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 43
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FLOODS AND FIRES
plunge, the Deluge Engine Company dashed thro the smoke and flames and reached the north end, where finally they checked the further progress of the fire, after $50,000 property had been con- sumed and many families left homeless. Among these was William Hall, who tucked his bank bills amounting to $500, under the corner of a carpet for safe keeping, and went with his wife to spend the day up at Wesley Sargent's.
Four months after this fire, Julius Paradis went up to the Center Village post office and enquired for a Mrs. Armington. He was taken by Edward M. Ide to her house. Had she lost anything at the fire? She had. What was it? A pocket book. Anything in it? Yes, $250 in bonds, $400 in notes, $80 in cur- rency. Paradis handed her the wallet containing these articles ; he said he picked it up from the ground while helping to load goods on to a wagon ; it seems he had been talking with Father Boissonnault and took this occasion to relieve his pocket and his conscience.
On Sunday afternoon, March 26, 1881, the work of fire was so sudden and swift, that the Free Baptist Church had vanished from its place on Main street before many of the citizens were aware that anything had happened.
The Union School House on Summer street was burned in the early morning of November 3, 1882. The fire department could not get pressure enough to throw water on to the roof which had been recently tarred. The outer walls of two and three layers of brick stood uninjured for the work of reconstruction. The property loss was $17,000, and unfortunately the school records covering 26 years were destroyed.
On Sunday afternoon, October 27, 1892, the east side of Rail- road street was ablaze with flame, driven by a fierce wind from the north. A roaring noise was first heard from the basement of Lougee & Smythe's store, then an explosion, then flames fifty feet high from the rear of the building. Within half an hour the entire row of business blocks south were on fire, Drouin's, Cald- beck's, Daniels', Merchants Bank, Ward's, Griswold and Pearl's. Thirty families were burned out, fifteen of them in Ward's block
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TOWN OF ST. JOHNSBURY
on the corner; in the Caldbeck building two lives were lost. The property loss was figured at $170,000, including the Mer- chants Bank and fifteen stores. The new steam pump played in 14 streams 1000 gallons of water a minute; the Aqueduct sys- tem was also turned into the mains. The Avenue House nar- rowly escaped ; its turn came, however, four years later.
On Sunday, January 26, 1896, the Avenue House was destroy- ed by fire, with a loss of $60,000. The guests in the building had hardly time to escape thro the doors and windows ; T. C. Spencer, caught in the corridors, was so injured by the heat that he died the following day. The firemen were on duty twelve hours ; they played 17 streams from 13 hydrants, both water systems being turned on. A train from Lyndonville brought 25 firemen and 1000 feet of hose, which was a welcome reinforcement. The Opera House seemed doomed, for thro a door left open in the fire wall, the flames made entrance; but they were stubbornly fought and this building as well as the Republican Block was saved.
On Sunday, March 10, 1895, the Pythian Block went down by fire involving a loss of $35,000. It was a new building, erected only the year before. Dense smoke filled the building for two hours before any flames burst out ; the firemen devoted all their energies to saving the adjoining buildings. Everything in this block was destroyed, some thirteen parties being occupants ; it was rebuilt on the original plan the next year, with the addi- tional feature of solid brick walls.
Citizens Bank Block. In the early morning of October 30, 1907, fire was discovered in the basement, which with rapid progress destroyed the whole interior of this block and cost the lives of nine persons. "It is small wonder that people awakened out of sleep by the cry of fire in the hall ways, the blowing of engine whistles and the ringing of fire bells should have become bewildered and crazed;" lost their way in the smoke and perished. One woman in night dress only, plunged thro smoke and fire that melted celluloid pins in her hair, then ran without shoes for shelter to a house on Cherry street. Guy Cheney hung
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FLOODS AND FIRES
for twenty minutes from a top window in stifling heat, too high up to be reached by any ladder, till Oscar Hall rushed up the fifty- five foot ladder carrying a shorter one, which he and Harley Cas- well held straight up to his feet, and by this narrow margin rescued him. C. T. Ranlet, the well known printer, lost his life by falling from a high ladder. This was the most tragic catas- trophe in the history of the town. The property loss was $50,000.
One effect of this disaster was the increased public demand for more effective fire protection than could be rendered under the existing system, and this ultimately brought about the establish- ment of the central fire station and the purchase of the motor trucks. The property losses caused by the conflagrations here mentioned, not including the long list of less serious ones, aggre- gated nearly half a million dollars.
