The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1876-07-20

were conducted with As much picty
those in our modern cathedrAls. The
hrst design for the erection Of = ehuro
bulldog was thwArled By the revolution
AIRY war.
10 September, October and Novembel
1881, the town held various meetings 1
regard to building meeting house, tn
result Of which was "yote to build
houas $3.50 feet, one story high, boarded
shingled and elAp-boarded with save,
elap-boards, floor laid and one door o.
hinges, 10 be paid TOR by the inhabItant
Of the town BY poll and estate, according
TO valuation, to be located 9 short dis
tAnce west Of the dwelling Of James Pat
terson. This project was also destroye,
by subsequent, agitation, and finally
division Of the town. The originA
church members Of the town Of Kent, Il
forms and ceremonies, were followers o
John Knox, who had learned from Cal.
vim In Geneva, the form Of ecclesiastica
government known aa Presbyterian
The Scotch Kirk was the true child Of th,
reformation, being strongly opposed tC
the Church ofEnglAnd, which was viewed
by them as not having come out from
the sbominAtions OF Babylon the Great
but only as having shaken off few Of
the grosser corruptions OF ancient Rome,
Neither did the followers Of Knox fully
sympstbiSe with the Purltans, for they
(the Puritans) believed Ia self.goyern n.
ment, aud that each congregation should
be regulated by its owns laws; hence the
more modern name Of Congregational.
lists. The Presbyterians recognized the
authority Of Synods and Presbyteries,
hence were more In sympathy with the
doctrines Of church aud state being di.
rectly connected, aad consequently re.
cognized the authority OF towns to GOV.
ern their churches, and lay and collect
taxes therefor. The Puritans rejected
this doctrine. As our population in
creased. those who were allied 10 the
Presbyterian faith correspondingly de-
creased, and the Puritans increased. In
1918 they erected, by the aid Of the town,
the frst house Cor public worship, in
What has long been kRown az the Middle
town. The later history of our churches
We may all feel proud Of, because of their
perpetual diffusion of morality and good
will among men.
The obstacles with which our forefath.
ers contended, were numerous and ex-
tremely weighty. The nearest place for
obtaining the absolute necessaries of life
(and they had no others) was at Charles.
ton, N. H., then called No. 4. These
hardships fostered q desire for home
manufacturing aud home trade; accord
ingly Capt. Edward Aiken, a grandfath-
er Of our esteemed citizens, james and
John Aiken, after clearing q little land.
began work on the first grist-mill in town,
In l774, the same year that historians
claim the town was settled. This mill
was located at the outlet of Derry pond.
Col. Rogers gave the land and right of
fowage. Subsequently Capt. Aiken sold
this mill TO Geo. McMurphy, who ran It
for several years. In 1885 Capt. Aiken
built another mill on the present site of
The grist-mill In this village North vii
lage), which was run many years by his
son Jonathan. In the same year (l7S5)
the first bridge was built In town, where
The bridge now stands, near this mill,
spanning the West river, under which
rippled her waters just as they do to-day.
The bottom log to the abutments OF that
bridge, built ninety-one years ago, is the
Of the abutment that supports
The bridge we cross to-day. The first
store in which goods were sold stood
where the Woods house $50 called) now
stands, on the height Of land between
bur two villages. This store was owned
and kept by Page j. Burchard. Soon
lfter this store was opened, Parker, Dean
4 johnson opened 3 store in the house in
which Rodney Spaulding now resides.
The two fret hotels opened to the public
we're kept, one by Arlington Gibson, on
he old Gibson place, aud tho other by
samuel Cherbury, whose hotel stood just
back OF the present hotel in this village
North Village).
The hrst town meeting for the election |
u officers was held In March, 1915, at the |
.riIt-mill. Edward Aiken was then elect
ID the first town clerk Ia the town Of
Kent. He Was reelected In 1878. A
ecord Of this meeting cannot be found.
Another meeting was held at the same
'lace the following May, the record Of
which 10 signed by Edward Aiken, town
lerk. At the annual town meeting in
III, five men were elected as town COM
nittee, three selectmsn, . constable, sur
'eyon, collector and counters. The
ON .nittss arranged the valuation Of
aud among other things per-
ormed the daily Of listers. The town Of
ient elected bat ore representative be-
ore the name was changed. Dea. Ed.
Vard Aiken was elected the first repre-
entative March Sd, I775, aud retained
hat Office antil 1875. In 1879 James
'attersOn wAs elected the nrst grand ju-
or, Ro bert Anderson brandeF Of horses,
.Ieut. Jsnss Hopkins hes eonstAblc and
oseph Oughterson tythingman. In 1850
)ea. Edward Aiken was elected the first
astioe Of the peace, and Robert McCor-
aick thea succeeded james Hopkins in
be Office Of town clerk.
In . warning for town meeting under
ate OF April 20, 1873. article seven was
. see what encouragement the town
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