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

DELIVERED BY HON. II. H. POWERS AT
THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF
THE SETTLEMENT OF THE TOWN OF
MORRISTOWN.
To stand in the doorway of an Op-
cning century and cast retrOspec-
tive eye upon the evolution of a hun
dred years of municipal growth, is at
once an inspiration and Il benedic-
ton. The heroic courage and un-
fiinching devotion to purpose. which
characterize the struggles OF the early
pioneers Of our town, quicken the
pulse of our admiration and eXalt
our conceptions of the possibilities OF
human effort. All that we see about
us to-day, in the manifold develop
ment of industries of every name and
kind, the valleys teaming with the
fruits Of agricultural skill, the cattle
upon a thousand hills, the trades
men of every kind, with well filled
stores of goods, the manufacturers in
good abundance, turning the raw
material into the finished product
demanded by the civilization of to-
day, the professions adorned by rep
| resentative men, the schools literally
supported and flourishing in the front
rank of success, the churches support
ed by fostering care and scattering
the blessings of Christian hope and
Christian faith to every family and
every sOjOurner in our midst, every
thing in short that we enjoy in the
way of civilized happiness is but the
! glad frultiOn of the high hope of those
sturdy sons of the Puritan, who
swept away the vast forests that
mantled these hills and valleys and
bid the hidden gods of wealth and
prosperity hail Come forth!
Jacob Walker, the first in time and
on this occasion first in our hearts,
was in many respects, a model man.
He first visited MOrristOwn in 1879
as a surveyor of land, in the employ
of Joseph Hinsdale who had been
deputed by the prOprietOrs of the
| town to run out for them, the I'd di-
vision of allotments. Between the
months of April and August in that
year. Walker, then "a years of age
ran the lines of this division and was
paid in land for his services. His
brother William was with him anC
was Jointly interested in the venture
In June 1890 Jacob Walker came
to town and commenced its settle
ment on the lot, distant about on'
mile south of the corners, on whicl
Mr.. SanbOrn now resides. His frs
work was done on the left of tn
highway going south, and in shor
time he had up ready for Occupanc,
a hastily built but comfortable hous
made of rough logs and rooted owe
with bark. He spent his Sabbaths a
John McDaniels, then living abou
one mile west of Hyde Park Street
setting out from there Monday morI
ings with Al weeks supply of prOvi
ions and returning there Saturda
nights. In this manner he cOntinu,
his clearing in the woods until t
fall of that year, when he returned
his brothers. home in bennington.
1t is DrOba bic and such is the tr
ditiOn i'm his family, that his imprOv
ments made in 1870 were made mo-
with the purpose to bring his lanC
into market, than to begin a person
al settlement in town. However tina
NAV be, he like every body else, hay
inc once cast his lines in the pleasan
places of MorristOwn, could never fin
it in his heart to desert her sacre
soil. Accordingly in the spring {
1871, having meantime married Pm
Iipa Story, he and his wife, in compan
with his brother William and his vii
and two children and two hired mer
returned to his humble lodge in tn
vast wilderness of Morristown, who's
bOundless cOntiguity of shade MAJ
tied the home that he had chosen fC
himself and the wife of his youth.
The equipment of the two brother
for the work of subsisting their tan
lilies and inaugurating the initials (
n permanent dOmicile, consisted OF
= COW. Il dog and n cat, few chea
t tools and IA big courageous hear
. The work of clearing up the land al
= getting in u crop of potatoes, tu
nips, corn and. tell it not i'll Gath, t
. baccO. was carried forward as rapid
as possible, and as cold weather Il
q, DrOached in the fall, the crops NJ
used up having been carefully burl'
in potato hole, the brothers Sc
: arated, William and familyreturnlI
s tO Bennington and Jacob and wife
a Fairfax where Mrs Walker had rel
tives.
/ In the spring of 1892 Jacob al
s wife returned to MOrristOwn and we
h iOined by Comfort Olds with his W
q and two children, and the two fan
h lies lived in the log house already
! ferred to during that summer, un
= Mr.. Olds could erect on his lot on t
- highest point of land between lily
= Park and Stowe now owned by A.
j Douglas, a suitable log house for
4 occupancy. 1t is not tcertainly y know
IS but it is quite probable, that Will;
IS Walker did not return to Morrlsto
lie in 1892. However, he was hvl
i'll here in 1894 and for some time aft
&c wards, and may have been here
is 1892 and 1893.
Ii In the fall of 1892 Jacob Wal
K. again returned to Fairfax to spt
No the winter and while there a son v
~ born. and Mr.. Olds and family W
T. left to spend the winter alone
no town.
W W. In the springo of 1893 Jacob Wal
IS. aoain returned to Morristown, anC
September his second child, Len
Walker was born, she being the t
child born in town. The family
tered in town for the first time
next winter.
In 1793 Amos Hurd settled in
extreme northwest part OF the TO
and George Kenfield settled on
farm at the Corners known as
Asaph Kenfield place.
Some dispute has arisen as TO
was the first male child born in to
but there is no ground for doubt
: this subject. Asaph keniield, so
= George and father of Capt. Fr
= Kenfield was born June Il, 1904
: the farm where he died. San
Z Olds, the only contestant for
. honor was born October IL, L
These dates are taken from the I
iIv record in each family and pl
the fact beyond all question
Kenfield was born more than a
earlier than Olds.
In 1904 Micajah Dunham sci
in town on the Amasa Spaul
farm
In / 1795 several families moved
town and the next year enough
lies were settled to authorize tn
ganizatiOn of II town gOVernn
nj nhn1It