Gazetteer and business directory of Addison County, Vt., for 1881- 82, Part 15

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- cn
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Syracuse, Printed at the Journal Office
Number of Pages: 1148


USA > Vermont > Addison County > Gazetteer and business directory of Addison County, Vt., for 1881- 82 > Part 15


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Warren Brook's saw-mill manufactures 500,000 shingles and 50,000 feet of lumber annually.


Alonso H. Davis & Son's saw-mill was built by Elihu Puriton and Ariel Hawkins, in 1840. They manufacture 300,000 feet of lumber into staves, annually.


Abel T. Morgan's saw mill was built by Holt & Butterfield as an axe and hoe factory in 1830, and continued as such till 1860, when it was converted into a clapboard mill, being run as such by J. H. Batchelder until 1876, when it came into the hands of the present proprietors, who annually manufacture 450,000 feet of lumber, mostly clapboards.


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TOWN OF LINCOLN.


G. & F. G. Bagley's saw-mill was built by Lewis and Elijah Varney in 1851. It has since been operated as a clapboard mill, cutting 500,000 feet per annum.


Hanks & Varney's saw-mill, built in 1878, by Wilbur E. Hanks, saws an- nually 400,000 feet of lumber.


O. S. H. Butterfield's grist-mill stands on the site of the old saw and grist- mill swept away by the freshet of 1869.


In 1794, a survey of the township was made, and lots numbered, and the first division made ; and in March of the following year, 1795, the first settle- ment was begun in the north part of the town, by Loren Orvis, Lawrence Delong, and Marcus Heading, with their families. Later in the year, James Dean, from Connecticut, located upon the farm now owned by Zeno Page, making, with two other families, the entire population during that year. In 1796, James Varney, David Hayes, and Samuel Eastman, with several other families, took up their residence here, and were followed by others so rapidly that, in 1798, the town had nearly one hundred inhabitants, a sufficient num- ber with which to organize and select town officials. Accordingly, March 13, a meeting was called at the house of Jedediah Durfey, at which Howland Delong was chosen town clerk, Loren Orvis, Jedediah Durfey, and James Varney, selectmen, and Samuel Eastman, constable. These early settlers were of a sect denominated as Friends or Quakers, a pious, thrifty, industrious people, who appreciated well the advantages of both religious and common education, and even before the town was organized, as early as 1797, a log school-house was built near the old graveyard, and a school taught by Olive Durfey. The first deed recorded in the proprietors' records, is that of "Jonathan Eastman, of Rupert, Bennington County, Vt., {15, 10s., lawful money. One Rite of Land laying in Lincoln, in Rutland Co., which Rite was granted to said Eastman by the General Assembly." The first justices were Jedediah and Ebenezer Durfey, chosen in 1801, Jedediah also being chosen as first representative during the same year. The first birth in town was that of Harley Heading, in 1796. The first recorded marriage, Samuel Meader and Phoebe Delong, December 10, 1801. First death, Mrs. Samuel Eastman, September 29, 1797. The first man buried in town was James Dean, 1802. The first grist-mill was built by Chase and Jonathan Purinton, at Lincoln Center. The first framed house was built by Abraham Peasley. Cobb Hill, located in the south part of the town, received its name from a man of that name who located upon it, made a small clearing and planted an apple orchard, afterwards abandoning his improvements. The apple trees are still stading in bearing state in the midst of the forest.


Chase Purinton, with his family, consisting of wife and eight children, came to this town in 1803, locating upon the farm now occupied by Elihu Purin- ton, on road 14, there being at that time twenty-five families in the town. He lived here until his death, at the age of sixty-nine, his wife following him in 1843, at the age of eighty-five.


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TOWN OF LINCOLN.


Zenas Covel, born in Hope, N. Y., April 27, 1807, early entered the ministry of the M. E. church, and after a long and useful life retired and located in Lincoln. His numerous friends in Lincoln and vicinity celebrated his golden wedding, July 4, 1881.


