342                                     VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.

 

 

                                Names.                   Rank.          Co.      Reg.               Date of enlist.                 Date of muster. Remarks.

Lawrence, Joseph                       Priv.         E       9th            June 12, 62.             July 9,'62. Died July 26, '62, (fell from cars while in motion and was killed.)

Fuller, Dana       "                       "               "        Dec. 18, '63.      Dec. 30, '63.      Mustered out with reg. '65.

Colburn, Almon J.                       "               B       3d             June 1, '61.   July 16, '61. Died Feb. 18, '64.

Rollins, William H.                       "               "        9th            Dec. 31, '63. Dec. 31, '63. Mustered out July 7, '65,

Brockway, Martin                        "               "        3d             July 23, '61. July 28, '61. Music., re en. Dec. 21, '63, must, out July 28, '65.

Burbank, Jerome M.                    "               C       "                Mar. 13. 65. Mar. 13, '65. Mustered out July 11, '65.

Brown, Stillman A.                       "               E       9th            Feb. 28, '65. Feb. 28, '65. Must, out with reg.; dis. Oct. 24, '65.

Brown, William H.                       "               K       3d             Jan. 2, '64.    Jan. 2, '61. Drum'r; must. out July 11,'65

Franklin, Elisha D.                      "               D      9th            Sept. 9, '64.   Sept. 9, '64. Must. out Dec. 1, '65.

Rockwell, Wm. T.                        "               E       "                Mar. 13. '65. Mar. 13, '65.                       "         "

Lathe, Robert R.  "                       "               "        June 7, '62.       July 9, '62.        Must. out June 13, '65.

Coburn, George A.                      "               F       "                Jan. 5, '64.    Jan. 5, '64. Pro. corp. Aug., '64, serg't Apr. 27, '65; must, out with Reg.

Button, W. H.     Sergt.                A              5th    Sept. 5, '61.       Sept. 16, '61.      K'd Bank's Ford May 4, '63.

Smith, Henry L.  Priv.                  C              8th    Dec. 18, 61.       Feb. 18, '62.       Pro. corp.; pro. serg't Apr. 24, '64; must. out June 22, '64.

Kiser, Hiram S.   "                       "               "        Dec. 24, '61.         "        Died.

Hunt, Marcellus  "                       D             3d     Apr. 22, '61.       July 16, '61.       Pro. corp.; re-en. Dec. 21, '63; pro. serg't Co. D. July 25, '64; dis. May 16, '65.

Hatch, Henry      "

Terrill, Jesse G.  "                       G             7th    Dec. 9, '63.        Dec. 9, '63.        Died at Brattleb'o, Feb. 6,'63.

Mott, Langdon     "                       E              9th    June 23, '62.      July 9, '62.        Discharged Jan. 15, '63.

Burgess, Seth     "                       B              "        Aug. 17, '64.      Aug. 17, '64.      Proper name Seth B. Wing; must. out Dec. 1, '65.

Kelsey, Morrill     "                       K              "        Sept, 1, '64.       Sept, 1, '64.       Discharged July 9, '65.

Caples, Thomas   "                       F              "        Aug. 18, '64.      Aug. 18, '64.      Died Nov. 1, '64.

Buck, William     "                       K              "        Jan. 5, '64.        Jan. 5, '64.        Died Feb. 4, '65.

Sherlow, Miles    "                       "               "        Aug. 18, '64.      Aug. 18, '64.      Mustered out June 13, '65.

Huse, Timothy    "                       2 N.Y. Cav.

Edwards Austin  "                       K              6th Vt. Mar. 4, 65.       Mar. 4, '65.        Must. out June 26, '65.

Phipps, Josephus                        "               E       8th            Feb. 18, '65. Feb. 18, '65.                        "      June 28, '65.

Kenney, George M.                      "               K       17th           Apr. 10, '65. Apr. 10, '65.                        "      July 14, '65.

Clifford, F. E. J.  "                       G             5th    Jan. 5, '64.        Jan. 5, '64.           "        June 29, '65.

Kizer, John E.     "                       H             15th Sept. 18, '62.      Oct. 22, '62.          "          Aug. 5, '63.

Higgins, Milo       "                                               Feb. 18, '65.       Feb. 18, '65.          " June 13, '65, as an unassigned recruit,

Pratt, John         "                       K              17th Apr. 10, '65,       Apr. 10, '65.       Must. out July 14, '65.

House, Charles D.                       "               B       8th            Jan. 6, '62.    Feb. 12, '62.                        "      June 22, '64.

Gale, Allen A.     "                       C              3d     Aug. 20, '63.      Aug. 20, '63.      Sub.; pro. corp.; pro. serg't; must. out July 11, '65.

Ordway, Lewis    "                       54th Ms.                             Must. out with Reg; died at Troy Dec. 14, '69.

Wilson, Silas       "                       39th Ms.                             Must. out with Reg.

Rollins, Horace    "                       I               6th Vt.  Dec. 21, '63.   Dec. 30, '63.         " of V. R. C. July 10, '65.

 

NAMES OF THOSE DRAFTED AND WHO PAID COMMUTATIONS; ———— ($300.00)

 

Geo. E. Bradley, William Buggy, Robert B. Chandler, (money refunded by goverment by reason of disability. Geo. A. Cutting, F. C. Davis, William Donagan, Charles C. Manuel, Ira F. Manuel, Jerry Powers, Holland Temple, W. D. Wilson, Luther S Woodworth.

 

 

                                                                —————

 

 

                                      WESTFIELD.

 

                                                        BY DON A. WINSLOW.

contains 23,040 acres. It lies in lat. 44°, 52' N., 4° 30' E. from Washington. The Missis­quoi river flows through the eastern part, forming fertile and beautiful meadows nearly the entire length of the town. The western part rises higher, running up the slope of the

Westfield is situated near the N. W. part of the County of Orleans, bounded, N. by Jay, E. by Troy, S. by Lowell and W. by Mont­gomery. It was laid out 6 miles square and

 

 

                                                              WESTFIELD.                                                              343

 

main chain of the Green Mountains between Westfield and Montgomery. The mountains here rise to a considerable height. Jay Peak, whose summit is in the north-western angle of the town, reaches an altitude of 4018 feet above the ocean. From the summit of this mountain is one of the most splendid views in the country. A large portion of northern Vermont, Canada, the White Mountains in New Hampshire, the Adirondacks in New York, Lakes Champlain and Memphremagog, with villages, rivers and mountain chains innumerable, are spread before the observer. In the summer of 1862, the citizens of the town turned out and cut a bridle-path nearly to the top of the Peak. A joint-stock com­pany, also, has been formed in Troy for the purpose of erecting a suitable house of enter­tainment on the mountain. This mountain is destined to become one of the favorite places of resort for the lovers of the grand and beautiful in nature. "Hazen's Notch," in the S. W. corner of the town, is quite a curiosity. This is a gap in a mountain range, of several hundred feet in depth, nearly perpendicular, affording a passage for a road. During the Revolutionary war a military road was cut through here, by Gen. Hazen, leading from Peacham to Lake Champlain.

 

                                        EARLY SETTLEMENT.

 

Westfield was granted in 1780, to Daniel Owen "and associates." All, or nearly all, of the grantees resided in the state of Rhode Island; but one, Thomas Burlingame, ever lived in town, and he but a few months. The town was surveyed by Gen. James Whitelow of Ryegate, in 1780. It seems that no attempt was made to settle the town for nearly 20 years after the charter was granted. The charter is dated May 15, 1780, and is signed by Gov. Chittenden, at Arlington, Bennington County. The following is a copy of the original charter:

 

"The Govenor, Council and General assem­bly of representatives of the Freemen of Ver­mont. To all people to whom these presents shall come. Greeting. Know ye that whereas it has been represented to us by our worthy friend Daniel Owen and company. That there is a tract of vacant Land which hath not been heretofore granted which they pray may be granted to them. We have therefore tho't fit, for the due encourage­ment of settling a new Plantation within this State, and other valuable considerations us hereunto moving, and do by these presence in the name and by the authority of the free­men of the State of Vermont give and grant unto the said Daniel Owen and company hereafter named viz.

Thomas Owen, the third, Daniel Owen, Sen., James Cowen, Jeremiah Sanders, Anto­ny Waterman, William Waterman, Jesse Fos­ter, Amos Horton, Daniel Warner, Noah Mathewson, Abraham Mathewson, Asaph Wilder, Daniel Arnold, Jun., David Richman, Caleb Arnold, Sen., Darius Smith, Simon Smith, Thomas Wood, Thomas Wood, Jun., Humphrey Wood, Wm. Wood, John Wells, Joseph Wells, Stephen Smith, Stephen Smith, Jun., Thomas Smith, Stephen Kelly, Samuel Clark, Simon Sweet, Henry Sherburne, Jona­than Smith, William Mathewson, Jesse Ide, Elisha Brown, Wm, Wade, Hon. Wm. West, Esq Caleb Arnold, Thomas Burlingam, John Sprague, Benjamin Wilkinson, Thomas Owen, Daniel Moory, Solomon Owen, Jun., William Colgrove, William Barton, Amherst Kimball, Wm. Roads, Stephen Kimball, David Dar­ling, John Kimball, Timothy Willmish, Reu­ben Mason, Corner Smith, Asa Kimball, Jun. Jesse Brown, Asa Kimball, Sen., Jeremiah Smith, Thomas Chittenden, Esq. and Sprague Porter, together with five sixty-fifths parts of said township, to be appropriated to public uses as follows, viz. One share for the use of a seminary or college within this State. One share for the first settled minister of the Gos­pel, to be disposed of for that purpose as the town shall direct. One share for the county Grammar schools throughout the State. One share for the support of the ministry in said town, and one share for the use or support of a school or schools in said town. The follow­ing tract or parcel of land lying and being in this State described and bounded as follows, viz. (here follow the boundaries,) and that the same be and hereby is incorporated into a township by the name of Westfield, and the inhabitants that do or shall inhabit said township are declared to be infranchised and intitled to all the priveleges and immunities that other towns within this State do by law exercise and enjoy. To have and to hold the said granted and described tract of land as above expressed with all the priveleges and appurtenances to them and their respective heirs and assigns forever upon the following conditions and reservations, viz. Imprimis, That each proprietor of the township of Westfield aforesaid, his heirs and assigns shall plant and cultivate five acres of land, and build a house at least 18 feet square on the floor within the term of four years after the circumstances of the present war will admit of settlement with safety, on penalty of the forfeiture of his right or share of the land. Secundo, That all pine and oak timber suita­ble for a Navy, be reserved for the use and benefit of the Freemen of this State. In testimony whereof we have caused the seal of this State to be affixed at Arlington, in the county of Bennington, this 15th day of May, 1780, and the 4th year of the independence of this, and the United States of America.

                                       Thomas Chittenden, Joseph Fay, Secretary."

 

 

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It appears that not much attention was paid to either of the conditions of the char­ter, for it was at least 14 years after the Rev­olutionary war, before any settlement was attempted. No attention was ever paid ei­ther to the second condition, as no reserva­tion was made of the pine or oak timber.

The first white man who ever settled in West­field was Mr. JESSE OLDS. In the year 1798 he left the State of Massachusetts, (what town I have not been able to learn) entered the un­broken wilderness, and began a clearing on what is now known as the "Morse place," on the West Hill. For nearly a year this family lived there, with not another human being nearer than North Troy, 12 miles distant. — Their nearest neighbor south was at Craftsbury, 20 miles distant.

The next year, 1799, William Hobbs, Antony Burgess and John Hartley, came to town with their families. Mr. Hobbs settled on what is now known as the "Bull place"—Mr. Burgess on what is called the "Brown place," and Mr. Hartley began on the "Lombard farm," on the North Hill. These four families constituted the population of Westfield for about two years.

Mr. Olds was a man of education and refine­ment. He had been a lawyer and a minister, but in consequence of some irregularities in life had left both professions, and retired to the wilds of northern Vermont. His character was good here—he was first representative to the General Assembly from Westfield, and in 1801 was elected assistant judge of Orleans county court. He left town about 1804, and, remov­ing to Craftsbury, died there soon after.

At a meeting of the freeholders held at the house of Mr. Olds, March 29, 1802, the town of Westfield was organized. The following is a list of the first town officers: Jesse Olds, clerk, William Hobbs, Antony Burgess, Waram Mason, selectmen; Wm. Hobbs, treasurer; Wm. Hobbs, J. Olds, W. Mason, listers; A. Burgess, constable; Wm. Hobbs, grand juror; J. Olds, A. Burgess, highway surveyors; W. Mason, Wm. Hobbs, fence-viewers; A. Bur­gess, pound-keeper; J. Olds, W. Mason, seal­ers of weights and measures; Wm. Hobbs, A. Burgess, tything-men; A. Burgess, J. Olds, haywards; Wm. Hobbs, W. Mason, A. Bur­gess, James Coburn, John Hartley, Samuel Walker, petit jurors.

At this happy period it will be seen that every citizen had at least one town office, and some of them four or five.

Of this list of the first settlers of Westfield only one, JAMES COBURN, has any descendants living in town. He was the father of Major Chester Coburn. James Coburn, in common with all the earliest settlers of this township, was a man of humble pecuniary means, yet filled well the office and trust confided to him, and his name, notwithstanding the early de­sertion of the settlement, lives with us. It seems that the first settlers were all poor, and coming into the wilderness without capital, and living so far from where the necessaries of life could be obtained, they became dis­couraged, and after a few years left town.

At this period, 1802, there was no grist-mill nearer than Craftsbury. Mr. Hobbs used to take a bushel of wheat on his back, and walk on snow-shoes to mill and back—making a dis­tance of 40 miles in two days. In the course of a year or two his boys grew up so that he fitted up a couple of moose-sleds, and, taking a bushel and a half each, they drew 3 bushels to mill. This was considered a great step towards the conveniences of civilized life.

