USA > Vermont > Windsor County > Woodstock > The valley of the Kedron; the story of the South parish, Woodstock, Vermont > Part 19
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21
302
The Valley of the Kedron
minister. This tax, if paid by a certain time, could be paid in wheat. Availing himself of this privilege, as money was hard to get, and the time about to expire, he took five pecks of wheat on his shoulder and started across the hills for Reading Center. It stormed gently, but soon in- creased to a rapid fall of snow which, he said, when he got to the Reverend's house, at about 2 p. m., was nearly knee deep. When he entered, the family were about to sit down to what appeared to him an excellent boiled dish for dinner. The Reverend gentleman sat down to the table, craved a blessing from the Author of all good, but did not ask Mr. Pope to partake with them. Mr. Pope's shoes (his leggins not being prepared) were full of snow, and sat down by the fire and dried them and his stockings best he could. After dinner the Reverend arose from the table, measured the wheat and receipted the tax. This so irri- tated Mr. Pope, that he declared he would never pay an- other minister's tax, if he had to move his house on to C. Tilden's land in Woodstock. Finding the Friends were exempt from the tax, he and many others availed them- selves of the fact and joined them, and his house staid in Reading. None of his descendants are known to live in Vermont. Mr. Pope was a cripple, and lost his mind some years before he died.
Joseph Barnes, son of William Barnes, received a deed of about fifty acres from Oliver Davis. Their children were: Ira, Mary, Delia, Mason, Laura, Louisa, Philander and William. Mr. Barnes was, during the war of 1812-15, a Federalist, and had displayed over his front door the heading of his paper in large fanciful letters, The Wash- ingtonian; also on the wall of his living room, opposite to
303
Family Portraits
its entrance. I think he must have been conscientious in his belief, judging from the zealousness and vehemence with which he discussed the political questions of the day. He lived but a short time after the close of the war, dying with typhus fever. His children all lived to man and womanhood, except William. None of them settled in Woodstock.
Mr. Davis early settled on the farm next south of Read- ing line, on the main road. His children, whom I knew, were Oliver, Leonard, Samuel, Mrs. Joseph Barnes, and Mrs. Noah Cady. Mr. Davis must have been a man ad- vanced in years when he came here as all of his children were married and had families of their own at my earliest recollection. Oliver was married three or four times, I think four, his last wife being a Mrs. Holt of Sherburne, at which place he died. Leonard married Sarepta Cady, lived on the homestead some twenty or more years, then kept a public house in the village of Woodstock a few years. He died somewhat past the middle age, where I do not recol- lect. His widow married a Mr. Holden and lived to be 97 or 98 years old. Samuel also married a Cady girl, Sarah, and lived awhile north, I think Canada, then came back, lived on the William Barnes place, thence to Peterboro, N. H., thence back to West Windsor, at which place he died. His widow lived a few years after his death at the homestead, then in Reading with her son-in-law, Dexter Buck, at which place she died.
Charles White had a deed of land from the original right of William Temple, about 1790, which was deeded by Gaius Randall to Benjamin Darling, Nov. 17, 1806. Mr. Darling married Huldah Morton, by whom he had
304
The Valley of the Kedron
three children, Betsey Maria, Huldah Morton and Ezra. In the winter of 1820-21 Mr. Darling and family emigrated to Pennsylvania, near the New York line. Of Mr. White but little is known, except that he was a working man, and worked much for Nathaniel Wood, Jr., and that he was much addicted to fun and romance. His family con- sisted of a wife and seven children. The place is now owned by H. H. H. Rood and Noah Edward Wood.
Caleb Tilden was born in Massachusetts, Nov. 13, 1745, his wife, Joanna Barker, (a sister of Hon. Josiah Barker, a member of the General Court of Massachusetts, Sept. 2, 1745) were married Oct. 1, 1770. Their children were Sarah (married and stayed in Massachusetts, Joanna, Caleb, Ruth and Josiah, who died when young. Mr. Tilden was an anchor maker and shipsmith by trade, but when mar- ried he bought a place in Pembroke and run a grist mill- two run of stones, no bolt. After Caleb was eleven years old, he usually tended the mill, his sisters helping to handle the bags, his father working in the place where he learned his trade, coming home Saturday to dress the mill stones. In November, 1793, Mr. Tilden bought 110 acres, on which N. E. Wood now lives, and worked one year on it, sowing seeds for apples, plums, raising some grain, potatoes, etc., building a log house and shop for use when he took his family on. During that time, Caleb, now 16, carried on his small place of twelve acres, running the mill in connection. During the winter of 1795 he returned home, sold out, and with Ezra Wood came with a spike team, (two oxen and a horse,) first taking a load of wheat and other stuff to Boston market, and then bringing his family and effects to Vermont. Mr. Tilden, as his trade
305
Family Portraits
would indicate, was an excellent forger, and could fashion almost anything of iron, but was not a very practical shoer. He and Caleb soon became experts at making nails. By working in the shops when the weather was unpropitious and considerably at night, they soon had about one-third of their farm cleared, and a fine orchard of apples and plums planted, which bore abundantly for many years. Now there is but one solitary tree standing of the old orchard. Mr. Tilden, after Caleb lost his reason, cleared but little, cutting a small piece in winter, using the best timber for his fires. I had hoped to have given the prices of making nails by the thousand, shoeing and other smith work at that day, from his old book, which by the way, was kept in pounds, shillings and pence. By some fortuity, it has disappeared.
