"This township is somewhat broken, but not mountainous. It is timbered principally with hard wood, and the soil is in general warm and productive.  It is watered by Black Creek . . . and several other branches of the Missisco River. The streams are, however, small, and the mill privileges not numerous   . . . The settlement of this town was commenced in 1782 by Joseph Baker, from whom the town derives its name. He emigrated from Westborough, Mass.  Joel Brigham and Abijah Pratt settled in Bakersfield about the same time." 

Gazetteer of Vermont, Hayward, 1840.
 
 

      Bakersfield, located in the eastern part of Franklin Co., is bounded N. by Enosburg, E. by Avery's Gore and Waterville, S. by Waterville and Fletcher, and W. by Fairfield. The original charter was made by the State to Luke KNOWLTON, Jan. 25, 1791, and conveyed 10,000 acres of land, which was sold by said KNOWLTON to Joseph BAKER, and the deed given Feb. 21, 1791, for the consideration of £ 500 lawful money. The tract was called, at first, Knowlton's Gore.

      Oct. 25, 1792, Smithfield. a town adjoining the Gore on the west, was dismembered. One part was annexed to Fairfield and the other joined with Knowlton's Gore and called Bakersfield, after Joseph BAKER, the owner of the Gore, and at the same time a part of Fairfield lying S. and W. of the Common, so called, was joined to Bakersfield, and Oct. 31, 1798, Knights' Gore, on the N. was annexed to Bakersfield, and Oct. 31, 1798, Knights’ Gore on the N. was annexed to Bakersfield and Oct. 26, 1799, Coit’s Gore on the S. E. was also annexed, and the town then contained 27,000 acres.

      Some changes of boundary have taken place since. About 3,000 acres have been annexed to Waterville, and the boundary between itself and Enosburg has been straightened. The town now contains about 24,000 acres.

      Joseph BAKER was the first settler. The precise time of his settlement is unknown, but it is generally understood that he with his family came about two years before any other settler, probably in the year 1789 or '90. The deed above referred to from Luke KNOWLTON to Joseph BAKER, was dated Feb. 21, 1791, and recorded in the County records of Chittenden Co., at Burlington, May 24, 1792. The conveyance in the aforesaid deed is made to "Joseph Baker of Bakersfield, so called," and the inference seems legitimate that he was then an occupant of the tract of land included in the township afterwards chartered as Bakersfield, Stephen MAYNARD, a son-in-law of Mr. BAKER, and Jonas BRIGHAM, moved into town about a year later than Mr. BAKER. No others came till 1794, when Jeremiah PRATT, Luke POTTER and Jonathan FARNSWORTH located in the town.

      We may form some opinion of the hardships of these early settlers from one incident: Jonas BRIGHAM used to relate that it took him a whole week to get a grist to mill and back again. He had no team of his own. One Monday he walked to Cambridge, 12 miles, through the woods, to get the team of Joshua BARNES. On Tuesday he was occupied all day in getting back home again. On Wednesday he returned with his grist as far as Cambridge (there was no mill nearer than Fairfax.) On Thursday he went to a mill in Fairfax, had his grist ground, and returned as far as Cambridge. On Friday be brought his grist home. On Saturday he took the team back to Cambridge, and on Sunday he came back to Bakersfield on foot. This Joshua BARNES was at that time improving a piece of land in Bakersfield, but lived with his family in Cambridge for two years, because of the difficulty of raising enough in B. to keep a team. Another incident comes in naturally at this point: Some six or seven years later, Thomas BARNES, a son of Joshua, removed his family from Cambridge to Bakersfield. It was the month of June, but he moved with an ox team on a sled; this not because of snow, but because the roads were too rough to be traveled with a wagon. Bakersfield was chartered, and its first town meeting held, March 30, 1795. Its first selectmen were Joseph BAKER, Jonas BRIGHAM, and Stephen MAYNARD.

      The only item of business transacted at this meeting, save the election of officers, was the following:

       It seems that no meeting was held for the election of State officers in the fall of 1793. The first freemen's meeting was warned to meet Sept. 16, 1796. The record shows that there were 19 votes cast for Thomas CHITTENDEN for Governor, and one for Isaac TICHENOR, showing that at that time there were at least 20 voters in town.  At the same meeting, Jonas BRIGHAM, Esq., was elected representative to the General Assembly of the State to be holden at Rutland, on the 2d Thursday of Oct. 1798. The following year at the second freemen's meeting, it was voted not to send a representative to the General Assembly that year, held at Windsor: for what reason does not appear on the record, but we judge no exception was taken to Mr. BRIGHAM, for the year following, 1798, he was elected unanimously, and was continued in the same office for 17 years. The increase of the population of the town may be judged from the following statistics: In 1796, as we have seen, there were 20 freemen in town. In 1797, two more were qualified; in 1798, six more, and in 1799, five more. In the year 1800, forty new families moved into the town.

