USA > Vermont > Caledonia County > St Johnsbury > The town of St. Johnsbury, Vt. ; a review of one hundred twenty-five years to the anniversary pageant 1912 > Part 4
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RIVER TERRACES THE PLAIN
"Earth one time put on a frolic mood,
"Heaved the hills, and changed the mighty motion
"Of the strong dread currents of the ocean-
"O, the age-long centuries since that day!"
The rock formation of this town is almost wholly limestone, technically calciferous mica schist. There are no beds of granite, or other valuable stone, no fine specimens of minerals. In the two large volumes of the Geology of Vermont there is only a brief reference once or twice to the town of St. Johnsbury. Therein this region so barren to the geologist is notably con- trasted with other towns of the state which are rich in interesting formations and in mineral products.
The one interesting topographical feature of this town is that of the River Terraces. These were formed by running water which deposited layers of gravel, clay, sand, pebbles, cobble stones, pulverized limestone, constituting what is termed strati- fied drift. The successive or alternating strata of these deposits are laid open to view on the gravel bank of South Main street, on Hastings Hill road and around the foot of Boynton Hill.
A prodigious tide of waters poured in from the north filling the wide basin between Caledonia Hill on the east and the maple crowned summits on the west. In to this outspreading lake the mighty river, fifty or a hundred feet in depth it may be, swept its gravel and sand and laid the broad level terrace that we now call St. Johnsbury Plain. Here and there on the edges we trace the
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PIONEERING
work of off shooting currents that built up bluffs and projections rounding off steeply-here a Pinehurst deer park, there a Prospect street promontory, farther down a South Park pitching abruptly toward the west. The most pronounced of these bluffs, at the ex- treme south, shoots out over the old bed of Sleeper's River, where the winding track of the Lake Road is laid. The high ter- race of the Plain, which was the earliest in formation, seems to have originally extended from the south end to the foot-hills of Saddleback, including the plain of Pleasant Street and the Catho- lic cemetery. The rush of mighty floods at the close of the ice period would be forceful enough to cut a passage through the ter- race, leaving, as at present, the gulf between Boynton Hill and upper Paddock Village.
Lower terraces of later formation were laid by the gradually diminishing floods, which finally dwindled down into the little streams of Passumpsic River and its tributaries. Among these are the flat farms and meadows this side of Passumpsic Village; the Cale- donia Co. Fair Ground, and the distinctly marked terraces on the east bank of the river going north. Railroad street runs along one ancient terrace, the meadows below are another, the latest formed. Centuries of time lie between the surface of the Plain and the present level of the river. From the road descending southward from Main Street, a small but beautiful terrace is seen on the east bank of the Passumpsic, laid as smoothly as if made for the bed of a railroad.
Here and there in different parts of the town boulders of gran- ite or large cobble stones appear on the surface of the ground. These were brought along and deposited by the great glacier that swept down over New England from northwestern Canada to the Atlantic coast. The under edge of a boulder bedded in the bot- tom of a glacier would often be worn smooth in the course of its long continental journeys ; this was doubted in 1883 by one of the Academy boys in Prof. Brackett's class room-but when as a practical farmer years afterward he, Erastus Hallett, was blasting eleven cords of stone out of a boulder in his own pasture east of the Center Village, he discovered convincing evidence of the truth of the statement.
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TOWN OF ST. JOHNSBURY
HEIGHTS AND DISTANCES
Our altitudes have apparently been over-estimated in former reckonings. On the government tables of altitude published 1911, St. Johnsbury Plain is set at 711 feet above sea level, and the rail- road tracks at 556 feet. This would make Caledonia Hill east of the station 941 feet, The Knob 1091 feet, Crow Hill 1246 feet, Saddleback 1356 feet approximately. Government triangulation has not yet reached this region. Mileage distances are New York 320 miles, Portland 128, Boston 189, Montreal 190 miles. This brings the half way point between Boston and Montreal half a mile above St. Johnsbury railroad station.
The town lies in Latitude 44º-27', Longitude 72º-1' West.
IV
MAKING A TOWN
"When necessity caused whole thorpes to bee enuironed about, these did thereby take the name of tunes, afterward pronounced townes."
Verstegan, 1628
THE FIRST TOWN MEETING-HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES-THE
BRIDGE WAS PLANKED-ROAD MINUTES-OLD ROADS AT CENTER VILLAGE-WOODPECKER PETITION-MOOSE VALLEY ROAD-CENSUS OF 1790-PARISHES ERECTED-DISTRICTED FOR SCHOOLS-ANNEXATION DESIRED.
