USA > Vermont > Rutland County > Poultney > A history of the town of Poultney, Vermont, from its settlement to the year 1875, with family and biographical sketches and incidents > Part 17
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Anthony and Charlotte (Brooks) Austin had six children: Charlotte and Laura E. [twins], born May 4th, 1801; John W., born in 1803; Hoel S., born 18th August, 1805, died January 5th, 1839; Augustine, born December 15th, 1807; Stephen, born October 28th, 1809, died 1869.
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John W. Austin came to Poultney in October, 1818, was apprenticed to Stephen Seward, manufacturer of leather, boots and shoes. The last three years of his apprenticeship was spent in Rutland, to which place his employer had removed. Having served his time, in 1824 he returned to Poultney, and purchased of Horace Mallory the tannery in which his appren- ticeship began. He carried on this tannery 25 years, continuing the manufacture of boots and shoes some years longer. In June, 1844, at the solicitation of the prominent temperance men of the place, he opened his house as a hotel, which was kept and known as the Temperance House for about ten years. He early became identified with the temperance movement, joining the first organization formed in town, in the year 1829. The society then had about 30 members. He was also one of the first de- cided and outspoken opponents of slavery in the town of Poult- ney, adopting these sentiments at a period when the expression of them was met with almost universal hostility, and even per- secution. He became hopefully a Christian in 1823, at Rutland, and united with the Methodist Episcopal Church in Poultney early in 1825. For many years he was class-leader and steward, and also leader of the choir. November 23, 1826, he married Olive Whitcomb, daughter of Scotter Whitcomb, of Granville, N. Y. Their children were as follows:
Eliza Luthera, b. April 17, 1828; d. Feb. 25, 1830.
. John William, Jr., b. May 7, 1829.
Nathaniel Potter, b. December 23, 1830.
Charlotte Luthera, b. September 13, 1832.
Lewis Augustine, b. April 26, 1834.
Maria Oakley, b. May 21, 1836; d. April 22, 1838.
Judson Whitcomb, b. Oct. 6, 1838.
Sidney Franklin, b. August 21, 1840.
Charles Edward, b. Aug. 2, 1842; d. Oct. 8, 1852.
Of the living children, John W., Jr., is a planter in Plague- mine, La .; N. Porter is a merchant in Santa Barbara, Cal .; Luthera is Mrs. H. T. Hull, Poultney, Vt .; Lewis A. is living at Meriden, N. H., where he has been for some years Principal of Kimball Union Academy; Judson W. is Superintendent of
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the Onitor Coal Mine, near Little Rock, Ark .; Sidney F. is Teller in the German American Savings Bank, Washington, D. C.
Olive Whitcomb, wife of John W. Austin, died at Manchester, Vt., March 31, 1872, and was brought to Poultney for burial.
BABCOCK .- Elias and Ichabod Babcock were born in Stoning- ton, Conn., and removed from Canaan, Conn., to Poultney about the year 1788. Elias settled in Finel Hollow; he bought a farm there of Philip Howe, and paid for it in part with cattle, which he drove from Connecticut. In the earlier part of his life, he was quite an active citizen, and rendered efficient service in sustaining the Congregational Church. He did the stone work in the present Congregational Church edifice. He had five children. Cornelius L. Babcock, an insurance agent now residing in Rutland, and George C. Babcock, who was killed in the Battle of the Wilderness, May 6, 1864, were grand-sons of Elias Babcock. George C. was a Lieutenant in Co. F, 6th Vt. Reg , and a worthy young man.
Ichabod Babcock settled in the west village; he was a hatter, and followed that vocation while he lived. He was a quiet, sensible man, and for many years a justice of the peace. He had five children, two sons and three daughters.
Elias Babcock died in 1836; Ichabod in 1846. The widow of Ichabod, at this date, October 1, 1875, is living.
BAILEY, AMON .- Hon. Amon Bailey, whose familiar title was "Colonel," one which he acquired in the days of the militia, was born in East Haddam, Conn., August 29, 1792; son of Are- tas and Jemima (Tryon) Bailey, of that place; and grandson, . on his father's side, of Jeremiah and Lydia (Crook) Bailey; the latter being a native of Wales, Great Britian. His mother's family is traced through Caleb, David, Jr. and David Sen., to William Tryon, of Weathersfield, Conn., an immigrant, accord- ing to tradition, from the Isle of Wight. The Bailey home- stead being far from school, and the family large, their early education was very limited.