He was not ambitious, never wishing to engage in any business, public or private, except his own. He never, ex- cept compelled by dire necessity, bought a thing unless he paid in commodity or ready cash. He was a man of few words, never joining any religious denomination, but very exemplary in his conversation, in all his dealings with men and in his family, and it was remarked by one of the older inhabitants of the district, "that he was one of the noblest works of God, an honest man." On the 16th day of May, 1813, he worked alone mending fence. About sundown a passer saw him holding to the limb of an apple tree a few rods from his house, then fall. Jumping from his horse he gave the alarm, and ere he and Mrs. Tilden could get there with a pillow, he was dead. Mrs. Tilden, who was an excellent helpmeet, a willing sharer in all his trials and privations, of his joys and sorrows, survived him only a
306
The Valley of the Kedron
little over four years, dying at Noah Wood's, June 25, 1817.
A man named Fowle settled on land now owned by Frank Wilder, a Mr. Reddington on land of George Spear, a Mr. Tubbs, Webster, Bassett and Thomas in that part of the district. As they left no representatives in district, I know but little about them except the places of their abode. Abiah Rice bought the land of Mr. Standish and moved on in about 1810. He was a very energetic and suc- cessful farmer, stock raising being his principal forte. His land extended from I. R. Fullerton's to Esq. Shedd's in Reading, almost two miles. In his dealings with men he claimed to be upright, punctual and exacting, the last of which he lived to perfection. Never would dispose of property unless paid in labor, commodity or hard cash- no shinplasters for him. In his family he was despotic, rul- ing with a rod of iron and enforcing with a birch withe, depriving all of his children at times the privilege of his house. He was a revolutionary soldier and drew an ensign's pension. His wife was a Sterling, an excellent housekeeper and farm woman, who outlived him and received the pen- sion till well into the nineties. Their children were Anna B., Irene, Sarah and Calista, who now lives at the age of almost eighty-two years. Retiring, somewhat, from business he conveyed a part of his possessions to Josiah Page, con- ditioned for the support of him and wife. All went well for a while, then his elbow got crooked and he attempted to get it back, but Page, by the assistance of his father, was so far on the lead that it was thought they saved enough to buy a nice river farm. He next made a similar trade with Henry Hoadley. All went smoothly for a while. Again the waters were disturbed, but Mr. Hoadley, by the
307
Family Portraits
assistance of his friends (all were his friends) got the in- side track so as to save enough, it was thought, to pay him for his time and trouble. His next trade was with David Hammond of Reading, increasing the compensation one or two thousand dollars each time. All for awhile was placid as a silver lake, but by and by the waters were dis- turbed and the waves ran high, but Mr. Hammond man- aged his bark so as not to get swamped. In one of the gales he said: "Anything you want, yes, rum enough, if you want it, to swim in." He suffered with cancer in his last years, one side of his face being almost gone. He died under Mr. Hammond's care, which was excellent. Mrs. Rice survived him and Mr. Hammond a number of years and died under the care of Mrs. Hammond, who worn by toil and care, lived less than a year, I think, after the ful- fillment of the contract."
That Scotch settlement in the neighborhood of the North side of Fletcher hill is suggestive of much interest. Wm. Mc Clay settled where Julius Gramling lives, near by were Stephen his son, John Fisher, a son-in-law, Robt. Hill and some of the numerous Mack family. There was a Craigue family intermarried with the McClays, about whom, nothing definite has come to light. These old Scots loved to joke each other, and the one who could say first, "You may be an honest man but you never paid Jennie Hammond her wages for teaching," reached the height of humor. This was done with a good Scotch burr, which was a nice throaty growl.
