Caledonia

PEARSON, Thomas Scott

Vermont Historical Magazine, No. XI, October 1867, pp 370-371
(extracted from a section on the history of Peacham, Caledonia County, 
Vermont; authored by Mrs. L. H. KENDALL)

Thomas Scott PEARSON was born 14 September 1828 at Kingston [Rockingham 
County], New Hampshire, son of Rev. Ora and M. K. PEARSON. His religious 
birth dates about the age of seventeen. He entered Middlebury College in 
1847, and was graduated in 1851; for the year subsequent was principal of 
Addison County Grammar School, at Middlebury, and librarian of the College. 
In 1852 he became principal of Caledonia County Grammar School, Peacham, 
which position he filled with great acceptance until compelled by ill health 
to resign in the spring of 1855. The summer of 1855 was passed under medical 
care, and in traveling for his health; the autumn and winter of the same 
year, in part, in completing a catalogue of the library of Middlebury 
College. In the spring of 1856 he became connected, as teacher, with Kimball 
Union Academy, at Meriden [Sullivan County], New Hampshire; a post, however, 
he was soon obliged, in consequence of increasing feebleness, to relinquish. 
In August he left his home in Peacham to try the effect of the western 
climate upon his still failing health; but death had placed his seal upon 
him. He [Thomas Scott PEARSON] died 10 November 1856 at Indianapolis [Marion 
County], Indiana. To a stranger, this is but a short and commonplace story; 
to those who knew Mr. PEARSON, a brief outline of an earnest, well-spent life.

There early appeared in the subject those traits of character which ennobled 
maturer years. Orderly, conscientious, truthful, eminently persevering, 
obtaining a ready mastery of the rudiments of knowledge, and exhibiting 
withal a marked predilection for the gathering up and classification of 
facts, he became early distinguished as a reliable, intelligent boy, and in 
later years as the devoted son and brother, the faithful friend, the trusted 
pupil, the indefatigable teacher, the upright citizen, and the consistent 
Christian. His seat in the prayer meeting was seldom vacant, nor his voice 
silent there; as a Sabbath school teacher and superintendent, it is believed 
he accomplished much good.

Although gifted with unusual conversational powers, having rare fluency of 
utterance, an inexhaustible fund of anecdote, and keen perception of the 
ludicrous, he rarely, if ever, indulged in unseemly mirth, or uttered a word 
inconsistent with his profession as a Christian. In religion, as in 
everything else, he was earnest, doing with his might whatever his hand found 
to do. His early fondness for collecting facts strengthened with his years. 
He was always on the alert for items of value, for all which he had a place 
and a use. While maintaining a high rank as a scholar, and defraying most of 
his college expenses by teaching, he made this remarkable talent effective in 
the preparation of several important works, viz., the triennial catalogues of 
Middlebury College, which he greatly improved; an elaborate catalogue of the 
college library; the biographical catalogue of the graduates of Middlebury 
College, believed to be the most thorough and complete work of the kind ever 
published in this country; obituary notices of deceased members of the 
alumni; and the literary remains and memoir of Rev. David MERRILL. In 
addition to these, a large amount of unpublished material, which had he 
lived, might have been wrought into works of value. The remarkable manner in 
which all this was accomplished, clearly indicated the work for which he was 
peculiarly adapted. His talent was becoming widely known and appreciated. 
He was elected resident member of the New England Historic-Genealogical 
Society, and his death noticed by this and several other societies.

But there was another, a moral trait, as beautiful as rare, deserving of 
special mention; it was filial piety. Loss of eyesight and impaired health 
had rendered his father unable to labor for the support of the family as in 
former years, and so this noble son assumed and fully met the heavy 
responsibility. Reluctant to lose ever a day, he had resumed his duties as 
teacher, after an attack of illness, before health had become fully 
established. Reduced as he was previously by unremitting toil, it was too 
much for him, and his system gave way and consumption began its insidious 
work. While it was evident he was gradually loosening his hold on earthly 
things, still there was so much work to be done, he would make one effort 
more for health and life. Counseled by physicians, he decided to try the 
West. He arranged his study,* sacred to him by many hallowed associations, 
gave a parting glance at his varied treasures gathered there, and went 
forth from his home forever. A few weeks of weary, fruitless wandering among 
strangers were terminated by distressing sickness and death. Neighbors and 
friends in Peacham, to whom he had become greatly endeared, rested not until 
his remains were brought from their grave in the distant prairie to rest on 
the sunny slope of one of their own green hills. The marble that marks the 
spot bears the fitting sentence, "Not slothful in business; fervent in 
spirit; serving the Lord."

[* Author's footnote: This room was kept as he left it, large accumulations 
of newspaper files, books, manuscripts, as his own hands arranged. In 
collating Addison county for the Gazetteer, his biographical catalogues of 
the college have been a favorite text book. We stood as in our dead master's 
room, a large, well-filled antiquarian treasure room, during a day spent with 
this interesting family, in the summer of 1860.]

Submitted by Cathy Kubly