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Following material was transcribed by Rod Skinner, former Windham County, VTGenWeb county coordinator, from Hemenway, Abby Maria, Vermont Historical Gazetteer, History of Addison, Bennington, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex county towns, Vol I, Section No. 3, © 1867 pgs. 321-323 (located on Rootsweb site)
GROTON. 321
GROTON.
BY
REV. O. G. CLARK.
GROTON, situated in the south part of Caledonia County, is bounded N. by
Peacham, E. by Ryegate, S. by Topsham, and W. by Goshen Gore. Its area is 38
square miles, and it contained in 1830, 836 inhabitants; in 1840, 928; in 1850,
895; and in 1860, a slight increase on the preceding decade.
Groton was chartered Oct. 20, 1789. It was settled in 1787, and consequently it
is 73 years since the first settlement was made. March the 28th, 1797, it was
organized by a town-meeting, held at the dwelling-house of John Darling,
pursuant to a notice issued by William Chamberlin, Justice of the Peace of the
town of Peacham. At this meeting were elected the following town officers, viz.:
— Samuel Bacon, Moderator; Nathaniel Knight, Town Clerk; Samuel Bacon, Nathaniel
Knight, and James Abbott, Selectmen; Jonathan James, Town Treasurer; Wm. Frost,
Constable and Collector; Dominicus Gray, Town Grand Juror; Israel Bailey and
Edmund Morse, Tithingmen; Aaron Hosmer, Jr., and Silas Lund, Highway Surveyors;
Robards Darling, Surveyor of Lumber; Wm. Frost, Sealer of Weights and Measures;
Jeremiah Bachelder and Samuel Darling, Hogreeves; James Hooper, Fenceviewer.
The
first freemen's meeting was held Sept. 3, 1799; but the town records do not show
whether there was an election or not. There is, however, a tradition that at
this meeting there were two parties, viz.: the Kennebunkers, who were settlers
from Sanford, Wells, and Kennebunk, Me.; and the Gaghegans, from New Hampshire,
Massachusetts, and Connecticut; and that the former, being more numerous,
elected Jonathan Macomber, Representative. The truth of this tradition can be
ascertained only by reference to the State records.
The
surface of the town is agreeably diversified by hill and valley, presenting to
the eye a landscape pleasing and beautiful, rather than grand and sublime. The
soil, though hard, is well adapted to grass and grain, and, when well
cultivated, richly remunerates the husbandman for his labor.
Whitcher's Mountain, situated in the southeastern part, is the highest
elevation of land in town, being 1,100 feet above the level of theocean, and
capable of cultivation to its summit, where there is quite a pond of water; not
of sufficient dimensions and depth, to be sure, for steamboats and men-of-war,
but ample enough for ducks and geese.
The
soil, except in the eastern part, is hard and stony, and consequently difficult
of cultivation. The rock is granite, and there is an abundance of it for all
fencing purposes, and some to spare. In general, the rock of Caledonia County is
primitive, and of the calcareo-mica-slate formation; but in Groton, Peacham,
Danville, and the eastern part of Cabot, it is almost exclusively granite;
showing that at some former period of the history of the earth, and by some
powerful convulsion of her interior elements, the granite has been forced up
through the primitive rock.
Wells
River, which rises in Groton Pond, flows through the town from N. W. to S. E.,
and by its falls affords many excellent water privileges for mills and
machinery, of which the inhabitants have availed themselves by erecting mills
and locating machinery at various points along its banks.
In
the north-western part of the town are two beautiful ponds of water, called Long
Pond and Little Pond; the former 4 miles long by 1 broad, and the latter 1 mile
in length by ½ mile in width. At the foot of the latter is the "Lake House,"
recently erected by McLane Marshall, the present proprietor and occupant. On the
latter pond, also, is a pleasure-boat 30 feet long by 10 wide, called the "Lady
of the Lake," and capable of carrying 60 persons at a time. Both these ponds
contain an abundance of fish, and afford the inhabitants of this and adjoining
towns no little sport in catching them. They both cover an area of 2,880 acres,
one being 8 times as large as the other, and are at an elevation of 1,083 feet
above the level of the sea, as estimated by Zadoc Thompson.
The
first settlers of the town were as follows:— Aaron Hosmer, the great-grandfather
of Josiah D. Hosmer, lately deceased, is said to have been the first individual
who made even a temporary residence in town. He, being a hunter, pitched his
tent on the meadow now known as the Orson Ricker meadow, and from thence went
north to the ponds, one of which is in Peacham, and is called Hosmer Pond. But
he never made a permanent residence within the limits of the town. Edmund Morse
was the first settler in the north part of the town, and James Abbott occupied
the farm now known as the Jacob Abbott place, and now owned and occupied by
Percival Bailey. A Mr. James settled on the next farm south of James Abbott,
known afterward as the Henry Low place, and now owned by Peter Whitehill. Edmund
Morse, who was the first military captain in town, and whose sword was an old
rusty scythe, settled in the north part of the town, on the next farm south of
Mr. James, where he continued to live till his death, which
322 VERMONT HISTORICAL
MAGAZINE.
was
at a good old age. Mr. Morse built the first saw and grist-mill in town, at the
foot of the Little Pond. Before this, the early settlers went to Newbury to
mill, some 15 miles distant, and not unfrequently carried and brought their
grist on their backs. Mr. Morse's daughter, Sally, now the widow Hill, was the
first female born in town.
JOHN
DARLING, the father of Robert, Samuel, and Moses Darling, and great-grandfather
of the present race of Darlings, was one of the first, and some say the first
settler in Groton. He occupied the farm near the old burying-ground, since
known as the Joseph Morrison place. He lived to a good old age, retaining his
faculties to the last. At fourscore years he stood erect as a young man of
twenty.
