USA > Vermont > Addison County > Gazetteer and business directory of Addison County, Vt., for 1881- 82 > Part 8
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In 1880, Addison had a population of 847, was divided into ten school dis- tricts and contained ten common schools, employing five male and eleven fe- male teachers at an aggregate salary of $1,369.50. There were 229 pupils attending common school, while the entire cost of the schools for the year ending October 31st, was $1,526.44. Alice C. Merrill was school superin- tendent.
ADDISON (p. o.), the only settlement approaching the dignity of a village, is located in the northeastern part of the town. It consists only of a small cluster of houses.
WEST ADDISON (p. o.) is a small hamlet located in the west part of the town.
CHIMNEY POINT (p. o.), though the site of the first settlement in the State, now consists of only a few dwellings.
Smith's Steam Saw Mill, located on road twenty-nine, was erected near the summit of the mountain in 1871, and removed to its present location in 1877. The mill, supplied with a circular saw, has the capacity for cutting 1,000 feet of lumber per hour, though it is not worked to its full extent. It has also a corn-crusher, stones for grinding grain, and a shingle-mill, attached.
The settlement of Chimney Point by Jacobus D'Narm, in 1690, its subsequent abandonment and re-settlement by the French, in 1730, the building of Fort Frederick just opposite at Crown Point, N. Y., in 1731, the subsequent build- ing of a fort at Ticonderoga, in 1756, and the final evacuation of the settle- ment and burning of the buildings in 1759, before the approach of the British general, Amherst, have all been spoken of in connection with the county his- tory, on page 46-7. therefore we will defer further mention at this point. A large tract of land lying largely in this county, and including the present town of Addison, was claimed by the Mohawk Indians, and by them granted to Godfrey Dellious, Dutch minister at Albany, in 1694, and in 1796 his title was confirmed by Charles 11, and afterwards by him revoked, though the re- vocation was not acknowledged by Dellious, who sold the right to his succes-
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TOWN OF ADDISON.
sor, John Henry Lydius. In 1743, the King of France granted to one Hoc- quart, a tract of land in the vicinity, also including the territory of Addison, and the French settlement here was named in his honor. Kalm, the Swedish naturalist, on a visit to Hocquart, in 1749, speaks of it as follows: "I found quite a settlement, a stone wind-mill, and a fort with five or six small cannon mounted ; the whole inclosed by embankments." Within the inclosure was a neat church, and throughout the settlement well-cultivated gardens, with some good fruit, as apples, plums, currants, etc., and during the next ten years the settlement extended north along the lake for a distance of four miles. After the flight of the inhabitants, in 1759, all remained deserted ; weeds and grass, and even forest trees, had sprung up from the cellars, and overgrew the gardens that had once been the pride of the French settlers. Thus it remained till the spring of 1765, when Zadock Everest, David Vallance, and Mr. Ward came on and begun a clearing about three miles north of Crown Point, and in the following September were joined by John Strong, who built a house, selecting the foundation of an old French house for the site, being the first dwelling built by an English settler, north of Massachusetts, and where Mr. Strong afterwards lived and died. The party returned to Connecticut, and in February, 1766, Strong returned with his family, consisting of a wife and three children, Asa, Samuel and Polly, and in May, Z. Everest, D. Val- lance, John Chipman, and six others, with their families, came on by the way of Otter Creek. Chipman located in Middlebury, while the others kept on, some locating in Addison and others in Panton. In October, 1763, a grant of land was made by the Governor of New York, to Col. David Wooster, in- cluding the township of Addison, and in 1768, he came to look at his land and found John Strong, Benjamin Kellogg, Phineas Spaulding, David Val- lance, and Pangborn settled upon it. He ordered them to leave, some of them promising to do so, while the others he sued before the court at Albany. In August, 1773, he again returned with a sheriff, armed with writs of ejectment, which he attempted to serve ; but desisted from further efforts and left, prom- ising never to return, after having been tied to a tree and threatened with the " Beech Seal." During the war, the settlers were all' driven off by the British, Indians and Tories, and Benjamin Kellogg, Ward, and Joseph Everest were taken prisoners to Quebec, Kellogg dying in prison.
