Gazetteer and business directory of Addison County, Vt., for 1881- 82, Part 22

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 22


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57


(C. BESSETTE'S CARRIAGE FACTORY.)


Bessette's Carriage Manufactory, located at Orwell village, was established by the present proprietor, Mr. Calice Bessette, . May 15, 1860, in a small and humble way. Business increased rapidly and was flourishing, when, Decem- ber 31, 1869, the buildings took fire and were entirely consumed, together with the stock and tools they contained, causing a loss of $10,000.00 over and above the insurance, which was only $1,800.00. The factory was soon rebuilt, however, and business resumed, which has increased till Mr. Bessette now employs twelve men, and does an annual business of about $20,000.00, in the manufacture and repair of all kinds of wagons, carriages and sleighs.


Orwell Grist-Mill, James F. Lillie proprietor, located on East Branch one mile west of the village, has three runs of stones and does custom work.


Irving Mercure's canal-boat yard, located at Chipman's Point, employed eighteen men and built eight canal boats during the past season, in addition to skiffs and other small boats.


R. D. Hall's house-furnishing manufactory, located in the southeastern part of the town, was established by Mr. Hall in 1874, since which time it has been in successful operation.


East Orwell Cheese Factory, situated in the eastern part of the town on road 33, was built by a stock company, in 1867, now manufactures cheese from the milk of 200 cows.


Orwell Cheese Factory, situated in the west part of the town on road 16, was established by a stock company, in 1866. It now uses the milk of 600 COWS.


185


TOWN OF ORWELL.


Leonard's steam saw-mill, located on road 17, in the western part of the town, has facilities for sawing 10,000 feet of lumber per day. It also manu- factures shingles, novelty siding, clapboards, etc.


The Orwell Farmers' Club was organized January 10, 1854, with J. H. Chittenden, president, W. R. Sanford, vice-president, Seth Benson, secretary, and Ira Young, treasurer. Article 2d of its Constitution states the object of the society to be as follows :-


" The object of this Club shall be the discussion of agricultural subjects, the cultivation of our minds, and the improvement of the agriculture of this town."


All of these points have been successfully and faithfully carried out, as the improvement in stock and agriculture will testify, clearly proclaiming that a "cultivation of the mind" preceded it. Their fairs have shown that Orwell possesses as fine blooded stock as any town in the State, consisting of Dur- ham, Ayrshire, Devonshire, and Jersey cattle, also flocks of Spanish Merino sheep in the yards of thirty-five farmers. Financially, also, the association has proved a success, each annual fair having added a little to the fund. The present officers are, H. T. Cutts, president; S. Y. Felton, vice- president ; E. M. Bottum, treasurer; and H. D. Branch, secretary .* Taken all in all, the town of Orwell has just cause to be proud of and thank- ful for their "Farmers' Club."


Notwithstanding the clause in the Wentworth charters stating that, "their heirs or assigns, shall plant and cultivate five acres of land within five years for each fifty contained in his or their share," under penalty of forfeiting their right, the proprietors did nothing towards surveying the township till after the Revolution, and, with one exception, no settler broke the gloomy stillness of the forest, where nature held high carnival 'mongst her subjects, until 1783, when a survey was commenced, and a draft of the same subse- quently returned to the proprietor's clerk. During the progress of this survey, the surveyors came upon a clearing and house, near the lake shore on Mount Independence, occupied by an eccentric Scotchman named John Charter, with his family, the first settler of Orwell. Here he had resided, with the ex- ception of a few years, since several years previous to the Revolution, making his way thither by boat from Montreal. Having settled upon and improved his farm, the proprietors considered his claim valid, allowing him one hun- dred acres, all he asked or desired, and upon the place he remained till 1808, rearing a large family of children, when he sold his farm and moved, with his sons, towards the " setting-sun." Still, old Mount Independence, familiar, in name at least, to every school child in the land, and which name was bestowed in honor of the declaration that gave birth to the glorious Government that now protects them, had felt the "tread of armed men" long before the pro- prietors had looked upon it. The commanding position of the hill-for such it in reality is-early led the commanders of Ticonderoga, just opposite, to


. We have before us a very pleasant little poem dedicated to the Club, written by Miss Helen M. Todd, which we should be pleased to insert did space admit.