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Amon came to Poultney at the age of 16 to learn from his uncle, Festus Giddings, the trade of blacksmith. Being found to be playful, warm and open-hearted, and persevering, he was soon surrounded with friends. He was married in 1816, at the age of twenty-four, to Persis, daughter of John C. Hopson, Sen., of Wells, Vt. Residing in East Poultney, he carried on his trade for some years, in the old brick shop, next the school house. He was unable to do the heavy work himself, and the business did not prosper. He failed at length; gave up all to his creditors; and was still heavily in debt. In this crisis one of his creditors, Harvey D. Smith, assisted him to start anew; which he did in a different line, now dealing in carding and shearing machines. In this he found some success, and in time paid every debt. From this time onward, although his busi- ness was precarious, and mostly away from home, now with one machine and now with another, or with the patents on the same, his credit was always firm. For some years, in connection with James Winchell, Esq., he carried on a small manufactory of various articles a half mile east of the village. Afterwards, in the village, the same with R. H. Green, he manufactured reed organs for a time. He built for himself the first house south of that; and finally nearly rebuilt the old Dana place in the village, which was his last residence, except for a few months before his death.
The defects of his education were never made up, in a literary aspect; what he acquired was mostly from contact with men, and the study of facts, which, with his almost perfect memory and extensive traveling, made him a man of considerable inform- ation. In his early manhood he took some fancy to the military drill and parade, and was carried on to the Colonelcy before the days of the "Flood Wood" were ended. In politics, he was Federal, Whig, Republican. Taking considerable interest in the progress of political affairs, he probably carried, in his memory, more of the political statistics of the country than the best informed of his neighbors. He was seldom absent from the polls. Far as he journeyed, he was expected to present himself on election day. He was chosen to represent the town
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in the General assembly in the years 1838 and 1839, and in 1847, '48 and '49; and was chosen State Senator in 1852 and '53. His religious impressions at first were what might have been expected from a Puritan ancestry, and from his early surround- ings in Poultney. But his wife was brought up in the Protest- ant Episcopal Church; an earnest member. He was willing therefor to take her when convenient to Hampton, to the ser- vices of the Rev. Mr. Jewett, whose sermons he liked, but for some time found it convenient to be late at service. At length his attention was excited to investigate the grounds of differ- ence, and with a result so decided that none of his near ac- quaintances afterward doubted that he had fixed principles, and reasons for them satisfactory to himself. From that time, when at home, he was commonly among the first at Divine ser- vice. He was confirmed by Bishop Griswold, in 1829, and soon became the junior and then the senior warden of St. John's Church, which office he held through life; being ever among the largest supporters and active workers of the parish. He was chosen one of the delegates to the Diocesan Convention in 1830; and, it is said, thereafter annually for 32 years. The Journals of that convention represent him as present, and an active member during 22 sessions.
His temperament was very sympathetic, and he literally re- joiced with them that did rejoice, and wept with them that wept; moreover, adversity always drew from him a response better than tears. Anything touching the sympathies, he could not read aloud without a choking voice. Those who attended church with hun will remember how often he would "overflow" at some expression of Scripture, liturgy or sermon. He was also very hopeful and cheerful, and seldom failed to light up smiles on the faces of others. His laughing eye was the prelude to the joke that was coming from his sober mouth. These traits: made him very companionable, and as his memory seemed to retain all that he ever knew, his acquaintance became very ex- tensive. Liberality was a characteristic. Having commonly but a small property, his domestic, church and public contribu- tions were proportionately very large. When St. John's:
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Church was erected, he gave his all, after reserving enough to make his creditors safe; and much the same to meet the first year's expenses of his son in college.
In the summer of 1865, after toiling very hard in perfecting his arrangements for another journey, he was prostrated very suddenty and alarmingly by sickness. He rallied somewhat afterward, and lingered in much distress for four months, when, with comfortable hopes through Christ, he was released, Nov. 28th, aged 73 years and 3 months. His widow has since resided with her son.
The children were two. The elder, George Swift, engaged in trade with N. B. Thompson, in the State of Georgia. In eight years he accumulated a fair estate for a young man; but he be- came consumptive, and finally so ill that he left his business, and travelled for some months, seeking health, in France, Italy and Sicily. Finding no benefit, he returned homeward, as far as New York, where he died suddenly of profuse hemorrhage, Aug. 2, 1844. His remains were brought home, and interred in the cemetery of St. John's Church, then first opened for the reception of the dead.