In 1783, after the close of the war, many of the old settlers returned to their homes, where they were rapidly joined by new ones and the town soon became one of the foremost in the county. It was organized and first town meeting held March 29, 1784, at which Zadock Everest was chosen moderator; John Strong, town clerk; John Strong, Zadock Everest, and Joshua Whitney, selectmen ; John Strong, treasurer ; David Vallance, consta- ble ; Benjamin Paine, Benjamin Everest, Joshua Whitney, listers ; John Strong, leather sealer ; John Ward and Ebenezer Wright, grand jurymen ; Joseph Chilson, tything man, and Timothy Woodford, brander of horses. It was also voted at this meeting, "that Col. Strong's cow-yard be and is hereby made a pound for the present year, and Samuel Strong, pound keeper."
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TOWN OF ADDISON.
The first birth was that of John Strong, Jr., born June 14, 1766, the first " English child born in the county. The first justice was Zadock Everest, in 1787, who served twenty-one years ; the first representative, John Strong, in February, 1784. Addison was represented in the convention that declared Vermont a free and independent State, in 1777, by David Vallance.
Hon. John Strong was born in Salisbury, Conn., in 1738, and immigrated to this town in February, 1766. After being driven off by the British, he took up his residence in Dorset, Vt., which town he represented in the Legislature from 1779 to 1782, and in 1781 was elected Assistant Judge of Bennington County, and also in 1782. In 1783, he returned to Addison, locating on the old place on road twenty. He was elected to the Legislature from Addison in 1784, '85, and '86, and in 1785, elected first Judge of the Court in Addison County, and in 1786, Judge of Probate and member of the council. These offices he held until 1801, sixteen years. In 1791, he was a member of the convention that ratified the Constitution of the United States on the admission of Vermont to the Union. He gave up political life in 1801, and died in June, 1816. Many of his descendants still are resi- dents of the town. The first house was built near the lake, on road twenty, and destroyed by the British. The present brick house, occupied by Charles Strong, was built in 1796 ; two years later, when some repairs were being made, the date " 1798" was placed in the hall, where it still remains. The brick for its construction were made on the farm. His remains rest in Lake View Cemetery, on road sixteen, there being a monument over his grave, bearing the following inscription :---
The Hon. John Strong born Aug. Ist A. D. 1738, died roth June A. I). 1816. He emigrated from Salisbury, Conn., in 1766, and was one of the first settlers in the county. He long sustained many important offices, both civil and military, in the State : was a tried friend to his country in its struggle for independence : A Benefactor to mankind, a professor and firm believer in the Christian Religion.
Zadock Everest came to Addison in the summer of 1765 and commenced a clearing on road sixteen, the first clearing made by English settlers in the county. Here he built a log house and kept the first public house in the county. After the breaking out of the war, he fled with his family to White- hall, and from there took refuge in Pawlet, Rutland county, where he was elected a representative, March 12, 1784. During this year he returned to Addison and was a representative from l'anton, in 1785, and from Addison in 1788, 'Sy and '95, and also held prominent offices in town through a series
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TOWN OF ADDISON.
of years. His dwelling was used as the first County Court House, and the Legislature also met here one year. After this it was used both as a private dwelling and county jail, for a long time. Over his grave in Lake View Cemetery is a marble shaft bearing the following inscription :-
Here rests the remains of Zadock Everest, Esq.,
born in Saybrook, Conn., March 5. 1744 : In the fourth year of his age he removed with his father, Benjamin Everest, to Salisbury, Conn., where he lived until twenty-one years of age : In the fall of the same year, A. D. 1765, he removed to Addison, Vt., where he lived until Arnolds' defeat on Lake Champlain, A. D., 1776, at which time he was driven from his home by the enemy : In May, 1783, after the close of the Revolutionary War, he moved back to Addison, where he lived until his decease, much beloved and respected : He died April 30, 1825, in the eighty-second year of his age, leaving a widow and twelve children to mourn his death: He was a beloved husband, an affectionate father, and an ornament to the church.
On another monument may also be seen the following :- Lieut. Benjamin Everest was born at Salisbury, Conn., Jan. 12, 1752, and moved with his father [Benjamin] to this town in 1768, and died here March 3, 1843, aged 91 years. Thus lies the Christian, The Philanthropist, The Revolutionary hero, And the Patriot.
General David Whitney came to Addison soon after the close of the Revolution, and located on the farm previously owned by Kellogg. He afterwards removed to the farm on the north bank of Ward's Creek, where he lived until a few years previous to his death, when he removed to Bridport, where he died, May 10, 1850, aged ninety-three years. He was a member of the Constitutional Conventions of 1793, 1814, '36, and '43 ; represented Addison in 1790, '92, '93. '97, '98, 1808 to 1815, and '24, and was always one of the leading men of the town.
