St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-02-22

in this vicinity The house fronted
the east, the large. room was pre-
sumably the south gable end look
ing toward the street that was to be
This one room arrived at some
measure of distinction in the little
community, becoming the center OF
various happenings, social, business,
official and other, which would nat
urally call the twelve arm chairs into
reauisition. In it was held the first
Proprietor's Meeting of Aug. g.,
1887, at which the undesignated
Township Rights were drafted for,
| the lots having first been shuffled and
then drawn by Daniel Cahoon, Jr.,
and William Trescott. Here the or
ganization of the town was effected
| in 1890 at ''the first town meeting
! ever held in said town" In this
room on the 18th of January, 1793.
/ a bright fire blazing on the hearth,
Eneas Harvey and Rhoda Smith pro-
duced the requisite legal publication
and were COINED in marriage by
Jonathan Arnold, Esquire, in the
presence of several witnesses the
first wedding party in our town.
In the third year shadow fell
upon the house, when it's gentle mis-
tress, Mrs. Alice G. Arnold, succumb-
|
| ing a little daughter, Freelove, in it's
lonely rooms. Old Aunt Ruth, at
tended to the domestic affairs; she
was a negress who had been given
as a slave to the Arnold family in
Rhode Island; she was set free, but
chose to remain a servant for life,
and lived in the service of the family
in this town 53 years. She was kind
and trusty and capable, a fine speci-
mems of her race. When the cat
knocked the nappy off the shelf she
sent for the children to come and
pick up the pieces, probable ex-
planation of which is given else
| where.
To this house in the wilderness,
SO unlike the well-appointed home of
her parents in Charlestown No. 4,
DR.. Arnold brought his third wife,
Cynthia Hastings, after the roman
tic events of November, 1890. Her
son, Lemuel Hastings Arnold, born
under these low rafters the year fol-
| lowing, lived to become distinguish
ed among the Governors of Rhode
Island and member of Congress.
The house, more or less improved,
was occupied by DR.. Arnold during
the six years of his life here; then by
! his gifted son, Josias L. Arnold,
| whose career of brilliant promise
continued only three years,-hfs
| widow, Mrs. Susan P. Arnold, after
wards Mrs. Marsh, was the mother of
Hon. George P. Marsh. U. S. minis
| ter to Turkey and Italy. William c..
Arnold, 1st, another son, was then
master of the house for some years,
after which it was abandoned by the
| Arnold family altogether.
Unfortunately if did not immadi-
ately arrive at it's baptism of fire,
but as time went on it fell into i'll
condition and for a long time it
stood an empty and unsightly re-
reminder of the primitive settle
ment Children began to be shy of
it especially toward nightfall. They
heard wierd talk that twas a haunt
ed house, whatever that might mean.
Longfellow had not then explained
that:
'tAll houses wherein men have lived
and died
Are haunted houses"
So the children of 1910 looked
askance at the old deserted house
and went on wondering. 1t seemed
inclined to hug more closely to
mother earth as it grew aged and
infrm. .|The last time 1 was there"
said George .Aldrich, the door sill
was lower than the ground out
side" Soon the earth would have it
altogether. On the morning of
June 8, 1874, the spot where it
stood was marked by heap of
smouldering ashes What had hap
pened is told by contemporary
writer:
''The old Arnold House at the
head of the Plain the first framed
in hi
whose darkened and ragged walls
had sent forth dark shadows for
some time past, last Saturday
morning a little before one O'Clock
as if to make amends for the past,
lighted up and burning with intense
brightness illumined the night the
whole region around. In half an
hour the old patriarchal heap ex-
pired in it's own brightness. When
morning was fully come, casting
glance toward the scene of it's To-
cation, we behe1d some of our citi-
zens, to whom by long residence in
this place, this old house had become
familiar, with slow pace and mourn
full sadness treading the spot, calling
to mind the story of the lamentations
of Marius amid the ruins of Car
thage.'
Now inasmuch as the Presidential
election that year did not come on
till five months later, the picturesque
and entertaining story that this old
derelict was bon-tired by the Loco
foco boys in their exuberant demon
strations for Polk, will have to be
dropped amongst the chips of local
folk lore.
Undoubtedly the primitive struct-
ure, having quite outlived it's use
G1r1 L L Ii =
for itself by vanishing from the scene
in a blaze of light. The town met
with most serious loss in the early
death of DIR. Arnold; had he lived
he would doubtless have erected on
that spot building more worthy of
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