Gazetteer and business directory of Addison County, Vt., for 1881- 82, Part 30

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 30


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In religion, the Doctor's faith, as set forth by himself, is as follows: He believes in the pure, simple, affectionate words of our Heavenly Father, spoken to us by his beloved Son in his everlasting Gospel. The Son, who is the embodiment of God's infinite love for his eternal truth, and by whom he de- velops that love in all who believe and obey him. That man, like the angels, being an offspring of God's affectionate, truth-loving nature, must of necessity feed his mind upon God's words in receiving, loving, and obeying them, thus preserving his good conscience towards, and keeping himself in the love of God. That Adam, through unbelief and disobedience, became an enemy of God and lost his love for him and his loving society and words, became earthly instead of heavenly minded-a lover of earthly pleasures more than a lover of God and heavenly joys, in which condition of mind all his posterity are developed in this world, and are thus consciously without God or any sure hope of future happiness. That because of the atonement, children, being without law, are without transgression, but, as conscious enemies to believing, obeying, and loving God, none of the human family can ever see him in peace and love. That God has so constituted man that his mind and his body must have their absolute necessities supplied, or suffer while they live, so long as these supplies shall be cut off. That through Adam, our first parent by nature, man's knowledge of God, and love for him and his ways, are dead, and must be regenerated or re-begotten of God, by his affectionate teachings, and be born again into his family, as conscious, affectionate, willing, and obedient servants of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, or they can never see his face in peace, as it is written : "Sit thou on my right hand till I make thy foes thy footstool." That the affectionate acquaint- ance, teachings, society and love of God, and the joy of heaven, are an eternal necessity of the soul, and without which man must of necessity for- ever suffer with the lost angels in the penalty provided for them. That God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to be the followers of his beloved Son, as his dear children. That God


3248


TOWN OF WALTHAM.


so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son to be the head of the family of God in this world as well as in heaven. That man should follow him in being affectionately taught of the Father, and in being immersed in water as the commencement act of an affectionate, humble, obedient life through the churches who hear his sayings and do them, who hear and obey the one Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ ; the one belief that he is the Son of God, and that we have peace with God as the servants of his beloved Son, who loved us and brought us from suffering the curse of God's law, by death of himself on the cross. That being taught of God the infinite affection and desire that his beloved Son has to bring us unto God. As his affectionate followers, we should humble ourselves, and pray to find favor with God, for Jesus' sake, who has spoken to our heart, and begotten obedient love there for him and his ways, and also pray that we may, with a true heart, through His church, draw near to the Son of God, in whom dwells the fullness of the God-head bodily. Who is head over the household of God, his church, that in being buried with him, and by him, in water in the likeness of his death, to the world, when he was immersed. Jesus might then and there receive, sanctify, and cleanse us from our natural spirit of unbelief and disobedience, that we might be born again into the family of God, of water and the Holy Spirit, out of Nature's darkness into the light of heaven, as Jesus was (Matt. 3, 13-17), believing that the Son of God will then and there receive all who thus come to him, and sanctify and cleanse them from their natural spirit of unbelief and disobedience. By the burial-washing of their bodies in pure water by command of the Father, in which act we become the servants of Him to whom we yield ourselves servants to obey ; and through affectionately believing the great and precious promises of God, that what he has prom- ised he is able and will perform, we put off our old spirit of unbelief and dis- obedience, and put on the new spirit of belief, obedience, and love of God's everlasting good news to man, and in rising out of the water with Christ, by the will of God, as he did, having forgiven us all trespasses, Christ sanctifies and presents us to himself, purifying the believer's conscience, and filling the heart with the joy of heaven ; by which transformation we are enabled to walk in a new, God-believing, God-obeying and God-loving life. Thus we are made new creatures in the family and service of Christ Jesus, our spirits witnessing with his spirit that we are his children, and that we and the Holy Spirit are his witnesses to the world of the truth of God's words, which spirit he gives all who obey him, to enable them to walk in the new life of striving to learn and observe all things that he commanded his disciples to do, and thus walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless.


2484


TOWN OF WEYBRIDGE.


