THE rapid settlement of the territory of the State of Vermont was long postponed by the fact that it was a thoroughfare of the war parties of the French and Indians on their way to the southward and eastward from Canada and Lake Champlain; and but little progress was made in that direction until the conquest of Canada by the English in 1760. Benning Wentworth was appointed in 1741, by the king of England, governor of the province of New Hampshire, and given authority to issue patents for lands to applicants, in any unoccupied territory. Under this authority he claimed the right to issue charters over what is now the State of Vermont. His first charter within its boundaries was for the town of Bennington in 1749, and in the next year this was followed by the charter of Pownal; about a dozen towns had also been chartered east of the Green Mountains; but no grants were made in the more dangerous western part of the State until 1761, in which year, the banners of peace having been uplifted over the territory of the " New Hampshire Grants," as this region came to be known, there was a rapid movement to secure charters to the territory, no less than sixty having been granted in the year named within the present limits of the Green Mountain State. Among the number was Middlebury, as well as eight other Addison county towns.

Among the residents of Salisbury, Conn., were a number of men who, with others, united for the purpose of procuring town charters of lands in this county and engaged John Evarts, of Salisbury, to act as their agent. Procuring the needed assistance, he came into the wilderness until he reached the region along the east side of Otter Creek, before he found unoccupied territory. Here he discovered that there was sufficient land to constitute three towns of the proposed extent--six miles square--between the "Great Falls" at Vergennes on the north, and Leicester on the south: hence he proceeded to survey the entire tract. He began at the head of the falls (which was fixed upon as a permanent starting point and boundary), laid out the town of New Haven and followed with Middlebury and Salisbury. Some of the original applicants agreed to take shares in two and others in all three of these towns, making out the requisite number of grantees in each instance. The charters of Middlebury and New Haven were dated November 2, 1761, and that of Salisbury on the next day. By the charters all of these towns are bounded west by Otter Creek, and extend where necessary up the slopes of the Green Mountains for the eastern boundary. The charters were made in the customary form, which is

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page 234 HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY

so well known that it need not be given here entire. It granted in this instance to those "whose names are entered on this grant, to be divided to and amongst them into sixty-eight equal shares," a tract "containing by admeasurement 25,040 acres, which tract is to contain something more than six miles square." The charter gives the boundaries as follows:

"Beginning at the southerly corner of a township granted this day by the name of New Haven, at a tree marked, standing on the bank of the easterly or northeasterly side of Otter Creek, so called, from thence running east seven miles, thence turning off and running south ten degrees west six miles and sixty-four rods, then turning off end running west to Otter Creek aforesaid; then down said creek, as that runs to the bound first mentioned," and it "is incorporated into a township by the name of Middlebury." It also provides "that the first meeting for the choice of town officers shall be held on the first Tuesday in January next, which said meeting shall be notified by Capt. Samuel Moore, who is hereby also appointed moderator of the said first meeting," and that "the annual meeting forever hereafter for the choice of such officers for the said town shall be on the second Tuesday of March annually."

The following are the names written on the back of the charter: John Evarts, Elijah Skinner, Elkanah Paris, Benjamin Paris, John Baker, Gideon Hurlbut, Ebenr. Hanchit, Deliva. Spalding, Noah Chittenden, Mattw. Bostwick, Thomas Chittenden, John Abbit, Moses Read, Saml. Keep, Elisha Painter, Ruluff White, Elisha Shelden, Jun., Moses Read, Jun., Matthw. Baldin, Lt. Jonathan Moore, John Benton, Nathl. Evarts, 3d, John Turner, Jun., Ebenr. Field, 3d, Saml. Turner, Zecheriah Foss, Ebenr. Field, Nathl. Flint, BenJn. Everist, Jeremiah How, John Read, James Claghorn, Lt. Mathias Kelsey, Daniel Morris, Rufus Marsh, Elias Read; Noah Waddams, John Evarts, Jun., Jona. Moore, Jun., Nathl. Skinner, Jun., David Hide, Jun., Thomas Chipman, Amos Hanchit, Saml. Towsley, John Strong, John How, Oliver Evarts, Russell Hunt, Capt. Josiah Stoddar, Bethel Sellick, Saml. Skinner, Capt. Saml. Moore, Hezekiah Camp, Jun., John McQuivey, Benjamin Smalley, Lt. John Seymour, Datis Ensign, Lt. Janna Meigs, David Owen, Charles Brewster, Theo. Atkinson, Esq., M. H. Wentworth, Esq.

The old governor looked after his own interest in the customary manner, as appears by the following, added to the foregoing signatures:

" His Excellency Benning Wentworth, Esq., a tract of land containing five hundred acres, as marked B. W. in the plan, which is to be accounted two of the within shares, one whole share for the Incorporated Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign parts, one share for a glebe for the Church of England, as by law established, one share for the first settled minister of the gospel, and one share for the benefit of a school in said town.

"Province of New Hampshire, Nov. 2d, 1761.

"Recorded in Book of charters, page 278.

"THEODORE ATKINSON, Secy."

page 235 TOWN OF MIDDLEBURY

To the sixty shares of the sixty applicants were added one each for the governor's secretary, Theodore Atkinson; Michael H. Wentworth, nephew of the governor; the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel; a glebe for the Church of England, and for a school; making, with the two shares for the governor, sixty-eight.

The east line of the town was intended to run substantially parallel with the course of the creek on the west line; it will be seen that such is not the case, making the town, as shown by those boundaries, contain rather less land than the original survey contemplated.

The nominal rental of "one ear of Indian corn" for the first ten years was more in the nature of an acknowledgment of the sovereignty of the king than an actual payment; while the one shilling "proclamation money" was a permanent fee to be paid annually to the king: The fact that the governor of New York demanded a higher rent in his subsequent grants constituted one of the grounds of complaint by the Green Mountain Boys against the claims of that State in the historic controversy.

The town of Middlebury is bounded at the present time as follows: On the north by New Haven and Bristol; on the east by Ripton; on the south by Salisbury, and on the west by Weybridge and Cornwall. The surface of the town is, since the setting off to the town of Ripton of a large part of the eastern mountainous tract,[NOTE 1] either level, rolling or moderately hilly, except the portion which lies along the western slopes and ridges of the mountains; much of this latter is steep and almost unfit for tillage; some of it is good for pasturage and small portions of it for cultivation. The lands lying along Otter Creek and Middlebury River are substantially level. Northeast of the village of Middlebury is an elevation that has been known as "Chipman Hill," from Daniel Chipman, who owned a portion of it and lived near its southern point. The view from this elevation is one of the finest in New England. This is the only elevation west of the mountains that is worthy of mention.

The principal stream is Otter Creek, which is also one of the largest in the State; it flows from south to north and now crosses the western part of the town, though originally forming its western boundary, as before stated. The falls in this beautiful stream (which merits a much more pretentious title than "creek"), situated at the village of Middlebury, are not only picturesque in themselves and their surroundings, but afford a magnificent water power which has been improved almost from the first settlement to the present.

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[Note 1]. On the 11th day of November, 1814, the Legislature enacted " that a tract of land in the County of Addison, described as follows, to wit: Beginning at the southeast corner of said Middlebury thence west on the south line of said town one mile, thence northerly to a stake in the north line of said Middlebury, one mile and a half from the northeast corner of said Middlebury; thence on said north line of said Middlebury, to the northeast corner thereof, thence to the first bounds, be and the same is hereby annexed to the town of Ripton, in said county, and the inhabitants that now do or hereafter may reside on said tract, shall be entitled to all privileges and immunities with the other inhabitants of said Ripton."

page 236 HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY

The other stream of importance in the town is Middlebury River, which rises in the mountains to the eastward in two branches, the principal one in the town of Hancock; the branches unite in Ripton; thence the stream descends the slope and joins Otter Creek near the south line of Middlebury. On this stream at East Middlebury are a series of falls, supplying several excellent water privileges; the Muddy Branch, as it is called, is the main tributary of the river, and its current has turned several mills.

The soil of this town may be said, in a general way, to rest upon a vast deposit of marble (limestone). Professor Hall has made the statement that "limestone, which, with comparatively moderate heat, may be changed into lime, exists in almost every quarter of the town." Of these marble deposits he further says: "Marble of the finest texture and susceptible of a high polish is found here in an inexhaustible abundance. The soil indeed of the whole township appears to rest on a vast basis of marble. In more than a hundred places does the marble make its appearance above the surface. It is arranged in strata, somewhat irregular, and of different thicknesses, but all inclining more or less to the plane of the horizon. It is of various colors, from pure white to deep grey, verging to a black." This subject will be further treated ,elsewhere in this work.

The soil of the town, as a whole, is not such as to award the agriculturist the greatest returns for his labor. There is little siliceous, vegetable, or other fertilizing substances in the soil itself

The first meeting of the proprietors of Middlebury was held at the dwelling house of John Evarts, in Salisbury, Conn., on the 5th of January, 1762, at which the following proceedings were had:

" 1. Voted and chose Samuel Keep clerk for said proprietors.

" 2. Voted and chose Matthias Kelsey, Ebenezer Hanchit and James Nichols selectmen for said town of Middlebury.

" 3.Voted and chose Jonathan Chipman collector for said proprietors.

"4. Voted to allow 10s to Matthias Kelsey for his cost and extraordinary trouble in the proprietors' service.

" 5. Voted to raise 9s on each right, 6s in silver and 3s prock money, except those which have paid a 9s rate, which was granted when the props. of New Haven, Middlebury, Salisbury and Cornwall were jointly in company,--such to be exempted.

" 6. Voted to give Mr. Atkinson for his kindness and many good services, done for the proprietors, 300 acres in said township adjoining Governor Wentworth's right of 500 acres, allowing a highway or highways through said land for the benefit of ye proprietors, in the most convenient place or places.

" 7. Voted and adjourned this meeting to the 2d Tuesday in March next, at 10 o'clock before noon at Capt. Samuel Moore's in Salisbury.

"Test SAML. KEEP, Proprietors' Clerk."

page 237 TOWN OF MIDDLEBURY

This meeting adjourned until the 9th day of March, 1762, at the house of Captain Samuel Moore, in Salisbury, at which the following were the principal proceedings:

" 1. Voted and chose Samuel Keep Clerk.

" 2. Voted and chose Matthias Kelsey, Ebenezer Hanchit, and Charles Brewster selectmen for said town.

" 3. Voted and chose Jonathan Chipman, Collector.

" 4. Voted and chose John Evarts, Treasurer.

" 5. Voted to send Matthias Kelsey, to lay out 50 acres to each right in said township.

" 6. Voted to raise a rate 9s on each right.

" 7. Voted to give 6s per day to committee men.