The younger son, Albert Hopson, was educated at the Troy Conference Academy, the University of Vermont, and the General Theological Seminary, New York; was ordained Deacon and Priest by Bishop Hopkins, 1846-7, and has since always officiated in Vermont. Married, 30th July, 1846, Catherine Frances, daughter of Hon. H. G. Neal. She was called away by death, Dec. 14, 1859, leaving him six children: Ella, Fanny, Cornelia, George, Julia and Henry Amon. Married, Oct. 10, 1865, Susan J., daughter of Hon. John Colburn, of Fairhaven. Now rector of Grace Church, Sheldon, Vt. [A. H. B.
BALLARD .- Tilly Ballard was born in the town of Tinmouth, and removed to Poultney in the year 1829. He married Polly Whitman, and by her had nine children; eight boys and one girl. The names of the boys were: Horace, Henry, Daniel, Heman, Tilly, Harley and Harvey. Tilly, Sen. died November, 1832, while yet a young man. Heman died the same day his
27
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father did, and Horace died in September, 1855, in Poultney. Harvey died in Illinois, in 1872. Four of the sons are still liv- ing; Henry, Dar iel and Tilly in Poultney, and Harley in Kan- kakee, Illinois. The widow of Tilly Ballard, Sen. died in. Poultney, February 15, 1856.
BARBER, ELI-lived in the north part of the town of Poult- ney for several years. He moved from Fairhaven to Poultney, and died here January 25, 1837, at the age of 61 years. His wife, Sarah S., died Aug. 31, 1847. At the time of her death she was living with her son, George Barber. Eli Barber and his wife united with the Congregational Church in Poult- ney, by letter from Fairhaven Church, May 1, 1835. Eli and Sarah S. had nine children: Milo, Heman, Luman, Lucy, Ly- man, Lucinda, Edmund, George and Levi S. Milo died when a child; Heman died February 7, 1875, at the age of 72, in Ben- son, Vt .; Lyman died at Poultney, March 19, 1875, at the age of 65. He died on the farm on which he had lived about 35 years, situated in the north part of Poultney, and near the Ea- gle Quarry. He left a widow and three children. Luman died in Benson, when a young man. Lucy died when a child. Lu- cinda married Marcus W. Bliss, and now resides in Poultney. Edmund has resided in Saratoga for the last five years. George was never married, and died in Dresden, Iowa, in June, 1870. Levi S. married Araminta Stone, and died in Poultney about thirty years ago. He left a widow, who afterwards married a Mr. Loveland, and removed to Connecticut, and has since died.
BARKER .- Eastus and Jaasaniah Barker were for some years residents of the town. They, with Justus Barker, who new re- sides in Middletown, were sons of Pitman Barker, who was a former resident of the town of Tinmonth, and brother of Eastus Barker, of that place, who was some years a sheriff of Rutland County, about sixty years ago, Pitman lived with his sons, in Poultney, the latter part of his life, and died in Poultney at an advanced age. Eastus married Perley, a daughter of Alfred Hosford, and had three children: Don A., Dwight and Edson D. Don A. married a daughter of Asa J. Rogers, and now re-
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sides in Poultney. The other two reside in Plainfield, Wis. Eastus has been dead some years; he died in Wisconsin. His widow now resides on the old homestead, south of Poultney vil- lage. Javsaniah married, and had four children. He has been dead some years.
BATEMAN, ORSON R .- Is an old man, and resided nearly all his life in this town. He left a year or two since, and went to Johnsburg, N. Y., and for that reason the writer has not been able to get his history. He has been twice married; he had a large family of boys, and several of them, whose names appear elsewhere, served in the War of the Rebellion.
BEACH, NOAH PORTER-Was born in Hardwick, Mass., and came to Poultney in 1836. He married Rhoda Brown. He has resided in Poultney since the time he came here, except about two years, when he was in Malone, N. Y. He has owned and worked a small farm near the village, and a portion of the time has worked in the Ruggles Foundry. He sold his farm, and moved into the village in the spring of 1875. He has been a man of very industrious habits. He was married Sept. 27th, 1843; and has had three children:
Francena, b. March 14, 1848.
Charles A., b. August 11, 1851. Emma C., b. June, 1859.
