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 5
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 5
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 5
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Mr. Richardson built a saw and grist- mill above where Mr. Kent now lives, and a larger house leading to the S. E. Spaul- ding place. A grand-daughter of theirs, who is now 79 years of age, and who spent much of her childhood with them, tells me Mr. Pinney, the father of her grand- mother Richardson, was high in the es- teem of King George, and was commis- sioned by him to attend to a great deal of business for His Majesty in New England. GEORGE the Third, by the Grace of GOD of Great Britain, France and Ireland. KING, Defender of the Faith, &c.
A grand-dahghter ot Mry Richardson's told me another little incident that occur- red when she was a child of twelve Hier. self and a younger brother were in the woods gathering flowers, they had wander. To all to whom these Presents skall come. GREETING ed some ways faither than they were KNOW YE, That We have assigned. constituted and appointed, and by these Presents do assign, constitute and appoint Our trusty and well beloved Subjec:, Isaac Pinney, Esq .. to be Judge of Our Court of Probate, to be holden within the District of Stafford, in our Colony of Connections. in New England, with the Assistance of a Clerk, to hold our sud Court of Probate of Wills. granting of Administration, ap- pointing and allowing of Guardians, with full Power to act in all Matters proper for a prerogative Cour: aware, the a vier was wakened to a real :. Ing sense of it when she spiel, but a few feet from them, a large white faced bear. crest on his hihi jaws. comtily towards them Not wishing : frighten her broth er, who was very sild, and fearing he wollt be overcome with terror, she took Hlin by the hand and strove to hurry him 12y : It: no, just a few nobre flowers, he said He was determined net to go home " See there," sall the, pointing to the In Thissony interoof. We have caused the Seal of Our said Colony to be hereunto affsed Hisness, Jonathan Trumbull. }wą, Governor of our said Colony of bear. who steel contemplating the stu- than The ly behelf, att gase so terrine a seress, that the best turned a 'elf as C'marais of, and with the Consent of the
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General Assembly of the same in Hart- ford, this first Day of June, in the 13th Year of Our Reign, Annoque Domini, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy- three. By His Honor's Command,
JON'A. TRUMBULL, Gov. GEORGE WYLLYS, Sec'y.
At one time he received important mes- sages from the King, and although he had six clerks, he took his daughter, afterward Mrs. R., from school as his private secre- tary. His daughters were all taught the science of medicine, and Mrs. R. attended to the sick in this town before other phy- sicians came in, and some afterwards, going about on horseback, with a heavy riding dress for unpleasant weather. She never shrank where duty called, and not expecting other recompense than the grat- itude of those she served; for in those primitive days the few inhabitants were not burdened with riches, and were neigh- borly to each other.
One fall, seeing the destitution around them, Mr. R. took a yoke of oxen to Wil- liamstown, exchanged them for potatoes, and divided them among the destitute, taking his pay in work as they could do it. Mrs. Richardson at this time gave her family two meals per day, with a cup of milk for supper, giving what they saved by so doing to the needy ones.
Living on the road that crossed the mountain to Warren, the glimmer of light from their windows was often a most wel- come sight to the benighted traveler. A man overtaken by night, with intense cold and darkness, crawled on his hands and knees for miles, fearing he should lose the track that led to their house, knowing if he did he must perish. Large, warm hearts these people had, with a hand ever out reached to help any poorer than them- selves. Their noble charities, their ex- emplary Christian characters amid all the struggles and hardships of pioneer life, are most worthy of imitation. They, with their children, all of whom reached ma- turity, now rest in the old burying-ground, near the residence of O. A. Staples.
DAVID CRAM,
one of the next to come into town, was | was restored to health, which was over a from Lyndsboro, N. H. His son, Philip, year.
born Mar. 18, 1795, was the first male child born in town. Lydia Huntington, daughter of Jedediah H., got four days start of him, so the honor of being the first child born in town rests upon her. Whether she is living, I am unable to say; but Philip Cram married Abigail Heath, of Randolph, and is now living in Brook- field.
Daniel Corbin came from Randolph about this time, and Isaac Lewis, David, Robert and Jonathan Cram located on farms now owned by Messrs. Chatterton, Bowman and Orra Boyce.
Benoni Webster came, in 1798, I think, from Connecticut, and located on the place now occupied by James Steele. Mr. Web- ster came from Connecticut with an ox- team, rather a slow mode of conveyance for the distance, but " patience and perse- verance" were household words in those days. The "blue laws" did not allow people to be moving on Sunday in the old state, and Mr. Webster was stopped in a small village to give an account of him- self.
