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Hartland Graveyards – editorial by Byron Ruggles 1907

We have been extremely fortunate to have had surveys [of our graveyards] made at different times over the years. Stones that were present in the 1907 survey by Byron Ruggles are not always still to be found. If a stone breaks and falls over, it doesn’t take long for nature to do its job of hiding it forever under leaves and grass that turn to dirt. People who are interested enough to carefully probe can sometimes find these stones and bring them back to light. The following was written by Byron Ruggles in 1907.

“To the Editor of the Standard;
During the summer of 1907 I visited all of the thirteen graveyards in town and copied the inscriptions on all of the stones I found. Some of the yards are so neglected and overrun with trees and weeds, brush, briars, vines and weeds that I am not sure that I found all of the gravestones, some being broken and down and covered with leaves and brush. Two or three of the yards are in fairly good condition. Two or three are barely passable and others are sadly neglected.
All of the yards are fenced and all but three or four with stone walls, but the walls are not all in a good state of repair. Eight of the yards have stones with dates previous to 1800, three dates at 1800 and the other two started at 1832 and 1844.
There are also from two to seven graves in each of six other places in town with eight or ten lettered stones in all of them I have been told but only a part of them can be found now. Only one of these family lots was ever fenced.
The smallest of the thirteen yards has 19 lettered stones, the next larger has 27 and the others range from 52 up to over 600 in the yard or cemetery at Hartland Village.
I found 2043 graves with stones having inscriptions and counted and estimated 431 graves that never had lettered stones.
Of the lettered stones, the oldest is the wife of Moses Barnes dated 1768. The oldest person is Grace Totman, died in 1832 aged 102 years.
Some of the inscriptions are quite short and some more elaborate. Among the later are those of Judge Elihu Luce, Dr John Harding, Griffin who was killed by the breaking down of a bridge, Elisha Gallup, the founder of the Vermont Medical College (this should be Joseph. CYM), Ephraim Carey, Peter Gilson and Granger Marcy, revolutionary patriots, and Capt. Timothy Lull, the first settler in town.
One of the shortest inscriptions reads: Frederick Remington, on a nicely polished Ascutney granite stone, and another on a marble stone is just Dr. Daniel Hall.
Some of the older gravestones are of hewed slate and soapstone, later sawed slate and soapstone, marble of five varieties, granite of eight varieties and sandstone and zinc.
On the more than two thousand stones there are 345 mottoes, quotations and items of original and selected poetry, from which I give a selection;

“She has left us to dwell with the angels on high,
She has gone to her home beyond the blue sky,
She has gone with the holy, the perfect to dwell,
She has gone and has bade us a final farewell”

Mr Ruggles has many more quotes but I would encourage you to go find your own. Beautiful fall days are a wonderful time to explore your local cemeteries and put yourself back in time. Finding a gravestone can be like opening a book to the story that lies within. The internet, the Clerks office and the Historical Society are great places to discover the life of the person you have just met. With that in mind, I decided to see what I could find out about the Aldrich family that for so many years made their home in one of the most beautiful parts of Hartland.

Extracted from the Fall 2008 Hartland Historical Society Newsletter.

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The Aldrich’s

Isaiah Aldrich was the first settler on the land that we think of as containing the Aldrich cemetery. A beautiful place on Town Farm Hill Rd, it’s not hard to imagine the joy he must have felt at being able to live and work in this setting. Isaiah was the son of Noah 1, who was born in 1709 at Scituate, R.I., and he was born in Glocester, R.I. in 1749. Noah was a member of the Society of Friends at East Hoosuck, Adams, Mass. Isaiah had five children with his first wife, the third being Noah 2, born Jan 21, 1787 in Hartland. Noah and his wife, Lydia Herrick had eleven children. Two of these children are of special interest to us but we must not forget the larger family when we imagine life on the Aldrich farm. At some point Isaiah disappeared from the Hartland scene and we don’t know where he went, where he died or is buried. He was listed on a school list in 1823 as a head of a family, along with Noah for five students in the 11thSchool District. Isaiah did have a second wife and maybe they moved out of Hartland. At any rate, Noah stayed in Hartland and is listed on the school list of 1827 as having five school age children and in 1831 with four. His daughter, Rebecca appears to have owned the next farm up Town Farm Rd. with her husband, Jude Adams. In 1831 they are listed as having 1 school age child. Staying also in Hartland was his son Lorenzo who was born in 1817 and married Sarah Strank of Hartland in 1840. It seems that he most likely stayed on the farm settled by his grandfather and occupied by his father and mother.

