305
HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY
CHAPTER XIV.
ORGANIZATION--CORPORATE PROCEEDINGS.
SOME facts belonging to the history of the town may be best
understood by the proceedings of their meetings. We therefore copy a few of their
records, with some explanations.
The
town was organized, and the first meeting held, "at the house of Mr. Daniel Foot,
March 29, 1786,'' and the following is the record of their proceedings:
"Voted
1st, Benjamin Risley, Moderator.
"Voted 2dly. .Joshua Hyde, town clerk, and sworn.
"Voted
3dly, Thomas Hinman, Constable, and shorn.
"Voted
4thly, To dissolve the meeting.
At
the annual meeting, March 23, 1787, John Chimpan was chosen moderator; Robert
Huston, Town Clerk; Martin Foot, Constable. At a special meeting, January 1, 1788,
Jonathan Chipman and Robert Huston were chosen listers. No other officers at this
time had been chosen in town.
At
the annual meeting, March 24, 1788, "Capt. Stephen Goodrich, Joshua Hyde and John
Chipman, Esq.," were chosen selectmen; and all the other usual town officers,
as they were at all subsequent annual meetings. At this meeting it was " voted,
that we will lay a tax
of
one shilling on a pound, on the grand list of 1788, to be worked out on the roads
at 4s. per day, and six pence on the pound, to be paid in wheat at 4s. 6d. per
bushel."
At
a special meeting, September 2, 1788, it was
"Voted,
that Gamaliel Painter, Esq. be directed to forward a petition to the General Assembly,
in October next, petitioning that honorable body to grant a lottery in order to
procure pay for building the bridge across Otter Creek, under such
regulations as they, in their wisdom, shall think proper."
"Voted,
to recommend Elijah Foot, Esq., of New Haven, Inland Hall, Esq., of Cornwall,
and Mr. Daniel Foot, of Middlebury, managers of said lottery."
Daniel
Foot had, the previous year, with some voluntary aid from the neighbors, built
a bridge across the creek where the present bridge stands. The object of this
vote was to raise funds to defray the expense. Instead of the lottery, the legislature
granted
a tax
306
HISTORY
OF MIDDLEBURY
of one penny per acre on the lands in Middlebury, and out of the proceeds of
the tax, one half the expense of the bridge was paid to Daniel Foot.
A
similar
tax was assessed on Cornwall to pay the other half. Ebenezer Johnson was appointed
collector of the tax on Middlebury, and several lots were sold for the tax,
and deeds given by him.
The
following vote was passed, January 25, 1790:
"
Whereas, Daniel Foot was prosecuted for blocking up a certain road,
and found guilty at a justice court holden by Gamaliel Painter, Esq. on the 8th
day of April, 1789, and the fine being the property of the town said Foot moved
to have said town relinquish said fine, and seconded, the vote being, was carried
in the affirmative." March, 1790,
" Voted that the selectmen shall keep a regular account of all town expenses
the year ensuing, and lay it before the town, at their next March meeting, for
their concurrence."
April
12 1790, "Voted, to have one burying place, as near the centre of the town as
the land will admit." " Voted, that the selectmen be a committee to procure a
place or places to bury the dead." "Voted that there be one burying place at the
north end, and one at the south end of the town." " Voted that the selectmen lease
out the school lots, for the term of ten years, to the best advantage they can."
June
15, 1790,
"V oted that we will build a meeting house." "Voted to choose a committee
to fix on a place to set the meeting house, and draw a plan and lay it before
the town at some future day." "Voted John Chipman, Esq., Daniel Foot, Capt. Stephen
Goodrich, Gamaliel Painter, Esq. and Joshua Hyde be a committee for the above
purpose."
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." "Voted to divide the town into school districts;"
and a committee of five was appointed - to divide the town into districts, and
report at a future day." In pursuance of these proceedings, the town, on the 7th
December following, was divided into four districts,--the south, north-east, middle
and north-west.
The
first of the above votes 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. The location of the meeting house had already become a subject
of anxiety and some agitation, as it was expected to fix the centre of business
for the town.
