USA > Vermont > Addison County > Gazetteer and business directory of Addison County, Vt., for 1881- 82 > Part 25
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RICHVILLE, a post village situated in the southeastern part of the town on the Lemon Fair River, contains one store, a grist-mill, cider-mill, butter tub factory, two saw-mills, an axe-handle factory, wagon shop, blacksmith shop and twenty-five or thirty dwellings.
LARRABEE'S POINT, a post village on the lake shore, in the southwest part of the town, connected with Addison Junction by steam ferry, contains a steam saw-mill, boat yard, hotel and about a score of dwellings. The United States Hotel, located at this village, handsomely situated, was built in 1847, by S. H. Hawley and B. B. Brown, having good accommodations for fifty guests. It is now conducted under the proprietorship of A. C. Farr.
EAST SHOREHAM (p. o.), a small hamlet and station on the Addison R. R., is situated in the south part of the town, and contains one store and a black- smith shop.
UNION VILLAGE is a small hamlet in the northern part of the town on the Lemon Fair. There is no business conducted here except the manufacture of lumber and shingles. Herod Newell's saw-mill, situated at this place, cuts annually 50,000 to 75,000 feet of lumber and 50,000 shingles. Mr. Newell began the construction of his mill about fifty years ago. He also has a woolen mill here, but it is not in operation at present.
Richville Flouring Mill was built in 1870, by the present owner, H. A. Lyman. It has three runs of stones and does principally custom work.
The Newell Mills, located at Richville, are operated by water-power and manufacture 400 butter tubs, 150,000 feet of lumber and 300 barrels of cider per year ; also being engaged in the manufacture of the Newell mowing machine. In one of the buildings belonging to this establishment there are two sticks of very sound timber that are said to have been in use 100 years.
Denno & Peltier's saw-mill at Richville is run by water-power and has facilities for cutting 6,000 feet of lumber per day. Mr. Denno is also en- gaged in the manufacture of carriages at Richville.
Parish Cider Mill, located on road 43, manufactures 250 barrels of cider per year.
Shoreham Cheese Factory, situated in the north part of the town, on road 48, was built, and is still conducted, by a stock company, in 1870. It uses the milk from 175 cows.
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TOWN OF SHOREHAM.
Larrabee's Point Steam Saw-mill and Boat Yard, located at Larrabee's Point, is owned by H. G. Burleigh & Bros. The saw-mill, built in 1879, cuts 3,000 feet of lumber per day. At their boat yard they build six canal boats each year.
Douglass' Sorghum Mill, located on road 48, was built by E. B. Douglass & Son in 188r, and is the only mill of the kind in the town.
E. H. Lyman's axe-helve factory, at Richville, was formerly used as a carding mill. Mr. Lyman employs two men, and does a good business in the manufacture of axe-helves and cider presses.
LoRanger's carriage manufactory, located at Shoreham village, gives em- ployment to four men in the manufacture and repairing of all kinds of wagons and carriages.
Cream Hill Stock Farm, located in the northern part of the town on road 19, contains 730 acres of land, purchased by A. C. Harris in 1864. Mr. Harris has erected some very fine buildings and improved the farm generally, until it is now considered one of the finest stock farms in Vermont.
The first proprietor's meeting of which there is any record, was held at the residence of Elihu Smith, of Clarendon, April 28, 1783, with Col. Ephraim Doolittle, moderator, and Thomas Rowley, clerk. At this meeting the first division of land was confirmed, and it was also decided to lay out to each proprietor a lot of twenty-six acres adjoining the lake shore, as a second division ; also, to lay a tax of "Five Spanish Milled Dollars" on each right of land, to defray the expense of laying out the land and for other back charges against the proprietory. Thomas Rowley was appointed surveyor, at a salary of one dollar per day while in service. At an adjourned meeting, on the following day, Col. Doolittle, Roswell Brown and Jacob Hemenway were chosen as a committee to superintend the drawing for a second division. It was also agreed that the surveyor should be directed to lay out one hundred acres, in proper form, enclosing each water privilege where it should be thought proper to erect mills.
The next meeting was held in Shoreham, at the residence of Amos Callen" der, October 6, 1783, at which an additional tax of five dollars was imposed. The last meeting on record was held on November 4, 1793. The town was organized and the first town-meeting held November 20, 1786. Thomas Rowley was chosen moderator and town clerk, Amos Callender, Ebenezer Turrill and Eli Smith, selectmen, and were sworn into office by Nathan Manly, justice of the peace. During the following year, the first representa- tive, James Moore, was chosen.