      The subject of preaching, and the gospel ministry early received attention. In the warrant for town meeting in March, 1801, was an article to see if the town would grant money or a sum to be paid in produce, to hire preaching for three months, the coming season, or act thereon in any way that they shall think proper. This was not carried at this time, but was renewed the following year, and in June, 1804, a meeting of the inhabitants of Bakersfield, qualified to vote, was called to see if the town will agree to give the Rev. Samuel SUMNER an invitation to settle with them in the Gospel ministry, and if the town will agree upon a yearly salary for his services. This meeting was held June 14th, at the dwelling-house of Col. Silas HAZLETINE, Elisha PARKER was the moderator. At this meeting it was voted to "give the Rev. Samuel SUMNER as invitation to settle with them in the Gospel ministry, and to give the sum of $100, for a yearly salary, to be paid in good merchantable wheat, at cash price, the 20th day of January, annually." It was also voted to let the Rev. Samuel SUMNER have 25 acres of land at the N. E. corner of lot No 1, called the ministerial lot. A committee consisting of Silas HAZLETINE, Jeremiah PRATT, Elisha PARKER, James BRIGHAM and Joseph BARRETT, was appointed to confer and contract with the said SUMNER, and report at an adjourned meeting. June 24, 1804, the above committee reported as follows:

"That the committee in behalf of the town. At the same do hereby agree that the Rev. Samuel SUMNER shall have one hundred dollars in cash, or one hundred bushels of good, clean, merchantable wheat as shall be most convenient and at the option of the town to pay, as his yearly salary so long as he shall continue their minister. That whether the pay be in cash or wheat, it shall be paid on the 20th day of Jan. annually at Bakersfield, and his salary shall commence as soon as he is regularly ordained in the ministry; and also that he shall hold and possess in fee simple forever, 25 acres of the ministerial land in lot No. 1, and described as follows:

      The following churches were present by their pastors and messengers; Northboro, Rev. Peter WHITNEY, deacon Seth RICE, Isaac DAVIS; second church of Wooster, Rev. Aaron BANCROFT, deacon David BIGLOW and Mr. John BARNARD; Berlin, Rev. Reuben PUFFER, deacon James GODDARD; Gerry, Rev. Ezekiel L. BASCOMB, William KENDALL and Mr. Silas SAWYER. Jonas BRIGHAM appointed as a committee of the church and town of Bakersfield, communicated authentic copies of the proceedings of said town in the election of said SUMNER as their pastor; also a copy of the covenant under which the church in that place was gathered, and the Rev. Samuel SUMNER communicated a copy of his acceptance of their invitation to settle in the ministry, and a certificate of his dismission from the church in St. Albans, and admission into the church in Bakersfield, also a confession of his faith. Upon which the council voted that in their opinion the proceedings of the church and town of Bakersfield preparatory to the induction of the Rev. Samuel SUMNER into the work of the ministry had been correct and regular, that the confession of faith, and answers to particular questions of said SUMNER were satisfactory to the council, and proceeded to his installation. Rev. Mr. BASCOMB made the introductory, and Rev. Mr. WHITNEY the consecrating prayer; Rev. J. SUMNER gave the charge, and the Rev. Mr. PUFFER gave the right hand of fellowship, and made the concluding prayer; and the Rev. Samuel SUMNER was accordingly installed, -- Peter WHITNEY being moderator, and Aaron BANCROFT scribe.

      But soon after this, a question arose as to the validity of the title to the public lands given to the Rev. Samuel SUMNER, and his salary previous to his installation, a period of about 14 months. $200 were voted; at a subsequent meeting the vote reconsidered, and finally, April, 3, 1806, a new bond or indenture made between said SUMNER and the town of Bakersfield, and the salary for that year fixed at $150, and the use only of the portion of the public land originally given to him; provided however that the salary should increase each year in the same ratio with the grand list of the town until it should amount to $200, annually. It was also provided that if either party desired to dissolve the relation, it must be done by a three months notice, given in writing, and stating the reason for desiring to dissolve the relation, and if those reasons should not be removed at the end of three months, the connection should he dissolved without any expense aside from that of mutual council.