He declared it was against his principles to be traveling on the Sabbath, but his wife had been exposed to the small pox, and. he was in great haste. to get to his journey's end. He was allowed to pass on. His oldest son, Charles, born in Connecticut, married Eleanor P. Ryder, and settled in the east part of this town, where his second son, Aaron, now resides, and is the only one of the family in the State.
Charles Webster was killed by being thrown from his carriage in 1834. Benoni Webster, the youngest of the family, is still living, at an advanced age, in North- field. He was born in a barn, not a mod- ern affair, but an old log-barn. Whether he was cradled in a manger, tradition saith not. One of the children being so ill he could endure no noise, to secure him the quiet needed to save his life, the rest of the family moved into the barn, with the exception of one to nurse the sick child, and there they remained until he
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JOEL HILDRETH
came to this township in the autumn of 1797. from Cornish, N. H .. and boarded with a family who lived on the farm now owned by G. L. Walbridge, while he built his log-house on the place now owned by Mr. George Williams, who purchased of Mr. Hildreth's grand-son, Sainucl A. Hil- dreth. a few years since. One morning soon after Mr. Hildreth was settled in his cabin, he heard a rooster crow to the cast- ward, and as the ringing notes came across the wooded valley, it fell upon his cars like music. He followed that " crow" for four or five miles, and at last found his new neighbors in Northfield, near where William Winch now resides.
Mr. Hildreth, with his trusty rifle, was a terror to the denizens of the forest, hav- ing. to use his own words. " unbuttoned many a bear's shirt collar." Upon one oc- casion returning late in the evening from his day's work, he heard a bear clambering down a tree close at hand. He could hear his claws chnging in the bark, and could just discern in the darkness the dim out- lines of his unwieldy figure. He was alone in the forest, a great ways from home ; thoughts of the dear ones there awaiting him nerved his arm. He dealt the bear a powerful blow with his av, and thed. Returning next morning to the " scene of carnage," they found he had decapitated a huge hedge hog, and pinned him to the tice with his ax. Mr. Hildreth resided on the place he had cleared up until his death in 1986
Deacon appeared on the ground next morning. bright and carly, sure enough there was a great surly fellow, with one of his hind paws fast in the trap. The Deacon seized a club and rushed forward. old bruin equally ready and delighted with an interview, striking the club from his hand like a dash, cordially clasped the Deacon in his furry arms, and had about squeezed the life out of him, when the hired man. Paddleford, came to the rescue with an axe. "Don't cut the hide !" gasped the Deacon, as bruin clasped him in a still more fervid embrace. The hide was cut in several places before the poor Deacon was released, who, though " pure grit." came out of the combat in a sadly demo !- ished condition, and carried the marks of bear teeth and claws to his grave.
From John Gregory's History of Northfield. DEA. WILLIAM GOLD,
born in Springfield, Mass .. Oct. 30. 1780 ; came to Roxbury in 1801. and settled upon one of the highest mountains in that town. He was a deacon of the Baptist church. Any one at this day looking the mountain land over where he located, can sce under what discouraging circumstances this carly settler was placed.
In IS47. he removed to Northfield. He married Annevera Dewey, who was born in 1780 ; had 7 children : Annevera, Wil- ham, Sherman. Buel. Joseph, Mary.Sophia. all boin in Roxbury. Deacon Gold died in 1859; Mrs. Gold in 1856.
JOHN H. CRANDALL.
