Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-11-15
THE PHELPS COLLECTION
RECENTLY ADDED TO THE BROOKS
81 LIBRARY.
An Entertaining Chapter with Regard
TO it, Origin, History aud Character.


Through the generosity and wise foresight
Of Hon. James II Phelps, one Of Windham
county's most honored and widely-known
sons, the Brooks Library trustees have be
come the custodians of collection of books
historical documents in manuscript and in
print, bound newspaper files, pamphlets,
etc, which is unique in its character, and
in historical interest and value has no rival
for the period and topics which it covers
The history Of this collection is intimately
connected with the early history of Wind
ham county and of Vermont. Indeed in
this collection is contained very much of the
original information from which this histo-
ry has been and must in future he written,
while its scope also covers very much that
is Of permanent importance in our national
affairs
In the year 1864 the West river flowed
down to the Connecticut through an almost
unhruken wilderness, and among the hills
and valleys lying to the south aud west Of
that stream the AK of the settler had scarce
~ been heard In the town Of Marlboro
there were only two families, and in Brat.
tleboro there was only fringe of scattered
settlers along the Connecticut and West
rivers. In that year there came up into
this wilderness from Indley Mass. Il
Phelps lie was lawyer by profession,
and he was the first lawyer who ever lived
in what is now the state Of Vermont. He
was a man Of cultivation and general in
formation. He possessed what was n re
markahly good general library for those
times, its works comprising such law books
as were then attainable, and especially
good collection of theological books Mr..
Phelps pushed ON away from the rivers, up
into New Marlborough, So Of which he was
one Of the original proprietors and settled ON
what is now part of the Mather Adams
farm, owned and occupied by Hugh NJ.
Adams. On that place this pioneer repre-
sentative Of the bar Of Vermont lived until
his death, which took place in 1883, just as
constitutional government was becoming
firmly established in Vermont and in the
thirteen original states
Along with his library and his household
belongings there came up into the woods
with Mr. Phelps his two soLs, Solomon and
Timothy. solomon followed in his fathers
footsteps and became lawyer, While Tim
uthy did the new country no less useful ser
vice rs "a farmer. Timothy Phelps had two
sons, John and Charles. John settled in
Guilford and became the father Of the late
| Gen. John w. Phelps. Charles settled IN
West Townshend and became the father Of
James II Phelps, at whose hands our PEG
Pile now receive the benefit of this valuable
historical collection
How the Collection Came TO be Made.
! To give a little more in detail the history
Of this collection aud 20 describe somev hat
its character. it may be said that it was in
| this year l164 when the Phelps ancestry
| removed to Vermont that the boundary he
] tween he colonies Of New York and New
! Hampshire was fixed at the west bank Of
! the Connecticut river, and the holly con
tested controversy over the New Hamp-
| shire Grants and the New York land titles
became very vital issue to the settlers Of
this section Charles Phelps the elder,
took AN active part in the contest, for he
was not only man Of public spirit, but his
own property interests were involved. lie
wrote many documents on the subject, aud
what was more, he had the intuition Of IA
historian, and collected and kept many Of
the documents written 10y others Later
in the controversy, in l1S3. Mr. Phelps
library was seized los the authority uf the
state II Vermont because, failing IN re
ceive protection for his own interests, he
had sided with NV York Ia course of
Of time his theological books and his sword
were returned, but only "A few Of his law
books have ever found their way back
One Of the conditions ON which the late Ma
thauiel Chapman and stephen K Bradley
undertook the first compilation Of the laws
of Vermont in l1sl was that they should
receive their pay from the books at an ap
praised value.
1t is related Of the farmer son, Timothy
that when the Marlboro constable, Abel
Stockwell, came to make this seizure Of his
fathers property. Timothy drove him off
with n pitchfork. hut the constable came
down and got the Brattleboro constable,
aud thus reinforced went back and accom-
plished his mission For this assault Stock
well brought suit and recovered judgment
hut the court approaching the circum
stances no doubt, made the judgment tit
the injury by placing the damages at Il
merely nominal sum,
Along with this land title controversy
came the revolutionary war, and in this
great conflict Mr.. Phelps was an ardent
and patriotic supporter Of the cause Of the
colonists. No better proof Of this fact can
be given than To- copy "A short document out
of this collection On the approach of Bur
goyne and Baum Mr. Phelps had been
drafted 10 20 Ia the defence Of the western
frontier, but on the day of the battle Of
Bennington Though the occurrence Of the
battle was then unknown to him Mr..
Phelps was on his way to Boston to pay for
arms already bought by him for the colo
nlsts, and to procure others at his own eN
pense. While on this Journey he met Col
Benz Carpenter of Guilford aud was given
this release
GuILFuRp August 10 ~, These may certify
that in consideration of Charles Phelps E~lr
having at his own charge and Ri>lur iouruird +,
Boston and procured 80 fire arms and ammunl
4 frf
ing towns and has been at Crate expense in
money and time in the Premises, And is now on
his Journey to Boston with money To- pay for the
same That Altho hr is uraushtrd hy the Captn
xc to Go tn the Westward iu Bef-nct uf His Cpun
Try ON one uf the ALARM List, yrt l hereby Re
lease him thrrefrom to Enable him TODD far Graf
rr SERVER for his distressed Country by Doing the
aforementioned business at Boston and his En-
draVuring to procure more arms aud ammunition
and salt for these Distressed Infant towns on the
Hampshire Grant, For the Release Of the sam,
People, for the other $50 Guns and ammunition
was Procured 10y the tender Cummissrratiun Of
u the Comutty n most Patriotic COLONY uf the
Massachusetts Bay aforesaid To whomc 4 Tor
which our hearty and abundant thanks arr Ever
due When We all Lay open Ia the Rayagrs Of thu
Enemy at the shameful Giving up Ticondaroga
Sc 10 the Regular troops
BENJAMIN CARPENTER CoIn.
1t is of curious interest 10 note that the
salt here spoken of cost - bushel, actual
money, the great salt mines Of this country
being then undiscovered. On its arrival in
Brattleboro. portion Of the salt was car
ried to Stephen Greenleaf's house, and the
rest to Nash grist MILL which stood on the
Milestone brook falls just above the pres
ent location Of the Main street bridge.
Many other facts and incidents Of equal
interest might be related, but they would
make longer chapter than our space per
mits Charles Phelps senior. died in 1889
as already stated, leaving the beginnings of
very valuable historical collection. His
son Timothy had no taste himself for gath
ering up such material but he kept his ia
theirs collection carefully, and in due time
handed 1t down principally to his sou
Charles, who settled in West Iownshend
and became one of the most prominent, ac
complished and valuable citizens of Wind
ham county. He was bred to the law and
was a man Of literary attainments and act
lively interested in the religious and politica
affairs of his day, both state and national
Admitted TO the bar in 1901 and married il
1914 he lived through some of the most in
teresting and eventful periods of our histo
ry, including the war Of 1872, the nullifca
ton excitement of 1888, the great tariff de
bates Of 1912 and 1876, the war with Mex
leo and the annexation Of Texas, and tn,
beginning of the great anti slavery contro
versy which ended with the war of the re
bellion Indeed, this controversy was a
its height when Mr. Phelps died in Cincin
matt in 1854 nine years after his removal t,
that city to live with a daughter He wa
an earnest believer in the anti slavery
cause, and was one of the earliest subscrib
> ers to Mr.. Garrison's "I.iheratorn Mr.
, Phelps inherited from his grandfather tn,
tastes and the bent of mind which max,
the historian, and to his grandfathers col
lection ha added hooks uawsnanars nam