BARTON.                                                                   71

 

                                      LIEUT. GEO. H. PHELPS,

 

son of Seth and Laura (Hovey) Phelps, was born in 1840. He early gave evidence of su­perior intellectual ability. His lessons at school were mastered with a will and always ready at the time, and he entered upon his Academical course, at the West Albany Acad­emy, then under the direction of Dr. A. J. Hyde, in 1855. This Fall term seemed to arouse new energies, and the next Spring finds him pursuing the student's course at Morris­ville Academy, studying and teaching alter­nately. He became popular as a scholar and teacher. From Morrisville, he went to New­bury Seminary where he fitted for college and entered Dartmouth a year in advance.—During his Collegiate year, he enlisted in the 6th Vt. Reg., Co. D. Mr. Phelps was elected lieutenant of his company, and served during life. He died in camp near Washington D.C. of typhoid fever, Jan. 2, 1862, aged 22 years, and his remains now rest, with the evergreen sprig, in the beautiful cemetery near his na­tive village. Lieut. Phelps, as an officer, was respected and beloved by his men. He was a scholar and a gentleman. The news of his early death sent a thrill through the whole loyal community. Multitudes gathered at his funeral, and his memory will stay long with those who knew him.

 

                                                               ___________

 

OUR POWERS.

 

BY ANDREW J. HYDE, M. D.

 

"EVE," synonym of beauty, grace,

Of form and love,

Of which the muse may richly speak,

From these the surest subject take

To passions move;

And yet his hands, by marble wrought

Can deeper passions move, untaught.

 

"GREEK SLAVE!" an image sweet of those

In bondage bound;

Philanthropists may tempt to move

The chains that bind to aid through love

And free tho bound;

His genius hands with stone can deeper start

The chords of pity in the heart.

 

"THE FISHER BOY!" A rural sign

Of happiness,

A fancied thought, can picture joy,

Or romance may her skill employ

To speak of bliss;

His artist hands can mould a fairer joy

And give the truer fisher boy.

 

"AMERICA!" An emblem of

Our native land,

No tongue may tempt, though great its fame

To thus idealize our name—

Our power—command;

His mind comes forth on marble cold

In statuary, all to mould:

 

It—genius—comes from nature pure;

Yes, from our Powers;

From him it comes in shades of gold,

In order, beauty, half—untold—

All native—ours;

The pearls and diamonds in the sea,

Reflecting scenes and beauties free,

 

Not like the many does he live,

Not like the rest;

Who lives so near the muse's heart,

Who lives a master of his art.

Lives not unblest,

Who lives and reigns with genius free

Half-way 'tween man and Deity.

 

 

 

                                                  BARTON.

 

                                                          BY THOMAS MAY.

 

Barton, bounded N. by Brownington, E. by Westmore and Sheffield, S. by Glover, W. by Irasburgh and Albany, containing 36 square miles, was granted Oct. 20, 1781, to William Barton and his associates, Colton Gilson, John Murray, Ira Allen, Daniel Owen, Elka­nah Watson, Charles Handy, Henry Rice, Pe­ter Philips, Wm. Griswold, Benjamin Gorton, John Gorton, Joseph Whitmarsh, Elisha Bartlet, Richard Steer, Enoch Sprague, John Hol­brook, Benjamin Handy, John Mumford, Benjamin Bowen, Michael Holbrook, Asa Kimball, Ephraim Bowen, Jr., Joseph Gor­ton, Elijah Bean, Joshua Bleven, David Bar­ton, Paul Jones, Elijah Gore, and five shares to be appropriated for public uses, as follows: one for colleges, one for the first settled min­ister, one for grammar schools, one for com­mon schools and one for the support of the ministry. The town is lotted in 160 acres, two lots to one right.

The settlement of Barton was commenced by Asa Kimball, in the Spring of 1795. While clearing his land and raising his grain he lived in a cabin, constructed of poles and bark. The first grain that was raised was harrowed in with a cow and a steer. One of his steers failed for work when he got his land ready to sow and he yoked his cow with the other steer and harrowed in his grain. There was a family by the name of Eddy, who lived in Barton the Winter of 1795, '96, but left in the Spring of '96.

David Pilsbury and John Ames moved their families into Barton about the 10th of March, 1796: Asa Kimball and James May moved their families in the first day of April, 1795. Jonathan Allyn, Jonathan Robinson, David Abbot, Samuel Lord, James Redmond and Daniel Young also moved their families

 

 

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in the same year. The first saw-mill was built by Wm. Barton in the summer of 1796, near where the railroad crosses the river at the Mansfield farm. The first grist-mill was built by Asa Kimball, in 1797, on the spot where the chair-factory now stands and a saw mill was built by Asa Kimball in 1798, near where the grist-mill now stands.

The first child born in town was Amelia May, Oct. 3, 1796, daughter of James and Elizabeth May. The first male child was George Abbott, born June 3, 1797; died July 20, 1797. The first adult person that died in town was D. Pilsbury's hired man, Paul Blount, Sept. 1798.

The town was first organized March 28, 1798. Asa Kimball, moderator; Abner Allyn, Jr., was the first town-clerk; Jona­than Allyn, Asa Kimball, Jonathan Robinson, Selectmen; David Pilsbury, Treasurer; James Redmond, constable; David Pilsbury, sealer of leather; Asa Kimball, pound keeper; Oliver Blodget, grand juror; Samuel Nichols, hayward; Oliver Blodget, tything-man; James May and David Pilsbury, surveyors of highway and fence viewers; Jeremiah Ab­bott, hog-reeve; Jonathan Allyn, sealer of weights and measures.

The voters in town when first organized, were David Abbott, Jonathan Allyn, Abner Allyn, John Beard, James Beard, Oliver Blodget, John Ames, Asa Kimball, Samuel Lord, James May, Samuel Nichols, David Pilsbury, John Palmer, James Redmond, Jonathan Robinson, Peter Taylor, Solomon Wadham and Daniel Young.

 

"Barton, March 7, 1798.

We the subscribers, inhabitants of the town afore said are of the opinion that it would be for the advantage of the inhabitants of said town, to have the town organized the present season, and hereby request you to notify the inhabitants of said town, as the law directs, to meet at some convenient time and for the purpose of choosing town officers, and any other business that may be necessary.

 

To JONATHAN ALLYN, Esq.

David Pilsbury,                                                              David Abbott,

Oliver Blodget,                                                              Samuel Lord,

Asa Kimball,                                                                 Samuel Nicholds,

Paul T. Kimball,                                                            James May.

Whereas a number of the most respectable inhabitants of the town of Barton have requested me to warn a meeting of the inhabit­ants of said town, for the purpose of organizing said town, I hereby notify and warn all the inhabitants of said town that qualified as the law directs to transact such business, to assemble together at the dwelling-house of Mr. David Pilsbury on Monday the 26th day of this instant, March at one o'clock in the afternoon for the purpose of choosing such town officers as the law requires and to trans­act any other business that may then be found necessary.

Given under my hand at Barton this 10th day of March, 1798.

                                          JONATHAN ALLYN, Justice of the peace."

 

FIRST FREEMAN'S MEETING IN BARTON.

 

Agreeable to the warrant, the freemen met on the first Tuesday in September, 1798 and gave their votes as follows, viz. His excel­lency Isaac Tichenor had 20 votes for gover­nor, and his honor Paul Brigham, Esq. 20 votes for lieut. governor; Hon. John Bridgeman had 14 votes, Hon. Daniel Cahoon, Esq. 14, Samuel Cutler, Esq. 14, Hon. Ebenezer Crafts 14, Hon. Wm. Chamberlain 14, Elijah Dewey, Esq. 14, Hon. Timothy Follet 8, Hon. Ste­phen Jacob 14, Timothy Hinman, Esq. 6, Hon. Beriah Loomis 2, Hon. Cornelius Lynde 14, Hon. Timothy Todd 14, Hon. Noah Smith 14, Hon Samuel Williams 12, for counselors. Hon. Samuel Mattocks had 13 votes, Hon. David Wing, Jr. Esq. 2 votes, for treasurer.

 

"The following appeared in open town meeting and were approbated by the select men, and took the freemen's oath viz. Peter Clark, James Luddon, Samuel Lord, James May, Capt. Peter Porter, Jonathan Smith, Justus Smith, Major Samuel Smith, Samuel Smith, Jr., Obediah Wilcox and Solomon Wadham, all of Brownington, excepting Messrs. Lord, May and Wadham who are of this town.

"The following is a true list of all the rat­able property in the town for 1798, viz. 18 polls, 26 acres of improved land, 3 houses, 18 oxen, 8 three year old steers, 20 cows, 9 two-year-olds, 8 horses, 1 horse two-year-old, 1 yearling colt, 2 watches, total $946."

 

At the next town meeting, March 1789, met at the house of David Pilsbury, to choose town officers and see what the town would do to the two bridges over Barton river, one near Kimball's grist-mill, the other near Redmond's saw-mill, and what with the school lots. The same officers as the year before were filled, also, Abner Allyn, Jr. appointed overseer of the poor. The article for repairing the bridges was dismissed, and a vote passed empowering the selectmen to lease out the school lots, moreover Samuel Nichols and David Pilsbury were approbated for inn­keepers.

 

PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN:

 

To warn all the Freemen of the town of Barton to meet at the dwelling-house of

 

 

                                                                             BARTON.                                                       73

 

David Pilsbury, inn-holder in said town, on the 27th day of March instant, at one of the clock. Afternoon to give in their Votes for 13 such persons as they would choose a council of censors in this State as provided by the constitution. Barton, 7th March 1799, James Redmond, constable.

 

                                                "Barton 27th March, A. D. 1799.

I then proceded to open this meeting acording to the within warning and was there ready to receive the votes, but there was not any person that appeared in order to vote.

                                                       Attest. JAMES REDMOND, Constable."

 

Per record—a freeman's meeting was called Sept. 3, 1789, to choose a representative and attend to other town matters, for which the constable reports:

"State of Vermont, Caledonia Co.

 

                                               Barton, September 3d A. D. 1799.

I this day appeared and opened the freemen's meeting, agreeable to the above warrant, and at the close of said meeting there appeared to have been no votes brought forward.

                                           Attest. JAMES REDMOND, Constable."

 

"State of Vermont, Orleans Co.

                                                  Barton 7th March, A. D. 1800.

