PLANT SALE & MUSEUM OPENING
If you receive the Cavendish Historical Society’s (CHS) Monthly Briefs, you already know that a diesel oil spill occurred behind the Museum in April. However, since then, they’ve started clearing out the contaminated soil and have assured us that we can hold the plant sale there Memorial weekend. So the plant sale will be at the Museum, May 26 (Friday) 5:30-7 pm for the early bird special and on Saturday, May 27 from 9-noon.
If you are interested in our special salad buckets ($15) and container tomato plants (cherry, sun gold or Early girl) please order as soon as possible by calling 802-226-7807 or e-mailing margocaulfield@icloud.com. Be specific about the types of tomatoes you would like.
Because we weren’t sure we could use the Museum, we have programs planned at various locations in town for June. Consequently, the Museum opens on Sundays starting June 25th from 2-4pm. Visits at other times can be arranged by calling or e-mailing.
UPCOMING EVENTS
May 26 : Early bird plant sale 5:30-7:00 CHS Museum. Orders for container tomato plants (cherry, early girl, sun gold $10) or salad buckets ($15) must be made ASAP using the contact information above.
May (Saturday): Plant Sale in front of the Museum 9-12.
June 11 (Sunday): Talk on Peter Tumbo, the Revolutionary War Veteran and former slave who lived in Cavendish and died at 106. 2 pm at the Cavendish Stone Church on Route 131. Park across the street at the Cavendish Baptist Church
June 17 (Saturday): Cavendish Village Ghost Walk, Meet at the old Duttonsville School 66 Duttonsville School Dr, Cavendish, at 8 pm, wear comfortable shoes and bring a flashlight.
June 28 (Sunday): Museum opens for the season on Sundays from 2-4 pm
July 29 (Saturday): Town Wide Tag Sale. The CHS) booth will be at the Gazebo on the Proctorsville Green.
Sept.10 (Sunday): Annual Phineas Gage Walk & Talk, 2pm begins at the Museum with the talk. It’s about ¾ of a mile to the accident site. Please wear comfortable shoes.
MEMORIAL DAY: REMEMBERING THOSE FROM CAVENDISH WHO GAVE ALL
Memorial Day is when we remember those who died while in service to their country. Started as a Civil War remembrance, James A. Garfield, when he was an Ohio Congressman and a former Civil War Union General, stated at the commemoration of Arlington National Cemetery, We do not know one promise these men made, one pledge they gave, one word they spoke; but we do know they summed up and perfected, by one supreme act, the highest virtues of men and citizens. For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue.”
Revolutionary War: Soldiers who died in and around Cavendish, particularly on the Crown Point Road, were buried in the Coffeen and Revolutionary cemeteries and in private graves.
Civil War: More soldiers died of disease during the Civil War than were killed in battle. Intestinal disorders such as diarrhea, typhoid fever, and dysentery were rampant in the camps, along with various types of fevers, measles, chicken pox, mumps, whooping cough, and small pox. Men who left their home towns for the first time were exposed to new diseases that they had no immunities against. A lack of sanitation and close quarters contributed to the spread of disease, and poor food, lack of shelter, and a lack of proper clothing increased their severity. In the field, a common cold could quickly become pneumonia. Army War College.
Of the 173 names appearing on the Cavendish civil war memorial: 14 died in battle/wounds, 1 in prison, 13 while in the service from disease); two were lost at sea; one was drown and one was missing in action.
Died from disease: Jesse Adams; Sylvanus S. Barnard; Thomas W. Demary; Henry C. Fletcher; Nathan Graves; Myron Hicks; Chancellor Paige; Otto Rimley; Michael Shannon; Charles Spaulding; George Taylor; William Webster; Henry P White
Died in Battle or from wounds: Joseph Ashley (Gettysburg); Zaccheus Blood (Winchester); Henry G. Fillebrown (Petersburg); John Quincy French (Wilderness); John L. Hemenway; Horace Needham (Petersburg); Wesley Sheldon (Cedar Creek); John Smith (Petersburg); Nicholas Smith (Spotsylvania); Matthew Stewart; George Wallis; James Webster (Cold Harbor); Luther Graves Lee’s Mills; Merritt White
Lost on steamer “North America” off Cape Hatteras Hial W. Holden and Lowell B. Paine.
Other: George Smith: Drowned in Rio Grande River and Henry Spaulding died in Andersonville Prison; Charles Stockdale Missing in Action Crampton’s Gap
Spanish American War: Six men served with one, Ernest Grout, dying
World War I: Fifty seven men and one woman enlisted. Four men died, George Dixon, Winthrop Hoyle, Truman McNulty and Francis Wallace. Winthrop Hoyle was 16 and died from nephritis in Rhode Island. The American Legion Wallace Mcnulty Holye Post was named in honor of these veterans.