EYBRIDGE, located in the central part of the county, in lat. 44° 2', and long. 4° 50', bounded north and east by Otter Creek, which sepa- rates it from New Haven and Middlebury, south by Cornwall, and west by Bridport and Addison, was chartered by New Hampshire, November 3, 1761, to Joseph Gilbert and sixty-three associates, in seventy shares, con- taining, according to charter, 25,000 acres. But in locating the town the proprietors were unable to obtain but a little over one third of their land as chartered, as the charters of Bridport and Addison, bearing earlier dates, cov- ered and held the other portions. But this area was increased, however, October 28, 1791, by seven hundred acres taken from the southwestern corner of New Haven, and October 22, 1804, by two thousand acres from the south- eastern part of Addison ; and again, October 28, 1806, a portion of land called Little Panton, belonging to the town of Panton, containing 115 acres, was annexed. In November, 1859, five hundred acres from the northwestern part of Weybridge were annexed to Addison, leaving the township now with a tract of only about 10,000 acres.


The surface is pleasantly diversified by hill and dale, with a great variety of soil, from alluvium to clay, producing, in addition to a good proportion of land for grazing, fine crops of wheat, barley, oats, rye, buckwheat, Indian corn, potatoes and hay. The principal exports are sheep and wool, products of the dairy, maple sugar and lumber; the latter being mostly beech, birch, maple, oak, ash, hemlock, pine and cedar. The rocks are mostly of the Eolian limestone formation, with some beds of red sandrock, and both cut by ledges of slate. The streams are Otter Creek, Lemon Fair River and Beaver Ledge Brook, with their tributaries, affording numerous mill sites; Otter Creek, especially, having five falls within a distance of five miles.


In 1880, Weybridge had a population of 608, was divided into five school- districts and had five common schools, employing one male and five female teachers at an aggregate salary of $515.75. There were 139 pupils attend- ing common school; and the entire cost of the schools for the year ending October 3 Ist, was $786.51.


Fourteen years after Benning Wentworth placed his " sign and seal" upon the paper that brought into existence the town of Weybridge, towards the latter part of a beautiful day in 1775, the forest trees that lazily nodded to each other over the ripples of Otter Creek, became suddenly agitated, rust- ling their leaves in surprise. Well they might, too, for the old Otter bore upon its breast the first that had come amongst them of their great enemies -the pioneers. These, the families of Thomas Sanford and Claudius Britell, settled in the northern part of the town, on the south side of the creek, in the midst of an unbroken wilderness. Here they were soon after joined by David Stow and Justus Sturdevant, with their families, having made their way by boat down Otter Creek, the same as the former, locating on the north side of the stream. Here they began to clear their farms, erected buildings, etc., and were just getting through with the worst of the hardships incident


$248


TOWN OF WEYBRIDGE.


to pioneer life, when, in November, 1778, they were surprised by Indians and Tories, who destroyed or carried away their property and burned their houses, taking the men prisoners, and leaving the women and children desti- tute. They took refuge in a cellar that had belonged to one of the houses, where they supported themselves for ten days on a few potatoes that had escaped the ravages of the enemy, when they were found by some American troops and taken to Pittsford. In 1856, a handsome marble monument was erected over the site of this cellar by some of their decendents. The follow- ing inscription upon its base tells the whole story :-


WEYBRIDGE


WAS CHARTERED BY NEW HAMPSHIRE IN 1761, SETTLED IN 1775, BY THOMAS SANFORD, DAVID STOW, JUSTUS STURDEVANT, AND CLAUDIUS BRITELL : NOVEMBER, 8, 1778, A PARTY OF BRITISH, TORIES AND INDIANS DESTROYED THEIR HOUSES AND EFFECTS, AND CARRIED T. SAN- FORD AND SON ROBERT, D. STOW AND SON CLARK, C. BRITELL AND SON CLAUDIUS, AND J. STURDEVANT, PRISONERS TO QUEBEC. THEIR WIVES AND CHIL-


DREN, AFTER OCCUPYING A CELLAR AT THIS PLACE TEN DAYS, WERE TAKEN TO PITTS- FORD BY OUR TROOPS. D. STOW DIED IN PRISON, DECEMBER 31, 1778. T. SANFORD ESCAPED, AND THE OTHERS WERE DISCHARGED IN 1782.


ERECTED IN 1856, BY DAVID, MILO, JASON, AND MILLER STOW, JOHN AND ORANGE BRITELL, JOHN STURDEVANT, IRA SANFORD AND OTHERS.


In 1783, these families returned to Weybridge and located upon their pos- sessions, and were soon joined by other permanent citizens from Massachu- setts and Connecticut, so that in 1789, it was considered the population was sufficiently large to warrant the formal organization of the town and election of officers. A meeting was accordingly called and Samuel Jewett chosen town clerk, and Abel Wright, Joseph Plumb and Joseph McKee, selectmen. Zillai Stickney, chosen in 1790, was the first constable. The first justice was Aaron Parmalee, elected in 1788, and the first representative, Abel Wright, in 1789. The first born, Ira Sanford; the first saw-mill, built by Joseph and Eleazer McKee, on Belding's Falls, in 1791; first grist-mill, by David Beld- ing, Ebenezer Scott, and Asaph Drake, in 1794.