To Hon. Timothy Hinman, Esq.—Sir, we the subscribers of the town of Barton afore said, do hereby request you as a justice of the peace for the county aforesaid to Issue your Warrant for, and to Warn the Inhabitants of said Town, to Assemble together at some convenient time and place within said Town in the present month of March, for the purpose of organizing said Town (anew) as the law di­rects and in such a manner as will not affect or nulify the former organization, which we believe will and ought to be held sacred; yet there having been disputes concerning the le­gality of said organization which we consider to be without a sufficient foundation, as a number of other Towns in the same predica­ment have not been noticed as illegal, and to prevent any further disputes in future we have thought it best to request you to call a new Meeting, and also that you will preside until a moderator is chosen, and that you will administer the necessary oaths, or affirma­tions to the Town Officers which the law re­quires when chosen:

Stephen Dexter,                                                            Welcome Brown,

James May,                                                                   David Pilsbury,

James Salisbury,                                                           Lemuel Surtevant."

"State of Vermont,Orleans Co.

 

                                                      Derby, March 8th, 1800.

Whereas some suggestions have been made that the Town of Barton, in the County of Orleans has not been Legally organized and application this day made to me in writing by sundry of the Inhabitants, of said Town, to call a Meeting of the Inhabitants of said Town of Barton, in conjunction with the selectmen of said town.

This is therefore to notify, and warn the In­habitants of the town of Barton aforesaid that they meet at the dwelling-House of Mr. Jonathan Allyn, in Said Barton on Saturday 22, Day of this Instant, March at 10 o'clock in the forenoon, then and there to choose their necessary officers required by law for the year ensuing and any other legal busi­ness found necessary when met.

                                             TIMOTHY HINMAN, justice of peace."

"State of Vermont, Orleans Co.

 

                                                                  Barton, March 8th 1800.

These are to notify and warn all the Inhab­itants of the Town of Barton, who are quali­fied to act in Town affairs to meet on the 22d of this Instant, March at 10 o'clock in the forenoon at the place specified in the above Warrant signed by Timothy Hinman and to act on the business therein mentioned. Jon­athan Allyn, Asa Kimball, Jonathan Robin­son, Selectmen."

"The Inhabitants of the Town of Barton met agreeable to the two Warrants above re­cited, one signed by the Hon. Timothy Hinman, Esq., and the other signed by the Select­men of Said Barton, and made choice of the following officers:

Viz. Lieut. Lemuel Sturtevant, modera­tor; Abner Allyn, Jr., town clerk and regis­ter; Lieut. Lemuel Sturtevant, treasurer; Jonathan Allyn, Esq., Messrs. Asa Kimball and John Baird, selectmen; Mr. Oliver Blodget, Ensign, Jonathan Robinson and Lieut. Lemuel Sturtevant, listers; Mr. Ste­phen Dexter, constable; Messrs. Oliver Blodget and John Brown, grand-jurors; Messrs. James May, Jonathan Robinson and James Baird, surveyors of highways; Messrs. Welcome Brown, Solomon Wadham and James Redmond, fence viewers; Mr. Asa Kimbal, pound keeper; Mr. Stephen Dexter, sealer of leather; Jonathan Allyn, Esq , seal­er of weights and measures; Mr. Joel Benton, tythingman; Mr. Welcome Brown, hayward; all the aforesaid officers which are requird by law, have taken the affirmation of office and allegiance to this State, excepting Mr. James Redmond who has neglected to take said af­firmation. Lieut. Lemuel Sturtevant and Messrs. James Bard and James Salisbury Were appointed a committee to audit and settle accompts with the former Town Treasurer for the two years past, and Messrs. John Baird and Abner Allyn, Jr., were duly appointed by the town after being duly nominated by the proper authority of said Town, to serve as Grand jurors to attend the supreme and county courts when called for, Messrs James Baird, James Salisbury, James May, David Blodget, Asa Kimball, Stephen Dexter and Jonathan Allyn were duly appointed by the town after being nominated by the proper authority of Said town, to serve as petit jurors to attend the Supreme and county courts when called for."

 

Jonathan Allyn was appointed Justice of peace in 1797; John Kimball, in 1803; Oli‑

 

 

74                                                   VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.

 

ver Blodget, in 1810; Abisha Goodel, in 1810; Joseph B. Leland, in 1812; Jonathan Allyn, appointed justice of peace in 1797, rep­resented the town in the general assembly in 1802, '03 and '04; Joseph Owen, in 1805 and '06; John Kimball, in 1807, '08 and '09; Oliver Blodget, in 1810; Jonathan Allyn, in 1815; Joseph B. Leland, in 1812; Samuel Works, in 1813 and '14;

The following is the true grand list taken by us the subscribers, listers for the town of Barton, 1800:—23 polls, 224 acres of improved land, 7 houses, 28 oxen, 11 three year old steers, 49 cows, 8 two year olds, 15 horses, 1 two year old colt, 2 yearling colts, 2 watches, 1621.40.

LIST FOR 1801.—27 polls, 173 acres of im­proved land, 10 houses, 36 oxen, 5 three-year old steers, 46 cows, 18 two-year olds, 19 horses, 2 two-year old colts, 1 one-year old colt,—$1857.60.

LIST FOR 1802.—35 polls, 276 acres of im­proved land, 14 houses, 33 oxen, 60 cows, 10 three year olds, 16 two year olds, 30 horses, 1 two year old colt, 105 sheep,

LIST FOR 1803.—polls 39, improved land 302 acres, 13 houses, 22 oxen, 60 cows, three year olds 13, two year olds 21, horses 30, two year colts 1, sheep 120,—$2496.11.

LIST FOR 1810. Polls 81, acres improved land 300, oxen 77, cows and three year olds 168, two year olds 47, horses 60, two year old colts 6, houses 14, and 1 clock,—amount $37,387.00.

March 15, 1799, Joel Benton moved his family into town, and Samuel Sturtevant his family on the 16th of the same month. Joseph Owen and Ellis Cobb came to Barton, June 1803, this season the smallpox prevail­ed to considerable extent. We had 3 pest-houses. There was but two deaths from this disorder, one a child of David Blodget and a child that came from Glover.

Ellis Cobb built a fulling-mill for dressing cloth in 1803.

Joseph Owen set up a still for manufactur­ing whiskey in 1804.

Lemuel Sturtevant opened a store of goods in 1801, but continued the same only a short time.

In 1800, Mrs. L. Sturtevant made a quilting and invited all the women in four towns, Barton, Brownington, Irasburgh and Glover. They all attended but one; two from each town except Barton.

 

                                                      TOWN CLERKS.

 

Abner Allyn, Jr., was town clerk from 1798 to 1803; John Kimball from 1803 to 1808, Ellis Cobb from 1808 to 1809; John Kimball 1 year; Aberha Goodel, 1810,-'11, '12; Robert Rogers, 1812 to 1815; John Kimball, 1815 to 1831; T. C. Cobb, 1 year; John Kimball, 1832 to 1838; A. C. Robinson, 1 year; John Kimball, 1839 to 1842; Hor­ace Pierce, 1842 to 1848; Wm. Graves, 1848 to the present, 1868.

The first barn was built by Daniel Pils­bury. The raisers came from Lyndon, fin­ished the raising in the morning, and went back to Lyndon for breakfast.

Oct. 6, 1806, at the raising of a building in this town, they had the body of the frame up, but the beams not entered, when a gust of wind struck the frame and blew it down, killing one young man instantly, while not so much as breaking the skin. He had been drawing up a beam, and stood in a brace when the gale came. He jumped, but the plate struck across his shoulders. His face was jammed into the ground. He gasped but once after he was taken from under the timber.

 

                                                         HARDSHIPS.

 

The first settlers had to go to Lyndon and St. Johnsbury for all their milling and gro­ceries, 20 to 30 miles, no road but spotted trees, and bring them mostly on their backs.

Joseph Eddy, who wintered in Barton in 1795 and '96, used to be employed to trans­port their supplies. He brought for J. Rob­inson one time a five-pail kettle and half a bushel of meal, on his head. When most through he stopped at a spring and set his kettle down to drink and to rest awhile, and thought to leave the kettle by the spring and return for it. But, he stated, after start­ing a little way he could not keep his balance without the kettle, and returned for it and brought it through.

In October, 1796, Daniel Owens, a young man about 25 years of age, started on horse­back one afternoon to go to Lyndon. Night overtaking him, he tied his horse to a tree, took his saddle for a pillow, and camped out.

Two girls, Sally Haines about 16 years of age, and Almira, about 7 years, set out, near sunset, to go from Mr. F. Matthews' across the woods to Mr. B. Starkey's, about three fourths of a mile distant. When about half way through the woods they lost their path,

 

 

                                                                             BARTON.                                                       75

 

and wandered until dark, when Sally sat down and held the little girl in her lap till morning. They had a large dog that kept with them, and they were found in the fore­noon of the next day.

The first coach came into this town in 1806. Hon. Daniel Owen and wife came to visit their children in a coach, and it was more of a curiosity to see than the locomotive of the present day.

In the Spring of 1809, the wolves were very troublesome among the sheep. There have been three wolves and quite a number of bears killed in this town. One year there were four bears killed in James May's corn­field and the woods near by. And there used to be moose in the woods east toward the Connecticut River. Joseph Abbot says he went out one time to bring in some moose meat. It was so far he could not get back the same day. In chopping a tree to build a fire to camp by, he broke his ax and had to camp without a fire, with only the moose-hide for a covering; and it was so cold he was afraid of freezing.

In the early settlement of this County, Daniel Young lived near the south corner of Barton, in the edge of Sheffield. He had one son, a dwarf, not so bright as some children. He went into the woods at one time to cut a whistle. His mother—upon missing him—started in search; but, her voice echoing be­yond him, he only strayed deeper into the woods, and it was four or five days before he was found. All the men in Barton, Sheffield and adjoining towns, turned out to search the woods for him. When found, he had built him a house of small sticks, and was dancing round it. How he had subsisted is quite unknown; but he was certainly in fine spirits, and when asked, to frighten him, if he was not afraid of the bears, he said, "Georgie Miller has catched all the bears."

 

                                                        SELECTMEN.

 

The following have officiated as selectmen: viz., Richard Newton, jr., James Salisbury, Philemon Kimball, Jonathan Robinson, S. S. Hemenway, Samuel Works, Lyndon Robin­son, Orin Cutler, John Colby, F. S. French, Thomas Baker, John G. Hall, I. K. Drew, Samuel Drew, Harris Smith, Abram Smith, Joseph Owen, jr., Wm. P. May, Daniel Smith, J. F. Brown, George Ireland, Cyrus Eaton, W. C. Parker, and Benjamin Mossman.

 

                                                  EARLY MERCHANTS.