Either in 1802 or '03 — I am not certain which—the first saw-mill was built. Previous to this there was not a house in town that could boast of a board on it. The floors were made of logs, either split or hewn flat, and the roofs were covered with bark. The walls were of logs, the fire-place occupying nearly the whole end of the house, was built of huge stones, and was spacious enough to hold at least a half a cord of 4-foot wood.

A few of the proprietors of Westfield wishing to encourage the settlement of the infant town, made a grant of a tract of land to a Mr. Taft of Montague, Mass., on condition that he would build a saw-mill on the lot. The grant compris­ed all that tract of land lying between Silas Hill's and D. A. Winslow's, on the stage-road. The mill was built about 1803, 30 or 40 rods above the bridge, near D. F. Boynton's house. It was in operation but a short time, having been burned accidentally, apparently; though the owner was strongly suspected of bringing about the "accident."

In the summer of 1803, Mr. David Barber moved into town, and settled on what is known as the Iddo Stebbins' place. He built a house 10 or 15 rods east of the present main road, near the bank of the Taft brook. Here his old­est child, Lucina, was born; and I have rea­son to think she was the first child born in town. She is now the wife of the Rev. H. L. Gilman,

 

 

                                                              WESTFIELD.                                                              345

 

recently of Glover. Mr. Barber lived for over half a century in town, and raised a large family of children. Dea. Lewis Barber of Glover is his oldest son. The old gentleman died about 1855.

About this time THOMAS BURLINGAME, one of the original proprietors, came to town, and began a clearing on the Missisquoi river, on the farm now owned by Christopher Bryant. He lived here but a short time.

In November, 1803, Mr. RODOLPHUS REED moved to town from Montague, Mass. In com­ing from Craftsbury they surmounted unusual difficulties. Mrs. Reed had an infant two weeks old, and a severe snow-storm had so blocked up the road over the mountain that they were three days in getting to Mr. Old's house. The first night they camped out on the mountain, with the snow 3 feet deep, with nothing to eat but salt mutton, and whisky to wash it down. The second day, after incredible labor, they only succeeded in reaching "Caldwell's shan­ty," in Lowell (then Kelleyvale), and camped there the second night. The third day, after some assistance from Westfield, they succeeded in reaching Mr. Olds' house. "Caldwell's shan­ty," by the way, came to be as celebrated in a year or two as any hotel in the State. Major Caldwell had been to Lowell and began a clear­ing a half mile east of where the village now stands. This "house" consisted of small logs, and poles on three sides—the fourth was open, and the top covered with bark. For several years this was the only "hotel" in the Valley Mr. Reed settled on the place where Oscar Goodrich now lives. A few years after he moved on to the place now owned by Luther Howe, where he lived till his death in 1841.—He reared a large family of children. His wife died in 1867.

These families constituted the population of Westfield in 1803 & '04 with the addition of two or three unmarried men and a mulatto JAMES PROPHET, who lived with Mr. Olds. He is still remembered by many people in town as "Jim." A story used to be told that at the first freemen's meeting in town, there were but two white men here, Mr. Olds and Burgess, and both being anxious to represent the town, each voted for himself but "Jim" happening to live with Olds voted for him and he was triumphantly elected. The facts of history however dispel this pleasant story, as the old records show some six or eight voters at that time. Mr. Prophet lived here for over 30 years and considering the color of his skin, enjoyed the respect and confidence of the people, in an eminent degree. He was a member of the Congregational church and, moving to Lowell, died in 1835.

In the Spring of 1804, the little colony of Westfield received a large accession,—Capt. Medad Hitchcock from Brimfield Mass. moved into town with his three sons, Thomas, Heber and Smith, and settled on the flats where the village of Westfield now is.

It will be noticed that previous to this, the first settlers pitched, with but one exception, on the highlands in the west part of the town.

In comparing the rich, fertile meadows that we see to-day in the eastern part of the town, with the hard stony soil on the hills, where the first settlers began, we are apt to think they made a serious mistake in beginning where they did but the fact was the highlands were much lighter timbered than the low lands, easier cleared, and for the first year or two producing better crops. I have been informed that a large portion of that tract of land known as the "flat" was originally cov­ered in great part with elms, 3 or 4 feet in diameter. A poor man with nothing but his hands to begin with, would naturally go where he could prepare his ground for his wheat and potatoes with the least labor.

The arrival of Capt. Hitchcock and his sons gave new impulse to the town. They brought some property and soon cleared a large tract of land. They owned all that tract of land lying between Joshua Streeter's and Hollis Atwell's. He built a log house a little north of where Medad Hitchcock's house now stands. The next year, he built a large framed barn which is still standing,—the oldest frame in town—and has served for church, town hall, school-house, fort, and barn for nearly 70 years, and seems to be good for half a century longer. In the course of a year or two, Capt. Hitchcock erected a saw­mill. It stood a few rods above the starch-factory of Wm. H. Richardson. His son Thomas, about the same time, built a grist-mill, that stood a few rods below where the present saw-mill stands. These mills supplied a want that had long been severely felt. The settlers had been obliged to carry all their grain, either to Craftsbury or Richford, and fre­quently on their backs, or it was pounded in large mortars.

 

 

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Captain Hitchcock was born in Brimfield Mass. He seems to have been a man of some influence and had some property. His arriv­al in Westfield gave new impulse to the pros­perity of the little town. His children all, sooner or later, followed him—most of whom were grown up and married. Situated near the center of the habitable part of the town, his house became a sort of a public house and he seems to have largely enjoyed the esteem and confidence of his neighbors. He represent­ed the town for several years and held various other offices of trust and responsibility. He died in 1820, leaving three sons and five daughters.

Hosea Sprague came from Brimfield, in 1804, and settled where David Johnson now lives. He was a soldier of the Revolution and fought in many of the principal battles of that war. He subsequently removed to Lowell where he died about 1840.—The next year, 1805, Jacob Stebbins, a son-in-law of Capt. Hitchcock came to town and settled on the farm where Clark Hitchcock now lives. He raised a large family of children most of whom are still living in town. He died about 1852, in Sun­derland Mass. Settlers now began to come in more rapidly.

DAVID HITCHCOCK commenced on the place where his son, Newton, now lives, in 1806, he died in a short time, leaving two sons, Newton and Horatio. The same year,

 

                                           AMASA WINSLOW.

 

came from Amherst Mass. and built a house on the farm now owned by Edwin Wright. He was a goldsmith by trade and, in connec­tion with his farming, made and sold clocks, silver spoons, gold beads, rings, brass and sil­ver hair combs &c. He returned to Massachu­setts in 1812, and died at Colerain in 1822. The same year, 1806, his father, Dr. Shubael Winslow, and his brother, Luther, settled on the place recently owned by Jacob Stebbins. Dr. Winslow was the first physician in town, but he never practiced much here,—his age preventing his assuming the labor and care attendant on that profession. He formerly had a flourishing practice in Massachusetts. He was a gentleman of the old school, liber­ally educated, and used to trace his ancestry back to old Gov. Winslow of Plymouth col­ony. He always wore the old continental costume—wig, breeches, long stockings and huge shoe buckles. He died in a fit in 1821.

 

                                     CAPT. JAIRUS STEBBINS

 

came from Monson Mass, in 1806, and settled on the place where Mr. Hartwell now lives. Capt. Stebbins was a man of great energy and was just the man to overcome inconveniences and privations of pioneer life. By a course of industry and ecomomy, he succeeded in accumulating considerable property while the country was comparatively new. In 1809, he built a distillery which for several years supplied the town with the then necessary article of potato-whisky. Capt. Stebbins held offices of trust in town for several years and about 1840, was elected assistant judge of the County. He died in 1865.

 

                                   MR. THOMAS STOUGHTON

 

moved also, in 1806, from Weathersfield, Vt., and settled on the "Braley place." He was a man of some property and influence in town. He was the first militia captain in town and represented the town in the Legis­lature. He emigrated to the West several years ago and died soon after. On the 4th of July, 1806, it was determined to have a genuine "celebration." The festivities were held in Capt. Hitchcock's barn. Mr. Asa Hitch­cock was orator and Amasa Winslow toast­master. A platoon of twelve soldiers was improvised for the occasion and, after the oration, and between each toast their vollies awakened the echoes among our hills for the first time in honor of our independence. I have been informed by an old gentleman who was present, that in point of talent and inter­est he had rarely seen that celebration ex­celled.

In the year 1806, the main road from West­field to Lowell was laid out very near where the present stage road runs. This was a great convenience to the inhabitants, as previous to this the only road leading to Craftsbury ran over the West hill. The old road crossed the mill brook near Henry Miller's house and went directly to "Bull place" then turned south to near where Nathaniel Hoyt lives, thence on to a little to the right of John Brown's house and down into Lowell, coming out, if I have been rightly informed, near the old "Woods' place." A more tedious, uncomfortable route, could not have been discovered.

The early settlers of the town, amid all their hardships and privations, did not neglect the education of their children. It seems that as early as 1806, there were two schools

 

 

                                                              WESTFIELD.                                                              347

 

houses in town; not the comfortable structures we see to-day in our country, but log-houses, covered either with bark or rough boards. The first school-house was built on the West hill, I think, on Mr. Olds' place—since known as the Morse place. The first teacher was Sally Hobbs. This, I think, was in 1804—'05. The next school-house was built about 1806, on the flat and about 6 or 8 rods east of where the present academy stands. Mrs. Thomas Hitch­cock, a daughter of Dr. Winslow, was the first teacher.

In December 1807, a Mr. Howard, in walk­ing from Craftsbury to Westfield, became exhausted and froze, almost in sight of Mr. Sprague's house. Mr. Sprague heard some one shouting in the night, but strangely enough, paid no attention to it. Mr. Howard lay in the road all through a bitter cold win­ter night. Early the next morning, Mr. Reed was going along with his ox team and found him in the road but just alive. He took him on his sled and went back to Sprague's house. Dr. Winslow was sent for but the man died in a short time after he was brought into the house. This happened near the line between D. F. Boynton and O. Brown. There was formerly a road running up to Mr. Brown's but it is now discontinued. A Mr. Eaton, the same winter, froze both his feet so that he became a cripple for life.

Owing to the state of the road and want of suitable carriages many of the early set­tlers suffered hardships that would now be thought intolerable. Mr Read purchased a common sized plough in Craftsbury, and brought it home on his back. This seems in­credible, but I am informed on good au­thority that it is an actual fact.

The period between the years 1806 and 1812, appears to have been prosperous and flourishing to the little settlement. Men with industrious habits and some capital settled here, among whom may be mentioned James Brown, Caleb Hitchcock, Elisha Hitchcock, and Roswell Lombard and some others. The worst difficulties incident to life in the wild­erness seemed by the sturdy industry and fortitude of the inhabitants to have been over­come. The forests were rapidly disappearing before strong arms and resolute hearts; good and comfortable buildings were erected in place of the rude cabins of an earlier period. Property was rapidly increasing in value and the comforts and some of the luxuries of civ­ilized life were secured and enjoyed. In 1810 the census reported 149 inhabitants in town.

I here append a list of the town officers for 1810: The town meeting was holden in Capt. Hichcock's house, Mar. 12, 1810; moderator, Asa Hitchcock; clerk, Thomas Hitchcock; selectmen, William Hobbs, Amasa Winslow and Asa Hitchcock; treasurer, Thomas Hitch­cock; constable, Caleb Hitchcock; listers, Lu­ther Winslow, Asa Hitchcock and Daniel Hitchcock; grand juror, William Hobbs; highway surveyors, East district, Luther Winslow; West district, Wm. Hobbs; fence viewers, Jacob Stebbins, Elisha Hitchcock, Antony Burgess; for pound-keeper, Hosea Sprague; sealer of leather, Hosea Sprague; tything-man, Joseph Stoughton; haywards, Asa Hitchcock, Amasa Winslow; "Voted that the log-barn of Caleb Hitchcock be considered as a pound the ensuing year." "Voted to raise $40 for the use of schools, $30 to be ex­pended for a summer school and $10 for a winter school." "Voted, to raise $5 for con­tingent expenses."

There is no record of any highway tax being raised. Medad Hitchcock was town repre­sentative that year.

The prosperity of Westfield was serious­ly checked—as also was that of the adjoining towns—by the war of 1812. Living so near the frontier of Canada, the people did not es­cape the general feeling of alarm and insecu­rity that pervaded a great portion of North­ern Vermont on commencement of hostilities between this country and Great Britian, in 1812. It was feared that the Indians of Cana­da might be induced to make an invasion of the defenceless towns in this Valley. Visions of hordes of painted savages spreading death and devastation through the land, haunted the minds of the settlers. The old legends of Indian massacre, burnt towns, captivity and death were revived and lost none of their horrors by the possibility of the same tragedies being enacted on the banks of the Missisquoi. Many of the settlers prepared to leave.

It appears that a sort of a committee of safety was appointed whose duty it was to ascertain the real state of the case, and to take such measures as should seem neccessary for safety if any real danger existed. The com­mittee were Thomas Stoughton, Amasa Win­slow and Thomas Hitchcock. These men were all Freemasons. Early in May of this year, they attended a lodge meeting over the

 

 

348                                     VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.

 

line in Potton, and while there received some information, either through their brother Masons or some other source, that induced them to hasten home and make some preparation for their departure. As a necessary sequence, the people, seeing their committee so agitated, became somewhat alarmed, and the uneasiness extended throughout the whole valley. What the precise nature of the information was, the committee could not or would not divulge; but enough was gath­ered to make it apprehended that on a certain night in June an invasion by the Indians would take place. On account of these vague and undefinable rumors, many of the people seemed to let their discretion get the better of their valor, for long before the eventful night in June, they were on their way south­ward. Some went back to Massachusetts, or other places where they came from, and some stopped at Craftsbury where they spent the summer awaiting the course events would take. The few who remained began to pre­pare themselves for any emergency that might arise and immediately set about fortifying Capt. Hitchcock's barn. A trench 3 or 4 feet deep was dug around it and logs 12 or 15 feet high were set up in it close together. Loop-holes for musketry and other prepar­ations for a siege were made with great spirit and courage. I believe the work never was quite finished, the people probably gaining courage as the work went on, and the awful night in June passed quietly away. We may well believe however the summer months of 1812 passed heavily away. Several farms were deserted, many of the inhabitants had left, and an undefinable anxiety for the fu­ture prosperity of the town pervaded all hearts. Rumors of war and fighting both at home and in Europe filled the country. This was the year of Napoleon's campaign in Rus­sia, which terminated so disastrously to the arms of France. On Sunday Sept. 11, 1814, the people living near the river, distinctly heard the guns at Plattsburg, which was then raging, the sound following the water. This may seem incredible, but there are now per­sons living in town, who heard it. The dis­tance the sound would have to travel by the water from Westfield to Plattsburgh is nearly or quite 100 miles.

