Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-07-25

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been named from the Earl of CRANKY.
1t was chartered in 1851. Joseph Her
rick and Benjamin Cheney were the
first settlers, moving into the town in
1901. The Congregational church was
organized June s, 1925, by Rev. Samuel
r. Hall, then pastor of the church in
Concord, VT. There were but men,
bers, males and females. The Post
office was established in 1882. This
town has never been but sparsely set
tied.
GUILDHALL.
This town was chartered by Govern
or Wentworth, of New Hampshire, Oct.
10, 1761. 1t was granted to Elihu Hall
and 63 others. These original propri-
etors appear to have been residents of
New Haven County and vicinity, in
Connecticut. Various gifts of land were
offered to first settlers in Coos but
the first actual settlements in this region
supposed to be in Lunenburgh but
afterwards found to be in Guildhall
were brought about by other means.
1t will be recollected that, during the
French and Indian war, several unsuc-
cessful expeditions were planned and
attempted ior Wrestling Canada from
France. One of the means employed
by the authorities of the Province of
Massachusetts to induce young men to
enlist in one of these expeditions, was
an offer to apprentices of freedom from
their indentures. One of those who
accepted this offer was young Emmons
Stockwell, an orphan, whose parents
died when he was very young. Upon
the failure of the expedition to which
he was attached the soldiers composing
the same became disorganized and
separated into small parties and re-
turned on their own account. 1t was
winter, and the sufferings of these men
proved so severe that many died by
the way. 1t was the fortune of young
Stockwell and his party to strike the
Connecticut river nearits head waters,
and follow its course until they reached
settlements, and by this means he be-
came acquainted with much of this
rived home ragged and penniless, and
returned to and completed his appren-
ticeship and, in the spring of 1854,
David Page, David Page, Jr., aged Is
years, Emmons Stockwell, now %
years old-Timothy Nash, Geo. Wheel
er, and Mr.. Rice left Lancaster, Mass,
for the purpose of commencing settle
ment in the Connecticut valley. They
intended to locate their settlement on
what has since been known as the
Great Ok Bow, in Newbury but, on
reaching that place, they found it al
ready occupied by two men Mr.. John
son being one of them consequently
they continued their journey nOrthward
and, on the 10Th of April, they crossed
the stream since known as "lsraels
River" in Lancaster, n. H., and
pitched their camps, on both sides of
the Connecticut, on land since called
the Stockwell place, on the New Hamp-
shire side, on land now owned by
Messrs. Allen and Small, on the Yer
mont side. They continued to occupy
the lands on both sides of the river in
common for some time, cutting and
clearing off and planting to corn II
acres the first season. This first product
of Indian corn in this region was de-
scribed by Mr.. Stockwell as being full
in the milk and standing II feet high,
the ears as high as his shoulders. on
the Goth of August, and the next morn
ing was frozen through and completely
spoiled. But" he continues, lit was
no worse here than in Massachusetts"
His party took with them from Massa-
chusetts 20 head of cattle, and in the
course of the season added 20 more, all
| of which were kept through the next
winter.
In journeying, horses and cattle were
under the necessity of subsisting prin-
cipally on ''browse." or the foliage of
trees, except when they were fortunate
enough to find an open grass plot.
David Page, Sen, we believe, never
ma de permanent residence, here, but
did much for its success as a new settle
ment, passing back and forth frequent
ly, and in the course of the summer
brought his daughter Ruth, then II
years Of age, to perform the indispensa-
BILE housekeeping for these pioneers.
She, not long after, became the wife of
Emmons Stockwell.
The first houses of these settlers were
rather temporary camps or cabins, and
when Mr.. Stockwell made permanent
location it was upon the New Hamp-
shire side of the river, upon the same
farm on which his son Emmons and
family now resides. He was said to be
a man of iron constitution, weighing
about 240 pounds, and insensible to
fear and Mrs. S. was in all respects
qualified to be a companion and help,
meet or suitable for him. In proof the
following fact is adduced
Indians were quite numerous in
these parts and they frequently called
in small parties at the houses of the
settlers to stay all night, and frequently
to have drunk" as they termed it.
Their place of crossing the river was at
thislsettlement, and the canoes of the
white men their means when travelling
by land, and their call, the "war-
whoop"-not in hostility however.
Many times has Mrs. Stockwell, on dark
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