 

Col. Bangs and Capt. Bigelow opened a store in 1805; Samuel Works in 1806; Abisha Goodel in 1809; R. Rogers went into trade with S. Works in 1809 and traded until 1812.

 

                                                         PHYSICIANS.

 

Elihu Lee commenced practice in 1802; Abner Phelps in 1809; F. W. Adams in 1813; Dr. Gregory in 1817; Silas C. McClary in 1819; Dr. Hoyt in 1823; Daniel Bates in 1836; F. W. Adams, who had some years before removed, returned here in 1821 and practiced until 1836; Anson Pierce practiced here in 1840; Hiram P. Hoyt came to the Landing to practice in 1841; George Fairbrother, Dr. Fisk, and Dr. Ranney have all practiced at the Landing. J. F. and R. B. Skinner have practiced in Barton since 1853. Rugles (homeopathy) has been in practice here 2 years.

 

                                                        GRADUATES.

 

John H. and John Kimball graduated at Dartmouth; Thomas Scott Pierson at Mid­dlebury College; Cephas Smith entered the University of Vermont, but died before he finished his studies; Woodbury Lang entered the University of Vermont, but left before he finished his studies.

 

                                                           LAWYERS.

 

The first lawyer that came to reside in town was Asa King, in 1811, who only staid about 6 months; Charles Davis, the second, came in 1816, and staid about 2 years; J. H. Kimball opened his office in 1824; George Mason practiced in 1830; Thomas Abbot in 1846; John P. Sartle in 1850; George Tucker in 1857; W. W. Grout in 1858; Jonah Grout, jr., in 1865; John B. Robinson in 1865; Samuel S. Willard in 1870.

 

                                           REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS.

 

There were quite a number of the first soldiers of the Revolution. Jonathan Robin­son, David Pilsbury, Wm. Gould, Ebenezer Cross, Joseph Graves, Paul Seekins, John Brown, Joel Benton, Lemuel Sturtevant, John Merriam, Abraham Whitaker, Elias Bingham, David Abbott, Samuel Thacher, John Parlin, Joseph Hyde, David Hamlet, Capt. Samuel Wells; and George Keyzer and John Adams, who lived in this town and died in Glover.

 

                                        SOLDIERS OF THE WAR OF 1812.

 

Royal Cross, Daniel Horham, Elisha Par­lin, Peter Cross, Nathan Gould, and James Gould were called out as militia for 3 month.

 

 

76                                                   VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.

 

Abraham Whitaker, Alexander Benton, and Seymour Benton were one year's men. An­drew Folsom lives in town, who served in the Florida war. John Folsom went into the Mexican war; has not been heard from since. There were a number of soldiers of the war of 1812, that enlisted from other towns, that have lived in this town, and died here: viz., Richard Newton, Moses Spaulding, Philip Colby, Laban Cass, Otis Peck, and Moses C. Varney. There are but two soldiers of the war of 1812 now (1868) living in town—Al­exander Benton and Enoch Fisk.

 

                                                        SMUGGLING.

 

In the month of March, 1814, the U. S. custom officers received information that a company of smugglers had crossed the line, intending to pass through this town. Accord­ingly, calling to their assistance some of the inhabitants of this town and Irasburgh, they went out to meet them; which they did near the north line of the town, on the "Willough­by Hill." There they had quite a hard battle. Several were severely wounded, on both sides. But the smugglers proved too strong a force for the custom officers and their party, and they drove through; having taken the precaution to send two ahead to see if there were likely to be any more obstructions in their way. After getting almost to Shef­field, they met their scout returning with the infomation that there was, at Sheffield, a force ready to meet them; and they turned round and came back to the village, called at that time "Barton Mills."

Their load consisted of cloths, steel, wire, and various other things. They managed to secrete some of it. The custom officers seized a part, and took two prisoners. The prison­ers were placed under keepers and taken to the inn of Jonathan Robinson; whence they managed to escape the next day. A man drove into the yard, and going into the house left his team without hitching. The prisoners rushed out, and, jumping into the sleigh, drove off, not stopping until they had crossed the boundary.

In August, 1814, a drove of cattle was seized by the officers of the customs, and put into a back pasture, on Jonathan Robinson's farm. A party of men came from Canada to rescue them. In the darkness of the night, while hunting for them, one John Weare was accidentally shot in the leg. He was taken on horseback and carried to the first house in Brownington, where his limb was amputated by Dr. F. W. Adams; using a beech withe for his tourniquet, and a razor and sash-saw. The rest of the company made their escape to Canada.

In April, 1814, there were two pairs of saddle-bags, filled with steel, secreted by Da­vid Pilsbury. While the soldiers were sta­tioned in town he informed the commanding officer when it was going to leave, and where to set a guard to take it. A corporal and one private were directed to go south into the woods, in Sheffield, and waylay them.

When the men arrived, the soldiers stepped from behind a tree, and ordered them to dis­mount. The men begged the soldiers to let them go; but were told they must go back to camp. The soldiers drove the men, forward of them, back so far as Dexter's tavern; when the men asked the soldiers if they would take a drink; and stepped into the tavern and brought out each a tumbler of sling, handing it to them. While they were drinking, the men snatched their guns and knocked them from off their horses, breaking one's jaw and arm, threw the saddle-bags off and mounted their horses, and cleared for Barnet. The soldiers pressed every horse in the neighbor­hood that was fit to travel, and pursued them. When they came in sight of the house where the men were, the men leaped through a window in the back side of the house, and made their escape.

During the embargo there was a herd of cattle seized by the officers of the customs, and tied in E. Chamberlain's barn. Two men were placed in the barn to guard them. The smugglers, who were on the alert, waited till they heard the guard snoring, when one of their party slipped in and turned out the cattle, and drove them off.

 

                                                        ASA KIMBALL

 

built the first, grist-mill in 1797. It had but one run of stone. The bolt was in the lower room with a spout carrying the meal from the curb into the head of the bolt. He built a new grist-mill in 1809, with two run of stone, on the spot where the mill now stands. This mill had an elevator to carry the meal up into the bolt. He built a saw-mill in 1798, just above where the grist-mill stands. He sold his mill to Col. Ellis Cobb in 1816 or 1817. He was a resolute and persevering man, and soon after he came into town open­ed a public-house and kept tavern as long as

 

 

                                                                 BARTON.                                                                   77

 

he lived in Barton. He removed in 1816, to Candor, N. Y. where he stopped a few years and removed to Burlington, Ohio, where, in a few years, he died.

 

                                           COL. ELLIS COBB.

 

Who bought out the mills of Kimball, was a native of Hardwick, Ct. He came to Bar­ton in June, 1803; purchased at first just land sufficient to set a fulling-mill upon, and the next year half an acre more for his dwell­ing house, barn and a place to set his tenter-bars. In 1807, he purchased the land and privilege to set up a carding-machine. A man by the name of Barret furnished the ma­chine, and Col. Cobb put up the building 15 by 15 feet, and carried on the carding upon shares. The first season Barret came round in the fall and Cobb bought the machine in 1813. He built the building now occupied for the carding-machine in 1814. He bought the mills and what real estate, Kimball had about the Falls in 1815. He also built a mill for hulling oats, but never did much at the business. Afterward Mr. Cobb went into company in the mercantile business with a Mr. Boardman. The first article they offered for sale was Turk's Island salt at $5.00 a bushel. They traded one year when Cobb bought out Boardman and traded one year alone and then took in Mr. S. Chamberlain as a partner and traded awhile with him and sold out to him. He was one of the first members of the Congregational organization in 1807, and its first clerk. He built the first meeting-house in 1820, and sold the pews. He represented the town a number of years and was justice of the peace a number of years; was town clerk one year; sheriff one year; and post master at the time of his death. Ellis Cobb and Abigail Chamberlain were married in Danville, Oct. 27, 1805: Tim­othy C. Cobb was born Oct 27, 1806; has been town treasurer for the last 25 years.

 

                                           JAMES MAY, ESQ.

 

                                                      BY HON. I. F. REDFIELD.

 

James May was one of the earliest settlers in Barton, he came with his wife and one child to settle in this town on the first day of April 1796. He came in company with Mr. Asa Kimball, whose wife was a sister of Mrs. May. There were but two families in town before they came. Another family came the same month, making five in all. It is not important to enter much into the details of the hardships and privations endured by them; they were similar to those experienced in most undertakings of the kind by the first settlers of this country.

Mr. May came from Lyndon upon snow-shoes a portion of the way, certainly,—his family and stores being drawn upon sleds through a continuous forest of more than 20 miles. The entire County and some of the adjoining ones were then an unbroken forest without roads or dwellings except in a few places; with no supplies for man or beast, and no means of obtaining any except from the earth itself. This spare and discouraging manner of subsistence continued through a long period. Many towns that had been con­siderably settled before the war of 1812 and the cold season that followed, were so com- pletely exhausted and discouraged thereby that they fled for shelter and support to more genial regions and never returned. The snows at that time fell very deep and contin­ued to cover the ground much longer than at the present day.

But friend May continued to meet all vicis­itudes with the same unruffled calmness and composure. His wife was the daughter of Hon. Daniel Owen of Rhode Island, a man of character and distinction in his day, who held the offices of Lieut. governor and judge of the supreme court of that State, at different peri­ods, and whose family had been tenderly reared and elegantly educated. Mrs. May had become devoted to the doctrines and usages of, and had united with the Society of Friends, the followers of George Fox. With this sect who are more commonly known as Quakers, her husband was connected after 1816. She was a lady of great energy and force of character and of very uncommon ability and a high degree of culture, and did very much, unquestionably, to form the charac­ter and ensure the success of her husband whom she survived a few years, and deceased at the advanced age of nearly 93 years on Aug. 28, 1865. Friend May lived to see great changes from an unbroken wilderness through­out almost half the northern section of the State. He lived to see it one of the most fer­tile and highly cultivated regions in New England, and from having no communication with the outer world whatever, he lived to see a railway train passing his own door al­most hourly, whereby distance was almost annihilated and the most of commerce brought to him instead of being wholly inaccessible,

 

 

78                                       VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.

 

as for many years of his residence in this town. He had been a magistrate for nearly half a century,—probably trusted and confided in by all—and was almost always selected as a talesman upon jury in the higher courts, if present when such was required. He very often served on the petit and grand jurors in court and tried probably as many causes as court and juror, as almost any man in his county and was never suspected of any pred­judice or passion in his decision. He went to his rest at the age of 88 years, just 67 years, to a day, from the day he came to reside in Bar­ton. They had a numerous family, nine of whom came to maturity, but more than half of whom deceased before their parents. The writer feels that his intimate and confidential relations with the family, may in some de­gree have disqualified him from forming an entirely dispassionate estimate of the charac­ter of the parents or their family. They were surrounded by influences and subjected to a kind of training that was calculated to keep them quite aloof from the ordinary strifes and ambitions of social life, but they were on that account more free from extraneous and perverting appliances and might naturally therefore he expected to exhibit the fair re­sults of innate faculties and domestic training. They were a family especially formed upon original models, and least of all subject to the slavish effects of conventional laws. But the writer believes that no family in northern Vermont was more exemplary in conduct, or more unexceptionable in character; but is aware that their isolation and pertinacious adherence to parental training did not always commend them to the admiration of those who regard themselves as subjected to a kind of serfdom as long as they are compelled to walk in any prescribed routine, although de­fined by the spirit of inspiration itself. The nature of our institutions and the arbitrary dictation of conventionalities in every depart­ment of social life has a tendency to render those who disregard its dictation less agreea­ble and less sought after by the mass of socie­ty, who are industriously pursuing the oppo­site course, and it is this very trait of follow­ing conscience rather than convenience, which so endeared friend May and his family to the writer. It is so rare now to find such a family, and it is so difficult for any one to maintain such a course with quietness and consistency, that we deem the few who conscientiously attempt it, and especially those who fairly maintain such a course, worthy of all praise.

