militia in the town, was born in Hartford, Vt., 1785, married Sidney Ward in 1811, and soon after re- moved to Fayston, where they began to clear them a home in the North part of the town, where they resided till their death. He died at the age of $9 ; his wife at 86. They had 8 children. William E. Porter, their son, died at 57; 4 sons are now living.
WILLARD B. PORTER,
son of Elliot, has always resided in town, near where he was born, and has served the town in almost every official capacity. He has been town clerk 31 years, school district clerk 25 years, treasurer 14 years, justice of the peace 30 years, and in that capacity married 86 couple. He has rep- resented the town 6 sessions, including I extra session, and has attended 2 consti- tutional conventions. Mr. Porter says the first school he attended was in his father's log-house chamber ; the scholars, his eldest brother, himself and one Jane Laws; the teacher's name, Elizabeth Sherman. Mr. Willard Porter. has done more business . for the town than any other person now living.
WARREN C. PORTER
served as a soldier during nearly the whole war of the Rebellion, and has taught school 24 terms. Dr. Wilfred W. Porter, see separate notice. Walter, the youngest son, remains on the old homestead, and it was his care to soothe the declining years of his parents as they went slowly down the dark valley.
One Jonathan Lamson died in town sev- eral years ago, at the age of 84. His wife lived to the age of 107 years. Timothy Chase died at the age of 91 ; his wife, Ruth, some years earlier, over So. Lynde Wait, the first settler, moved from town many years ago, and eventually went West, and I have learned, died at an advanced age, There was no death occurred in the family of Elliot Porter for 50 years. over 80. Nearly all the early settlers whom I have known, lived to ripe old age, but they have passed away, and with them WILLIAM SHERMAN much of the material for a full history of was among the early settlers of Fayston, the town. I have gathered as much as I though I am not informed in what year he
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settled here. He represented the town in the general assembly, and held other town offices. His daughter, widow of Eli Bruce. still lives on the old homestead that he re- deemed from the wilderness
ELI BRUCE
was a long-time resident of Fayston, and did a large amount of business for the town, several times being the represent- ative, and justice of peace for many years. He died at the age of 69. His daughter was the first person buried in the cemetery in N. Fayston.
SILAS W. FISHER
resides in N. Fayston, on the farm where he has lived for 50 years. His wife has been dead some years. He has two sur- viving sons; one in the West, and the other, C. M. Fisher, is constable of Fays- ton at the present time-IS78. He died in 1879.
BENJAMIN B. FISHER
was the first postmaster in town, and held the office till his death, and his wife held the office 4 years afterwards. Truman Murray is the present incumbent.
RILEY MANSFIELD
came to the town when he was quite a young man, and passed his days here. dying in 1976, aged 75 ; his wife in 1974 ; out of a large family, there is only one sur- viving child of theirs.
JOSEPH MARDI
came to Fayston in September, ISog, and with his wife Susan passed the remnant of his days here, dying at the age of 8.1; his wife at 81. They had 11 children, two only are living ( 1878 ) One daughter in Wisconsin, and Benjamin on the farm where his father began to years ago Hc is I think now over to years of age-is still hot 2. 2ecd 56 Cynthia, daughter of Joseph Marbir, and willow of l'eter Quim- by. det Ang . 1 78. agel ;4
One fall, Joseph Martie. Jr . had a log rolig. t bred a new house, the oll onic giving . gov of falling op lø the evening there, slickent Les from for and near jined with the athletic yonthe in a dance It wasn't the German," wr walts, nor
polka, but a genuine jig. It was a merry company who beat time to the music of a corn-stalk fiddle in farmer Marble's kitch- en, the jocund laugh and jest followed the "O be joyful." as it went its unfailing tound, which it always did on such occ ..
sions. They grew exceedingly merry, and one fellow, feeling chock full and running over with hilarity, declared " When they felt like that they ought to kick it out." So they put in " the double shuffle, toe and heel." with such zest that the decayed sleepers gave way. Down went floor. dancers, corn-stalk fiddle, and all, into the cellar. Whether the hilarious fellow ". Kicked it out" to his satisfaction, we are not informed, but if his fiddle was injured in its journey it could be easily replaced.
In 1830, a little daughter of William Marston, 4 years old, strayed from home. and wandered on and on in the obscure bridle path. She came out at one Carpen- ter's, in Huntington, having crossed the mountain, and spent a day and a night in the woods; and beasts of prey, at that time were numerous upon the mountains.
Jonathan Nelson had a son and daugh- ter lost in the woods about IS .; 2. The boy was 12 years of age, the girl younger. After a toilsome search, they were found on the second day, unharmed, near Cam- cl's Hump.
In 18;7, the alarm was given that a little son of Ira Wheeler, 4 years old, had not returned from school. The neighbors turned out, and searching all day returned at night without any trace of the lost one. The mother was almost distracted The search was continued the second day with no better results I remember hearing my brother say, as he took a quantity of provisions with him on the third day. that they were " resolved no: to return home again until the boy was found cither dead or alive," though many thought that he munt have perished already. cither from hunger and fatigue, or from the bears in- festing the woods. He was soon found in the town of Duxbury, several miles from honte, having been nearly 3 days and nights in the woods He had carried his Finner pail when he started from school
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at night, and providentially some of the scholars had given him some dinner that day, so that his own remained untouched.
This being the second time the men had been called out to hunt for lost children in 5 years, some of them were getting rather tired of the thing, whereupon Ziba Boyce drew up a set of resolutions and read them on the occasion, after the child was found, and all were feeling as jolly as such weary mortals could. I have not a copy of them all, but it was resolved " that mothers be instructed to take care of their children, and not let them wander off into woods to be food for the bears, or for the neighbors to hunt up."
There have been no more lost children to search for in Fayston since that, so we may suppose it to have been effective.
that they might run the mill. They got what they desired, only got too much ; for instead of running the mill they ran for their lives, and let the mill run itself, as it did very rapidly down stream, in less than 2 hours after the rain commenced. The old saying "it never rains but it pours" was verified ; it came in sheets. I remem- ber watching the brooks surging through our door-yard ; we felt no alarm, thinking a thunder shower not likely to do much damage. We retired to rest, and slept undisturbed, not being in the vicinity of the large streams. We learned in the morning every bridge between Fayston and Middlesex, but one, was swept away. Campbell & Grandy's mill went off before 10 o'clock, and the house pertaining to the mili was so much undermined by the water, the inmates left, taking what valuables they could with them. Mr. Green's fam- ily also deserted their house. The water was several feet deep in the road, but, the storm soon subsiding, the houses did not go off.
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