Col. Ephraim Doolittle, the most prominent and active man in procuring the charter and in the subsequent settlement of the town, was a captain in the army under General Amherst, in the French war of 1755, and served with him at the capture of Ticonderoga and Crown Point. In 1759, Doo- little and his men, among others, were sent out to open the military road from Crown Point to Charleston, N. H., and which passed through the
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present towns of Bridport and Shoreham. During his services in this enter- prise he and a number of his men became impressed with the beauty and fertility of the country in this section, and consequently, after the conquest of Canada in 1760, they took measures towards influencing a company of gentle- men to procure a grant of this land from New Hampshire. This object was attained, and Doolittle became the possessor of six rights of land in each of the above mentioned townships, intending to immediately begin a settlement. This plan, however, was frustrated by the continuance of the war between England and France until 1763, and subsequently by the conflicting claims of New Hampshire and New York, each claiming the territory, till its appar- ent settlement by the proclamation of the King in 1764, when it was con- sidered safe to begin settlement, and measures were immediately instituted towards this purpose ; but it was not until the spring of 1766 that their plans reached their consummation. At this time Doolittle arrived in Shoreham with twelve or fourteen others, among whom were Daniel and Jacob Hemen- way, Robert Gray, James Forbush, Paul Moore, John Crigo, Daniel South- gate, Nahum Houghton, and Elijah Kellogg, and built a log house in the north part of the town near Mutton Hill, upon what is still known as the " Doolittle farm." Here they all lived during the first year, the men taking turns in cooking and attending to the domestic arrangements. They had agreed to make a joint interest of the enterprise ; to place their labor and expenses in a common stock, and when the settlement should advance and the lands increase in value, to share equally in the profits. During the sum- mer they cleared about twenty-five acres of land, a portion of which was planted. But several of the company having suffered to some extent from malaria, considered the locality unhealthful, and receiving pay for the labor they had performed, left. Doolittle remained here most of the time until the Revolution, clearing lands and making improvement, in which operations he employed several men. After the war, in 1783, he removed his family to the town, owned the mill-place and mills, and built a house where Alonzo Birchard now lives. He died here after a long and useful life, in 1807.
Previous to the war, settlement was very slow, there having been only six families known to have been here in 1775. Before the commencement of the war, no settlement had been made east of the old turnpike road, except that commenced by the first company in 1766, and no family lived east of that except John Crigo's, who occupied the first improvement. Most of the fami- lies were driven away from their improvements by the war, and returned, the majority of them, in the winter of 1783, and the succeeding year. From this time forward emigration became quite rapid, mills were erected, lands im- proved, etc., so that during the year of the organization of the town, 1786, it is said sixty-three families moved here, and at the taking of the first census, in 1791, it had a population of 791 persons. Since that time, the census returns for the different years have shown a fluctuation in the population, from one cause and another, as may be seen by referring to the census table in this work.
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TOWN OF SHOREHAM.
The first house at Shoreham village was built of logs, and stood just op- posite the northeast corner of the common. It was built by George Leonard, a German tailor and ex-soldier of Burgoyne's army. For many years he was the only tailor in the town. In 1798, he built the frame house after- ward occupied by Rev. Mr. Beardsley and Dr. Needham. The first frame house was built by Isaac Flagg, in 1794, near where the parsonage of the Congregational society now stands. The land where the Congregational and Universalist churches and the Academy now stand, consisting of twenty-three acres, was given to the town by the proprietors for the purposes of a common, sites for churches and other public buildings, and a burying ground, though but few persons were buried in it when it ceased to be used for that pur- pose. It was cleared at the expense of the proprietors, by Ebenezer Turrill, in 1786.
The land surrounding the upper dams, at Richville, was purchased by Thomas Rich in 1785, and he built a house a little east of the school-house, and moved his family into it, in 1786, and during that year built a saw-mill. In 1788, Jacob Atwood built a log house here and moved his family into it in the summer of 1789. During that year it was destroyed by fire, together with the mill, in which Mr. Atwood had a portion of his goods stored. Two or three years after this, he built a forge at the north end of the lower dam, which was soon after burnt down and rebuilt, and in the new building he commenced blacksmithing. Soon after, a large building was erected a few rods below, furnished with a trip-hammer, and worked by water-power. Here Russel Harrington started smithing, and people came here from all the adjacent towns to get their work done. A nail and trip-hammer shop was built on the north side of the upper dam, by Ebenezer Markham, in 1797. This building was afterwards used for clothier's works.