World War II: 168 men and one woman served with seven men dying during the course of the war. Ted Berg, Harold Davy, Duane Hodge , Kenneth Hodge, Morris Percy, Edward Sherer Jr and H. Allen Spaulding.
WWII was the last war in which a person from Cavendish died in service.
BICENTENNIAL JEEP TOUR 1975: Part 2
This is the second part of the Jeep Tour that we found while doing an inventory and assessment of CHS’s archives this winter. Part 1 is in the winter issue of the newsletter and begins at the Museum and ends at the Twenty Mile Stream Cemetery. We will soon offer a PDF of the entireTour, which you can obtain via the contact information at the beginning of the Newsletter.
Note that the date listed on the various drafts is 1975.
Special thank you to Hollis Quinn and Tim O’Donoghue for helping with the Newton Road area. We particularly liked that Hollis’s father borrowed his jeep for the tour. According to Jennifer Stowell, who went on the tour, Mary Churchill was one of the leaders.
Between the Twenty Mile Stream Cemetery (TMS) and Chapman Road, the following would have been in close proximity to the stream
27. Early Hop Farm—Coopershop & Hop Kiln building 1826
28. Tavern—Samuel Hutchinson 1890
29. Tannery- Zenus Clark 1825 In 1855, the Tannery was on the left hand side of the road, just after Quent Phelan Rd
30. Adams Sawmill and Cider Mill: Right hand side of the road between Quent Phelan Rd and Chapman Rd.
31. Twenty Mile Stream Old Schoolhouse on left ca 1800 On the corner of TMS and Chapman. This was known as the Wigwam. In 1861, during the Civil War, because of the influx of mill workers (they were making the cloth for the Union Army) many of the school houses were replaced. The Wheeler School was built across the street from the Wigwam. Once erected, the Wigwam was torn down.
32. Twenty Mile Stream Schoolhouse 1860 on right: On TMS near Chapman. Known as the Wheeler School. When the Wheeler School was built, Colonel Wheeler deeded the building and an acre or two to the school district. The building and land were to be returned to the farm if the school ceased operation, which it did, in 1954 or 55.
34. Samuel Dix settled across the brook-near here the two CPR [Crown Point Road] routes joined: Across the street from the Bates Mansion
35. Bates Mansion: James Bates built the Mansion on left 1894 (Mad Wives Stable): He was a miller and had a mill above the bridge on the brook.
36. Crown Point Road (CPR) crosses TMS road and crosses brook to encampment. James Hall’s blacksmith shop was located on the CPR Road.
Not mentioned in the 1975 Tour is Meadowbrook Rd: A flagstaff was erected on Meadowbrook, close to the intersection of TMS, which, marks the exact site of the Twenty-mile encampment. The plaque reads, “On the meadow near this spot was located the Twenty Mile Encampment on the line of the British Military Road. Built by order of General Amherst from Fort No.4 (Charlestown NH) to Crown Point and Fort Ticonderoga. Construction begun October 1768 at Lake Champlain by Maj. John Hawks; Eastern part from Connecticut River to Mountains. Built in spring of 1780 by Col.John Goff. This tablet erected 1908 by descendants of the first settlers. Note that the shaft was from the capstone of the Ordway Mill and is etched with-D & Z K. ORDW, the initials of David and Zephania K. Ordway.
37. Smithville: This was a village at one time including a woolen mill, sawmill, grist mill, oil mill, potash, store, fulling mill, blacksmith shops etc. This area was probably named after the Smith family. James Smith came to Cavendish about 1790 and ultimately built a farm on TMS. His son William set up various businesses as did James including woolen goods, starch and farming. The area in and around Newton Rd would have encompassed this village.
38. Newton Rd to right joins up Weeks Road. Harmony Hall homestead stood on the corner (left). It was built before 1800 by James Smith who was known as an “Industrial tycoon.” The directions also note There was an early saw and gristmill on a brook on the right above Mrs. Newton’s. Mrs. Edward Newton’s residence built about 1800 probably by James Smith. The property has been significantly modified and would have once stood at 41 Newton Rd.