A
meeting was warned at the request
of
eight citizens, December 22, 1791, "To see whether the town will fix upon
a 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, till a more
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HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY
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 the centre." This meeting was adjourned
to the 29th of the same month, when a majority of the committee appointed for
that purpose, Daniel Foot, Stephen Goodrich and Joshua Hyde, made their report,
as follows:
"We
the subscribers, being appointed a committee to pitch on a proper place to build
a meeting house, and fix on a green, make the following report, viz, that it is
our opinion that it be on the west side of the north and south road, in the corner
of Philip Foot and Appleton Foot's land,-provided they, the said Philip and Appleton,
throw out a green twenty-four rods square, including the roads, and also four
rods wide on the west side of the north and south road, from said green north,
to where it intersects the road that leads to the falls." Whereupon it was
"
Voted to accept the above report, provided the said Foot's lease the above described
land to the town for the use of a green, as long as they shall want it for that
purpose; and also voted that there may be a house built on said green, large enough
to meet in for public worship on Sundays, for several years, by individuals, without
expense to the town at large."
March
1792. "Voted to lay a tax of two pence half penny, on the pound, on the list
of 1791,-said tax to be collected by the first day of January 1793, in wheat at
4s 6d per bushel; fifteen pounds of said tax, when collected, to be appropriated
to the use of making a road across the mountain beyond Seeley's;* and any person,
that chooses to work out their tax on said road, may have the privilege on condition
that they do said work before the 15th day of June next, by the directions and
to the acceptance of the selectmen, and a certificate of said selectmen of any
person doing work on said road as aforesaid, shall answer on said tax."
"Voted,
that if Mr. Daniel Foot build a house, suitable for the inhabitants of Middlebury
to meet in on Sundays, and to do public business on other days, -after said house
is completed suitable for to meet in as above described, then said town is to
pay said Foot yearly the lawful interest of the sum that said house is worth in
cash, providing the value do not exceed the sum of one hundred and twenty pounds;
said interest to be paid said Foot yearly, as long as said town makes use of said
house, for the purposes above mentioned."
September
3, 1793.
1
Voted to raise a tax of three pence on a pound, on the list of the year, 1793,
to be paid into the treasury of the town, by the first day of December next, in
wheat at 4s per bushel, for the purpose of covering the bridge at the falls with
oak plank, for procuring weights and measures for said town, and other incidental
charges."
"Voted
Capt. Stephen Goodrich and Gamaliel Painter, Esq., be a committee to superintend
the covering the bridge at the falls "
The
bridge, built by Daniel Foot in 1787, was covered with poles,
----------
*Justus
Seeley, at an early day settled, and then lived, where Hendrick
Hier has since
lived,
and where his sons,
Eber
and Justice now live,
308
HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
from the
neighboring forest, which had probably much decayed, and the oak plank were designed
to supply their places.
At
a meeting at the house of John Foot, on the 10th day of December
1 "r D4, notified on the application of twelve free holders.
"
2, to see if the inhabitants of paid town will reconsider the former
vote building a meeting house; where the stake was pitched. 3,
to
agree upon
a place to build a meeting house 4, if no place can be agreed on, to choose a
committee to fix on a place to build said house. 5, to see if the inhabitants
will agree to lay tax for the purpose of building said house. 6, to agree
on a place or places for holding meetings this winter;" the following is the record
of the proceedings:
"The
2d
article with regard to re-considering the former vote of building meeting house,
at the place where the stake was pitched, was tried and passed in the negative,
and of course the 3rd and 4th articles fell. The fifth article was then
taken up
and passed in the
negative."
"
Voted to meet at Samuel Mattocks', till such time as the selectmen
shall notify the town that Mr. Daniel Foot's house is convenient, and then at
such place as they shall direct, for public worship on Sundays."
Previous
to the meeting held in December 1791, the town and religious meetings had been
uniformly held at Daniel Foot's. He had built a large barn, just south of the
place, where his large house was afterwards built, for the express purpose of
accommodating the meetings: and in this building Mr. Barnett had been ordained.