XXXIX
MISCELLANEOUS CHRONICLE
"Sir," quod I, "your wordes be to mee righte agreable and have done mee greate plesure whiche shd not be loste, but putte in remembrannce and cronyeled if God wyll." Froissart
CHRONICLE OF TWENTY-FIVE YEARS
MOSTLY FROM THE CALEDONIAN
January 14, 1838 Imagine a railroad once completed and trains of loaded cars bringing all the benefits of Atlantic markets to our very doors. What would induce us to relinquish its privileges and return to our present pent up and sequestered condition?
December 1, 1839 Dr. Calvin Jewett intends keeping constantly on hand Foreign Leaches for use and for sale. A few Smyrna and Swedish Leaches may now be had in the clay in which they were imported.
February, 1840 Whig convention at Danville-the delegation from the east came up led by a team of six grey horses with a Tippecanoe canoe mounted on runners in which was the St. Johnsbury Brass Band whose per- formances elicited universal praise.
April 6, 1840 Hull Curtis has removed his Tailor Shop to the south part of the Plain opposite to where the Temperance House was kept. Note. That tailor shop is now the Girls' Cottage of the Academy ; the Temperance Hotel is the present Club House. It was Hull Curtis, who in waggish tra- ditions of later time was credited with cutting all trousers from one pattern, saying "if you find they're too long wash 'em and they'll shrink all right ; if they're too short just let out your suspenders."
April 16, 1840 Swartwouted ! from the subscriber, an indented appren- tice, Michael Coffney, 15 years old. All persons forbidden to harbor .- Wm. C. Arnold. (Swartwout was a notoriously slippery official under Van Buren)
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MISCELLANEOUS CHRONICLE
May 4, 1841 Citizens of St. Johnsbury Plain who are willing to devote half a day to transplanting trees to ornament and beautify our village, are desired to meet at the head of the Plain at one o'clock tomorrow with proper implements, equipped for manual labor ; none excused except the lame and the lazy.
October 30, 1841 Thirty bushels of beechnuts wanted, in exchange for goods. By spreading a blanket under the trees the nuts can be easily gathered. Shedd and Jewett.
March 4, 1842 The St. Johnsbury Lyceum. Topic for debate : Is the influence of woman upon society in the aggregate salutary, or not? Aff. Wm. Dickinson, Jacob Benton, Charles Fairbanks, John H. Paddock. Neg. Dr. Morrill Stevens, Asa L. French, J. P. Foster, Aaron Farnham.
December 19, 1842 Found, in the woods 100 rods from my house, seven sheep variously marked in the ear. The owner will please hand over a little cash and take them away. Royal Ayer
September 9, 1843 David Camp has on hand and for sale about 80,000 TEAZLES of first rate quality. 319 W*
December 12, 1843 St. Johnsbury Academy. This new Institution now has a building for its accommodation, built by Messrs. E. and T. Fair- banks and Company at a cost of $2000.00. It is warmed by a furnace in the cellar and is so ventilated as to keep the temperature even, promoting the health of its occupants,
May 16, 1844 Wonasquatucket calicoes, crepe nemours, muslin de lanes, Victoria lawns, barages, lace stripe muslins, ginghams, gimps, fringes, rib- bons, bonnets, parasols, whale bone for trimming bonnets. E. Jewett
August 16, 1844 The St. Johnsbury Henry Clay Club will meet at the Centre Village school house. Discussion on the Annexation of Texas, in which our political opponents are invited to participate.
August 28, 1844 The St. Johnsbury Glee Club and the Band went over to Lunenburg to attend the Whig Convention ; they added much to interest of the convention, which was addressed by Erastus Fairbanks and others. One procession of carriages going to this convention was more than a mile in length ; upwards of 1000 people were present; the Old Coon Spirit of 1840 is still alive, opposing Free Trade, Annexation of Texas and Slavery.
Nov. 17, 1844 The whigs of St. Johnsbury tender their acknowledge- ments to the Loco-foco clique of Lyndon lawyers and their etcs., and subs, also to Harry Hibbard, for the deep concern manifested for them before the election.
Note Loco-foco as a designation of the democratic party originated in Tammany Hall, October 29, 1835. During a stormy debate that evening one wing of the party extinguished the lights and left the hall ; the opposing
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TOWN OF ST. JOHNSBURY
wing promptly lighted candles with "loco-foco matches" and then continued the meeting-hence in popular phrase amongst the whigs-loco-foco, a democrat.
March 1845 1001 Meeting of the several chapters of the Order at St. Johnsbury Center, Wed. March 12. Every member should be present as the Grand Sardocumonicum has arrived from Boston and will be distributed.