" 8. Voted to lay out one acre to each grantee, as near the centre of said town as possible.

" 9. Voted and adjourned this meeting till ye 2nd Tuesday of October, at one of ye clock afternoon, at the house of Capt. Samuel Moore, in Salisbury.

" Teste SAML. KEEP, Clerk. "

This last meeting was held on the day fixed in the charter for " the annual meeting forever hereafter," for the choice of officers; for this reason new officers were chosen, although the first election took place only two months previously.

The following records of three meetings, bringing the proceedings of the proprietors down to the year 1767, are inserted here in full for the same reason assigned by Mr. Swift-that no other record except the one from which he drew his information was then to be found, and that one was in a perishable book; and because of the interest that must ever attach to the earliest deeds of pioneers or owners of a region that has since grown into a populous community:

" At a meeting of the proprietors of the township of Middlebury held at the house of John Evarts in Salisbury, this 2d Tuesday of March, A. D. 1763.

" 1. Voted and chose Mr. John Evarts, moderator.

" 2. Voted and chose Saml. Keep Clerk.

" 3. Voted and adjourned said meeting till ye 4th Tuesday of instant March at 10 o'clock before noon, at the house of Capt. Samuel Moore, in Salisbury.

" Teste SAML. KEEP, Proprietors Clerk."

" At a meeting of the proprietors of the township of Middlebury, held by adjournment at the house of Capt. Sml. Moore in Salisbury, this 22d day of March 1763.

" 1. Voted and chose Matthias Kelsey, Ebenezer Hanchit and Saml. Tousley selectmen for said

town of Middlebury.

" 2. Voted the next annual meeting, viz. ye 2nd Tuesday in March next, shall be holden at the house of Capt. Saml. Moore in Salisbury

3.Voted and dissolved sd meeting. Test SAML. KEEP, Clerk."

page 238 HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY

" At a meeting of the proprietors of the township of Middlebury in the Province of New Hampshire, being legally warned and held at the house of Capt. Saml. Moore in Salisbury, this 4th Tuesday of March, A. D. 1763.

" 1.. Voted and chose Capt. Saml. Moore, Moderator.

" 2. Voted and chose Saml. Keep, Clerk.

" 3. Voted and chose John Evarts, Capt. Saml. Moore and Matthias Kelsey assessors.

" 4 Voted to lay out one acre to each right or share, as near the centre of the township, as conveniently may, with allowance for highway or ways, if needful, each highway to be 4 rods wide.

" 5. Voted to raise a rate of 20s on each right to defray the charge of laying out the first and 2nd divisions, (public rights only not to pay.)

" 6. Voted to give the whole of the above said 20s rate to the committee, that shall lay out the first and second divisions in said township, and produce a mathematical plan thereof by the first day of October next. Said committee to lay out all the public rights in said township. Said committee to collect said 20s rate. James Nichols and Benjamin Smalley appointed committee to lay out sd first and 2nd divisions.

" 7. Voted to raise a rate of 9s on each right to pay the back charge except such as have paid ye 9s rate, which was granted ye 5th of January, A. D. 1762

" 8. Voted and chose Benjamin Smalley, Collector.

" 9. Voted and chose Mr. John Evarts, Treasurer.

" 10. Voted that the treasurer pay to Mr. Benjn. Smalley the sum of 4s which is due to him for money he paid for said proprietors.

" 11 Voted and adjourned this meeting to the 2nd day of October next at 2 o'clock, at the house of Capt. Saml. Moore in Salisbury.

"Test SAML. KEEP, Proprietors Clerk."

" At a meeting of the proprietors of the township of Middlebury, held at the house of Capt. Saml. Moore in Salisbury, this 20th day of December, A. D. 1763.

"1. Voted and chose Capt. Saml. Moore, Moderator.

"2. Voted and chose Saml. Keep, Proprietors Clerk.

"3.Voted and accepted the plan presented by Benjamin Smalley, as a mathematical plan of sd township.

"4.Voted that John Hutchinson and Samuel Moore, Jr., draw the lottery for the rights aforesaid.

" Voted and adjourned sd meeting till the annual town meeting in March next at the house of Capt. Sam'l Moore, in Salisbury.

"Test, SAM'L KEEP, Proprietors Clerk."

There is no record of the annual March meeting in 1764.

" At a meeting of the proprietors of the township of Middlebury, legally

page 239 TOWN OF MIDDLEBURY

warned and opened at the house of Doctr. Joshua Porter in Salisbury, this second Tuesday of March, 1765.

" 1. Voted and choses Mr. James Nichols Moderator for said meeting.

" 2. Voted and adjourned sd meeting to the house of Mr. John Evarts, forthwith.

house of Mr. John Evarts, forthwith.

"3. Opened sd meeting at said Evarts, and voted and chose Ebenezer Hanchet, John Evarts, and Sam'l Keep, Committee for said proprietors.

"4. Voted that, if any man or men, by the first day of May next shall appear and give sufficient bond to the proprietor's Committee to build a good saw-mill, within fifteen months from this day in the township of Middlebury, he shall have any mill-place he or they shall choose in said township, viz: in the undivided part thereof, and also fifty acres of land adjoining said millplace, he or they to be at the cost of laying out said fifty acres, and build said mill so as to leave room for fifty acres, to be laid out to accommodate a grist mill, and proper place to set a grist mill, if the proprietors see fit to improve it.

" 5. Voted to lay out a third division, 100 acres to each grantee, as soon as may be conveniently done the ensuing summer.

"6 . Voted and chose James Nichols, Timothy Harris and Sam'l Keep, a committee to lay out said 3d division, and also to employ all needful help to assist in laying out the same.

"7. Voted to give 5s per day to each committee-man, so long as they shall be faithful in the service of laying out said 3d division.

"8. Voted to raise a rate of 10s. lawfull money on each right to defray the charge of laying out said 3d division, to be paid by ye firrst day of September next.

" 9. Voted and chose Ebenezer Hanchet, Collector.

"10. Voted and chose Enoch Strong, Jonathan Hall and Sam'l Tously assessors.

"11. Voted to raise 2s. on each right and give the same to any man or men, who shall, the ensuing summer, clear a cart road from the road last fall cut from Arlington to Crown Point, viz: from about ten or twelve miles beyond where No. 4 road crosses Otter Creek; said road to be cleared on the east side of said Creek, through the townships of Salisbury, Middlebury and New Haven.

" 12. Voted and adjourned half an hour.

" 13. Opened. Voted and chose Ebenezer Hanchet, Treasurer.

" 14. Voted to pay 6s. to Samuel Keep, for his paying the same sum to the printer for advertising this meeting.

"15. Voted and adjourned this meeting to the first Tuesday of December next at 2 o'clock afternoon at the house of Mr. John Evarts, in Salisbury.

" Test, SAM'L KEEP, Proprietor's Clerk.

There is no record of a meeting held at the time of the above adjournment, or of the annual meeting in March, 1766.

page 240 HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY

" At a meeting of the proprietors of the township of Middlebury, legally warned, opened and held at the dwelling house of Mr. John Evarts in Salisbury, in Litchfield County, and Colony of Connecticut, the 7th day of April, 1766.

" 1. Voted and chose Mr. James Nichols Moderator for said meeting.

" 2. Voted that each proprietor that shall, the ensuing summer, repair to Middlebury, and do the duty agreeable to the directions of the charter for said township, so as to hold said right, that such proprietor or proprietors shall have thirty-five acres to each right or share in said township over and above his or their equal proportion with the rest of the proprietors in said township; provided he or they will be at the trouble and cost of laying out said thirty-five acres in good form in any of the undivided part of said township, reserving every convenient place or stream for mills, to be disposed of hereafter, as shall be thought proper, and also highways, if needed through each thirty-five acres.

" Voted and adjourned this meeting to the 2nd Tuesday of January next, at 2 o'clock afternoon

at this place. Test, SAM'L KEEP, Clerk."

At the time of the adjournment above mentioned a meeting was held, and was further adjourned to the " third Tuesday of April next," at the same place. And the meeting held at that time was again adjourned to the third Tuesday of May following.

" SALISBURY the 3d Tuesday of May, A. D. 1767.

"Then the proprietors of the township of Middlebury met at the dwellinghouse of Mr. John Evarts in Salisbury, according to adjournment. Opened the meeting and adjourned to the 2nd Tuesday of October next, at 2 o'clock afternoon, at the dwelling house of Doct. Joshua Porter, Esq., in said Salisbury. Test, SAM'L KEEP, Proprietor's Clerk."

There was little progress made towards settlement between 1767 and 1773; this was owing to more than one cause, but chiefly, without doubt, to the disturbed condition of affairs with the authorities of New York and the then distant and unoccupied character of this territory. The Revolutionary War, also, almost entirely stopped the advance of settlements.

Until the spring of 1783 the proprietors' records were kept in Salisbury, Conn.; after that date the owners of the lands, who were coming into their possessions, held their meetings and kept their records in Middlebury, as will appear.[Note 1].

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[Note 1] All of the records which remained in Salisbury when Mr. Swift made his investigations, except those quoted, consisted of about a dozen loose sheets of paper, which once constituted a part of a book. On one of these was a list of the numbers drawn to the several original rights in the second division, called "the first hundred acre division," or "home lots," which will be found in the subsequent diagram. The remainder of the sheets contained records of deeds and surveys of pitches, beginning in September, 1773. and ending February, 1775. Some of these deeds were dated as early as 1763, but mainly in 1773, which was about the time the proprietors began to make preparations to take possession of their lands.

page 241 TOWN OF MIDDLEBURY

The first one hundred acre division was laid out in two tiers of lots, the first (which was the easternmost) extending along at the foot of the mountain, and beginning at what was supposed to be the south line of New Haven [NOTE 1].In this eastern tier were laid out thirty-nine lots, extending southward not quite to the north line of Salisbury, and numbered from north to south, beginning with number one. The second, or western tier, began with number forty at the north end, and extending south to number sixty-six, which constituted the whole number of rights, except the governor's reservation. This tier, having only seventeen lots, did not, of course, extend so far south as the first one. Each of these lots contains one hundred acres, with allowance for highways; the length east and west is called a mile (but showing three hundred and fifty rods in the survey), and the width fifty rods. According to Mr. Swift's description, " the course of the east and west lines is from the north ten degrees west of south, and parallel with the east line of the town. The north and south lines run east and west parallel with the north line of the town. Between numbers 53 and 54 [see diagram] in the west tier was reserved a space of the width of two lots or one hundred rods, in which was laid out the first or one-acre division; the west line corresponding with the west line of the one hundred acre division, and extending east one hundred and twenty-four rods. This division is called the town plot, and has never been divided among the proprietors into one-acre lots."[Note 2].

