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 5
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Copied from the minutes of Jona. Arnold Esquire, former Town Clerk ; Attest, J. L. Arnold, Town Clerk. Page 85, Vol. 1, Town Records.
The Parish lines above noted as traced on the original map of the Township Rights show a skilful division into three nearly equal parts. The long straight line first described between lots 14 and 23 ran south-easterly from Danville line, somewhat south of Goss Hollow, south of Four Corners, south of Center Village, north of East Village, to the Kirby Line, near where Moose River enters the town. Below this main line was the South Parish, above it the East and West Parishes, divided by Passumpsic River. These parish divisions were rarely referred to except in land trans- fers during the earlier years ; as in the conveyance of land by Dr. Arnold for the old grave yard "situated in the South Parish," where the Court House now stands.
DISTRICTED FOR SCHOOLS
In March, 1795, it was voted that the town be districted for schools, and two years after the Committee appointed for the pur- pose reported a division into six districts, as follows :
"The North West District, to begin at the N. W. corner of the Town, thence running southwardly the length of two Rights and one third, then easterly parallel with the lines across three Rights, then north on the line to Lyndon.
"The Corner District, beginning at the S. E. corner of the North West District, then running southwardly two Rights and 3 rd, then westwardly to the Danville line.
"The South Westerly District, beginning at the N. E. corner of No. 8, running southwardly to Samuel Barker's north line, then westward to John Ide's land, thence south across the Right then East to Jona. Trescott's barn, then south to the Littleton line.
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MAKING A TOWN
"The City District, to begin N. E. corner of No. 8, running easterly on said line to the River.
"The Middle District, from the Scott lot, beginning at the north line of the City District, running north on the River to Benj. Doolittle's south line, then easterly on said line to the S. E. Corner of No. 28, then northerly 2 rights, then westerly on the line across one Right, then south one third of a Right, then westerly across 2 Rights, to the S. E. Corner of the School Right.
"The North District, bounded on the Middle district on the south, on the North West District on the west, on the River on the east, on Lyndon on the north.
St. Johnsbury, March 4, 1797.
JOHN LADD STEPHEN DEXTER
NATH'L EDSON
MOSES TUTE REUBEN BRADLEY
JOSEPH LORD
Com.
JOHN IDE
JERIAH HAWKINS
JOEL HASTINGS
The above lines are difficult to trace; apparently part of the town was not sufficiently settled to be included in the division; the Middle District was what is now called the Center; the City District included the Plain, but its boundary lines do not appear in full on the record. In 1800, Rights 23, 34, 45, 56 were incor- porated into a new District, and three more were set out in 1804. From that date to the present, constant changes have obliterated all the original lines. In 1884 there were 16 districts and 30 schools. By act of Legislature in 1892 the old district system was abolished, the property belonging to the several districts was appraised and taken over by the town, and the entire public school system was committed to the management of the School Board of Directors.
ANNEXATION PROPOSED
On the 29th of October, 1791, a petition was put up to the General Assembly by the land owners and inhabitants of the west part of Littleton, now Waterford, to be set off from Littleton and united to St. Johnsbury. In this petition
"it is humbly shown that the Inhabitants of St. Johnsbury being Organized, and amongst whom Law is known and Order is duly observed, and having begun to provide for the introduction of Regular Schools and the Preaching of the Gospel ; for these reasons in an especial manner, as well as others, we are desirous to be united with them, that we and our Children may as Citi- zens and Christians enjoy those valuable advantages as early as may be, and which without such Union we cannot expect to do, if ever, for many years."
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This petition was referred to a special committee, who recom- mended that in view of insufficient information, action be de- ferred till next session. The matter did not come up again.
Annexation of the small triangle of Waterford west of the river and this side of Passumpsic Village, including the valuable Parks farm, was prayed for 101 years later at the General Assem- bly of 1892. The result, as announced in the Montpelier Journal the day after, was, that "the northwest corner of Waterford is still to remain in Waterford and will not become one of the Parks of the Jerusalem of Vermont."
V
A BUNCH OF STORIES
"And, without anecdote, what is biography, or even history." James Russell Lowell
A SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY-ENOS AND JONATHAN-CYNTHIA AND SOPHY-THE WILLOW SWITCH FORECASTS EVENTS-BLACK RUTH AND THE CAT-BIRTHDAY PARTY AT FOUR CORNERS- THE NIGHTINGALE HEARS SOMETHING-GOING FOR THE SICKLE-ELATHAN AND ICHABOD-PROPERTY IN THE EAR- BEARS OF MOOSE RIVER.
