History of Hartford, Vermont Author: William Howard Tucker Call Number: F59.H3T89 This book contains the history of Hartford, Vermont from 1761 to 1889. Bibliographic Information: Tucker, William Howard. History of Hartford, Vermont. The Free Press Association. Vermont. 1889. Page 7 and number of acres recorded to each proprietor. Forty-three of the lots laid out bordered on the Connecticut river, of which twenty-four were north of White River and nineteen were south of White River; two of said lots bordered on both of said rivers. Fourteen lots bordered on White river, north side, and five directly on White River, south side,--the numbering of each tier of lots began at the confluence of said rivers. The figures on the left of the names indicate the number of the lot, the figures on the right indicate the number of acres. ON CONNECTICUT RIVER. NORTH OF WHITE RIVER. 1 Benjamin Whitney 19 2 Elisha Doubleday 50 3 Thomas Bell 50 4 Joseph Follett 51 5 Rowland Powell 52 6 Joseph Martin 53 7 William Temple 53 8 William Alla 54 9 Ephraim Terry 54 10 Oliver Booth 55 11 Silas Phelps 56 12 Oliver Brewster 56 13 James Flint 57 14 Elihu Hide 58 15 James Newcomb 59 16 Ebenezer Gillett 69 17 Joseph Newmarch 60 18 Gideon Hebard 60 19 Caleb Howard 59 20 Daniel Redington 59 21 Aaron Fish 59 22 Joshua Wight, Jr 60 23 Samuel Terry 60 24 Eleazer Hebard 60 Total number of acres 1314 UP NORTH SIDE OF WHITE RIVER 1 Timothy Clark 31 2 Joseph Blanchard 50 3 John Rounday 50 4 Jonathan Simons 50 5 Daniel Warner 50 6 John Baldwin, Jr 50 7 Samuel Terry, Jr 50 8 Elisha Wright 53 9 Prince Tracy 53 10 N. Waldow 53 11 Jonathan Martin, Jr. 53 12 William Yongs, Jr. 59 13 Samuel Porter 59 14 Benjamin Wright 61 Total number of acres 733 UP SOUTH SIDE OF WHITE RIVER. 1 John Baldwin 31 2 Ezekiah Huntington 48 8/4 3 Nathaniel Holbrook, Jr 61 8/4 4 Eleazer Fitch, 3d 61 8/4 5 Eliphalet Phelps 65 6 Elijah Bingham 65 Total number of acres 333 1/4 ON THE CONNECTICUT RIVER, SOUTH OF WHITE RIVER. 2 Nathaniel Clark 19 3 David Newcomb 50 4 Joshua Pomeroy 50 5/8 5 Elias Frink 50 5/8 6 Benjamin Wright, Jr 50 1/4 7 David Newcomb 49 1/2 8 William Clark 50 8/4 9 Samuel Wentworth 51 10 Samuel Williams 52 11 John Spencer, Jr 50 12 Nathaniel Warner 56 13/16 13 Daniel Pomeroy 58 19/20 14 Gideon Flint 58 15 Elijah Bebbins 58 8/16 16 Thomas Tracy 59 1/4 17 Jonathan Commings 58 18 Caleb Owen 58 1/4 19 Gideon Bingham, Jr 57 7/16 Total number of acres 938 23/40 The Grand total of acres thus divided was 3,308 33/40. This division is subsequently referred to as the first fifty acre division. Page 7 Page 8 SUBSEQUENT DIVISIONS OF SHARES. The question of making a second division of land was first debated at a proprietors meeting held in Windham, Nov. 3rd, 1762, when it was decided to make a division of one hundred acres to each proprietor, each lot to front on the public roads already laid out, and, at the same time, one lot in the most convenient place for that purpose should be reserved for the first settled minister. No further action was taken on this subject until March 8th, 1763, when it was voted "that those proprietors, etc., who shall make their first entry on the lots of the second division shall have their first choice, and so successively as they shall enter on said lots." These favorable terms failed to promote emmigration commensurate with the hopes and expectations of the proprietors. Indeed, the committee chosen to lay out the second division, failed to then perform that work. Certain persons had, however, entered upon lands of the first division, and done some work toward clearing and improving said lands. In the following warning for a meeting of the proprietors one of the causes of the delay becomes apparent: "Whereas sundry of the proprietors of the town of Hartford, in the province of New Hampshire have applied to us for a meeting of said proprietors, some representing that the votes already come into relating to laying out a second division will not answer the end proposed, and others representing it best, in their opinion, to have the whole township laid out and distributed. These are therefore to warn said proprietors to meet at the house of Samuel Badger, innholder in Windham, in the colony of Connecticut on Tuesday the 30th day of August instant at 12 o'clock at noon, to conclude. Whether it is best to make any alteration in said votes, and what, or whether they will lay out the whole township in proper divisions, and distribute the same as justly as may be among said proprietors and raise money sufficient with what is already raised to defray the charge of doing the same, and also choose a