The following diagram exhibits a plan of these divisions, with the numbers and original proprietors of the lots:

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[Note 1]. BY a subsequent correction this line was removed northward about forty rods, forming a strip of land of that width along the north line of the home lots and two miles long; this was called "the long lot," and was afterward pitched with other undivided lands.

[Note 2]. It is most fortunate for al1 who are interested in this work, as well as for the population of the town at large, that Prof. Brainerd, of Middlebury College, has spent much time and arduous labor in perfecting an accurate map of the town, which corrects the inaccuracies of the early surveys; shows the names of the settlers throughout the town; the situation of the "town plot" alluded to; the correct course of streams, etc., and that we have been enabled to give a miniature reproduction of it in these pages. A reference to it wil1 enable the reader to see at a glance the location of the various lots and to understand clearly the descripticns given in the text.

page 243 TOWN OF MIDDLEBURY

"The following boundaries may explain the position of this division in its present relation to other lands. Munger street passes through No. 40, the first lot in the west tier, about one-third of a mile from the east and two-thirds of a mile from the west end. This road, inclining to the east, passes across the northeast corner of No. 52, to the line between the tiers, and thence on that line to Darius Severance's. The saw-mill on Muddy Branch, owned by Nichols and Wheeler, is on the west end of No. 47, and the road formerly leading from this mill southwardly to the dwelling house of the late Philip Foot is on the west line of the west tier. The same road still running varies little from the same line until it reaches the Centre Turnpike. The road leading from the late dwelling house of Abner Everts to the line of Salisbury is on the west line of the east tier, and the east line of the same tier passes through the village of East Middlebury; the building lots of David Olmstead and Kneeland being on the east end of lot No. 36.

"It seems that at the time this division was made, the Middlebury lands were not in very high estimation. Benjamin Smalley, who had been appointed collector of the 'rate,' assessed to 'defray the charge of laying out the first and second divisions,' sold in the summer following no less than twenty-four whole rights, on which the tax had not been paid, at from L2 1s L1 10s. each, and in his report stated, 'that one hundred acres of each of the rights that hath been sold in the whole of this vendue, was put up first to be sold, as the law of the Province of New Hampshire directs, but none appearing to buy, the whole rights were sold at the prices set against each right.'

"The third, or 'second hundred acre' division, authorized at the meeting held in March, 1765, was never located by the committee appointed for that purpose, or by any other committee or agents of the proprietors; but each owner was authorized to locate his own lot by 'pitching.' Each proprietor accordingly surveyed his land in such manner and at such place as he chose.''[Note 1]. This practice made great confusion, and the absence of the records containing theprincipal surveys of this division has made it difficult to ascertain correctly the location of many of these lots; but Professor Brainerd's chart gives them as nearly as it is possible to do at this time.

In the year 1784 the surveyor-general re-surveyed the lines of the town, by which the south line of New Haven was moved about forty rods north of what had before been recognized as the north line of Middlebury. At the same time the north line of Salisbury was moved north upon territory which had been included in Middlebury. Among the lands cut off by this change was one hundred and seventy acres of the two hundred acre pitch of Judge Painter (see map), including his house. In April, 1785, the proprietors granted him the " privilege of re-pitching land in lieu of what was cut off by said line." In May of the next year he made his new pitch accordingly.

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[Note 1]. Swift's History of Middlebury.

page 244 HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY

The first settlements in Middlebury which were intended to be permanent were begun in the spring of 1773. At that time most of the towns southward of this county had been quite numerously settled, and the inhabitants under the New Hampshire charters began to feel the requisite strength to successfully strive for their rights against the New York authorities. No grants had been made by the governor of that State within the limits of Middlebury, and there were no claimants under that title, although a number of the owners, among whom were Daniel Foot, Benjamin Smalley, Thomas Skeels and perhaps others, evinced a disposition to recognize the jurisdiction of New York; in deeds given by them about this time they described their residence as in "Middlebury, in the county of Charlotte, and province of New York."

Benjamin Smalley, of Salisbury, Conn., was the first immigrant who brought his family into this town. In the spring of 1773 he took possession of his two hundred acre pitch at the mouth of Middlebury River, and built the first log house in town. He was soon afterward followed by the families of John Chipman and Gamaliel Painter, who had already visited the locality and selected places for settlement. The Chipman farm is now owned by Isaac Seeley. These early dwellings were of course rude log structures of the most primitive character. There were no saw-mills here then to supply boards for what would now seem to be absolutely necessary purposes; moreover, a log house could be erected in much less time than would have been required on a frame house, even had the lumber been at hand; and time was precious, when lands had to be cleared and the first seed planted. No road then existed farther north than Sutherland Falls, and at what time roads were opened into this town from the south is uncertain; from the falls named, the creek was used as a thoroughfare, by canoes and rafts in summer and on the ice in winter.

John Chipman had already, in the year 1766, made the first clearing in town, comprising seven or eight acres on his lot. In the spring of that year he started with fifteen other young men to prepare a home in the wilderness. They found no house north of Manchester. This company, some of whom were destined for New Haven, some for Panton, and some for Addison, started with cart and oxen conveying tools and other necessities. At Sutherland Falls they halted to build a canoe out of a large tree; thus they proceeded to their destination, a portion of the men with the oxen traveling through the woods. At Middlebury they loaded the canoe upon the cart and drew it around the bend of the creek on the east bank, until they arrived at the foot of the lower falls in Weybridge; there they again took the water-way and proceeded to Vergennes. Chipman had not at this time acquired title to any lands, the deed by which he did so being dated January 14, 1773. " It is probable that when he reached the mouth of the Middlebury River, he followed up that stream to a place which promised well for a settlement and there pitched his tent."

page 245 TOWN OF MIDDLEBURY

The above-mentioned families were the only ones permanently settled in the town the first year, 1773; but Eleazar Slasson began a clearing in that year on his two hundred acre pitch, directly west of home lot No. 36, and built a cabin. James Owen also began work on the same pitch, fifty acres of which he purchased of Slasson. Samuel Bentley made a beginning and built a barn on his one hundred acres north of Hyde's and on the west side of Chipman's Hill. In the same year Jonathan Chipman, who had received a deed from Thomas Chipman, his elder brother, of his whole right lying northeast of Colonel Chipman's pitch and afterward owned by Freedom Loomis, and now by Smith Seeley, began a clearing. In 1774 Robert Torrance moved his family into the town and located on the west end of lot No. 33, where he afterward built a brick house in which he lived until his death; he also owned Nos. 31 and 32, lying next north. The same year Bill Thayer settled on fifty acres of Slasson's two hundred acre pitch (which he had purchased), lying west of and adjoining home lot No. 34. Joshua Hyde returned here in 1774 from New Haven (the part now constituting Waltham),--where he owned land, and purchased two whole rights, embracing home lot No. 36 which he cultivated as to Robert Torrance; he purchased also Skeel's two hundred acre pitch, lying west of and not far from the home lots; it is probable that his first settlement was made here in the previous year. William Hopkins built a cabin this year and made a clearing on the south part of Oliver Evarts's two hundred acre pitch, east of the village site, near where Dr. Wm. Bass afterward lived, now occupied by Manfred Foot. About a mile to the southeast Daniel Foot, of Dalton, Mass., owned at least four or five home lots and as many second hundred acre lots; among these were No. 5, on the right of Nathaniel Skinner, and No. 6, on the right of Samuel Skinner, both west of and adjoining the home lots. In 1774 he built a house on No. 5, southwest of where he finally settled.

In 1775 Simeon Chandler began a settlement on the west end of home lots Nos. 37 and 38. Enoch Dewey also began a clearing, but did not remove his family hither, on lot No. 2 in the second hundred acre division, which was deeded to him by his father-in-law, Daniel Foot. Joseph Plumley began this year on a second hundred acre division on the right of Ebenezer Field, 2d; he died soon afterward, and the lot passed to the possession of Billy Manning, and later to John Simmons and Reuben Wright. John Hinman settled in the same year on a second hundred acre lot east of lot No. 14 of the same division, where Wm. Carr lately resided; he came from Wallingford. Samuel Bentley settled on the place where he had built his barn two years, earlier, and his father James Bently, located about the same time on the north part of the same pitch. Philip Foot, son of Daniel came in this year, while a young man, and made a clearing on lot No. 7 in the second hundred acre division, lying west of and adjoining home lot No. 56, owned by his father; he also owned No. 8. by his father; he also owned No. 8.

page 246 HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY

Eber Evarts, also a young man, and son of Nathaniel Evarts, began a clearing the same year on a second hundred acre pitch on the right of his father, occupied in later years by Colonel Joel Boardman, and now by Albert Boardman.

It is believed that the foregoing are all of the families who permanently located and began work in the town previous to the war.

As a considerable tract of territory now included in the town of Middlebury was formerly in the town of Cornwall and its settlement made under the jurisdiction of that town, it becomes essential to trace those settlements in order to complete the history of Middlebury.

The town of Cornwall was organized on the 2d of March, 1784, two years before Middlebury. In the records of a meeting held in September, 1788, is the following: "The report of the committee to confer with Mr. Foot about the bridge, was read: Voted to join with Daniel Foot, of Middlebury, to petition the Assembly for a lottery to pay Mr. Foot for his bridge over the creek and, if not granted, to petition for a land tax for the aforesaid purpose." This refers to the first bridge built by Mr. Foot across the creek at the falls, and a tax was granted equally upon Middlebury and Cornwall.

Asa Blodget was probably the first settler in that part of Cornwall annexed to Middlebury; he was from Salisbury, Conn., and previous to the 27th of October, 1774, seems to have been the owner of the right of Zuriel Jacobs. On that date he pitched on that right "one hundred acres and seven acres for allowance for highways"; this embraced the large bend in the creek near the south line of the town. Blodget had settled on this land in the previous summer, near the creek, and furnished refreshment to the immigrants who came in by way of that stream, as nearly all did; there is none of his descendants now living in this section.

According to Dr. Merrill's history of this town, Penuel Stevens settled on a strip of land near the creek, south of Blodget; he did not, however, own land there and did not return after the war. Theophilus Allen settled (probably in 1773) on an eighty-acre lot next north of Blodget. After the war he pitched the lot on which he lived and the hundred acres on which his brother David afterward settled; both of these were on the right of Nathan Benton. James Bentley, jr., located on a hundred and fifty acre lot, a part of which is now in possession of Charles W. Matthews; there he built a small house. Thomas Bentley settled on a lot lying south and east of the above, which is now in possession of Professor C. C. Mead. Returning after the war, he continued on the farm until 1793, when he sold to Hezekiah Wadsworth and removed away. Next south of Thomas Bentley, William Douglass settled, where his son James, and grandson of the same name, afterward lived.