ROMANTIC DOINGS AT NUMBER FOUR
"Important Sabine elements were largely intermixed with those of Latin origin in the founding of Rome."
Early in 1790 the death of Mrs. Arnold left a lonely house in the new settlement, and a little daughter, Freelove, seriously needing a mother's care. In the fall of the same year, the Doc- tor, accompanied by Capt. Enos Stevens of Barnet made a trip to "No. 4," Charlestown, N. H., ostensibly to visit the Stevens homestead but with ulterior possibilities in view. While in the home of Lieut. Samuel Stevens matters were talked over and presently invitations to tea were issued to Cynthia, daughter of Lemuel Hastings, and Sophy, daughter of Elijah Grout. In an- ticipation of a possible emergency, Mrs Squire West, an expert in
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adjusting situations, was also invited. It turned out that each of the visitors from Vermont would be pleased to escort Cynthia to her home, but the skilful diplomacy of Matron West secured her to Jonathan and assigned Sophy to Seth. The ultimate and felicitous result of this was that both these daughters of No. 4, migrated with their husbands to Vermont.
Sophy at first encountered some paternal reluctance, grounded on the fact that Stevens had been a loyalist during the revolu- tionary war; but finally she was told that if she was determined to marry an old Tory she might, only all she could take from the Grout homestead would be herself and one cow. This it seems was satisfactory, and on March 4, 1791, she set out with her hus- band for Barnet. Here she lived till her death in 1815, and here were born her ten children, one of whom was Henry Stevens, the distinguished antiquary, referred to in the prefatory note of this book.
Dr. Arnold had some difficulty in persuading Cynthia Has- tings to face the proposition of a home with him in the northern wilderness. He left her to think it over while he went on for some business matters to Rhode Island. Pending his return her favorable decision was arrived at, to which, it is said, she was in- fluenced in part by the Doctor's distinguished services both in the army and in Congress and by his character and standing as a man. They were "published" Nov. 21, 1790, but the date of marriage is missing, though it is recorded that there was plenty of visiting, dancing and frolicking on the occasion. It being too late in the season to carry any household effects through the forests, they mounted their horses with the few things that could be tucked in- to the saddle bags, and three days after were in St. Johnsbury, where three happy years were spent till the doctor's untimely death.
In March 1791 they both attended a session of the General As- sembly, Arnold being one of the Twelve Councilors, prior to the formation of the Senate. This was a most important session, for it was then voted to accept the Federal Constitution, which after fourteen years' opposition on the part of Congress, made Vermont one of the United States. After adjournment the Arnolds went directly to the home in which they were married the December
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A BUNCH OF STORIES
previous ; where "there was more visiting, frolicking and danc- ing," then the gathering together of household belongings and final departure for St. Johnsbury.
AN INTERESTING SWITCH
After mounting her horse for this journey, Dr. Oliver Hast- ings, her cousin, playfully handed Mrs. Arnold a willow switch, re- marking that when she had no further use for it on the horse she might plant it at the door step of her second husband ; she held the switch in hand till the end of the second day when they spent the night at the house of Samuel Ladd of Haverhill. As they mount- ed the next morning Mr. Ladd gave her a fresh stick and the same evening they arrived in St. Johnsbury. Meantime the willow had been set in the ground by Mr. Ladd, and four years later, she being a widow, was invited by him to come as his wife to the Haverhill house, which as time went on was shaded by a wide spreading willow tree, the upgrowth of her little riding switch. Of her six children born there, one, Mrs. Eliza Ladd Swan, spent her last years in St. Johnsbury, where she died, Feb. 14, 1893, at the age of 91 years.
The above incidents have been compiled from verbal narra- tion to the writer by Henry Stevens, son of Enos ; from the diary of Capt. Enos Stevens; from letter of Rev. Pliny H. White, and from Sanderson's History of Charlestown, No. 4. This place was the site of Fort No. 4, the last of a chain of forts extending up the valley of Connecticut; whence the name then in current use.