During this time Mr. Foot had declined further to accommodate the meeting. For
two or three years the town meetings had been for some reason, held at Philip
Foot's and Appleton Foot's, in the same neighborhood, and the religious meetings,
in the summer of 1793, were held in Dea. Sumner's barn. During this time much
excitement had arisen, in relation to the place for the centre of town business.
The people, in the neighborhood of Mr. Foot, and in the south part of the town,
were anxious to have the question settled, by fixing on the place for erecting
a meeting house; while the people of the village; and the inhabitants north of
it
" played off," to use a familiar expression.
The
village had the advantage of an excellent water power, with mills on both sides.
Mechanics and merchants had begun to crowd into it; the only lawyer and the only
physicians in town had located themselves there; the legislature at their session
in 1791, had directed the courts of the county to be held there, and the
population
and business of the place were fast increasing The inhabitants of
309
HISTORY
OF MIDDLEBURY.
the village therefore looked forward with confidence to the time when they would
have such a decided majority of the votes as to control the decision of the
question, and were not in a hurry to have it then settled. This will be readily
perceived by the proceedings we have copied above. They were willing to take
a lease of land
" for the use of a green, as long as
they shall want it for that purpose.
They would pay the "interest of the sum that" the meeting house to be built
at the expense of Daniel Foot "is worth in cash," "as long as said town
makes use of said house." And when it was voted to hold meetings at Mattocks'
in the village, with an apparent intention to return, it was on such conditions
as to render that event hopeless. On the other hand, it
is
said Mr. Foot being dissatisfied with the delay in settling the question, declined
further to accommodate the meetings, for the purpose of pressing the town to
a decision. Mr.Barnett also, having purchased a lot directly opposite the place
where the meeting house was expected to be built, began to be uneasy. But the
decision was virtually made. The religious meetings were never afterwards held
out of the village. The town meetings were, for a time, held at Philip Foot's
and Appleton Foot's. But at the annual meeting in 1796, as will be seen, the
question was finally settled, and the meetings were ordered to be held in the
village "in future."
March
meeting, 1795, "Voted that there be five selectmen for the year
ensuing; that they shall not have any compensation for their services." The selectmen
chosen were Joshua Hyde, Stephen Goodrich, Nathaniel Munger, Ebenezer Severance
and Daniel Chipman, who were also appointed "a committee to examine the bridge
at the falls and repair it, if it wants."
"
March, 1796, "Voted to receive that partof the town of Cornwall,and petition the
legislature to have the same annexed to the town of Middlebury, which said town
of Cornwall have voted should be annexed to said Middlebury."
"Voted
not to set off the westerly part of Middlebury to Cornwall."
"Voted
that the house of Samuel Mattooks be the place of holding town and freemen's
meetings in future."
The
annual March meeting in 1798, was notified to be held at Samuel Mattocks', but
was immediately adjourned to the Court House, that building having been finished
about this time. At this meeting it was "Voted to divide the town into three pound
districts, to wit: one pound to be erected at the corner of the road by Capt.
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HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
Goodrich's; one at the corner of
the road south of Abel Case's, and one at the corner of the roads south of Martin
Everts', and north of Martin Foot's." "Voted, each district to build their own
pounds at their own expense."
At
the annual meeting in 1825, on the application of the Episcopal Society, it
was voted to grant that society the privilege of erecting their church on the
public common, provided it should be built of bricks or stone; and a committee
was appointed to fix the location. The present church was accordingly erected,
at the place recommended by the committee. A similar privilege was afterwards
granted to the Methodist and Baptist societies. But neither of these has taken
advantage of the privilege.
At
the time the court house was divided into two stories, it was proposed that the
town should have the exclusive use of the lower room, provided they should pay
towards the expense two hundred and fifty dollars. This proposition was accepted
by the town meeting held on the 2d day of September; 1828, and tile amount was
accordingly paid. Previous to this, the town and freemen's meetings had been held
in the court room, from the time
of
its erection. The town also paid $137 towards the alteration anal repairs of the
building in 1844.