moved into town in ISo! ; was eccentric. quite a pertifogger, and always called " Judge " One time, having a lawsuit. he became disgusted with his counsel, con- s dered an able lawyer, pand him off and dismissed him before the shit was fairly commented, plead his own case, and won .. Another time he went to Waitshield to take charge of a lawsuit. Knowing his opponent, an attorney from Montpelier. 10 be extremely fastidious in his tastes and manner of dress, he chose the other cs- tremec, an anfully shabby coat. and trow. sert that suggested the idea that some
known as Deaton Golf, came to town with Samuel Robertson, and after working for himi one year. bought a perc of land, a mille cast of Dog river, and tulle a lig calin This is where he had a famous bar fight The bears Had been making havde with the Destan's czenie 1, and he sure a " plous nath " Cradle a pings re salir would be better for a deacin), the theres should be capire! A trapwas din sel that nome Du. a very where Bear wall fall of walling straight in' , for a laste of the te , with half The tous the! CA e WAS - A WISC offe, fer when the time in an carlier stage of existence they
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had been the property of a Methodist | preacher-they had certainly done a great deal of knee service-a dilapidated hat, a boot on one foot, an old shoe on the other, completed his outfit. The fine gentleman strutting back and forth in dignity, won- dered why Mr. Crandall did not arrive, when some one turning to Mr. C., intro- duced them. The Montpelier attorney looked at Mr. C., surprise and contempt expressed in every feature. " What, that creature!" he at last blurted out ; "why, he don't know enough to say boo to a goose." The " Judge " drew his grotesque figure to its full height, made a low bow, and said " boo !" very emphatically in the face of the offended lawyer, which brought down the house, and the sleek gentleman was yet more discomfited when he lost his case, and the " Judge " won the laurels he had anticipated.
Mr. Crandall's widow married Jonathan Lamson, of Fayston, where slie died a few years since, at the advanced age of 108. (See History of Fayston.)
LEWIS CHATFIELD
came to town in 1810, and settled on the farm now occupied by his son, Lewis. He was a man of peculiarities, but sterling worth. He, like many of the early set- tlers, had a hard struggle to feed and clothe his family. One winter he fortu- nately captured a huge bear, whose meat and lard kept grim want from the door till spring. He made a business of hop rais- ing the last 40 years, and through indus- try and frugality, acquired a competence. He died in 1880, aged 94.
BILLA WOODARD
came from Tolland, Conn., in 1802; set- tled on East Hill, and was for many years engaged in the manufacture of saddle-trees, and the only one in New England for a long time in that business.
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HON. CHARLES SAMSON
came here in 1810. Z. S. Stanton, in his Historical Centennial Address, thus speaks of him :
He accompanied his father, Benjamin Franklin, who was a veteran of the Revolu- tion, and participated in the battle of Lex- ington and Bunker Hill.
Mr. Samson bought the place where L. A. Rood now lives. The previous oc- cupant was Dr. Stafford; who kept a tav- ern, and the first in town. Charles Sam- son settled where Mr. Wetmore lives. He has been closely identified with the affairs of this town ever since, and is still per- mitted to be with us. He has represented the town in the legislature of the State for 13 sessions, and has held many other im- portant positions in the town and county. It was owing to his exertions that Roxbury was transferred from Orange to Washing- ton County, in 1820. In those days the main road through the west part of the town, which was also the stage road, led from where A. J. Averill now lives past where the residences of W. I. Simonds and S. G. Stanton now are, and intercepted the mountain road near where Mrs. Brack- ett now lives, thence up where the present road is as far as the old mill above Royal Batchelder's house, and then past the pres- ent residence of O. A. Staples, down to the " Branch road," where Samuel Ed- wards now lives. From here it followed its present course. There was also a road through the eastern part of the town, and also the central part, where E. K. Young now resides. Elijah Ellis lived where Mrs. Brackett now does. He built the house at this place, and it was the first house built in town. that was arranged for the use of stoves, I am informed. He had no fireplace or "stack of chimneys," as they were called, and people thought it'a great departure from the old ways. He built the first clover-mill that was erected in this town, on the site now occupied by S. N. Miller's carriage-shop. He also erected a saw-mill at this place.
BENONI WEBSTER, (BY A. WEBSTER.)
A native of Connecticut, brought his fam- ily to Roxbury in the spring of 1797. He had previously lived in Hartland, Vt., a few years.
He settled in the N. E. part of the town on lot No. 3, of the Ist range, now owned by James Steele, which he had bought in 1796, then an unbroken wilderness. His first house was logs, roofed with bark, and floored with split basswood, smoothed with an axe. In 1810, he built a large framed- house. making the rooms about 2 feet higher than it was usual to make them at that time, so that " Uncle Sam Metcalf (of Royalton), could stand up in them with his hat on." The doors were also made unusually high, so that his wife's tall rela-
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tions could conte in without stooping. as he said. He was the first to plani frui: trees in town, a Marge apple orchard, and pear and plum trees in the garden being among his carlier improvements.
It is said that at the time of the meni- orable great Novemilier snow-storm, the effects of which may still be seen in our forests in bent and distorted trees, while the family were at dinner, the young apple trees were discovered to be breaking down beneath the fast accumulating snow, and the boys left their bowls of " hominy and milk " to shake the apple trees, which were swed only by repeating the shaking at short intervals through the atiernoon and evening.
