The History of Waterbury, Vermont

NYPL RESEARCH LIBRARIES 3 3433 07954361 1 : !IIIiii)iiimim:iiiiii>iiiiii HISTORY OF WATE msa , VT. LEWIS -V \fet HISTORY OF WATERBURY VERMONT 1763-1915 ^^ EDITED AND COMPILED BY THEODORE GRAHAM LEWIS PUBLISHED BY HARRY C. WHITEHILL THE RECORD PRINT WATERBURY, VERMONT 3t this mdloce 15 dedicated to the memory of Justin W. Moody, with grateful recollec- tions OF his long and faithful SER^^CE to his townsmen as public servant, citizen, n'eighbor. and friend. FOREWORD Conscious that there are many imperfections in this volume, the Editor nevertheless ventures the hope that it may be found to contain in convenient form matter concerning the more important periods of Waterbury's history, biographical data of a certain interest and information about some of the men whose words and deeds have earned distinction for the town. No pretense is made at giving full genealogies and many of the biographical sketches are regrettably incomplete. Omission of much that might properly have been included is, of course, one of the inevitable incidents to the undertaking. Acknowl- edgments are made to Mr. Harry C. Whitehill, Senator William P. Dillingham and Mr. O. A. Seabury for their effective assistance and unwearied interest without which the work could not have been accomplished. Thanks are also due the members of the staff of librarians at the Waterbury Public Library and the Vermont State Library for their help- ful courtesy. Many others have evinced a kindly disposition to assist in the compilation of military and biographical data; to all such the Editor expresses his sense of obligation. It will be apparent that material in many instances has been verified by recourse to such sources as Hemenway's Gazetteer, Child's Gazetteer and Thompson's Vermont. The subscriber takes this occasion to hazard the remark that some such paraphrase as "happy is the town that has no history" is of no assistance to one attempting utter justice to Waterbury's. April i-November i, 191 5. T. G. L. —— — TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter I Aboriginal Trails — Period i 763-1 800 — Introduction — Town Charter—Contemporaneous Events in State and Nation— Survey—Geographical Description—First Settler, James Marsh—Incredible Hardships—Second Settler, Ezra But- ler—Other Early Settlers and Holdings—First Town Or- ganization—Side Lights on Town Meetings—Farm Loca- tions—Revolutionary Soldiers 1-31 Chapter II Period i 800-1 830 Contemporaneous National and State Events —Local Sentiment—Chittenden County—Capital Location Dispute—Act Establishing Capital at Montpelier—Presi- dential Electors—Church Matters—Tax Redemption In- cident—Highways and Turnpikes—Amasa Pride—Farms and Families—Butler-Hovey Controversy—Ezra Butler's Political Activities—Correspondence—War of 18 12 Gen- eral Peck—Sanders' Letter—Waterbury's 1812 Volunteers —Butler in Congress—Daniel Webster's Resolution—But- ler's Speech—Wells Family—Calkins Family—Kennan Family—Dan Carpenter and Family—Calkins' Reminis- censes—"Era of Good Feeling"—State under M. Chitten- den, Galusha, Skinner and Van Ness Administrations—La- Fayette's Visit—Governor Butler's Terms—Anti-Masonic Movement 33-62 Chapter III Period i 830-1 850 Contemporaneous State Political Affairs— Henry F. Janes, Postmaster—Mr, Janes in Congress— Legislative Lamentation—Leander Hutchins—The "Corner Store"—Harrison & Tyler Campaign—Death of the Presi- dent—Tyler's Succession—Anti-Slavery Convention—The Dillingham Family—Deacon Paul Dillingham—Paul Dil- lingham, Jr.—Political Career—Saxe's Poem—Mr. Dilling- ham in Congress—As Lieutenant-Governor and Governor— Personal Characteristics — Anecdotes — Luce Family— Mexican War—Mr. Lucius Peck in Congress—"The Free Mountaineer"—Central Vermont Railway—License Laws AND Votes—Moody Family—Chauncey Lyon—Dr. Thomas B. Downer—John D. Smith Family—Dr. Will F. Minard— The Henry Family—Various Families—Longevity 63-103 Chapter IV Period i 850-1 875 Population and Grand List—Merchants and Business—Town Meetings—Pierce Administration—Bio- graphical of Warren and Parker—Politics—^Alternation vU —— — via TABLE OF CONTENTS OF Voting Places, Village and Center—Arch Bridge—Mer- chants—Premonitions of Disunion— Resume of Water- bury's Votes—Abolition Sentiment—Lincoln's Early Ad- ministration—First Call for Troops—Waterbury's Re- sponse—Representation in Various Regiments—Different Battles—List of Commissioned Officers—Non-Commis- sioned Officers—Privates—Action at Town Meetings— General Wells—General Henry—Major Dillingham— Colonel Janes—March of Events—Readjustment and Re- construction—Presidential Vote in 1868 Biographical— Post-Bellum Memories—Business in Waterbury—Reca- pitulation of Town Vote 105-153 Chapter V Period 1876-1900 Town, Gubernatorial and Presidential Elec- tions—Mount Mansfield Railroad Appropriation—Colum- bian United Electric Franchise—Incorporation of the Vil- lage in 1882 First Village Officers—Tax Rates—Street Lights—Water Supply—Bond Issue—Telephone and