EDMUND WELCH was the first who settled on the William Frost farm, to whom he
afterward sold it, and here Mr. Frost lived till his death, which was when he
was about 65.
JONATHAN WELCH, brother to Edmund, first settled on the farm now owned and
occupied by his son Jonathan. JOHN EMERY settled on the Timothy Morrison farm,
and CHARLES EMERY, his father, on the Medad Welch farm.
The
first settler in what is now called Groton Village was one DANIEL MUNROE. His
house was near the present site of William F. Clark's tannery, at the east end
of the village.
A. M.
HENDERSON, of Ryegate, built the first saw-mill on Wells River, near the present
site of Gates's carriage shop, and soon after he also built a grist-mill where
the present one, now owned by A. L. Clark, stands.
JOHN
HOGINS, a tailor, was also one of the first settlers in the village. His house
stood where Almun L. Clark's tavern now stands.
JERRY
BACHELDER first settled in the Moses Plummer neighborhood, on the farm now owned
and occupied by Joseph Ricker.
JOHN
HEATH first settled in West Groton, on the place now occupied by Otis Rhodes.
Mr. Heath lived here quite a number of years, was a justice of the peace, and
quite a prominent religious man of the Baptist order. Afterward, Mr. Heath
moved to the West.
DAVID
JENKINS was the first who began on the farm now owned and occupied by Charles
Morrison. The next occupant of the place after Jenkins was Moses Darling, with
his father, John Darling; and after them, Jonathan Darling, son of Samuel
Darling, occupied it quite a number of years, until he sold it to Charles
Morrison, the present owner, and moved to the "Far West," where he now lives.
The
next settlers in West Groton were JONATHAN and JAMES RENFREW, of Scotch descent,
one of whom made the quaint remark in reference to the soil of West Groton,
viz.: "If a man should strike an axe into the ground, and it did not hit a
stone, it would be sure to hit a guinea." Their farms were the two places now
occupied by Nathan Darling and Moses Adams.
DAVID
VANCE was also one of the first settlers of this part of the town, where he
lived a good many years, and became wealthy. He was elected representative of
the town a number of years, and after raising up a family of 7 sons and 4
daughters, he moved to the east part of the town, where he now lives.
EDMUND and STEPHEN WELCH, and NATHANIEL CUNNINGHAM, were the first settlers in
the extreme west of the town.
BAPTIST CHURCH.
ELDER
JAMES BAILEY, of Peacham, formed the first church in town, of the Calvinist
Baptist order, upwards of 70 years ago. The first members were as follows:—
Phebe Darling, with of John Darling; Anna Welch, wife of Jonathan Welch; Edmund
Welch and wife; Sarah, wife of Stephen Welch; Betsey Morrison, wife of Bradbury
Morrison; John Emery and wife Sarah; Mary, wife of James Hooper; Edmund Morse;
Josiah Paul and wife Sarah.
In
1824, Rev. OTIS ROBINSON, from the State of Maine, was installed pastor over the
church, and for a number of years it continued in a flourishing condition. But
at length troubles arose, Mr. Robinson became deranged and moved away, and the
church received a shock from which it has not recovered to the present day.
Since that time they have had no settled ministers, but have been supported from
adjoining towns, till within a few years they have had no preaching at all. A
few years ago their number was 35. Of late they have taken a vote not to
continue their church organization any longer, but to let each member have the
privilege of joining any other church he pleases. The first deacon was Wm.
Hodsdon; the second, Enoch Page; the last, Hosea Welch. The first is deceased;
the two last are yet living, — living, too, in the fell assurance of immortality
and eternal life.
FREEWILL BAPTIST
CHURCH IN WEST GROTON.
BY
REV. FRANCIS MORRISON, PRESENT PASTOR.
The
Freewill Baptist Church in Groton was first formed in the west part of the town
by Elder LATHROP, but how long ago, the records of the church do not say, but
probably over 40 years since. Elder Lathrop presided over the church for a
number of years with great acceptability as a preacher and a Christian, and
under his labors there was a great revival of religion, by which the church was
quickened, her numbers increased, and much good done. They had no
meeting-house, and therefore were under the necessity of holding their meetings
in private houses in the winter, and in barns in the summer. But withstanding
the humble place of worship, people at times came from all parts of the town to
hear the word, and found it indeed a Bethel. After Elder Lathrop left the
church, his place
GROTON. 323
was
supplied by various other ministers from other towns, but the church had no
regular pastor till the year 1857, when Rev. Francis Morrison was ordained a
minister over them; since which time the church, though small, has been in a
prosperous condition. Their present number is 20.
M. E. CHURCH.
The
records of the M. E. Church do not say who were the first Methodist preachers in
town, nor how long it is since they first preached here; but the first preachers
were quite successful, and soon gathered a small class, which was increased from
time to time, till private dwellings and school-houses became too small for
their accommodation. About the year A. D. 1837, they were enabled to build a
good and commodious meeting-house, since which time, with the exception of a few
years lately, they have had a preacher stationed with them all the time.
In
1838, Samuel G. Scott preacher in charge, there were on Groton circuit 107
members. During this year there was a great revival, the church was quickened,
and many added to the church, some of whom continue faithful to this day.
In
1844, Benjamin Burnham preacher in charge, there were in Groton circuit 111
members.
Groton Village class contained 72 members.
West
Groton class " 7 "
Jefferson Hill class " 19 "
Topsham class " 13 "
——
Total 111
Since
that time, by deaths, removals, and other causes, the number of members has
considerably decreased, till of late, when a good work seems to be going on in
the church, and some additions are being made.
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