Gradually some of the people who left town in the Spring, began to return and in the fall many had come back to their farms again. Quite a number, however, never returned. In September a military company was organ­ized, the first one ever organized in town. Major Cornell of Derby, assisted by Capt. Samuel Hovey of Troy, presided over the or­ganization; Thomas Stoughton was elected captain, Jairus Stebbins ensign, and Thomas Hitchcock orderly sergeant. Every able-bodied man in town joined the company, but the number was so small that but two com­missioned officers were appointed. This or­ganization, together with a company of Gov­ernment soldiers stationed at North Troy, about this time tended greatly to re-assure the people and quiet their alarm.

Though the people of Westfield were never molested by the enemy, yet the effects of the war upon the community were disastrous. Settlers no longer came in at the rate they formerly did. Property depreciated in value and a general stagnation seemed to settle down upon the business and prosperity of the little town. Many persons engaged in the unlawful and demoralizing business of smuggling across the line from Canada. Not­withstanding the stringent laws against this practise, the immense profits more than coun­terbalanced the fear of detection. Many ex­citing stories are recited of the adventures, escapes, pursuits and captures by the wrath­ful collectors fifty years ago.

On one occasion the militia of Westfield were all ordered out, armed and equipped to capture a gang of smugglers said to be at Low­ell with a drove of contraband cattle. This small but patriotic band started for Lowell, their imaginations no doubt filled with vis­ions of bloodshed, wounds and death. On arriving at the scene of action it was discov­ered that the gang of smugglers consisted of the other half of their company, their broth­ers, uncles and neighbors. I have never seen an official account of the dead and wounded of the battle, but conclude it was not large.

The period for a few years subsequent to the war of 1812 embraces one of the darkest chapters in the history of Westfield. The war had closed it is true and with it had van­ished all the alarm and anxiety, but the re­turn of peace found a reduced population—property, especially real estate, depreciated in value, immigration checked, and a general stagnation seemed to have settled over the town. The consequences of the war how‑

 

 

                                                              WESTFIELD.                                                              349

 

ever were not the sole, nor the principal caus­es of this state of things. If we turn back to the year 1816, the period when the for­tunes of not only Westfield, but the whole Valley were the lowest and, contemplating its peculiar location, its distance from any mar­ket, the state of the roads leading out of it, the only wonder is that the people could contrive to live here at all, with anything like comfort or contentment. There was no home market for anything a farmer could raise. If he managed to raise a little more wheat, rye, or pork than he needed for his own use, he might sell it to his less fortunate neighbor who paid for it in labor; but he could get no money for anything he could raise.

Occasionally a thrifty farmer would have a yoke of oxen to sell, and then the only thing to be done was to drive them to Mont­real. There they brought cash, generally in silver dollars. People lived for the most part within themselves, that is, anything they could raise or manufacture they had—any thing else they went without. It was abso­lutely impossible to get any money except by some extra means. At this time there was no store nearer than Craftsbury Common; what little trading the people of Westfield had to do was done there, over a high moun­tain and a horrible road. If a young couple were to be married, they went to Craftsbury, sometimes on horseback to buy their shovel and tongs, their andirons, plates, cups and saucers, knives and forks, and if they were thrifty and in good standing in society, the bride bought a calico "gown," Most of her clothing and bedding she had probably spun and woven with her own hands. Their table, chairs and spinning-wheel were made by the carpenter and joiner.

The only way by which money could be ob­tained at this period was in making salts, and this was a very slow and laborious process.

By this a strong active man could make 25 or 30 cents a day and board himself. He could take his salts to Montreal, where they brought him $3 in cash per 100, or he could take them to the stores in Craftsbury and ex­change them for goods, if he did not already owe the full amount, which was very often the case. If a farmer made a little more but­ter than he needed, he must take it out of the Valley to sell it.

James Brown filled two pails with butter and carried it on horseback to Danville where he sold it for a shilling a pound. Eben­ezer Eaton, the publisher of the North Star, offered to take butter of his subscribers to pay for his paper and quite a number took it on that condition.

It is interesting and instructive to com­pare the years 1816 and 1866, while speaking of farmers' produce. In the former year there was probably little or no money receiv­ed for anything he could raise. In the lat­ter, just half a century later, there was of the article of potatoes alone about 15.000 bush­els sold at the factories. This at 30 cents a bushel amounted to $4,500 for potatoes alone. If we add to this the cattle, butter and cheese, wool, lambs, and oats—of the amount of which I can make no estimate—we may be­gin to realize the advantage of living near a market.

The absence of any market, however, was not the only reason of those dark and gloomy times, of fifty years ago. A series of cold, unproductive seasons about this time, increas­ed the difficulty of living. The corn crop in particular was cut off for several successive seasons, so that the people of this Valley were obliged to go long distances for their bread-stuffs. On the 16th of June a snow-storm covered the ground—precisely to what depth I am unable to say, as my authorities differ materially. One old gentleman tells me it snowed and blew all day so that the next morning the drifts in many places were as high as the fences, and that the leaves on the trees perished. Another aged man who was harrowing grain all day, says there was no wind, and what little snow did fall nearly went off before night. I shall not undertake to decide "when doctors disagree." One thing is certain, however, grain rose to an enormous price that year. Wheat, rye and corn all sold for about the same price, $3.00 to $3.50 per bushel. One man worked 6 days in haying for 2 bushels of rye. James Brown went to Kirby after a bushel of corn and would have got more if he could have found it for sale. Elisha Hitchcock went to Lowell and paid Capt. Curtis $5.00 for a bushel and a half of corn and Curtis required him to get it ground at his mill (Curtis') at that price.

Another source of inconvenience at this time was a want of wheeled carriages. Only two or three farmers in town had ox-carts.

Capt. Hitchcock had one, so had Capt. Stebbins and Maj. Coburn. Nearly all the

 

 

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rest did their farm work, drawing their grain, hay etc., on sleds. If I have been correctly informed, there was no one-horse wagon in town until about 1827, though there were several two-horse wagons previous to this. Traveling was mostly done on horseback.

In the year 1818, Jerre Hodgkins moved from Belvidere to Westfield and opened a small store. It stood 10 or 15 rods south of where Albert Miller's house now stands, and for a few years furnished goods to all that could afford to pay the prices then ruling the market. Cotton cloth and calico, sold for from 50 to 75 cents a yard, tea $1.25 per pound, ginger $1.00, and other articles in proportion. Mr. Hodgkins' store was a great convenience to the people as previous to this their trading was all done at Craftsbury. He took salts in exchange for his goods, and manufactured them into pearlash. The price of salts per hundred, was $3.00. A laborious man, as I have mentioned, could earn, snaking salts, about 25 or 30 cents a day. Three days' work would buy a yard of cotton cloth, or half a pound of tea. Mr. Hodg­kin's did not continue in trade but 2 or 3 years.

About 1820, Pliny Corban opened a store where Troy village now stands. At that time there was but one house there. That was owned by Oliver Chamberlain. It stood on the ground where G. W. Aikin's house now is. Mr. Corban built his store very near where Mr. Sumner's law-office now stands. He had formerly traded in Craftsbury, but had sold out there and came over to West­field, intending to open a store here—this be­ing the most central point in the Missisquoi Valley. Thomas Hitchcock, then owned all the land included in the village; but at that time there was but one house there, the house where Henry Miller now lives. On account of its central position and its water-power, it was considered an excellent location for bus­iness purposes and trade. Mr. Corban at­tempted to buy a lot to build a store on. Had Mr. Hitchcock given him a building spot, it would have proved the best investment he ever made, as, in all probability, it might have been the nucleus of a flourishing business place. But, seemingly blind to his best inter­ests, he asked an exorbitant price for the land, and Mr. Corban, disgusted, went to Troy and Mr. Chamberlain gave him land for his store. A large and flourishing village has been built up, which might have been in Westfield to day, if the thing had been judi­ciously managed forty-five years ago.

In 1839, a store was opened by O. Winslow, R. S. Page (now of Hydepark), and Smith Hitchcock. The store was an old hatter's shop, where Cyrus Corey had formerly made hats, and stood about 10 rods north of Aaron Hitchcock's house. Messrs. Winslow and Page went to Boston after their goods in a couple of two-horse lumber-wagons, carrying down a load of butter and bringing back their goods. They were gone three weeks.

About 1820, we may begin to discover the dawn of the real and permanent prosperi­ty of Westfield. It began to advance more rapidly in population and wealth—settlers began to come in, bringing more capital, real estate, the true basis of wealth, began to rise in value. More propitious seasons and bet­ter crops, with better markets, encouraged and rewarded the labors of the husbandman., Ac­cording to the census of 1820, the population was 225; in 1830, it was 353.

The people of this town were for nearly thirty years without a mail-route or a post-office. About 1830, I think, a mail route was established between Craftsbury and St. Al­bans. A more hideous road for a mail-route probably could not have been discovered in the State of Vermont. The road ran over the high mountain between Albany and Lowell and then over the mountain between Lowell and Montgomery, through Hazen's Notch. Bradley Sanborn was stage-driver. Soon after, a branch route was established between Lowell and North Troy. Ezra Johnson car­ried the mail twice a week, usually horseback. A post-office was then established in Westfield, and Henry Richardson was first post-master. Previous to this, people went to Craftsbury for their mails.

Of the assistant judges of the Orleans County Court, Westfield has furnished three. Jesse Olds in 1801, Jairus Stebbins in 1840, and Henry Richardson in 1859 and 1860.

Three young men, natives of Westfield, have entered the ministry. Orville Winslow, Congregationalist, graduated at Dartmouth college, Alvin Coburn, Unitarian, at Prince­ton, N. J. and Harvey Hitchcock, Methodist, not a graduate.

 

REPRESENTATIVES FROM 1802 TO 1868,

 

of the town in 1802 till the present time. Those who have died are indicated by a*.

 

 

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1802-'03, Jesse Olds*; 1804—'05, Anthony Burgess*; 1806, Asa Hitchcock*; 1807—'10, Medad Hitchcock*; 1811, Asa Hitchcock*; 1812, Thomas Stoughton*; 1813, Walter Stone*; 1814—'16, Medad Hitchcock*; 1817, Walter Stone*; 1818, James Brown; 1819, Jairus Stebbins*; 1820, James Brown; 1821 '24, Jairus Stebbins*; 1825, Thomas Hitch­cock; 1826—'28, Jairus Stebbins*; 1829—'31, Silas Lamb*; 1832, Guy Stoughton; 1833—'37, Chester Coburn*; 1838—'39, Jere. Hodg­kins*; 1840—'41, N. H. Downs*; 1842—'43, Jere. Hodgkins*; 1844—'45, Arad Hitch­cock*; 1846—'47, Jere. Hodgkins*; 1848, Geo. Stoughton; 1849—'50, David F. Boyn­ton; 1851—'52, Chester Coburn*; 1853, New­ton Hitchcock; 1854—'55, Moses Pattee; 1856—'57, Carnot Inaley; 1858—'59, Henry Richardson; 1860—'61, A. C. Hitchcock; 1862—'63, Albert S. Miller; 1864-'65, D. H. Buck; 1866, not represented; 1867—'68,N. Hoyt.

 

                                       CONGREGATIONALIST.

 

It does not appear that much attention was paid by the early settlers of Westfield to the public worship of God, as 20 years elaps­ed before any attempt was made at church organization. None of the early settlers, with one or two exceptions, were professors of re­ligion, and busied in clearing the wilderness and providing for their families a comfortable maintenance, it will not be thought strange if their spiritual needs were neglected. It is not known that any religious meetings of any kind had been holden in town previous to the year 1811. About this time meetings began to be held at times in barns, school-houses and private residences. The people would meet on the Sabbath and Mr. Eaton, happen­ing to possess an old volume of sermons, would read one while Mr. Bethuel Stebbins, Capt. Jairus Stebbin's father, would make a prayer.

It seems that about this time some of the ministers in the other part of the county, be­ing desirous of sowing a little of the good seed in this part of the moral vineyard, occa­sionally preached a Sabbath or two here.

The first regular Congregationalist clergy­man who ever preached a sermon in West­field, was a Mr. Farrar, who preached at this time in the town of Eden. Where he came from, or where he went to from there, I am unable to say. This was about 1812, or '13.

Mr. Bowen, Methodist minister from Poton, occasionally preached here. In the year 1818, the Rev. Levi Parsons, afterward mission­ary to Palestine, came to Westfield and com­menced holding a series of meetings and suc­ceeded in awakening a deep religious feeling which resulted in the formation of a Congrega­tional church. On Sunday, April 19, 1818, the church was regularly organized by Mr. Par­sons, the services being performed in Capt. Stebbins' house.                                                             •

The following named persons assented to the Articles of Faith and the covenant viz. Elisha Hitchcock and his wife, Editha; Joseph Hitchcock and his wife, Betsey; Shubel Winslow and his wife, Azubah; Arunah Fuller, Roswell Lombard, Mary Stebbins and Miriam Stebbins—ten in all.

Joseph Hitchcock was the first deacon. Shortly after this, Mr. Parsons sailed for Pal­estine, where be labored as missionary for 5 or 6 years, and died at Alexandria, Egypt, in 1824.