The first hotel in town was kept by Samuel Beman, at Larrabee's Point, previous to the Revolution. The place was then known as Rowley's Point, after Thomas Rowley, whose farm was purchased by John S. Larrabee, in 1787, hence "Larrabee's Point." Here he kept a tavern for many years, established the ferry, and built the stone store and wharf in 1823. The hotel was burned in 1838, and for a few years tavern was kept in a small house opposite the old site, till 1847, the present elegant structure was built by Samuel H. Holley and B. B. Brown, and now owned, as stated before, by S. A. Farr.
Mail matter for a long time was received but once a week, being then brought by a mail carrier on horse back. In 1816 or 1817, a stage route was started between Vergennes and Whitehall, and the mail was then delivered tri-weekly, till the establishment of an office at Larrabee's Point, when it was received daily. The first postoffice was kept in a tavern at the Four Cor- ners, on the Basin Harbor road, in 1806.
The first store kept in town was at Larrabee's Point, by George and Alexander Trimble, in 1789, and continued by them until 1800. After this
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time stores were started in different parts of the town, and at one time a very extensive mercantile business was done ; but, since the building of the rail- road, it has decreased on account of trade drifting to other localities. Still, the few stores in town are doing a fair trade, and, taken in connection with the interests of husbandry and manufacture, this may still be considered as a prosperous and thriving town.
Moses Strong, son of Hon. John Strong, of Addison, the first chief justice of the county, was licensed at the March term of the county court in 1797. Three years after this, in 1800, he commenced practice at Richville, the first lawyer established in the town. Here he continued to do a prosperous pro- fessional business till 1810, when he removed to Rutland.
The first regular physician in town was Timothy Page, who came here from Troy, N. Y., in 1788 or '89. For many years he had an extensive practice, and died here in 1810.
The first place where dead were buried, was on the farm lying nearly oppo- site the Cream Hill school-house. Soon after this, a burial-ground was started at Shoreham village, but used but a short time for that purpose. The bodies were disinterred and removed to the "Centre Burying Yard," in the year 1800. A small lot on the "Goodrich place," in the west part of the town, has been used for burial purposes since 1790, when Mrs. L'Homodieu was buried there, filling the first grave. Here Governor Jennison's remains lie, over which has been erected a fine monument by his family. The West or Birchard graveyard was laid out as a place for the dead near the beginning of the present century. The "Centre Burying Yard" began to be used about the year 1800, Mrs. William Johnson's being the first remains interred. Here, also, is the resting place of the Stanley, Bascom, Blinn, Chipman, Bush, Jones, Hemenway, Hunt, Moore, North, Northup and Turrill families. The East or "Cutting Yard," was originally a lot given for this purpose by Andrew Wright. It has been enlarged at two different times. In addition to these, there are several private burial-grounds in different parts of the town. The wife of Abijah North was the first woman of the families of the settlers who died in the town. She died in 1783. Isaac Chipman, brother of General T. F. Chipman, died in 1786. Paul Shoreham Crigo was the first male child born, probably before the Revolution. Paul Moore gave him his name and one hundred acres of land. Daniel Newton Kellogg was the first male child born after the Revolution. Daniel Newton gave him his name and twenty- five acres of land. Sally Smith was the first female child born in the town.
Paul Moore, one of the company who came in 1766, was born in Worces- ter, Mass., in 1731. He was particularly noted for his brave, fearless nature, and love of adventure and danger; this led him to enlist in the British army during the French war. After the close of the war, he spent much of his time in hunting in the vicinity of the lake, probably as early as 1763 or 1764. It is said that during the fall and winter of 1765, he spent six months in Shoreham, in a hut which he constructed of pine and hemlock boughs, with-
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out seeing a human being the whole time. He was twice taken prisoner by the Indians and Tories. The first time, he escaped after killing several of the Indians, who had burned his house and mill. The second time, he was imprisoned in Quebec and exchanged as a prisoner of war. He was a great friend of Ethan Allen, Seth Warren, and others of that stamp, though in- capacitated for taking active interest in their schemes through lameness. He was not married until past fifty years of age, leaving a family consisting of a wife and four children at his death, in 1810, aged seventy-nine years.
