The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-12-23
OLD BERLIN RECORDS.
Interesting Notes Concerning Earlier
History Of the Town.

| GarueneT w. DuStlu, w. l. DcWcy
has had the pleasure to examine the
old records of the Church of Christ,
of Berlin, VT. On the front page 1t
states that the book was bought of
Samuel Larkin, of Portsmouth, ~ H.,
(the property of the Church of Christ
in Berlin. Bought at Portsmouth,
Jany.l Gath, 1900, by the Revd. James
Hobart, minister of Berlin. Price
two dollars and twenty-five cents)
This book in the words of the Rev.
James Hobart, starts in as follows:
The history of the first settling of
Berlin, the founding of the church,
ETC., collected and written by James
Hobart, Minister of said town.
On June Sth, A. d. 1863, His Excel
lency Benning Wentworth, Governor
of the State of New Hampshire, in
the council chamber at Portsmouth,
gave charter of the town of Berlin
to be situated on the south side of
Onion river and to be six miles
square, being now in County of Orange
and cener of the State of Vermont.
In the month of June A. D., 17Sj,
Mr.. Ebenezer Sanborn moved from
Corinth in the east part of the State,
into the north part of Berlin on a
branch of the Onion River called Dog
River about a half mile from its
mouth. This was the first family,
that moved into the town. In the
month of July of the same summer,
Mr.. Joseph Thurber moved from the
west part of the State of New Hamp-
shire into the north side of Berlin
at the mouth of Dog River.
On the 18th of January A. d., 1856
Mr. Moses Smith moved into the south
east side or corner of Berlin from
Grandby in Massachusetts, suppos-
ing that he was in the north ives.
corner of Williamstown. In the be-
ginning of May the same year Mr.
Sanborn and Mr.. Thurber removed
from Berlin to Pittsburgh on the
west side of Lake Champlain.
short time before they left the town
Mr.. Daniel Morse moved his family
from Washington about eighteen
miles eastward of this place, onto
the place which was Mr.. Thurber's
In the month of July the same sea-
son. Mr.. Jacob Fowler moved fron
Corinth in this State on to the place
which Mr.. Sanborn left.
In the month of May, A. d., 1887
Mr.. John Lathrop moved from Bethe
| in this State into the south east cor
ner of this town.
About the middle of September thu
same season Capt James Hobar
moved from Newbury in this State il
to the north west corner of Berlin.
In the year A. D.. 1888, Mr.. Morse
moved from Berlin down Onion Rive
and Mr.. Hezekiah Silloway moved
from Corinth in this State on to TIL
farm that Mr.. Morse left.
In the latter part of the winter ant
: spring A. D., 1889, there were thir
teen families in town.
In 1889 came Ebenezer Collins
from Southbury, Mass; William
| Flagg from Holden, Mass; JacoI
Black from Holden, Mass; old NJ!
S Martin and his son Daniel from
Rumney, n. H.; Micajah Ingram an,
v Zachariah Perrin from Gilead, Conn.
Eleazer Hubbard from Glastonbury
Conn.
S In 1890 came David Nye and Eliza
Nye from Glastonbury, Conn; Jabe
4 Ellis from Gilead, Conn; Aarol
Strong from Bolton, Conn; Joshu
d Bayley and Joshua Swan from New
bury Vermont, also Capt. Jamr
Il Sawyer from Newbury, VT; and job
Taplin from Corinth, this State.
t On March 3lst, A. d., 1871 the free
man of Berlin met, chose town Off
= GERS and were organized according t
law During this time the number o
families in Berlin was twenty-siX.
:. In the years 1896 and 49,, the Rev
James Hobart while on visit to hi
father, Capt. James Hobart, of Der
e lin, was by vote of the town an,
by the committee of the town invite
|. to become their pastor. The commit
tee were Zachariah Perrin, Aarol
i Strong and Lieut.. Simeon Dewey
The Rev. Mr.. Hobart accepted
: call later in the year, and on the frs
Sabbath of October, 1898, he becam
y the first settled minister of Berlin
Vt. His salary was the first and sec
ond division lots and fifty pounds law
full money.
Nov. 7th, 1898, he was ordained b.
}. the Council, and held the pastoral
until May 1929. The record show
the names of one hundred and fifty
two were baptized by him.
There are many names marked o.
: the records as deceased, but no date
/ the following deaths are given in full
b or part:
17S9-March, infant of John Lath
rop; in the spring, the Widow Col
: lins August, infant of Eleazer Huh
bard; in the fall, infant of Nose
5 Smith.
. 1790-Summer, infant of Davi'
ii Nua. OF