Noah Aldrich 2 died Jan 15, 1848 AE 61. As they would not have been able to bury him in Jan. the gathering on the hill would have been at a later date, but as far as we know, his was the first Aldrich body to occupy that hallowed ground. There are three unmarked stones that we will never know the story of. They may be the bodies of still born children or they may not be Aldrichs at all. Perhaps someone who worked for them or someone they had taken in out of charity. The gathering for Noah 2 would have been substantial. Not counting friends, there was a large family in the area. How I would love to have a diary entry from that time, but unfortunately we have none that go back that far. The family provided Noah with a substantial stone and this verse:

“Unveil thy boson faithful tomb,
Take this new treasure to thy trust,
And give these sacred relics room,
To seek a slumber in the dust”

Imagine the sadness, two years later when two small daughters of Lorenzo died on March 28 and March 29, 1850. I have heard that they died from smallpox but can’t seem to verify that. One of the problems in research is that you get different information from different sources. I have 3 names for their mother. I have a genealogy listing her as Louisa, marriage record as Sarah and the gravestone says Laura. These were children # 3 and 5 in the Lorenzo Aldrich family. They eventually have nine children. There is also a fine stone for these children and the verse,

“We have wandered to regions more glorious far,
Mid flowers that never decay;
Unto him who did bless and receive such as thee
Bright spirits ye’ve soared away”

Moving on to the census of 1850 we find Jude and Rebecca living as neighbors of Lorenzo and Laura ( Laura in the census) with 12 members in their household, including Lydia, widow of Noah and 2 of Noah and Lydia’s children . Also two young Adams boys and a 77 year old woman that we know nothing about, as well as four individuals in their 20s. Hired help?? I wanted to make this out to be the poor farm but that didn’t happen until 1870. More mysteries.

Lydia dies in 1852. She is 61 when she joins her husband and grandchildren. It is June so the burial would have been prompt. The top of a hill in Vermont in June. How much closer to heaven can you get?? How they must have loved that land and that hilltop. Lydia’s stone got knocked over, broken and buried. However we do know its location and were able to expose the name Lydia with careful probing and hand digging. We know from Byron Ruggles that her verse is:

“Our Mother
Now gone from earth and it’s cares
To realms of bliss above
From grief and pain and trouble here
To meet a Saviour’s love”

In December of 1853 Jude Adams and Rebecca Aldrich Adams sold the Aldrich farm. All the lands were sold with the exception of the area designated as the “burying ground”. It was never intended that that special parcel ever be anything but a place for the dead to rest. The members of the Aldrich family never appear in a census of Hartland again but I must admit that I did not follow married children, particularly daughters, to see what paths they may have taken.
It is my understanding that many family members relocated in Illinois.

My thanks to Clyde Jenne, Hartland Town Clerk, Lori Bullock Sullivan, an Aldrich descendant from Burlington, Vt., Diane Bibby’s sister Hazel for a D.A.R. Descendants Database Search, Arthur Peale from West Hartford, a specialist in gravestone repair and cleaning and member of V.O.C.A. and our own records here at the Historical Society.
Carol Mowry, Editor

Extracted from the Fall 2008 Hartland Historical Society Newsletter.

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Henry Harding, M. AM. SOC. C. E.

Henry Harding

Henry Harding

The Hartland Historical Society is the proud owner of surveying equipment owned by Henry Harding. We also have in our possession a note as follows,
“Washington Dec 14, 1857Dear Sir,
Your of the 11th inst has been received and I have enclosed it to the Hon John B. Floyd my successor as Secretary of War.
Very Respectfully
Yrs.
Jefferson Davis
Henry Harding Esq
Hartland, Vt.”

Having a hand written letter from the President of the Confederacy got my attention and I decided to see what else I could find out about the recipient.

Henry was born and raised in the home now owned by Peter Gordon on the Brownsville Road in Hartland Four Corners. This beautiful brick home was built by his father, the second Dr. John Harding and his wife, Lucy Willard Harding with help from her Willard relatives. Dr. John and Lucy were married on Feb 27, 1820 and had nine children, some of which died in childhood, with Henry being number eight. Henry was born on Dec. 10 in 1837.

Henry Harding's home

Henry Harding’s home

Henry’s obituary
Died October 23d, 1910
Henry Harding was born on December 10th 1837, at Hartland, Vt., where his father, Dr. John Harding, was a physician for many years.

He studied engineering under Mr. Job Atkins, a mining engineer of Richmond, Va., during 1859-60 and was afterward engaged on the construction of the Hudson River Railroad.

From 1865 to 1870, Mr. Harding was employed, under General Grenville M. Dodge, on the survey and construction of the Union Pacific Railway. He was also employed on the Adirondack, Housatonic, and Naugatuck Railroads, in charge of construction and in various other capacities.

From 1871 to 1895, he was engaged at intervals by the United States Corps of Engineers in charge of river and harbor improvements and other work, and was wont to recall with especial pride the construction of the fortifications of Fort Adams, at Newport, R.I. in 1871-73.

While in the employ of the Government, Mr. Harding contracted malaria, and, in 1895, he retired to his home at Hartland Four Corners, Vt. where he continued to live until his death.

