Centennial Proceedings and Historical Facts of Newfane
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
: 1774-1874. CENTENNIAL PROCEEDINGS AND OTHER HISTORICAL FACTS AND INCIDENTS RELATING TO The County Seat of Windham County, VERMONT. BRATTLEBORO D. LEONARD, STEAM JOB PRI>:'-^ER 1877 THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY Astor, Lenox and Tilden^ Foundations. 1896 3yQ.^ VOTE AUTHORIZING THE PUBLICATION OF THE HISTORY OF NEWFANE. At a town meeting, held at School House Hall, in Williams- ville, on the 7th day of March, A. D. 1876, it was voted to have seven hundred copies of the "• History of the Town and Church" published, together with the proceedings at the Cen- tennial Celebration ; and that one copy be furnished, free, to each family in town, the excess to be sold and the proceeds paid into the town treasury. Voted, To have a committee of three appointed to prepare and publish the afoi'esaid history at the expense of the town. Chose as said committee: J.J. Green, Rev. Charles Burnham and J. H. Merrifield. D. A. Dickinson, Town Clerk. PKELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS. In the preparation of this volume, old records have been consulted not only, but thoroughly searched. Some things before in doubt have been settled. Where authorities apparently equally trustworthy have disagreed, we have adopted that view which seemed to have the best evi- dence in its favor, after diligently comparing and sifting the statements made. Notwithstanding all this, it will doubt- less come to pass that some, as they read these pages, will say of certain things here recorded, " I do not believe that, I know that is not so." If the question should be asked, why you so believe, and how you know? perhaps you would say, " We have often heard the old people state these circumstances very difi'crently." True, we have heard all these stories, and, after careful consideration, have leached the results set forth in this volume. To illustrate, one writer says there were but six families in town when the church was organized ; while the biog- rapher of the Morse family sets the number at twenty. A carefid examination of all the conflicting traditions, indicates beyond a reasonable doubt that there were at least fourteen fomilies here in June, 1774, and perhaps twenty. We cannot close these remarks without returning our sincere thanks to the descendants of the early pioneers and all those who, by their hearty co-operation in this enter- prise, have rendered invaluable aid in the researches that have been necessary to complete this volume. Joseph Greex, J. ^ Charles Burxham, > Committee. John H. Merrifield, j CONTENTS. PART I. PAGE. Record of Proceedings Preparatory to the Centennial Aani- versary, &c. 9 Historical Address,—C. K. Field, 15 Biographical Sketches, —C. K. Field, 34 Toasts and Responses, 98 Historical Notes, 105 "The Vermont Free Press," 113 The Sleeping Beauty, 117 Centennial Discourse, 123 Sketch of Proceedings, 142 PART II. Original Charter, 151 First Town Officers 154 Family Genealogies, 155 Sawtell Family Sermon, 177 Longevity, Long Married Life, &c. , 185 Roads and Bridges 186 Extracts from first Town Records, &c., 188 School Districts and Schools, 190 Pondville Baptist Church, 194 First Universalist Church, 198 Methodism in Newfane, 201 Cemeteries, 202 Fayetteville, 205 Williamsville, 211 Pondville, 220 War Record, 225 Sons of Newfane Murdered in Louisiana 243 Town Officers, 1774-1876, 245 Grand List, 1874, 250 )^r r I. RECORD OF THE PROCEEDINGS PREPARATORY TO THE CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY OF NEWFANE, JULY 4, 1S74. Fayetteville, /Yt., May iS, 1874. —Agreeable to a notice given out by the acting pastor of the Congregational Church, Rev. Charles Burnham, on the previous Sabbath, the citizens assembled at the vestry of said church, to take into consideration the subject of a Centennial celebration of the organization of the town of Newfane, also of the church, and organized by choosing Rev. Charles Burnham, Chairman, and F. O. Burditt, Secretary. Voted, To hold a town and church celebration. O. T. Ware and J. J. Green were appointed a committee to con- sult \vith citizens in the south part of the town, and invite them to be present and participate at the next meeting. Voted, To adjourn until the evening of the 26th inst., at 7 o'clock. A true record. F. O. Burditt, Sec'y. May 26, 1874. —Met agreeable to adjournment, and the meeting was called to order by the Chairman. The report of the proceedings of the last meeting was read by the Secretary ; also heard the report of the committee appointed at the former meeting to consult with the citizens of the south part of the town. In response to the call of the