In 1774 James Throop came from Whiting and settled on a lot next south and east of Douglass, and running to the creek; this farm has lately been in

page 247 TOWN OF MIDDLEBURY

possession of Isaac Eells. In the spring of 1843 Alvan English lived on this place, and during a great freshet himself and son were drowned while attempting to navigate a raft in the creek to collect some floating rails. In the year 1774 James Bentley, sr., had also settled on the bank of the creek south of Throop.

Colonel Samuel Benton, who owned lands in other parts of Cornwall, took up his residence in 1775 on the bank of the creek, and probably in the house which James Bentley had built and which he for some reason had left. The foregoing were all of the settlers on this tract before the war.

In 1783 Asa Blodget returned to his possession and continued to live there until 1795, when he sold to Anthony Rhodes, and it has had various owners since that time. Theophilus Allen returned at the close of the war and lived on his lot until 1797, when he deeded it to Joshua Henshaw, from New Hartford, Conn. He lived there until 1800, when he removed to the village. James M. Piper now owns the farm. Allen has no descendants here. William Douglass came back in the fall of 1783, with his two young sons, to make preparations for the reception of his family. On the 19th of December of that year he was instantly killed, while chopping in the woods, by the fall of a tree. Mr. Douglass and his widow and children owned several tracts of land adjoining the home farm. James Douglass was the last of the sons who occupied the homestead after the death of the widow, and went south in 1822 and died there; his widow and father-in-law, James Bentley, lived on the farm until their several deaths. When Joseph Throop returned after the war he took possession of his farm, but died a dozen years later, and his widow married Eleazar Davis. The latter continued to live there until 1796, when the two lots mentioned were deeded to her sons, Dan and Samuel Throop. James Bentley, sr., built him a house after the war, on the bank of the creek and near the dwelling of Hop Johnson (elsewhere described), and after Johnson deserted his family, in 1789, Bentley lived with his daughter, Mrs. Johnson. She soon afterward married James Douglass, as before stated, and Bentley lived with them for some years. James Bentley, sr., died in 1829, aged ninety-three. James Bentley, jr., returned to his farm after the war; in 1788 he deeded fifty acres to William Donaghy, who built a house southerly from Bentley's and lived there until 1795, when he sold it to Thomas and Ep. Spencer, who in turn transferred it to Dr. Willard and Ethan Andrus a part of this land was subsequently annexed to what is now the farm of Charles Matthews, and the house of the Spencers became the property of Julius Wilcox. His son Harvey removed the old house to another piece of land and lived in it until 1830. In 1831 Harvey Pritchard bought this and adjoining lands, repaired the house and lived in it; it is now the property of Henry Wilcox.

In 1793 Bentley deeded to Luther Wright, from Swanzy, N. H., a tract on the south side of this pitch, extending west from the creek to the land of Sam-

page 248 HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.

uel Wright. The north lot is now a part of the James McDonald estate. The south lot has been reunited to the original pitch and is a part of Prof. Mead's farm.

David Allen, brother of Theophilus, settled after the war on the farm next north of his brother's, and continued to live there until his death in 1805, at the age of forty-three years; his widow married Elijah Keeler, and they owned the farm until their death.

Previous to the year 1796 Francis Garrett settled on a lot of ninety-two acres next north of the home farm of David Allen, built a log house and lived there until 1803, when he sold it to Daniel and William Campbell; the title to this property has changed hands several times; Asa Harris formerly owned the tract between the creek and the road, and his son built a house on it and lived there for a time. The house was subsequently removed and the land passed into possession of Marshal T. Shacket. West of the road John Stearns, son of Joseph Stearns, built a house a few rods south of the barn and lived there; this tract passed into the hands of Jacob W. Conroe.

Such is a brief account of the settlements in Middlebury previous to the Revolutionary War and the return of the pioneers to that portion of the town formerly included in Cornwal1. It seems a dry and unimportant chronicle; but it covers a period when heroic men and women came into what was then almost an unbroken wilderness, to endure hardships and privations which the present citizen of the thickly-settled community can scarcely appreciate, for the creation of homes for themselves and posterity; they laid the first, and hence the most influential, foundations of the later social and business fabric, and their descendants have enjoyed the fruits of their work.

Town in the Revolution---The unfortunate destruction of records before alluded to renders it impossible to give a connected account of the deeds and occurrences in this town during the progress of the Revolutionary struggle and the retreat of the settlers from their homes. In Judge Swift's work he gives credit to Philip Battell for collecting reminiscences from a few old residents who are now passed away; and if others had seen the importance of such work many years ago, we might now be able, in spite of the loss of records, to inform the reader of what occurred here during that troubled period. As it is, we have only the work of Judge Swift, and those who aided him, to draw upon in this feature of our work.

It has already been stated that the inhabitants of this section were peculiarly exposed to depredations from scouting parties of Tories and Indians succeeding the retreat of the American army from the disastrous expedition into Canada in June, 1776, and especially after the defeat of Arnold's fleet on Lake Champlain in the following October; it is not, therefore, improbable that some of the more timid of the settlers left their homes as early as that. But their fears were greatly enhanced when Burgoyne, with his formidable force

page 249 TOWN OF MIDDLEBURY.

and his blatant proclamations, came up the lake in the next summer. Dr. Merrill says in his history of Middlebury:

"Agreeably to advice from headquarters of our army at Ticonderoga, all the inhabitants of Middlebury and Cornwall, except Daniel Foot and Benjamin Smalley, removed in June, 1776. Some of them, on the Cornwall side of the river, did not leave one extreme of their farms till the Indians in search of booty were lurking in the other. Foot and Smalley, after being pillaged of most of their movable property, abandoned their homes in September of the same year. These two individuals, however, with their families, returned in the following winter and remained until the spring of 1778."

It was the opinion of Judge Swift that this statement should really apply to the summer of the year 1777, and he was, doubtless, correct in his belief. The people here could not have been seriously alarmed as long as the Americans had control of the lake; this was the case until October, 1776. Until this time the British had no organized force south of Canada. The families of Americans at Crown Point, and in the towns of Addison, Bridport and Panton, fled for the first time when the news of Burgoyne's advance reached them in 1777; after this, and, possibly, in some instances before, scouting parties roamed about through this region seeking supplies, stealing whatever they could carry away, and, doubtless, the inhabitants were often seriously alarmed for their personal safety; but it is not at all probable that there was any general destruction of property or capture of prisoners until the fall of 1778. "Whatever the correct date of the retreat may be," says Dr. Swift, "it is true that on a sudden alarm most of the settlers fled from the country in great haste. The privations and hardships of their recent settlement in the wilderness were sufficiently appalling, but were fearfully aggravated by their being so suddenly banished from their homes into exile by the ravages of war."

Continuing the narrative, we quote from Judge Swift's account as follows: "Miss Olive Torrance, daughter of Robert Torrance, whom we have mentioned as a settler, is the only witness who had any knowledge of the events before the war, or during the retreat. The following is a part of her story as reported by Mr. Battell:

"Her father, she says, came to this country from Ireland in 1754, when he was eighteen years old. He became a resident of Woodbury, Conn., and married Sally Peck, of that place. He removed to Middlebury with his family with the first parties in 1774. They descended Otter Creek on a boat or raft, and made their beginning in a log house, which he had built on the spot where the family still live. She was then five years old.

"The retreat from the county occurred three years after, upon the invasion of Burgoyne. She thinks the removal was in August; it might have been in June or early in July. Her mother went out, before they left, among the garden vines, which were numerous and promising, regretting to leave them.

page 250 HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.

The state of apprehension had been previously such that one Evarts, belonging to that neighborhood, and then in a company at Ticonderoga, arriving and visiting at their house early in the morning, produced great agitation among them. As a further alarm was to be given, the men, before hoeing was finished, turned out and dug out six basswood canoes near the river, and decided not to go until further notice, when all were to be in readiness. When the final message came their goods were taken to the river, the raft constructed, on which the women and children were placed, and the journey commenced, Otter Creek being again their common highway. The party landed at Pittsford, where there was a military post, and Mrs. Torrance followed the train of women and children towards the settlement. She was carrying a child two years old in a sort of double-gown, brought over her shoulders, and in this plight saw a regiment of soldiers drawn up in front of her. She sat down by the way on a log and wept. A neighbor, Mr. Boardman, coming up on a horse, carrying an ox-yoke behind him, insisted on laying off his yoke and taking her instead, bidding her not to be down-hearted, but expect that things would turn out better than she feared. As they passed the regiment the colonel recognized her and called out: 'My God, there's Sally Peck! It makes a man's eyes run to see you brought to this!' The soldiers, at his instance, gave up their quarters to the women and children, brought them water for their washing and cooking, and made them as comfortable as possible under the circumstances. Many of them knew Mrs. Torrance as their townswoman, and sympathized with her and felt for the distresses of the people. Miss Torrance's father joined his family the next day, bringing with him his stock of cattle. From this place the family went to Rutland, and from that place communicated with a brother-in-law in Richmond, Mass., who came on with horses for their party. The family was under the protection of an uncle in Litchfield for a time, and then joined her father, who was then employed, during the war, in one of the furnaces in Salisbury, casting ordnance for the army. He was absent eight years. He was employed seven years in the furnace, the eighth he took a farm. His cow he had sold on his flight at Rutland, his oxen in Connecticut. These were replaced by the produce of a cow bought in Salisbury, which by letting had multiplied with her issue to twenty-one, having but a single male in the number.

" The first child born in town, as Miss Torrance thinks, was with them on the raft. This was Hannah Bentley, the only infant among fifteen or sixteen children, and of course much noticed among them. Mr. Slasson, whose child is said by Dr. Merrill to have been the first born in town, lived in the immediate neighborhood of the Torrance family, after they came to town, and she is certain had no child born there.

"The first school-house was built of logs, before the retreat of the settlers, on 'Tallow Hill,' on the road leading from the poor-house to Jonathan Seeley's.

page 251 TOWN OF MIDDLEBURY.

Eunice Keep, daughter of Samuel Keep, the first clerk of the proprietors, was brought from Crown Point, where the family then resided, to teach in it. She had commenced her school, but left on the alarm. Miss Torrance had not begun to attend. After their return, a school, the second in town, was kept by Mrs. Torrance in their own neighborhood.

"Some kinds of provisions were left concealed by the inhabitants on their retreat. Sugar and flour, left by her family, she says, were taken from their storage under the floor, and consumed. Their pewter and other articles, buried for safe keeping, were also taken up and appropriated. The house itself suffered no injury, except, as she thinks, from a party of immigrants who had it for a shelter some cold nights, and took a board from the chamber floor for kindling-wood. Otherwise they found it as they had left it.