August 6, 1845 The Driesbach Menagerie arrives on the Plain, the music car drawn by four elephants ; after it twenty wagons, in which Herr Driesbach appears fondling and caressing his carnivorous family and driving them in harness.
February 7, 1846 The first annual meeting of the Caledonia Association for the improvement of common schools is held at St. Johnsbury Plain.
July 25, 1846 The art of Phonography is now being taught here by B. P. Worcester, Professor of the art. He will give an exhibition of it Tuesday evening at the Meeting House on the Plain.
August 29, 1846 300,000 Slaveholders, thro the so-called Democratic Party, rule this country as with a rod of iron; and with measures so abominable as to carry dismay among us. Shall the whigs falter in this crisis? No, no, never ! Next Tuesday do your most sacred duty at the polls and rally for Freedom and Independence!
September 4, 1846 Text books adopted for schools in Caledonia Coun- ty-Webster's Spelling Book, Saunder's Readers, Morse's Geography, Col- burn's Intellectual Arithmetic, Adams' Arithmetic, Well's Grammar, Cutter's Physiology, Ackerman's Natural History, Goodrich's History United States.
January 30, 1847 Stages now leave Franklin, N. H., on the arrival of the cars from Boston, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, passing thro Plymouth and Franconia Notch to Littleton. Next morning at seven o'clock leave Littleton for Waterford, St. Johnsbury and Danville; returning on the opposite days.
February 24, 1847 The Caledonia Medical Society will hold the semi- annual meeting at Geo. W. Ely's Inn, St. Johnsbury Plain at 10 o'clock. Patients prescribed for gratuitously. Calvin Jewett, President
May 6, 1847 It is well for us that wheat is plenty on our farms now that flour is up to $10 a barrel. Better to use our domestic wheat than to pur- chase a single pound of flour.
September 4, 1847 "A little more grape, Capt. Bragg," said Gen. Zachary Taylor, when the Mexicans were pressing hard on our army at Buena Vista. So say we, gallant Whigs of Vermont ! Pour in the grape of Whig ballots into the rotten hulk of locofocoism next Tuesday ! Give the Annexation of Texas and Slavery allies a full, plump, well-aimed charge of grape ! Up, and at them !
529
MISCELLANEOUS CHRONICLE
October 1, 1847 Snuff. We are receiving from the manufactory Scotch and Maccaboy snuff in barrels, half barrels and jars ; sold at two to four cents less than can be procured from Boston. Fuller & Co.
March 4, 1848 Now that the Railroad is coming, if every farmer would turn his attention to increasing our agricultural products we can show up an amount that will astonish the Bostonians.
September 2, 1848 Whig Nominations
For President, Gen. Zachary Taylor Vice President, Millard Fillmore Electors at Large, Erastus Fairbanks, Timothy Follett
Senators, § E. C. Chamberlin
For Governor, Carlos Coolidge Caledonia, Edward A. Cahoon
November, 1848 Our young Whigs let off 100 guns in honor of Old Zack's election on the 7th inst, followed by a torch light procession and a banquet with music and speeches at Hull Curtis' Inn.
February 23, 1850 The selectmen have laid out a road from the west end of the Paddock Village bridge southward to the Depot ground, 190 rods also from the depot grounds westerly up the hill to the Plain striking Main street just north of the burying ground ; this will be Eastern Avenue, 24 feet wide, to cost $600.
May 20, 1850 Bristol Bill and Meadows, now in Danville jail were in town when the Bank Commissioners were sitting here for the new bank. They were thought to be suspicious characters and a good lookout was kept that night over the specie deposited by the commissioners. Bill had regis- tered at the hotel as Mr. Warburton and wife, Philadelphia. He is an old Botany Bay convict, and the marks of the 39 lashes are still on his back.
November 16, 1850 Rails are now laid up to Passumpsic Village ; next week we shall doubtless see the Iron Horse in our midst.
November 28, 1850 THE CARS HAVE COME ! The first regular train of cars arrived here at 4 o'clock ; a cheering sight. * * * The boys are careless about the depot grounds when the cars are moving. They do not understand the danger and parents should keep their younger boys away.
February 22, 1851 All the employees of the Scale factory with their ladies were invited by the Fairbanks Company to a trip on the cars to White River. There were 350 or more on the special train; the engine Caledonia in her best attire was ornamented also with ascale. There was a dinner and speeches ; the day was one to be ever remembered.
June, 1851 Much building activity is noticeable on the new street laid out parallel with Main-Summer street.
September, 1851 No other County Fair in the state could bring together so many fine cattle and horses as the 300 we have just had exhibited here. Those in pursuit of fine stock will now know where to come to find it.
