USA > Pennsylvania > Bradford County > History of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, with biographical selections > Part 46
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In 1806, Ezra Goddard was killed by a falling tree. In 1808, Ephraim Blakesley was trying to put the first saw log on the carriage of his sawmill, when he slipped and the log caught his head against the carriage and killed him instantly. In 1813, Ezra Goddard, Jr., was going up the ladder in his mill from the basement, and being old and clumsy he fell backward, and died in consequence in a few days. John Ballard, Sr., was attempting to drive a dog from his house, and was bit on the lip. It was feared the dog was rabid, but the wound soon cured, and in his old age it appeared as a rose cancer, which resulted in his death. Luther Goddard was killed by the falling chimney of his mill. . He was a brother and joint-owner with Ezra Goddard. This last happened in 1814. The heirs soon after sold the mill to William Stevens, and his son, Hiram K., became the owner. James McKean, with others, was chopping one day, when a bent limb was loosed and flew back, striking him on the head, killing him. He was one of the early
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A,b, Noble at 81 yrs
GEN. W. Noble
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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.
settlers who came to seek a home for his father's family. John Pratt was killed in 1827 by the limb of a tree falling and breaking his back. In May, 1829, his brother was chopping in the timber, and cut his foot so severely. he had to be carried home ; lockjaw supervened and he died in a few days.
Ancient Giants .- Some men in digging a cellar for Gen. Mckean came to a rock-enclosed tomb, nine feet below the surface, and over nine feet long by two and a half wide. The soft bones of the skeleton, as it lay, were carefully measured by Joseph Williams, of Troy, and it was eight feet and two inches in length. There were two of those graves within the space of the cellar, and one was overgrown by a pine tree over three feet in diameter.
William McKean, of Troy, made a statement that, in 1841, in cut- ting down a noted old dead stump of great size, he found unmistakable marks of some sharp, ax-like instrument near the heart. It was carefully split and examined, and there could be no mistake of the nature of the cuts. He was assisted in the examination by the Rev. Moses Ingalls ; they counted the rings and came to the conclusion that the marks had been made over four hundred years ago !
County Poor Farm is situated about one mile west of Burlington. The land cost $11,500, and the buildings were erected thereon in 1880- 81, the cost thereof being $38,500. There are about 175 inmates.
The first school-house in Burlington was on Sugar creek, in 1791. Mr. Mckean gave an acre of ground for a graveyard and church site, and to this day the old church (not the first) stands on this ground.
A road was cut through along the creek from Towanda in the winter 1790-91, by Jeremiah Taylor, Mr. Moffat and Benjamin Sax- ton. A mail route was established through Burlington from Towanda in 1811, and Samuel Mckean was appointed postmaster at Burlington.
Luther's Mills is a small settlement at the crossing of the Sugar creek by the Towanda and Troy highway. It contains a saw and grist mill, postoffice, one or two storcs, a blacksmith-shop, and a school- house, and a number of pleasant residences.
BURLINGTON BOROUGH.
The borough of Burlington was established in 1853. It lies on the north bank of the Sugar creek, its western boundary being also that of the township. The Tomjack creek runs through the village from the northeast, taking its rise a short distance north of the northern boundary of the borough, which includes in its limits about two hun- dred and fifty acres. Tomjack's cabin was situated just above the mouth of the creek named in his honor, on the south side of the Sugar creek. The business of the borough is chiefly confined to an edge-tool and hore-srake mannfactory, carriage, wagon and sleigh manufactory, cabinet-ware and pumps, cooper, carpenter and blacksmith shops, general stores and drug-store, one hotel, two physicians and surgeons, and a postoffice. There are one good school-house and two churches in the borough.
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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.
CHAPTER XXX.
CANTON TOWNSHIP-CANTON BOROUGH.
THE first settlement made in what is now Canton township was
T probably in 1794, by Isaac Allen. Zepheniah Rogers made his possession in 1796, on the Hubbell Manley farm, built his floorless log cabin, 14x18, and put up his one-legged bedstead, simply a forked stick driven into the ground, on which were poles running to a crack between the wall logs, and those poles were threaded with bark for bed cord-the magnificent furnishing of many an old-time first cabin.