TOWN ORGANIZATION
"The New England town, to be short, was a representative democracy of the purest type; the town still remains the unit of constitutional govern- ment." Shaler
St. Johnsbury was on the map three years before becoming a town. By that time there were fifty-four men in the settlement, enough to get down to business. They called a meeting and chose sixteen town officers. The record is here given:
"At a meeting of the Inhabitants of the Township of St. Johnsbury, legally warned and holden at the Dwelling House of Jonathan Arnold Esquire, in the said Township, on Monday the 21st day of June, Anno Dom. 1790-being the first Town meeting ever held in said Town-Jonathan Arnold, Esq., was chosen Moderator ; Jonathan Adams, Town Treasurer ; Asa Daggett, Constable; Asa Daggett, Collector of Taxes; Jona. Arnold, Sealer of Weights and Measures ; Joel Roberts, Joseph Lord, Martin Adams,
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TOWN OF ST. JOHNSBURY
Selectmen ; the Selectmen, Listers and Assessors ; Barnabas Barker, Moses Hall, Eleazer Sanger, Thomas Todd, Martin Adams, Surveyors of Highways and Fence Viewers. Meeting Dissolved.
JONA. ARNOLD, Town Clerk."
Something of the condition of things in the town at this time may be gathered from the following petition presented to the General Assembly a few months earlier :
"To the Hon. Gen. Assembly of the State of Vermont, convened Oct. 1789. The subscriber humbly showeth-That he hath with great difficulty and expense begun a settlement in the northern part of this State. That he hath since the 25th April, 1787, introduced more than Fifty Industrious men as settlers (which number would have been much greater but for the scar- city of Provisions in that Country) and some of whom have families now there. That a principal difficulty we have had to encounter, hath originated from the want of passable roads to the Townships by which we are planted, and which we have had no means of procuring to be made. And this difficulty is still likely to continue unless by the interposition of your Honors we are relieved." JONA. ARNOLD
ROADS AND BRIDGES
"Nothing makes an inroad without making a Road. All creative ac- tion, whether in government, industry, thought, or religion, creates Roads." Bushnell
One of the first acts of the Selectmen after the organization of the town was to send up to the General Assembly, 1790, the following petition, which
"Humbly sheweth-that they suffer under great inconvenience from the want of Roads and Bridges in the Township of St. Johnsbury, and altho the Inhabitants have exerted themselves equal at least to those of any new Set- tlement, and have also had the Assistance of a small Proprietor's tax-the whole is absolutely inadequate to what is absolutely necessary for their con- venience, the Advantage of Land Owners, and the Interest of the State. For the circumstances of the Town is such as requires much more to be ex- pended for such purposes than falls to the Lot of such Townships in Gen- eral; it being so situate as to be the Key to a very fertile Country northward and the only practicable and nearest communication between the towns on and about the Onion River to those on the Connecticut at the Upper Coos, which render necessary an extent of about 35 miles of Roads for general purposes, besides many others for more private and particular uses therein.
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MAKING A TOWN
"And the said Township having nearly through its center from North to South, the Passumpsick, a River about 12 rods wide, and on the East part the Moose River about 6 rods wide, and runs therein an extent of about 7 miles-requires a large number of Bridges ; two at least on the Passumpsick, one near the Mills (Arnold's) and the other near the North line of said Township, two on the Moose River, and three at least on Sleeper's River. Wherefore your Petitioners humbly pray your Honors for leave to bring in a Tax of 4 Pence per acre on the lands in St. Johnsbury for the purpose afore- said. And as in duty bound will ever respectfully pray."
Signed JOEL ROBERTS, JOSEPH LORD, MARTIN ADAMS, Selectmen.
To the above petition were subsequently affixed the signa- rures of Jonathan Arnold, Joseph Fay of Bennington, Enos Ste- vens of Barnet and Gov. Chittenden, as proprietors to the extent of 32 rights. On June 30, 1791, the Committee appointed by leg- islature for laying out and making these roads and bridges in St. Johnsbury "allowed £30, for Bridge over the Passumpsick at the Mills, (Paddock Village), £20, ditto across the East Branch or Moose River near its mouth, and 6 Pence per Rod for completing a road 1 rod wide from one bridge to the other."
Jonathan Arnold took the job, and in building the first named bridge "tradition says that his inflexible will, moved by some un- reported cause, compelled the workmen to begin planking at the farther end of the bridge, carrying all the plank across over the stringers as best they could, instead of laying them down in ad- vance of their steps." The bridge builder was Capt. John Stiles. He cut three pine trees on the slope of Sand Hill and they gave all the timber needed.
