Blodgett - Pierce Family --- Family History
The First Pierce Family Reunion Remembrances - 1894
Our Pierce history as recalled by Maria Pierce Scott and Laura Pierce at reunion in 1894.
Maria, Laura, and Enos Allen were sisters and brother. These are the first written minutes
of the Pierce reunion and the names of those present 1891-1894, first gathering in 1885.
August 25th, 1894 Reunion at Abram Blodgett
Relatives and friends, we have met today for the purpose of reuniting ourselves more
closely as a family. We feel grateful that so many of us are permitted to meet and exchange
friendly greetings. This is our 9th reunion. When we look back over the last 9 years we see
many changes. Two have gone whom we greatly miss, while several have come into our family,
some by marriage, some by birth. We have much to be thankful for in the past and much to
hope for in the future. My purpose is to tell the grand children and the great grand children
of the pioneer life of their ancestors.
My grandfather came to Vermont somewhere between the years of 1780 and 1790. He married
Mary Crouch, a quaker of English parentage. They lived together about 50 years. They had
14 children, 13 lived to grow up, 11 married and their descendents are scattered over the
most of the northern states from the Atlantic to the Rocky Mountains.
My father, the second son, named Ichabod, was born in Vermont. Windsor Co. September 7, 1792,
married Harriet Brunson in December 1829. He had bought him a farm with a log house on it
but unfortunately the house was on the wrong end of the lot, on the back end instead of on
what was afterwards the road. To this they carried all their goods on an Ox sled except
the dishes and the looking glass. These she and her brother carried in the washtub.
Up to the 3rd day of Jan there had been no snow. Then it began to snow and the snow fell
to the depth of 4 or 5 feet and they did not see a human face except their own in six weeks.
They were fortunate as he had laid in their winter stock of provision and wood was plenty
within a few rods of their door, but the times were very hard. The only thing that would
sell for money being black salts which every man was obliged to make to pay his interest
and taxes. They were made by burning the timber and putting their ashes into large trenches
by some creek where watter was plenty and boiling the lye down until it was thick. I do not
know why this sold better than grain but I know it did.
At that time there was bears and wolves in the woods which gave them some trouble but they
worked on raising good crops between the stumps of their newly cleared land. They could
let their cattle run in the woods in the summer. I have heard my father tell of going
two miles in the woods for his cows. One always wore a bell. He would get her by the tail
if it was dark and she would run, the bell making such a noise it would frighten all
wild beasts out of their path. Butter was not worth more than six or eight cents a pound
and cheese three cents and this he had to trade for anything they could get.
When my Mother came to this county there were no roads to speak of. Her Father moved
his family from Walworth on a covered wagon with two Ox teams and they had to stop and
chop the trees out before they could get through. Fredonia was not much of a place
at that time, a few log houses and some framed ones but a framed house in the surrounding
country was a very rare thing. They lived in the town of Cherry Creek and the nearest
mill was at Gowanda. There was no sacks of flour to be had. They raised their own wheat
and got it ground. There was a great deal more corn used then than now. They did not
have to worry about adulterated food for they raised it nearly all themselves.
I often wonder if the young people ever think of the problems the early settlers to make
our homes what they are. But I will leave this hoping some more talented hand may continue
with the history of our present families and that we may enjoy many reunions in this life
and at last meet in the last great reunion in the better land.
Maria Scott, Laura L Pierce
Family members also at the reunion:
John Pierce, Ichabod, Polly, Jabes, Margaret, Betsey, William, Luther, Joseph,
Daniel, Lois, Cynthia, Nancy