      The town voted $100, as the salary of Mr. SUMNER for the year 1805, and $141.30 for the time previous to his installation; for the year 1806, the amount voted for his salary was $150, and for the year 1807, $170.

      After this, some misunderstanding arose between the town and Mr. SUMNER, and committees were appointed, who reported various sums as due, but the amounts were not raised, and a final settlement was not effected till June 14, 1813. The following is. the record of this settlement:

      The said SUMNER ceased sometime before the date of the last record, to exercise the office of the ministry or to preach, except occasional sermons, He continued to reside in town for a number of years afterwards, and is reported to have become skeptical on the subject of Christianity, his views in fact coinciding nearly with those developed later by Theodore PARKER. There seems to have been no regularly organized church during his ministry. He administered the ordinance of baptism to a few persons, but the Lord's Supper was never administered by him, and there are no records left of church meetings.

      July 3d, 1811, a committee of the North-Western Consociation assembled in Bakersfield to inquire if there was a church there such as could be recognized.

      That committee consisted of Revs. WOOSTER, PARKER, PARMELEE and TRUAIR.

      This committee reported that "after a most solemn examination into the formation, religions sentiments, and practices of the church in Bakersfield, they were unanimously of the opinion that there was no church of Christ in Bakersfield in fellowship. 

      But the church had no regular minister till 1821. The following is a list of the ministers that have remained a year or more with this church: Elderkin J. BOARDMAN, 1821-26; Sam'l PERRY, 1827-28; S. G. TENNEY 1831-34; Mr. BACHELDER, 1838-39; Thomas CANFIELD, 1840-45; Daniel WARREN, 1847-54; C. W. PIPER, 1855-61; G. F. WRIGHT, 1862. Of these Messrs. BOARDMAN, CANFIELD, WARREN and WRIGHT were installed.

      The following is a list of the deacons of the church in the order of their election: Jeremiah PRATT, Amery PARKER, Wm. PERKINS, Asa DEAN, Cyrus BARNES, Joseph ALLEN, Andrew FARNSWORTH, Horace DENIO and John A. PERKINS.

      The whole number of admissions to the church, from its organization to 1867, is, males 140; females 245, total 385; 88 have been dismissed by letter, 12 have been excommunicated, 156 have died; 129 were still in connection with the church in 1866.

      The seasons of special religious interest in this church were in 1821, when 83 were admitted; 1831-34, when 32 were admitted; 1840-44, when 49 were admitted 1858, when 20 were admitted, and in 1863-66, when 59 were admitted to the church.

      The first house of worship of the Congregational church was dedicated March, 1831. In 1850 they removed to the house that now stands upon the common. The church has the following records in regard to vain amusements and the subject of Temperance:

      In 1844 it was voted to hereafter receive into the church no person by profession or letter, who habitually uses or sells intoxicating liquors as a beverage. There is no record of any action upon the subject of slavery. But various members of the church were among the earliest and most earnest antislavery men.

      Methodist classes were formed --, one in the N. E., and one in the S. part of the town, at an early date, but at what time it is impossible to tell precisely. The class in the S. W. part of the town was formed by Isaac HILL, of Fairfield, as early as 1806.

      Jan. 27, 1816, the town voted to divide the moneys arising from the rents of the ministerial lands between the two societies, in the proportion of two-thirds to the Congregational society, and one-third to the Methodist. Afterwards it was divided pro rata, according to the members of the respective societies, including a Freewill Baptist and a Universalist society. These latter have ceased to exist as separate organizations.

      Early in the history of the place there appeared the party feeling which subsequently divided it. The village of Bakersfield is located in a valley, and consists of a street running north and south some 800 or 400 rods in length. The first town hall was erected in 1810, and was located in the extreme north part of the village, and such was the division of sentiment that it was built entirely by private subscription. 

      In 1822, a town meeting was called by the request of several citizens made in meeting to the selectmen, to see if the "town would devise some way whereby the inhabitants may agree on some place in said town to erect a house more convenient than the one then occupied." At this meeting it was voted that the two interests of the town should by a committee each select a spot on which to build, then find the geographical centre of the town, thence draw a line to the post road leading through the village. The location which had been chosen nearest to this intersection was to be approved by the town. Samuel MAYNARD, Azariah CORSE, and Simeon MAYNARD, were chosen committee for the north interest; L. B. HAZELTINE, Benjamin BALL and Amory PARKER, for the south.