Jonah Case, one of the early settlers, located upon the farm now occupied by J. Conant on road thirty-six. The old brick house now standing was built by him about 1780, the first brick dwelling in the county. Here lie kept a public house for a long time, and the courts of the county were held here for several years. It is said that Case first built a log house, but while putting on the roof it was blown down. He then built the present one of brick manufactured on the farm. In the masonry, at each corner of the building, was placed a pint of liquor and a piece of silver money, that the occupant "might never be out of whisky nor money."
Benjamin Southard, from New Jersey, came to Addison at an early day. and cleared a farm in the south part of the town, married Cynthia Mason, probably of this town, as they were married here, and died August 7, 1845.
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TOWN OF ADDISON.
He had a family of fourteen children. Ransom Southard is the only descend- ant now residing in the town,
The Willmatth families, of Addison, are descendants of Asa Willmarth, he being one of five brothers, sons of John Willmarth. Asa Willmarth, Sr., was born in Providence, R. I., April 27, 1746, and married Chloe Peck, September 20, 1770. They resided in North Adams, Mass., for a time, then immigrated to Addison in 1788, being one of the earliest permanent settlers in the eastern part of the town. It was then nearly an unbroken wilderness, the road to Vergennes being simply a bridle path marked by blazed trees. Asa Willmarth, Sr., died February 8, 1830. At the time of his wife's death, October 22, 1829, they had lived together fifty-nine years, and reared a family of ten children, eight of whom arrived at maturity and became the heads of families. Five of the children were sons, all of whom settled around the old homestead, so closely that their farms adjoined. The daughters married and moved away, two of them to Canton, and one to Farmington, N. Y. A rep- resentative of each of the brothers now reside on their old homesteads. Asa Willmarth, Sr., erected a dwelling, there being only three in the town east of his, the house being at first modeled after the style peculiar to those times, but afterward remodeled as it is at present, a comfortable and handsome resi- dence. The farm descended from Asa to George Willmarth, and from George to Asa, the present owner. George was a public spirited man, rep- resented the town, was justice of the peace many years, and also a soldier in the war of 1812. Asa has several interesting relics in his possession, among which is an old powder horn used at the battle of Bennington, a pair of knee breeches worn by his grandfather, and the old sword and epaulettes worn by George when captain of the State militia.
Amos Smith located on the farm now owned by Olin A. Smith, on road twenty-seven, in 1788. He lived here but a few years, when he died, leaving a family of eight children, who afterwards became useful citizens. Four, Henry, Daniel, Rufus, and Russell, located in the east part of the town. George removed to Canton, N. Y. The four eldest sons were all at the battle of Plattsburg, and were pensioners of the war of 1812.
James Stickle, born in New Jersey in 1769, came to Addison in early life, and located on road thirty-three, where he died, December 18, 1850. The homestead came into possession of Charles Stickle in 1847, who was born here in 1807, and in turn reverted to his son, H. A. Stickle, the present owner, in 1878, having never been out of the possession of the family since first settled.
John Fisher, from Massachusetts, located upon the farm now owned by Osman H. Fisher, on road ten, at an early day. The homestead passed into the hands of his son Henry, and from him reverted to Osman H. John had a family of five children, -three boys and two girls. His remains rest in the cemetery near Olin Smith's place.
Elijah Elmer, from Amherst, Mass., came to Addison in 1783. locating upon the farm now owned by S. W. Eher, on road five. He had four sons,
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one only of whom, Chester, reached manhood. He married a sister of Gov. Silas Wright.
Benjamin Adams came to this town from Salisbury, Conn., among the early settlers. His son, Frank, one of the original proprietors, came before his father. Benjamin was commissioned a second lieutenant by President Han- cock, in 1776, and afterwards took a prominent part in the Revolution. His grandson, Edrick, now a resident of the town at the age of seventy-one years, has in his possession the old commission given his grandfather,
Correll Merrill, from Hartford, Conn., came to Addison at an early date, locating on road one. After a few years' residence he returned and brought his father, Ebenezer, who died here March 8, 1827, aged eighty-two years. Correll had a family of eight children, four boys and four girls, of whom Charles is the only one now living. He died August 29, 1849, in his eighty- third year.
William Allis came to Addison from Massachusetts in 1785, locating on road thirty-eight, where his son Nathaniel now resides, the only one of William's children now living. The first house was built of logs, and was superceded by the present house, built by Nathaniel in 1831.