The next year, 1819, the Rev. James Par­ker commenced preaching here and at Troy. He came, I believe, from Berkshire. He la­bored here till 1825, when he died in Troy.

In 1826, Mr. Silas Lamb, also from Berk­shire, came to Westfield and commenced preaching. Being a man of pleasing address, he made a favorable impression, which result­ed in his receiving a call to become the pas­tor over the church. His installation was the first one in the Missisquoi Valley, and I have been at some pains to secure the records, but they are extremely meager in regard to the particulars. The exercises were holden in Elisha Hitchcock's barn (now standing on the north part of the Buck farm) June 22, 1826. The churches in Berkshire, Montgom­ery, Berlin, Morristown, Hardwick, Crafts­bury, Barton and Coventry were invited, but the records give no account of the proceed­ings, and I am unable to state what ministers or delegates were present. I believe, how­ever, that at that period, the Rev. Phineas Bailey preached in Berkshire, "Father Ho­bert" in Berlin, Mr. Chapin in Craftsbury and Mr. Watson in Coventry. Affairs, how­ever, did not flow as smoothly as was hoped for. There began to be ill-feeling between Mr. Lamb and his people, the precise nature of which I am unable to state. Probably the people discovered that their pastor had his infirmities as all men have, and very likely the pastor discovered some of the "old man

 

 

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Adam" in his church. The result was, an­other council was called in 1829, and he was dismissed. He moved to Lowell and preach­ed a few years, fell into bad habits, was de­posed from the ministry, and moved to the State of New York, where he died in a few years after.

About this time a meeting-house was built by the efforts of Dea. Luther Page and a few others, and for many years, this was the only house of worship in the Valley. It stood near where Albert Miller's house now is.

The inside of the church at the present day would be deemed a wonder in architecture. Two boxes fixed up 8 or 10 feet from the floor in opposite corners of the house, were the "singers seats" the men singers in one, and the women singers in the other. Between them was the pulpit several feet lower, so that between the men and women singers there was a "great gulf fixed," which you "could by no means pass." In those days the choir was not made up of boys and young ladies scarcely old enough to sit away from their mothers, but on the men's side sat the deacons, the elders and the solid men of the church, while on the other side, the good old matrons and mothers in Israel. Here, for years was sung St. Martin's, China, Calvary, and Plymouth; and I remember with what delight I used to listen to those solid old tunes. Since those days it has been my for­tune to listen to the immortal productions of Handel, Hayden and Rossini, rendered by the best artists in America, but I never have ex­perienced more pleasure than when a little lad I heard half a dozen old men and women sing in our old church.

Here too, as from a watch-tower, could be seen all the roguish boys in the church, and many a time has the writer, in the midst of some boyish prank, quailed under the stern frown of the awful deacon.

But the Holy Spirit has worked here, as well as in more costly edifices. In 1831, there was a great revival and large acces­sions were made to the church; also anoth­er in 1833, though not so extensive. A con­stant emigration to the West and other local­ities has operated to keep the church small and feeble. In 1848, the old meeting-house was taken down and the materials built into a new one in the village. It was dedicated Jan. 10, 1849, the Rev. C. W. Piper preaching the dedication sermon.

The church and society are now in compar­atively flourishing circumstances. The num­ber of church members at present is about sixty. Below I append a list of the ministers of the church since its organization, viz. Levi Parsons, missionary, 1818; James Parker, 1819—'25; Silas Lamb, 1826—'29; Wm. E. Holmes, 1831—'33; Jona. Sampson, 1833—'36; Reuben Mason, 1837—'42; Jas. D. Hills, 1843—'51; C. W. Piper, 1851—'54; Nathan Ward, 1854—'59; James P. Lane, 1860; Geo. S. Siscoe, 1861; Geo. A. Beckwith, 1861; Charles Scott, 1862; A. A. Smith, 1863—'67; John A. Farrar, 1867; Daniel Goodhue, 1868.

 

                                    THE METHODIST CHURCH

 

was formed in 1830. It was organized by the Rev. Mr. Richmond, and at first consisted of 7 members, viz. Simpson Miller, and wife, Samuel Edwards and wife, Joseph Ward, Hannah Ward, and Mrs. Simpson.

During the revivals of 1831—'33, acces­sions were made to the church, but latterly emigration and other causes have somewhat reduced the church, there being at present, I believe, but 5 male members. The Rev. Thos. Mackie is their present minister.

 

                                                 MILITARY.

 

At the breaking out of the late rebellion, Westfield was not found behind other por­tions of our country in patriotism and pub­lic spirit. Volunteering was encouraged, and liberal bounties were raised to reward those of her sons who were willing to uphold the honor of our flag upon the battle-field. And in the privations of camp life, the labors and suffering of the active campaign, or amidst the horrors of the battle field, Westfield was honorably represented. Several of our young men have fought and bled on the immortal fields of Manassas, Fredericksburg, Chancel­lorsville, Gettysburg, and some other fields of less renown. I give a list of volunteers, and drafted men who served in the army from this town. Those who died of disease are marked with a *. Those who were killed in battle, or died of wounds are designated thus, †.

2d Regiment, John Martin; 3rd, Henry A. Hitchcock†; Peter Martin, Norman Morey, Elisha Franklin; 4th, James S. Ryder†; 5th, James Brown†, John Kelly, Ammon S. Magee, Enos W. Thurber*; 6th, Asa J. Miller, William Ramsdell, Charles Banton*; 8th, David M. George†, (enlisted from Troy.) 11th, Ezra S. Bapp, Henry B. Bedell, after‑

 

 

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wards Lieut. Timothy Deblois, Amherst W. Dow, John Dunber, Geo. Evarts, David H. Gilman, Daufield Goddard, Moses Goddard*, Harlow D. Jackson, Abraham Laplant*, Charles Laplant, Nelson Lurette, Zelora Marsh, Joseph Martin, Florius Manrette, Andrew J. Morey, Edward Bapp, Joseph Goddard, Walter Marsh, Joseph Rose, Whip­ple Taylor*, 15th, Rodney R. Jackson*, Ed­ward Martin*, Jackson Ryan, Hobart J. Marr, Lewis Simmons, Stephen Simmons, Al­vin Rodgers.

During the early part of the war volun­teering was quite brisk, the young men of Westfield particularly coming forward with­out much thought, or expectation of any bounty; but as time passed it was found that heavy bounties must be offered or a draft sub­mitted to. The selectmen offered and paid as high as $1.000 for several recruits, and for several more a less sum, so that the close of the war found the town in debt several thou­sand dollars. But in spite of every exertion, we were obliged to stand three several drafts. The first was in July, 1863, when 16 men were drafted, our quota being eight. Out of those sixteen only one, I believe, entered the service. The rest were exempted, paid com­mutation, or went to Canada after substitutes —and as several have never come back, we conclude they are still searching. In March, 1865, there was another draft of eight more and in April another of two more. The town, however, voted to raise money to fur­nish substitutes for all who were unable to go, so that the downfall of the rebellion found us terribly in debt.

About that time also a suit for damages re­ceived on the "Notch Road," was brought against the town by a man living in Mont­gomery, and the case being tried before an unusually stupid Franklin County jury, our debt is increased by the pretty little sum of twenty-six or seven hundred dollars more.

Four young men, either natives or resi­dents of Westfield, have been killed in battle or soon after died from wounds received in action, and I here thought it not improper in this connection to give a slight sketch of each, as nearly correct as the materials in my hands will permit.

 

                                       HENRY A. HITCHCOCK

 

was the son of Newton Hitchcock, and grand­son of David Hitchcock, one of the first set­tlers of the town. He was the first who en­listed from this town. He joined the 3rd Ver­mont, Co. B, June 1, 1861. He served till August 1, 1862, when he was discharged on account of ill health. In December, 1863, he enlisted in the 39th N. Y. At the battle of the Wilderness, May 6, 1864, his leg was shattered by a shot. The next day his limb was amputated and he was started in an am­bulance for Fredericksburg, but the guerillas turned the train of wounded and dying men back to Chancellorsville and the next day, May 8th, he died. His age was 29 years.

 

                                           JAMES S. RYDER

 

was born in Waitsfield, though for several years he had resided in this town. In the draft of 1863, July, he was one of the sixteen taken from this town, and was the only one of them who joined the army at that time. He patriotically refused to pay the commu­tation money, or desert to Canada, as too many did, but took his musket and put on his uniform the day he was examined by the surgeon, and never came home again. He was assigned to the 4th Vt. Co. H, and in the terrible battle of the Wilderness, he was shot through the abdomen and died in a few hours. His age was 37.

 

                                          DAVID M. GEORGE

 

was born in the town of Topsham, but spent the greater part of his life here. He enlisted from Troy into the 8th Vt, Co. C, Dec. 2, 1861, and was killed at the siege of Port Hudson, May 27, 1863. A. part of his regi­ment had been ordered out as a skirmish-line and were in a position, exposed to the ene­my's sharpshooters, and were ordered to lie down. After a time George rose to his feet, to reconnoitre, and was almost instantly struck by a musket ball, and fell pierced through the heart. His age was about 39.

 

                                   CHAPTER FOR WESTFIELD.

 

                                                          BY E. W. THURBER.

 

Westfield lies 44 miles N. E. from Burling­ton and 42 north from Montpelier, and about 20 miles from the present termination of the Connecticut and Passumpsic Rivers Railroad, at Barton. The location is of easy access by way of a defile in Lamoille County, and by the western valley of Lake Champlain, along the banks of the Missisquoi.

Until near the present century, herds of deer roved through the unbroken forest, and the rodents burrowed in the rich, though untilled soil—undisturbed, save by the wily Indian hunter.

 

 

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There has been some discussion, within a few years, whether this valley was once the bottom of a pond. It has been the opinion of some, that a body of water covering many hundred acres extended over a part of Lowell and as much of the Missisquoi valley as lies in Westfield, and a part of Troy. I will present some facts furnished me by Rev. S. R. Hall, who is probably better informed, as to the geology of the County, than any other indi­vidual in this part of the State:

1. The hills, upon either side of the valley, have a surface of water-terraces, which, it is deemed, could be produced in no way except by the action of a body of water. These con­sist of a flat and perpendicular—alternately forming a flight of stairs on a grand scale; the steps being from 15 to 20 feet each; the level places being, of course, not always ex­actly horizontal, nor the descents exactly perpendicular, unless broken by rivulets, or disturbed by artificial means. Furthermore, and what is somewhat striking, these terraces are found to be at the same height on each side of the valley; being situated in pairs at the same elevation from a common level. These appearances are accounted for, by the sustainers of this theory, on the supposition that the level portions were being formed when the water stood at a level, or nearly so; while, when the perpendicular were form­ing, it was more rapidly draining off.

2. The soil composing all the low land is the same as at the bottom of existing lakes and ponds; that is, of a fine mealy nature, such as is always deposited at the bottom of all bodies of standing water.

3. We find evident traces of the action of water at such a height that, if it stood in a body there, it must necessarily cover the whole valley. There are "pot-holes" in the rocks on the sides of the mountains, and other traces of water, nearly a thousand feet above the Missisquoi River.

4. We find stratified sand a hundred feet above the valley.

5. The drift of geologists was a current from the N. N. W. to the S. S. E., as is evinced by the general flow of rocks in that direction; on the contrary, in this valley, the rocks came from the south, as is shown by our find­ing those in this town which belong to the quarry of our southern neighbors.

These data geologists deem sufficient to establish the affirmative of the question; moreover, there are other facts which bear in the same direction. I will note a few.

It is said that Thomas Hitchcock, one of the early settlers, in excavating for a well, a short distance from the village, at the depth of 15 feet, found the top of a tree in such a state of preservation that he was able to identify it as hemlock. Furthermore, if we penetrate perpendicularly into the earth for several feet, upon the side of the hill that lies back from the river, we find alternate layers of top-soil, hard-pan, &c.,—showing a deposit of different kinds of soil at different periods.

Again, in draining the low lands in the valley, we find fallen trees, bark, &c., several feet from the surface—a fact considered unac­countable on any other supposition than that of a heavy deposit of earth.

Again, shells, and bones of fishes, have been found at such a distance back from the river as is never overflown by it.

These facts are much more easily accounted for, on the supposition that a large body of water once covered the entire amount of land which exhibits these phenomena. I will not stop to remark, with respect to them, further than to add that they furnish interesting material for the historian, geologist and spec­ulative philosopher.

Within the first 30 years from the first half of the present century, several rumors have been afloat of lead discoveries being made within or near the southern and western limits of this town.

About the year 1805, a Mr. Stimpson, who resided at North Troy, in coming from the Champlain valley over the mountain to this town, in company with an Indian by the name of Lewy, came across a mine of lead (it is unknown how large), and brought home a quantity. His daughter, a present resident of the town, remembers seeing it lie upon a shelf in her father's house, about fifty-five years ago.

Again, Mr. Harvey Farman, one of the first settlers of Troy, and a man who used to travel much in the woods, once obtained a quantity upon one of the neighboring mount­ains, as tradition has it, out of which he made bullets; but could never again find the spot where he obtained it.

Again, a Mr. Stoughton, who was once a resident of this town, found a body of this mineral while descending the mountain upon this side. While descending a steep declivity,

 

 

                                                              WESTFIELD.                                                              355

 

he caught hold of a bush, which came up, revealing the mine, the color of which at­tracted his attention. Upon observing it more closely, he found that he could cut it with his pocket-knife; but, having no larger implement with him at the time, was enabled to secure but little.

Furthermore, when Mr. David Barber lived upon the farm, at present occupied by Jesse Buck, tradition says that the Indians were accustomed to pass his house in a southerly direction, and, after being gone for twenty-four hours, would return, bringing lead, out of which they made bullets.

These, and other similar statements, point to the same conclusion, namely, that there is a mine of lead, in nearly a pure state, within a few hours' walk of either Westfield or Low­ell village, or the settlements in Jay, or Mont­gomery. But, as it is my object to record facts, rather than to speculate lengthily upon probabilities, I will leave the subject to the scientific scholar and "Green Mountain rang­ers," for further developments.