In 1804, his entire stock of cattle, con- sisting of a yoke of 4-years-old oven and of 2 cows, were bitten by a mad dog that came along. and all died and were buried in one hole together.
Mr. Webster died Jan. 8. 1823. aged 60 years, 9 months, 21 days, leaving a wife. who died in 1838, aged 66 years, and 6 sons and a daughter», all of whom lived to have families of their own. Of these bu: two, Edmind Webster, of Randolph, and Benoni Webster. of Northfield, are known to be now living , but the descendants of the ilnird and fourth generations are widely scattered through the country trom New Hampshire in the Fast to California in the West, and from Minnesota in the north to Texas in the South, but one family, thai of the writer, being lett in Roxbury.
CHARLES WEHSTER. NTA WERATIA
Charles, oldest won ot Benoni and Sally Mercali Webster, was born June 5. 1790. al lebanon Parish, Conn., and came to Roxbury with his father when 7 yearsold. anl was educated in the common schools ot distri : No i and the Home college by
closing away the street and making a cil-
tivated farm. One of his recreations at this time was nishing in the stream that runs through the valley half a mile north of his father's farm, where the brook irout were so abundant that he ofien hired one of the Adams boys to help him carry his fish up the hill, home.
The wolves made havoc with the sheep of the neighborhood, and he and the Gallup boys devised a plan to capture them. They built a conical pen of saplings, about 6 feet high, and placed in it a couple of lambs to entice the wolves into the trap, shrewdly calculating while it would be easy for the wolves to run up the inclined sides and leap down into the pen, it would not be so easy for them, after gorging with mutton. to leap out.
Sanguine of success, they visited the trap every morning, expecting 10 find a large pack of fierce wolves safely corraled and howling with rage. This for several mornings. At length, one morning when they came 10 inspect, beginning to wonder why the wolves were so slow in getting in : the trap seemed to be empty. No lambs appeared skipping around within, and after a close examination, there appeared only a few bones and shreds of wool. The wolves had doubtless climbed upon the shoulders of each other and got out. Their two lambs were gone for noughi. Not to be foiled in this way, the boys immediately bullt a much stronger and higher pen, but the wolves were not heard from afterwards, and it was supposed they left the place in dis- gusi.
He conunenced teaching school when quite young, and followed it for fourteen winters, acquiring such a reputation as a teacher and disciplinarian that his services were often sought for in schools where other teachers had failed.
On one occasion. it is said that some his father's hearth, reading by the light of large boys burned his ferule, and made the open fire during the au: rin and winter suites of blech bath in turn on High: when the usual fire w ns meuscient other preparations for carrying him out. as they had a previous leather. The game commenced promptly, but a leg Easily wrenched from a bench did such cheftive service that there was no further
Being the sliles: boy and large of his are. he was My father's chief walitant in use for instruments of discipline during that lerm
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In Aug. 1823, he married Eleanor P. Ryder, and settled on his farm in East Roxbury, half a mile below the mills where his son, Aaron, now resides, where he lived till the next spring, when, having bought a part of the farm of his father's estate, he moved on to it, and lived there . until the spring of 1830, when he returned to his first farm, where he lived until his death, Nov. 5, 1834.
About 1830, he raised from his famous " Wild Air" mare twin colts, of which he was proud ; but one of which, a noble and powerful animal, but skittish and uncon- trollable when frightened, was the occasion of his instantaneous death, by being thrown from his wagon in the night, near the Peck farm in Brookfield. He had often ex- pressed a presentiment that he should die by accident, and was the last of three cousins, the oldest sons of three sisters, to be killed instantly by accident.
SPAULDING FAMILY.
Darius Spaulding was from Plainfield, Conn., married Hannah Ingraham from Providence, R. I. They had a number of children when they came here, in 1799. Mr. Spaulding came in the fall, slashed a piece, built a log-house, and moved his family the next spring. Nearly, and per- haps all the Spauldings in town at the present day, and they are very numerous, are descendants of Darius and Hannah Spaulding. They reared a family of 8 sons and 3 daughters.
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Gilbert, the eldest, married Renda Mc Clure, moved to New York, and died at the ripe age of 90. He was a great chop- per, even for those days, when all were supposed to know how to wield an ax. It is said 8 cords only made him a fair day's work, nothing at all to boast of.
