USA > Vermont > Addison County > Gazetteer and business directory of Addison County, Vt., for 1881- 82 > Part 13
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Loren Orvis, the first settler in the town of Lincoln, located at an early date upon the farm now owned by his son Lorenzo, on road fifty-eight in this town. At the age of seventy five years he drove a pair of colts in drawing brick to build the fine residence now occupied by Lorenzo, rather than trust them with hired help. He had a family of nine sons and four daughters, Lo- renzo being the only one now living. Loren died Oct. 5, 1859, aged ninety- one years.
Charles Newton, from Duchess County, N. Y., located in the west part of the town in 1800, on land now owned by John Newton.
Russell Rogers, from New London, Conn., came with his father, Jabez, to Middlebury soon after the Revolution, and in 1812, moved to Ferrisburgh, and died at Vergennes in 1858, aged seventy-four years. He was a mason by trade, and held various town offices here.
Benjamin Warner came to this town in 1802, and located upon the farm now occupied by the widow of Benjamin B. Warner, on road forty, corner of forty-four. He had a family of five children, and died in 1838, aged sixty- eight years, and was buried in a small cemetery, on road forty-six.
John Gregory, a native of North Carolina, and soldier in the war of 1812. came to this town in 1814. and located upon the farm now owned by James Gregory. Mr. Gregory was twice married and had a family of twelve children. He built the first house on the old homestead, which is still standing.
The old hotel building now standing near Dr. Crane's was kept by William Gates as early as 1794, and afterwards by George Pease.
Allen Adams came to this county from Connecticut and located in Starks- boro, and subsequently removed to Charlotte, and finally to this town in 1816, where he located upon the farm now known as the Keese place, buying of William M. Gage. He had a family of six children. James, his only son, resided where George M. Adams now lives, till his death in 1870. Allen also died here in his ninety-first year.
David Smith came to Ferrisburgh in 1851, and has held the office of rep- resentative, justice, and others.
Lydia, widow of Herman Barnum, is an old resident of this town, being now eighty-six years of age.
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TOWN OF GOSHEN.
Daniel Kimball, from New Hampshire, came to Ferrisburgh in 1825. He was a carpenter, and engaged in boat building for a long time. In 1844, he built a cider mill on road two, and has manufactured cider for people within a radius of many miles. His son George is still in possession of the old place and cider-mill.
Charles Hawley located in Ferrisburgh in 1810, near the lake shore. His son Daniel was born in 1811, and died in 1878. Charles had a family of eight children. During the battle of Plattsburgh his family hid two days in the swamp, burying their goods in the drift-wood.
Ferrisburgh Preparative Meeting of Friends, located at North Ferrisburgh, was organized by a body of Friends from Duchess County, N. Y., in 1793, numbering about one hundred, who during that year erected a meeting house. They had no minister, so Joseph Hoag and his wife conducted the services. In 1830, the church was divided, the larger portion of the members joining a schism, styling themselves the "Hicksites." They flourished for a time, but decreased in numbers, and finally died out. The old society has kept steadily along, however, and now numbers about sixty members, who hold services regularly, conducted by George Wood and E. Dakin. A new church edifice, with seating capacity for two hundred persons, was built in 1860, costing $1,000.00, and which, including grounds, is now valued at $1,200.00.
The Methodist Episcopal Church of North Ferrisburgh was organized at an early day in the history of the town, with Rev. Charles De Vol as first pastor. In 1838, the first church building was erected, which, in 1873, gave place to the present commodious structure. Stoddard Martin donated the land where the church and parsonage stand, and afterwards built the parsonage and barn which he also donated to the society. The church cost $8.900.00, has two parlors, a lecture room, and kitchen, all furnished, and will com- fortably seat 300 persons in its auditorium, and has a present value, includ- ing all property, of $11,000.00. The society has 163 members, under the pastoral care of Rev. David C. Ayres. In 1843, Rev. Cyrus Prindle with- drew from the society and organized a Wesleyan society, with forty-three members. The society flourished for a time, built a church, etc., until 1853, when, for want of support, it ceased to exist. The building is now used as a school house and lecture room.