Newton Rd at one time, connected to Weeks Rd, which was a direct route to the S. Reading Rd. There is no longer a Weeks Road, instead Newton Rd dead ends. The 1975 directions state, “Turn left on Weeks Road—then go thru the Churchill’s Parker lot. Capt. Joshua Parker settled on this lot before 1780 close to the Military Rd. His son, Joshua Jr. settled on the next lot. Capt. Joshua moved over near him. Capt. Joshua led Westford, Mass troops in the battle of Bunker Hill It’s no longer possible to access the S. Reading Road in this direction.
In order to access the last two stops on the 1975 tour, turn around and head south on TMS to Heald Rd. Turn left. Stay on Heald until it intersects with the S. Reading Rd. Turn left onto the S. Reading Rd.
39. Coffeen Cemetery & Homestead: The cemetery is located at 817 S. Reading Rd.-left hand side; the second home Coffeen built is on the right. It was used as a tavern and was built on the Military Road in 1775
40. Baldwin’s/Mrs. Derby’s House: Continue on the S. Reading Rd. To the left at the top of the hill was where Isaac Baldwin, son of Thomas settled in 1782. It is now owned by a daughter of Pres. Theodore Roosevelt. Note: The property is now owned by Ethel Roosevelt Derby’s descendants. Terrific views can be seen from there.
FLORENCE EDDY
Some will have known Mrs. Eddy from her time as school nurse. However, many more remember the picture of Florence hanging on the wall and peering over her daughter-in-law’s shoulder when Doris Eddy was the school nurse at Cavendish Town Elementary School (CTES). Doris sent the following piece about her mother-in-law and has donated the picture that hung in the nurse’s office at CTES. It will now be part of the Museum’s “People of Cavendish Corner.”
Mrs Eddy was the school nurse from 1948-1966 for the entire district which included Proctorsville, Cavendish , Baltimore, Chester, Andover, Peru, Londonderry, and Landgrove schools. In many of the towns there was more than one school to visit, so she covered 12 schools at one time before the little one room school houses were consolidated into the bigger schools Many of these one room school houses were on dirt roads which were almost impassable in winter and mud season. Mrs. Eddy was one of the first school nurses in the state of Vermont. In the early years she also attended to the sick in her own community as what would be called visiting nurses today. She had a close professional association with Dr.Holmes in Ludlow and cared for many of his patients in the Proctorsville and Cavendish. When anyone needed her, she was always available for them.
It was her responsibility to administer all the vaccines which included smallpox. The polio epidemic was during her time and remember well lining up to receive the vaccine. All eye and ear screenings were done by her for every grade. Imagine she had to carry the eye and hearing machine to every school. Also, cod liver pills were given if parents signed a permission slip. Cod liver capsules were to give the children along with vitamin A and D. There were always endless cases of head lice. If there was an emergency in one of the schools she was called from that school to go to whatever school she was needed. She had endless energy and certainly was a one nurse show.
Her dress was always a crisp white uniform, nurses hat , white seamed stockings and white square heeled shoes. There was always a bright colored handkerchief carefully placed in her breast pocket with her nursing pin attached to it.
Mrs Eddy grew up in Proctorsville, graduated from Ludlow Academy and Mary Fletcher School of Nursing. Came back to Proctorsville and married Herbert Eddy Sr. The had one son Herbert Eddy Jr. She was member of Gethsemane church where she was a devoted parishioner. Two challis were given in her memory. Her grandfather Richardson was a civil war veteran from eastern Tennessee( Union ) and is buried in Cavendish Cemetery.
Mrs Eddy set the standard for the future school nurses that followed her with dedication, caring and professionalism. It is always important to remember those who came before us as they provided valuable service in the past to their communities.
BECOME A MEMBER, RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP, DONATE
If you have not joined the Cavendish Historical Society, need to renew your membership, and/or would like to be a volunteer, please complete the form below and sending a check, payable to CHS, to CHS, PO Box 472, Cavendish, VT 05142. All contributions are tax deductible.
Name: _______________________________________
Address: _______________________________________________
Phone Number: _____________________ E-Mail: ____________________________
Membership Level
__ Individual Member $10 __ Senior Member 65+ $5 __ Sustaining Member $500
__ Household Member $15 ___ Contributing Member $250
Volunteer
___ I would be interested in serving, as a volunteer .I would be interested in serving on the following committee(s):__ Program Planning __ Fundraising __ Building (Museum)
__Archives _ Budget –– Cemetery __ Carmine Guica Young Historians
Donations are always welcome and can be designated as follows:
__ For general purposes __ Young Historians __Publications
__ Archaeological Activities _ Museum & Archival __ Special Events
__ Rankin Fund __ Williams Fund __ Solzhenitsyn Project
__ Other (please specify) __ Cemetery Restoration __ Preservation Projects