WEYBRIDGE (Weybridge Lower Falls, p. o.), a small village located in the northern part of the town on Otter Creek, contains two churches (M. E. and Wesleyan Methodist), one grist-mill, a cider-mill, a saw-mill, two wagon shops, three blacksmith shops, one shoe shop, one store, and nearly a hundred inhabitants.


Manley L. Boies' wood-turning shop and planing-mill was built in 1859. He manufactures wagons and does all kinds of wood turning.


Hall & Sneden's grist-mill, located on road 6, was built by Israel Marsh in the summer of 1811. It operates three runs of stones, grinding 10,000


2486


TOWN OF WEYBRIDGE.


bushels of grain per year. There is also a cider-mill connected with it which makes 200 barrels of cider per annum.


Hayward & Roscoe's saw-mill, located at Weybridge village, was built previous to 1800, and came into Mr. Hayward's possession in 1870. It is operated by water-power, has one circular saw, cutting 500,000 feet of lumber, with capacity for doing as much more if desired.


Justus Sturdevant located at the south end of road 7, where Charles S. Sturdevant now resides. The Indians and Tories forded the creek at "Stur- devant Bow" just at daylight on the morning of the attack upon the settle- ment. Mrs. Sturdevant endeavored to have her husband seek safety in flight, but he would not do so. He remained in prison three years, and returning, died here in 1825, aged eighty years. His son, John, born here, died on the old place at the age of seventy-five, and his son, Charles, grandson of Justus, still occupies the farm.


David Stow came from Great Barrington, Mass., and located a little west of the village, upon land now owned by A. J. and S. M. Stow. Clark, son of David, had a family of sixteen children, fourteen of whom arrived at maturity. Jason, who occupied the farm after Clark, had three children, one of whom, Azro J., is still in possession.


Samuel Jewett, the first town clerk, was born June 5, 1761, and died here October 20, 1830. His was the fifth family in the town, locating upon the farm now occupied by his son Philo. He came from Bennington to Rut- land, and thence to Pittsford by means of an ox-sled. Here they built a raft, by means of which they made the rest of their journey down the creek. Be- sides serving as first town clerk, which office he held twenty-six years, Mr. Jewett represented his town eighteen years, was also justice of the peace twenty-two years, when he declined further service. He had a family of six children, of whom Philo, born November 24, 1805, is still a resident of the town. Philo was returned to the Legislature from Weybridge in 1842, '43, '48 and'49, and also served as selectman twelve years. S. W., a former promi- nent sheep breeder, resides in Rutland.


Silas Wright, from Amherst, Mass., came to Weybridge in 1797, where he died in 1860. His sons were Samuel, Silas, Leonard, and Pliny. The name of Hon. Silas Wright, Jr., is too well known, as Governor (of New York) and statesman, to require special mention here. That his friends in Weybridge revere his memory is attested by the beautiful marble monument, thirty-two feet in height, that stands near the Congregational church. Samuel, Jr.'s, children were Loyal L., Samuel O., and Electa. Loyal resides in Cornwall, Electa in Middlebury the wife of Chester Elmer, and Samuel O. is still a resident of Weybridge.


Jehiel Wright, when a young man, came from Poultney to this town, locat- ing in the northwest part. on road I, upon the farm now owned and occupied by his son, Edwin S., where he resided till his death. Ira S. Wright, son of Jehiel, now resides on road 2.


1248


TOWN OF WEYBRIDGE.


Eleazer Dana, from Amherst, Mass., came to Weybridge in 1795, and died in Cornwall, in 1835. Addison W., son of Eleazer, born here, still resides in the west part of the town on road 17.


Dennis Bell, with his brother, Solomon, came to Weybridge at an early day, Solomon purchasing a farm from a man by the name of Plum. Dennis at one time owned the land on both sides of the falls, and all the mill property except the trip-hammer and paper-mills, and he and his brother built the first saw- mill at Middlebury Lower Falls. William D., son of Dennis, now resides near the falls.


Zimri Lawrence, from Canaan, Conn., came to Weybridge previous to the year 1800. He had a family of six children, only two of whom, Mrs. Electa Dickinson, residing on road 42, and Mrs. Anna Eliza Hopkins, of Rutland, are now living. His son, Edwin, formerly owned the place now in the pos- session of Joseph Battell. He had a family of three children, all of whom are now living.