John Page, from New Hampshire, came to Lincoln in 1820. Mr. Page had a family of eight children, seven of whom were sons, not one of whom ever used tobacco or liquor, nor indulged in profanity. Ira, the eldest, lived all his life in his native town, as also did Ezra. Two others of the family still live here, two in Burlington, and one in Braintree. All accumulated a handsome property entirely by energy and perseverance.


Thomas Goodrich, from Massachusetts, purchased five hundred acres of land in Lincoln, in 1796, upon which he located. He was for a long time owner and landlord of the first hotel kept in the town, held most of the town offices in succession, and for many years paid -the heaviest taxes of any man in the township. Five of his seven children are still living, all but one in Vermont. The farm upon which he located is now owned by J. Butterfield. For some time after settlement his team for all purposes consisted of a cow and an ox yoked together.


Abel Wright came to this town from New Hampshire in 1820, locating on Quaker street. He married Mary Robie, of New Hampshire, and had a family of twelve children, of whom Harriet, widow of Henry Nichols, now resides in West Lincoln, aged seventy years. Two are living in New York, and one in Kansas.


Benjamin Clark, from Bristol, Vt., came to Lincoln about seventy years ago, locating upon the farm now occupied by Ezra Page. He had a family of six children, two of whom, Howard ist, and Electa, wife of Henry Clay, are now residents of the town.


Wolcott Burnham was among the early settlers of Lincoln, coming from Connecticut, and locating on what is now known as Quaker street. His son, Oliver W., was first among the prominent men of his town and held all the important town offices, and was also among the first to commence the manufacture of iron here. He died in 1860, aged sixty-five. George W. is the only one of Oliver's seven children now residing in the township, he being at present fifty-seven years of age, much respected by his townsmen.


Moses Page, from New Hampshire, came to Lincoln fifty-four years ago, locating upon the farm now owned by M. Green Page. Of his family of ten children, seven only are living, two, Ezra and M. Green, in this town.


Jonathan Heywood came to this town from Charleston, N. H., about forty years ago, locating on road 10, upon the farm now occupied by Elisha B. Clark. About thirty-two years ago he joined the Mormans and removed to Nauvoo, and soon after seceded from that sect and went to Council Bluffs. His brother, Charles, came here soon after Jonathan left, locating upon a portion of his farm, and is still a resident.


Rev. Nathaniel Stevens, who established the first M. E. church in Lincoln,


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TOWN OF MIDDLEBURY.


was born in Monkton, 1780. He early entered the ministry as an exhorter and preacher, his first sermon being delivered at the house of Isaac Pierce, of Hinesburg. After he became superannuated, he removed to Lincoln, in 1835, and in the spring of the following year established the first M. E. church, as aforesaid. He died in Ripton, in 1852, aged seventy-two years. One of his sons, Joseph M. Stevens, is still a prominent farmer of this town, being very beautifully located in South Lincoln.


The Society of Friends was organized July 16, 1801. Meetings were held in private dwellings and school-houses until a log meeting-house was erected. They are now few in number, though they occasionally hold meetings.


The Christian Church was organized November 13, 1840, with twenty members, by their first pastor, Elder Joseph D. Marsh. The church building was erected in 1862, having seating capacity for 300 persons, and cost $2,200.00, now valued at $3,000.00. The present membership is fifty-nine, with Rev. Charles D. Burdick, pastor.


The Methodist Church, as it is at present, was organized in December, 1863, by Rev. Caleb C. Stevens, with seventy members, he also acting as their first pastor. The church building was erected in 1862, a year before the organization, costing $2,000. It will comfortably accommodate 300 per- sons, and is valued at $3,000, including grounds. The society now has sixty members, an interesting and prosperous Sabbath school with an average at- tendance of seventy-five. Rev. A. Osborn is pastor.