"The Story and Smalley families remained through the war. Mrs. Story's cave, on the bank of the creek in Salisbury, Miss Torrance supposed to have been intended for a storehouse for goods only, rather than for the concealment of individuals. Mrs. Smalley told her of a visit from a scouting party of the enemy, chiefly Indians. An Indian took a milk-skimmer she was using, and put in his bosom, on which she complained to the commander, who compelled him to restore it. A part of the Foot family stayed at John Foot's to secure the crops. They visited her mother's garden after the family had gone and found the melons ripened by thousands. Thus far Miss Torrance.

"It is represented by all that the flight of the inhabitants was sudden and made in great haste. It was the common practice to dig into the ground and conceal such articles as they could not carry with them. The family of Daniel Foot, before they left, dug into the ground in a thick hemlock grove and built a large crib with poles, into which they put a half barrel of soap, such part of the furniture and other articles as they were compelled to leave, covered the crib with planks, and on the top of the whole piled hemlock branches, so as to resemble a large brush heap. On their return after the war they found their soap and other articles uninjured.

"While the British had control of the lake, probably in 1777, foraging and scouting parties, composed chiefly of Indians, made excursions into the several towns, appropriating to themselves such movable property as suited them, belonging to those who had left, or in the possession of those who remained. Daniel Foot had remained for some time after the settlers had generally left. A British party sent out to obtain supplies came upon him, seized and drove off his oxen, while he kept out of the way to avoid being captured. Other similar depredations were made. Several other persons remained in the different towns without other molestation until the fall of 1778. In the fall of that year two British vessels came up the lake with troops, designed, it was said, to march upon Rutland; but being, in some way, thwarted in their purpose, the troops, consisting of British, Tories and Indians, were landed on both sides of

page 252 HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.

the lake, and spread themselves in scouting parties over the whole region where settlers had located themselves. They destroyed all the buildings and other property they could find, and made prisoners of all the men who had the temerity to remain, and sent them to Canada. In Middlebury the whole population by this time had retreated, and none were taken prisoners. But all the buildings in the town were destroyed except the houses of Joshua Hyde, Bill Thayer and Robert Torrance, in the same neighborhood, in the south part of the town, to which probably their excursion did not extend. The frame of a barn of Colonel John Chipman, recently built of green timber, which they could neither burn or chop down, also escaped. It is still standing on the farm of Isaac Seeley, with marks of the hatchets on its timbers."

Progress of Settlements After the War.- With the close of the great contest in 1783, and the beneficent reign of peace, the former settlers began to return to their possessions and new ones to come in. Benjamin Smalley and Jonathan Chipman returned with their families in April of that year and located on their possessions. Bill Thayer brought in his family and continued his possession of that part of the Slasson pitch, and occupied that and home lot 34 adjoining it, until 1793, when he sold it to Eber Evarts and removed to New Haven. Joshua Hyde came in and worked on his land until the following year, when his family, which had remained in Salisbury, came on. Daniel Foot, with his sons Philip, Freeman, Martin, Stillman and John, returned, and the next year Mr. Foot's wife came in and joined him. Jonathan Chipman remained on the farm on which he first settled until January, 1790, when he sold it to Colonel Chipman and left the town. Benjamin Smalley soon replaced his log cabin on his home farm with a comfortable log house, and in 1792 deeded a part of the farm to his son Imri, and in 1794 the remainder to his son Alfred; the father resided with Imri until his death in 1807, at the age of eighty-two years; several years later his son removed west. He was succeeded on the place by William Huntington, and later by Michael Sanders and his son-in-law, Michael Ryan. This part is now owned by Hiram Sessions. In 1803 the Alfred Smalley part of the farm was purchased by Peter Foster, who lived there until his death, of the epidemic of 1812; his son Nathaniel owned the place several years, and it passed to possession of John Seeley, who still owns it.

Robert Torrance again took up his residence on home lot No.33, where he began improvements before the war; here he built the brick house which is still standing, the property of A. P. Tupper. He died in 1816, aged eighty years. The northern of his three lots, home lot No. 31, was set off to Silas Torrance, and in 1823 Noah Stearns began clearing the west half and Justus Hier the east half; this afterward passed to the possession of Chester Fenn; now owned by James Fenn.

Joshua Hyde settled on the home lots Nos. 35 and 36, which he owned,

page 253 TOWN OF MIDDLEBURY.

and bought fifty acres on the Slasson pitch adjoining these lots on the west; on the latter he built a two-story house, where he died in 1828, aged seventy-eight; his son Joshua, jr., continued in possession of the place until his death in 1843, at the age of seventy-five. Luman Hyde, son of Joshua, jr., then owned it until it was sold to the present owner, Hiram Sessions. Joshua Hyde, sr., was, according to Dr. Swift, "one of the most prominent and useful citizens in Middlebury." Oliver Hyde, another son of Joshua, jr., bought a hundred acres of the Skeel pitch about 1831 and a small piece of home lot No. 38 from Mr. Champlin; on the latter he built his house; the farm subsequently passed to possession of his son Luman, and later to Hiram Sessions.

Simeon Chandler resumed possession of home lots Nos.37 and 38 after the war and lived there until 1798, when he sold the west ends of both lots to Joshua Hyde and removed from the town. Mr. Hyde gave this land to Paul Champlin, his son-in-law, who occupied it until his death in 1853; it is now in possession of O. P. Champlin.

Colonel John Chipman returned and began energetically the work of improving his farm. Where his first cabin stood he built a handsome brick house, in which he lived and furnished refreshments to travelers coming into the country; his house was for many years a resort also for parties from the village. He was a man of marked character; energetic, efficient and intelligent. He was elected sheriff for twelve years, 1789 to 1801, and held many town offices. In his later years, after the marriage of his daughter and death of his wife, he made his home with Freedom Loomis and his son, George C. Loomis, in the neighborhood of his farm; he died in 1829, aged eighty-four years. The farm was afterward purchased by William Y. Ripley; it is now occupied by Isaac Seeley. Colonel Chipman's father was John, a brother of Thomas (one of the original proprietors) and of Jonathan Chipman, an early settler, and of Samuel, father of Hon. Daniel Chipman; there were also three daughters in the family of Jonathan Chipman, sr., one of whom, Victoria, married Judge Painter. Thomas Chipman settled on a hundred acre pitch directly south of his brother; he removed from the State in 1815. The place is now owned by Lochlin Wainwright. After the death of his father, Colonel Chipman's mother married Samuel Keep, one of the proprietors and their first clerk; they had two daughters, one of whom (Eunice) kept the first school in Middlebury; the other was Hannah, who became the wife of Moses Sheldon, who lived and died in Salisbury, Vt. They were the parents of Samuel Sheldon and Oscar P. Sheldon; of the wife of Loyal Case, the wife of Austin Johnson and the wife of Samuel S. Crook. Samuel Sheldon was the father of the late Homer and Harmon A. Sheldon, merchants, and of Henry L. Sheldon, of Middlebury, and Horace W. Sheldon, of Salisbury. Colonel Chipman's wife was Sarah Washburn, of Salisbury, Conn. Abisha Washburn's other daughters married respectively Lemuel Bradley, Abraham Bethrong and Freedom Loomis.

page 254 HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.

Eber Evarts took possession, after the war, of his farm on the north line of Salisbury; he lived here until his purchase of a part of the Slasson pitch and home lot No. 34, when he sold it to Joel Boardman; it is now owned by Albert Boardman; he died in 1838, aged eighty-five. Abner Everts, who subsequently lived with his son-in-law, Frederic Leland, in the village, was a son of Eber.

John Hinman returned and settled on his lot, which he soon sold to Moses Hale, of Rutland; the latter lived on it until about 1797, when he deeded it to his sons, Moses, jr., and Hial. William Carr, jr., now owns the south half and Zuar Barrows the north.

Samuel Bentley did not return after the war, but sold his tract to Benjamin Risley, who came in 1784; he was moderator of the first town meeting, and in April sold his farm to Asa Fuller, of Rutland; the north half of it was soon afterward deeded to Elisha Fuller, brother of Asa; it is now occupied by the widow of Nelson Fuller, son of Abisha.

The sons of Daniel Foot, who returned with him in 1783, brought a number of cattle and remained through the succeeding winter to care for them; having no hay, the attempt was made to winter them largely on browse, and many of them died in consequence. After the war Mr. Foot removed his residence to the southeast corner of lot No. 6, of the second hundred acre division, and built the small house which was afterward superseded by the large one. Previous to 1790 he erected a large barn, designed partly for religious and town meetings, and about 1793 built the large house mentioned; the present dwelling of his grandson, Allen Foot, constituted a part only of that house. Daniel Foot, as before stated, had purchased large tracts of land in this town, and owned more than a thousand acres previous to the war. At an early day he deeded to each of his sons and his daughter, wife of Enoch Dewey, one or more tracts of land; in 1801, having disposed of the remainder, he started for Canton, N. Y., where he died soon after his arrival. He was a man of great industry and very enterprising, and his family has been conspicuous in the town.

William Hopkins, who had begun a settlement on the south half of Oliver Evarts's two hundred acre pitch, east of the village site, did not return after the war, but sold his land to Captain Stephen Goodrich, of Glastenbury, Conn. In the spring of 1784 Captain Goodrich came in with his two sons, William and Amos, and took possession; the sons remained and worked on the land that season and in the following spring the father returned with his family. In 1785 other farms were settled about them--Kirby on his lot, Huston to the northeast, Johnson on the east and Parker on the south. Stephen Goodrich, with his wife and a sister, came on in 1785,with a cart and oxen, five cows and five or six hogs; the son stated that the milk that remained after they had used what was necessary from day to day on the journey, was placed in a churn on the cart,

page 255 TOWN OF MIDDLEBURY.

and the jolting motion churned it into butter. The brothers met the family at Pittsford, the cart was put on board a raft and floated down the creek; this was the favorite route in summer. A boat was built early and ran weekly between Pittsford and Middlebury, carrying freight and passengers. Hop Johnson's was the point sought by travelers for Middlebury, but his accommodations were very meager. Old Mr. Blodget kept a tavern in Cornwall (the part subsequently annexed to Middlebury), which was also much frequented. The first grain they had ground after the family came in was taken by Amos to Salisbury, where Colonel Sawyer had just completed a mill on Leicester River, at Salisbury village. Amos went by way of the creek and Leicester River to within half a mile of the mill and carried the grain from there on his back. The first preaching they had was by an old gentleman "who came on account of the service of Mr. Foot."