Daniel Champion, a revolutionary soldier, was an early settler near Chim- ney Point. He had a family of twelve children. His daughter, Electa, mar- ried Newell B. Smith, who came here in 1800, and afterwards served in the war of 1812. Austin Smith, now residing on road three and one-half, at the age of seventy years, is the only child of N. B. Smith now living.
Abel Norton, from Connecticut, located on the farm now owned by Hiram Norton, in 1790, and died here in 1833, aged fifty-six years. Hiram has eight children, all living near the old homestead, except Lucy, who resides in Ver- gennes, the wife of F. M. Moulton.
Gideon Seeger, from Shaftsbury, Vt., located upon the land now owned by Byron Smith, in 1791. He was one of the earliest postmasters, which office he retained many years and afterwards held for a long time by his son, Gideon, Jr.
According to a manuscript history of the Whitford family, left by the late William Whitford, of this town, the first of the family in America settled in the State of Rhode Island. The Whitfords evidently emigrated from England to the West Indies, and were thence driven out by the French, and settled in the above mentioned State. This is partly proven by family traditions, and partly by Spanish names that have crept into the family at some period of its history. The first who settled there were Pasco, Nicholas, and Carmi, with perhaps one or two more whose names are not remembered. Pasco was married three times and was the father of nine sons, one of whom, by the second wife, was Peleg, the founder of the Whitford family in Addison. He was born in Rhode Island, in 1744, received but three months' schooling, and was then apprenticed to learn the tailor's trade, where he met the usual vicissitudes incident to apprentice life. He married in the town of Coventry,
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removed to Lanesboro, Mass., living for a short time near a place called Cheshire Meeting House, since known as Whitford's Rocks. In the spring of 1781, he again removed, this time to Shaftsbury, Vt., where he remained until February, 1802, when he sold out and came to this town, where he lived until his death, aged eighty-eight years. His only son, William, was a resi- dent of the town for many years and a pensioner of the war of 1812, and left a family of ten children.
Levi Meeker immigrated to this town from Elizabethtown, N. Y., in 1806, where he died in 1848, at the age of eighty-four years, leaving five children, of whom Horace, now residing on road thirty-one, is the only one living. He has held various town offices, and is seventy-eight years of age.
Israel Taylor came to Addison in 1816, from Middlebury, and followed the trade of carpenter and joiner. He had a family of nine children, two of whom, Cyrillo H. and Esther C., are now living on road eight.
John Benedict came to Cornwall from Connecticut at an early day, where he married Lama Smith, of Monkton. Samuel J. Benedict, now living in this town, is a son. John died in Cornwall in 1873, aged eighty-seven years.
Arnold Gulley came from Rhode Island in 1804, and located near the spot now occupied by Erasmus Gulley's house on road twenty-five.
Henry Brevoot came from West Haven, Vt., in 1811, locating upon the farm now owned by his son Henry F. He was a tanner and shoemaker by trade, and a very public spirited man. He represented the town in 1825 and '26, and was a justice of the peace for a period of thirty years, dying in 1880, at the age of ninety-two years. Two of his sons, Henry F. and Seneca F., still are residents.
James Gorham came on foot from Massachusetts in 1810, locating on road ten, where his son Edward now resides. He was a carpenter and joiner by trade, and ever respected as an upright, industrious citizen.
Gideon Carpenter, from Bennington, Vt., came to this town in 1802, locat- ing upon the farm now owned by his son Isaiah. He had four children, two boys and two girls. Ruth married Daniel Jackson, and Roxana, Erasmus Gulley. Of the boys, Truman, the eldest, now resides in Vergennes, and Isaiah as stated above. Gideon died in 1803 or '04 aged eighty-four years.
Joseph Spencer was an early settler on road ten.
Asaph Hayward settled in Weybridge in 1805, were Joseph Brown now lives. Benjamin Hayward, now of Addson, is a grandson.
David Goodale, from Massachusetts, located on road thirty-six, procuring a deed from Lemuel Swift, dated June 6, 1810.
James Hindes came from New Jersey in 1800, locating upon the farm now owned by Aaron Hindes, on road thirty-four. The homestead descended from James to Aaron, and thence to Aaron, Jr., who has been a prominent man of the town, holding various offices of trust, being now in his seventy- first year, hale and hearty.
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TOWN OF BRIDPORT.
Nathaniel French was one of the early settlers in New Haven, and his son Wheeler located in Addison in 1833.