Same year came Ezra Spalding, alone, on a tour of observation ; and, selecting his future home, he stuck down his Jacob-staff on what became the farmed " old Spalding place," and " bached " and worked hard during the summer; then, next season, brought his family. He built a double log house, and opened a tavern in the wilds. To one now-a-days this smacks of the man who, being a little demoralized, wished everybody was dead but himself, and he would then go to Philadelphia and keep a hotel.
Spalding found, when he came, Jonas Geers on the Daniel Innes farm, once the Grover farm. Geers left in 1800. Jonathan Prosser was on the C. S. Sellard place-Capt. Calvin Spencer Sellard, whose daughter, Mrs. W. Levitt, resides in Canton borough. Prosser's cabin was near and below the bridge crossing Towanda creek. Same spring a man named Coon came and also settled on the Sellard farm. Ezra Spalding remembered these as the three cabins in Canton when he came in 1796; but the same year came Gashum Gillett and stopped on the now Capt. L. D. Landon farm, and his son, Wilkes Gillett, settled on the James Metler place. Zepheniah Rogers, Jr., settled the Lindley farm, and Rogers, Sr., set off, to his son Roswell, the farm on the east side of the creek, owned by the grandson, William.
Elisha Knight and George Brown came in 1797. The same year came the Cashes, who improved the Loomis farm. John Newell came in the spring of 1797, and settled on the L. N. Rutty farm; he was an uncle of H. S. Newell, now of Canton, on the farm left him by his father, Oliver Newell; this farm was first settled in 1799 by Orr Scovel, whose house, it is said, was the first frame in Canton town- ship, which eventually became Squire Bassett's barn. Same year Moses Emmerson settled on the now Ichabod Sellard's farm, and the next spring Daniel Bagley built his cabin on the Enoch Sellard farm. In the spring of 1797 a man named Stratton built a cabin on the flats (now owned by G. W. Griffin), but never occupied it, as he went back to Sugar creek; but Ebenezer Bixby came that spring, and, finding it empty, took possession and lived there three years. Loban Landon settled on the farm afterward owned by C. P. Spalding and O. B. Grantier, Joel Bodwell came in 1800, and settled the Taber farm;
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he sold to Abraham Taber, father of Nathan B. Taber .. Taber, a Revolutionary soldier, came in 1802. Nathan B. Taber married Nancy Grantier.
In 1797 or 1798 Isaiah Grover built on what is known as the Grif- fin farm, owned recently by George Goff; Grover sold to Samuel Griffin in 1800. In 1797 Benjamin Babcock settled the Reuben Loomis farm, and, at the same time, Nathaniel Babcock settled the John Van- Dyke farm, owned more recently by Jacob Beardsley. At that date there was no other settlement in this direction until yon reached the Walter farm, in Le Roy township. The Van Dyke farm was settled in 1798; same year Elihu Knights came, and he sold to the Segors and then settled the George P. Manley farm. In his last years Mr. Spald- ing could not remember the name of the first settler on the Wilcox farm, but thinks, whoever it was, he sold to a man named Hinman, in 1798, and from this it is named Hinman Hill. Dennis Kingsbury set- tled the Stone farm in 1796, it is supposed, which farm is now owned by E. Lilley. At this house were held the township gatherings and public meetings. Kingsbury thought of making a village of the place. He sold, in 1805, to Capt. Rice, and Rice sold to Joseph Wallace.
Mr. Spalding thought that Sterling and Hugh Holcomb located their claims in 1795, but did not occupy them until 1796. These were hard- working, thrifty men, who accumulated property. Hugh Holcomb built one of the very first sawmills in southeast Bradford, on the little creek that runs through the town ; soon he built a gristmill, and for nearly one hundred years this has ground away. Mr. Holcomb soon after built a distillery, as whisky was then deemed as much a necessary as bread or milk; this distillery opened a market for all the surplus corn, and was really an important enterprise. Mr. Spalding thought that Seeley Crofut located here in 1795, but did not move ont his family until 1796. In 1799, Isaac Chaapel, of Massachusetts, came and set- tled on the place near where is Chauncey Chaapel's house. Isaac was a prominent man, and was justice of the peace quite a long time. A man named Gordon settled the Aaron Knapp place.