Stephen Goodrich and his son Amos continued to live on the farm on which he first settled until January, 1800. He had previously made an arrangement to exchange his land for the farm on which Judge Painter first settled on the south line of the town; fifty acres on which his house stood he deeded to William Bass, who had a few years before begun practice here; another portion he deeded to Daniel Chipman, and the remainder to Painter. In January he removed to the Painter farm and lived there until his death in September, 1823, aged ninety-three years. Amos afterward occupied the farm until his death in 1854, at the age of ninety. The farm is now owned by John Huston. Peter Goodrich, now living in town, is grandson of Amos.

William Goodrich, the other son of Stephen, settled about the year 1787 on a second hundred acre lot, extending from Otter Creek eastwardly, where he built a house and kept a tavern. In 1791 he purchased the west half of the second hundred acre division on the minister's right, built a small house and lived there a few years. In that year his wife opened the first school kept in the neighborhood of the village; it was kept in her house or in a small schoolhouse on the opposite side of the road. At a later date he built the brick house used for many years by the Episcopal Society for a parsonage, and now owned and occupied by the widow of William F. Goodrich. In the mean time he filled the office of town clerk from 1797 to 1812, except one year. He died in 1812, aged fifty-seven years. William F. Goodrich has sons living in town who are farmers.

In 1785 Robert Huston, of Voluntown, Conn., settled on the north half of the Oliver Evarts pitch, about a mile northeast of the village. The farm is now occupied by Henry W. Hammond.

In the same year Ebenezer Johnson, from Wells, Rutland county, took possession of lot No. 10 of the second hundred acre division, east of the village; he continued there until 1794. The farm was afterwards owned by Josiah Stowell, of Mansfield, Conn., and from 1804 to 1812 was occupied by his son, Alfred Stowell, who built the house. It is now owned by E. J. Matthews.

page 256 HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.

Elijah Buttolph came in as early as 1786; he soon afterward married the widow of Joseph Plumley and occupied her farm, on which her husband had begun improvements before the war. He afterwards purchased other lots, and on the Plumley place built the house afterward occupied by his son Elijah, jr. The father died in 1835, aged ninety-four; the farm has recently been owned by Reuben Wright, and is now divided.

Abraham Kirby came from Litchfield, Conn., and settled here in February, 1786, on a lot which he had pitched in the previous March on the right of Rufus Marsh, next south of the Joshua Hyde pitch. John S. Kirby, Abram's son, remained here through the season of 1785 and cleared a few acres and sowed it to wheat. Abram Kirby died in 1796. In 1790 he purchased for his son Joseph a lot lying next south of his own; Joseph settled his family here in January, 1792; now occupied by Clarence and Harrison Phillips. In January, 1791, Mary Kirby, daughter of Abraham, married Samuel Severance, son of Ebenezer, an early settler, and they settled on Hyde's pitch, built a house and lived there six years.

In 1786 Benjamin Sumner, of Claremont, N. H., having secured a deed of the governor's right, allowed its settlement by his son, Colonel William B. Sumner; he cleared and improved it, and built the large house still standing. In a later year it was sold to Jonathan Wainwright, and Colonel Sumner went West; he had, however, previously sold one hundred acres, which passed through several ownerships, and a small tract at the south end; the remainder is now owned by U. D. Twitchell.

In 1786 Jonathan Preston, of New Canaan, N. Y., made the first settlement on "Munger street." He then took possession of home lot No. 42, and the next spring moved his family; this place he occupied until his death in 1809, at the age of sixty-three, when it passed into possession of his son Asa, and is now owned by John and Robert Manney. Asa Preston had two sons, Benham and Buell; the latter still lives in the town.

Nathaniel Munger and his son-in-law, Nathan Case, from Norfolk, Conn., began a settlement next south of Preston, on home lot No. 43, in 1787. Case was a blacksmith, and both of the men had a house on the lot. A few years later Mr. Case moved to No.12 home lot, where Dudley Munger had begun a clearing. Nathaniel Munger occupied and improved the place where he settled until his death in 1830. Edward Munger located on lot No. 44, next south of Nathaniel, in 1788 or 1789; a few years later he sold it to Alpheus Brooks, who occupied it until his death. Jonathan Munger about the same time began a settlement on No. 41; it was subsequently and for many years owned by Captain David Chittenden, and then passed to David Hooker; now owned by Edward Seeley. Edmund and Jonathan Munger removed to Ohio before the beginning of the present century. Previous to 1792 Dudley Munger, a brother of those named, had made improvements on No.12, which he

page 257 TOWN OF MIDDLEBURY

sold in the year mentioned to Nathan Case, and removed to No. 45, next south of Edmund Munger. On this lot Phineas Phelps had previously built a log house. Mr. Munger built the present two-story dwelling, and at an advanced age went to live with his son, Hiram Munger; the farm is now owned by Samuel N. Brooks. Reuben Munger, another brother, came here about 1789 and located on lot No. 40 of the home lots; he died there in 1828 at the age of seventy-two. Seymour Sellick, from Salisbury, Conn., settled on No. 46, which belonged to the original right of his father, Bethel Sellick; it adjoined Dudley Munger's; the latter married Mr. Sellick's sister. Both of these men built two-story houses, which were raised on the same day; the Sellick farm is now owned by William and Otto Moore. These seven families last named constituted the neighborhood of Munger street, and, as seen, came in within a short period and located within fifty rods of each other, their lots being fifty rods wide and a mile in length. The numerous Munger families were among the most respected citizens of the town. There was no permanent settlement made on home lot No. 47, next south of Seymour Sellick's; but Philip Foot built a saw-mill at an early day on the west end of the lot, which was owned in later years by Nichols & Wheeler in connection with their chair factory.

Abel Case, brother of Nathan, settled early on home lot No. 48 and built the house now standing on it; he occupied the place until 1831, when he was killed by being thrown from his wagon.

As early as 1785 Hezekiah Wadsworth owned a second hundred acre lot north of the farm formerly owned by Deacon Simon Farr; he afterwards settled here and subsequently removed across the creek into Cornwall. The Wadsworth farm passed through several hands and is now owned by Louis Hope.

About 1790 Deacon Simon Farr settled on the farm south of Wadsworth's, where he lived many years, and finally removed to New Haven. The farm was for many years in possession of the late Roswell Fitch and now owned by Chauncey Branch.

Martin Evarts settled on home lot No. 64 as early as 1788, cleared it up and built the house in which he lived and died; it is now owned by Gardner C. Cady.

Ebenezer Severance, from Northfield, Mass., came into town about 1790 and settled on the west end of home lots Nos. 16 and 17. He owned also the west end of Nos. 18 and 19 and the east half of No. 55. The three last-named lots were deeded to his son Samuel, who transferred to Kirby the lot on which he (Samuel) had settled. Samuel Severance settled on the east end of lot No. 55, and cleared up Nos. 18 and 19; here he resided until his death in 1851. The farm passed to his sons, Smith and Darius Severance. Enos Severance, another son of Ebenezer, settled on the west end of home lots Nos. 14 and 15, next north of his father; he died in 1842, and the farm has been divided.

page 258 HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.

Moses, another son of Ebenezer Severance, came in with his father and lived with him, caring for him in his old age, and remained in possession of the place until his death; the farm passed to possession of David E. Boyce. Numerous descendants of this family are among the prominent citizens of the town.

John Tillotson came to Middlebury from Long Island in 1784, and after working for a time for various persons he bought and built on home lot No. 29, but soon removed to No. 28, where Philo Achley had begun a clearing and built a plank house; he died there in 1855 at the age of ninety-three. The property is now owned by E. K. Severance. Tillotson's brother Silas settled on lot No. 30, next south, now occupied by George Sessions; Silas Tillotson removed from town after several years.

Elijah Olmstead, of Bolton, Conn., owned in 1787 Lots 11 and 12 of the second hundred acre division, east of the governor's lot. He settled on No. 12 and built the two-story house there. He sold it in 1814 to Colonel Eleazer Claghorn, who owned it until his death; it is now in possession of Mr._____Hunt. Lot No. 11 was purchased by Samuel Little, who with his brother James took possession of it, and each built a house on the north part. In 1796 Eleazer Barrows bought the whole lot, and lived there until his death in 1840, at the age of seventy-one; his son Lucius then took possession of the place, and died there, leaving in occupation his son Crosby, and his widow. Many descendants of Elijah Olmstead live at East Middlebury.

Abraham Vanduzer came to Middlebury in 1789 from Salisbury, Conn., with his son Harry and his eldest daughter. In 1793 he purchased the south half of the Slasson. pitch and settled there; he died in 1795, aged fifty-three. Harry Vanduzer began in 1794 a clearing on home lot No. 58, on the right of Noah Chittenden, and lived there. In the mean time Samuel Vanduzer had built a two-story house on his father's homestead; in 1806 Harry, having purchased Samuel's interest, removed to that place and lived there until 1825, when he removed to Oneida county, N. Y., where he died in 1829. The whole of the Abraham Vanduzer farm is now owned by the town, as a town farm and home for the poor. John Vanduzer, another son of Abraham, settled on the second hundred acre lot, on the right owned by his father and adjoining the Slasson pitch; he removed from the State in 1814; this farm is now occupied by Parsons Chatfield.

Rev. John Barnet, who was ordained pastor of the Congregational Society in 1790, was entitled as the first settled minister to a whole right; but he settled on home lot No. 57, which it was supposed would be established as the center of the town; this lot and the one south of it were united in one farm by Dr. Wm. Bass, and afterward owned by Smith K. Seeley. Cyrus Starkweather had begun a settlement on the lot afterward occupied by Mr. Barnet; he then located on the east half of the second hundred acre lot on the minister's right, which he sold in 1793 to John Deming.

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Moses Boardman settled about 1788 on No. 3 of the second hundred acre division and several years later sold it to Ichabod Morton, who lived there until his death. Mr. Boardman has descendants in the south part of the town.

Billy Munger settled about the same time on No. 1, east of Boardman; here he resided until his death in 1822, aged sixty-eight; this and the preceding lot were subsequently occupied by Ichabod M. Cushman and are now occupied by John Halladay.

Bethuel Goodrich settled about the year 1790 on lot No. 4, north of Boardman's, and died there in 1829, aged fifty-three. The lot is now owned by Caleb Smith.

Elnathan Hammond, from Lanesborough, Mass., settled in 1794 on a tract of about forty acres next north of the Lucius Barrows farm, on the right of John Howe; this lot lay between the old and the new lines of New Haven, before mentioned, and extended east across the Muddy Branch, embracing the falls; this mill lot and privilege were subsequently owned by Isaac Gibbs, who had the marble saw-mill there; the property has lately been in the possession of the Cutter Marble Company. Mr. Hammond remained but a few years on this farm, and removed to that part of No. 14 next north of Robert Huston's lot and there built a house; he died here in 1856, aged ninety-five years. His sons, William S. and Edwin Hammond, succeeded to the ownership and greatly improved the property; the part owned by Edwin is now in possession of George Hammond, and the other of Henry Hammond; the whole of the Robert Huston farm and other tracts have been added to the property, which is among the best farming sites in the town. John A. Hammond, another son of Elnathan, occupied the southeast corner of the governor's right and owned other lands; a part of this estate is now owned by Frederick Hammond and part by Lucius Shawl.