James Stewart, from Connecticut, was among the earliest settlers of the county, making his first pitch in the eastern part of Addison, where he did much of the surveying in that and surrounding towns. His land in Addison consisted of sixteen rights of 160 acres each, and was subsequently sold for taxes. After losing his land, Mr. Stewart removed to Crown Point, N. Y., where a family of several children were born to him, among whom was Brazilla, who located in Bridport about the year 1790, where he remained until 1810, then came to this town, locating in the southwestern part. Brazilla was thrice married, had a family of thirteen children, and died in Bristol, aged eighty-three years. His son, Helem, born in 1798, the oldest of his children now living, resides on road 4, at the age of eighty-three years. He has had a family of several children, two of whom, Chauncey H., and Friend E., are now living.


Capt. Simeon Smith, from Salisbury, Conn., located in New Haven Mills at an early day, where he was constable and collector, and captain of militia for many years. Of his eleven children, one only, Col. Norman C. Smith, of Weybridge, is living.


Daniel James came to this town from Massachusetts, in 1784. He was a cooper by trade, but engaged in farming after he came to Weybridge. He died at Truxton, after a number of years residence here. His sons, Daniel and Samuel, were both deacons of the Congregational church, where Samuel, son of Samuel, still serves in that capacity. Samuel, Sr., was born in this town, August 14, 1791, and died here December 5, 1869. Samuel, Jr., now occupies the old homestead, on road 26, which has been in the possession of the James family ninety-seven years.


Guy Woodworth, from Connecticut, came to Weybridge in 1804, and located upon the farm now owned by his son, Charles, where he died at the age of ninety years.


Ebenezer Wright, from New Marlborough, Mass., came to Weybridge at


248ª


TOWN OF WEYBRIDGE.


an early day. His son, Jehiel, born here, resided in town till his death, at the age of sixty-six years. Jehiel, son of Jehiel, still lives on road 21, near Paper Mill Bridge.


Asa Dodge came from Massachusetts to Brandon at an early date, and soon after located in Weybridge, dying here in 1849. Jedediah R., son of Asa, born in this town, still resides here with his son, Lucius B., on road 15.


Asaph Drake, from Massachusetts, came to this town in 1793, residing here till his death, in 1871, at the age of ninety-six years. His son, Isaac, born here, still resides on road 18. He was a colonel of State militia.


Shubael Wales, born in Windham, Conn., came to Weybridge in 1790, and served as captain in the war of 1812.


Columbus Bowdish came here from Bennington, Vt., in 1814, and died here in 1865.


Nathan Foot, with his son, Daniel, came to Cornwall in 1774, and were the first settlers of that town. They had made a clearing and had their first crops planted when they were driven off by Indians and Tories. Daniel joined the army, where he remained till the close of the war, and then returned to Cornwall where he died. His son, Sylvester S., came to Wey- bridge in 1827, where he still resides.


Joseph Hayward, born in Brockton, Mass., came to Weybridge in 1806, where, after several years' residence in other towns of the county, he died in 1865. Asaph D., his son, born in Bridport in July, 1823, is now first select- man of Weybridge, which office he has held fourteen years.


Hiram Hurlburt, from Woodstock, Vt., came to Weybridge at an early date. He emigrated to California in 1849, and died there in 1861. His son, Capt. Ward B., still resides in this town, on road 4.


Kenelmn W. Dalrymple, from Franklin County, Mass., came to Ferris- burgh in 1807, and died there July 10, 1811, leaving a wife and seven chil- dren, all of whom, except the youngest, Miss Betsey Dalrymple, now residing in Weybridge, have since died.


Zenas Shaw, one of the early settlers of this town, came from Massachusetts, locating near where the Silas Wright monument now stands. He was a practicing physician and died here in 1842. Fordyce M., a son, still resides in the town on road 11, occuping the farm formerly owned by Asaph Drake.


Toshaw Cherbino, born in France, came to Weybridge at an early day, where he was a resident during the remainder of his life. His son, Jerome B., now resides on road 20, a breeder of Atwood sheep, wool dealer and farmer.


Loyal Huntington, from Lennox, Madison County, N. Y., came to Wey- bridge, about forty-three years ago, locating on road 9, in the northeast corner of the town, where he still resides.


Calvin Norton, born in Addison, March 9, 1811, came to Weybridge in 1859, and is still a resident.


Elmore W. Miller, from Rutland County, came to Weybridge in 1857, and now resides on road 23.