GOSHEN, located in the southwestern part of the county, in lat. 43º 56' and long. 4º 4', bounded north by Ripton, east by Hancock and Rochester, south by Chittenden, and west by Brandon, Leicester and Salisbury, was granted by Vermont, February 23, 1782, though the charter was not obtained until February 2, 1792, entitling John Powell, William Doug- lass and sixty-three others to 13,000 acres. A new charter was granted, No- vember 1, 1798, by which two gores lying in Caledonia County, seventy miles distant, containing respectively 2,828 and 7,339 acres, were added to the orig-
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TOWN OF GOSHEN.
inal charter, thus making the grant a little over one township in area, or 23,- 167 acres. But soon after the latter charter was obtained, it began to be realized by the inhabitants that either of the gores might, with propriety, or- ganize themselves into a town and their proceedings be perfectly valid. Ac- cordingly, an act of the Legislature legalizing the organization of the 13,000 acres into a township was soon after obtained. The gores in Caledonia County nominally belonged to the town till 1854, when they were severed from it by the Legislature. The land of Goshen is still held under the old 1798 charter, though it has undergone the ordeal of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division so thoroughly since that time, that an old ac- quaintance would scarcely recognize it. On November 9, 1814, only a few months after the organization of the town by election of town officers, 11,000 acres from the north part of Philadelphia was annexed to Goshen, and in 1820, November Ist, the north part of this town was annexed to Ripton ; and again, November 10, 1847, a part was annexed to Rochester. These, we believe, are all the changes made in the area of the territory. Its surface is high and rocky, as, indeed, is to be expected in a town lying en- tirely upon the Green Mountains. The geological formation being princi- pally gneiss and quartz rock, while iron ore and the oxyd of manganese exist to some extent.
Though a mountainous town, Goshen still has many broad valleys of fertile, arrable soil, especially in the valleys of the several streams, which, year after year, have washed the soil and vegetable deposit from the mountain sides, and by occasional overflows deposited it in plains of rich alluvial land, where- on is produced excellent growths of wheat, oats, rye, buckwheat, Indian corn, potatoes, and hay, the latter no mean item in the town, devoted as it is to dairying and wool growing. The manufacture of sugar from the maple is also an important industry, as the maple has an extensive growth here, together with pine, hemlock, spruce, oak, beech, birch, and other timber of a decidu- ous nature. Sucker Brook rises in the northeastern part of the town, flows a westerly course into Salisbury. Mill Brook rises near the central part of the town and flows southwesterly into Brandon. These, with their branches and tributaries, form the principal streams, and afford many very good mill privi- leges. A small pond is situated in the north part of the town in School Dis- trict No. 4, called Dutton's Pond.
In 1880, Goshen had a population of 326, was divided into four school districts and contained four common schools, employing one male and six female teachers, at an aggregate salary of $360.90. There were ninety-two pupils attending common school, and the entire cost of the schools for the year ending October 31st, was $394.88. H. Z. Churchill was superintendent. The town, being entirely a grazing and farming community, has no settle- ment worthy of the title of village, and no post-office, the mail being pro- cured from the adjoining town of Brandon, in Rutland County.
Newman Allen's saw-mill, located in the southwestern part of the town,
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TOWN OF GOSHEN.
was erected by John Capen about the year 1850. Mr. Allen manufactures here staves, barrel headings, shingles, and all kinds of lumber for building . purposes. The mill, operated by water-power, has the capacity for cutting 10,000 feet of lumber per diem.
Turner W. Dutton's saw-mill, located in the north part of the town near Dutton's Pond, is operated by water-power and manufactures lumber, shingles, etc., cutting 5,000 feet of lumber per day.
The first settler of this town was Jabez Olmstead, who came from Chitten- den, Rutland County, in 1807, and located upon the farm now owned by Arnold Ayer. Joseph Carlisle came next, some time during the following year, taking up his residence on lot forty-nine. From this time settlers came in slowly, one after another, till in March, 1814, there were seventeen families in town. On the 29th of that month a meeting of the inhabitants was called at the residence of Simeon C. Davis, presided over by Henry Olin, of Leicester, at which the town was duly organized and Nathan Capen chosen town clerk, Grindall Davis, Noah Allen, and Anthony Baker, selectmen. Mr. Capen retained his office from this time, twenty-eight consecutive years, and also that of justice of the peace for a period of thirty-three years. The first justice was Grindall Davis, chosen in 1814, and one year later the first representative, Phineas Blood, was sent to the General Assembly. The first male born in town was Mial, son of Joseph Carlisle ; the first female, Polly, daughter of Noah Allen. The first school was taught by Martia Carlisle in the winter of 1814, and the first school house was erected during the follow- ing year, in district number one. The first saw-mill was built in 1817, by Anthony Baker.