Elijah Kellogg, one of the original party who came here in 1766, settled in the north part of the town, near where his grandson, R. S. Kellogg, now resides. He came from Sheffield, Mass., and was one of Allen's party in the capture of Ticonderoga in 1775, and is said to have been the first man to enter the fort after Allen and Arnold. His son, Daniel, father of R. S., was the first male child born here, and received twenty-five acres of land for his name. R. S. and Clark, residing in Bridport, and Jane, wife of E. Peck, of Cornwall, are the only children of Daniel now residing in the county.
Noah Jones, from Worcester, Mass., moved his family to Shoreham, in March, 1786, he having come here alone in 1784, and again in 1785. He located on Worcester Hill, where he built a log honse. He died here in September, 1850, aged ninety-two. Samuel came here with his father, being at that time four years of age. His son, Samuel O., was born in Orwell in 1818, where he continued to reside until 1836, when he came to Shoreham. The following year he went to Benson and was engaged seven or eight years as clerk in S. Jones' store, then returned to Shoreham and entered into part- nership with E. S. Atwood, where he remained about two years, and has since been engaged in farming. He married Lucinda Wright and has two children, Albert and Lizzie.
James Moore, from Worcester, Mass., located in the northeast part of the town in 1781. He made considerable improvements, built a house, and rep- resented the town before he brought his family in 1787. He was held in high estimation by the people of the town, was chosen first representative, which office he held three terms afterward, and also held for many years other offices in the gift of the town. He died at an advanced age, lamented by all. His son, James, at the time the family came here, was but four years of age. He continued to reside here until his death, at the age of eighty-six. He married for his first wife, - Rice, by whom he had four children; for his second wife, he married Mary Steadman and had six children, four of whom, Franklin, Mary A., James F., and Carleton, are now living. James F., born in 1818, has always resided in the town, married Hannah Sessions, has one child, Mary Addie, who still resides at home with her father.
David Cudworth came here from Putney, Vt., at an early date, learned the carpenter's trade, and served in the war of 1812. He married Susanna Bald- win and had six children.
Thomas and Nathaniel Rich, from Warwick, Mass., purchased a tract of
1
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land in and near the village of Richville, in 1785. In 1786, they came with several hands and labored through the summer and autumn in clearing lands and preparing the way for a settlement and the erection of mills. The next year, 1787, he and his brother came on with several hands, among whom was Charles Rich, a son of Thomas, afterwards a representative in Congress, who did the cooking for the company. These two brothers moved their families here in the winter of 1787, and the grist-mill was completed in the spring and summer of that year. These were soon after joined by others of the Rich family. John T. Rich, Sr., was born here October 12, 1800, and died Octo- ber 12, 1846. His son, John T., was born in 1828, married S. E., daughter of Davis Rich, and died in September, 1876, leaving no children. Davis Rich died in March, 1878. Virtulon, son of J. T. Rich, now resides on road 55, upon the original Rich farm, where five generations of the family have resided. He is quite extensively engaged in sheep breeding, having the orig- inal flock of Merino sheep brought to this country by his grandfather, Charles Rich, in 1823.
Samuel Wolcott, an early settler, located in the northern part of the town on road 4. He was to receive a grant of 1,300 acres, providing he procured twenty settlers during a period of five years. This he would undoubtedly have received had he not been driven off by the Indians and Tories during the Revolution. He remained seven years, consequently the terms of the grant were broken and he received but one hundred acres. His son, Philemon, the youngest of ten children, came with him. Almon, son of Philemon, born in 1802, still resides on the old homestead.
Lorin Orvis, from Connecticut, was one of the first settlers of the town of Lincoln, where he resided a few years and then removed to Ferrisburgh, where he died, October 5, 1859, aged 91 years. His son, Myron, was born in Ferrisburgh in 1823, married Ruth, daughter of Hon. Silas H. Jennison, and now resides on road 46, upon the farm owned by his father-in-law. He has four children, Fred, Silas, Sarah and Ruth.
Benajah Douglass came to Cornwall from Cornwall, Conn., in 1784. His son, Edwin B., was born there in 1813, where he resided until fifteen years of age, when he removed to this town and has since been engaged in the dairy business and breeding of cattle.