Eleazer Conant, from Mansfield, Conn., purchased in 1794 the north half of the Hyde pitch and a part of the Risley pitch; in the same year his brother, John Conant, purchased of Elisha Fuller the Bentley lot; a part of the farm is now owned by George Chapman and Joseph Battell. John Conant remained on his farm until his death; it afterward passed through the hands of General Hastings Warren, Wm. Y. Ripley and Edward Muzzey; it is now owned by Joseph Battell.

In 1793 Abisha Washburn received from his son-in-law, John Chipman, a deed of the farm on which Jonathan Chipman first settled; in 1796 he deeded it to his son-in-law, Freedom Loomis, then of Sunderland, on condition of an adequate support for himself and wife during their lives. They lived here together, accordingly, and Mr. Washburn died in 1813 at the age of ninety-one. Mr. Loomis died in 1822 at the age of fifty-six, and was succeeded in the ownership of the place by his son, George C. Loomis. The property is now owned by Smith K. Seeley.

page 260 HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.

James Crane was the first settler in the north part of the east tier of home lots; he and his brother Jeremiah began in 1790 on different parts of lot No. 11; in the next year they brought in their families and Jeremiah remained on his farm until his death; the James Crane portion is now in the hands of Wakeman J. Mead. James Crane removed to the east half of lot No. 8 and died there in 1845; the farm is now owned by the widow of Joseph Fales and her son.

Nathan Case settled about 1792 on lot No. 12, where Dudley Munger had begun work, and died there, leaving the farm to his son Abel, who later removed West. The place is now owned by Wakeman, Sidney and Judson Mead. Home lot No. 51 was also owned by Nathan Case; this lot is now owned by Albert Gladding.

Darius Tupper, from Charlotte, where he first located in this State in 1794, purchased a tract of land just south of home lot No. 66, it being the north half of No. 23 and a part of a hundred acres set to Nathaniel Skinner. He there built a large house and for many years kept a tavern; he died in 1828 at the age of seventy-four. Amos Boardman had previously begun a settlement on this lot. After Mr. Tupper's death the farm was divided among his heirs. A P. Tupper, attorney in Middlebury, is a grandson of Darius. The large house mentioned has been torn down and the farm is occupied by Silas Perkins.

Deacon David Boyce in 1814 had taken a permanent lease of the second hundred acre lot on the glebe right, and owned thirty acres on home lot No. 53; he settled on the latter and built the brick house there; the farm is now owned by E. Y. Boyce. David E. Boyce, whose name has been alluded to, settled on the farm formerly occupied by Ebenezer Severance, about the year 1844; he is one of the leading farmers of the town.

The foregoing constitute the settlements of most of those who came in at early dates, excepting those who located in the villages, which will be considered further on. There are many who settled at somewhat later dates, but whose definite locations cannot well be fixed, on account of the division and redivision of lots, the passage of the east road through the eastern tier of home lots, and other causes; moreover, it is the chief object to give the names of the prominent pioneers who laid the foundations of the town. The names of many others who have been prominent in this work will appear as we progress.

At this point, and in connection with the accompanying valuable map,Map of the Early Settlements of Middlebury which is the result of a vast amount of labor by Professor Ezra Brainerd, of Middlebury, it seems eminently proper that we insert the following memoranda of settlements on some of the home lots (as shown on the map), which were also prepared by Professor Brainerd, even at the risk of repeating in a few instances matter already printed. We quote as follows:

A few weeks since I expressed to Deacon Boyce my regret that Judge

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Swift had said so little in his History of Middlebury about the first settlers along the road between East Middlebury and Bristol. Deacon Boyce proposed to confer with the older residents of the neighborhood, who are fast passing away. The result of these interviews, and of many hours' laborious searching of the records, is the following account, which I trust will be of interest to some.

The district under consideration consists of thirty-nine one hundred acre lots, each about 340 rods long and fifty-two rods wide, No.1 beginning within forty rods of the New Haven line and No. 39 ending within forty rods of the Salisbury line. The north and south highway from the church in East Middlebury to Cobble Hill passes somewhat tortuously through these lots; but at E. K. Severance's and at the Lovett school-house it is just in the middle of the lots. The west line of the tier runs along the road on which Deacon Boyce lives, and along the road on which stands the ruin of the Torrance brick house. If the reader will keep the map of Middlebury open before him while reading, he will be able to follow the narrative more readily.

Home Lot 1.--Hiram Ladd was the first settler on home lot 1, and lived in the house recently occupied by Prince King. His father, Sampson Ladd, who lived just across the town line on the road between the Munger street school-house and Cobble Hill, bought part of the lot in 1798 and the remainder in 1799. The house appears to have been built soon after and occupied by Hiram, though owned by his father until his death in 1804, and by the heirs until in 1821. Hiram got a deed of the south half of the lot. In 1829 he sold to Asa Chapman and moved to Connecticut.

Home Lot 2.--was set off as a "school lot." In 1802 the selectmen leased it to Nathan Lee, who cleared it and lived on it until 1817, when he sold it to Reuben Munger, one of the most extensive land-holders in the early history of the town. In 1824 Munger deeded the lease to Ebenezer W. Allen. C. H. Bain now lives upon the lot.

Home Lot 4.--John O'Brien, from Bristol, settled on home lot 4 about the close of the last century. In 1825 he sold the lot to Buel Preston, who lived there over sixty years until his recent decease. Mr. Preston built the house in which he lived; the old O'Brien house was on the opposite side of the highway.

Home Lots 5, 6 and 7.--A certain A. Murray is said to have lived at a very early date on the east side of home lot 5, where the remains of a cabin were recently to be seen. But there is no deed to him on record. Only one permanent settlement was ever made on home lots 5, 6 and 7. In 1796 James Andrews, of New Haven, received from Thaddeus Royce, who then owned the three lots, a deed of 110 acres on the east end of these lots. Andrews built a house about fifteen rods west of Timothy Boardman's present dwelling. Andrews had long-continued lawsuits with John O'Brien, arising out of a

page 262 HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.

destructive fire which had run from the premises of the one who kindled it on to the premises of the other. They were so impoverished by these lawsuits that they were both obliged to sell their farms. James Andrews in 1817 sold to Levi Smith, who lived there until succeeded by Timothy Boardman in 1824.

Linus Beach's Pitch.-Directly east of these home lots Linus Beach in 1792 pitched a long, wedge-shaped lot running up to the mountain. Here he lived in the house now occupied by William Fales until 1822, when he was forced to sell his farm, and removed to the State of New York. He is still remembered by some of the older residents of that neighborhood for his goodnatured character, and for his long hair braided up into a pig-tail behind. This used to get caught under his coat collar as he rode horseback, and the peculiar bow he was frequently obliged to make to extricate his queue made a vivid impression upon the young people of that day. A well-authenticated story is told of him that ought to be preserved. In 1815 five wolves were discovered in the woods between his house and John O'Brien's. All the men in the neighborhood turned out and surrounded the wolves. Those who had not guns provided themselves with clubs. As they closed in upon the wolves one of them was bent on going out, and came so close to Barnum Phelps that "he gave him a number of pelts with his cudgel and turned him back;" and they succeeded in killing the whole five. But it was on a Sabbath day that this famous hunt took place, and several of the participants were church members, among them notably good Brother Beach. They were in due time labored with and brought up before the church. Brother Beach, however, was incorrigible. "He won't own up." He claimed that he did it in defense of his family; that the wolves might have got away if they had waited over night, and that then his children wouldn't have been safe out of doors. The difficulty was finally ended by Dr. Merrill saying that he thought they "ought to let Brother Beach go."

Home Lots 8, 9, 11 and 12.--Judge Swift, in his History of Middlebury, described the settlements on these four lots. A few additional incidents, illustrating the character of the settlers and of those early days, ought to be preserved. Gideon Abbey, whose house is still standing on the east end of home lot 9, was a man of decided influence in the affairs of the town. He lived on this lot for forty-three years until his death, in 1840, at the age of seventy two. He was a famous hunter in those days, when deer and large game were abundant. One day, toward the latter part of his life, a man driving down from Bristol reported that he had seen a fat buck in the woods beside the road. This warmed the blood of the old hunter. He told his son and Sidney Mead to take the hound and start up the deer, while he would get down his old flintlock rifle, mount his horse and go around by the road to get a shot at the game. The boys soon found the tracks of the deer in the light snow, and

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after letting loose the dog, ran about a mile to the west to a clearing, now a meadow fifty rods southeast of the Munger street school-house. They got there none too soon, for as Sidney Mead emerged from the woods he caught sight of the deer standing still, broadside towards him, about ten rods away- a beautiful mark. He took aim and pulled the trigger; but unfortunately the priming had been wet by a piece of flying mud and the flint-lock only snapped. The deer started off on a run to the north. Just then Gideon Abbey was racing down the road to the west. There was no time to lose. When he saw his most favorable moment he swung himself from his horse, and with one foot still in the stirrup fired at the flying buck. The animal bounded forward a few rods and fell dead. It was the sixteenth deer the old hunter had shot at without missing a single one. But afterward the spell seemed to have been broken, for the next time he fired at a deer he failed to bring down his game.

Nathan Case was also a man of prominence, living on home lot 12 from 1792 until his death in 1844, at the advanced age of eighty-four. He was a great worker, always stirring about and always in a hurry. And he sometimes illustrated the proverb "The more haste, the less speed." One morning in the busy season of haying his wife informed him that they were out of flour. He hurriedly saddled his horse and drove to the village. When he reached the village he found he had forgotten to bring the grain that he had come to get ground.

Home Lot 13.--Samuel Bridge was the first to settle on home lot 13. He bought one-half in 1792 and the other half in 1796. His house was located about fifteen rods west of the present dwelling of Heman Lovett. He moved away, however, in 1800, selling the southwest quarter to Nathan Case and the east half to Warren Gibbs. The latter lived for thirty-eight years in a house three or four rods north of Judson Mead's present dwelling. Mr. Gibbs was highly esteemed by his neighbors, was a deacon of the Baptist Church, was particularly fond of children, being a frequent visitor to the school near by. One incident in his life illustrates the wonderful medical skill of the elder Dr. William Bass. Mr. Gibbs was afflicted the greater part of his life with epilepsy, being sometimes attacked when out in the field. At the age of sixty he was advised by Dr. Bass to learn to smoke, as a remedy for his ailment. The patient followed the prescription, and had no serious trouble from his disease during the remaining twelve years of his life.