This chapter should contain a few words about Mrs. Willard and Mrs. Storrs for they belonged to the South Parish, though their married lives were spent elsewhere.
308
The Valley of the Kedron
They were frequent visitors at the home of their sister Mrs. Mary Ann Kendall. I remember Mrs. Storrs with her shining dark eyes, her joyous laugh, and her beautiful contralto voice. Even when eighty years of age she sang beautifully. Her husband pioneered in Nebraska, settling where Omaha now is, building the first store and helping the first preachers who came there. Mrs. Storrs and her children followed him, going by boats and stage coaches, meeting with seri- ous accidents on the long journey. Her graphic recital of those experiences, fill one's memory with incidents far surpassing the usual modern novel. That beautiful Abba Willard was as delicate as a bit of choice china. The sisters were at the Kendall home, when relatives were ex- pected from the West. Mrs. Willard had dressed herself in trailing robes, a lovely lace shawl was draped over her head and shoulders, flowers and plumes and bright ribbons added to the gayety of the costume. She planned to sit on an Indian blanket spread on the ground and as a Princess of a Royal house of America's first families, the Indians, these relatives were to be welcomed. Her beauty, grace and choice playfulness are indelible memories.
Mrs. Abba French Willard, sister of Mrs. Larned Ken- dall lived for some years at Houghton, Michigan. On the death of Mrs. Kendall, two nieces, one, Mrs. Willard's daughter, Mrs. Rees, the other, the daughter of Mrs. Elizabeth French Storrs of Omaha, Neb. Mrs. Bowen, came to South Woodstock and received various things which Mrs. Kendall had willed them. Mrs. Rees received the little painting of the early pond. I wrote the family about it and Mr. Rees sent it to me, which has made possible its reproduction in this book.
309
Family Portraits
Stephen Smith of Lyme, Connecticut, came to Wood- stock in the spring of 1782 and bought a lot in No. 6 of the Apthorp tract. He erected the side walls of a crude log cabin, and then returned to Connecticut for his family. His wife was Irene Ransom, a sister of Deacon Elisha Ransom who settled in the South Parish that same year and being a Baptist preacher, he proclaimed his doctrine all around the neighborhood. It took this Smith family with their five children, thirteen days to make the trip. They had a yoke of oxen, a horse and cart, the oldest boy walked most of the way. Wife and children were appalled by the wilderness and desolation of this new abode. Tall grass appeared where the floor should have been and the horse had its first supper, eating that grass. In the center of this enclosure was the stump of a tree which the father said would serve as a light stand. The next morning distant neighbors came, put on a roof of bark, and laid a floor of split bass logs. Three large flat stones made a hearth for the fire and the smoke went where it listed. This is the only description I have found of a South Parish cabin.
Three boys of this family became preachers and fed in various theological pastures, two of them finally turned to curing physical ailments instead of spiritual. Son Elias taught school in the South Village and on Slayton hill though his education was most limited. He wrote a book with the title, "The Life, Conversion, Preaching, Travels and Sufferings of Elias Smith, written by Himself. Boston, Ms. Sold by the Author, at No 140 Hanover St., Boston and by the Booksellers in various parts of the United States, 1840. Printed by B. True, 19 Water St."
310
The Valley of the Kedron
A picture of Elias graces the page opposite the title, with this statement appearing below it. "Elias Smith, Minister of the New Testament and Botanic Physician, born June 17th 1769."
.
Mary Grace Canfield
A BRIEF SKETCH OF M. G. CANFIELD
Mrs. Canfield was born on the Connecticut Western Re- serve, that famous section of the Northwest Territory. Her people pioneered here. She graduated from what in these later years is the Municipal University of Akron,
311
Family Portraits
with the degree of A.B., having majored in the classics. She is a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority. She taught for a few years in Kent, Ohio, a town which some of her ancestors first settled. She early identified her- self with causes which needed help. She spent two years doing field work for the women of her church. She served several years on the Official Board of the Young People's Society of her church and helped to edit their weekly paper. She married a Universalist minister and became the mother of children. She found time to campaign in several states for Woman Suffrage and since the vote was won, has been identified with the League of Women Voters. She is deeply interested in history and has contributed, to the local papers, many historical articles. She has dug up the history of the two Universalist Churches in Wood- stock. One of them dates back to 1786.
She has published a book on Lafayette's tour in Ver- mont, and all through the busy years as a minister's wife, she has found time to do much public speaking. These talks have dwelt with Emerson and His Philosophy, Ruskin, The Social Reformer, The Federal Constitutional Period, History of Our English Surnames and of course The Cause of Woman and Her Legal Status, and that other unpopular reform of Temperance and the Prohibition of the Liquor Traffic. She identifies herself with unpopular causes and struggling minorities. The blood of some Quaker ancestors flows in her veins which gives her courage and deep con- viction.