Chairman, remarks were made by B. E. Morse, S. W. Bowker, D. D. Dickinson, E. P. Wheeler, A. J. Morse and Alexander Fairbanks in fa^or of, and heartily endorsing a centennial celebration. : 10 VoTKi). To CL'lel)ratc the centennial anniversary of the organization of the town on some day to be tletennined hereafter. VoTKD, To appoint a committee of arrangements to con- sist of ten persons. Voted, Tliat a committee of five be appointed to nomi- nate permanent otVicers, and the committee of arrangements. The nominating committee was constiti'.ted as follows, viz : A. y. Morse, S. \V. Bowkcr, D. D. Dickinson. O. T. Ware and B. E. Morse. After corisultation. the committee reported as permanent officers the following list President of tJie Day—A. J. Morse. Vice Presidents— B E. ]Morsc and Austin Birchard. Secretary—F. O. Biirditt. Committee of Arrange7nents— S. W. Bowker. J. J. Green, D. D. Dickinson, B. E. Morse, O. T. Ware', W. T. Bruce, A. B. Franklin, W. A. Stedman, S. P. Miller and S. G. Brown. The report was accepted and adopted. Voted, That the ladies present form themselves into a committee of the whole, and nominate a committee of arrangements from among themselves. The following nomi- nations were made and confirmed : Mrs. D. D. Dickinson, Mrs. Samuel Alorse, '' S. F. Whitney, -^ W. T. Bruce, '* D. A. Dickinson, • (). L. Sherman, •• F. O. Burditt, ^- G. B. Johnson, S. W. Bowker, * Hazelton Rice, " O. T. Ware, " Amherst Morse, " C. E. Park, Miss Fanny Newton, " W. H. Goodnovv, " Jessie' M. Miller, ''• Frank Moore, " E. E. Morse, - D. S. Sabin, - Mary R. Birchard. Nathaniel Higgins, Ploral Committee—Mrs. F. A. Fish and Mrs. llenrv Cowan. \'oTED. That tile celebration be held at Favetteville on the 4tli of July next. Voted. That a committee, consisting of one ladv and <jne gentleman from each section of the town, be appointed to solicit subscriptions to pav necessarv expenses. 11 Mrs. F. O. Burditt and Mr. O. T. Ware, Mrs. O. L. Sherman and Mr. D. D. Dickinson were appointed said committee. Voted, That the committee of arrangements meet at S. VV. Bowker's to-morrow evening at 7:30, p. m. Voted, That when this meeting adjourns, it do so subject to the call of the committee of arrangemenls. Voted, To adjourn. A true record. F. O. Burditt, Sec'y. Wednesday Evening, May 27, 1S74. —The committee of arrangements met at S. W. Bowker's, at 7 .-30 o'clock, and proceeded to business as follows : Voted, That a committee of three be appointed to make arrangements with the hotel keepers to furnish dinners on the day of celebration. S. W. Bovvker, A. J. Morse and O. T. Ware were chosen such committee. Voted, That S. W. Bowker be the committee to con- sult the Hon. C. K. Field, and procure his services to deliver a historical address at the celebration. Should circumstances prevent his acceptance of the trust, then to procin-e some other person to perform that service. Voted, That the ladies take charge of the arrangements for costumes, and also for the singing. Voted, That the hour for the address be 1 1 o'clock. Voted, To have three Marshals, and S. W. Bowker, Col. A. B. Franklin and Samuel Morse were elected to those positions. Voted, That we meet at 9 o'clock, a. m., at or near the school house in Fayetteville, and form the procession. William T. Bruce w'as appointed a committee to engage a band for the occasion. J. J. Green was appointed a committee to furnish notices of the celebration and procure their insertion in the county papers. Voted, That when we adjourn, it be to meet at Bowles' Hotel two weeks from this evening, (June 9th), at 7 o'clock. Should it be a stormy evening, then to meet on the first pleasant evening after. Adjourned. A trroe record. F. O. Burditt, Sec'v. % 12 Juxfc 9TII. —Met at Bowles' Hotel, at 7 o'clock, v. m. Meeting called to orderjn' S. \V. Bowker, Cliainnan. The report of the last meeting was read by the Secretary. Voted, That B. E. Morse and Rev. Charles Burnliam be appointed Toast Masters. Voted, That S. W Bowker aj^pear in Continental cos- tume, as one of the Marshals. Voted, That a committee of three be appointed to pre- pare a programme for the day, and J. J. Green, O. V. Ware and F. O. Burditt were elected said committee. \'orED. That a committee of five be appointed to procure costumes, and make all nccessar\- arrangements connected therewith. Mrs. D. A. Dickinson, Mrs. Wm. 11. Goodnow, Mrs. S. W. Bowker, Mrs. O. T. Ware and Mrs. D. D. Dickinson were appointed s'.ich committee. Voted, That F. O. Burditt and wife, and D. A. Dick- inson and wife be a committee to arrange for the singing. Voted, That the committee on costumes be requested to send for twenty male and twenty female costumes. Voted, To adjourn the meeting for two weeks from this evening, to S.