IDDLEBURY, the shire town, lies in the central part of the county in lat. 44° o', and long. 3º 57', and is bounded north by New Haven, east by Ripton and a small part of Lincoln, south by Salisbury, and west by Cornwall and Weybridge. It was granted by Benning Wentworth, in 1761, among eight other towns of the county whose charters were signed during that year, three of which, Salisbury, Middlebury, and New Haven, were granted to a party of gentlemen, John Evarts and sixty-two others, resid- ing largely in Salisbury, Litchfield County, Conn., and hence, Salisbury, from the colonizing town, New Haven, from the capital of Connecticut, and Middlebury, from its middle position, or lying between them. John Evarts penetrated to the Great Falls of Otter Creek, situated at Vergennes, and taking said falls as the northwestern corner of New Haven, surveyed these three townships, intending to make them about six miles square each, all having the Otter Creek as their western boundary. The charter of Mid- dlebury, bearing date November 2, containing the usual restrictions and reservations incident to the Wentworth charters (see page 63), bounds the town as follows :-


"Beginning at the southerly corner of a township granted this day by the name of New Haven, at a tree marked, standing on the bank of the easterly


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TOWN OF MIDDLEBURY.


or northeasterly side of Otter Creek, so called, from thence running east seven miles, thence turning off and running south ten degrees west six miles and sixty-four rods, then turning off and running west to Otter Creek aforesaid ; then down said creek, as that runs to the bound first mentioned."


According to these bounds the township contained 25,040 acres of land ; but, through ignorance it is presumed, much more land was granted by the authorities than the county afforded area upon which to locate, thus leading to much controversy and litigation between the proprietors of the several towns, causing titles to be exceedingly insecure, as may be seen by reference to the sketches of Salisbury, Leicester, Panton, and others, contained in this work. During the period of these litigations, when the troubles were becom- ing finally adjusted, the area of Middlebury underwent several changes, the first of which occurred October 25, 1796, when six square miles from the east part of Cornwall were annexed to its territory. The next change, November II, 1814, was not so pleasing, as eight square miles from the eastern part of Middlebury has since been under the jurisdiction of Ripton, to which one farm more was added, October 29, 1829. Still, as the land severed from the town laid principally on the mountains, what it lost in quantity was more than made up in quality by the annexation of the rich tract lying west of Otter Creek.


The surface, except in the eastern part, which is mountainous, is level, or modertely rolling, the only elevation of any prominence being Chipman Hill, just north of Middlebury village, having an altitude of 439 feet above the level of the creek. The land lying upon the mountainous district is in most parts too steep and stony to be of much value for farming purposes, but con- tains a heavy growth of valuable timber. Still, some portions are suitable for tillage and grazing, having a very fair soil afforded by the annual vegetable de- posit ; but this soil is not lasting, however, as in the absence of deciduous trees, as they are cut away, the deposit ceases, leaving a hard, dry, clay soil. West of the mountains, along the valley of Otter Creek and Middlebury River, the land is level, with a rich alluvial deposit, affording some excellent farms, while the other portions have a clay soil, with some sand and loam, affording crops which, taken on the whole, will not compare unfavorably with those of the best townships.


Otter Creek, the principal stream, flows through the western portion of the town, forming the boundary line north of Middlebury village. Middlebury River flows from Ripton across the southern part and is discharged into Ot- ter Creek. Muddy Branch rises in the eastern part of the town, and flows a northwesterly course into New Haven. These, with their numerous tribu- taries, form the water-courses of the township. The eastern portion of the territory, or portion lying upon the mountains, is composed of rocks of quarts formation, with a belt of pliocene tertiary deposit lying west of and adjacent to the range, while the entire remaining portion of the town overlies an im- mense bed of Folian limestone or marble, frequently croping out in ledges, and affording some quarries of excellent quality, as well as abundant material


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TOWN OF MIDDLEBURY.


for calcining into lime. Iron ore is found to some extent, though it is not plentiful. The principal industries are manufacturing, dairy products, and wool growing, the territory being much better adapted to the latter than to tillage, while a rapid and convenient mode of transportation for the exports is afforded by the Central Vermont Railroad, which extends through the western portion of the town, with a station at Middlebury village.