BEALS, DAVID-Son of Caleb and Sarah Beals, was born in Plainfield, Mass., July 21, 1792. He moved to Wells, Vt., in 1816, and married Lydia, daughter of Bethuel and Mary Barden, in 1817, by whom he had one child, Barden. She (Lydia) died May 24th, 1824, at the age of 28 years. David Beals afterward married Sally, daughter of David Keyes, of Middletown, by whom he had three children: Emeline A., John A. and Henry, all of whom are now living. Emeline lives in Canaan, N. H .; John in Galva, Ill., and Henry in Rutland, Vt. He (David) moved to Poultney about the year 1832, and was killed by the caving in of a well, Sept. 13, 1836. His occupation was that of
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farming. Sally, his wife, afterward married Zimri Barber, of Castleton, and died there June 28, 1854, at the age of 63 years. Barden Beals was born in Wells, May 11, 1818, and married Eveline C., daughter of Abel and Amanda Parker, of Wells, January 23, 1845, and has one child, Helen S. He moved to Poultney in 1854, where he now lives, and is engaged in the grocery and provision business.
BEAMAN, JOEL .-- Of the early inhabitants of Poultney there were few that became more closely identified with the interests of the town, or who was better or longer known as one of its leading business men, than Joel Beaman. Born in Leominster, Mass., he came to Vermont in the Spring of 1805, when, in Company with others, he engaged in the business of paper making (of which he had a practical knowledge), in Fairhaven, where he remained but a few years. In 1808 he married Lydia, eldest child of John Brown, Esq., and soon after removed to Poultney, purchasing the public house still known as the " Bea- man House," and which has been retained by the family to the present time. Soon after, he purchased of Thomas Ashley the house and lot afterwards the place of residence of Hon. Rollin C. Mallary, and now owned and occupied by Dr. McLeod; and also the then farm lands of the said Ashley, a portion of which embraced that part of the present village of Poultney bounded north by the East Poultney road, south by the river, west by the old turnpike (now Grove street), and extending east to the furnace. At about this time he sold his interest in the Fairhaven paper mill, and commenced in the mercantile business, which he successfully continued until his death. Soon after the close of the war of 1812-14, he purchased the farm of Judge Witherill, lying at the west end of the village, which he at a later day sold to the Troy Conference Academy Associ- ation, and which they now hold, and upon which stand the present Academy buildings. In addition to his business as merchant-and for a time woolen manufacturer, public house keeper and farmer, Mr. Beaman was also largely engaged in staging, holding, as he did, for many years, large mail contracts
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from Albany to Burlington, Rutland to Whitehall, and several other less important routes; and though he may not have been, what in the present day would be called a fast or dashing busi- ness man, he was ever regarded as safe; and it may be truly said that no branch of his business was ever allowed to suffer for want of proper care and attention. Eccentric in some respects, owing to an apparent absence of mind to what was in- mediately passing before him, he was quick of observation, had ready perception, a remarkably retentive memory, and a sound judgment. Unpretentious and consistent in the various rela- tions in life, public spirited and courteous to all, he was highly esteemed and was often called upon to fill many and the most important offices within the gift of the people of the town and which trusts were always well and faithfully discharged. He represented the town in the Legislatures of Vermont in the years 1817, '18, '30, '31, '36 and '40.
He died, March 20, 1846, leaving a wife and nine children. Two sons and one daughter have since died.
Jenks graduated at West Point; died at Tampico, on his way home from the Mexican War, in 1848.
Joel D., a merchant in Poultney, died in 1849.
Frances H. married W. O. Ruggles; died in New York City in 1862.
Lydia Brown (wife of Joel Beaman), who was best known among her immediate friends and her own family, as a woman of sterling worth, died January 31, 1867.
Of the surviving children, George H., formerly editor and publisher of the Rutland Herald, now resides at Center Rutland. John B., a lawyer, in Poultney. Cullen C., together with Min- erva L., widow of C. R. Mallary, and two sisters, live at the old homestead.
BENT, CLARK E .- Was born in Mt. Holly. He came to Poultney when he was 18 years old, and has resided here since, and now owns and lives upon a farm about two miles south of East Poultney. Mr. Bent married Ann M. Pepper. They have one child who married Frank Marshall.
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BESSE, DAVID C .- was born in White Creek, Washington Co., N. Y., May 16, 1811, where he lived with his parents until about fifteen years of age. He then went to Danby, Vt., and there served the apprenticeship of his trade-that of black- smith-for four years. In 1830, having completed the term of his apprenticeship, he came to Poultney and worked for seven months at his trade, for Daniel Sprague. He then returned to Danby and remained there until 1833, when he again came to Poultney, where he has ever since resided, and during all the time has lived in the same house he now owns and occupies. Mr. Besse married, May 30, 1830, a lady of Danby, whose maiden name was H. D. Boomer, and who is now living. They have three children living: Julia Ann, George H., and William Albert. They have buried two-John and Harriet.