PLAIN ROADS
Originally three principal roads ran out from the Plain : one from the north end down Sand Hill to Arnold's Mills on the Pas- sumpsic, thence later up the west side of the river to Sanger's Mills and Lyndon ; one on the line of western Avenue to Sleeper's River and on by Pumpkin Hill to Danville; one toward Barnet from the south end of the Plain. This last was built down the steep descent of Lord's Hill, the track of which may be easily traced in the pasture east of Brantview and of the present road; it reached the meadow level some rods south of the end of Pearl
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TOWN OF ST. JOHNSBURY
street. At this point the survey for alterations began as late as Oct. 1819, on what was then called the County Road from St. Johns- bury to Lyndon.
"Beginning at a cherry tree at the foot of Lord's Hill so called, thence N. 800 W. 20 Rods, to and across the Plain to Phelps Potash ; then beginning at foot of the hill north of the red school house on 4 miles to Simeon Cobb's blacksmith shop, then to Sullivan Albee's barn, thence N. 680 E, 40 Rods to the old road south of John Sanderson's." "Approved by Gardner Wheeler, Roman Fyler, J. C. Willard, Committee appointed by the Legislature, Oct. 1818, to re-survey, lay out and make alterations in said County Road." Lyndon, Oct. 7, 1819.
The Passumpsic Turnpike Company was organized under a charter given in 1804. Joseph Lord and Luther Jewett were among the corporators and Presbury West was one of the locators. The road however took a westerly direction and did not enter this town. The huge wooden plow now in the Museum was used by James Beattie in the construction of that turnpike. Scrip in vari- ous denominations was issued by this Company specimens of which are preserved in the Athenaeum.
ROAD MINUTES
In volume one of the Town Records are found the earliest entries relating to public roads. These comprise a total of 148 Road Minutes, surveys, alterations and openings between the year 1808 and 1843. Some extracts follow.
Page 103. Survey of the Riverside Pent Road running about one mile south from the Center Village on the East side of the river. "Minutes of a road beginning one Rod east of the bridge across Passumpsic River below the Center Village in St. Johnsbury. Then it runs S. 420 E. 60 Rods to a stake marked thus X ; then S. 620 E, 36 Rods to a stake marked thus, X ; then S. 260 W. 16 Rods to a stake marked thus X; then S. 15º W. 16 Rods to a hemlock stump marked; then S. 380 Rods to a stake 1 Rod East of Jeffer -. son Butler's house. I certify that I made the above survey by order of and in presence of the Selectmen of St. Johnsbury.
ISAIAH HARVEY, C. S. Nov. 21, 1828.
"We the undersigned, Selectmen of the Town of St. Johnsbury, have laid out the above described Road according to the above survey bill ; end we have laid out said Road one Rod and a half wide as a Pent Road,
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MAKING A TOWN
with the restriction of two pairs of bars being kept in repair, viz: one pair to be kept up by Jefferson Butler, and the other pair by the owners or occu- piers of the Sanger farm."
SAMUEL FRENCH, ABEL BUTLER JR., Selectmen, Nov. 28, 1828.
This Pent Road was extended to the foot of the Plain hill 44 years later, in 1872. The upper end across the Jefferson Butler meadow was contracted to George Ranney, 170 rods at $3.00 a rod ; the lower end of 213 rods to Colegate Hill was built by W. M. Badger and Horace I. Woods at $5.00 a rod. It was opened August 1873, and since that date has been the main highway.
Page 119. The new road here laid out was apparently what is now the main street of the Center Village: the earliest road went over the high ground west of the river to Lyndon.
"Survey bill of a Road, Beginning in the County Road leading from St. Johnsbury Plain to Lyndon, at the west end of the Bridge South of the Center Village in St. Johnsbury; then it runs E. 50º N, 18 Rods 8 links across said Bridge to a stake ; then N. 2020 E. 43 Rods 10 links to a stake in the road west of Lewis Pierce's shop ; then N. 25º E. 25 Rods to a stake west of Reuben Spaulding's barn ; then N. 31º E. 23 Rods to a stake ; then N. 220 E. 57 Rods to a stake about 4 Rods south of Samuel French's house ; then W. 250 N. 17 Rods 8 links across the Bridge on the River ; then N. 27º E. 40 Rods to a stake ; then N. 200 E. 18 Rods into said County Road. Whole distance being 232 Rods 11 Links, Sept. 8, 1830."
The above survey, 3 rods wide, was made under direction and oversight of Elias Bemis, Ariel Aldrich, Nehemiah Bradley, Road Commissioners, and by their authority it was declared open as part of the County Road from St. Johnsbury to Lyndon; the old part of said road on the west side of the river being discont- tinued.