committee to do said service, etc. Given under our hands this 20th day of August, 1763. ELIAS BINGHAM,| SILAS PHELPS, |Comtee. THOMAS TRACY, | The proprietors met in accordance with the above warning and voted that they would change all former votes relating to a second division. They then voted that the committee chosen to go and lay out the second division should look out all the meadow land not yet laid out and divide said land equally in quantity and quality to each proprietor; that the hundred acre lots should be laid out in any part of the township where the committee judged best, having special reference to lay out the best land, and make the lots as equal as possible, with allowance for a highway to each lot, and also, to lay out the four public lots Page 8 Page 9 named in the charter, fronting on the rivers, and in as good situation and of as much value as the first division of land; and to lay out a proper share of meadow, or hundred acre lots, to those who had, labored in the town. John Spencer, Jr., Prince Tracy, and Elijah Strong, were chosen a committee to do this work of laying out roads and the land named, and they speedily began operations, each proprietor being taxed ten shillings to defray expenses in addition to eleven shillings on a share previously assessed, a total of about $3.15. REPORT OF THE SURVEYING COMMITTEE. On the 31st December, 1763, the report of the committee on their survey of the town, etc., was considered by the proprietors, and accepted. The report was in substance as follows: "We the subscribers pursuant to the trust reposed in us did, on the 4th day of October last, begin to run round the town of Hartford in the province of New Hampshire. We began at the N. E. corner at the hemlock tree standing near the head of White river falls, and run thence north 60ø west one mile to a large black birch tree marked 1 m., standing on land descending a little to the south, thence one mile to a small Emmon-wood tree on land descending toward the south-west, marked 2 m.; thence one mile to a midling beech marked 3 m.; thence one mile to an Emmonwood tree marked 4 m.; thence one mile to a tree marked 5 m.; thence one mile to the corner of Hartford and marked a small Beech tree standing on the east side of a hill between two small runs of water running southerly and meeting a little south of the corner; said tree is marked 6 M. CORNER OF HARTFORD. >From thence we run south 34ø, W. 100 rods to White river; thence 14 rods across said river, then proceeded out the first mile to a Hemlock marked 1 m.; thence one mile to a small Beech marked 2 m.; thence one mile to a middling Hemlock marked 3 m.; thence 54 rods to Pomfret road, then extended out the mile to a small Beech tree marked 4 m.; thence one mile to a Basswood marked 5 m., on a hill; thence one mile to a large Hemlock tree marked 6 m; thence 54 rods to Water Quechee river, thence 7 rods across said river, then extended out the mile to a small Rock maple tree at the south-west corner of Hartford, marked 7 MILE SOUTH-WEST CORNER. >From thence we run south 68ø, east one mile to a small Hemlock tree marked 1 m.; thence one mile to a Beech tree marked 2 m.; thence one mile to a large Maple tree marked 3 m.; thence to a small Rock maple marked 4 m.; thence one mile to a small Black oak tree marked 5 m.; thence 232 rods to Water Quechee river, then extended out the mile to a large White oak tree marked 6 m.; from thence to Connecticut river the same course and have marked a line of trees in all of the above described lines (the east line is Connecticut river.) "Then we proceeded to lay out a highway from the River Connecticut to Pomfret line." (Here follows the several courses run from a point about 200 rods below the south bank of White River, thence over Hurricane Hill to the centre of the town, and onward to Pomfret line, a distance of about 5 1/2 miles.) "The Page 9 Page 10 above described lines was run on the northerly side of said road, and said road is three rods wide from Connecticut River until it comes to the rear of White River lots, and the remainder is eight rods wide." "Then we laid out forty-six hundred acre lots on the southerly side of White River in said town, and four fifty acre lots,--which were reserved by the charter for public uses--fronting on Connecticut River, and we have numbered them 20, 21, 22 and 23, and have also numbered the hundred acre lots, setting the number of each lot on the bound of said lot. We have laid out twenty hundred acre lots on the northerly side of White River, setting the number of each lot on the bound thereof. We have also left an allowance for several highways between the lots on southerly side of White River * * * We have also sequestered, or reserved, lot No. 16, abating south on Pomfret road, and westwardly on land allowed for a highway eight rods wide, for the use of the first settled minister. We have also exhibited a plan representing the foregoing surveys bearing even date herewith. The foregoing surveys were finished October 26th, 1763, with the assistance of Mr. Aaron Storrs, surveyor, by us. JOHN SPENCER, | PRINCE TRACY, | Comtee for said purpose. ELIJAH STRONG.