The main stream in this town is the Mis­sisquoi River, which runs in a north-easterly direction through the S. E. corner of the town, receiving several tributaries which form an accession to its waters equal to nearly the original amount on entering the town. The first of these is called the Coburn brook, which rises near the line of Jay, and, running in a south easterly direction into Troy, enters the Missisquoi near the south village. The next branch of importance is Mill brook, which runs in a south-easterly direction through the village. The next runs in a south, and then, in a north-easterly direction, to the pond near Mr. Burnham's, where it unites with the Mill brook and enters the Missisquoi near Troy line. This stream received its name from — Taft, who erected the first grist and saw-mill in town, upon its bank. The most southerly stream in this town, is called the Burgess brook, from one of the first settlers, living near it on the West hill. It rises in the S. W. part of the town, crosses the West hill road near F. Sawyer's, runs in a south-westerly direction, and joins the river near the south line.

A stream is formed by the confluence of two brooks in the south part of Troy, runs a short distance in Westfield, on the east side of the Missisquoi, and joins it near the residence of T. P. Brown.

Each of these streams is sufficiently large to carry a saw-mill, and all but one have done so. The machinery of a starch-factory has also been run by one of them.

No large bodies of granite have been found within the limits of the township, but several boulders, of cousiderable size, abound,—some of which have been worked. A range of ser­pentine rock extends from Lowell through its S. E. corner into Troy, forming numerous bluffs of several feet in height. In connection with this range, chromate of iron, bitter spar, talcose slate, and specimens of asbestos have been found; also, veins of amianthus —a variety of asbestos having long threads like flax. This is incombustible, and is sometimes wrought into cloth and paper.

Large quantities of soapstone have also been discovered, and some good specimens of greenstone. The latter is not capable of being smelted, but admits of a high polish, and is used in the mechanic arts.

There are two natural ponds in town. One lies on the farm at present owned and occupied by Peter Phillips, some two or three miles north-west of the south village in Troy. It covers two or three acres of land, and is said to slope very rapidly from the margin toward the center—being at a great depth in the middle. It abounds in pickerel,—a few of that fish being placed there by one of the early settlers. There is no stream running into it, and it has no outlet upon the surface, —the land being sufficiently dry for plowing entirely around it; but, on the east side, sev­eral rods from it, and several feet below its sur­face, there is a large spring which is supposed to be fed by its waters. It lies upon a hill, the ground sloping from it in every direction; and neither freshets nor droughts affect it but little. It is supposed to be fed by springs, as is evinced by the discovery, by bathers, of certain streaks of water colder than the main body; and also, by its being kept in a state of purity; a family, several rods distant, ob­taining a supply for domestic purposes with a syphon.

 

                                               JESSE OLDS,

 

the first settler, came from Mantague, Mass., bringing with him his wife* and two or three children. He seems to have possessed an aspiring, stirring disposition, and figured somewhat conspicuously in the early history

———

* He married a daughter of Seymour Taft, an inn­keeper at Montague,

 

 

356                                                        WESTFIELD.

 

company with Simpson, erected a pail-factory* on the site of the saw-mill erected by Thomas Hitchcock. He is the only one of the family who now resides in Westfield. The 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th, of this family, are yet living, the 2d, 6th, 7th, and 9th, never having settled in town.

 

                                       GEORGE W. WHICHER

 

erected a building in 1842, and placed in it a machine for sawing clapboards. It was purchased soon after by

 

                                         MORTON STEBBINS,

 

who put in the grist-mill which has run to the present time. After the destroying of the Taft Mills, in 1804, till the erection of Thomas Hitchcock's in 1808, the people had to go to Derby and Craftsbury to mill; after this ceased to do business, 1839 or '40, they went to N. Troy and to Lowell, until the com­pletion of the last.

 

                                         GRAMMAR SCHOOL.

 

In 1857, an institution of learning was in­corporated in Westfield, styled the "West­field Grammar School," through the instru­mentality of C. Braley, our representative that year. The first sessions of the school were held in Mr. Braley's building at the vil­lage; the number attending which, consider­ing the inconvenience of the position, was en­couraging to the institution. During the Summer of 1860, through the efforts of our citizens, a new two-story building was erected in a pleasant part of the village, the first floor of which is to be the property of this institution, and the second for holding the town meetings.

 

                                          REV. N. H. DOWNS,

 

a baptist clergyman, came from Groton, Vt., to Troy, this country, about 1828. He after­wards settled in Westfield, and erected the large framed-house at present occupied by Peter Philips, on the North hill. Subsequent­ly he built one or two houses in South Troy village. He moved to Ohio in August 1854. He appears to have been possessed of an active disposition; and, although in very indi­gent circumstances, at first, after fortune had placed liberal means in his hands, he was inclined to keep money stirring. He appears to have been the prime mover in the erection of the meeting house at Troy, and was instru­mental in forming a church, into which he gathered over 60 members. His money was obtained from the sale of his "Elixir," in which he is said to have dealt to the amount of $40,000.

 

                                              MR. HOWARD.

 

In the Fall, 1807, a Mr. Howard came from Springfield, Mass, to Westfield, He lived with his brother-in-law, Jas. C. for a short time, and finished a log-building previously commenced by Calvin Eaton, a short distance south of the Olds place, into which he moved his family. During the winter of 1807-8 he was returning from Craftsbury, where he had been at work, and was met by one or two of our citizens on the mountain on Saturday P. M. about 3 o'clock. He was not seen again till Tuesday, about 9 o'clock in the morning when he was discovered by Messrs, Reed & Sprague, not far from the house of the latter, and between it and the present residence of Mr. Boynton; the road then running between the last two men's houses. He appeared to be at­tempting to walk, and succeeded in moving a little, but the trodden appearance of the snow indicated that he had been for some time with­in a short distance of the spot where he was found. He was conveyed to the house of Mr. Sprague, and the only physician who resided within many miles, Dr. Shubael Winslow, was called. He proceeded to bleed him, (the propri­ety of which, under those circumstances has ever been strongly called in question) but with this and all other efforts they were unable to resuscitate him fully, and be expired within 24 hours after being found. He is described as being a large, athletic man, and well calculated to subdue the forest at a distance from civiliza­tion. But his career in Westfield was short. The direct, primary cause of his death, has ever since been a question which no one appears to have solved satisfactorily. According to the custom of the day, he had a bottle which was nearly full of some kind of spirit; but it appeared to contain about the same when he was discovered that it did when our people met him. Moreover, being able to communicate somewhat before he died, he in­formed his friends that he had not removed the cork since that time; his efforts to do so, being ineffectual. He left a wife and several children to lament his untimely end. Accor­ding to the best information which we at present possess, this was the first death of an adult in this town.** He was buried on the

——

* This factory afterward passed into the hands of C. Bailey, and was destroyed by fire.

** See also Mr. Winslow on this subject; also history of Lowell, p. — Ed.

 

 

                                                              WESTFIELD.                                                              357

 

                                             JOHN HARTLEY

 

is supposed to be the last of the first five set­tlers mentioned thus far. He was here, how­ever, at the organization of the town in 1802, as his name appears among the petit jurors. He came from Ireland with his parents some time previous to the Revolution, in which contest his father was a soldier. He came to this town from Princefield, Mass., and settled on what is called the North Hill, on the farm since occupied by Mr. Roswell Lumbard. He built a snug little house without the aid of a board or shingle. Between Oct. 1804 and Dec. 1805, he moved to Troy, where he remained awhile, and then went to Potton, C. E. His family consisted of a wife, two or three children, his mother and a sister; the latter came to Westfield in the Fall of 1802.

 

                                            DAVID BARBER.

 

The next family that came into Westfield, was that of David Barber, from Brimfield, Mass., who arrived in the new settlement in June, 1803. He was moved by his father-in-law Medad Hitchcock, with an ox-team and horse, bringing irons for a saw-mill. They were 19 days on the road, a distance of about 240 miles. Mrs. Barber staid one week with Mr. J. Olds, during which time her husband erected a log-building near the Mill brook, above the present site of the starch-factory. The first strokes in their part of the town were made for this purpose, and to procure timber for Mr. H.'s mill. Mr. Barber remained here until the Spring of 1804, when he erected a house a short distance S. E. of the present house of Mr. Jesse Buck. After remaining here a short time, he lived 4 years in a building erected by R. Cisco, a little south of the present site of the village, and then removed to the place, a short distance east of the village, where he died, April 16, 1854. Mrs. Barber remained here till April 2, 1856, when she moved to Glover, where she resides at present with her son-in-law, H. Gilman, at the age of 78, 1861-2.

 

                                               LYMAN TAFT

 

from Montague, Mass. At a meeting of the original proprietors of the land in Westfield, it was "voted that — acres be given to Lyman Taft, or any other person who will erect the first grist and saw-mill in Westfield." Mr. Taft availed himself of the offer, and erected the buildings on a small stream near the pres­ent residence of D. F. Boynton, which has since been known as the Taft Brook.

 

                                         RODOLPHUS REED,

 

a son of Josiah Reed, from Montague, Mass., arrived in Westfield with his family, Nov. 27, 1803. They came in with a span of horses, and spent the first Winter with Mr. Olds. When Mr. Reed had journeyed as far as Craftsbury, the snow had fallen to a con­siderable depth, and leaving his wagon he proceeded forward with his sleigh, expecting to reach the settlement in Westfield the first night. But from the depth of snow which lay on the mountain and other difficulties, they were unable to do so until the third day. The first night they encamped on the west side of the mountain, and the second at a rude hovel in Lowell, erected by a Mr. Cald­well some time previous, who resided here during the Summer, but had now deserted for Winter quarters in Massachusetts, as was his custom. This camp was built up of logs on three sides, the fourth forming a fire-place on a grand scale, with all the rest of the world for a chimney. The next day, Mr. Olds hav­ing sent them some assistance, they reached his house, not having suffered very extremely, although their youngest child was only about two weeks old. The next Spring Mr. Reed erected a house upon a piece of lease land, at present occupied by Geo. Lockwood, where he remained for 15 years. He afterward lived one year with Mr. Dexter on the Hobbs place, whence he removed to the farm at pres­ent occupied by Luther Howe, where he erected a framed house and barn. He lived here till his death. He died of apoplexy, May 18, 1841, aged 67. Their children were Lydia, John, Hannah, Lucy, Lyman, Eras­tus, Josiah, Calvin, Sarah, Arvilla, Royal and Willard. Royal cleared a part of the farm on the West Hill, owned by Veniah Miller, and erected the barn which stands upon it.

Mrs. Reed resides here still with her daugh­ter Lydia, at the advanced age of 80 years.

 

                                            HOLLIS ATWELL,

 

from Cambridge, Vt., came to this place in October 1822. He erected a large two-story building on the north side of the brook, about half a mile south of the village, and com­menced the tanning business. The first floor was used for this purpose, and the second was occupied by his family. In addition to cow­hides, and calf-skins, Mr. A. tanned deer­skins, out of which he manufactured mittens and gloves,—and sheep-pelts. He continued the business till about the year 1845.

 

 

358                                     VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.

 

                                          FATAL ACCIDENTS

 

The year 1846 was noted in Westfield for two melancholly accidents. In March, a man named Beede Roberts was killed while felling trees for Luther Jackman. In June, Elisha H. and David, two promising sons of Aaron Barber, 24 and 22 years of age, were drown­ed in a small pond on the north hill, while bathing—and in February of 1847, his eldest daughter died, and the Spring following his youngest, making the loss of 4 children within a year.

About the year 1828, Thomas Quint while traveling through the town, in a sleigh, on the main road, was fatally hurt. It was sup­posed that his horse might have taken fright and he was suddenly started back against the back part of his sleigh with such force as to sever the spinal column, after which, he was thrown upon the ice where he was found by a man with a team behind.

 

                                             ROBERT ORNE

 

erected in 1845, a large building in the north part of the village, which he originally de­signed for a tavern, but never finished: sub­sequently it passed into the hands of a Mr. Locke, Messrs. Richardson and Braley, and Mr. R. after sold to his partner Mr. B. The first sessions of the Westfield Grammar school were held in this building, which has also been occupied at different times by families and for shops and a warehouse.

The first school was taught by Isabel Up­ham, from Montgomery, in a house on the east side of the old road, near the Taft brook. The town has now 6 districts in which school is sustained five months or more, each year.

 

                                        JOSEPH HITCHCOCK.

 

An apple-tree marks the site, near the present buildings of Luther Howe, where Mr. H. first commenced and built his log-house. He afterward occupied a lease-lot, west of A. C. Hitchcock's present farm; later moved to northern N. Y., where he now resides.

 

                                         ELISHA HITCHCOCK

 

commenced on the northern part of the farm of Jesse Buck, where he first built a log-house, and about 1818 the framed one now standing. A few years since he removed West.

 

                                           ABEL HITCHCOCK

 

commenced on the meadow east of the river, where he built a log-house near the ————. This farm was after purchased by Luke Mil­ler, who put up a frame-house.

The Hitchcock family came from Westminster, and consisted of Julius, Caleb, James, Elisha, Amos, Simon, Joseph, Ursula, Josiah, Patty, Abel, Hiram, Melinda, Lucinda and Aaron Charles. The third, fourth, fifth, seventh, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth, are still living, four of whom (the three daughters and Hiram) only, are residents of the town. James, the oldest, has reached the advanced age of 30.* He resides in Ludlow, Vt. Elisha lives in Norwalk, Ohio; Amos, Westminster, Vt.; Joseph, Worth, N. Y.; Abel, Rutland, Wis.

 

                                               PHYSICIANS.

 

THOMAS WINSLOW, grandson of Dea. Lu­ther, is a physician settled in Chicago, Ill.

GUY STOUGHTON, son of Thomas, studied medicine with Dr, Corey and at St. Albans, attended medical lectures several terms at Woodstock, and commenced practice in West­field; subsequently removed to and practiced in Wisconsin, till within a few years.