 

                                      JUDGE JOHN KIMBALL.

 

                                                    BY REV. WM. A. ROBINSON.

 

Worthy of more than passing notice among the strong, clear-headed, and capable early settlers of Barton, is the subject of this sketch.

His life is one of the many illustrations af­forded by the records of pioneer settlements, to show the usefulness and influence of self-made men, to whom their very deprivations and hardships were made the means of disci­pline and culture. He was born Oct. 3, 1769, in Concord, N. H. His father, Dea. John Kimball, came originally from Bradford, Mass. —His mother's maiden name was An­nie Ayres, of Haverhill, Mass. Of the boy­hood and youth of Judge Kimball, we have little record beyond the fact that he enjoyed the limited common-school advantages which the then village of Concord afforded her children. His father was a deacon in the orig­inal Congregational church of Concord, and his own boyhood was passed under the min­istry of Rev. Timothy Walker, who has well been, styled—The father of the town. When he was 21 years of age, he settled on a wild lot of land in Vershire, Vt. After keeping "bachelor's hall" a few months, he secured a companion in his wilderness life, in the per­son of a school-mistress from Strafford, Miss Eunice White, to whom he was married Dec. 6, 1792. With her he enjoyed nearly 50 years of married life, and by her he had 12 chil­dren. Judge Kimball spent 4 or 5 years in Vershire subsequent to his marriage, and then moved back to Concord, where he re­mained till 1801, when he removed to Bar­ton. His family then consisted of 4 children, Annie, born in Vershire, March 2, 1794; John Hazen also born in Vershire, Aug. 30, 1795; Lucretia, born in Concord, May 19, 1797, and Mary, now the widow of Rev. Ora Pearson, and still living in Peacham, Vt., born in Concord, May 16, 1799. Soon after coming to Barton, he buried successively, a pair of twins and another child in infancy. Jan. 7, 1804, Frederick White Kimball, now living in Glover, Vt., was born; Feb. 19,1806, Eliza was born; Nov. 5, 1808 Sylvester Dana; and Nov. 11, 1810, Clarissa, who as the wife of Milton Barnard, Esq., still lives in Barton. Of these children besides the three still living, Annie died in Barton, May 15,

 

 

                                                                 BARTON.                                                                   79

 

1815. John H. who was a prominent lawyer and citizen of Barton for many years, died Feb. 23, 1858. Lucretia, married in 1817, Jesse Kimball of Bradford, Mass. where she died Dec. 6, 1823. Eliza, died Oct. 1, 1820. Sylvester Dana, also a prominent and honor­ed citizen of Barton, died Oct. 9, 1856.

Judge Kimball was a man highly respected by his fellow citizens and selected by them to fill many positions of trust almost from the first of his residence in town. He was chosen town clerk in 1803, which office he occupied till 1842, excepting 9 years during which at different times the office was in the hands of others for brief periods. He was also chosen justice of the peace the same year, and his name appeared in the list of justices from that time to the time of his death. He also held the office of selectman at various times and for many years in the aggregate. He represented the town in the State legislature in 1807—'08—'09, and in various subsequent years, in all more than any other one man since the organization of the town. Between 1820—'30, he was for several years judge of probate for Orleans Co., and between 1830—'40 for 3 or 4 years assistant judge in the county court. While he was thus honored with the esteem and confidence of his fellow citizens, he was not inattentive to the honor that cometh from God. He was one of the original 18, who united in forming the pres­ent Congregational church, Sept. 24, 1817. He acted as moderator of the infant church at many of its meetings before any deacon or pastor had been chosen, and was a strong and influential member as long as he lived. He died May 9, 1844, at the age of 74.

Such is a brief and somewhat imperfect sketch of one of the early settlers of Barton, to whose lot it fell to endure many hardships and perform many labors, whose influence may not now he rightly estimated, but to whom the present generation in this town owe a debt they cannot expect to pay, save as they avoid his errors and imitate his vir­tues.

 

                                                  GLOVER POND IN BARTON.

 

When Glover Pond was let out, June 6, 1810, the water rushed with such force upon us as to take the trees up by the roots on the meadow the whole length of the township; and in some places the water spread 100 rods wide, and in other places rose 25 feet,—heaping the timber in large piles, some 30 feet high. It swept every bridge from the stream, and one saw-mill. There was a log-house on the meadow 100 rods below where Roaring brook empties into the river. The family, consisting of a man and his wife, had started to go over the river to the mills. They had to cross the river on a log, and had got upon the log over the river, when they heard the roar of the water, and turned and made their escape. The water came nearly to the eaves of the house. There was a pan of milk upon the table. After the water had passed off, they found the pan of milk safe on the table, though the water moved the house about two feet. A large elm stump, below the house, prevented it from going off.

 

                                                 PONDS, RIVERS, ORES, ETC,

 

Lake Crystal—first named by the French Belle Lac, is a beautiful sheet of water in the south part of the township, 2½ miles in length and ½ mile in width.

Fuller Pond, in the west part of the town­ship, covers a surface of about 100 acres, and there is another small pond upon the east, that lies partly in Barton and partly in Shef­field and Sutton.

The principal rivers are Barton River and Willoughby. Barton River, the chief, runs through the town north and south.

This town is not surpassed in New England for water power for mills and factories.— There are five dams within 100 rods below Crystal Lake. There are good falls on the stream that runs from Parker Pond in Glover; good falls on Willoughby River, that runs from Willoughby Lake in Westmore; two sets of falls on Barton River between Bar­ton Village and the lower corner of the town, besides the falls at Barton Landing. The brook that runs from the east corner of the town has good falls all the way to the lake. This stream is called May Brook, from its emptying into the lake on the May farm. There are two saw-mills on this brook. The greatest curiosity in this town is the stone flume in this brook. About half a mile from the lake there is a channel in the granite rock, 150 feet or more in length by 8 feet wide and 20 deep. There is a saw-mill built over it.

The rock in this township is mostly gran­ite, with some lime in some places. The soil is fertile and well adapted to the growth of all kinds of grain. The hills make the best of pastures; and the meadows up and down

 

 

80                                       VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.

 

Barton River are as productive as any in the State. The woodland hills are covered with hemlock, spruce, beech, birch, maple, &c.—There is more maple sugar made in this town than in any other in the County, except Glover.

There have been some small bits of gold found in Willow River in this town; and some iron ore in some places.

 

                                           BARTON VILLAGE

 

is situated at the outlet of the Lake, and con­tains 102 dwellings, 132 families, 2 churches, 1 school-house, 1 hotel, 1 depot, 11 stores, 2 jewellers' shops, 3 milliners' shops, 3 black­smiths' shops, 4 shoemakers' shops, 1 grist­mill, 2 saw mills, 1 clothier's shop and card­ing-machine, 1 chair factory, 3 sash, door and blind factories, 1 tin, sheet-iron and copper-ware shop, 2 brickmakers' quarters, 2 shingle mills, one wheel-wright's shop, 1 cabinet-shop, 2 marble shops, 3 harness shops, a post. office; "The Standard" printing office, Bar­ton Academy, 3 lawyers' offices, 3 doctors' offices, and 2 dentists' offices.

 

                                           BARTON LANDING

 

is in the north corner of the town, 5 miles from Barton Village. This village contains 45 dwellings and 56 families, 1 saw-mill, 1 grist-mill, 1 starch-factory, 1 planing-mill, 1 carriage-shop, 2 shoemakers' shops, 1 har­ness shop, 2 blacksmiths' shops, a post-office, 5 stores, 1 milliner's shop, 1 doctor's office, 1 hotel, 1 school-house, 1 meeting-house, and a railroad depot.

 

                      JACKSVILLE, OR SOUTH BARTON VILLAGE,

 

is 4 miles south of Barton Village, on a tongue of land that was taken from Sheffield. It contains 15 or 20 dwellings, 25 or 30 fam­ilies, a post-office, a school-house, a store, a blacksmith's shop, 3 saw-mills, and a railroad station.

There are 9 school districts in town; whole number of scholars, 354; average attendance, 213; number of families, 347; the amount expended in schools, $15,088.99.

 

                                                RELIGIOUS.

 

The first religious meeting was, in 1803 or 1804, appointed by Phineas Peck, a Methodist preacher, and held at Asa Kimball's house.

 

                         THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

 

was organized, Aug. 27, 1807, by Rev. Elijah Lyman and Rev. Walter Chapin. The male members were Lemuel Sturtevant, Joseph Taber, John Brown, Samuel Thatcher, Cyrel Sturtevant, and Josiah Smith; the female members, Priscilla Sturtevant, Eunice Kim­ball, Alice Wadham, Rhoda Pilsbury, and several others.

The first meeting-house was built in 1820, one mile north of the village, and occupied by the Congregationalists. The Methodists built a meeting-house in 1834, at the village. The Congregationalists built a meeting-house at the village in 1842.

The meeting-house at the Landing was built in 1848. The Methodists occupy it most of the time. They formed a church there about that time.

 

                                           THE METHODISTS

 

organized a church in this town in 1807 or 1808. Wm. Gould, John Gould, Abraham Whitaker, Royal Cross, David Hamlet, David Abbott, Wm. Gould, jr., and Nathan Gould were among the first members. James Gould and some others from Glover were members of this church. They used to hold their meetings in a log school-house that stood on the road north of where Wm. Lang now lives. When they had quarterly meetings, they were held in Wm. Gould's barn. This church became extinct after the war of 1812. The ministers were Wells, Sampson, Peck, and others.

