Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-11-05

Cleveland stopped SELF ng rum ard neve
afterwards handled it. He was the first
merchant in Orleans county to make this
move and it was universally predicted by
his brother merchants that it would brin e
upon him financial ruin. This it certai My
did not do and we have reason to believe
that he never regretted the stand that be
then took. Mr.. Cleveland built the Cong
church in 1929. He built it with his own
funds and then sold the pews. He did it
however, not as a matter of speculation
but to aid the church. Some fourteen of
the pews remained unsold and twelve of
these he afterwards donated to the church.
Mr.. Cleveland built an ashery for the man
ufacture of pearlash in 1926 and in 1927 he
built the grist-mi in 1887 he built the
starch factory which for many years was
the chief industry of the place. Mr.. Cleve
land was one of the charter members of
the Connecticut and Passumpsic r. r. Co.,
president of the Orleans County Bank, an
be served for number of years as assocI-
ate judge of the Orleans county court. / t
may be interesting to some to know tn e
prices at which goods sold in Coventry
w
are few samples to indicate what they
were: Tea $50 h.; nails 14c. per h.;
cotton cloth SOC. per yd.; calico 42c.; cam
brio &C.; paper of pins zoe; molasses 81. 90
gallon; plain cotton handkerchiefs 42c.;
spool of thread 18c. The credit items on
the books show that butter was worth
nine cents pound and a days work for
an able bodied man &c.
Now let me speak of some of the other
industries. Nathaniel Daggett had d shoe
shop over at the Center. This shop still
stands and is used a barn by Mr.. Putney
at his place at the -Four Corners. A tan
merry was built by William Miner and
Amasa Wheelock in 1926; this is the first
record we have of Mr.. WheeIock, whose
descendants are yet with US in the person
of John Wheelock and Mrs. William
Niles. In 1927 John w. Mussey built a
cabinet shop on part of what is now the
Cowles lot. During the same year Jesse
Cook built the fulling mill near the site of
the old starch factory. In 1923 a second
store built by Ebenezer Clement,
which is now used for the butter factory.
Holland Thrasher was one of the early
corners, arriving here in 1926. He was
blacksmith, man of thrift and honor. He
was postmaster of Coventry for great
many years. In 1929 Seth F. Cowles came
and built the Cowles house and engaged
in the manufacture of hats. Soon after his
coming he was made deacon of the Cong.
church which office he held for more than
forty years. The influence of such life as
was his, standing in the community as it
coupled with an open avowal of Christian
religion cannot be measured or weighed.
His life and example are the legacy of the
community and the church. His good
Influence Is continued through his son,
Elijah s. CowIes, who, though for many
years resident of distant city, yet re-
tains the old homestead, and what Is bet
ter still, retains living interest in the
charch OF his father and the people of his
native town.
In 1910 the name Coventry was dropped
or changed by the legislature to Orleans.
1t was hoped at that time that the county
seat then at Iras burgh, could be secured by
Coventry but when it was not forthcoming
our town resumed it's old name. 1t is
common in our day TO hear people expost-
pared with those bustling days, when
Newport and Barton Landing were no
where, and Coventry was, SO to speak, the
hub of the universe. Undoubtedly before
the advent of the railroad which missed
our village, great deal more business Of
certain kind was done here than is done
now, but Coventry has to-day a greater
population than it had in 1910 when it was
at the height of its glory. In 1910 Coven-
try had a population of 796 and in 1890 had
SIG. The census of 1900 has been taken
and although | am not permitted to quote
from it, venture to predict that, making
an allowance for the loss of Coventry Gore
which now belongs to Newport, its popu-
Iation has not decreased. One half century
ago when the hum of industry was heard
list of the town footed up total of 1882, 1888,
while in 1909 it is $3.50, 678, an increase of
$4,000. True, its grand list did foot up to
higher figures in the years Immediately
ST cceeding the War of the Rebellion, but
we all know that these figures represented
a fictitious value. The value is now in
land and the stock which these fertile
farms sustain. W here formerly it was large
ly in shop and factory. The farmer is in
our midst and he is farming scientific
basis now and is making it pay. That is
why our grand list is nearly twice what it
was in 1850.
In conclusion allow me a short
account Of the rise and growth of our
churches. AS is quite well known, the !
Baptists were the first denomination to or
ganize a church and hold services in this |
town. The death of Mrs. Farnsworth |
created profoundii impression on the place. |