Home Lot 14.--In 1795 Zephaniah Buss purchased home lot 14, and soon after settled upon it. The original house was a log cabin, that burned, and he then built the one still standing, a few rods south of the school-house, on the east side of the road. He had the reputation of being a "good manager" and a man of sterling principle, though he did not make a public profession of religion until over sixty years of age. He died in 1837 at the age of sixty-

page 264 HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.

seven. His daughter was the mother of the present Deacon Boyce and of Elijah Boyce.

Home Lot 15.--In 1805 Bela Sawyer purchased the half of home lot 15 lying east of the highway, and about twenty-five acres of the adjoining part of home lot 16. After living for five years in a house now destroyed, he built ten rods farther north the larger structure now occupied by Samuel D. Austin. About 1824 he sold his farm and lived for several years in the village, where perhaps his fondness for music and his skill as a carpenter and joiner might find freer scope. But as old age came on he returned to the scenes of his early manhood. His daughter purchased for him the old Stevens house just north of the brook, on home lot 17, where he died in 1855, at the ripe age of eighty-two.

Home Lots 16 and 17.--In February, 1798, Roswell Stevens bought fifty acres, the south half of a "pitched lot" lying east of the home lots at the very foot of the mountain. He lived with his father on the lot for several years, near a famous cold spring that furnishes water enough to supply a small city. The spring is still called "Stevens's spring"; and a lane running directly east from the red school-house, as though a continuation of the road, is still known as "Stevens's lane." Traces are still to be seen of the old road which led from the east end of this lane south along the east end of the home lots to the Stevens house. In 1805 he purchased of Daniel Chipman 123 acres lying between his former lot and the main highway and extending from the north line of home lot 15 to within sixteen rods of the north line of home lot 18. The north half of this purchase he sold the same year to Bela Sawyer, as above described; the south half he cleared and occupied for many years as his home farm, moving into a new house on the highway, on the site where C. Landon, jr., now lives. In 1822 Stevens sold his farm to Charles Hooker and moved to Huntington.

Home Lot 18.--In 1795 Brainerd Hooker purchased that part of the lot that lies east of the highway, and fifteen acres of a lot lying east of it, "pitched for Widow Coon," as we are told in the old proprietors' records. He purchased also in 1805 an adjoining strip of home lot 17, sixteen rods in width, on the road. The old Hooker house is, part of it, still standing, though no longer used as a dwelling; it is the first house south of the brook on the east side of the highway. Brainerd Hooker died in 1808 aged sixty-two; his son Charles occupied the farm until 1844, when he went West.

It is a fact worthy of note that nearly all the sons or grandsons of the first settlers have emigrated to other parts of the country. Of the twelve or more settlers already mentioned in this article, not one has left in this region a descendant bearing his name. This we attribute not to any lack of offspring, nor to any want of home attachment, nor to the hardships or poverty of the first settlers. On the contrary, they had most of them come here poor and had

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secured from the forest fertile and valuable farms and cemfortable dwellings. The sons, when they came of age, were disposed to do as their fathers had done--push on where wild land could be had for a nominal sum, and where in a few years they could attain to the wealth and comfort which their fathers had achieved. It was a part of the movement by which the sons of New England have spread themselves across the continent to the very shores of the Pacific.

Home Lot 19.--William Coon appears to have been the first settler on home lot 19. But in February, 1798, he sold to Warren Gibbs the part lying east of the highway, and the remaining eighty-five acres of the above-mentioned lot pitched for "Widow Coon," his mother. Mr. Gibbs lived in a log cabin fifteen rods north of the house now standing on the lot, until in 1800 he moved to lot 13, as has been already noticed. He continued, however, to own the lot until about 1831, when he divided it among his children.

Home Lot 20.--Deacon Ebenezer Sumner in 1802 deeded home lot 20 to his son Samuel, who cleared it and resided on it for several years in the house now occupied by Charles Sullens. The south half of the farm is now owned by Charles Landon.

Home Lot 21.--was first settled by Daniel Beadle, who purchased it in March, 1825, of Alfred Wainwright. The house that he built, since destroyed, was on the east side of the road, just north of the present trout pond. The present house near the south line of the lot was built by Chandler Tillotson and was kept open as a tavern for several years by a Mr. Dean.

Home Lot 22.--James Sumner, another son of Deacon Ebenezer Sumner, began to clear his lot in 1811, though he did not receive a deed of the lot from his father until March, 1825. On this lot he resided with his family until his death in 1874, at the age of eighty-five. His son, Andrew J. Sumner, now owns the property and lives on the old homestead.

The great longevity of these early settlers deserves a passing notice. We have the ages of ten of those that are mentioned in these papers, ascertained mostly from their tombstones in the interesting little cemetery half a mile north of the old red school-house. The average age of these ten is seventy-five and one-half years. No wonder the sons could not wait to inherit the property of their fathers, and as a rule went off to seek their own fortunes!

Home Lots 23 and 24.--In April, 1811, Timothy Case, of Hebron, N. Y., purchased from Philip Foot home lot 24, and in 1812 added to his former purchase seventy-two acres off the west end of home lot 23. His house was on the west side of the road where Leroy Taylor now lives, but has been moved to the rear, to make way for a more recent structure. His son Timothy, jr., built and occupied the house on the opposite side of the road. In 1843 the father removed from town.

Home Lot 25.--Joel and Calvin C. Nichols purchased home lot 25 in 1818.

page 266 HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.

Joel built on the west side of the highway, where E. Fuller now lives, and Calvin on the east, where J. Grove now lives.

Home Lot 26.--The earliest settler on home lot 26 was a man from Brookline, Conn., by the name of Asa Collar. He purchased the lot in 1789, but sold out and moved away as early as 1801, so that but little is remembered concerning him. His dwelling stood west of the road a little north of the house now occupied by Allen R. Foote. In 1810 the lot came into the possession of Timothy Boardman, sr., who lived for several years in the house next south of the school-house.

Home Lot 27.-Martin Evarts owned the west half of home lot 27 from 1804 to 1827, and may have cleared it in part. At the latter date he deeded it to his son-in-law, Noble Foot, who soon erected the house now occupied by his son. On the east side of the road Ely Nichols purchased twelve acres in 1807 and built where A. H. Matthews now lives.

Town Organization.--Let us for a moment turn from the details of early settlements and note the first steps toward town organization. The first meeting for this purpose was held at the house of Daniel Foot on the 29th of March, 1786, where the following officers were chosen: Benjamin Risley, moderator; Joshua Hyde, town clerk; Thomas Hinman, constable. At the next annual meeting, March 28, 1787, John Chipman was chosen moderator; Robert Huston, town clerk, and Martin Foot, constable. At a special meeting held January 1, 1788, the first listers were selected in the persons of Jonathan Chipman and Robert Huston. Up to this time no other officers had been chosen; but at the annual meeting in 1788 the customary full list of officers was elected as follows: John Chipman, moderator; Robert Huston, clerk; Capt. Stephen Goodrich, Joshua Hyde and John Chipman, selectmen; Philip Foot, treasurer; Ebenezer Johnson, constable; George Sloan, Wm. B. Sumner and Wm. Goodrich, listers; Ebenezer Johnson, collector; Joseph Parker, leathersealer; Robert Torrance and Abraham Kirby, grand jurymen; Philip Foot, pound-keeper; Jonathan Chipman, Asa Fuller and Daniel Foot, tithingmen; John S. Kirby, Freeman Foot, Imri Smalley and George Sloan, haywards; George Sloan and Stephen Goodrich, fence-viewers; Gamaliel Painter, Jonathan Preston, Jonathan Chipman, Eber Evarts, Philip Foot, Robert Huston and Wm. B. Sumner, surveyors of highways; Daniel Foot, sealer of measures; George Sloan, sealer of weights; William Goodrich, Bill Thayer, Ebenezer Johnson, Robert Huston, Joshua Hyde and George Sloan, petit jurors.

A few brief extracts from the records of the freemen's meetings in the earlier years will not be without value here. In 1788 a committee was chosen to "stick the stake for the meeting-house and pitch a place for burying the dead." It is a significant fact that in most of the Vermont towns one of the very first measures introduced by the settlers was to make arrangements such

page 267 TOWN OF MIDDLEBURY

as their circumstances permitted for religious worship. Early in 1790 a committee was appointed to procure preaching for this town, and it has already been stated that a church was organized in that year. It was also voted at the same meeting "to have one burying place as near the center of the town [Note 1]as land will admit." Another vote changed this plan as follows: "Voted that there be one Burying Place at the North End and one at the South End of the town."

We have already alluded to the settlement of Rev. John Barnet. In June, 1790, it was "Voted to give the Rev'd Mr. Barnet fifty Pounds L. money pr. year as a salary to commence at his settlement." In the same month John Chipman, Daniel Foot, Capt. Stephen Goodrich, Gamaliel Painter and Joshua Hide (Hyde) were made a committee to fix on a place and draw a plan for a meeting-house and report.

In December, 1790, a committee divided the town into school districts, setting off the district in the south part, called "the south district"; one in the northeast part called "the northeast district"; one in or near the center called "the middle district." This was the first division of the town into school districts, and the subsequent changes will be traced in our account of schools.

The question of where to locate the meeting-house, involved as it was in the discussion of what particular site should be fixed upon as the "center of the town," i. e., the village, was a source of much anxiety.

September 7, 1790, "Voted Samuel Miller, esq. and Joshua Hyde be a committee to draw a conveyance between Philip Foot and Appleton Foot and the town of Middlebury, to convey land for said town for a common.

The above vote was passed, as it will be seen, in anticipation of the report of the committee "to fix the place to set the meeting-house," which was made afterwards.

A meeting was warned at the request of eight citizens, December 22, 1791, "To see whether the town will fix upon the centre or place for a meeting-house, whenever they shall agree to build one, and see whether they will agree that a house large enough to contain the people, for several years, may be built there by individuals, without expense to the town at large, to attend public worship in, until a more proper meeting-house can be built. And the design is to give satisfaction to Mr. Barnett, who is uneasy in his present situation. His house, as he observes, is neither decent nor comfortable. He would prepare to build next summer, was he certain that his land would be near

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[Note 1] It was the custom in many of the charters of towns in Vermont to provide for the laying out of a tract in about the center of the town, into one-acre lots, one of which went with each proprietor's right. This custom sometimes led to strange results, and such was the case in Middlebury. The tract thus set apart proved almost worthless for settlement and a house has never been built on it. When, a little later, the marshy and worthless character of this land became known, a considerable strife arose between Judge Painter on the one hand, and Daniel Foot on the other, for the location of the village site near their respective homes; Judge Painter triumphed, as hereafter described.