John Bowers, a physician, settled in Orwell in April, 1797. He had a family of nine children, of whom Philo, now residing in Addison at the age of eighty-four years, is the only one living.
John Vanderhoof, from New Jersey, settled in Addison early in the present century, on road twenty-one. His son, Jonas, a successful business man, now occupies the farm.
Luman B. Clark, residing on road twenty-five, is one of the oldest sheep breeders in the county. In 1878, the fleece from his ram, "Patrick Henry," was sent to the international exposition at Paris, where it received the gold medal. The same sheep took the bronze medal at Philadelphia, in 1876. Mr. Clark has made a specialty of breeding this particular line of sheep.
The house now occupied by the Moorly Brothers is among the oldest in that part of the town. The north part was built seventy-six years ago by Priest Chapin, while the south part was built a number of years previous to that.
The Addison Baptist Church, located at Addison village, was organized by a council consisting of the Baptist churches of Cornwall, Shoreham, Panton, and Pleasant Valley, in 1797, having twelve members. Rev. Samuel Rogers was the first regular pastor. The present church was erected in 1817, though it was repaired and greatly improved in 1849. It is a pleasant wood structure, having accommodations for 250 persons, and valued, including grounds, etc., at 4,000.00. The society now has fifty members, with Rev. Edward Bullard, pastor, and a flourishing Sabbath school, with L. G. Whit- ford, superintendent.
The Methodist Church, located at West Addison, was organized by Rev. H. Meeker, the first settled pastor, in 1825, with six members. A church building was erected at an early date, which did service till 1881, when the present structure was erected. which will comfortably seat 200 persons, and is valued, including grounds, at $3,000.00. The society now has fifty members, with Rev. P. Marshall, pastor.
The Advent Christian Church of Addison, located in the eastern part of the town, was organized July 5, 1850, by about thirty members from the Baptist Church, who had united with others who held the truth of the Advent faith. Rev. Pliny B. Morgan, the first pastor, was mainly instrumental in effecting the organization. The church building was erected in 1849, costing $1,000.00, and is valued, including grounds, at about $1,200, and capable of accom- modating 250 persons. The society has twenty-five members, with Rev. William J. Blanchard, pastor.
BRIDPORT, located in the centre of the western part of the county, in lat. 43° 58' and long. 3º 44', bounded north by Addison, west by Wey- bridge and Cornwall, south by Shoreham, and west by Lake Champlain, was chartered by New Hampshire, October 9, 1761, to Ebenezer Wiswall 6
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TOWN OF BRIDPORT.
and sixty-three others, in seventy shares, and contains 25,000 acres. The surface is very level, except in the eastern part, where it is quite hilly, being cut by a range of hills, the continuation of Snake Mountain in Addison, having in this town a great variety of rocks in its formation, consisting of Trenton limestone, Utica slate, Hudson River slate, Hudson River limestone, and red sand-rock, while the residue of the town, except along the lake shore, overlies an immense bed of Black River limestone. Along the lake the rocks are also of limestone formation, but of the Trenton group.
The soil is mostly composed of Champlain clay, with some marl, and in the hilly portion, loam. Few streams or springs of any importance are afforded, the water being peculiarly distasteful for drinking or domestic purposes, on account of its being impregnated with Epsom salts. For this reason, rain- water is used quite extensively, which, when well filtered, is thought by many to be fully as healthful as the best spring-water. What streams there are, are low, sluggish affairs, affording no good mill sites, and for this rea- son the town affords no manufactures, the inhabitants being al- most entirely devoted to sheep raising and farming, the former taking precedence.
One of the foremost Merino sheep breeders of this town is Mr. H. ( BISMARCK.) C. Burwell, who bred and owned the noted ram Bismarck, which took the "sweepstakes prize," or award for the "best American Merino ram of any age," at the Centennial Exhibition, at Phila- delphia, in 1876. The reader is also referred to Mr. Burwell's letter on page 424. He has done much for the improvement of Merino sheep.
The Lemon Fair is the largest stream, crossing a portion of the south- eastern part of the town where it is joined by Birchard's Creek, and flows through a heavy swamp. It is also swelled by one or two other small tribu- taries. Two streams rise in the southern part of the town, called East and West Branch, respectively, flowing north into Addison where they unite to form Dead Creek. These, with the exception of several small brooks empty- ing into the lake, are the only streams in the township. A dense growth of timber originally covered the territory and considerable is still standing. In the eastern part it is mostly beech and maple, in the western, oak and pine.
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