The present Methodist Church was organ­ized in 1828. John Lord was presiding elder, and Royal Gage, preacher the first part of the year. Elihu Scott, Hezekiah S. Ramsdell, William Peck, John Smith, John Nason,  ——  Kellogg, ——  Campbell, Moses G. Cass, G. B. Houston, Nathan Aspinwall, Hollis Kendal, A. T. Gibson, —— Pettengill, —— Spinney, D. S. Dexter, Otis Dunbar, Adna Newton, —— Wooley, Dyar Willis, E. D. Hopkins, Isaac McAnn, Lewis Hill, H. P. Cushing, C. Taber, and G. H. Bickford have been the ministers on this circuit. The church numbers 85 mem­bers at the present time (1868.)

The Congregational church-members num­ber 93.

John Kimball, son of J. H. Kimball, born in 1831, is a Congregational minister in Washington, D. C.; and T. C. and Edward, sons of J. H. Kimball, produce merchants in New York, Roger Sargent, son of Stephen and Fanny Sargent, who was born in Barton, though he left when but a few years old, to a Congregational minister.

Our young men, mostly, when they arrive at maturity, seek a home in the West, or elsewhere. There are not over 30 or 35 men

 

 

                                                                 BARTON.                                                                   81

 

in town, over 21 years of age, who were born in town.

 

                                                              LONGEVITY.

 

The oldest person that has died in town was Elizabeth May, aged 92 years, 9 months and 9 days. The oldest man that died in town was Benjamin Nutter. aged 90. The oldest person now living in town is Prudence Martin, who is 92 years of age (1868.)

 

                                             SOLDIERS OF THE WAR OF 1861.

 

Volunteers for three years, credited pre­vious to the call for 300,000 volunteers of Oct. 17, 1803: —

 

   Names.                                                           Reg.                  Co.

George W. Abbott,                                               4                      D

James B. Abbott,                                                Cav.                  D

Tho's Alford, killed in action

                May 5, '65.                                         10                     K

Harvey J. Allen,                                                  Cav.                  D

Alexander Andrews,                                             4                      D

Martin H. Barney,                                                10                     C

George Bellers,                                                   Cav.                  M

Frederick T. Bickford,                                          5                      D

Edgar Blake,                                                       8                      K

Simeous Bleau,                                                   3                      B

Hobart Bliss,                                                      6                      D

John S. Brown,                                                   6                      D

Thomas J. Burnham,                                           4                      I

Thomas Butler,                                                   11                     M

James M. Cass,                                                  4                      D

Cyrus D. Colliston.                                              "                       "

Erastus G. Collister,                                            11                     L

James Clark,                                                      4                      D

David A. Connor,                                                 "                       "

William J. Cutting,                                               "                       "

Jos. Demaro, killed in action

                Aug. 30, '64.                                      Cav.                  M

Charles Devereux,                                               11                     F

Julius S. Dorman,                                               11                     M

Jacob L. Downing,                                               3                      D

Orville Drown, d. Mar. 30,'65.                               11                     A

Zelotes Drown,                                                    4                      D

Ozmond Dwire,                                                   "                       "

Mozart Foss,                                                       10                     K

James W. Folsom,                                               7                      H

John Gillingham,                                                 4                      D

George Grigwire,                                                 11                     F

Ephraim Guild,                                                   4                      D

William A. Hall,                                                   7                      H

Edward A. Haltham,                                            2 S. S.               E

Orange S. Hunt,                                                  4                      B

Orin S Hunt,                                                      11                     F

Lorenzo Jenkins,                                                 3                      B

Morris Kennedy,                                                  3                      D

Hubbard S. Kimball,                                            4                      D

James Kinehan,                                                  Cav.                  M

John Kinnehan,                                                   "                       "

Nathan D. Leonard,                                             3                      D

William J. Lucas,                                                9                      K

Albert Mann,                                                      4                      D

Hershel Marckres,                                               11                     F

Lyman Mason, died in Ander-                                11                     L

                sonville.

Peter May,                                                          2 Bat.

James McCarty,                                                  3                      K

 

   Names.                                                                                Reg.                        Co.

Robert McLellan,                                                 Cav.                  M

Carlos McDaniels, d. Nov. 22, '62                          7                      H

Cornelius McGoff,                                               3                      D

Henry N. Northrup,                                             4                      D

Ben Provost,                                                       Cav.                  M

John H. Putney,                                                  9                      E

Ozias S. Putney,                                                  11                     F

Geo. W. Quimby, killed Nov.

                2, '62.                                               4                      D

Martin V. Reuell,                                                 Cav.                  D

John B. Robinson,                                               4                      D

George A. Sanborn,                                             11                     M

Edmund Saul,                                                    8                      F

Joseph B. Skinner,                                              11                     F

Theodore P. Skinner,                                           Cav.                  I

Bowman Smith,                                                   2 S. S.               E

Harry E. Smith,                                                   4                      D

Jasper A Smith,                                                  3                      D

Sanford A. Smith,                                                6                      D

Christopher Snell,                                                4                      D

George D. Tucker,                                               "                       "

Moses Valley, Jr.,                                                6                      D

Edward B. Varney,                                              4                      D

Frederick C. Wiggin,                                            Cav.                  D

James A. Wiggin,                                                9                      E

Ira A. Willey                                                       4                      D

Elijah J. Williams, died of

      w'ds rc'd in ac'n May 5, '64.                            6                      D

Orin Willis,                                                         2 S. S.               E

Mitchel Wright,                                                   3                      F

 

                                            VOLUNTEERS FOR THREE YEARS.

 

Credit under call of Oct. 17, 1863: —

Joseph Arnold,                                                   3                      K

Charles H. Bean,                                                 7

Moody Bedell,                                                     11                     D

Charles Bishop,                                                   11                     F

James Brown,                                                     7

Leavitt F. Burroughs,                                           2 S. S.               H

Carlos E. Clark,                                                  "                       "

William H. Colby, killed at

            Spottsylvania May 12, '64.                        3                      D

Lewis Davis,                                                       9

Archelas Drown,                                                 3                      D

Alonzo D. Folsom,                                                11                     K

Thomas Foster,                                                   "                       "

Charles Henry,                                                    Cav.

John Henry,                                                       "

Thomas Hyde,                                                     4                      D

William H. Kennedy,                                            17                     G

Moses Lathe,                                                      11

Page Orland G.,                                                  17                     C

Riley Randall,                                                      11                     F

Benjamin F. Robinson,                                         "                       "

Thomas J. Robinson,                                           "                       "

Aaron Skinner,                                                    11                     K

Alexander S. Whipple,                                          2 S. S.               H

Ira A. Willey, died at Charles‑

                ton, June 20, '64.                               11                     F

 

                                               VOLUNTEERS FOR ONE YEAR.

 

Daniel Ash,                                                        9                      E

Fenelon Belknap,                                                 "                       "

Joseph Brooks,                                                   11

Bertrand D. Campbell,                                         Cav.

David Green,                                                      11

Dudley H. Holbrook,                                            7

Daniel R. Hunt,                                                   11                     M

 

 

82                                       VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.

 

   Names.                                                                                Reg.                        Co.

John Freating,                                                    9                      M

Philo M. Mason,                                                  7

Charles Powers,                                                  9

Gustavus H. Veazey,                                           11

John W. Weeks,                                                  7

Samuel N. Whipple,                                             9

James Clark,                                                      4                      D

 

                                                 VOLUNTEERS RE-ENLISTED.

 

William H. Daniels,                                              Cav.                  I

Albert Mann,                                                      4                      D

Henry M. Northrup,                                             "                       "

Christopher Snell,                                                "                       "

Edward Varney,                                                  "                       "

Freeman B. White,                                               3                      C

 

                                              Enrolled men, furnish Substitutes.

 

Jerry Drew,                                                        William F. Walker,

B. M. R. Nelson,

Miscellaneous, not credited by name. Nine men volunteers for nine months.

William S. Allard,                                                 15                     H

Fenelon A. Belknap,                                             15                     I

James R. Colliston,                                              "                       "

John Colliston,                                                    ''                       "

John Desmond,                                                   "                       "

Osmond C. Drew,                                                "                       "

William S. Drew,                                                 "                       "

Levi Dudley,                                                       "                       "

Benjamin F. Emerson,                                          15                     H

Justin B. Ford,                                                   15                     I

George W. Foss,                                                  "                       "

Ethan Foster,                                                      "                       "

Augustus F. French,                                           15                     F

Anson W. Gray,                                                  15                     H

William W. Grout,                                                15                     C

James W. Hall,                                                   15                     I

Oel Harvey,                                                        "                       "

Amasa T. Hunt,                                                  15                     H

Patrick Kerwin,                                                   15                     I

Palmer Leland,                                                    "                       "

Donald McIver; d. May 19, '63.                              "                       "

Lucius D Richards,.                                            "                       "

Levi E. Robbins,                                                  15                     H

Silas G. Shattuck, d Nov. 7, '62,                            15                     I

Francis A. Stafford,                                             "                       "

Charles Taplin,                                                    "                       "

William M. Tibbets, died,                                      "                       "

     March 18, '63.

 

                                            VOLUNTEERS FOR NINE MONTHS.

 

Alexander Tripp,                                                 15                     H

Alfred W. Varney,                                                15                     I

Joseph N. Webster,                                             "                       "

 

                                        Furnished under Draft, paid Commutation.

Charles Clark,                                                     Henry Lewin,

Grovenor J. Drown,                                             Archibald E. Mills,

Joseph R. Folsom,                                               John W. Pierce.

John Leland,

 

                                                        Procured Substitutes.

J. P. Baldwin,                                                     Myron W. Joslin,

William C. Brown,                                                Wilbur F. Mason,

Edward F. Dutton,                                              Oliver T. Willard,

 

                                                            Entered Service.

Thomas Hendry, 2d Reg., Co. E:

John Devereux, formerly of this town, enlisted in, Massachusetts, died of wounds.

Alonzo F. Willey, from this town. enlisted in Massachusetts—killed.

Henry Dexter, formerly from this town, enlisted in Cavalry in California—killed in skirmish.

 

                                        ANNALS OF BARTON.

 

                                FROM THE PAPERS OF THE LATE REV. P. H. WHITE.