The above reminiscences were dictated by Horace Spalding, when he was ninety-three years old, and therefore any slight mistakes should not be carped at. Horace Spalding was the last surviving son of Ezra Spalding. He remembered back in 1805, when this was Towanda township, Luzerne county, and their supposed voting place was Wil- liamsport, as they believed they were in Lycoming county. Horace Spalding cast his first vote in 1804; he was return judge in 1809, and carried the vote to Wilkes-Barre; and remembers that, in 1805, the county line was run here, and they found they were in Luzerne and not Lycoming county. Something more of Ezra Spalding's recollec- tions during the last year of his life were published in the Canton Sen- tinel, in January, 1876, as they were written out by Sylvanus D. Ken- dall, substantially as follows: The Alden farm was settled in 1796 (he could not remember by whom). A man named Knapp lived at the mouth of the north branch of the creek. Knapp sold to Cramer, who came up and bought where Aaron and his son lived and died. The
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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.
Daniel Wilcox farm was settled before 1796; how long he did not know, but remembered there being a log-house and several acres cleared when he first came. The noted early place called the " Allen Mills " he thought Isaac Allen must have settled as early as 1794 or 1795 ; that David and Stephen Allen built their sawmill, and soon after their gristmill, finishing the latter in 1797. Isaac Allen, he sup- posed, came first. These mills have been operated right along to the present day.
Returning to the point of the borough of Canton, and going up the road to Alba : In 1799 Van Valkenburg settled on the Levi Stull farm, and his son-in-law, Wedgeworth, located the " Minnequa Springs " place, that in time came to the hands of Peter Herdic, a genuine " hustler " of modern times, whose push and vim did so much to develop this part of Bradford county. Mr. Wedgeworth built his house on the flat between the "Minnequa House" and the farm house recently erected. 1804, after leaving Canton, on the road to Troy, was settled by David Pratt. This was the man, who, in 1804, made the nails for Ezra Spalding's barn, afterward the widow Wheat's property. The next was Schuyler Elliott's farm settled in 1805 by Levi Morse, a tailor; James Rockwell, grandfather of Jacob Rockwell, settled the Rockwell farm, it is supposed in 1802. And Jeremiah Smith located on the Israel Moore farm. In 1804 Elisha Luther and a man named Hurlbut settled between Smith's and Alba borough. In 1805 Kilbourne Morley settled the David Palmer farm. Eban Wilson, Dr. Rowlan and Jacob Thomp- son came about the year 1803.
A quaint old account and ledger book that Ezra Spalding brought to this country with him is well preserved. It dates back to 1774, but what is written in it seems, on the blank spaces, to be Spalding's accounts with his neighbors after he commenced business here. These old accounts commenced with his Canton neighbors in 1797, and are now of the greatest interest.
The first page has an entry (1799) against Elihu Knight, among other things, seven bushels of corn at fifty cents a bushel ; then John Griffin is charged seven cents for a pint of whisky; March, 1807, paid Hugh Holcomb five quarts whisky in full for work; 1808, Kilbourne Morley is charged five items at different dates, but all for whisky ; December, 1808, Sela Crofoot (the way he spells it) is charged with several items, but mostly whisky; November, 1813, David Pratt, Jr., is charged fifty cents for two gallons of cider. In 1807, Benjamin Stone bought during that and the next year the amount of $7.25 worth, chiefly whisky ; in 1809, Samuel Wilcox is charged twenty-five cents for a quart of whisky ; then we come,on the next page, where it goes back to 1799, Joseph Vansickle purchased some sugar; in 1801, Jonathan Prosser bought some hay; at the same time Jesse Drake bought two bushels of corn; the next charge (no year given, but supposed 1801), John " Granidier" is charged with several items of whisky. In the year 1800, Dr. Joseph Vanseck is credited by "two potions of salts ;" by a book "Father Leguay to his Daughter" and "Revolution in America," another, the "Book of a Man of Feeling," and the "Letter Writer" and " Sans Cullots Mor-
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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.