CHANCEY BURGESS, oldest son of Anthony, studied medicine after be left Westfield, ancl has since been located awhile at Alburgh Springs, Grand Isle Co.

 

                                                           MILLER FAMILY.

 

Several of the sons of Elisha Miller settled in Westfield, some of whom came before, and some after the war. This family consisted of Luke, Ruby, Vaniah, Rimmon, Simpson, Patty, Bathsheba, Henry, and Leafy. Luke lived for a while in the house before men­tioned, then moved to the building on the east bank of the river, previously erected by Abel Hitchcock. Subsequently, he erected the framed-house on the elevation a short distance from the river, at present occupied by Alfred Miller. He died here. Vaniah purchased the lot of land comprising the pres­ent farms of J. Miller and Jesse Bailey and settled on the location of the latter. He died in Westfield. Rimmon settled first on the west side of the river, opposite to Luke, and subsequently purchased the farm near the village at present owned by Mr. Richardson, and erected the house occupied by Patrick McDougherty. He afterwards purchased the farm owned by A. S. Miller, where he died in 1856. Simpson lived in this town some ten years or over, and then removed to Troy, N. Y., where he died, Oct. 3, 1848. Henry came to Westfield in 1845, and this year, in

———

* Since deceased.— Ed.

 

 

                                           VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.                                           359

 

of the town. He was educated, refined and polished in manners; and, but for his want of discretion, might have made a mark among his countrymen, of some importance. He had been a minister of the Congregational church, but never appears to have officiated in that capacity in Westfield, and but once while he resided here; that is, at the funeral of two young men in Potton, C. E., as mentioned in Sumner's history of the Missisquoi valley. The farm upon which he commenced is now called the Morse place, and formerly part of the farm owned by Hale Clark, on what is called the "West Hill;" there being no dwelling-house upon it. Mr. Olds erected a frame-barn pre­vious to 1802, which was probably the first one in town, the outlines of which are still visible. It is thought that he had one daugh­ter born here, which might have been the first birth in Westfield, though we cannot be positive. He set out an orchard near his house, a few trees of which still remain alive. As his house stood near the only road leading into the town from the south, it was fre­quently the temporary residence of the early settlers.

This road came over the mountain from Craftsbury, and led on through Jay to Potton, C. E. where there were a few inhabitants.

He went to the General Assembly at West­minster in 1803, being the first representa­tive from Westfield. He was also town clerk from the organization of the town in 1802, till his removal, the first week in May, 1804, to Craftsbury. From Craftsbury he removed to the State of New York, where he died.

 

                                        ANTHONY BURGESS,

 

from Gloucester, R. I., commenced on the West Hill some distance south of Mr. Olds'. He cleared several acres here, and put up a log-house and framed barn, previous to 1803. He subsequently married a Miss Hobbs. — They had several children. He died about the 1st of June, 1810, and was buried on the West Hill. His wife afterward went to her father, in the State of New York. His sons moved to Grand-Isle Co., married and finally went to New-York State. So far as we can learn, Mr. Burgess was the second adult who died in town.

Much of his farm has since been covered with a second growth of maple. Mr. Rufus Stebbins, a subsequent owner, made some inroads upon them several years ago; and more yet have since been felled; but several acres of level handsome land are yet covered; part of which form a beautiful sugar-orchard for Mr. Clark, of more than a thousand trees.

 

                                          JOSEPH PROPHET

 

came from Gloucester, R. I. with Mr. Burgess previous to the Spring of 1803. For the few first years he worked for Mr. Olds, kept bachelor's hall with A. Burgess, &c.; after­wards worked several years for Mr. Hitch­cock; subsequently exchanged a piece of land on the West Hill, which he had previously bought, for another on the Flat. He here erected a log-house and subsequently a plank one, where he lived until about the year 1830, when he sold to Jere. Hodgkin, and moved to Lowell.* He appears to have sustained a good moral character, was noted for integrity and uprightness of purpose, and was universally respected by all who knew him. His strong arms dealt many heavy blows toward subduing the forest in West­field; and his name is spoken with approba­tion by those who knew him well more than half a century ago. He was never married.

 

                                            WILLIAM HOBBS

 

came from Sturbridge, Mass. He had a wife and several children when he came, and there were one or two born in town; but it is thought subsequently to the daughter of Mr. Olds. He commenced on the then main-road, north of Mr. Olds and on the other side of the brook. He built and lived in a log-house, and in the Summer of 1804 raised a frame barn, which, however, he never wholly completed. He was a resident of the town till about the year 1806 or '07, and removed to Constable, N. Y. He cleared several acres and raised a good orchard. The farm was afterward purchased of Scott, of Craftsbury, by Messrs. Dexter and Stone, who made an addition to the house and added other conveniences. For several years past it has been used as a pasture, under the title of the "Bull place," from the name of the last resident. This is now a large clearing entirely surrounded by woods, owned by Jesse Buck. There are the relics of a barn, and also of a garden and orchard and the frame of a house still remaining on it. Laying upon the side of the hill it forms an excellent pasture; but is not very accessi­ble, the original road having fallen into dis­use many years since.

———

* He purchased a farm near Lowell Village, lived a few years and died between 1830 and '35,

 

 

360                                     VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.

 

southeast corner of the farm at present owned by Mr. Hoyt on the West Hill. He with Mr. B. were the only adults interred upon the spot. This was the first burial place in West­field; but the spot has since been converted into tillage land.

Mrs. Howard subsequently married a Mr. Lathe. She lived awhile each at Craftsbury and Westfield, and subsequently in Troy — thence she removed to Ohio, 2 years since, where she died in December '59. Mr. Howard was a blacksmith, and worked awhile in a shop built by Mr. Dexter and afterward erected a new one, and died in Westfield, in 1807. Mr. Reed's path of life appears to have been emphatically rugged. Not long after his marriage, the news came to his wife that he was drowned at South Hadley Falls, Mass. where he was at work rafting logs down the river. It proved un­true, however, although for a while his situa­tion was precarious in the extreme, he barely escaping with his life. In the summer of 1805, a few years after his removal to Westfield, being at the raising of a barn for Thos. Stoughton, he was struck across the spinal column by one of the heavy timbers, and taken up senseless, but recovered. Subsequent­ly, while engaged in working on a road which had been laid to Hazen's Notch, he was struck a heavy blow upon the back of the head by a falling limb, the messenger informing Mrs. Reed said that he might not survive till she could arrive at the spot. He did, however, and lived several years. He is described as being a very rugged, hearty man; and al­though he was able to attend to his work till the day of his death, he never wholly recovered from the effects of these well-nigh fatal accidents.

 

                                              JOSIAH REED

 

came to Westfield in the Spring of 1803, lived with Mr. Olds, and raised several kinds of grain on his farm. He worked in the Taft mills, it is thought, as long as they stood. He afterward went to Craftsbury where he died, Oct. 4, 1804.

 

                                              ABIJAH REED

 

came to Westfield with his brother Rodolphus in 1803, He commenced near the present Mrs. Jackson's on the West hill, and set out some apple trees. He afterwards spent two or three years in Lowell, and from thence he removed to Colchester.

 

                                   CAPT. MEDAD HITCHCOCK

 

came into the new settlement, as before men­tioned, in the Spring of 1803, with a yoke of oxen and horse, bringing iron for a saw mill. He selected a location for the mill, a short distance above the present site of the starch-factory on the Mill Brook, and com­menced getting out the timber for its con­struction. After working through the season he returned to Massachusetts to spend the winter, not having completed the building. He returned in the Spring of 1804, and in the Summer of this year raised the second saw­mill in town.

 

                                               A MR. CISCO,

 

in the fall of 1804 moved his family to Westfield, and settled near the present site of the buildings of Medad Hitchcock, his namesake. The next year he erected the framed barn which stands there now, it being the first framed barn in that part of the town. This building has both a military and a pat­riotic history (already given in Mrs. Winslow's papers Oct. 7,) In the year 1805 or 1806 as­sisted by his son Thomas, he built a grist-mill on the same stream as the saw-mill, a short distance below the present site of the saw-mill of Mr. Howard; subsequently it was destroyed by fire. In the year 1819 he erected a framed house a few rods north of his first, near the present site of A. C. Hitchcock's house, and which at present forms a part of the group of buildings of the latter. He died Feb. 18, 1821; his wife, Martha, Dec. 25, 1830. The names of his children were, Thomas, Azuba, Heber, Patty, Sally, Naomi, Medad, Smith and Salome, a family of 9 children well adapted to the purpose which Mr. H. attempted to accomplish — that of converting a forest into a settled country — land covered with trees into cultivated fields. Azuba (Mrs. Barber), He­ber and Naomi (Mrs. Miller) and Salome are still living, all but the first being residents of Westfield. Many of Mr. Hitchcock's descend­ants are here, forming a respectable portion of the community.

 

                                        THOMAS HITCHCOCK

 

came to Westfield for the purpose of surveying the country, in 1802. In June, 1803, he ac­companied his father and Mrs. Barber's family, as before mentioned; and in March, 1804, made the town a permanent residence. He married Lucina Winslow (a daughter of another of the early settlers), in Massachusetts, and re­moved the next month to the new settlement;

 

 

                                                              WESTFIELD.                                                              361

 

and in March, 1804, became a permanent resi­dent of the new colony. He moved into the loghouse erected by Mr. Barber on the bank of the Mill-brook, near the saw-mill of Medad Hitchcock. He afterwards erected a small framed house near the residence of his father; and, in 1808, the house at present occupied by Henry Miller, the first framed house in town, except the one just mentioned, which was a "little temporary thing," which he occupied but a short time. He assisted his father in the erection of the grist-mill before mentioned, in the year 1805 or 1806; and subsequently, when the saw-mill was destroyed by fire, he erected another on the site of the recent pail-factory. He resided in the framed house near the brook until 1826, when, having become embarrassed in his business transactions, and commencing to exhibit evidences of mental aberation, he spent several months with his brother, M. Smith, and subsequently died at the Asylum at Brat­tleboro, Aug. 26, 1837.

There is something interestingly melancholy in the history of this unfortunate man. Re­moving to Westfield soon after his marriage, the new colony doubtless presented few attrac­tions to the newly married pair. The forest frowned on either side, and, half a century later, Mrs. H. is said to have expressed the loneliness experienced by herself and others, during the first few years, in very strong terms. He is described as a man of talents and amiable dis­position; but not succeeding so well in the newly settled country as he had anticipated, he fell a victim to despondency, and died a lu­natic. He held the office of town clerk from 1809 to 1835; which office he filled satisfacto­rily, as evinced from his receiving the suffrages of his townsmen for that office for more than a quarter of a century.

Near the close of his life, being prostrated by disease, his spiritual nature appears to have become particularly active, and he was accus­tomed to assert, with an earnestness evidently unfeigned, that he could see angels surrounding him. Whether this was an illusion of an un­balanced brain or no, forms a subject of contem­plation for the student and lover of theology.

In his death Mrs. H. lost an indulgent husband, Westfield a valuable townsman, society and his Masonic lodge a much respected member, and many a kind-hearted and faithful friend.

His widow was an intelligent and estimable lady, much loved and respected. She subse­quently married Elisha Hitchcock. She died Feb. 11, 1857.

 

                                            RICHARD CISCO

 

came in 1804, and erected a house on the Mis­sisco meadow, on the farm at present occupied by Carnot Braley. He lived here during the winter of 1804 and '05, when Mr. Cisco built a log-house, near Mr. Hitchcock's, where his wife resided during the winters of 1804 and '05.—His children were, Lemuel, Joseph, James, Thomas, Phebe, Annie, Miranda. All but the first and sixth are yet living, mostly in the Western States.

 

                                       THOMAS STOTIGHTON

 

moved to Westfield from Weathersfield, this State, a year or two after Mr. Cisco, accompanied by his family and his parents. He settled on the same farm as Mr. Cisco, and erected his buildings on the present site of Mr. Braley's. His wife died here about 1837, and his parents some time previously. Subsequently he remov­ed to Wisconsin, where he died about 1850.—His children were, Luke, Guy, George, Nancy John, Thomas, Claudin, Seymour and Harvey. The first, second, third and seventh are yet liv­ing in Wisconsin. George left Westfield, last, in the Spring of 1855—leaving none of the children of either of these primitive settlers, Mr. Hitchcock and Mr. Cisco, behind.

The Missisquoi river flows rather sluggishly nearly its entire course in Westfield, making it very susceptible to the influence of heavy rains; and as it passes through an intervale, the banks are generally low—thus enabling it, when it gets above high-water mark, to take its own course, overflowing meadows, taking the turf along, floating flood-wood upon the tillage-land—sand on to the mowing—taking minia­ture trees up by the roots, and making a dis­turbance generally. Its general course through the intervale is N. E.; but there is scarcely a point of the compass towards which its course is not aimed, in some part of its meanderings, Birds may attempt to fly across it, and after pur­suing a direct course for a while, alight upon the same side from which they started; and an individual has resided for 30 years on its eastern bank, says that it runs 2 miles to get 1, as far as he knows it. It is said that on one occasion when Messrs. Stoughton and Cisco lived on the meadow above mentioned, the wa­ter rose to such a height as to compel them to leave home against their inclination; but they finally concluded to succumb to the irresistible solicitations of the ponderable element; and, attaching their couch-material to the beams

 

 

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above, bore, each his better half, to a position more elevated.

 

                                       MR. JOSEPH COBURN

 

was the neat permanent settler in Westfield. He arrived in the little colony about the mid­dle of October, 1804. He lived with Mr. Goodell, (who had rented the Olds place that season) the ensuing winter, and afterwards removed to the farm at present occupied by the Messrs. Pricketts, where a Mr. Humes had previously made a commencement, and cleared 7 or 8 acres, and then moved away. He resided here a few years, when he removed to Craftsbury, where he died in December, 1859, aged 89 years.— His children were, Chester, Phyla, Cheney, Marcey, John, Catherine, James and Olive. Ches­ter remains a resident of the town; Cheney, Marcey and James reside in New York State— the two youngest in Craftsbury. The first year, to draw his hay in, he fell a small tree, fitted the large end of the body to the ring of his ox yoke, the larger limbs he made, by cutting them nearly off, to form a flat surface, and the whole answered for a cart.