The name of Besse is not common in this vicinity, Mr. Besse never having known of but one person of that name in this county, aside from his own family, and that one unrelated to him. The relatives of this family all live in the Western States. Mr. Besse, during his long residence in Poultney, has been a good citizen, temperate and strict in his habits of life, and respected by his townsmen for his integrity of character.
BLISS, AMOS-Was born in Greenwich, N. Y., Sept. 11, 1794. He came to Poultney about the year 1817, and soon commenced the mercantile business, which he followed while he lived, and in which he was successful. He first traded in the store now ocenpied by Deweys & Co., in the east village, and afterwards built a store a few rods from the Eagle Hotel, on the street leading from thence to the covered bridge, which he occupied as long as he was in business. He was economical in his habits, and gave close attention to his business in all its details. He was for awhile connected with the Northern Spectator, and its editor; a more full account of which is given elsewhere. He was for many years town clerk, and was one of the founders of the Poultney Bank, and took an active part in the business affairs of the town. He married Mary Shepard, May 20, 1822, and by her had four children:
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Mary Adeline, b. July 2, 1823.
Dwight Shepard, b. Aug. 11, 1826.
Amos Shepard, b. June 2, 1829.
Horace Shepard, b. May 27, 1834.
The children all died in the life-time of the father. Horace Shepard died Nov. 27, 1834, six months after birth; Mary Adeine, an accomplished and promising young lady, died June 24, 1841, much lamented.
Mary, the wife of Mr. Bliss, a refined and accomplished lady, died Nov. 22, 1843.
The following notice of Dwight Shepard Bliss is copied from " Poets and Poetry of Vermont " -_.
" Was born in Poultney, Vt., and died of consumption June 5, 1847. He was- a natural artist, self-instructed, and left speci- mens in landscape and historical painting remarkable for taste and finish for a pupil without a tutor. He was also passionately fond of music and poetry. . The specimen we have selected from his poems was written but a few weeks before his death."
We copy only a part of that poem, and all our space will per- mit. It is entitled-
EARTHLY FRIENDS IN HEAVEN. % * *
I've a mother up in Heaven, And O! tell me if you will, Will the mother know her children,- Will she recollect them still ?
Can she look down from those windows To this dark and distant shore ? Will she know when I am coming,- Will she meet me at the door?
Will she clasp me to her bosom In her ecstacy of joy ? Will she ever be my mother,- Shall I always be her boy ?
And, thou loved one, who didst leave us In the morning of thy bloom, Dearest sister, shall I meet thee
When I go beyond the tomb ?
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Shall I see thy lovely features,- Shall I hear thy pleasant words, Sounding o'er my spirit's harp-string's Like the melody of birds ?
And I think me of another, Of a darling little one, Who went np among the angels Ere his life was scarce begun;
O! I long once more to see him, And to fold him in my arms As I did when he was with us, With his thousand budding charms.
*
And will Death alone unfold as All about the Christian's home ?
Must we pass the "narrow valley " Ere we view the Glory-dome ?
Aye, 'tis true, the soul must suffer And be bowed with anguish down, Ere 'tis fitted for its dwelling. Ere 'tis ready for its erown.
And ten thousand the emotions Crowding round the restless heart, When its weary strings are breaking, When it feels it must depart!
But, O Jesus! blessed JJesus! Thon art love without alloy; Thon wilt meet, and Thou wilt bless us, Thou wilt give ns perfect joy.
We also copy from the same a notice of Amos Shepard Bliss, with a poem.
"Amos S. Bliss, brother of Dwight, died at Poultney, Vt., December 26, 1853, in the twenty-fifth year of his age. He was a quiet, unpretending young man, of delicate health for several years before his death. Deep and beautiful was his admiration of his brother's poetical talent, almost amounting to reverence. The poem we have selected is a tribute to the memory of this, his only brother. Now side by side sleep these young brothers who hopefully passed to the immortal life."
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THOU ART GONE TO THE SPIRIT-LAND.
Thou art gone to the spirit-land, Brother, Thou art gone to the spirit-land; And we are left alone, Brother, Of all that household band. The walls that echoed often To thy firm, elastic tread, Are silent, sad and gloomy, For a noble soul has fled.
There are only two left now, Brother, There are only two left now;
For the hand of death lies cold, Brother, Upon that marble brow. The night-wind stirreth gently The curtains o'er thy bed, And murmurs, low and sadly, A requiem for the dead.
It was very hard to part, Brother, It was very hard to part
From thee, so good and kind, Brother, From thee, so pure in heart. Our hearts are sad and lonely, And the hearth is cold and drear; While down the cheek is stealing Each bitter, scalding tear.
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