14


186


TOWN OF ORWELL.


plant a battery thereon. Subsequently, a garrison was established here, a stockade fort built, with fortifications and a stone fort connecting by a draw- bridge with the fortifications opposite at Ticonderoga, and after the capture of that fort by Allen, in 1775, it became the headquarters of the Army of the North. And here also, at two o'clock on the morning of July 6, 1777, at the evacuation of Ticonderoga by the Americans, its sides were illuminated by the blaze of the French officer's house, to which he had imprudently set fire, disclosing to Burgoyne the retreat of the Americans, causing an imme- diate pursuit and the subsequent battle of Hubbardton with its loss of life. And the same Mount was the scene of active measures on the 17th of the following October, when the old fort was again captured by the Americans. Here also lie entombed the bones of hundreds of brave sons who had escaped the musket ball and sabre stroke to sink 'neath that terrible scourge, camp fever, in 1776. Traces of their graves are yet to be seen, where rest the un- known, long forgotten, yet honored sleepers.


Subsequent to the settlement by Mr. Charter, clearings were began by Eber Murray and Ephraim Fisher, who were joined, in 1783, by William Fisher, brother of Ephraim, Major Amos Spofford and Shadrach Hathaway. During the following year these were joined by several others, among whom were Pliny Smith, Joshua Tracy, David Leonard, Nathaniel Mallory and Elisha Clark. From this time immigration became rapid, gaps in the great forest began to appear in all directions from which the blue smoke curled in tiny columns from the settlers' humble cabins, between seventy and eighty of which had been erected at the time of the organization of the town, Decem- ber 12, 1787, at which meeting William Smith was chosen moderator ; David Leonard, town clerk ; William Smith, Ebenezer Wilson, and Amos Spofford, selectmen, and Cyrus Clark, constable. The first representative was Ebene- zer Wilson, chosen in 1786, and who was also made the first justice of the peace in 1787.


The first physician was Dr. James Benedict, who came here in 1788, re- maining a much respected citizen until his death, in 1794. J. C. Thompson, the first attorney, came from Connecticut in 1812, though he remained but a short time, removing to Burlington. The first merchant was Ruloff White, from Hoosac, N. Y., in 1788. He remained in business but a few years when he was succeeded by Apollos Austin. In 1820, May 13, a singular occurence took place by means of which the town lost five acres of her territory, and the said acres found a "watery grave" by suddenly sinking about forty feet, then sliding off into the lake, forest trees and all. This occurred in the southern part of the town where the lake is one and one half miles in width, yet the sudden displacement of the water caused it to rise three feet on the opposite shore.


Deacon Eber Murray, from Guilford, Conn., came to Orwell in 1783, locat- ing in the northeast part of the town, the first prominent settler in the town- ship. Mr. Murray was an earnest, straightforward man, and mainly instru-


187


TOWN OF ORWELL.


mental in organizing the first church, and served as deacon of the Baptist church for many years. He was twice married, having a family of eight chil- dren, David being the first child born in the town, his grandson, Sealand Murray (who lost his eye-sight many years ago, occasioned by a steamboat ex- plosion on the Ohio river,) now occupies the old homestead. After a long and useful life, the Deacon died, in 1825.


Ephraim and William Fisher located in the eastern part of the town near Deacon's Murray's, in 1783. Ephraim upon the farm now owned by Ira Fisher, where he died in 1834. William came soon after and settled on the farm adjoining, dying in 1829.


Pliny Smith located in the north part of the town in 1784, where he resided until his death, July 5, 1840. Mr. Smith served in the war of the Revolu- tion, was land register and town clerk thirty years, one of the county judges eighteen years, and chief judge of Rutland county six or eight years.


Jonas Royce, formerly known as Rice till changed by the Legislature, served in the war of the Revolution, and soon after its close located upon the farm now owned by his grandson, W. E. Royce. The old building now standing on the farm was used as a hotel for many years, having been built previous to 1800.


Nehemiah Royce, from Massachusetts, came here after the Revolution, locating upon the farm now owned by his grandson, Luther Royce, moving his goods on horseback. He married Cynthia Smith, had a family of four children, and died April 5, 1817.


Joshua White, one of the early settlers from Connecticut, purchased a large tract of land in the western part of the town, where he subsequently engaged in mercantile pursuits, residing upon the farm he first settled till his death. Many of his descendants are still residents of the town.


Isaiah Abell, from Norwich, Conn., came to Orwell in 1786, locating upon the farm now owned by his grandson, C. E. Abell, on road 34, corner 35. The year previous to this, he came to the town with Samuel Griswold, made a clearing and planted some wheat, the first clearing made on this farm. Mr. Abell died in 1814, at an advanced age.