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TOWN OF ST. JOHNSBURY
May, 1852 More ornamental trees should be transplanted into our vil- lage ; a hundred of them would not be one too many.
June, 1852 There are two nuisances that should be at once attended to : the frog pond near the North Church and the other one above Central street. The boys have been killing frogs in these ponds and the result can be snuffed a considerable distance. Four and six pence of the highway tax paid on the Plain might be claimed for abating these nuisances.
November, 1852 By the aid of the telegraph we had at this place at 11 o'clock Tuesday evening information that Franklin Pierce had been elected President. The railroad when opened two years ago was considered a great advance on the old mail stage; but even that is now deemed too slow by some who want their news as quick as lightning.
March, 1854 At the annual March meeting this town denounced the Nebraska Bill now pending in Congress, by a vote lacking only two of being unanimous, of which two one was by the Democratic postmaster. "This Ne- braska perfidy is black, hideous and repulsive to every lover of freedom and human rights."
"Will ye thus our land despoil,
Fair Nebraska's virgin soil Yield to slavery's bleeding toil?"
April, 1854 It is rumored that no mill privileges will be disposed of for the present on the pond front of the school house on the Plain, or until the flowage question is settled.
June, 1855 A new road is to be laid out at right angles from R. R. St. running east across the Passumpsic River to connect with the East Village road. Note. This was the beginning of Portland Street.
September 8, 1855 It is like enduring the tortures of the Black Hole to stay in the low, unventilated dungeon of our Town Hall at the Center Village, the air nauseated with smoke and exhalations from 700 pairs of lungs, so that even the lamps go out for want of oxygen to keep them burning. More than any necessity for County Buildings is our need of a new, wholesome, capa- cious Town Hall.
March 1, 1856 Beyond a doubt St. Johnsbury is the highest market in Vermont. There is not a village in the state where the average value of everything used for man and beast rules higher than here. Figures will show this.
April 19, 1856 There is competition staging north of St. Johnsbury, Vt., and passengers can ride at their own price to Island Pond, connecting with the Grand Trunk for Canada.
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MISCELLANEOUS CHRONICLE
May 3, 1856 May Day morning was celebrated by a procession of 20 baby carriages thro Main Street, each carriage drawn by two girls ; babies, carriages and girls decorated with flowers, and refreshments served at the end of the route.
May 24, 1856 Summer street and the newly opened Spring street, adorned with young maples will some years hence be as beautiful streets as one will see in any country village. The steep bank on the left as one goes down Western Avenue is being terraced and planted with trees and shrub- bery preparatory to the erection of dwellings on the table land above. Those who can remember when there was but one street, one old church and one schoolhouse on the Plain may see that not all the spirit of progress has gone out west of the Alleghanies.
June, 1856 The nomination of Freemont and Dayton for presidential ticket was responded to at St. Johnsbury by a salute from the twelve- pounder. The ball is rolling-clear the track !
October 4, 1856 A good thing recently done for our village is the estab- lishment of a regular police. Its usefulness is already seen in the preserving of good order and the ferreting out and destroying of large quantities of poor liquor.
October 18, 1856 Nothing can be lovelier than St. Johnsbury just now. The light fog of early morning soon melts away; not a cloud obscures the clear October sky ; the sun walks thro the heavens with a mild benignant look ; the autumnal breeze just stirs the leaves half mournful in their russet hues ; a calm repose like Hercules leaning on his club carries enjoyment out of doors to a height above which it can no farther go. The crescent moon too is now abroad o' nights pouring silver light upon the completed glory of autumn. There's no more glorious clime than this.
May 7, 1857 On the 25th inst. an opportunity will be given to get rid of those detestable coins the ninepence and fourpence ha'penny ; and so to be rid of an infinite deal of half-cent trickery in their use. The government is calling them into the Philadelphia mint, and we hope to see them all starting toward that bourne whence no fourpence ha'penny ere returns.
May 30, 1857 The grounds around the new Court House are being greatly improved by grading, gravel-walks and turfing. Future generations will find it hard to believe that these beautiful premises were once a populous grave yard fronted by one of the most unsightly holes that ever disgraced a village.
June 14, 1857 Letter to a St. Johnsbury manufacturer :
"June the 11 one 1857, sir ihave lerned that you have a horse rake that gos on wheals that is got up at your plase and ishod like to no what you ask apease fore them ore by the dosen at your plase or dlivlered at the stasion jefferson county Antwerp, N. Y. ihave wrote befor and have not got no anser."