| The second hundred acre division was laid out between March 8th and June 20, 1768. At the same time a survey was made of the middle land or meadows lying on the Water Quechee River. On the 20th of June, 1768, the proprietors voted that each proprietor should have the right of pitching his second hundred acre division as follows:--"The names shall each be written on a separate piece of paper and put into a box and be drafted for the pitchers. The first shall make his pitch by Monday next, and get the two first letters of his name (initials) on the bound tree under the number that is on the bound tree, with a certificate from under his hand to be delivered to the clerk, he is to record the hundred acre and meadow lots as they are brought in to file. Daniel Prince and Lieut. John Strong, chosen to agree with the owners of land for highways and exchange for them. Abel Marsh, chosen to draw the pitchers for the 2d 100 acre division, and Elisha Marsh to make the pitches for the school right." On the second of November, 1772, the proprietors decided to make a division of fifty acre lots, and also voted to advertise in the Connecticut public prints that an application would be made to the committee chosen for that purpose, to lay out to each aggrieved proprietor his part of the land sequestered to make each lot in the first division equal, the proprietors to pay the cost that should arise--the same to be done by June 1st, 1773. On the last Monday in May, 1776, the proprietors met at the house of widow Ruth Strong, and voted that each proprietor should have liberty to take up of the undivided land in town, 50 acres to each original right. On the first Monday in November, 1776, the Page 10 Page 11 proprietors voted to accept of the pitches that had been made, in accordance with the vote taken in May, by Thomas Hazen, Israel Gillett, Mitchell Clark, John Bennett, Jr., Becket Chapman. Joshua Hazen, Benj. Wright, John Gillett, Stephen Tilden and Simon Chapman.1 Sept. 26, 1779, Joshua Hazen, Israel Gillett and John Bennett, were chosen a committee to lay out as much of the undivided land as they should consider right to each man who had had his lots cut up by settling disputed lines, or proprietors' grants. Dec. 29, 1780, Asa Hazen was chosen proprietors' clerk and Joshua Hazen and Stephen Tilden, a committee to examine into all deeds and claims. On Tuesday, 6th Feb'y, 1781, the proprietors voted to lay out a division of 40 acres to each right, and that an ample plan should be made and also a survey of said division, both of which should be laid before the proprietors for confirmation. Under this vote Thomas Hazen pitched 560 acres to fourteen different 40 acre rights. This pitch was made May 30, 1781, and the land adjoins the one thousand acres which he received from the proprietors in 1773 for the money Joshua Hazen hired for the proprietors. It will be observed that his pitch and the 1000 acres comprises the 1500 acres which the proprietors, on the 17th of Nov., 1761, voted to reserve and sequester in the north-west corner of the township in a square body, "to lie to make those proprietors good whose lots were not as good as the proprietors have in general." The foregoing divisions were supplemented by other later divisions. The last meeting of the proprietors, at which current business was transacted, was held in the house of Josiah Tilden,0?? in White River village, Nov. 9, 1808. Daniel Marsh was then chosen clerk, also a committee to act with the selectmen to see if the public lands were all laid out. From the date of this meeting to April 5, 1819, thirty-five meetings were held, and all meetings were terminated at that time, but nothing was recorded, in the interim, concerning further divisions of land. Records in detail are quoted in another chapter. 1Under this vote Thomas Hazen pitched 650 acres of land, of which 576 acres was in one body, and constitutes what is now known as Jericho, the centre being near the intersection of the roads leading from White River and West Hartford, thence to Dothan. Page 11 Cherryl