BLACK RUTH AND THE CAT
When the cat knocked the nappy off the shelf in the old Arnold home, old Black Ruth sent out for the children to come in and get the pieces." Tradition has quoted this as an illustration of the superstitions of her race with reference to the cat. A more probable interpretation would be that Aunt Ruth being fond of children wanted them to have the fragments of the nappy for their little play houses. This Ruth Farrow was a negress who had been given to the Arnold family as a slave in Rhode Island prior to
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the abolition of slavery there. Dr. Arnold had given her free- dom, but she said she would rather be a servant of the family for all her life. She had her wish, living fifty-three years in this town and serving three generations of the Arnold family. She had all the good qualities of her race, was trusty and faithful in her place, and always friendly to the village children, as many of them in later years have told us.
"Old Aunt Ruth," says one, reviewing events of seventy years before, "was the first black person we youngsters had ever seen, and I recall the curiosity not unmingled with fear, which the first sight of her in 1813 gave me." Another says "when I was a child I used often to see Ruth Farrow, the slave who belonged to the Arnold family. I came to be very fond of her; she petted me and told me stories. When she died and was buried, if no one else shed a tear for old Black Ruth, I know at least one boy who did." She died Jan. 1, 1841, and her grave is with the Arnold's in their family lot, where a substantial stone bears her name and age.
It is a remarkable circumstance that Ruth Farrow of those earliest years was the only negro who ever lived any very long time in this town during the period of a century and a quarter; also the only person who might in a sense be called a slave in the State of Vermont; the first sovereignty in the history of the world to prohibit slavery by the terms of its Constitution.
THE PIONEER AND THE SLAVE
"Side by side in a narrow lot, In a quiet unfrequented spot, Are two most unassuming graves, The pioneer's-the faithful slave's.
"One marble slab, white, cut with care,
And one of slate, dark, low and bare Save but one name-stand o'er these graves, The pioneer's-the faithful slave's.
"And yet how well they symbolize
The master's and the servant's lives ; One, white, high-born, both free and brave, One, dark, in bondage born, a slave.
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A BUNCH OF STORIES
"Yet both did serve-both slaves were they, And both a master did obey; Each in their lives exemplified The true slave spirit till they died.
"But in his varied tasks great deeds One saw ; he served his nation's needs ; And to great principles was nerved, And one knew only that she served. ..
"Side by side in these quiet graves Long buried lie these faithful slaves ; Both servants to eternal plans Yet one served God's, the other man's."
C. H. H.
Mount Pleasant, March, 1903.
WHAT HAPPENED AT THE BIRTHDAY PARTY
"Oft times sundrie thinges doe falle out betweene ye cuppe and ye lippe." 1588.
In 1790 Eleazar Sanger brought his bride Sabrina Whitney from Winchester to St. Johnsbury on an ox sled. He had built a log house at the Four Corners. The next year it was proposed to celebrate her birthday. Invitations were accordingly issued to Dr. Arnold and his wife Cynthia, to Gen. and Mrs. Joel Roberts, to Gardner and Martin Wheeler and their wives, all of whom came to grace the occasion. The turkey was roasted, the nice pewter service was set out, and the genial company of ten were having a merry time of it around the pine table, when
"suddenly the floor, insufficiently supported by props, began to slide and cave and tunnel cellarward! down went the table, the pewter, the turkey, gravy, Doctor, General, host, ladies, floor and all! Great was the smash, the scare; and the laugh, after the party had all crept up safe from the hole-for cellars were but holes in those primitive huts, and men and women could laugh heartily over such little mishaps-the pewter plates were not broken, the floor could be repaired."
Dinner parties and suppers were memorable occasions as fam- ilies multiplied in the settlement. Houses were far apart but all were neighbors and managed to get together. On a crisp winter
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evening "the oxen were gee'd up to the kitchen door, hitched to the sled and the first family started ; calling then for the next fam- ily, and the next on the way, till the last family on the road had joined the party. Arriving at their destination this old fashioned surprise party stopped at the log mansion, shook off the 'buffalo of hay,' unloaded the sled on the great stone door step, where the welcomings and greetings were so hearty as to be almost deafening. The well fatted turkey was prepared for the spit, the pies and the puddings well flavored were placed for baking, and meanwhile a mug of hot flip came not amiss after the cold ride of eight or ten miles. A good supper and joviality and sincere good-will crowned the hour."