Phineas Blood, the first settler on the portion of land annexed from Philadel- phia, located here in 1806, from Charlestown, N. H. He was a prominent man of the town for many years, served as representative in 1815-'16, was jus- tice of the peace several years, and died September 10. 1822. He was the father of nine children, three of whom are now living in the town, Mrs. Maria Cary, Mrs. Miranda W. Gale, and Charles O. Blood, aged respectively, sixty-seven, sixty-five, and sixty-three years.
Reuben Grandey came in 1809, residing here till his death, April 30, 1819, filling the first grave in the burial ground.
Nathan Capen, from Boone's Station, Mass., came here December 10, 1810, locating near Jabez Olmstead. Mr. Capen held many positions of honor and trust, and was much respected during his life, which was ended March 12, 1852, aged sixty-six years. He was elected representative in 1830, serving six years. His son, Nathan, Jr., served as representative in 1862 and '63.
Harvey Z. Churchill, born in Brandon, December 1. 1820, came to Goshen December 6, 1860, where he has since been engaged in farming and lum- bering. Mr. Churchill has served the town as superintendent of schools, justice of the peace, selectman, auditor, lister, and also as delegate to the Constitutional Convention, in 1870, member of the Legislature in 1874-'76, and
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assistant justice of Addison County from 1878 to 1880. He is still engaged in farming and lumbering.
Simeon L. Churchill came to this town from Brandon, in 1861, where he has since been engaged in farming and lumbering.
Charles Washburn, from Bridgwater, Vt., came with his father to Goshen in 1822, locating in the southern part of the town. There were then only five framed houses in the township, and there are now only ten persons living here who were residents at that time. Mr. Washburn has held various town offices during his long life here.
Francis Brown, born in Rochester, Vt., September 29, 1797, came to this town in 1822, locating upon the farm he still occupies, and is now the oldest person living in the town and is also, with one or two exceptions, the only person left of those who were residents at the time he came. Mr. Brown has served the town as representative three terms, and as justice of the peace nearly fifty years. Two of his sons, E. J. and A. S., have served as represent- atives, E. J. two terms and A. S., one .*
There are two things, at least, of which the people of Goshen are proud. One is, that three Presidents, Lincoln, Grant, and Hayes, received the unani- mous vote of the town. The other is, that during the late rebellion the quota of the town was more than filled.
The Methodist Episcopal Church, located in the southwestern part of the town, was organized in 1818, with seven members, Rev. Nathaniel Alden being their first pastor. Rev. Mr. Church is their present pastor, with a very sparse membership. The first house of worship was erected in 1831, giving place to the present structure in 1848. The building, which cost $ 1,000.00, will accommodate 350 persons, and is now valued, including grounds, at $1,500.00.
The Wesleyan Methodist Church, also located in the southwest part of the town, was organized by Martin Allen, in 1847, Rev. Robert H. Ross, first pastor. 'The church building was erected in 1851, with seating capacity for 150 persons, at a cost of $500.00, about its present value. The society has, at present, eight regular members, with Rev. Mr. Hathaway, pastor.
GRANVILLE lies in the extreme eastern part of the county, in lat. 43º 59' and long. 4° 10', bounded north by Warren and a part of Roxbury, in Washington County, east by Braintree, in Orange County, south by Hancock, and west by Ripton. It was granted by Gov. Thomas Chittenden, of Vermont, November 7, 1780, and chartered August 2, 1781, to Reuben King and sixty-three others, taking its name, " Kingston," from King. This name it retained till November 6, 1833, when for some local prejudice on the part of the inhabitants, it was changed by the Legislature to Granville. Originally, the township is said to have contained 23,040 acres, which was
. An error in the Directory, on pages 307-4), was made in cailing this and similar names Brower, instead of Brown.