MOMS EN , LONY


Barn, Bread Loaf Stock Farm, Weybridge, Vt. Colt "Thought" in the foreground. Thought, mahogany bay, foaled 1877, 15.2 high, by Daniel Lambert, dam by Rysdyk's Hambletonian, grand-dam by Seeley's American Star.


'248


TOWN OF WHITING.


George L. Harrington came to Weybridge from New Haven, in 1826. He has held most of the offices of the township, and is now justice of the peace, chairman of the board of listers, law agent, and grand juror .;


Henry W. Hager, born in Montreal, came to this town in 1830. Benjamin, grandfather of Henry W., lived and died here on the farm now occupied by Henry B., on road 19.


Thomas Waugh, born in Richdale, Eng., came to America as a soldier in the British army, located in Weybridge in 1850, and died here in 1865.


Henry B. Isham, born in Bristol, a veteran of the late war, located in this town in 1867. Previous to his entering the army he was employed on gov- ernment work in the armories of Springfield, Mass.


Martin L. Warner served all through the war of the Union, located in Weybridge, from Wallingford, Vt., in 1860, where he now resides on road 9.


William Cotton, from Connecticut, came to Weybridge in 1812, locating in the west part of the town, died September 20, 1855. Two of his sons, J. F. and Horace, now reside on road 22.


The Congregational Church, near the centre of the town, was organized June 20, 1794, with fifteen members, and Rev. Jonathan Hovey, their first pastor, was settled in 1806. In 1802, the first church building was erected, costing $2,500.00, and was used till 1847-'48 when the present structure took its place, a small building capable of seating one hundred persons, and valued at $1,600.00. The society has no pastor at present, but has been sup- plied for a long time by professors from Middlebury College.


The Methodist Episcopal Church, located at Weybridge village, was organ- ized by the first pastor, Rev. Samuel Cockren, with thirty members, in May, 1805. The society increased rapidly, and in 1835, a church with accommo- dations for 250 persons was built, costing $3,000.00, the property being now valued at $2.500.00. They have no regular pastor at present.


The Wesleyan Methodist Church, located at the village, was organized August 20, 1843, by Rev. Cyrus Bendle, with sixty-six members. Rev. John Croker was installed as first pastor, and in 1846, a church building with a seating capacity for 250 persons, costing $2,500.00 was built, which is now valued at $2,000.00. There are at present twenty-nine members in the society, with Rev. E. E. Curtis, pastor.


HITING is located in the southern part of the county, in lat. 43º 51', and long. 3º 53', bounded north by Cornwall, east by Salisbury and Leicester, south by Sudbury, in Rutland County, and west by Shoreham and a small part of Orwell, and lying forty miles southwest from Montpelier and forty-two miles south from Burlington. It was chartered by Benning Wentworth, August 6, 1763, to forty-eight proprietors, mostly from Massachu- setts, among whom were Capt. Nash, and Eliphalet, Asa, and John Whiting, from which circumstance the town received its name.


24810


TOWN OF WHITING.


The surface is very level and quite free from ledges obstructing cultivation, while the soil is various. In the southwest part it is composed of a deep loam, interspersed with slate ridges, and lies moderately rolling. The south- east part, known as Green Island, is composed of marl moderately sprinkled with small tracts of loam, and a deep muck. Through the centre of the town it is mostly marl and clay, with small tracts of loam intermixed with marl, while west of this is found a stiff clay, and east, a deep muck or swamp, with an intervale along the creek which is of inestimable benefit to the town on account of the abundance of hay it produces. There are no streams of impor- tance, the land being watered by several small tributaries of Otter Creek, which forms a part of the eastern boundary, and of the Lemon Fair. The timber is principally beech, birch, maple, elm and basswood, with a small portion of black and white ash, also some pine and hemlock, and in the swamps, large quantities of cedar which are used quite extensively for fencing purposes.


In 1880, Whiting had a population of 456, was divided into five school dis- tricts and had four common schools, employing seven female teachers at an aggregate salary of $469.00. There were 112 pupils attending common school, while the entire cost of the schools for the year ending October 31st, was $529.00, under the superintendence of R. D. Needham.


WHITING (p o.), a hamlet located near the center of the town on the Addi- son branch of the Central Vermont Railroad, which crosses the town from east to west, is the only settlement approaching the dignity of a village. It contains a depot, two churches, (Union and Baptist), one store, a blacksmith shop, a blacksmith and carriage-shop combined, one school-house and about sixty inhabitants.


The Brandon Lime and Marble Co. employs eighteen men, and has facilities for manufacturing 100,000 bushels of lime per year.




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