ality " and "The Sentimental Traveler through Italy and France." With all these books Mr. Spalding must have had the leading library in northern Pennsylvania. On the next leaf Roswell Rogers is charged 25 cents for a quart and $1.40 for a gallon of whisky. In May, 1799, Charles Reeder is charged 25 cents for a half bushel of seed corn, and 40 cents for three quarts of hay seed. In 1808, Nathan Wilcox is charged $2 for 2 gallons of whisky and for three bushels of "rie," by Orr Scabel, Jr., $2. In 1806, Benj. Mead is charged 6 cents for " 2 gills." In October, 1799, Nathan Roberts is charged for corn and several items for horse and ox teams to do his hauling, and twice for tobacco. During 1807, the same man made a bill of $43.80, the largest single bill the books so far show. The man is credited with one heifer $7 ; one steer $16; milling 27 bushels of "rie " at Pratt's Mill, and by "Billy going to mill." In May, 1808, Freedom Bennett is charged 50 cents for 2 quarts whisky ; in 1807, Simeon Power makes quite a bill, and is credited by " Fanna 2 weeks and 4 days' spinning 50 cents." In August, 1800, Stephen Latimer is charged with "sugar 50 cents," and on the line below is this grim entry : "credit by death." In 1807, Nancy Strickland bought a gal- lon and five quarts of whisky, and paid the bill by one calf $2.75; in 1807, Henry Segar bought whisky several times, "to be paid in ' rie' after harvest;" in 1801, a man named Bular is credited on his account with seven weeks' work $4.66.6-they were very particular to carry out the mills and cents; in 1797, Moses Emmerson is charged $30.66.7 for 23 weeks board. He marks John Crandall's bill in 1801 as " set- tled the above accompt." Following this "accompt " is a year's venison deal in 1797 with same Crandall: first is by 100 pounds veni- son $2, then is " 84 pounds venison in the woods, 84 cents." In 1798, Benjamin Babcock, account and due bill $13.91-running through the months, there are credits, "22 bushels rie " $1.66; 23 bushels corn $1.25; 2 bushels potatoes 45 cents ; 6 bushels wheat $6; 3 pigs $1.20, and then timothy seed to square the "accompt."
In 1797 Joseph Kinney is charged with "a gallon of whisky by Mr. Hammond." June 24, 1800, is this entry : "Received Capt. William Benjamin's horse from Albert Wells, and requested to keep well." Then, April 15, "Capt. Benjamin took his horse away by the hand of Mr. Williams." In 1807 Benjamin King made an account for whisky and venison ; he is credited by "three baskets, boting 5 chairs ; making neat house," etc .; in 1807 Isaiah King bought several quarts of whisky, and is credited by "one day's hoeing, 50 cents; one mar- tin skin, 40 cents." In 1799, Samuel Griffin is charged with "1} days oxeens work, 60 cents"; " to horses and oxeen drawing load hay from Beaver's Meadows;" April, 1799, he has several charges against Isaiah Grover for "meat and potatoes lent," and for "Billey and the oxeen ¿ day, 30 cents"; " to the oxeen five days to go to Mr. Board- man's, $2.00;" "to the oxeen one day to draw logs for his house;" this was August 30. Polly Luther (year not given) made an "accompt " of $8.16; among the items was " one hat, $4.00" (Polly was a little vain) ; "cloth for shortgown, 40 cents ;" "five yards tow cloth, $2.67;" "} yard muslin, 42 cents ;" to "soals to 1 pair slips and
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making 25 cents; " then, "settled with Polly," by the following account : "10 days work on tow yarn ; 6 days on linnen yarn ; 6 days on tow yarn; by 2 weeks and 2 days spining linnen; two weeks on linnen tow and picking wool; by one week and one day on tow ; by eight days spining tow ; by three weeks and four days work on linnen and tow, and finally by five weeks and five and a half days work." A girl now would consider this right smart work for $8.16. In 1810 he credits Aurilla Hurlbut with "31 weeks and 5 days work, $21.23." Dur- ing the year 1803 George Brown