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TOWN OF GRANVILLE.
increased by the annexation of a part of Avery's Gore, November 6, 1833. The surface of the territory is generally rough and mountainous, containing large tracts of rocky untillable soil, unfit for purposes of cultivation, yet valu- able on account of its heavy growth of timber. Still, through the centre of the town from north to south, there extends a broad valley of excellent alluvial land, watered by White River, whose numerous branches come rush- ing down the mountains on all sides, forming a net-work of clear cold water, sparkling as crystal. The scenery, like most points on the Green Mountains, is pleasing and romantic-in some places most beautiful, as for instance, at and about Moss Glen Falls, on a branch near the centre of the town, where the water falls over a massive rock, one hundred feet high, with a perpen- dicular fall of fifty feet at the lower part, where the continual washing of the waters has worn a hole in the rocks ten feet in depth. Surrounding this is a glen, rarely excelled for picturesque beauty, that calls many visitors each season, but whose charms has too often been portrayed on canvass, and in most exquisite pen-pictures, to require a rehearsal here. Mad River heads in the northern part, flowing north into Washington County, while several branches of the East Branch of White River rise in the western part of the town and flow east into Orange County. The soil of the tillable and is mostly a fine alluvial deposit, constantly enriched by washings from the highlands deposited by overflows. The overflows, however, some- times overstep their bounds and become freshets, when the gentle purling streams become, like a beautiful animal roused to anger, the master and destroyer. The most destructive of these torrents occurred during the great storm of July 26, 1830. There had been an unusual fall of rain during the whole season, but on the third day previous to the flood-Saturday-at about three o'clock P. M., rain fell with unusual vehemence until Sabbath morning, so that during the day the streams were forced from their beds upon soil which had slept by their side for ages unmolested. When at the close of the Sabbath they again began to retreat slowly and sullenly to their wonted channels, it seemed that a short respite was to be allowed the already satur- ated earth. But early in the forenoon of Monday the storm broke with redoubled fury, continuing till far into the night. Houses, barns, bridges, and everything in the course of the mad torrent were swept before it, causing an incredible loss of property, though happily, no lives were lost in this town. The deep gulf at Moss Glen Falls, lying between the mountain on the west and the hill on the opposite side, was literally filled up by an immense mass of earth that had been undermined by the water till it made a land slide, forming a dam that raised the waters above to a height of seventy-five feet above their normal course, as was proven afterward by the drift-wood, etc., lodged in the tops of the trees. At about twelve o'clock this immense mass gave way, and the waters from the mighty reservoir formed by it came thundering down through the valley, carrying destruction to all before it. The inhabitants having betaken themselves to the higher land was all that pre-
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vented a great loss of life. The narrowest escape, perhaps, was that of David Wiley, in the eastern part of the town, whose house was swept away, and he and his family only escaped death by clinging to a projecting rock, and under a portion of which they took refuge till morning.
The rocks of the town are almost entirely of the talcose schist formation, though the bed is cut by some ledges of limestone. No minerals of any im- portance have been discovered, except gold, and that only in small quantities along the streams. The principal occupation and wealth of the inhabitants are devoted to agricultural pursuits, though grazing and wool-growing are con- ducted quite extensively. Of the manufacturing interests that of lumbering, in its various branches, and the manufacture of timber into charcoal, are the most important. The timber is that common to the mountainous portions of the county, while the soil produces readily the fruits and grains grown in the towns of this latitude. The population of the town is (1880) 830, has a good school system divided into ten districts, supporting ten common schools, and employing five male and fifteen female teachers, at an aggregate salary of $758.40. During the year ending October 31, 1880, there were 225 pupils attending common school, while the entire expense of the schools for the year was $856.55, with Mr. E. F. Briggs, superintendent. The Vermont Central Railroad passes through the eastern portion of the town, the only town in the county it touches, with a station at East Granville.
GRANVILLE, a post village located in the southern part of the town, on a branch of White River, contains two churches (M. E. and Union), one black- smith shop, and about a dozen dwellings. The stream affords a moderate water privilege.
EAST GRANVILLE, a post village and station on the Vermont Central Rail- road, contains two saw-mills and twelve dwellings.
GRANVILLE CENTRE, located near the centre of the town, on White River, contains one church (M. E.), two blacksmith shops, one store, a saw-mill, eave-spout mill, bowl and clapboard mill, wagon shop, and fifteen dwellings.
Tarbell's saw-mill, located at East Granville, cuts 300,000 feet of lumber per year, and a carload of wood per day.
Lucius Webb's saw-mill, also located at East Granville, does not cut much lumber at present. Mr. Webb has also three or four coal kilns.
Whiney's saw-mill, located at the Centre, manufactures 300,000 feet of lumber, in addition to chair-stock, fork and hoe handles, and 150,000 eave- spouts per annum.
Granville Cheese Factory, located at the Centre, was built by D. H. Whit- ney in 1878, and is now operated by D. H. Whitney & Sons, who use the milk from 200 cows.