 

The first incident which has come to the knowledge of the writer, in the history of Barton is this: Roger's and his rangers, con­sisting of 300 men, after having destroyed the Abernaqui village—St. Francis, having learn­ed they were discovered by the Indians, and their main object being to get back in safety to New England, divided. A part of them at­tempting to go back to Missisco Bay, were overtaken and destroyed. The remainder followed up the St. Francis river and Mem­phremagog lake, then up the Barton river. When they arrived at the head of the Falls at the outlet of Bitterwater pond, they found said outlet from said Falls, to the pond, a distance of about 60 rods, "full of nice trout," the same being their spawning beds. The provisions of the rangers having already been exhausted, and some of their number having become so faint from hunger that they had stopped to die, the starving soldiers gladly rested and replenished their stores from the river. The chronicler from whom I obtained the above story, says they were trout—he was probably mistaken in the kind of fish, they were lunge, as the trout in this pond cast their spawn in September.

I well remember that early in this century, the Indian cabins or wigwams in a decayed state, were very numerous in the vicinity of the outlet of the above pond, from which we infer that this had been a favorite hunting ground of the Indians. In confirmation, Dr. I. A. Masta informed me he was told by an old Indian by the name of Foosah, that he killed 27 moose, beside large numbers of bea­ver and otter near this pond in the winter of 1783, '84.

In 1781, Colonel William Barton, Cotton Gibson, John Moony, Hon. Ira Allen, Hon. Daniel Owen, Elkanah Watson and others, among whom was John Paul Jones, the "bravest of the brave among naval com­manders," petitioned the governor, council and general assembly of this State, for a grant of unlocated lands for the purpose of settling a new plantation to be erected into a township

 

 

                                                                 BARTON.                                                                   83

 

by the name of Providence. The township, in compliance with said petition, was granted Oct. 20, 1781, and a charter given to said pe­titioners Oct 20, 1789, and in the 14th year of the Independence in which it received the name of Barton and was signed,

                                                        MOSES ROBINSON.

 

By, his Excellency's command,

JOSEPH FAY, Sec'y.

The petitioners of said township, with the exception of the celebrated Ira Allen, whose home was Vermont, mostly resided in Provi­dence, R. I. These grantees when they had associated together had drafted their petition for a township, by the name of Providence, naming it after Providence, R. I. But the brave captor of the British Gen. Prescott, anxious to immortalize his own name, careful­ly scratched out the name Providence, and in­serted his own name Barton, by which name the town was chartered and has since been called. (This statement is made on the au­thority of Abner Allyn, Esq., late of Charleston, Vt.*

The proprietors took prompt measures to allot and settle said town. The 21st of Oct. 1789, the next day after obtaining their char­ter, they applied to Luke Knowlton, Esq. of Westminster, a justice of the peace—who is­sued his warrant, warning a meeting of the proprietors of Barton, in the County of Or­ange, to meet at the home of Charles Evans in Brattleboro, in the County of Windham, on the 2d Tuesday of Feb. next, 1st to choose a Moderator, Treasurer and Collector, 2d to see if said proprietors would agree to lay out said township into 70 lots, 3d to appoint a committee for that purpose. 4th to vote a tax to defray the expense of lotting said township.

In pursuance of said warning Daniel Cahoon of Lyndon, was chosen proprietors' clerk. Col. William Barton, Mr. William Chamberlain and Elder Philemon Hines were chosen a committee to allot said township, also a tax of £1 13s. in cash on each proprie­tor's right was voted to defray the expenses of allotting said township, and other inciden­tal charges. Daniel Cahoon was also appointed collector of said tax. Gen. William Chamberlain made a survey and plan of said town, which was accepted by the proprietors Oct. 18, 1791, and said lands were sold Dec. 19, 1791, by their collector Daniel Cahoon, who entered into his memorandum book;

 

"No. 1. John Murray, tax and cost, £0 18 3,—bid off by Philemon Hines.

No. 2. Ira Allen, do.,             18 3,—do., Jonathan Arnold, Esq."

I thus find this recorded. It appears that the minutes of the vendue are incomplete, by reason of Daniel Cahoon Junior's being taken sick, and deceased on the 11th of June, 1793, after being sick,about a year.

"I hereby Certify that what is Contained in this book is the only minutes left by him of the said vendue at his death.

Attest, DANIEL CAHOON, Senior executor

     of his last will and testament."

 

Which minutes with the above certificate of the executor were, with all due formality, re­corded in the town clerk's office in Barton on the 25, of Nov. 1798, and were supposed sufficient to make a good title of the lands. They have proved a ruinous source of litigation.

 

                                          THE SETTLEMENT.

 

FIRST ROADS.—In 1794 or '05, the road was made from the Hazen road in Greensboro, through Glover, Barton, Brownington and Sa­lem to Derby. The making of the road was very rude, cutting away the logs across the path falling the few trees which stood in the way and bridging the rivers and brooks with poles. It was made under the direction of the late Timothy Hinman, of Derby, as was the road made about the same time from its junction with the road on the lot No. 6, in the 4th range at the Pillsbury farm to Shef­field. (Lot No, 6, is the Mansfield farm.)

FIRST CULTIVATION OF THE SOIL.—The first land cleared in town, (if it deserved the name of cleared land,) was by four or five Rhode Island men, who came to Barton on foot from Lyndon, and among other things brought a few potatoes. They encamped on the south side of the outlet of Bellewater pond (Crystal lake) about 10 rods from the head of the Falls, where they chopped down and partly cleared a small parcel of land, and planted their potatoes. Mr. Samuel Nichols inform­ed the writer, that the next spring his father and himself went up to Barton, that the fal­len leaves and snow had effectually protected the potatoes from the winter's frost and that, on the plenty of good lunge, which they took

—————

* But it must be borne in mind, the Allyn's may not be regarded as friends, perhaps, of Col. Barton. It was Jonathan Allyn who held Col. Barton so long in jail on a small debt. See papers by Mr. May,—Ed.

 

 

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from the pond, and their potatoes, they fared most luxuriously.

In 1794, Col. Wm. Barton of Providence, R. I. cleared off some 3 or 4 acres of land on lot No. 5 in the 7th range on the ridge of land westerly of the old road and extending to the top of the hill easterly of the present road. He also cut down 10 or 15 acres more on the side hill toward the northeasterly corner of the lot. He also built a frail log-house on the ridge at the easterly side of said old road, It was without floor or chimney, and con­tained only one room. The same season Asa Kimball, from the village of Nepucket, R. I., cleared up a few acres on lot No. 5 in the 6th range near and easterly of where the pound now stands. He also felled down about 4 acres on lot No. 5 in the 5th range, on the ridge easterly of Mr. Mansfield's house and toward the brook. The summer of 1795, Col. Barton, raised 30 or 40 bushels of wheat on the piece cleared by him the year before, and Mr. Kimball 40 or 50 bushels on the above piece cleared the year before.

These were the first pieces of land cleared, and this the first grain grown in the town.

 

                              JACOB EDDY AND PELEG HICKS.

 

In the Fall of 1795, Peleg Hicks and Jacob Eddy with their families moved into town, into rude houses which they had previously constructed. Hicks lived on the south-westerly corner of lot No. 8 in the 5th range, on the easterly side of the road, and Eddy on the north-easterly corner of lot No. 7 in the 4th range on the westerly side of the road: the dwellings being about 40 rods apart.

Here, at least 13 miles from the nearest neighbor, (at the old mile stand in Sheffield,) they agreed to stand by each other through the then approaching winter. The provid­ing for the coming winter was no easy task. The road was little more than bushed out, and the most necessary-articles they had to carry to their new homes—not in wagons and baggage-cars, but on their own shoulders. Eddy at one time carried a common five-pail iron kettle and the meal of half a bushel of grain from Wheelock to Barton, the kettle he carried bottom up over his head. When he got to the place cleared by Col. Barton, he put down his kettle to go to a spring a few rods from the road. (For the rest of this story see preceding papers by Mr. May.)

When winter came, the courage of Hicks failed him and he removed with his family to Wheelock. Eddy, whose courage was equal to every emergency, with his wife and young family braved the coming winter. Such nec­essaries as he needed, he obtained where he could find them through the woods in Wheel­ock, Danville, Lyndon and other places. On one occasion their food was becoming short, the snow was deep and the path to Wheelock but little trod and the cold the coldest of the season. He started to go through the woods to get a little food for his wife and children, when he reached the Miles opening—although a tall and strong man he found that he was well nigh exhausted and cried out for assistance. They both heard and saw him from the house and hastened to his assistance, when they reached him such was the effect of the cold air of the open-land, that he could nei­ther stand nor speak. They carried him in and he revived.

This winter the road was kept broken out from Wheelock to this town and so on to Derby, but the wayfaring man seldom came along, and Eddy kept his family through the Winter by getting supplies in Caledonia Co., and bringing them in on his back. These hardships were too much even for Eddy, and in the Spring, 1796, he removed to Billymead, (now Sutton) where he staid a few years and then went West.

 

                           DAVID PILLSBURY AND JOHN AMES,

 

In 1796, the forepart of March, Mr. David Pillsbury and family, consisting of his wife, Rhoda Hadloch, and 4 or 5 children, and John Ames and his wife removed into town. Mr. Pillsbury settled on lot No. —– the farm now owned by Mr. Albert Leland. His house stood a little southeast of the orchard. Mr. Ames' house was on the same lot, south about 6 or 7 rods on the Greensboro road, near where the apple trees now stand in the field.

 

                                               JAMES MAY.

 

Mr. James May and his wife, Elizabeth Owen, and Asa Kimball and his wife, Naomi Owen removed from R. I. in Feb. to Lyndon, in Caledonia Co., and on the 1st day of April they came in, on a two-horse-sleigh, to Bar­ton, and went to Pillsbury's the first night.

 

                                              DAVID ABBOT.

 

Mr. David Abbot, (son of David Abbot of Andover, Mass.) removed with his family (consisting of his wife, Sarah Kezer and their children, Polly, born at Parsonsville, Me. Oct. 10, 1789, Prudence, at Parsonsville. Jan. 10, 1791,) from Parsonsville to Sheffield in

 

 

                                                                 BARTON.                                                                   85

 

the Winter of 1795-6, being accompanied by Mr. Samuel Lord and his family. In the spring Mr. Abbot and Lord remained in Sheffield and made maple sugar. They then came to Barton, the last of April and prepar­ed for moving their families. Mr. Abbot ob­tained Mr. Jonathan Robinson, or as he was then called by the people, who highly esteem­ed a military title, Ensign Jonathan Robinson to remove his family in a wagon drawn by an ox-team in the month of August, to their future home in Barton. The spot se­lected by Mr. Abbot for their future home was the southerly half of lot No. 2, in 7th range on the Greensboro road, as he had but very little time to construct his log-cabin, in addition to the imperative necessity of clear­ing land and raising what he could for the sustenance of his family, when Winter came (1796-7) he moved in with Mr. P. Kimball who lived in his log-house of two rooms, where he wintered, the two families winter­ing in the same house—this was on lot No. 4, in the 8th range—the farm afterwards oc­cupied and owned by Mr. Welcome Brown and being full 4½ miles from his home on the Danville road. The next Winter he moved in and wintered with Samuel Nichols, who lived on lot No. 3, in the 10th range, the last place being about 6 miles from his house.