Ebenezer Terrill, from Lenox, Mass., settled where Shoreham village now is in 1786. He was an enterprising, industrious man, and for many years a justice of the peace, and held an honorable position among the early settlers of the town. He died here in 1825, aged eighty-four years.
Sylvester Witherell was an early settler in the town. His son, Royal, born in 1806, married Lucy Doolittle and is still a resident of the town.
Stephen Barnum was one of the first settlers on Cream Hill. His son, Stephen, was born here in 1799, and now resides on road 7, corner 17.
Ebenezer Bush, from Becket, Mass., located in this town in 1789. In 1791, he was killed by the falling of a tree while on-a journey to Massachusetts. Ebenezer,
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Jr., came here with his father, married Betsey Moore, by whom he had three children, and after her death, for his second wife, married Mrs. Sarah Ormsby, by whom he had two children, Edson and Laura. His widow is still living. Edson married Catherine Wright, and died a few years subsequent to her death, in January, 1879. Their son, Charles E., is cashier of the First Na- tional Bank of Orwell.
Stephen Cooper, from Long Island, located in the west part of the town at an early date. His son, Jonathan, came with him, and was at that time eighteen years of age. Jonathan married Polly Griffin and had six children, three sons and three daughters. His son, Orrin, was born in 1799, married Maria Glidden, and both now reside on road 24, aged respectively eighty- one and eighty-two years.
Abijah North, from Farmington, Conn., came to this town in 1774, locating on Cream Hill, where he made some improvements, planted apple seeds for an orchard, built a house, etc., and returned the fall of that year to Connecticut. The war having broken out the next year, he did not come on with his family as he had expected, but remained till after peace was proclaimed, when he returned with his wife and six children to his former residence, March 12, 1783. He died in Bridport, May 3, 1785. Nathaniel came here with his father, married, and had nine children. Marvin, son of Nathaniel, was born in 1800, and is still a resident of the town.
Eli Smith settled, at an early date, in the west part of the town, on road 44, cor. 43, upon the farm now owned by his great-grandson, D. C. Smith. D. C. was born here in 1830, married Maria Young, and has four children.
Nathan Hand, from Long Island, located near Larrabee's Point in 1791 or '92, upon the farm now owned by Nathan and Susan Hand, on road 47. Samuel came with his father, married Elizabeth Sill, had six children, and died in 1845. None of his children are living, except Eliza and Susan, who occupy the old homestead.
Jonathan Treadway came here at an early day, from Connecticut, and with him his son, Joseph. Lewis, son of Joseph, was born here in 1809, and has since been a resident of the town. He represented the town in 1864 and '65, and has always been engaged in farming. Hannah Treadway, sister of Joseph, and daughter of Lewis, is also a resident of the town.
James Forbes, from Massachusetts, came to this town previous to the year 1800, locating in the south part of the town. He married Beulah Marsh and had two children, James and William .. James, Jr., the only son living, was born in 1803, married Mary Lyon, and has four children. Francis Delong came here about the year 1800, locating upon the farm now owned by his son, H. J., on road 12. H. J. was born in 1825, and has for many years been engaged in stock breeding. He married Lucy Watson and has two children.
Ebenezer Wright came to Shoreham from Warwick, Mass., at an early date. His son, Myron W. C., was born here in 1804, and died in 1873. He was
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representative during the years 1846, '59 and '60, and assistant judge of the county in 1855 and '56; was appointed justice of the peace in 1837, which office he continued to hold till 1872. He married Tryphosa Bissell, by whom he had four children, Tryphosa A., Ellen P., Emma L., and Don J. The latter was a 2d Lieut. in the army during the late war, serving in Co. D., 14th Regiment.
Jacob Atwood, with his family, from Warwick, Mass., came to this town in 1789, locating in the eastern part. Richard N., son of Francis and grandson of Jacob, was born here in 1806, and has since been a resident of the town. He married Clarissa Harrington and has four children.
John Stickney located in Shoreham in 1798 or '99, remaining but a short time. His son, Tyler, was born December 10, 1799, and has always lived here. In 1835 he commenced the business of breeding Spanish Merino sheep, and has continued the occupation since, being one of the oldest breeders of the county. He married Laura Treadway and has had eleven children, ten of whom are now living. Joseph T. and Edgar E. are still residents of the town and extensively engaged in sheep breeding. Mrs. Stickney is now liv- ing at the age of seventy-five, and Mr. Stickney, though eighty-two years of age, is still hale and hearty.
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