      The north committee reported in favor of a spot in the field of Capt. HOUGHTON near a big rock on the east side of the post road, where that road makes a corner with the road from the tannery, and where afterwards the first Congregational house of worship was erected The south committee reported in favor of the rise of ground on the E. side of the post-road, between the potash occupied by Rufus SAUNDERS, and the school house in District No. 1, some where near the present residence of S. G. START. A committee, consisting of Andrew FARNSWORTH and Cyrus BARNES was appointed to ascertain the geographical centre of the town, and the nearest eligible spot for building on the post-road. The geo graphical centre was found to be on the farm of Silas POTTER, and the nearest eligible spot on thc post road, was between the present residence of Gen. S. B. HAZELTINE, and the site of the new Methodist Chapel

      No decisive action was at this time taken by the town in reference too building; but in 1827 the present town hall was erected by subscription, about 20 rods south of the so-called geo, graphical centre, and in 1829 or 30, the Congregational house was built on the land reported by the aforesaid north committee.

      In 1839, the question of an Academy was mooted, and immediately the same sectional feeling showed itself -- one party wishing to have it north of a given line, the other party wishing it south, and another willing to compromise. At a meeting of the citizens of the town, friendly to such an Institution, a committee reported in favor of a location near the former proposed south site of the town-hall, but this was amended by fixing on the Common, so called, at the south extremity of the village, and the Bakersfield Academical Institution erected in 1840, what was usually called the South Academy. In 1844 another building was erected on the rise of ground near the residence of Gen. G. B. HAZLETINE, called the North Academy, and for many years two large and flourishing schools were maintained in these buildings. S. SPAULDING was chosen principal at the opening of the Academical Institution, and remained in charge of the same till 1852. Few schools in the State have ever received a larger or more widely extended patronage. Mr. SPAULDING removed to the Barre Academy in 1852. The Bakersfield North Academy was placed by its founders under the patronage of the Troy conference or the M. E. church. H. J. MOORE was elected principal, and has remained in charge for the most of the time till the present (1869).

      The first school in town was taught by Foster PAIGE, in a log building about a mile north of the present village-this was in 1797, or thereabouts. The town records show a vote (Dec. 6, 1796,) to divide the town into two school-districts, the north district to include all the inhabitants north of Jeremiah Pratt, including him; the south district all south of the same. The winter following, 1796-7, it would seem only one school was taught as referred, to above. Subsequently Edward BAKER and Joel WEBSTER, taught one term, each, and Nathan WHEELER four terms, before any permanent school-houses were erected. The first school-house was built of logs in 1801, in school-district No. 1, or the north school-district, as it was called, near Edward RICE's house. Here the town meeting was warned to meet, March 15, 1802, and at this meeting a new division of the town into 5 school-districts was made. In 1807 the number of districts was 8. The present number is 13.

      The first grand list in town, as recorded, was for 1796. It embraced 22 polls, and a total amount of $1175.25 -- polls being reckoned at $20. The amount for 1797 was $1360.75, being an increase of $185.20. The grand list of 1800 was 57 polls, and a total of $3203.50, an -increase in 4 years of 150 per cent in the male population, and of upwards of 170 per sent in the property of the town.

      The first grist and saw mill was built in 1794, by Elisha BOYCE, on the site whore Nahum BROWN's mill now stands. The first potash factory was built by Col. S. HAZLETINE, Sen., near where Mr. NUTTING now lives. The first carding machine was set up by CARPENTER & JONES, near the tannery. The first tannery was built by Joseph BAKER, in 1796, near where S. S. BRIGHAM now lives. The first framed house was built by Jer. PRATT, in 1797 or '98, near the residence of Mrs. Seth OAKES. Jer. PRATT was the first blacksmith. The first hotel was kept; by Samuel COCHRAN, in the south part of the town. Stephen MAYNARD kept the first hotel at the centre of the town.

      The first physicians were Ebenezer WILLIAMS; Thomas LASSEL and Amos TOWN. Col. S. HAZLETINE kept the first store. The first resident lawyer was Eben BARLOW. John MAYNARD kept the first Post Office.

      The first militia company was formed in 1802, under Capt. WILKINSON. The first artillery company in 1806, under Capt. START.

