Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1866-04-20
The First Settlers of Holland.


Morgan was settled 10y men who re-
NAMED IN the town, and, very largely,
themselyesan and their descendants down
to the present time, upon the farms
first occupied by them; Holland was
frsi settled by Adventures who seem
ed to care little for a permanent do
main, and took little pains to lay the
foundations of society oas promote
The uurc welfare Of themselves, and
their descendants. The four men we
have mentioned, as prominent among
the first settlers Of Morgan, all lived
to old are. and died upon the farms
where they first located, and which
they cleared up. Three Of these
farms are now occupied by their de-
scendents. The same might be said
of several other farms. In our list OF
town officers published March l6, of
thirteen officers, seven are held by sons
or grand-sons of those four men, two
others by man whose wife is a grand
daughter, and only two by men whose
names are unfamiliar to those who
were acquainted with the earliest his
tory of the town. Those holding
nine of these offices were born, and
with one, or at least two exceptions,
were all educated from childhood, in
Morgan.
The first settlers of Holland, were
Elliott, Cowal, Watson, Rice, Bachel-
der, Wiley, Wilkins, GOodenough,
Nelson and Eber Robinson; all of
which. except the latter, left in few
wears. and have left not one descend
ent of their own name in the town.
Not one of these names appear in the
list of town officers published March
16, and only two of these officers are
in any way descended and only one
of all these town officers was born
and has lived continuously in Holland
Change has always characterized the
inhabitants of Holland. There are
only two, OF at most three, farms tina
have been owned and occupied by The
same family since 1880. And W.
think not one OF these farms was be
gun by the progenitors Of those whc
now occupy them.
Holland has becnless fortunate thai
Morgan in the unity Of the religion
and political sentiment OF her citizen.
Almost nothing remains to show tn
fruits of the planting Of the cariiesf i'll
habitants, on either Of these two grea
matters. SO essential to the well benz
OF society. What their politics were
we doubt if any body now knows, Of
any more, what there religion was, 0
indeed if they had any. They found
ed no church, they established n
schools, they left no monuments, lai
no foundations, and of course raise
no superstructure that the winds an
storms have not driven away. TIL
character of the town was shaped b
subsequent in-comers.
There was one partial exception
this. Eber Robinson was a man
bright intellect, some culture, ente
prising, ambitious. H e loved di
tinction among his fellow citizens, an
was for many years a leader, if tt
town ever had a leader, in politics al
religion. In religion he was UNIQUE
tionably the leader, and has left
far, more results of his life than al
other man. Indeed there was no 9th
man in all the earlier history of HI
land that was at all known by /
christian character. Mr.. Robinst
was a Methodist, a class leader after
class was organized, and his house w
the home of itinerant preacher
and himself often conducted pray
meetings in the absence of any preac
err. He was, for his means, a liber
supporter his church, and did gre
deal to establish and maintain relis
GUS worship. The town, and especi
ly the Methodist church, owe mu
to his labors. His labors were We
strictly UNCONVENTIONAL, and tend
rather to strengthen the less saluta
influences of Methodism. He was i
pulsive and excitable, and did n
inspire all others, with the purest &C
fidence in his piety, or even his
corruptibleintegrity. Those oppos
to him in politics, or in other ent,
prises, would enjoy telling stories
him. One Of these run after this so
He occupied in Conn, during the Re-
olutionary war, the post of Quartz
master for while, (for which he Dire
pension in his later life.) At O
time some brother officers found HI
drawing out rum from the casks in
possession. and filling them up wi
water. Whereupon, finding hims,
caught, he cries out to them, "Ah. ge
tlemen, EXCHANGES norobbery." an
nor says one of them gruffiy, "but
damn piece ofKnavery." Ofcour
this is likely enough to have been
pure invention of his adversaries
DOlitical or other contests R,t ~,