runs an account, $1.63. In 1803 Dr. Prowlan run up a long bill for whisky; only that each item is generally for one or two gills at a time, one would conclude that there were a great many snake bites that year among his patients ; one entry is "2 gills whisky, lodging and breakfast, and my horse to ride home." In 1800, Wheeler Hinman runs up a long store account, in which is "a days work by Horace," "leather, and soal leather for 1 pair shoes," sugar, whisky; the sugar is charged at about 13 cents a pound, and whisky one dollar a gallon ; then Hinman is credited with making quite a number of pairs of shoes, "half-boots for Billey," and shoes for Betty and Horace and "topping Horace's boots," etc. Then the next page goes back to 1797, and gives Nathaniel Babcock's "account," among numerous items is, "Horace and oxen, 1} days, $1.25," and he is credited by day's work, "use of saddle, one day choping, one day hoeing, one day reaping," etc. Then in 1801, Hezekiah "Arrants," and, on opposite page it is written "Arrand," is charged for sugar, potatoes, wheat, corn, gallon of soap, candles, but no whisky. Hezekiah must also have been a cobbler, as he is credited with making and "half-soaling" many pairs of shoes; these are shoes for "Ceasar," Polly, Betty, Horace, Billey, Mrs. Spalding and by "one pair shoes for Horace by agreement $2.25"-this was pretty extravagant for Horace as the average price of shoes is 66 cents. In 1797, Jonas Geers has quite an "accompt," and among other items is "one iron kettle, $5.20," by " daughter's making cap for wife 40 cents." On the opposite page he is credited with "fetching 2 loads of goods from Elihu Knights," and by "64 yards cassimer, $14.00," and by "a half stack of hay $3.33}." In 1797, Jonathan Prosser's account fills a page, and the whole foots up $17.00, mostly for teams to haul, provi- sions, and one item is "} bu. potatoes and 26 pumpkins, 40 cents." The price of pumpkins was one cent each. The same year, 1797, Ebenezer Brigsby has quite an account, and among other items is one for the "hire of his kettle to sugar in, $1." In 1798 John Newell runs a long account-potatoes, corn, wheat, hauling, etc. He is cred- ited by " beaver skin by Press Stevens, $2.00 ; a deer skin, $1.00; buck- wheat, by weaving," etc. In 1799 Daniel Bailey's account in small items runs up to $36.34. He is credited with making Betty's and Delight's shoes and "toping Cesars," and many and much shoemaking and mending. In 1799 Laban Landon opened an account ; three bun- dles of straw, beans, wheat, flax, "a pullet 12 cents " and "soal leather for Laban." lard, and cash to Eleazer Ellis, etc. His credit is by a "bushel of salt from Williamsport, $2.50;" by "1 dog, 82 cents," by "turning bedstead posts," by "one hive," "by leather for Horace and
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Cesars vamps and quarters," and finally "by the verdict about the old horse $5." In 1801 Henry Van Valkenburg's name opens an account and it is spelled "Vanvolcanborough," that is very good indeed, " burg " means borough when you write, though pronounced "burg " in common parlance. Van got seed wheat, a pig, corn, potatoes, etc., and is credited by tallow, venison, deer skins, etc. Orr Scovel in 1800 fills a page ; it is all potatoes, wheat, corn, rye, etc., and in his credits is an order on Ebenezer Tuttle for $3.00, and another "by his sawmill to saw 720 feet." In 1800 Eleazer Allis makes a long account, which it seems he paid mostly in whisky and work. It should be born in mind that then whisky was not only the vernacular drink, but the legal tender of the realm. In 1803 Jesse Roberts made an account, and the next year paid it off in rye. In 1800 Uriah Loper bought about $12.00, and is credited "one wash tub, a shawl, silk handker- chief, by an order on Thomas Caldwell, and by hauling to Robert's mill." In 1811 "John Granidier [this means Granteer] bought 1} bushels apples 75 cents."