Nathaniel Bacon, from Connecticut, was one of the early settlers of Orwell, where he was deacon of the Congregational church for a period of forty years. He was a great lover of music and composed some pieces that were creditable, and lead the choir for many years. He died in 1851, at the advanced age of eighty-six years. J. W. Bacon, son of Nathaniel, was born here in 1800, and died in April, 1881. He was largely identified with all that concerned the welfare of the church and the support of her ministers, and was recognized as a very benevolent man. His wife, Harriet (Hubbard) Bacon, was a woman of rare intellectual gifts, a native of Sheffield, Mass., was noted for having a hand in every good work. Their eldest son, W. N. Bacon, now a pastor of Shoreham, was born here October 11, 1829, and re- mained on the farm till seventeen years of age, when he left to attend Castle-


188


TOWN OF ORWELL.


ton Seminary, and subsequently graduated from Middlebury College in 1853. He then went to the State of New York and engaged in teaching till 1856, when he entered the Auburn Theological Seminary of that State, graduated, preached in New York for a time, and was installed at Shoreham in 1864, where he has since remained. His wife, a very accomplished lady, born in this town December 28, 1832, the eldest daughter of Lorain Cutts, he married in 1855.


Ellis Benson came to Orwell among the early settlers, locating in the south- west part of the town, where he resided till his death, at an advanced age. Ellis, Jr., came with his father, and after a few years removed to Benson, where he died, December 31, 1849. His son, Justus, born in Benson in . 1808, came to this town in 1865, and located in the southwestern part of the town.


Timothy Hibbard located in the east part of the town on road 30, upon the farm now owned by his son, George M. The old house, built in 1800, is still standing.


Samuel Griswold, from Norwich, Conn., came to Orwell in 1787, and located in the eastern part of the town upon the farm now owned by his grandson, Sidney Griswold, where he resided till his death in 1852. Lester, son of Samuel, came here with his father, and subsequently located upon the farm now owned by his son, William C., where he died in 1867, having had a family of six children. Marvin Griswold, son of Samuel, was born in 1800, and resided here till his death, in 1854, when the place reverted to his son, Sidney. E. D. Griswold, son of Lester, born here in 1829, and a resident since that time, was the pioneer in Jersey cattle breeding in this section of the county, having brought the first full blooded Jerseys to this town.


Moses A. Clark, an early settler in the west part of the town, came here from Pawlet. He was twice married, had a family of seven children, and died in 1859. One of his sons, Moses J., married Emily, daughter of Judge Bottum, and now resides on the old " Bottum farm."


James Conkey, from Connecticut, lecated upon the farm now owned by his grandson, J. B. Conkey, at an early date, where he resided till his death, in 1839, having a family of four children.


Rev. Elnathan Phelps, from Massachusetts, located with his son, Elnathan, Jr., in the north part of the town previous to the year 1800, the first settled minister in the township. Elnathan, Jr., married Phebe Tuttle, had a family of eleven children, and died in 1843.


Asa Parks came to Orwell from New York, in 1785, locating in the south part of the town. He married Lucy Branch, had a family of nine children- eight of whom were sons-and died in 1813. His wife died in 1863, aged ninety-seven years. A. C., son of Asa, born in 1798, is still living.


Archibald Brewer, from Massachusetts, located upon the farm now owned by Dr. Matthews, at an early day in the history of the town. His son, Samuel, born February 15, 1799, married Eliza M. Bottum, had two daughters, one of whom, Mrs. M. H. Royce, is still living, and died March 21, 1870.


189


TOWN OF ORWELL.


Elias Bascom, from Newport, N. H., located in the west part of the town, in 1792, where he remained three years and then removed to the farm now owned by S. H. Bascom, where he died in 1833. Darius, son of Elias, resided on the old Bascom farm, and died in 1842 .. He married Chloe Hubbard and had a family of nine children, five girls and four boys. S. H. and O. H. are still residing in the town, S. H. on the old farm. Their sister, Emily, was the late wife of William R. Sanford.


Luther Brown, from Litchfield, Conn., came to Orwell previous to 1790, locating upon the farm now owned by his son, John F., where he continued to reside until his death, in 1837. John F. was born on this place in 1805, and married, for his first wife, Caroline Sanford, by whom he had one child, Carrie S. For his second wife, he married Pauline White, and had a family of four children, Milton R., Effie, Ella (deceased), and Allen. Mr. Brown, at the age of seventy-seven, is an unusually hale old gentleman. On the farm of Milton R., on road 14, there has lately been discovered a quarry of black marble, which bids fair to prove quite valuable.