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TOWN OF ST. JOHNSBURY
February 2, 1858 The fire wardens report the cisterns near the South church, on Summer street and on R. R. street, sound and full of water; the cistern opposite the Court House is two-thirds full, the one near the Post Office is broken and empty.
July, 1859 Independence Day toast .- The Ladies : Fireside ornaments, Presiding Deities in the Temple of Home, China Vases amongst the stone ware of humanity ; responded to by Geo. W. Cahoon of Lyndon.
July 13, 1859 An unusual sight was that of thirteen ladies and gentle- men passing thro our streets on horseback yesterday. They were a party of tourists on the way to the mountains from New York City on a 700 mile trip.
July 18, 1859 Mowing machines are beginning to supersede the scythe on our fields. They seem to work well, tho our Vermont hills were supposed to be proof against any such innovation.
Aug. 10, 1859 A Sunday School excursion of 34 cars, 12 of which were from this town, to the Bradford grove. The train was nearly a quarter of a mile long ; with banners and evergreens and merry children numbering almost four thousand.
August, 1859 The late Judge Paddock was an influential member from this town of the Legislature during the twenties ; at a time when that body had such a galaxy of learning, of talent, and of eloquent speakers as the state of Vermont has seldom furnished.
March 28, 1860
My grandson Isaac Snell has run away with the help of his brother Lewis Snell the third. I forbid all persons trusting him on my account as I will not pay one cent for him no The Widow Polly Snell
way.
August 17, 1860 Hon. Justin S. Morrill, who spoke before the Vermont Teachers' Association at the South Church last evening, was serenaded and escorted with a torch light procession by the Torrent and Deluge fire com- panies.
November 9, 1860 Behold, how brightly breaks the morning ! Repub- lican tornado ; Abram Lincoln to be next President ! £ Hear what the people say!
December 10, 1860 Stove wood is for the first time a drug on our mar- ket. Best maple and yellow birch $3 a cord; common run of wood less.
April 19, 1861 War! Fort Sumter bombarded and surrendered ! 75,000 militia called out by President Lincoln !
April 20, 1861 Today Col. Harvey of the Passumpsic House drilled 100 men or more, who at the tap of drum and scream of fife stepped into mili- tary line. A strange scene on our streets !
533
MISCELLANEOUS CHRONICLE
April 22, 1861 Patriotic Meeting ! The Town Hall filled to overflowing ! 70 men volunteer for military service !
May 17, 1861 The listers of our town, as required, return 460 men quali- fied for enrolment in the state militia.
June 9, 1861 Gov. Fairbanks' remarks to the Third Regiment at Camp Baxter on Sunday, showed his great solicitude for the honor of the state and also a personal care for the soldiers that was not official only, but parental. Nothing but the sacredness of the day prevented rounds of applause.
July 6, 1861 At the Town Hall, 40 ladies have made up 900 towels for the Camp Baxter Boys. Many flowers have also been sent down to them.
July 24, 1861 The Third Regiment of 882 men left St. Johnsbury today in a train of 24 cars, bound for the seat of war.
January 1, 1862 Periodical literature mailed to this village : 212 dailies, 27 semi-weeklies, 817 weeklies, 54 semi-monthlies, 173 monthlies ; total 1283.
February 21, 1862 On a neighboring farm is a snow drift as big as a forty foot barn ; it was necessary to tunnel it in order to get at the cattle.
April 1, 1862 The snow has settled considerably. Guard rails and hitch- ing posts begin to make their appearance again on our streets ; 25 inches of snow fell in March, 51 in February, 41 in January.
August, 1862 In recruits under the call for nine months' service, the Center Village led the County. This town's quota of 62 was promptly made up, and within five weeks 94 men were enlisted. Out of 30 men who make up the Excelsior Hook and Ladder Co., 26 are now in the army.
January 1, 1863 The emancipation proclamation of President Lincoln was greeted by the ringing of all the bells of the village for three quarters of an hour.
February 13, 1863 "I wish to protest against the wide advertising of St. Johnsbury as the coldest spot in New England. Years ago Franconia was the cold place, but lately it is being eclipsed by bulletins sent out from this town. Approved thermometers do not justify this."
May 26, 1863 A pair of loons found their way to the Depot mill pond Saturday. There may not have been any wild shots but the man who was hit in the back by a spent ball doesn't care to have any more loons come to that, pond.
May 30, 1863 The listers found 86 dogs in town, and by the law now in force they stand the same in the list as 86 horses valued at $100 each; $8,600 of dog.
XL
FRAGMENTS
"Of the fragments that remained they took up twelve baskets full"
"What a good deed it is to gather up these scattered crumbs of the past" Wagner
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