In 1880, Middlebury had a population of 2,996, was divided into eight school districts and contained fifteen common schools, employing five male and fifteen female teachers at an aggregate salary of $4,963.35. There were 650 pupils attending common school, while the entire cost of the schools for the year ending October 31, was $6,264.30, with Ezra Brainerd, school super- intendent.


MIDDLEBURY, the county seat, a post village located in the western part of the town on Otter Creek, and also a station on the Central Vermont Rail- road, is one of the oldest, as well as one of the handsomest villages in the State, having a population of about 1,800. It was incorporated as the " Borough of Middlebury," in 1816, with power to hold property for the use of the borough, erect public buildings, levey and collect taxes, make bylaws, etc .; but soon the taxes became unpopular, the organization came into disre- pute, and run down and died. Upon the ruins of this failure, the present village of Middlebury was incorporated by an act of the Legislature in 1832. The corporation limits in said act being bounded as follows :-


"Commencing on the east bank of Otter Creek at the lower fall, near the foundry, [at a bolt in the rock] thence running easterly to the northeast cor- ner of said village as now established, thence southeasterly to a point where the turnpike and creek roads intersect, thence westerly to a ledge in the road a few rods south of the dwelling house of George Porter, [to a bolt in the ledge] thence north to Weybridge line, thence east to center of Otter Creek, thence north to place of beginning."


This tract was originally covered with a dense wil- derness of hemlock and pine, a forest whose dreariness must be seen and felt to be appreciated. None but a hardy, fearless people would have attempted a settle- ment here, and even they would not have done so had it not been for the excellent inill privileges the creek afforded. The first settlements were made only with reference to the establishment of mills, and only the necessary dwellings for this purpose were built. The trees on what is now the common, situated in the LA. center of the village, were cut down in 1789, two years after the donator of the property for village pur- (BOND'S BLOCK, MAIN STREET.) poses, Judge Painter, moved here, and were still lying on the ground, like slain warriors on a battle-field, in 1793, and as late as the first part of the present century the stumps of the old pines remained. Many of them were cleared away by a penalty established among the young men that every one among


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them who became intoxicated should dig up a stump. In 1793, there was but sixty-two buildings in the village, which, in 1813, three years previous to its first incorporation, had increased to 316, of which 146 were dwelling houses. It now contains, aside from its numerous dwellings and manufactories, a Graded School, Middlebury College, five churches, a court house and jail, bank building, three hotels, several fine business blocks, etc.


MANUFACTURES.


The village was established, as previously mentioned, as a manufacturing community, and now has among its principal establishments of this class, the following :-


The Middlebury Woolen Mills were founded and the factory built in 1840, and subsequently operated by a firm under the name of the Middlebury Woolen Company. In 1857, Chadwick Bros. became proprietors. In 1880, H. J. Chapman bought the property, taking posses- sion May 1, 1881, where he manufactures cassimeres, yarn, and seamless knit goods, also doing custom work.


The Middlebury Cotton Factory was built by David Page in 1811. It was recently used for manufactur- ing cotton yarn, employing sixty or seventy hands, but is not now in operation.


L. M. Howard's wagon and sleigh manufactory, was established April 1, 1881, and employs three men.


(DRUG STORE. R. BIRCHARD, AGENT, MAIN STREET.)


Henry T. Langworthy's American Iron Works, built in 1875, for the manufacture of plows, cultivators, and custom work gen- erally, are located opposite the freight depot. He employs six men, doing a business amounting to $4,000 per year.


Frank Lucia's carriage shop, located on Cross street, was established in 1875, for the manufacture of all kinds of wagons, and as a general repair shop, giving employment to three men.


A. P. Tupper's saw-mill was built by C. F. Partridge, about 1862. It gives employment to from four to six hands, doing custom work.