CENTER VILLAGE ROADS
Interesting details of early roads and bridges in and near the Center Village have come to light in the handwriting of H. N. Roberts, from which the paragraphs that follow are taken.
"At first the only road was on the west side of the river, going to Lyn- don. Samuel French was then living about 100 rods west of where the Upper Bridge now is. He wanted to move over to the east side, and the
52
TOWN OF ST. JOHNSBURY
town let him the job to build a bridge across. He had to build it in winter on account of deep water. The tresels that held the overlays up, they had to cut holes through the ice then raise the tresels; the ice made a stagion for to work on. It was an open bridge and built in 1810."
"At that time there was no Road from the Bridge into the Villiage from that way, on account of a swamp that had to be crossed ; the Road was made on the same Winter as the Bridge, by putting on large quantities of Brush to put the dirt on ; it was mostly built by volunteer service, the town was poor at that time and the road was much needed."
"The old road to Lyndon crossed the River some distance above the Brook that runs to the Depot; a heavy rain storm washed that road so bad that they had to make a new one. This one was on the South side of the Brook, by so doing there was less rise to get to the west part of the town. Then when the new bridge was built at the end of this road it made a good way to get into the Villiage. This was built about 1815."
"The road through the Center Villiage is part way the same as always, except the lower part which went verry near the Bank of the River back of Capt. Walter Wright's house and so on. Then it was moved to the other side of the Wright House On account of rise from the Brook each way, they made a higher Culvert and graded in and made a much improved road."
"There was not but one Road on the East side of the River that came down into the Villiage. There was two roads that came as far as the Old Sanger House, then united there. One Road went in a north east direction over rises and through hollowsand came out to a Brook near George Halette's Place and then on to Lyndon Afterwards it was altered and followed the Brook most to the River, then by the side of the River into the Villiage, as now. The other started from the Sanger House, went in an East direction but was a verry hard Road to travel, first was a steep sand hill and some hard rises beyond. After a few years they throwed that up finding a much better place for one, the rises being much less and coming into the Villiage where it now goes. This finishes all Roads coming into the Villiage."
EAST VILLAGE VALLEY ROAD
THE WOODPECKER PETITION
Until 1827 the old road to the East Village ran from the foot of Sand Hill thro Paddock Village, over the hills of the town farm and the Aaron Farnham place; there was also the road by the Higgins farm. Repeated efforts were made to get a road shorter and freer from hills, laid out thro the valley, where it now runs. This proposition was strenously opposed; year after year the town went against it. Finally a petition, nicknamed "The Wood- pecker Petition," signed by 37 inhabitants of this town, and simulta-
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MAKING A TOWN
neously a like Petition by 13 men of Waterford, was presented to the County Court, May 1, 1827. This with a similar petition put up in April, resulted in the appointment by the Court on May 21, of a commission to examine and report whether the public good required alterations in the old road or the laying out of a new one. Jonathan Jenness of Topsham, Charles Johnstone of New- bury, Robert Whitelaw of Ryegate, the commissioners appointed, met at the end of the turnpike in St. Johnsbury and viewed the ground from the end of said turnpike to John Stiles' in Waterford, (Stiles' Pond). They decided that the public welfare called for a new road, and ordered a survey, the details of which are here given.
"Beginning between John Hill's house and barn in St. Johnsbury, (half mile this side Stiles' Pond) at a stake marked X, then it runs W. 22º S. 136 rods to stake marked X ; then it runs W. 2}0 S. 21 rods to Stake marked X- then it runs W. 6º S. 14 rods to stake marked X-then it runs W. 520 N. 14 rods to a beech tree in the west line of Ephraim Paddock's and Hezekiah Martin's land in center of the old road. Also another piece of road in St. Johnsbury. Beginning on the West side of Moose River one half rod North from an old hemlock at the end of the bridge near Josiah Thurston's (the town farm) then it runs W. 15º N. six rods to a stake, then it runs 200 W. 12 rods into the old road."
"I certify that I made the above survey in the presence of Jonathan Jenness, Charles Johnstone and Robert Whitelaw, a Commission . appointed by the County Court held at Danville, within and for the County Caledonia. The above described line was surveyed for the middle of the road and said road was surveyed four rods wide, and I have caused stakes to be set at every angle."
ISAIAH HARVEY, C. Surveyor.
June 13, 1827.
The report of the Commission was approved by the Court, September, 1827, and it was ordered that said road be laid out and established. The contract for building the new road was taken by Asa Lee whose farm was at the bend of Moose river; from the fall of 1827 this became the main road via Paddock Village to the East Village, Waterford and Portland. On the 15th March, 1853, the Court was petitioned for a new road running easterly from the Depot to cross Passumpsic River and strike the East Village road near Aaron Farnham's. Calvin Morrill filed a bond
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TOWN OF ST. JOHNSBURY
in $3000, guaranteeing the construction of said road, which was completed two years later and is now the populous thoroughfare of Portland street.