Mr. Harding was a man of wide acquaintance and high reputation in his Profession, to which he was devoted, and, although living in a secluded country village, he kept well abreast of all the improved methods and was familiar with all the new instruments used in engineering work. At the time of his death, he was engaged as Engineer in charge of the construction of the new sewerage system of Windsor, Vt.

Mr. Harding was the embodiment of painstaking accuracy and scrupulous honor, and any work done under his superintendence was honestly constructed and fully served its purpose. He was of a genial and courteous manner, modest, kind-hearted, and drily humorous, an agreeable and interesting social companion. He never married, and is survived by several nieces and nephews.

Mr. Harding was elected a Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers on May 7th 1873.”

Although Mr. Harding’s health must have been impacted by the malaria, he did continue to be active in the engineering field as is indicated by the mention of the sewerage system in Windsor. We also have evidence of his activities from news clips of the time. C.Y.M.

1898 “ Civil engineer, Henry Harding was surveying in Plainfield Plain for water works last week.” “ Henry Harding, the distinguished civil engineer of this town, has put in two more of the Hodgkins patent double acting hydrolic rams, one being for Fred A. Rogers, the other for S.W. Clark of Plainfield Plain, N.H. Both of these rams are the No. 2 and each one delivers daily eleven barrels of water, and supplies both house and stock at barn by the introduction of a branch pipe to the latter. Mr. Harding is one of the best civil engineers in the state, having been actively engaged in the business since 1865. Now that he has settled down permanently here, a good opportunity is offered for obtaining surveys or advice regarding water supplies. There are two hydraulic rams now in successful operation in this village, one on the Steele, the other on the Daniels places.”
1900 “ Being at the Four Corners, Sunday, we made a brief call on Civil Engineer, Henry Harding, the sole owner of the John Harding estate. We found our friend had just put the finishing touches to a finely drawn plan of Hartland cemetery, for the better convenience of the officers of that association. It is an elaborate and beautifully executed piece of work, such as we should expect from this distinguished and experienced engineer. His library and working room has been much improved of late. New wallpaper of a light color and elegant pattern has been substituted for the old, dark paper, which gives the room a much lighter and more cheerful appearance. His library contains a vast number of works on all branches of civil engineering science, both ancient and modern. The Harding estate is easily one of the finest at the Four Corners village, and has never known an owner outside the family name”

1906 “ Mr. Harding is to superintend the construction of the new sewer to be built at Woodstock this season”

I have no idea why Henry was corresponding with Jefferson Davis in 1857 as this was before he became a student of civil engineering in 1859, but here again, we have an accomplished and interesting man who is a product of the Town of Hartland. C.Y.M.

Extracted from the Spring 2009 Hartland Historical Society Newsletter.

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Mrs. Ithamar Marcy

Mrs. Marcy had a few pieces of pewter ware. There were two teapots. One she always used for hot water at mealtime. She also had a few pewter plates. For a number of years she had a skin cancer in the middle of her nose. She went to several cancer specialists, but to no avail. One day an herb doctor stopped there, examined it and said:

“If you’ll do just as I tell you I’ll guarantee I can cure it. You go out in the fields and gather a small bunch of red sorrel, press the juice out on something of pewter, nothing else. Make a poultice of it twice a day and put it on for six months and you’ll be cured.” She did just as he said and she was cured.

It was what is known as a spider cancer. It is quite possible the “herb doctor” was Dr. Nelson Gardiner. No one remembers but he was a local doctor who used herbs exclusively and was considered by some to be a “quack”. Dr. Gardner is buried in the Walker cemetery.

From Howland Atwood’s notes. Extracted from the Spring 2006 Hartland Historical Society Newsletter.

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Fitzgerald Wayside Spa and Garage, North Hartland

Fitzgerald Wayside Spa and Garage

Fitzgerald Wayside Spa and Garage

The Fitzgerald home is on the right.

The Fitzgerald home is on the right.

Bertha Chamberlain of North northhartlandvtpoHartland married Arthur Fitzgerald of Canada. Bertha became the postmistress of North Hartland and Arthur operated a garage next door. These pictures also show the Wayside Spa. The group of buildings were located along what is now Route 5.

Click picture for larger image

Click picture for larger image

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Belle Davis Roadhouse

belledavisroadhousehartland2

Belle Davis Roadhouse. Click picture for larger image.

This is the Belle Davis Roadhouse in North Hartland.  It is north of the Green along. Route 5, at the crest of the hill.

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Jenneville School 1907

Jenneville School 1907<br />Click picture for larger image.

Jenneville School 1907Click picture for larger image.

Students:   Ralph Duncan, Allan Rice, David Rice, Helen Balch, Emma Sawyer, Freddie ~, ~Rice, Nellie Sawyer, Daisy ~
Winnie Davis   Teacher

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The Yates Farm

 

The Yates farm was a brick cape style house located outside Four Corners.  It was later the home of  Mr. and Mrs. George Seldes.  Mr. Seldes was a well-known foreign correspondent and author.