Darius Jr. married Betsey Spaulding, and they lived and died at a good old age, in Roxbury. Two of their sons still live in town, Charles and Samuel.
Jolin, the 3d son of Darius Sen., mar- ried Betsey McClure, of Stafford, Conn. They commenced keeping hotel in 1822, near where Julius Kent now lives. They had also a saw and grist-mill.
lage, says, when a small boy, he went there with his grist, and Mrs. Spaulding who was an energetic little woman, took his grain, carried it into the mill, ground it and brought it back to him.
Mr. Spaulding built the Summit House in 1830, where he remained until a few years previous to his death, in 1864. His widow is still living, hale and happy, loved and respected. Her friends celebrated her goth birth-day the 9th of last Sept. [1881.] She has had 5 children, all of whom are living, Erastus N. Billings, Mrs. P. Wiley, Mrs. Brackett and Mrs. A. N. Tilden .. All living in their native town, clustered about their aged mother.
Philip married Polly Nichols, of North- field, is now living in Hermon, N. Y., 84 years of age.
Erastus, the 4th son, built the house where Dea. Edwards now lives, and kept a hotel there several years. He married a widow, Whitcomb, by name, from Waits- field. They removed to DeKalb, N. Y., where he died a short time since, at an ad- vanced age.
Allen was their first child, born in this town in 1804, and married Hannah Sanı- son in. 1828 ; moved on to the Rood place, and kept a small store 3 years ; then built a store in the village, which he occupied for 10 years, near the R. R. crossing, where Geo. Butterfield now resides. He represented the town 4 years. He enlist- ed, in '61, in Co. H, 6 Vt. Reg., as major ; was appointed sergeant with captain's pay.
At one time during the war, he was or- dered to take a small squad of men, and go in search of cattle for beef, as it had been a long time the regiment had subsisted on salt meat and " hard tack." They travelled till nearly night before they got track of what they were in quest of, and they found themselves 25 miles from camp in the en- emy's territory. Being told a woman near by owned a fine flock of sheep, he took a couple of men and called on her. She with her two daughters sat on a rustic seat in a beautiful garden, surrounded with the appearances of wealth and luxury. He made known his errand, when out of her
Mr. Burnham, merchant at Roxbury vil- mouth poured a torrent of oaths and the
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coarsest invectives that he had ever heard a woman utter, abusing him and the Union army in general. A servant rode up on an elegant horse, and dismounting, asked his mistress " if she knew she was addressing Union officers?" She said she knew it very well. The Major informed her he came to buy her sheep, but as she had none to sell to " Union nien," he should take them without if they suited him, and ordering one of his nien to mount the horse her servant had just dismounted from, they rode off, amid the hysterical screams of the mother and daughters. They cantped for the night on an old planta- tion, about 2 miles from there, but had tickets out to keep an eye on the move- ments of the enents. After all was quiet at the plantation, 200 mounted darkies
property, but at the first crack of a rifle, they " skedaddled " The Major got back to camp with 25 head of fat cattle, and pre- sented the beautiful poury to the Colonel.
At another time there were 100 mien sick, and the surgeon said they would all die unless they had milk. The Major was ordered to take 10 nien and go and buy milk for the sich. They went to a planta- tion where 100 cows were kept, just as they were coming off the ranche to be milked. They asked to buy milk for sich soldiers. The surly old fellow said he had " no milk to sell Union soldiers." The Major went back, got a permit from the Provos: Marshal, and was there carly the next morning ; selected to line cows, and in spite of the old gentleman's pro- testing, drove them to camp. The sick had milk freeh, and when they were or dered to Florida, in 6 weeks from that time. every man but one was able to go The Major turned over his dairy to the Prost Marshal, according to ames segu. lations, and the sails old fellow who would no: sell milk to sok soldiers, fever re. covered His last Line
who was born in town. and has lived there the most part of his life.
SAMUEL ROBERTSON. (UY' ORANEL RICHARDSON.)
Son of Patrick and Elizabeth Robertson. natives of Scotland, was born in New London, Ct .. Aug. 18. 1775. He lost lis father when quite young. His mother ntarried again, and lived in Stafford, C :.. where he lived till he came to this town. Aug. 1801, he married Persis Richardson. of Tolland, Ct., and the next March they moved here, on to the place now owned by John Cuurins, on East Hill. Their first business after getting settled was sugaring. They made 16 pounds, their stock of sugar for that year.
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