Roswell Bottum, from Norwich, Conn., came to this town about the year 1780, locating upon the farm now owned by M. J. Clark, where he resided until his death, in 1856. Roswell, Jr., was born here in 1796, and after a long and useful life, died October 28, 1877, aged eighty-one years. He mar- ried Miss E. Hulburd, and had a family of seven children, two sons and five daughters. Possessed of a strong intellect, an energetic disposition, with sterling integrity, Mr. Bottum early won a warm place in the regard of his townsmen, whom he served in the principal town trusts for many years. He was a justice of the peace fifty-two years, town clerk forty-five years, side judge three, and representative in the Legislature several terms. He pos- sessed also considerable literary acquirements, and had commenced a history of the town, which, though never finished by him, was lately published in its incompleted state.


Jesse Bottum, also from Norwich, came here previous to 1800, locating about one mile south of Orwell village. His son, Bishop, came with him, and afterwards participated in the battle of Plattsburgh. Bishop married Zilpha Conkey and had a family of six children, two sons and four daughters. He died in 1860, his wife in 1867. E. M. Bottum, son of Bishop, now resides on the old homestead.


Clark Sanford was one of the early settlers of the town, having located upon the farm now owned by Irving, where he kept a hotel for several years, then removed to the farm now occupied by his son, W. R. Sanford, corner roads forty-five and fifty-five. For his first wife he married Rebecca Conkey and had a family of eight children, and for his second wife, Lucinda Bascom. Mr. Sanford died in 1853, aged ninety-one years. W. R., one of the oldest sheep breeders of the State, was born here in 1805, and has resided all his life on the old homestead. He married Emily Bascom, and had a family of seven children, three sons and four daughters.


190


TOWN OF ORWELL.


Joseph Thomas, from Litchfield, Conn., came to Orwell in 1793, and located in the western part of the town, where he remained a few years, then removed to the eastern part where he engaged in his business of saddler. He had eight children, four sons, and four daughters, all but two of whom, Julia and Julius C., are now dead, the former residing in Bennington, the latter in this town.


Isaac Fenney, with his three brothers, Jesse, Alvin, and Lewis, removed from Bennington County to this town in 1794, and located upon the farm now owned by I. T. Branch. He married Minerva Buck, and had a family of seven children, five of whom were daughters. One, Luna, married Martin D. Branch, who occupies the old homestead on road 47.


James Hull, from Newport, N. H., came to Orwell about the year 1800, locating upon the farm now owned by his son, James E. He married Charlotte Bush and had a family of five children, two of whom still reside in the town.


Philip Hemenway, from Massachusetts, located in Bridport in 1806, and thence came to Orwell in 1808, locating upon the farm now owned by his son, Lewis S., on road 3. He died in August, 1863, his wife following him in April of the next year. Lewis S., now aged seventy-nine years, represented the town in 1863 and 1864. He married Marsha Clark and had a family of four children, only one of whom, Harriet, the widow of H. D. Bascom, is now living.


Jeremiah Boynton, from Massachusetts, came to this town about the year 1800, locating about a mile and a half east of the village, where he remained about three years, then located in the village, where, in 1816, he built the Eagle Hotel and conducted it for a period of about a quarter of a century, when it was taken by his son, J. W. Boynton, the present proprietor. Jere- miah married Martha Wilson and had a family of five children, and died in 1865, aged eighty-three years. His wife died in 1871, also in her eighty-third year. J. W., now a hale, hearty old man of seventy-four, was born here in 1808. For many years he has taken a prominent part in the politics of the town, which he represented in 1859-'60, and among other positions of trust that of assistant judge, and for the last fifteen years, that of town treasurer.


Ebenezer Wilcox, from Newport, N. H., came to Orwell about 1808, and located upon the farm now owned by his granddaughter and her husband, H. T. Cutts. Ebenezer had a family of ten children, and four generations have been reared on the old homestead.


Phineas Gale was one of the early settlers of Panton, and subsequently removed with his son, Sommers, to Bridport, and thence to Cornwall, in 1807, where he died in January, 1826. Nathan, son of Sommers, born in Bridport on the old farm, July 30, 1801, graduated at Castleton Medical College in 1825, and commenced practice in Orwell, October 11, 1826, and has con- tinued his practice here since that time. His son, James S., also graduated at Castleton, in 1853, and is practicing with his father.