 

                                           HOSEA SPRAGUE

 

came to Westfield from Brimfield, Mass., in De­cember, 1805, and spent the winter in the house of Mr. Reed. He afterward built a log-house on the farm at present occupied by T. 0. Brown, where he lived till April, 1822, when he re­moved to Lowell, where he died in November, 1843. His children were, Burton, Hosea, Ma­ry, Betsey, Nehemiah, Lydia, Laban and Celia. The second, fourth, sixth, seventh and eighth, are still living; none, however, being residents of the town. Betsy, who lived in Homer, N. Y., visited Westfield in 1851— having been absent 40 years.

It would seem that the snow fell very deep during the winters of 1803, '04, '05 and '06, and, as thought by some, much more so than has been customary in later years. Messrs. Reed and Sprague, with a span of horses, were 5 days in getting 2 barrels of pork from Craftsbury to Westfield, in the last named winter; and in the former, an old resident states, that from one of the dwellings where she resided on the West hill, not a fence nor tall stump was to be seen.

 

                                         DAVID HITCHCOCK,

 

another of the first settlers in Westfield, came to this town from Brimfield, Mass., in June 1806. His father (Obed) and Medad were half brothers. He bought a lot of land on the North hill, comprising the present farms of his sons Newton and Horatio Hitchcock, and the one between them, at present owned by a Mr. Gilpin. He erected a log-house near the pres­ent site of Newton's house, where he remain­ed till he died, Dec. 4, 1810. According to the will of the father the two sons were to have the northern and southern portions of the farm, while the mother retained the middle third.— The boys settled on their farms, and have since remained there; but the other part has passed through several hands. After Mr. H.'s decease, the widow erected a framed-house a short dis­tance south of the old one, which was after­wards removed northwardly, near the present school-house; and subsequently, C. Coburn, whom she married, erected the present build­ing on the same spot. The latter are yet resi­dents of the town, Mrs. C. having reached the advanced age of 83.

Some years previous to the last mentioned date,

 

                                           ASA HITCHCOCK,

 

a brother of the two last, commenced clearing the farm at present owned by S. J. Farman, on the river, and built a log-house a few rods south­east of the present one. In 1808, he married and moved here, where he afterwards erected a framed barn. He subsequently removed to Hardwick, where he died about 1811 or '12.

Mr. Hitchcock furnishes one of those instan­ces of what industry and perseverance will ac­complish for those who desire to learn, even under discouraging circumstances. His father dying when he was quite young, he had no means of obtaining an education above that af­forded by the common school at that day; and even this was denied him one half of the time. The duties of the farm devolved on him and his brother David; and as they constantly de­manded the attention of one of them, each could attend school only alternate seasons, and then only in the winter. He, however, struggled with misfortune and embarrassed circumstances and finally studied and practiced law in Hard­wick, and became an eminent teacher— an ex­ample of a self-made man.

 

                                       DR. SHUBEL WINSLOW

 

came to Westfield from Brimfield, Mass., in May, 1806, and settled on the farm at pres­ent occupied by Jacob Stebbins. He built a log-house and barn and remained here till his death, which took place Jan. 16, 1821. Azuba, his wife, died June 10, 1820. He studied med­icine but did not practice much after coming to Westfield, although he had formerly done so considerably. His children were Dolly,

 

 

                                                              WESTFIELD.                                                              363

 

Amasa, Lydia, Lucina and Luther. Dolly died in Westfield, Oct. 20, 1858. Amasa commenced on the farm now owned by Jas. Clark and Samuel Burnham. He remained a few years and cleared several acres, but moved to Colraine, Mass., in 1812. Lydia married Heber Hitchcock, and died in Westfield. Lucina married Thomas Hitchcock, and died in Westfield, Feb. l1, 1857. Luther is still living and resides in Sunderland, Mass.

About the same time a brother of DAVID, LEVI HITCHCOCK, came to Westfield and set­tled on the north-west part of the lot, purchased by David. He erected a log-house near the main road, and subsequently the framed house erected by the widow Hitchcock (mentioned before) was moved to the same site, where he died about 1839 or '40, He left two small children, the younger being under 7 years of age, the training and educa­tion of which devolved upon the mother. He was buried on his own farm near the road­side, on a spot which has since been conver­ted into a burying ground. The marble slab which marks his resting place, is supposed to have been the first one erected in town. The lapse of half a century has left the foot-prints of time upon its surface, but the characters are still legible.

This slab was obtained from a ledge in Lowell; but the mechanic who wrought it out found the stone too hard to make the working of the ledge profitable. The settle­ment received another accession to its num­ber by the arrival of Jairus Stebbins from Middlefield* Mass., and Caleb Hitchcock from Westminster, in this State.

 

                                           JAIRUS STEBBINS

 

had purchased the lots chartered to Gov. Owen of him personally and he proceeded to erect a building upon the lot lying in the first divis­ion, a short distance south of the house pre­viously occupied by Mr. Hartley. He mov­ed with a yoke of oxen and a horse; and such was the state of the roads that it took them 16 days to reach the place of their destination in Westfield. In 1814 he erected the gambrel‑roofed house, at present unoccupied, a little distance south of his old one which he con­tinued to occupy in the fall of this year. He brought a gun of Revolutionary fame, his fa­ther having carried it at Ticonderoga, which is at present in the posession of Madison Stebbins of Troy. In 1809, he erected a distillery for the manufacture of potatoe whisky, which was a successful operation, several years. From authentic data it appears the demand for this and similar articles, in the first settlement of the country, was brisk.

Subsequently, he removed to the farm at present occupied by Martin Stebbins, where he and Mrs. S. still survive at the advanced ages of 78 and 77.

Their children were Emeline, Madison, Edwin, Martin, Shapley P., Harrison, Clarinda, Mary. The second, fourth, sixth, seventh and eight are still living—but one in Westfield, and only two in Vermont.

 

                                         CALEB HITCHCOCK.

 

moved into a log-house, previously occupied by Mr. Goodell, which stood a short distance west of the buildings of Jesse Buck. He af­terwards erected a framed building on the same site, and subsequently the house at pres­ent occupied by Mr. Buck, where he died Sept. 15, 1825. Mrs. H. remained a resident of the town till her death, May 29, 1858.** Their children were Emily, Eunice, Nancy, Arad, Harvey, Hiram Ephraim, and Elmira. All but the third are still living, but none are at present residents of the town.

 

                                             JAMES BROWN

 

from Gloucester, R. I., moved his family to Westfield, July 5, 1809 and commenced on the West Hill on the place now occupied by John McElroy, and erected a framed barn. Sub­sequently he moved to the place previously occupied by A. Burgess. He afterwards removed to the farm previously occupied by Mr. Sprague, where he has since resided. Their children were Sarah, Ann, Matilda, James M., Whipple C., Thomas O., Arnold O., Celia Ann, Mary, Ruth, Fidelia, Wm. O., Abbie, Lorin, Ellen M. Eight of them are still living, one only, Thos. P., being a resi­dent of Westfield at present.

About the year 1809,

 

                                          DR. HENRY CAREY

 

came from Craftsbury and lived at Mr. O. Chamberlain's in Troy. His labors extended throughout the valley and he was the first regular physician that practised in Westfield was formerly from Sturbridge, Ms., Mr. Brown

_____

* Mr. Winslow says he came in 1806, from Munson Mass.

** Mrs. H. is the second person in Westfield who has become deranged. Previous to the year 1825, she spent one night on the blueberry ledge in Lowell. She re­covered, however and for many years previous to her death could pursue her ordinary avocations.

 

 

364                                     VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.

 

married Mary Owen, a grand-daughter of Lt. Gov. Owen, and he was the first regular physi­cian who practiced in Westfield*. He married a daughter of his host, and subsequently erected a building on the opposite side of the road from the present buildings of C. Braley which was afterwards occupied by a Mr. White, a saddler, and subsequently destroyed by fire. He next erected the building a lit­tle distance further south, at present occupied by Mr. Marsh, where he resided for several years and removed to Troy.† His children were Orell, Franklin H., Ralph and Imogene. The second and fourth are yet living in Ohio.

Dr. Carey was a much respected and suc­cessful physician; and for many years the only one who practiced to any great extent in town. It was a characteristic of his to proceed with caution in cases with which he was not fully acquainted. He appears to have been a sagacious, careful and successful physician. For several years, he was the only resident physician in the four Missisquoi Valley towns.

 

                                 LETTER FROM HIRAM SISCO,

 

who was the first male child born in Westfield:

                                              "Bloomingdale, March 27, ———

"Mr. Thurber—I received your letter last evening. I will write in answer to it this morning. I was the first male child born in the town of Westfield. Lucinda Barber was the first child born in the town of Westfield. I think there were but three families in town when I was born, viz. Mr. Barber's, Mr. Jos. Stoughton's, and my father's family—Richard Sisco. I was born on Stoughton's meadow in some shanty near the river. You will see by my writing, that I was brought up in the woods, where there was no schools. My fa­ther often told me I was entitled to a lot of land for being the first boy born in town.

                                                                                                                             HIRAM SISCO."

 

                                               JESSE OLDS

 

came to Westfield about 1800, and about '09 or '10 removed to Craftsbury, and from Crafts­bury to Kentucky in 1814, and afterwards to the southern part of Illinois, where he and his wife died. Their children were Frances Eliza, Clarissa, Frederick Augustus. The son and one of the daughters are now living, 1863. The son resides in Rochester, Olmstead Co Minnesota.

 

                                          ENOS W. THURBER

 

was born in Burke, Caledonia Co., Mar. 22, 1837, and lived at home till 18 years of age, when he came to Westfield to live with Perin Miller of this town who had married one of his sisters, and had quite a library and could give him a pretty good chance for study, which best seemed to suit him. After a time he commenced to teach, wrote somewhat, gave some lectures on Phrenology and other sub­jects and commenced, by the suggestion of Rev. P. H. White, to write the history of Westfield. In Feb., 1862, he enlisted in the U. S. service, of which his father writes "Why he went to the war is a mystery, for he was always of a slender constitution." He went to Virgina, but it was too hard for him. He came home, got better, went to Burlington and endeavored to get a discharge, but failing in that, returned to his regiment and marched with them as long as he could carry his gun, and at length got one of his comrades to carry it into camp for him and went to the hospital. He was sent to Washington, where he re­ceived his discharge and wrote when he should start for home. He came to Brattleboro and stopped at the "Water-Cure establishment there, thinking to regain his health, but find­ing himself growing worse, started for home. He thought he could bear the journey in the cars, and the doctor thought he might possi­bly, and with a good nurse he started Nov. 1st. On the first part of the way the nurse asked him if it did not tire him to ride: he said it did not. He was so weak and low he did not realize it and his anxiety kept him up until he got to Newbury, but before he got to Wells-River, in Newbury, he apparently dropped to sleep—never to wake again in this world. His attendant told me he hardly knew when he died, it was so easy.

His father continues "Suffice it to say, Enos was a good son, and made up his mind in his youth to serve the Lord. In one of his letters, while in the hospital, he wrote home, "Let me die in Virginia or else where angels will surround my dying couch."

[The above is chiefly the letter of John Thurber, father of Enos W. Thurber, written in answer to our request that he would give us some account of the death of his son., &c,.—Ed.]

————

* The first regular physician who practiced in West­field was Dr. Seth Hitchcock who lived in Jay, never being a resident of the town.

† He also removed to Ohio in the year 1802 or '04 where he and Mrs. Corey have since died.

 

 

                                                              WESTMORE.                                                              365

 

 

                                      WESTMORE.

 

                                                          BY CALVIN GIBSON.

 

This township is situated in the S. E. part of Orleans County and lies principally on the Eastern range of the Green Mountains. The suface is generally moderately uneven and some hilly and there are some pretty high peaks of the Green Mountains in this town. The soil is generally very good and well adap­ted to agricultural purposes. Lake Willough­by lies in this town. It is five miles long and about one half-mile wide. It runs north and south and divides the town nearly into two parts. The streams in this town are small, yet sufficient for most mill and manufacturing purposes.

This town was chartered by the authority of the State of Vermont Aug. 17, 1781, and granted to Capt. Uriah Seymour, Abraham Sedgwick and their associates, being 65 per­sons in all, with the usual reservations and appropriations in Vermont Charters or the grants by the Vermont Legislature.

The grantees or original proprietors' names I will write as they come—as for instance, Lot No. 1 is Samuel B. Webb; No. 2, Heber Allen; No. 3, &c. Samuel Williams, James Camp, Justus Riley, Lorraine Allen, John Humphrey, Daniel Buck, Asahel Williams, Joseph Merrill, Mary Allen, David Humphrey, Ira Allen, Josiah Willard, Thomas Ives, John Knickerbocker, Stephen Williams, Paul Dewey, Jershom Wolcott, Solomon Woodruff, Barnabas Dean, Joseph Tiff, Levi Robbins, Simeon Dean, Andrew Huntington, David Robinson, Mary Washburn, Ezekiel Williams, Bezalul Latimore, Abraham Sedgewick, Josiah Robins, Haris Loomis, Joseph Webb, Roswell Hopkins, Ebenezer Huntington, Moses Good­man, Nathan Perkins, Josiah Buck Jr. Josiah Buck 3d. John Wright, Stephen Lawrence, William Slade, Ebenezer Dewey, Solomon Lee, Moses Tryon, Elijah Owen, Thomas Chit­tenden, Phineas Loomis, John Owen, Daniel Meggs, Josiah Moore, Elias Case, Silas Robin­son, Martain Smith, Wait Robbins, Joseph Kingman, Benjamin Mills, Chester Wells, Ezra Wilson, Ebenezer Burr, Uriah Seymour, Nehemiah Lawrence, Eliphlet Ensign, Sam'l Tibbals.