The Sun Grist-Mills, located on Main street, are at present conducted by Lorenzo Stowe, doing custom work in flour and feed. The first building on this site was a saw-mill, built in 1774, by Abisha Washburn, and destroyed by Indians the following year. In 1784, he rebuilt a saw-mill which was swept away by a freshet in 1785. Gamaliel Painter built a saw-mill in 1787, and a grist-niill in 1788, just below, on the site of the cotton mill, which remained till 1808, when the walls of the present grist-mill were erected. A fire in 1854, destroyed the interior which was rebuilt in 1856, by H. W. Pitts and H. A. Sheldon.


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TOWN OF MIDDLEBURY.


The Star Grist-Mill, located on Mill street, a two-story wood building with a stone basement, was built for a woolen mill by Spaulding & Ruther- ford, for Moses Leonard, in 1837. The present proprietor, Mr. C. C. Peck, came into possession of the property in 1879, and immediately set about im- proving it, adding, among other modern improvements, a middlings purifier. The mill has four runs of stones and does custom grinding.


Smith & Allen, contractors and builders, located on Mill street, employ a large number of men in the manufacture of sash, doors, blinds, moldings, etc., to supply the buildings they erect in this and adjoining counties.


The Cutter Marble Company, organized in 1879, employs fifty men, with Myron D. Brooks, manager. The mills and quarry are located on the line between this town and New Haven, and will be found noted more particularly in connection with the sketch of the latter town.


Middlebury also seems to have been peculiarly favored in respect to mechanical inventions, among the most valuable of which should be men- tioned that of the circular saw. Perhaps few improvements of modern times have been more wide-spread and really useful than this, being now in general use in every workshop throughout the land. Yet its inventor, Mr. Jeremiah Hall, an upright, honest mechanic, who obtained his bread by the sweat of his brow, never seemed to realize what he had accomplished. With him it was a simple arrangement to facilitate labor in his own shop, and the thought of extending it never seems to have entered his mind, and with this vast means of wealth in his grasp, died poor and in want. His grave is not marked even by the simplest monument.


The present method of welding cast steel was discovered in this town as early 1799, or 1800, by Messrs. Josiah Nichols, Daniel Pettibone, and Ezekiel Chapman, who, at that time, were working together in the same shop. They obtained letters patent for their invention, but are supposed never to have realized much profit from it, while the discovery itself has been, and will con- tinue to be, of great practical advantage to the world.


Sawing marble by water-power with sand and water and toothless saws in gangs, was invented about 1801, by Isaac E. Markham, then a mere boy, and put into successful operation by Dr. Eben W. Judd, who continued to prose- cute the business for many years, and until his decease in 1837. Sawing mar- ble by sand and water and toothless iron, or rather copper saws, was prac- ticed, as we are told by Pliny, by the ancient Ethiopians more than two thous- and years ago ; but the art, like many others no less valuable, seems to have been lost until it was revived in modern times, in the manner we have stated. Rees, in his cyclopedia, mentions the fact of letters patent having been secured by a gentleman in Ireland for sawing marble in this manner, and exhibits drawings of some of the machinery. The editor also states that machinery of a peculiar construction, for the same purpose, was in successful operation in Middlebury, Vermont. It is quite possible that the idea may have crossed the Atlantic from America, as Mr. Rees gives no dates ; but if


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not, it presents the phenomenon of an independent discovery in two hemis- pheres. Dr. Judd made some improvements upon Markham's machinery about the year 1822, for which he received letters patent, but never realized much pecuniary advantage therefrom. About the same time with this last mentioned invention of sawing marble, Markham also invented the common wool picking machine, one of different construction having been previously invented here by two men, whose names, being strangers, have not been handed down to the present time. Their machine was abandoned upon Markham's becoming known. Markham subse- quently made several improvements in the machinery for the manufacture of cotton cloth, but none were ever patented by him. The first power looms were built by him and under his superintendence, from drafts originally brought here from Scotland by Joseph Gordon, who assisted him here, under the employ of David Page, who had used only hand looms till 1815, when his factory was fitted with power looms, Markham being at that time only eighteen years of age. In 1819, he was given a letter of recommendation by Mr. Page, as follows :-


(A. P. TUPPER'S BLOCK, MAIN STREET.)


