St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-07-09

the park IN the evening was SlSHl
to behold and by many was called
the finest feature of the celebrate
A special afterpiece was the motto
Lyndon" in brilliant crimson lance
resting upon the dates 1791-1S91
in emerald fires of intense brilliancy-
Between the dates blazed the Ameri-
can shield in lance of appropriate
colors, the whole supported by the
motto July 4th. :"
The Historical Address.
Hon. A. F. Nichols, clerk of Gale
donia county court, gave an excellent
historical address, in which he describ-
ed some of the early methods of pro-
cedure in the first town meetings, the
primitive dwellings,, the churches
and landmarks, and sketched the
career of DR.. Jonathan Arnold, who,
with SO others, was granted the
in 1880. The first clea ring was COM
menced in the spring Of 1888 by
Daniel Cahoon, Jr., and few chosen
men, among them Jonathan Davis,
Jonas Sprague, Nathan Hines and
Daniel Hall. Their first shelter was
a camp of boughs, then succeeded a
covering of the bark Of trees, and
during the season they advanced in
their style of architecture to the
magnificent proportions of log
house which stood little north of the
St. Johnsbury line, and near the road
leading to the pulp mills now situated
on the great Falls. The
year 1871 found ffty-nine persons
located in town. The grand list
was completed June 20, 1892, and
was composed of thirty persons.
The largest list was that of Daniel
Cahoon, Jr., amounting to thirty
seven pounds, and the smallest was
six pounds. The total valuation
was three hundred and ffty-nine
pounds, or $1196.66.
The first freeman's meeting was
held upon the first Tuesday of Sep
TENDER, 1892. There were twenty
two voters present, four of the direct
descendants of whom are now living
in town and acting as ice-presidents
of the day Daniel Cahoon, Jr., was
elected representative.
Let us for moment compare the
Lyndon of that time with to-day.
Their nearest mark etswere WellsRiver
|
five miles away, with scarce more
than paths followed by marked trees
through the wilderness. Their near
est post office was Newbury, estab
lished in 1877, and then there were
only four others in the state, with
but weekly mails.
And then the people looked with
wondering admira ton upon the in
creased facilities for the dissemina
ton of news and the admirable OPP
portunity for quick communication
with friends. Now, twelve passen-
ger trains and fourteen freight trains
arrive and leave the stations of its
railroad daily, and eleven mails ale
distributed in one of its post offices
each dav, and news flashes with light
ming speed upon the currents of cleo
tricity; to which may be added two
newspapers.
The speaker then gave biograph-
ical sketch of Daniel Cahoon, .Jr., who
felled the first tree, was first town
clerk, lister, first selectman, first
Justice of peace and first to repre-
sent the town in the legislature Of
the state and also first in town to
die. Every responsibility was nobly
met by him, every trust reposed faith
fully executed; in word he did all
things faithfully and well. He died
June II, 1898, at the age of &c years
and 4 months.
Referring to the growth of the
town, and to its subsequent decline
during periods of excitement which
tempted many to the West and to
California gold diggings, the speaker
said:
But new impulse possesses the
town, and we find that in 1870 the
population had increased to 2179,
in 1880 to 2434, in 1890 to 2619 !;
an increase of more than SO per
cent in 80 years, and there has
year, but we are unable to give
figures.
The increase in wealth has been
steady for the most part, but the
last 81 years show an even greater
advancement in the accumulation of
wealth than in the increase of popu-
lation, having more than doubled,
as shown in that period by the grand
lists. The grand list of 1860 shows
a valuation of $571 ,637, and that
Of 1891 81 1927
The town now stands twenty
second among the towns and cities
of the state in both wealth and
population, and second only among
the towns of Caledonia county.
Fortunately, as it may be, Lyndon
was at one period the seat of learn
ing in the law, having had more
prominent lawyers located therein
than any other town in the county,
if not in the state. 1t has reason to
be proud of many of the men of that
profession.
Among the lawyers of the town
who achieved prominence the speak
er mentioned Isaac Fletcher, John
NJ. Foster, Charles B. Fletcher,