THE NIGHTINGALE HAS WIND OF A BEAR
St. Johnsbury at this time was in Old Orange County. There was a newspaper called "The Orange Nightingale and Newbury Morning Star." On a fragment of the issue of The Nightingale dated August 25, 1776, is this intelligence :
"We hear from St. Johnsborough that a woman employed in carrying dinner to some men who were at work some distance from her house was attacked by a bear, and before her cries were heard or any assistance arrived, was mangled in such a condition that she expired." Local tradition has no remembrance of this event, tho it does recall that a woman living near the Danville line was afraid to go from her cabin to the brook for a pail of water, because of bears. Possibly The Nightingale having con- founded a borough with a bury, also got the bear story more tragic than it was. We hope it did.
GOING FOR THE SICKLE
One day in 1799, Oney and Stephen, boys in Hawkins' Corner, were sent over to Goss Hollow to borrow a sickle. This took them across the Branch, which at that point had a log thrown across it for a foot bridge. Arriving at the Goss clearing they found the sickle had been lent to Gardner Wheeler over at the Four Corners. They made their way over there, got the sickle
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A BUNCH OF STORIES
and brought it back as far as Goss Hollow. By that time it was nearly night fall, so a man accompanied them thro the woods and got them safely across the log bridge. From that point the mother of Stephen had stumps on fire to keep off the bears, and soon her voice was heard calling, "boys! boys!" They answered with a shout and waving the sickle plunged along the trail till they found her. It is to be noted that in all that part of the town there was only one sickle, which did duty from Four Corners to Goss Hollow and Hawkins Corner, now known as Cole Corner. The home to which the sickle came that day was a loose jointed log cabin in the edge of the woods, thro the cracks of which the snow drifted in on to the beds when the winds were high of a winter night.
ELATHAN AND ICHABOD
John Ide, revolutionary soldier, came from Rehoboth to St. Johnsbury in 1792. He bought 150 acres above Crow Hill on land which now includes the A. F. Lawrence farm. For this he was to pay £135 sterling ; the first payment in hard money by the 27th of May next year. Early in the spring he started his family for St. Johnsbury, with ox carts, cows and horses. Progress thro the woods was laborious, and payment would be due on the 27th be- fore they could reach their destination. So a horse was detached from the team, on which the eldest daughter, Elathan, age 18, was
mounted with the money. She pushed on thro the forest unat- tended, thirty miles, arrived at St. Johnsbury, paid down the money on the date due and secured the property. This farm was on the original right of Joseph Fay of Bennington. Near by were the farms of Asquire Aldrich, John Armington, Nathaniel Bishop, David Lawrence, Samuel Bowker and Caleb Wheaton, all of whom came about the same time from Rehoboth.
John Ide was in Capt. Elisha May's company of volunteers in the war, from Attleboro. He was the father of thirteen children ; nearly all the Ides of this and neighboring towns are his descend- ants.
Ichabod Ide when a young man found a stray cow which he put up in his barn. She had no tail. He went down to the tavern
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and found someone who got him a bovine tail. This he managed to attach in such a way as to complete the apparent outfit of the animal in his barn. Presently a man came along, inquiring if a stray cow had been seen. "Yes," said Ichabod : "one came along and I put her in my barn ; perhaps you'd better see if she is the one you are after." The man went in, then came out and said, "She looks like my cow, but can't be the one, for mine hasn't got any tail"!
PROPERTY IN THE EAR
"He shall also bring him to the door or unto the door post ; and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl."
Cattle, sheep and swine had large liberty of self-support, by roaming about and foraging for themselves as in all early settle- ments. For identification, especially of sheep, it was arranged that each animal should carry its proprietor's mark on the ear. This boring of a hole with an awl through the ear to indicate pro- prietorship was not wholly a modern device, as we learn from the twenty first chapter of Exodus, though in this ancient case the op- eration seems to have been invited by the owner of the ear. Cattle marks were duly defined by entry on the town records ; the first four being the marks of Jonathan Arnold, Jonathan Adams, Jona- than Richards and Richard Packard, entered July 6, 1792. Three years later we find the following recorded. "The mark of Josias L. Arnold Esq., is a swallow's tail on the end of the right ear and a crop off the left ear, being formerly the mark of his father, Jona. Arnold, recorded on the first page. The mark of Barnabas Barker is a hole through the left ear. The mark of Nathaniel Edson is a hole through the right ear and a slit in the same. The mark of Joseph Lord is a cut of half an inch on the top of the right ear and about the middle thereof, and a half penny on the upper side of the left ear near the head. Recorded the 2nd day of May, 1795. Attest J. L. Arnold Town Clerk." The liability of losing sheep was such that the ear-mark continued in force as late as 1827, one of the last on record being that of Hon. Ephraim Paddock, viz: two slits on the under side of the left ear and a hole through the right ear.