Stone Bridge over the Kedron
KEDRON ALONE by Ann Batchelder
Kedron alone, of all the streams That I have loved, that I have known, Mingles its song with all my dreams, Deep in my heart-Kedron alone.
Kedron alone can make me hear Voices long silent, overgrown With sound, as leaves at the falling year Make me remember-Kedron alone.
Kedron alone flows through my days, And the homesick heart is less my own, For the secret, sun-accepted ways Of the Brook Kedron-Kedron alone.
CHAPTER XIV
A Final Word
I MADE A TOUR of several South Woodstock houses to see if any hand carved mantels were in existence and any nice wood-work. The old central chimneys are gone and with them went most of the fireplaces and mantels. Several of these houses had end fireplaces and nearly all of these still have the mantels. Some of them are quite lovely. One house has deep window seats in the parlor, these with the excellent mantel, make the room very attractive. Another parlor has beautiful beading around the window and the door casings, with simple but very good panellings beneath the windows. This room originally had been stenciled but it is all papered now. A nice bit of stenciling adorns the stairway in one of the houses. The arches above the windows of the brick houses are interesting and so are the solid shutters. Most of the brick houses have the brick laid in running bond but some of them are not true run- ning bond. One house has its brick laid in Flemish bond which appeals to me. I think it the most beautiful and then it creates a wall of strength and durability.
There are several handsome doorways in the Village with their fanlights and carvings. Alas! So many changes have taken place in some of the houses that all semblance of what they once were, has been wiped out. But it is
314
315
A Final Word
interesting that two of the houses built by members of that innumerable Cottle family, should still stand. The houses erected by the ones who settled Cottletown are all gone, but Jabez and Warren built for permanency, they built with taste, with a fine feeling for beauty of line and decoration. The Giles house and the Beauregard house tell much about those two pioneers, Jabez and Warren Cottle, active, energetic men.
A few interesting facts, briefly told, must be given in regard to the service of these men for their town and state, and their financial standing.
The Woodstock Grand List for 1787 is a revealing docu- ment. Our pioneers living in log cabins with no con- veniences and no comforts, such as are necessities in these times, were by no means a poverty stricken group. The property is listed in pounds and shillings. The most affluent persons in the whole town were six men in the North Parish, beginning with Benjamin Burtch with 117 pounds; Captain Israel Richardson and son Lysander held their property jointly; then came son Israel, Jr., and of course Benjamin Emmons belonged to this thrifty group.
Richard Ransom heads the South Parish names with 63 pounds. Phinehas Thomas had 60 pounds. The Scot, Wm. McClay, had 53 pounds. John Ransom 50, John Sanderson 43, Thomas Ellis 42, Jonathan Farnsworth 40, Samuel Slayton 40, Warren Cottle and James Cobb each 39, Asahel Hoisington 38, Joseph Starling 37, Amasa Delano 36, Nathan Wood, Jr., 30 also Daniel Ralph and Israel Houghton. Ephraim Brewster and Sylvanus Cottle each had 31. Nathan Russ, Elijah Norton, Stephen Farnsworth and Jonathan Kingsley, Jr., each had 30 pounds.
316
The Valley of the Kedron
Beginning with Ichabod Perry who had 29 pounds and going down the list to include those having 20 pounds, the names are George Lake, Wm. Benjamin, Thomas Ellis, Jr., Joseph Cottle, John Cottle, Jabez Cottle, James Perry, Ebenezer Dike, Nathan Cook, Wm. Barns, Jonathan Benja- min, Jacob Holt, Benjamin Russ, John Hammond, Joseph Wood, Stephen Smith, Wm. Wood, John Ellis, John Hammond.
The rest of the South Parish names on this Grand List represent people who had less than 20 pounds of prop- erty. The scale even goes down to only 6 pounds. Nathan Avery, Joseph Barnes, Jonas Benjamin, Ebenezer ·Call, Asa Call, John Call, Joseph Call, Wm. Ellis, Elijah Field, Samuel Field, James Fletcher. Estate of Billy Gray, Ves- pasian Hoisington, Abner Herwood (this name is some- times spelt in the records Harwood), Jabez Hammond, Robert Hill, Philip Hammond, Ebenezer Kingsley, Asa Green, Nehemiah Mack and Nehemiah, Jr., David, Ben- jamin and Hezekiah Mack, Dan Niles, Stephen Paddock, Ezra Perry, Abel Paine, Samuel Pratt, Elijah Royce, Widow Desire Slayton, Thomas Root, Ezra Wood, Nathan Wood, Benjamin Wood, Seth Starlin, James Sanderson, Andrew Smith, Benjamin Sanderson, Jr.