Granville Tub Factory, located on White River, is owned by the North- field Savings Bank. The factory has facilities for manufacturing 1,000 butter tubs per week.
Hemenway's wooden bowl manufactory, located at the village, was established
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TOWN OF GRANVILLE.
by R. N. Hemenway in 1879, and is now owned by D. D. Hemenway, who uses 75,000 feet of lumber per year in the manufacture of wooden bowls, em- ploying two men.
Rice's shingle and clapboard mill, located on road four, is conducted by Newman D. Rice and Owen L. Sabin. The shingle-mill was established in 1879, and the clapboard department was lately fitted up. The capacity of the works is about 100,000 shingles and 100,000 feet of clapboards per year.
The first proprietors' meeting was warned, dated at Bennington, Vt., April 12, 1783, to meet at Windsor, June 12th, of the same year. At this meet- ing Reuben King was chosen first proprietors' clerk, and settlement was soon after commenced by him and a few others. At an adjourned meeting held also at Windsor, September 28, 1784, it was voted that one hundred acres of land be given to each of the first women who should, with their families, make a permanent settlement in the town. This offer was accepted by Mrs. Nooma (Gardner) King, wife of Daniel, the second proprietors' clerk, chosen October 9, 1783, who was given the farm marked lot 208 on the orig- inal town draft ; Mrs. Elizabeth Sterling, lot thirty-three, and Perris Ball, wife of Israel Ball, the first moderator of the town, and at whose house the first town meeting was held, was given lot eighty-five. From this time the settlement gradually increased, until at the taking of the first census, in 1791, there was a population of 101. In 1788 it was considered that the town had a sufficient number of settlers to organize and conduct business independent of the proprietors. Accordingly a meeting was called at the house of Israel Ball, July 8th, of that year, at which Israel Ball was chosen moderator ; Joseph Patrick town clerk, holding office, with the exception of the year 1793, until 1832, a perid of forty-three years ; Israel Ball, Asa Wood, and Moses King, selectmen ; Gideon Abbott, constable and collector, and Joshua Beck- with, grand juror. The first justice of the peace was Daniel King, chosen in 1787, and subsequently Joseph Patrick was elected, holding the office thirty-six years. Joseph Rice was the first representative, chosen in 1807. Daniel King built the first grist and saw-mill, which was completed in 1785, and received a bounty of four lots of land from the proprietors for the same, marked on the map fifty-one, fifty-two, fifty-seven and fifty-nine, aggregating four hun- dred acres. The first-born was Henry King, July 6, 1788.
Caleb Ford came to Granville from Braintree, Orange County, in 1823, locating where his sons Alvin and Warren L. now reside. He was twice married, first to Rebecca, and second to Roxana Lamb. By his first wife he had four children, Hiram, Jeremiah, Samantha, and Alvin, and by his second, Elisha, Warren L., George L., Ira H., Caleb, Sarah H., William H., Eliza- beth L., Ellen R., Henry C., and Edwin J. Warren L. is the only one of the latter now living in the town.
Israel Ball was one of the first settlers of the town. He came from Massa- chusetts and made his first pitch on the land now owned by Daniel Babcock and Eleazer Hubbard, on road twenty-one. Mr. Ball was a deacon of the
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Congregational church, and had a family of four sons and three daugh- ters, the most of whom located in the town, but after a time became scattered. The boys were named Levi, Ezra, Tyler, and Rufus. Levi was a soldier in the war of the Revolution and lived here most of the time until his death. Ezra moved to Canada, where he reared a large family. Tyler remained in the town, locating where Joseph P. Ball now lives. He died in 1828, aged fifty-eight years and eight months. Tyler was a deacon of the Baptist church, had nine children, three of whom died young, and only two now reside here. Joseph P., and Mrs. P. Ashley. Rufus married in Corinth and shortly after removed there, where he died. Joseph P. is now seventy-two years of age, has been justice of the peace forty-five years, and six times returned to the Legislature.
William Lamb settled in Granville in 1796, living first in Hancock a year or two and then removed to this town, then Kingston. He had a family of ten children.
John Vinton came from Braintree, Mass., first locating in Braintree, Vt., where he married Charlotte Lamb, daughter of William, in 1816. In 1830, they removed to Granville, having a family of ten children, seven sons and three daughters. Four of the sons, William L., John A., Augustus F., and Henry C., are now living in this town. John lived to be seventy-five years of age, dying in 1869.
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