St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1903-07-29
Early History of the Peacham Church
Valuable Contribution TO County
Literature.

given by Mrs. Herbert Hooker OF Peacham
at the Congregational County Confer
ence held at Peacham in June. The arti-
Gle will be read with much interest by
all present and former residents OF
Peacham.
town in Illinois had among its early
settlers many people from this town who,
as they met, would exchange news from
the old home. An old German was one
day seen to be intently studying a map
OF the United States which hung in the
store of Peacham man. What are
you looking for, uncle?" someone asked.
Pm tryingto find that state OF Peacham
that you are always talking about so
much" said he. He failed to find it, for
though large to many persons, Peacham
not only never was state but was and
evermore will be only little town with
no large population or manufactures
and away off the railroad, too, but, as
we heard this morning. it is in the world
One wonders. how men and women
came to choose this region as the place
where they would make for themselves
homes from the very foundation, liter
ally hewing them out, and in time make
town with churches and schools. 1t
was long journey hundred and more
years ago from their homes to this spot
OF uncleared lands. Most of these people
came from Massachusetts and Connect
cut, some from New Hampshire. No
railroads or roads of any kind were
known then. They must come on horse
back or with OK teams. The coming
this two or three hundred miles would
be more of an undertaking then than
would be trip to California today, and
when we consider postal facilities, or
the lack of them, they were separated
from their friends by more than the dis.
lance across the continent. These sister
states were not crowded. There were
few large cities. The population was a
small part of that found in either state
at present. There was land enough and
more than enough for all. No desire for
riches could have influenced our FORE
fathers, only hard work and years Of it
was before them. They were not simply
DESTROYS of change, mere rovers. The
expression go west and grow up with
the country" had not then been origi-
mated. Horace Greeley was not born.
But they did come to help build up the
nation and form such settlements and
towns in all the newer parts OF the states
as would increase the value of each state
not only, but of the United States. One
man came from Massachusetts, with his
goods and chattes and his bride of 10,
on an OK sled, in February. The door
step of their first home remains and the
trees from which they gathered apples
are still bearing fruit and their descend
ants are scattered all over the union. In
another case FIVE brothers with their
families located in this region, and
through all these years their influence
has been great, and on the right side,
not only here but through the land.
The history of the town and of the
church is essentially the same. 1t was
the town that took the initiative in hav-
ing preaching. In the original charter
given by the governor OF New Hamp-
shire to 70 grantees the town contained
% or 40 acres, six miles square and no
more. In this charter directions were
given for subdivision. In this subdivis-
ion one share was to be for the spread
ing of the gospel in foreign parts-one
share for the Church of England, one for
the benefit of school, and one for the
first settled minister.
The first permanent settlement in
town was in 1776, but no record of a
permanent organization is found until
1884 when a meeting was called to see if
the town would raise sum of money to
hire preaching for that year. A large
part OF the amount pledged was to be
paid in wheat. Meetings were held in
private houses for some years. The
Academy was built in 1897, and occu-
pied by both school and church until
1906, when the church on the hill was
built. The church was formally organ
izsd April Ia, 1894, with twelve mem
bers, and six days later four more names
were added. A Presbyterian church
was the first in town and the Congre-
aational church grew out of this,
though do not know how or why the
change was made.
There was no settled minister for sew
eral years although 80 different ones
preached to the people. Whether they
were all candidates we do not know. If
they were the wonder is that people and
man ever agreed. But all things come to
him who waits, and in their first minis
ter the church not only secured pastor,
but both church and town a leader.
Some one has said that Parson Worces-
ter was to the town of Peacham what
George Washington was to the United
States in his day. Rev. Leonard Wor-
cester was called by both church and
town. After the church had decided
upon him, the people of the town held
regularly warned and organized town
meeting to vote upon the same matter.
Eighty hive voters were present and very
few absent. The vote stood 81 in favor
OF uniting with tie church in the call and
not one against it. Three or four did
not vote. Mr.. Worcester was ordained