In 1801 Jacob " Granidier" [Granteer] is charged with many items- sugar, potatoes, work by Horace, etc., and is credited by many days' work. Zepheniah Rogers makes a long store-bill in 1803. Jesse Drake has a larger one in 1802, but he is credited with "eighteen bushels of apples." Among other items charged to Jesse is " keeping horse nine nights, ninety cents." In 1803 Noah Wilson (mayor of Alba) came down to Spalding's to trade, and bought cider, salt, whisky, potatoes, etc. This open account ran along until 1822, when, under date of July 1, appears this: "Settled all the above amounts and all other deals to this date in full," signed by Noah Wilson and Ezra Spalding. In 1809 Benjamin Landon opened an account; it ran until 1812 when they settled and signed the account. In 1804 Eli McNitt opened an account, and this open account runs to 1810. The same year Augustus Loomis commences to trade with Spalding, and the same year again appears the name of Wilkes Gillett on the books, every item of his account being whisky. In 1805 Levi Morse ran a bill, which he paid in tailoring ; among other items is " making great coat, $1.50," "turning Horace's-$2" (supposed "pantaloons"). March 21, 1813, is this entry: "Zuba Nelson came to my house to work," and in 1812 is this: "Sabra Green came to my house to work." In 1805 John Newell, Jr., begins an account, whisky, beans, potatoes, and paid by work and deer skins. In 1805 appears the account of Thomas Updegraff, who paid in leather, it seems (probably the first tanner). In 1805 Samuel Waitman opened an account. In 1808 Zoroaster Porter's name appears ; in 1811 he, too, bought apples of Spalding, and in 1812 they settle up the account.
Ezra Spalding's family were himself, wife, and sons Horace and William, and daughters Lucy, Betsey and Delight, and two slaves, Bulah and her boy, "Cesar," who were slaves in Connecticut. Bulah, having her freedom after a year here, went back to Sheshequin, but " Cesar" remained. Ezra Spalding was born in Connecticut, and was aged forty-two when he came ; he had a good education, had surveyed, and had studied navigation. He was a Revolutionary soldier ; he first
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HISTORY OF BRADFORD COUNTY.
came to Sheshequin in 1795, and next year to this place. His cabin was between where the road now runs and Towanda county, nearly a mile from the borough where his son Horace lived. They built a cabin, 16x32, and the next February he brought his family in sleds. When he came he brought about $300 worth of cow-bells, which he soon sold to his neighbors. Groceries were "dear bought and far fetched " at first, as they all came from Athens, but the trade soon changed to Williamsport, simply following down the stream to that place, which old-timers said they crossed thirty-eight times going from Canton. In the above accounts appears an entry against Emmerson, who was a spy, it seems, of Pennsylvania, and who tried to rob Spalding of his land.
John Newell, Jr., settled the L. N. Rutty farm in 1797, and sold in 1799 to Samuel Rutty.
Government sent out viewers to locate a road north from Williams- port to Canada, and, after much contention as to the two routes, it was finally surveyed and located much as it now runs through the county. It was sixty feet wide and completed, except three miles in 1811.
The slave "Cesar " was given his liberty by Mr. Spalding when he was twenty-one; he lived to be quite old, and was never accused of being wholly, as his namesake would have his wife.
Spalding's mill on his farm was a small affair, but a great improve- ment to stump pounding. It would run all day and grind about three bushels of corn.
Reference has already been made to the burning of Spalding's house. In further explanation it may be said that this was all caused by this traitor in his house, Emmerson, and was another attempt of the Pennamites to ruin the Connecticut settlers. Spalding was arrested under the "intrusion law," fined $200 and sent to prison two months. He served out his term, and then an executive took and sold all his personal property and the rascals burned his house. These were some of the drastic measures against these poor settlers, who, one would suppose, had enough natural obstacles to contend with without such horrors as Pennsylvania agents inflicted upon them. Is it any wonder there was in time bloodshed between these parties ? Mr. Spalding had purchased of Col. Spalding and Elisha Satterlee, but finally completing his title by purchasing of the Asylum company. This ruin came to Mr. Spalding in the fall of 1800. He was com- pelled to move his family into a small cabin that stood where J. W. Griffin lived; at that time owned by Ebenezer Allis, where he lived one year and then built a new house, and in a few years he was again prospering and running his hotel. He died in December, 1828. His son Horace succeeded him, and died on the old place at the ripe age of ninety-six. Mrs. S. D. Kendall, of Canton, is a daughter of Horace Spalding.
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