      The first child born in town was Betsey MAYNARD, daughter of Stephen MAYNARD, afterwards wife of Hon. A. FULLER, of Enosburgh. She was born Jan. 13, 1793. The first male child born in the town was Cheney BRIGHAM, born April 22, 1793. The first death in town was that of Isaac Freeman FARNSWORTH, Aug. 17, 1798. The second death was that of Elisha P. PRATT, Nov. 20, 1798, aged 11 years 3 months. Elder Joseph CALL, a Baptist minister, preached his funeral sermon, which was probably the first sermon preached in the town. The first recorded marriage is that of John MAYNARD and Elizabethbeth KNOWLES, 1799.

[We welcome these proper sketches of the living, but miss the biographies of the dead, and are inclined to the belief that there must have been citizens who should -- from the fact that they were the prominent townsmen of the past, and their history completed -- have been first remembered and named and sketched, according to the best means now left, in this department. We always ask for such biography especially, but we can give only what is furnished. -- Ed.]

      Was born in Cambridge, Vt., July 12, 1812; studied law in St. Albans with Judge ALDIS and in Judge TURNER's Law School; was admitted to the bar Sept. 20, 1834, and immediately commenced the practice of his profession in Bakersfield, where he has ever since resided. He was State's Attorney during the years 1844 and 1845. Judge of the Co. Court in 1849-50-51; a member of the State Constitutional Convention of 1843 and 1850; member of the Council of Censors in 1855; State Senator in 1848-49; member of the State Legislature in 1863-64-65. In October 1865, be was elected Judge of the Supreme Court of the State, which office he still holds (1869.) During his career as a lawyer he had from six to ten law students in his office, each year.

      Was born Dec. 31, 1824; he graduated at the U. V. M; studied law, and was admitted to the bar in New York; removed to Oregon in 1853; was a member of the Constitutional Convention of that State; has been a member of the Senate of- that State, and was for a number of years a Judge of the Supreme Court of Oregon. He is now (1869) practicing law in Portland, Oregon.

      Was born in Templeton, Mass., July 23, 1790; moved to Bakersfield in 1800; was a Lieutenant in the war of 1812; colonel of militia from 1826 to 1840, when the Legislature made him Brigadier General of Militia. He has been a member of the Legislature 6 terms. In 1821 be was elected Town Clerk, and holds that office at the present time (1869), During this term he has recorded with his own hand every deed but two that has been put on record in the town, and his books are without a blot.

      The prevailing rock in Bakersfield is Talcose Schist. Its dip is to the west. The eastern sides of the hills are nearly all of them perpendicular. Viewed from the north or south, the profile of the hills presents somewhat the aspect of the teeth of a saw, one end of which reclines on the high mountains to the east. The mountains to the east in Avery's Gore -- which is in civil administration, included in Bakersfield, -- rise to a hight of nearly 4000 feet- The main portion of the town is about 500 feet above the sea. There is a thin (4 feet thick) formation of Stockbridge limestone, appearing at two places in the N. E. part of the town. Soap Stone is found near the town line, in Waterville. There are four or five mineral springs in the town. The principal mineral ingredient in these springs is iron: one of them, however, is a Sulphur spring.

      The lovers of natural scenery are interested in Bald Mt., situated in the S. E. part of the town. The east face of the mountain rises perpendicularly near a 1000 feet, presenting one of the wildest views that the country affords. It is to be seen from the road to Waterville. In the winter season the ice that covers many portions of it adds greatly to the sight. From the point in the road where this is last seen, there is also an excellent view of Mt. Mansfield and Sterling, and also of Round Mt. and Belvidere Mt, none of them much less than 4000 feet in altitude.

      "Checkerbury Ledge" and "Dean's Road," (though this is not a road, but only a place for one) are also objects of rare interest. "Dean's Road" is a water channel rutting across the axis of the elevation of the land, and affords unsurpassed opportunity to study the action of water upon the rocks, as well as a charming seclusion from the world. The hills of the town, wherever the rock is bare of earth, are covered with scratches, and stripes, and that polished surface, which give unmistakable evidence of the action of the glacial epoch. The village of Bakersfield is situated on a modified deposit of drift, 100 feet in depth. In various places the stratification of the drift car be seen to advantage. 

G. F. W.
 
 
 

"The Vermont Historical Gazetteer: 
A Magazine Embracing A History of Each Town, 
Civil, Ecclesiastical, Biographical and Military."
Volume II, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille & Orange Counties.
Including Also The Natural History of Chittenden County.
Edited and Published by Miss Abby, Maria Hemenway. 
Burlington, VT. 1871.
Page 103-109.

Transcribed by Karima Allison 2004

Maple Grove Cemetery, Bakersfield, VT