CENSUS OF 1790
For St. Johnsbury Town, County of Orange, the first Census of the United States records 34 families, 143 inhabitants; of these 54 were men, 55 were women and girls; 34 were boys under 16 years of age. Fifteen families had no boys. Dr. Arnold's family numbered 12, there were two families of 9; and three of 8 each ; most of the others numbered 2 to 4. Eight heads of families were among the original grantees, viz: Jona. Arnold, Jona. Adams, Martin Adams, Joseph Lord, Simeon Cole, Thomas Todd, Jona. Trescott, William Trescott. The other 26 were John Ayer, Sam- uel Ayer, Barnabas Barker, John Barker and John Barker, Jona. Clifford, Ezekel Colby, David Doolittle, Nath. Edson, Moses Hall, Ira Harvey, John Ladd, John McGaffy, Moses Noyes, David Park ard, Richard Parkard, Bradley Richards, Jona. Richards, William Ripley, Joel Roberts, Jona. Robinson, Eleazer Sanger, George Stiles, Samuel Stiles, James Thurber. The grand list was $590.
At this date when St. Johnsbury had 34 families, Barnet had 45 ; Peacham 62 ; Danville 101; Walden 2; Newbury 144. Total population in these towns-St. Johnsbury 143 ; Barnet 477 ; Peach- am 365; Danville 574 ; Walden 11; Newbury 872.
The increase of population by births and immigration for the first five years after settlement was not far from 50 a year, on the average.
The act authorizing the first Census was signed by President Washington March 1, 1790. This was one year and three days before Vermont was admitted to the Union. Nine months were allowed for the enumeration, but the time had to be extended till October, 1791. This made it possible for Vermont to be included in the final result, and the figures where given must relate to the year 1791.
This being the first Census, people were suspicious of it as being a scheme for increasing taxation, and were consequently cautious about revealing their affairs. Some opposed it also on
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MAKING A TOWN
religious grounds, contending that a count of the inhabitants might incur the divine displeasure; as in 1 Chron. 21:1-7. It was also a question how far the new federal authority should be recognized in such a matter. The main object of the Census was apparently to ascertain the military and industrial state of the country.
At that date there were twelve states in the Union and Philadelphia was the Capital; from which point to the Federal City, afterward named Washington, was an eight or ten days' journey. The three largest cities were New York, 33,131; Phila- delphia 28,522 ; Boston 18,320 population.
On the map accompanying the Census of 1790, we find the River Pooufoomuick; Littleton for Waterford; Billymead for Sutton; Hopkins for Kirby; and Orange County including all north of Windham Co. on the west side of the Green Mountain range. The figures of this census for New England were printed in Morse's American Gazetteer, Boston, 1797. A special edition was issued by the government in 1907.
PARISHES ERECTED
At a meeting of the Selectmen of the Town of St. Johnsbury at the dwelling house of Jonathan Arnold Esquire on the 21st day of June, A. D. 1790-present Mr. Joel Roberts, Dr. Joseph Lord, Mr. Martin Adams, Selectmen; Jonathan Arnold Town Clerk.
"Voted and resolved that the Lines for dividing the several Parishes in the Township of St. Johnsbury be as follows :
"Beginning on Danville East line at the corner between Rights 14 and 23 ; thence eastward as the line between said Rights runs to the west line of Right No. 33 ; thence northward in the west line of Right No. 33 to the north west corner thereof ; thence in the north line eastward to the west line of Lot C, part of Right No. 36 ; thence in said line to the northwest corner of said Lot C. ; thence in the north line of said lot last mentioned to the East line of the town. And all the land that lieth to the southward and eastward of said lines within said Township shall be and hereby is erected and set off as a separate Parish to be called and known as The South Parish of St. Johns- bury.
"Voted, that all the land within said Township lying northward of said line and westward of Passumpsic River be and the same is hereby erected into a separate Parish to be called and known by the name of The West Parish in said Township.
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TOWN OF ST. JOHNSBURY
"Voted. That all the lands in said Township lying northward of said line and eastward of the Passumpsic River, including the Islands in said River, be and they hereby are erected into a separate Parish to be known by the name of The East Parish in said Township.
"And the division of the Town into Parishes as aforesaid, is designed to enable and empower the Inhabitants of each Parish separately to make such improvements on the Public Lands within their parish lines as they think fit ; which improvements so made, to be to their benefit respectively in which they are made."
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