" Middlebury, 1819.


" This may certify that Isaac E. Markham has worked for me most of the time * * * , building cotton and woolen machinery. Since 1812, and the last year and a half particularly, making power looms with all their ac- companying parts, which I have had in operation more than twelve months. My looms I would not exchange for any made on any other plan that has come to my knowledge. Mr. Markham has been the superintendent and draughtsman of them. I consider him perfectly capable of doing every part of iron and brass work-after forged-and also honest, and entitled to the confidence of the public. The drawings he used are of his own execution. They speak for themselves.


DAVID PAGE."


The first full set of machinery for the manufacture of doors and window- sash by water-power, in this or any other country, was invented and put up in this town by Messrs. Archeleaus Tupper, Norman Tupper, and Charles Nichols. This machinery comprised several distinct inventions, and was the result of long, patient study and experiments. The original idea of manu- facturing window-sash by machinery driven by water or steam power, origin- ated with Mr. Norman Tupper, and was mainly by his perseverance and per- tinacity brought into successful operation, the other two men often getting discouraged and considering the thing impracticable. Mr. Tupper died Feb- ruary 22, 1880, aged eighty-six years.


Simeon Holton invented a machine for tying loom harness, for which he received letters patent ; also an attachment for power looms by means of which the machinery is instantly stopped on the breaking of a single thread.


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' TOWN OF MIDDLEBURY.


Mr. Holton also invented a beautiful metallic registering thermometer, an in- strument more sensitive than the mercurial, and far surpassing it in the range of its indications.


BANKS.


At the session of Legislature held at Middlebury in 1806, a State Bank was established, with two branches, one at Middlebury, and one at Wood- stock, appointing directors for each, though constituting but one board. The directors for the Middlebury branch were Daniel Chipman, Horatio Seymour, and John Willard. Titus Hutchinson, of Woodstock, was chosen president, and Dr. William G. Hooker, cashier. No capital was furnished to sustain its credit, the business being done on the credit of the State. At this early date, the condition of the country was not such as to warrant business being successfully prosecuted on this plan, as the exchange of agricultural products was the usual mode of conducting commercial transactions, meeting notes, etc. Therefore, notwithstanding several special acts of the Legislature to sustain the institution, it was fast approaching dissolution, when, in the sum- mer of 1812, the banking house of this place was entered by a false key and a large amount of money and valuable papers purloined. The burglary was so adroitly executed that no trace of its perpetrators could be found, and consequently the directors were called to account for the missing funds. The duplicate key by which the bank was entered, was subsequently found in the attic story of a house in the village, crowded in above a rafter. In 1813, the bank was closed by the Legislature, though agents were appointed from time to time, for several years, to collect the debts and dispose of the land received on debts due the bank. On November 10, 1831, the charter of the " President, Directors, and Company of the Bank of Middlebury" was granted by the Legislature, with a capital of $100,000.00, to be managed by seven directors, and limited to fifteen years. William P. Nash was chosen president, and Joseph Warren, cashier. Mr. Nash continued in his office as president during the continuance of the original charter, when Paris Fletcher was elected to that position. When the limit of fifteen years had expired a re-charter was granted, which was renewed from time to time until 1865, when the institution was incorporated as the National Bank of Middle- bury, with a capital of $200.000.00, its present capital. John W. Stewart is now president, Calvin Hill, vice-president, and John G. Wellington, cashier. The bank for the first fifteen years, was kept in the rooms at the north end of the hotel building, since which time it has done business in the building adjoining it on the north, which has been fitted up in a handsome and com- modious style, and furnished with a substantial vault for the safe keeping of money and books.




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