The following South Parish men served in the State Legislature in the early years, thereby helping to form its policies. Vermont was not admitted to the Union until 1791, but some of these men were members of the State Body before that date. Warren Cottle was a member of the Legislatures of 1780, 1781, 1789. Phinehas Thomas was sent in 1783. Jabez Cottle went to the Legislatures of 1782, 1795, 1799 and 1805. Joseph Wood served in 1811. Stephen
JU !!!
-
L
Lude
Built by Warren Cottle
318
The Valley of the Kedron
Farnsworth in 1816 and 1817. Richard Ransom in 1826 and 1828. Billy Brown in 1827 and 1831. Sylvester Edson in 1829. Jason Kendall in 1833. Many years passed be- fore another representative was chosen from this South Parish.
There were constables even in the formative days of the town. Just what they had to do then, it is difficult to con- jecture. Ebenezer Kingsley was constable in 1776. Warren Cottle in 1784. Stephen Farnsworth 1795. James Fletcher 1797 and 1798. James Slayton for the years 1820-1824. Billy Brown in 1825. Tracy Bingham 1831-4. Gaius Perkins 1840-1855, though in 1851 Galen Persons looked after the job.
The Moderators of the town meetings from the South Parish, were Jabez Cottle in 1780, '81 and '83, and again 1798, 1800 and 1801. Phinehas Thomas served in 1797. Abraham Kendall in 1810.
Up to the year 1829 from the organization of the town, all officers served without pay but at the March meeting of 1829, Jesse Williams was elected one of the Selectmen and he refused to serve unless he was paid. He did not act but the man chosen in his place charged for his time. This created a precedent for all succeeding officers to re- ceive pay.
Beginning with the year 1779 and up to 1791, five Selectmen served each year. After that year, three were the number. The South Woodstock men who were elected to this office-and several of them served repeatedly, be- ginning in 1778,-were Oliver Farnsworth, Jabez Cottle, Ephraim Brewster, Phinehas Thomas, Daniel Perry, Stephen Smith, Abraham Kendall, John Ransom, Warren
TT
A Village Stairway
320
The Valley of the Kedron
Cottle, Benjamin Russ, Stephen Delano, James Fletcher, Joseph Wood, Stephen Paddock, Seth Wood, George Lake, Elisha Royce, Nathan Russ, Gaius Perkins, Jacob Kendall, James Slayton, Billy Brown, Sylvester Edson, Jason Ken- dall, Benjamin Bigelow, Oliver Kendall, Samuel Wood. He served in this capacity twenty-four years, and held many other positions of trust in Woodstock.
The very first town meetings were held in some of the homes but after the erection of the second court house in 1793 which stood on the south side of the Quechee on the ground just east of the middle bridge, part of the meetings were held in it. The beautiful building was burned July 4th, 1854. The picture reproduced in this book, was made from a small sketch in Conant's History of Vermont. Part of the town meetings were held in the West Meeting house, a Baptist affair which stood on the hill road beyond West Woodstock. This road is called Wyman Lane. The church was on the north side of the road, directly across from the graveyard. The picture of it, is copied from a tiny wood-cut in a booklet written by Dr. Henry Boynton a good many years ago. This church was built in 1789. Dissensions eventually wrecked it. Finally Frank Standish bought it and moved it down to the Green where it was converted into a tannery on the land where the present Frost mills are located. Here its complete destruction ensued, being consumed by fire. The sketch of the South Meeting house was made by Miss Muriel Thomas from the vivid description of the build- ing written by Daniel Ransom. In rotation, the town meetings were held in these three buildings in the dif- ferent parts of the town, and for many years they met
321
A Final Word
once each quarter. The old town records give us the facts of each assembly and the name of building in which it was held.
There is a great charm about this little Village, nestled among the hills,-the hills with their cellar holes, their mossy stone walls, laid up by sturdy pioneer hands, the old gnarled apple trees, the abandoned, grassy, indistinct roads. An atmosphere envelopes the whole region, and we who climb the heights, absorb the beauty about us, feel the grip of the historical background which is inti- mately connected with many of New England's first settlers, the ties which even reach across the sea to old England and some other parts of Europe. So we are not isolated but are an integral part of the great human family.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.