Tele- graph Franchises—New Additions to Village—List of Vil- lage Officers to Date—Recapitulation of Improvements— First Telephone—Senator William P. Dillingham—Ver- mont State Hospital—Dr. Don D. Grout—Seabury Family —Moses Knight—Edwin F. Palmer —Dr. Emory G. Hooker —George W. Randall—Other Sketches—Waterbury Rec- ord—Spanish War—Century End Events 155-194 Chapter VI. Period 1900-1915 Senator Dillingham's Election—Guberna- torial AND Presidential Votes—License and No-License Votes—Miscellaneous—R6sum6 of Industrial Life—Early Manufacturers—Town Litigations—Various Legislative Acts—Religious History and Churches—The Library Beginnings and Present Condition—Horace Fales Fund— Biographical Sketch of the Fales Family—Mark Carter Canerdy's Gift—Dr. Henry Janes' Gift—Early Efforts at Securing Public Schools—Present High School—Water- bury Alumni and Students from the State Universities and Colleges—Green Mountain Seminary—Women's Clubs —Waterbury's State and Federal Officers—Town Rep- resentatives—State Senators—Town Clerks—Sheriffs— Banking History—Professional and Business Firms of Today—Lodges, Organizations, etc.—Fire Record—Soldiers' Monument—Conclusion 195-272 Appendix—Memorial Day Address 273-286 CHAPTER I I 763-1 800 The site of the town of Waterbury lay in the track of the murderous French officer, Hertel de Rouville, who with other French officers led a band of Indians upon an expedition of plunder and massacre against the ill-fated town of Deerfield, Massachusetts, in the early part of 1704. The expedition came down from Canada by the way of Lake Champlain. They branched ofT at the mouth of the Winooski River and followed the trail of that river through its peaceful valley until they came to the upper waters of the stream, from which they again branched off through a gap in the Green Mountains and followed the White River Valley until they debouched upon the Connecticut River, the frozen surface of which served as a highway directly to their objective point. The march was made by easy stages until at length they reached a blufT above the doomed town and prepared for their unspeakable orgy of blood. The horrible story of massacre, pillage, rapine and burning of that night of February 28 and morning of the 29th is familiar to every New England school boy. What is not often mentioned, however, is the main object of the expedition as tradition gives it. It is related that the chief purpose, to which other plunder and captives were merely incidental, was to recover the church bell from the Deerfield Meeting House. This bell was said to have been taken from a French vessel by a Colonial privateer while it was being transported to its destination, one of the Catholic churches of Canada. On this raid the 340 French and Indians secured the bell and carried it back to Canada by the same route, up the Connecti- cut, across to the Winooski headwaters and thence down the valley repassing the site of Waterbury, to the river's mouth. The bell was hung in the Chapel St Regis and was used to call the Children of the Faith to the Jesuit services (3 Sylvester's Indian Wars of New England, p. 54). No authentic records 2 HISTORY OF WATERBURY, VERMONT are extant of the occupation of this part of the Winooski Valley prior to the date of the coming of a surveying party in 1782. As the river valley aflforded a natural trail to Indian war and hunting parties passing over southeasterly from Lake Champlain to the Connecticut, there is little likelihood of the region ever being for long the home of the less nomadic off- shoots of the Iroquois tribe (well known to have had a bent for agriculture and peaceful pursuits), lying as it did directly in the pathway of hostile marauders. To be sure, here and there in the Winooski Valley are evidences of aboriginal efforts at agriculture, but nothing has been found that would indicate a prolonged sojourn in the region. The usual earthenware vessels, flint arrow heads, axes, pottery, fire-stones, and even rudely cultivated corn patches and sites of lodges have been encountered just as they are found almost everywhere in the United States. There are Indian earthworks too, now and then, and burial places. We are told with great circumstan- tiality the story of the tapped maple trees on the Moss place, and the theories about a permanent occupation of North Hill by the Indians as evidenced by these tapped trees. It was not, however, until after the Indian mission was established, following the subjection of Canada to British rule, that the Indians in this part of Vermont evinced any pronounced desire for a domestic or sedentary life. In scattered villages were a few on both the Lamoille and Winooski rivers who kept fowls and cattle. It is stated upon no less an authority than Mr. Joshua Merriam of Waterbury Center that the hens kept by these domesticated Indians were marvelous layers, besides being the object of awe-struck admiration for their supernatural gifts as soothsayers.

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