Mr. Abbot had his full share of the hard­ships of the early settlers, one of which the writer has heard him relate in after life. In the case of the sickness of his family on the 6th of Oct. 1798, he went on foot for Dr. Samuel Huntington, of Greensboro, he being the nearest and only physician in the County, a distance of 12 miles through mud and snow, and having sent the Doctor on with his lan­tern on horseback, hastened on as fast as he could and finding some burning log-heaps sat down to rest a few moments, fell asleep and nearly perished. Mr. Abbot died in Barton, March 8, 1847, aged 81 years; Mrs. Abbot deceased in 1816, aged 53 years, leaving one son, David S. Abbot, born Oct. 6, 1798, and several daughters.

 

                                         MR. SAMUEL LORD,

 

with wife and family, removed from Maine to Barton in June, 1796. In the Winter of 1795—6, they came to Sheffield where they remained till spring, when Mr. Lord came to Barton, purchased and made preparation to move on to the westerly 50 acres of lot No. 4, in the 5th range. He put up his log cabin and removed his family in June. He built his house on the swell of land below the old Greensboro road about 40 rods northerly of the same range. In 1799, he sold out this place, purchased and moved on to a half of lot No. 1, in the 12th range. The reader will feel no little surprise to learn that his object was, to move away from a lone place and to go among folks and keep tavern. Mr. Lord resided upon this lot until near the time of his decease. His widow still survives.

 

                                    MR. SOLOMON WADHAMS

 

was from Brookfield. He came into town in the Summer of 1797. He purchased lot No. 1, in the 6th range and made a beginning on his land preparatory to making it the place of his future home. Soon after he was at Brook­field, married to Alice Huntington, (Mrs. Wadhams is not an unworthy cousin of the late Governor Huntington of Connecticut,) and they removed to their new and future home. Mr. and Mrs. Wadhams were both good economists, which added to a good share of industry they were rising to a good degree of competency, when it was found out that Col. Barton was not the owner of the land he had sold them, and Mr. Wadhams was under the necessity of repurchasing his farm of the true owner. On this he compromised with Gen. Barton, taking his note for a much less sum than the value of his farm. On one of the notes he sued Gen. Barton and took a judg­ment against him for about $225, debts and costs on which he committed him to the jail in Danville in Caledonia Co. in 1812, where the captor of Prescott remained in confinement, although he had abundant means with which to pay the debt and fees, until he was lib­erated against his will by Gen. Lafayette, in 1825.

 

                                                     JONATHAN ROBINSON,

 

formerly of Petersham, Mass. married in Win­chester, N. H. Hannah Owen, the daughter of Daniel Owen, and removed from Winchester to St. Johnsbury, where he resided 7 years till he removed to Barton, in June 1796. He re­moved into the log-cabin built by P. Hicks the year before on the southwesternly corner of lot No. 5, in the 8th range. He deceased 6th May 1852, aged 87. Mrs. Robinson Nov. 14, 1852, aged 90 years. They lived together after they were married 67 years.

 

                                                     LEMUEL STURTEVANT,

 

with his wife, Priscilla (Thompson) and 10 children moved into this town in March 1799.

 

 

86                                       VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.

 

He was a native of Middleborough, Mass. He was married and lived in Halifax, Mass. till 1780, when he removed to Lyme, N. H. where he resided till he removed to Barton. He deceased Nov, 15, 1839, aged 83 years. His widow deceased July 4, 1864, aged 84. They left 5 sons at their decease, all of whom still survive. Mr. Sturtevant first came into the town in May, 1798, with his two oldest sons and Joseph Skinner, a hired man, and on the 28th of May, he purchased, of Gen. Wm. Chamberlain, land of which he cleared a part, put up a dwelling and made preparations to move the following spring. Mr. and Mrs. Sturtevant were both professors of religion before they came into the town.

 

                                                 SCHOOLS.

 

At an early day the inhabitants manifested a praiseworthy effort to school their children.

1801.—In the Summer, Mr. James May, Dr. Jonathan Allyn and Stephen Dexter em­ployed Mariam Darling of Wheelock to teach in their families, she teaching that Summer three months, one month in each family, the oldest child in each going with her and board­ing in the other families, each family furnish­ing two scholars, but the youngest being of too tender age to leave the mother's care, so the school always consisted of 4 scholars all told. Of the parents, 4 have deceased, Dr. Allyn and wife, and Mr. Dexter and wife; and of the scholars, the poineers of all our schools, 4 are not, viz. Sarah A. Allyn and C. S. Allyn, Wm. A. Dexter and Amelia May and two survive—Mr. Thomas O. May and Sarah A. Dexter, now Mrs. Merriam.

1802.—This Summer, Mrs. Lee wife of Dr. Elihu Lee, taught. For the want of a better Place it was kept in Mrs. May's bed-room. The winter of 1803-4, Mr. Silas Albee, taught in Mr. David Abbott's house and although Mr A's family consisted of 6 or 7 persons and their house of only 2 rooms.

In the Summer of 1803, Miss Abagail Cham­berlain, afterwards the wife of Col. Ellis Cobb, taught in the barn-floor on the Barton place.

Dr. Lee taught in one of the rooms of Mr. Jonathan Robinson's house.

These were schools kept in the rude log or block-houses of the early settlers, these usual­ly consisted of but two rooms and was ill adapted to a school, having to be used by the family at the same time.

 

                                                    MILLS.

 

In the Summer of 1796, Gen. Barton built the first saw-mill in the town. It was erected on lot No.— at the foot of the meadow. The dam crossed the river at the High Side on both sides just above the bridge and flowed the meadow for more than half a mile above.

The writer removed into town in April, 1801, at which time there resided in the town the following families: Samuel Sturtevant, John Baird, Asa Kimball, James Salisbury, Oliver Blodget, James May, —— Fisher, Welcome Brown, Stephen Dexter, Samuel Nichols, Samuel Lord, Solomon Wadhams, David Abbott, James Beard, David Blodget, Joseph Green, Joel Benton, John Brown, Samuel Thatcher, Amos Chamberlain, David Pilsbury, Jonathan Allyn, Jona. Robinson.

 

                                                RELIGIOUS.

 

For a number of years after the settlement of the town, there was no church or religions organization in the town. About 1805, Messrs. Peck and Rutter, clergymen of the Methodist Episcopal church, labored in the ministry in this town, and a small class or church was formed, but its numbers were small and it soon became extinct or very much reduced.

 

                                 CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.

 

A Congregational church, of 7 or more members, was organized in Barton, Aug. 27, 1807, by the Rev. Elijah Lyman, of Brook­field, and the Rev. Walter Chapin, of Wood­stock; but no attempt to sustain religious institutions was made, and in a few years the church became extinct.

The present church was organized Sept. 24, 1817, by the Rev. Samuel Goddard, of Con­cord, and the Rev. Luther Leland, of Derby, and consisted of 17 members. Mr. Leland was its first minister, and he preached the gospel with much acceptance and success. Additions took place at every communion season, and within a year the membership was doubled. Oliver Blodgett was chosen deacon Jan. 26, 1819. Through the agency, and mainly by the liberality of Ellis Cobb, a house of worship was built, which was dedicated Sept. 6, 1820. Mr. Leland preach­ed the dedication sermon, from Gen. xxviii. 17. A council was held Oct. 1823, to ordain deacons for this church, and others in the vicinity; and Oliver Blodgett, of Barton, Loring Frost of Coventry, and Zadoc Bloss, of Irasburgh, were ordained deacons of their

 

 

                                                                 BARTON.                                                                   87

 

respective churches. The Rev. Noah Em­erson preached the sermon, and the Rev. William A. Chapin, of Craftsbury, offered the ordaining prayer.

The first pastor was the Rev. Thomas Simpson, who was settled in the Fall of 1823. His ministry at first was diligent and success­ful, but at length he became negligent, and failed to meet the reasonable expectations of the people. He also fell into difficulties with members of the church, and after a pastorate of 5 years was dismissed. The Rev. Otis F. Curtis supplied the pulpit half the time for a few months in 1831, and a powerful revival took place; but, before the close of his en­gagement, he became a Methodist, which had a disastrous effect upon the church. Some fell inte despondency, some into indifference, and some into open sin. The labors of the Rev. Bowman Brown, who preached half the time during the year 1833, were well direct­ed, and were followed by good results. On the second Sabbath in March, 1834, the Rev. Ora Pearson commenced supplying the pul­pit, and continued for a year and some months. In January, 1835, a protracted meeting was held, as the result of which the church was much quickened, and some mem­bers were added. For the two or three suc­ceeding years there was almost an entire des­titution of preaching.

In the Fall of 1839, this church united with the Glover church in a call to the Rev. Ora Pearson, and at the beginning of the next year he was installed pastor of the two churches. In 1842, another house of wor­ship was built, and again mainly through the liberality of Ellis Cobb. It was dedicated Dec. 29, 1842, the Rev. Richard C. Hand, of Danville, preaching the sermon. The loca­tion of this house occasioned a good deal of dissatisfaction, the injurious consequences of which continued for many years. After a pastorate of nearly 5 years Mr. Pearson was dismissed. His successor was the Rev. Levi H. Stone, who commenced supplying the pulpit on the first Sabbath in July, 1845, and preachcd on alternate Sabbaths for 4 fears and 2 months.