TOWN OF PANTON.


Daniel Root, from Pittsfield, Mass., canie to this town in 1840, and located with his son, Thomas, on road 35, where he died in 1868, aged ninety-one years. His wife died in 1866, aged eighty-seven.


E. M. Wright, from Burlington, came to Orwell in 1845, and immediately engaged in mercantile pursuits, under the firm name of Fletcher & Wright. He has continued in the business until recently, the firm latterly being E. M. Wright & Co. His son, William B., has been connected with the business since 1868, and in the fall of 1881, became sole proprietor. Mr. Wright rep- resented the town in 1874, and his son, W. B., in 1880.


The First Baptist Church of Orwell was organized in 1787, and their first pastor, Elnathan Phelps, was the first settled minister in the town. The church, built in 1810, situated in the eastern part of the town, was sold, June 30, 1881, to A. P. Cutting.


The First Congregational Church, located at Orwell village, was organized in 1789, by the Rev. Mr. Harwood, of Pittsford, Vt., with six members. The first pastor was Rev. Sylvanus Chapin. The first church building was built of wood, in 1804, and superceded by the present brick edifice, in 1843, which will seat 400 persons and is valued, including grounds, at $8,000.00. The society now has 178 members, with Rev. S. F. Calhoun, pastor.


St. Paul's Catholic Church of Orwell was organized by Rev. Joseph Dougley, the first pastor, in 1860, with forty-five members. The church building was erected during the same year, a brick structure, capable of ac- commodating 200 persons with seating room, and at a cost of $1,500.00, the whole property being now valued at $2,000.00. The society has at present orty-five members, with Rev. Charles Prevost, pastor.


ANTON, a lake town in the northern part of the county, in lat. 44° 8', and long., 3º 40', bounded north by Ferrisburgh and Vergennes, east by Waltham and Vergennes, south by Addison, and west by Lake Cham- plain, was chartered by New Hampshire, November 3, 1761, to James Nich- ols and sixty-nine others, mostly citizens of Litchfield County, Conn., con- taining " something more than 25,000 acres, extending seven miles west and six mi es south from the lower falls of the Great Otter Creek." But, on the first survey of the territory, it was found that its limits extended so far into the lake as to leave a great deal less than this amount of land. Settlement was commenced, however, and some effort made in 1764, towards obtaining restitution for the land thus lost, and it has even been contended that the charter was thrown up and a new one obtained, though we believe there is sufficient evidence to prove that such was not the case. After this settle- ment had gotten well under way, it was found, by a survey of the township of Addison, that they were encroaching upon the soil of another town. Addison


.


192


TOWN OF PANTON.


had received her charter in October, a month previous to Panton, and, therefore, by priority of title, could claim her charter bounds. After some controversy, the Panton grantees becoming satisfied of the validity of Addi- son's claim, gave up their possessions, thus depriving the township of over half its territory. Attention was then turned towards the falls of Otter Creek, where a settlement soon sprang up with every indication of becoming important, when, October 23, 1783, it was taken, together with five hundred acres of land, towards forming the city of Vergennes. And again, October 28, 1806, one hundred and fifteen acres from the southeast part of the town were annexed to Weybridge, thus leaving Panton with an area about 10,000 acres in extent. The surface is low and exceedingly level, with a heavy clay soil, producing fair crops of wheat, oats, rye, buckwheat, Indian corn, pota- toes and hay, the land being as fine for grazing as is to be found in the county.


The only streams of any extent are Otter Creek, forming a portion of the eastern boundary of the town, and Dead Creek, a wide, sluggish stream, with low, marshy land on each side, flowing through the centre of the township from south to north. The timber is principally pine, oak, maple, and beech. Lumbering has never been followed to any extent, owing to the absence of water-power. Sheep breeding and wool growing are largely carried on, and dairying to some extent ; these products, together with maple sugar, forming the principal exports. The geological formation, or rocks of the town, are a narrow strip of Utica slate along the lake shore, next to which is a ledge of Trenton limestone, narrow in limits, extending the whole width of the town from north to south. The remaining territory overlies a bed of Black River limestone, which frequently crops out in ledges, affording a good building ma- terial. There are also some ledges of marble. About the year 1850, a mineral spring was discovered on road 12, upon the farm now owned by F. E. Sears. Soon after, a spring-house was built, also a hotel and boarding-house for in- valids, who flocked hither from all parts, as the water was considered valuable for healing all impurities of the blood, and the business continued up to about 1870.




Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.