News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-07-04

nlenJS on record. we KNOW however
that Elisha BOardman was the first
town representative and a few years
after the organization of the town,
was made town clerk He held many
town offices He kept the first hotel
in town near Jacob Walkers log
house, on or nearly on the site of MIR.
Sanborn's house south of the Corn
ers Town meetings were held at this
hotel for manyyears and doubtless in
those days II hotel-keeper had better
opportunities for getting into office,
than they do at present. He repre-
sented the town in 1904, ), 6, and
8. Mr. Boardman was a Justice of
the Peace and tried all the minor
cases of which we have any account
and performed all the marriage cere-
monies celebrated in town for many
years.
The first town house was erected on
the east sidtNof the highway nearly
opposite Boardman's tavern, in
1915. This house was a one-story
structure sheathed inside with rough
boards, had seats made of rough
boards resting on spindle-legs, and n
table with cross legs as the only fur
niture that the town could afford to
own. Church services were he'd in
the town house after it's erection till
the brick church at the Corners was
built in 1922. after which time, for
many years, the Baptists and Con-
gregationalists occupied this church
on alternate Sabbaths.
The town house referred to was
taken down and removed to the
Corners in 1888. The old center of
the town, where it first stood, began
to lose it's prestige as early as 1872
and the star of the empire took its
flight northerly to the Corners long
before the brick church was built.
DR.. James Tinker came to town
about 1909, settled at the Corners,
was an energetic and public spirited
man and successfully drew the bust
ness of the old center to the new one
selected by him. In few years JOS
eph Sears opened n tavern at the
Corners, Charles Meigs opened "a law
office, John Cole and his brother set
up tannery, Robert Kimball opened
Il dry goods store on large scale,
,, Giles Rood built saw mill and the
, village was we'll equipped with the
! usual industries, found in country
towns.
i, The rivalry between the old center
and the Corners is an interesting
, chapter in the towns history. DR..
, Ralph Tinker, the first physician in
: town had located in 1872 at the old
. center, living on what is now known
: as the Collins farm. Dea. Jacob
:, Walker had built new and more
:, commodious log house easterly of
p his old one and not far from Cooks
: brook. The good deacon fondly hoped
= to utilize the little water power on
= this brook, and erected saw mill
:, and oil mill upon it, expecting to en-
: large the boundaries of the old center
=. and make it the place of business fOI
- the future town When therefore II
,e was proposed to build n church n
to the Corners, the deacon was highl,
incensed and refused to contribute
a cent, although his own church IDeoPh
% were engaged in the enterprise. Or
ro James Tinker got a post-office estaD-
J., lished at the Corners in 1917 or near
70 that time, and himself appointed the
= first postmaster in town. About the
- same time, he secured the election OF
- Dennison Cook as town clerk, ana the
= office was removed to the corners,
! and thus, by persistent effort, he drew
,f to that village all the various attrac-
= tions that 90 to make IN business
y center.
3 The first mail route through town
was from Waterbury, through Stowe,
% over the hill road, to the Corners,
% and thence to Hyde Park. The mail
! coming at first once n week, a lew
y. wears later twice n week, then three
times and on the advent of the rail
- road at Waterbury daily. 1t con-
A. tinued by the way of the Corners TIL
If about 1910. when the route was
n changed to run by way of Morrlsville,
m that ambitious village, having mean
+ time begun to assertits claim to met
n ronolit1n honors. A rivalry had
~ snruno ND between MorrisVllle ana
o. the Corners about 1880, the former
u, having out grown it's competitor III
n population and business equipment;
IT The building of the Laporte road
ad from Stowe north, and the settle
~ ment on its line and on the Randolph
10 road, had given to the East part ol
10 the town very perceptible increase
n in voting strength, and to MOTHS
yille's business interests, very con
nd siderable advantage over the waning
re prosperity of the Corners. The result
ife was. in a few years, that the star o
oi- emnire once more took up ITS
,,o- Aioht and this time to theeast The
til first decisive attack made upon th'
he lines of the Corners by Morrisville
do was mt the March meeting in 1886
/ when Calvin Burnett was elected tow
his clerk over Dennison Cook who ha'
IN then held the office at the Corner
mn "a wears. But in 1897, the Wes
wn side rallied, reelected Mr.. Cook wh'
mo- held the office one year. In 1855 IN
or East side again defeated Mr.. Cook
in electing Edward l.. Mayo, n lawye
Mt Morrisvile, and since tlat-1lln
l,er the Office has remained at MOrrlsvill'
md In17 Jacob Walker removed t
yos Fairfax where he resided three or iou
.ere wears and then returned to his ol
in home at the old center. In 1901 /
built IA new house easterly OF the oil
ker one, as already stated, in which /
| in lived until he erected the brick hou'
ira now occupied by George Cheney o
irst the Laporte road in 1920. lie live
vim in this house till his death on ii
tbe 24th day of July 1913, aged z
wears. Mr.. Walker had thirteen emu
the rem. two of whom now survive. /
wn was a man of quiet and retiring d
tbe meanor, never intermeddling wit
the other peoples business but attendiI
to his own with great fidelity. l
who had no taste for political warfare nj
wn. never held any town office of high
on grade than town grand Juror. ov'
n of seer of the poor, Justice of peace M
,nl, town treasurer. He was often elect
on tvthing man, and was regarded
mel his contemporaries as aman of SOU
this Judgment and transparent honest
795 He never tasted intoxicating liquC
am n fact altogether marvellous when
rove remember that in his day a man W
that counted II crank who did not use
wear But with him total abstinence "
regarded as a christian virtue tn
tiled admitted of no nocompromise. Hex
DING it in his cellar and commissioned
wife to give old Joe Indian e lass
into gror whenever he called. This v
fam done as "A peace Offering to keep.
@ or Joe friendly and it had a wonderir
1ent, happy effect in cementing last
the friendship between the two. But