This comprises 70 lots as they are in the Field Book, begun Feb. 7, 1800.

But very few if any of the original grantees or proprietors ever settled on their lands in this town. There is no record of the precise time, nor by whom the first settlement was made. Some six or eight families came to this town from Windsor and Orange counties in the year 1795, and made a settlement, among whom were Jabesh Hunter, Allen Wait, James Lyon, Jeremeel Cummings, Lot P. Woodruff, David Porter and Abel Bug­bee. The town had not been alloted at this time and they settled on such lands as best suited them, and others soon came and made a beginning,

The original grantees or proprietors held a meeting at Ryegate, March 7, 1800 and agreed to survey and allot said town and employed John Johnson to make the allotment and sur­vey and he completed the work the following Spring, as far as the first divisions were con­cerned. Said proprietors held another meeting at Danville Sept. 17, 1800; received and ac­cepted the allotment and survey as by Mr. 'Johnson, and made a draft of lots and agreed that those that had settled in said town should have the lots on which they lived; also made an offer to David Porter of 200 acres if he would build the first saw-mill and 200 more if he would build the first grist-mill in said town, which offer was accepted and the mills were built and in good running order in the year 1804. The population gradually in­creased by immigration, and, March 19, 1805, the town was organized by electing Jabesh Hunter town clerk and all other town officers. The first freemen's meeting was holden Sept. 3, 1805. The freemen voted for State officers, but concluded not to elect a representative as it exempted from paying a State tax. The early settlers of this town were a hardy and in­dustrious band of pioneers; they had come a long way into the wilderness to make their homes, perhaps their fortunes; they had to en­counter many difficulties, their labors were very onerous and their privations many, but the hope of better times coming cheered them on and enabled them to endure the hardships incident to a pioneer life in the State of Ver­mont. They were prosperous for a while, the soil was rich and very productive and many of them cleared up large farms; built commodious barns and comfortable dwelling-houses for those times and no people made more rapid improvements with so little means and although their faith was firm and their hearts were brave yet they were forced to surrender their new made homes and re­treat. The cold seasons came on, the war

 

 

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broke out between the United States and England, they were surrounded by a howling wilderness a long distance from any other set­tlement, their number few and scattering, the frosts destroyed their crops, and the fear of the British and hostile Indians on the north still filled their hearts at length with dismay; their courage failed: they held a meeting for consultation to see what it was best to do under their perilous situation. They con­cluded that their means were insufficient to protect them against an expected and much feared attack of the Indians. They decided to surrender at discretion; they all left very soon for some of the lower and more thickly settled towns in the State. Thus this town was left without any human inhabitants, the mills and most of the buildings that had been erec­ted went to ruin. The town was not again very soon settled. The lands that had been cleared lay common for a long time and the inhabi­tants of Brownington and Derby annually drove large lots of cattle, horses and mules here to pasture,

About the year 1830, the town again began to be settled. Some went on to the old de­serted farms, while others commenced new set­tlements in various parts of the town. The town was again organized in 1833, David Wilson town clerk and John C. Page repre­sentative to the General Assembly that year, being the first representative elected in this town. The population increased very slowly. There was no public road leading through the town and it appeared to be a back and out of the way place, but occasionally there was a new comer. The towns north and south of this town had become much settled and there was a great demand for a highway leading north and south through this town. There was no practicable route except along the eastern shore of Lake Willoughby and there for several miles the land rose so abruptly from the shore and was so rough and rocky, the town was not able to bear the expense of building a road there. But the demand for the road was so great in 1850, the Court by their commissioners appointed for that purpose, laid out the road and assessed some of the towns north and south to help make it. Pe­ter Gilman of this town took the contract to make the road and completed the same in 1852. The opening of the road made new inducements for settlements. The same year, Alonzo Be­mis, of Lyndon, and company, built an elegant and commodious public house at the south end of Lake Willoughby, known as the Lake House. It commands a splendid view of the Lake and mountains and the scenery is ex­ceedingly picturesque and romantic; in the Summer season the climate is very salubrious and many people resort here for health, pleas­ure and recreation. Another Hotel was soon built on the East side of the Lake for the ac­commodation of the traveling public, by Peter Gilman. A little village soon sprung up on the east side of the Lake near the mouth of mill brook, a small stream that affords a very good water-power. There is a saw-mill, clapboard and shingle-machine. starch factory and a bob­bin factory, and a manufactory of scythe-stones where they manufacture annually large quan­tities of scythe-stones of a very excellent qual­ity. There was a Freewill Baptist church or­ganized in this town in the year 18 — and Mark A. Amsden was ordained and settled as a minister of the Gospel. There is no meet­ing-house in this town. The meetings are usually held in the school-houses

 

                                   SOLDIERS OF WESTMORE.

 

C. T. Aldrich, Chancey Allard, 9th Reg't; Am­brose Allard, 9th Reg't; Mark A. Amsden, 10th Reg't, wounded; Marshall Burt, 8th Reg't, —Walter Bickford, died May 14, 1863; William Bruce, 10th Reg't; Ebenezer J. Bruce, enlisted Aug. 6, '62, and served 34 months; Lyman Brown, 10th Reg't; Hiram Cummings, 9-months man; James M. Cummings, 9-months man; Le­ander Davis, taken prisoner, in Andersonville prison, died soon after his release; Joseph P. Dut­ton, 10th Reg't; James M. Craig, Loami C. Bean, W. C. Fogg, 9-months man, afterwards drafted, and run to Canada; Geo. R. Farr, drafted, and run to Canada; William Chappell, drafted and excepted, run to Canada; Ira Chappell, drafted and excepted, run to Canada; E. S. Gilmore, 10th Reg't; Joseph Gilmore, John Hunt, 4th Reg't; Bradbury Hunt, 10th Reg't, reported dead, wounded and carried from the battlefield —not heard from afterwards: F. W. Root, 10th Reg't; Morrill Shepard, died Oct. 20, 1864; Wil­liam H. Silsby, 2 years in service; John C. Page, 2 years in service; David J. Orne, Wes­ley Hayward, Henry and Elijah B. Hayward, not for this town, but lived here; Ivory Goodin, 2 years in service; S. B. Duke, Harry Cheney.

E. J. Bruce, of Westmore, enlisted from Brownington, Aug. 6, 1862, in the 10th Vt. Reg., Co. K. and served 2 years and 10 months —discharged at the close of the war.

 

 

                                                              WESTMORE.                                                              367

 

                           WESTMORE CONTINUED,

 

                                                           BY ALPHA ALLYN.

 

There were two Westfords in Vermont for a time; but at length Westford in Orleans county was changed in name to Westmore. The first settlers, the Porters and some others, were from Connecticut. Benj. Varnum and Eber Robinson, Esq., might be called as good honest demo­crats as Mical Bly, an honest federal smuggler.

About 1818, a Mr. Holt of Holland was shep­herd for Robert Ramsey, and took care of about 1000 sheep through the summer in Westmore, putting up sheep-barns.

In 1823, Joseph Gray and family, and two sons-in-law, lived in town. The story of there being 18 persons (as Thompson states) in town in 1820, the writer doubts.

The present road from Lyndon, past West Burke to Willoughby lake, is much used.

The first settlers of Westmore are thought to have been the most resolute men of any that settled in Orleans County. In 1823, there was to be seen in Westmore some of the largest two-story framed barns in the county —and that they could be seen showed signs of a set of brave men. There was a road called the old Westmore County Road. This came up 2 miles past Burke Hollow, towards Newark, past old deacon Wellman's house then turned west­wardly through the corner of Sutton, over the hills from Burke Hollow, down to Willough­by Lake, at what was called Mill-brook, heading in Long Pond, and running into said lake. There was a saw-mill, and a plenty of sucker and other fish in the lake.

The County road did not follow the stream down to Brownington and Derby, but followed north-westwardly, through Charleston Centre and west of Echo pond and Seymore lake in Morgan, past Morgan Four Corners.

The first settlements were made from the said mill to Charleston line; and the farms made narrow on said County road, and settled each way from said road. They had another hill road to Brownington, and the settlement of East Brownington was made so as to help West­more settlement by the influence of Judge Strong of Brownington and old Col. Eaton, one of the first settlers of Westmore, a leading man in town. Beaver-brook headed in the easterly corner of Brownington near Westmore, run­ning a short distance from the water that runs into Clyde river through Toad pond in Charles­ton. In high water some part of the water of Beaver-brook runs into Clyde river. The main part of Beaver-brook runs into Willoughby riv­er, and Willoughby river into Barton river, and Barton river into Magog Lake: here it joins with the waters of Clyde river. A proper deep ditch on the Winslow land would turn the water of Beaver-brook through Toad pond into Clyde river.

The Passumpsic road was not made here on the straight line to Derby, past West Charles­ton village, but the main road from Lyndon past the east side of the lake into the side of the mountain was made by different towns, ac­cording to their interest; and this road past West Charleston village to Derby; and after this road was made it was the main stage-road from Lyndon to Derby Line, till the cars came to Barton, and is now called the main road through the town. There is now a road from the out­let of the lake to the south side of Barton mountain, of some importance. There is some excitement about having the road from Barton extended through this town and East Charles­ton and Brighton, to Island Pond depot. This road, when made, will make a stage-road from the Lake House in this town to Island Pond depot, and also make a stage-road from Barton depot to Island Pond depot.

This township was granted Nov. 7, 1780 —chartered Aug. 17, 1781—containing 23,040 acres. Willoughby Lake is about 6 miles long and 1½ miles wide: its waters are dis­charged by Willoughby river into Barton river. Some of the head branches of the Clyde and Passumpsic rivers rise in this township. The population in 1820 was 18. The settle­ment began before 1803—probably about 1797, the year the land-tax was granted by the State, in Westmore. The first settlement of this township was abandoned about 1813. Finally Mical Bly, one of the last settlers of East Brownington, a salts-maker, moved to Westmore and made many tons of salts of lye. He was an honest man, a federal smuggler of salts. He was rough in his man­ners, and said Tom Jefferson's mean embargo robbed him of his hard earnings. He had, at different times, had three good wives, and a respectable family of children. He endured the hardships of living in the new settlements of Brownington and Westmore and Charles­ton. He died in Derby, leaving his third wife a widow. Two of his sons are now res­idents of Charleston.

The most of the names of the first settlers, and the history of them is known

 

 

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by the town clerk, and the present settlers of Westmore know the old clearings by the names of the men that cleared them. A part of these are what is known as the old Westmore commons; but a share of these farms are grown up to as second growth of timber. Many acres of fine second growth timber stand where this Mr. Mical Bly and sons, and hired help, made salts-of-lye.

This is a good town yet for new settlers, as this township is mostly wild land yet, and the part adjoining Charleston is excellent good land for hominy.

 

                ORLEANS COUNTY PAPERS AND ITEMS.

 

                                REV. NATHANIEL RAWSON, JR.

 

Among those who, in an early period in the settlement of Orleans County, took a part in en­deavoring to lead the minds of its inhabitants to love and obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ, may be named the Rev. Nathaniel Rawson, jr.; for, although his longest term of religious labor in any one place was at Hardwick, in Caledonia county, he spent more time in other parts of the State; and, as it is believed that Orleans was among the first to share his efforts, it is thought not inappropriate to give a short notice of him here.

He was born in Mendon, Mass., in the year 1780, and was the eldest son of Dea. Nathaniel Rawson of Milford, Mass., (which town was formerly a part of Mendon.) Of his other an­cestors, the fifth in the line ascending was the Rev. Grindall Rawson, of Mendon, Mass., who, in the year 1709, was the preacher of the "Elec­tion Sermon" before the General Court of Mas­sachusetts, and whose influence in public affairs was such, that it was said "he was compliment­ed as being the General Court's Oracle." Cot­ton Mather, who preached his funeral sermon, said of him: "We usually took it for granted that things would be fairly done, where he had a hand in doing them. We honored him for his doing the work of an evangelist among our In­dians, of whose language he was a master that had scarce an equal, and for whose welfare his projections and performances were such as to render our loss herein hardly to be repaired. Such services are pyramids."

The father of Rev. Grindall R. was Mr. Ed­ward Rawson of Newbury, Mass., who was sec­retary of Massachusetts for 35 years, ending with 1686. He was the first of the name who settled in this country, and bore an important part in the early history of the colony. He came from England about the year 1637. His wife's maiden name was Rachel Perne, and was a grand-daughter of Edmund Grindall, who was Archbishop of Canterbury in the reign of Queen Elizabeth; and ho was so faithful a  monitor of that energetic sovereign, that he in­curred her displeasure by his boldness in ex­horting her "to remember that she was a mor­tal creature, and accountable to God for the exercise of her power." Bacon styled Abp. Grindall "The greatest and gravest prelate in the land." President Oakes of Harvard Col­lege spoke of him as "a most saintly man, and in the Archbishopric little else than a Puritan." This opinion of him is supposed to be owing to his unwillingness "to proceed to extremities against the Puritans," as well as to the evident sincerity of his piety. It may be supposed, that had his wishes been followed, a very pious class of the English people would not have found sufficient reason for dissenting from the established church.

These remarks respecting ancestors are not made with the idea that descendants are really entitled to any honor on account of them, un­less by their own conduct they give evidence that they are deserving; but, on the contrary, I would express the opinion, that honorable lineage is a disgrace to those who do not strive to honor their parents by their own endeavors to become good and useful.

To return to the subject of this sketch. Rev. Nathaniel Rawson, jr., was not a "liberally ed­ucated" man, though it is believed that he ac­quired a better general education than was at that period usually obtained without a college course. The writer's youthful impressions in that respect were, that he was the wisest man that ever was, who never went to college. —This idea was gained from his readiness in im­parting information on all subjects which the inquiries of his children brought to his notice, and the instructions which he was wont to give them unasked. He studied theology with the Rev. Dr. Crane, of Northbridge, Mass. —was li­censed as a Congregational preacher by the Mendon Association.

He probably came to Vermont in 1809, as a sermon of his bearing that date seems to have been preached at St. Johnsbury, in September