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A BUNCH OF STORIES
BEARS OF MOOSE RIVER
""He soon found that the bear could beat him in dodging behind the tree, and in desperation he set out to run toward the river." Bears of Blue River.
In 1795, Asa Lee had dealings with bears on what was after- ward the Hovey farm on the East Village road. In early spring the cattle just turned out, came up at night one cow missing. At this date the bears had not been long out from hibernation and they too were hungry. Asa started out at once to look up the missing cow. He found five bears enjoying their supper on her by the river side. Cutting a big club he drove them off and hung his blue frock on a pole as warning to them not to come back; then started over the hillside to get Pres. West to come down and help skin the cow. On the way he ran upon the remnants of a steer he had lost some while before. There were unmistakable evidences of a struggle on the spot. The bushes were trodden and broken, bark was torn off the saplings by the hind claws of the bears whose fore paws were on the steer as he vainly tried to pull himself away from them. Pres. West came over and they skinned the cow but got no bears that time.
Deborah Lee, daughter of Asa, when 14 days old was carried by her mother, March 13, 1802, thro the woods to Pres. West's. A bear came shambling along in the path ; the mother kept cool and quiet as she stood at one side holding her baby. Confronted with the sight thereof, this bear, like the one foretold by the prophet with a little child in the midst, did neither hurt nor destroy, and little Deborah and her mother were soon happily visiting with Mrs. West. For the return trip however thro the forest, Judge West thought an escort desirable ; taking up the baby he carried her in his arms and deposited her safely in the Lee home.
Four or five years later the father of Deborah encountered a bear ; at first the bear ran, till being at disadvantage he turned on his pursuer, who dodged behind a big rock. The bear plunged around on the other side and charged with jaws wide open. Lee met the onset by a forceful blow on the jaw of the bear with his gun stock. The bear grabbed the gun with his teeth and devoted
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his wrathful energies to that, till Hopkin Rowland came up with another gun and administered a final sedative. The battered gun- stock was kept as a memento of the occasion, mountings torn off and prints of bear teeth on it.
As late as Oct. 17, 1833, Lee records that he "shot a beare." This was up near the Spaulding Neighborhood. The bear had been for some while rioting thro the nights in the cornfields. One day the men set out to get him. They found him in a deep thicket of the woods, and got some shot into him. As he plunged out, two men on either side attached their pitch forks to his neck and Fred Bugbee grabbed him stoutly by one hind leg. While this procession was advancing thro the underbrush Asa Lee took aim and headed off further visits of this particular bear to the corn- fields. His grandson, Henry Lee, has given to the writer the de- tails above recorded of these true bear stories.
Spaulding Neighborhood bears retained a residence down to November 9, 1905, on which date two of them strolled out to see what was going on. Their pelts attracted considerable attention the next day on Railroad Street.
.- Jonathan Arnold.,
IV
THE PASSING OF THE ARNOLDS
DEATH OF DR. ARNOLD-HIS PERSONALITY-ANNOUNCEMENT IN PROVIDENCE-LETTER TO THE DUKE OF MONTROSE-A SCHOLAR AND POET IN THE SETTLEMENT-ASPASIA SAILS-ODE TO THE PASSUMPSICK-BLASTED PLANS-REDISCOVERY OF THE TOWN FATHER-PORTRAIT IN THE ATHENAEUM-GOV: ARNOLD BORN IN VERMONT-STORY OF THE FIRST FRAMED HOUSE -- A HOUSE AT THE FOUR CORNERS
DEATH OF JONATHAN ARNOLD
Six years after opening his homestead lot on the Plain Dr. Arnold was stricken with dropsy and died at the age of 52. He had risen rapidly in public esteem and was recognized as the lead- ing man in this part of the state. He was chief justice of Orange County, trustee of the University of Vermont, member of the Gov- ernor's Council and a probable candidate for the governor's seat had he lived.
The strength of his personality was everywhere felt. He was robust in frame, of saguine temperament, independent mind and positive opinions. Long contact with public men and affairs of the world had given him rank as a leader ; while accessible and companionable he always maintained an undisputed ascendancy in this new settlement. His letters indicate familiar acquaintance with literature and a genuine religious spirit. Tho suffering from many reverses and bereavements, he says in writing to a friend : "Nevertheless, I accuse not the Sovereign Arbiter of my
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