The Rev. Clark E. Ferrin began to supply the pulpit in the latter part of 1850, and so acceptable was his ministry that he was call­ed to the pastorate, with a salary of $450, and in December, 1851, was ordained. His health failing, he requested a dismissal in 1853; but, at the instance of the church, con­tinued to retain the nominal relation of pas­tor, in hope that his health might be restored. The Rev. David Root supplied the pulpit 3 months in the Summer of 1854. Mr. Ferrin, having renewed his request, was dismissed in December, 1854. During his ministry 32 per­sons were added to the church. The Rev. Edward Cleveland was acting pastor during the first half of 1856; after which there was only occasional preaching till September, 1857, when the Rev. William D. Flagg began to supply the pulpit, and continued for a year. The Rev. John H. Beckwith was act­ing pastor for the year 1859, and the Rev. Henry A. Hazen for 1860. In the latter part of 1861, the Rev. Benjamin W. Pond began to supply the pulpit, was soon called to the pastorate, and, early in 1862, was or­dained. His pastorate continued about 3 years. On the first Sabbath in August, 1865, the Rev. William A. Robinson began to sup­ply the pulpit, and in the following January he was ordained pastor. Under his pastorate an unusual degree of external prosperity has been enjoyed. The congregation increased in numbers so that it was found necessary to enlarge the house of worship. A parsonage was also built (in 1867), and the salary of the pastor was advanced from $700 to $900 and the use of the parsonage.

 

                                                 PASTORS.

 

The Rev. Thomas Simpson was a native of Deerfield, N. H., and received his education for the ministry at the Maine Charity School, now Bangor Theological Seminary, where he was graduated in 1820, a member of the first graduating class. His first settlement was in Vershire, Vt. , where he was ordained Dec. 10, 1823. The Rev. Baxter Perry, of Lyme, N. H. preached the sermon. He was disk missed June 8, 1824, and was installed in Barton, Oct. 26, 1825. The Rev. Jacob N. Loomis, of Hardwick, preached the sermon. He was dismissed Sept. 23, 1830, left Barton under censure of the Orleans Association, and was not again settled in the ministry. He removed first to Deerfield, N. H., then to Canada, and finally to Lowell, Mass.

The Rev. Ora Pearson was born in Chittenden, Vt., Oct. 6, 1797, and Was graduated at Middlebury in 1820, and at Andover in 1824. He preached in various places in New York for a year or more, and then com¬menced preaching at Kingston, N. H., where

 

 

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he was ordained, Mar. 7, 1827. The Rev. Ira Ingraham of Bradford, Mass., preached the sermon. In connection with his ministry in Kingston, a powerful revival occurred in 1831-2, which brought more than 60 persons into the church. He was dismissed Jan. 9, 1834, but continued to supply the pulpit till the following March. He then commenced preaching in Barton, and there continued a year and some months, after which he labor­ed several years in Canada East, as a mis­sionary of the New Hampshire Missionary Society. He was installed Jan. 1, 1840, pas­tor of the churches in Barton and Glover. The Rev. James Robertson, of Sherbrook, C. E, preached the sermon. He was dis­missed Nov. 19, 1844, and was a colporteur of the American Tract Society for 5 or 6 years, when the loss of his sight compelled him to retire from active life. He died at Peacham, July 5, 1858.

He was distinguished for amiability, hu­mility, conscientiousness, fervency and power in prayer, and accurate knowledge of the Scriptures. So familiar was he with the lan­guage of the Bible, that when he had become entirely blind, he was in the habit of reciting whole chapters in connection with his pulpit services, and so exactly that his hearers sup­posed that he was reading from the printed page. His last sickness was long and severe, but he gave such striking proofs of the real­ity and strength of his faith, and of the love of Christ to his people in their hours of trial, that perhaps the best work of his life was done on his death-bed. His hope strength­ened and his joys brightened as the end drew near, and he acchieved a signal victory over death.

His only publication was "An Address to Professing Heads of Families, on the Subject of Family Worship," a pamphlet of 12 pages, prepared and published in 1831, by request of the Piscataqua Conference.

The Rev. Clark Ela Ferrin, son of Micah and Lucinda (Conant) Ferrin, was born in Holland, July 20, 1818. He fitted for college at Brownington and Derby Academies, and was graduated at the University of Vermont in 1845; after which. he taught in Georgia 2 years, and then entered Andover Theological Seminary, where he was graduated in 1850. He was ordained in Barton Dec. 10, 1851. The Rev. O. T. Lanphear preached the ser­mon. He was dismissed Dec. 19, 1854. About a year after his dismissal he resumed preaching, and was installed in Hinesburgh, Feb. 6, 1856. The Rev. N. G. Clark, D. D., of Burlington, preached the sermon. He was the representative of Hinesburgh in 1858 and 1859. His publications are two funeral sermons and a thanksgiving sermon.

He married Nov. 6, 1850, Sophronia B. Boynton, of Holland.

The Rev. Benjamin Wisner Pond, son of the Rev. Dr. Enoch and Julia A. (Maltby) Pond, was born in Bangor, Me., Mar. 26, 1836. He was graduated at Bowdoin College in 1857, and at Bangor Theological Seminary in 1861, and was ordained in Barton Jan. 28, 1862. The Rev. Enoch Pond, D. D., preached the sermon, and it was published in the National Preacher. He was dismissed Oct. 5, 1864, and for about 2 years employed at Washington, D. C., and in the South, in labors for the education of the freedmen. In April 1867, he received a call to Charlemont, Mass., and was there installed pastor, May 21, 1867. The Rev. John Todd, D. D., of Pittsfield, preached the sermon.

The Rev. William Albert Robinson, a son of the Rev. Septimius and Semantha (Wash­burn) Robinson, and a descendant, in the seventh generation, from John Robinson, the pastor at Leyden, was born in Morristown, Feb. 24, 1840. He was graduated at Middle­bury College in 1862; taught the academy at Coventry 2 years; and then entered Ban­gor Theological Seminary, where he was grad­uated in 1865. He was licensed by the Pe­nobscot Association at Bangor, July 12, 1864, and was ordained in Barton, Jan. 11, 1866. The Rev. Lyman Bartlett, of Morristown, preached the sermon. He has been superin­tendent of schools in Barton 2 years, 1867-8.

He married, Sept. 1, 1862, Lucy C. Swift, by whom he has two children.

 

                                         NATIVE MINISTERS.

 

The Rev. John Kimball, son of John H. and Harriet (Chamberlain) Kimball, was born Oct. 10, 1831, and was graduated at Dart­mouth in 1856, and at Union Theological Seminary in 1859. Soon after graduation he went to California as a missionary of the American Home Missionary Society, and preached a year in Grass Valley, and a year and a half in San Francisco. In October, 1861, he was ordained to the ministry at Sacramento. The Rev. George Mooar preach­ed the sermon. In the Sluing, of 1863, he

 

 

                                                                 BARTON.                                                                   89

 

returned to New England, and entered into the service of the Christian Commission, in which he remained during the war, and then engaged in labors for the freedmen.

He married, Jan. 18, 1864, Annie M. Esk­ridge, daughter of the Rev. Vernon Eskridge, of Portsmouth, Va.

The Rev. Roger M. Sargent, son of Stephen and Frances (Noyes) Sargent, was born Sept. 7, 1824, and in early youth moved to Lowell, Mass., with all the family. He fitted for college at Lowell High School, and was grad­uated at Dartmouth in 1846, and at Ando­ver in 1849. He preached for a while at Newbury, Mass., and at Farmington, N. H., and was ordained pastor of the Congrega­tional Church in Gilmanton Center, Apr. 27, 1852. The Rev. N. Bouton, D. D., of Con­cord, preached the sermon. He was dis­missed, Jan. 31, 1860,—his term of service having continued 8 years. He was installed in Farmington, March 27, 1860. The Rev. Alvan Tobey, D. D., of Durham, preached the sermon.

He married, June 5, 1850, Elizabeth G. Spaulding, a native of Nashua, N. H.

 

                                                             ———————

 

LINES ADDRESSED TO A GENTLEMAN MADE BLIND BY SICKNESS.*

 

This earth is beautiful, and thou

                              Once knew how bright and fair.

But oh! 'tis turned to darkness now,

                              Thy joy to pain and care.

 

And vernal showers and winter storms,

                              Are all alike to thee,

When gathering wrath the sky deforms,

                              Or heaven beams cloudlessly.

 

And when the dreary night is past,

                              And comes the glorious dawn,

To thee the darkness still must last,

                              To thee there is no morn.

 

But murmur not: the voice of Him,

                              Who all things doeth well,

Has said, His light shall not be dim,

                              But in thy bosom dwell.

 

The radiance of the brightest sun,

                              Cannot compare with this,

For when thy race on earth is run,

                              'Twill guide to endless bliss.

 

This life is only as a dream,

                              A vision of the night,

And yet to earthly hopes we seem

                              To think there is no blight.

 

A few short years, and all is o'er,

                              We pass from earth away,

The righteous wake to sleep no more,

                              Awake to endless day.

 

When all the shining orbs on high

                              Are sunk in lasting night,

Far—far beyond the azure sky,

                              They'll dwell on thrones of light.

 

Thy earthly pangs will be forgot

                              When heaven becomes thine own,

My friend: then mayest thou murmur not

                              This will for all atone,

 

                              —————

 

TO MY WEEPING WILLOW.

 

Why not blooming and gay,

                              Thou sweet little tree?

Thou art fading away,

                              While the warm breath of May,

Gives life to all nature but thee.

 

Ah why dost thou weep?

                              Why wither and die?

Nought from death can we keep,

                              But peaceful the sleep,

Where virtue and loveliness lie.

 

The lilac's gay bloom

                              And the rose bud so fair

The air shall perfume,

                              Shall smile o'er thy tomb,

Nor deign in my sorrow to share

 

So the loveliest fade,

                              And the fairest decay,

In death's withering shade,

                              How many are laid,

How many from earth pass away.

 

And the young heart shall mourn,

                              And the aged shall weep,

Because from that bourn,

                              We expect no return.

So long and sad is that sleep.

 

                              —————

 

LOVE'S ANNIVERSARY.

 

What little offering shall I give,

                              My best belov'd to thee?

This little token please receive,

                              'Tis all thou'llt claim from me

 

For I am thine, and thou art mine

                              In sickness and in health;

When pleasures blossom or decline

                              In poverty and wealth.

 

Three years have fled since we became

                              The husband and the wife:

Oh may our pleasures never wane,

                              Till they recede with life.

 

May blighted love nor hope be ours;

                              Where'er thro' life we roam,

May youth's bright sunshine and its flowers

                              Remind us still of home.

 

Oh, love has made us happier far

                              Than wealth or honor could,

And may it be our polar star,

                              Thro' evil days and good.

 

                              —————

 

TO THE SKY.

 

How brightly blue thy arch extends

                              O'er smiling earth and roaring sea,

And more true joy thy calmness lends

                              Than all earth's revelry to me.

 

—————

*The Rev. Ora Pierson, who had been the congrega­tional pastor at Barton for some years, who was for many years blind,—See Church History. See also Account of Thomas Scott Pierson, vol. i. pp. 370, 371.—Ed.