USA > Vermont > Bennington County > Gazetteer and business directory of Bennington County, Vt. for 1880-81 > Part 13
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
The Gate City Marble Manufacturing Company, S. G. Bridges, proprietor, D. B. Drummond, manager, located here, employs six men in the marble saw mill at Factory Point, and at the turning and polishing works here, about thirty men. Besides the manu- facture of U. S. Government headstones for deceased Union soldiers, for which the company has a contract for 75,000 to 150,- 000; about 8000 of which have been completed; they manufac- ture to order, turned marble vases, card receivers and many other ornaments, some of which are decorated with oil colors and are very pretty.
W. H. Fullerton's Marble and Granite Works, was started in 1842, at South Dorset, by J. H. Tyrel, and later was continued by Tyrel & Son, and in 1862 by Tyrel and Fullerton. In 1864 Mr. Fullerton took the business, and in 1866 moved to Manches- ter Depot and built the factory now occupied by him, being the first building there, excepting the depot.
At the commencement here, 32 men were employed and a suc- cessful business has been done ever since.
A year ago, Mr. Fullerton took a contract of the United States : Government to furnish all the headstones wanted for the graves of Union soldiers in sixteen States east of the Mississippi River. The business is being pushed rapidly, and the stones are shipped to various localities where wanted.
BARNUMVILLE p. o. is a station on the Bennington & Rutland R'y in the north-east part of the town. Barnum, Richardson & Co. have two forty-five cord charcoal kilns located here.
143
TOWN OF MANCHESTER.
Pettibone Bros'. saw mill on Lye Brook, road 40, built about 1852, manufactures annually about 50,000 feet of lumber, 2,000 bunches of lath and 150 cords of wood, and some years 200,000 shingles. They also do planing and matching and grind feed and meal.
Burritt Bros'. saw mill on Lye Brook, road 40, the first saw mill built in the town, has been rebuilt several times and now though out of repair, will probably be put in good shape for business next year. This firm being also blacksmiths, make bear and other traps. They have caught sixty bears, one panther, now in the museum at Burlington, twelve lynx, besides many foxes, mink, etc.
Henry S. Chamberlain, successor to Wm. Chamberlain, on road 21, manufactures about fifty gross of wooden spoons per month.
Reuben Colvin's planing, grist and cider mill, on Bourn Brook road 33, does a general jobbing manufacturing business, and has during the present fall made 900 barrels of cider.
Bourn & Hicks', (late Sewell W. Bourn, ) saw mill on Bourn Brook, road 33, cuts about 200,000 feet of lumber annually.
Walter R. Dean's saw mill on Battenkill River was built in 1872. From 500,000 to 800,000 feet of lumber is the annual production. Mr. Dean was the owner of the mammoth bullock, "Young America," which attracted so much attention and was viewed by foreigners as well as natives from various parts of this country ten or a dozen years ago. He was measured Sept. 1, 1869, when 7 years and 6 months old, with the following result, as we are informed by Mr. Dean. Height, 6 feet 10 inches ; girth, 11 feet 6 inches ; width across shoulders 3 feet 6 inches ; across hips, 3 feet 4 inches; length from base of horns to tail 12 feet 2 inches ; from point of shoulders to joint of hips 9 feet 6 inches; brisket from floor, I foot 6 inches; weight two years pre- vious to this measurement was 4,240 pounds. Good judges esti- mated his weight at the time he was taken sick at 5,500 to 6,000 pounds.
The first settlement was made in the summer or fall of 1764, by Samuel Rose, who built the first frame house on the premises long occupied by John S. Pettibone in what has for many years been known as the Purdy district. The early settlers of this town
.
144
TOWN OF MANCHESTER.
were chiefly from Dutchess county, N. Y., the rights of the origin - al grantees having first been purchased.
Nothing is known of the number of families that came in the first year.
Jeremiah French and Gideon Ormsby were appointed at a pro- prietor's meeting, held in Armenia, N. Y., in December, 1764, a committee to lay out a highway through the town.
The road was located the next year, north and south through the town, most of the way west of the present Main road through the village.
April 22, 1773, the first proprietors' meeting was held in the town. Here it was voted to lay out a village plot. The site chosen was on the west bank of the Battenkill, and had been cleared by the Indians for an encampment. The plot contains 70 lots of an acre each, but was never occupied as a village.
The first town meeting was held the second Tuesday of March. 1766, at which Benjamin Johns was moderator, and Stephen Mead - town clerk.
Among the other early settlers in town were Eliakim Weller. Benjamin Purdy, James Mead, Ezra Mead, and Samuel Soper. previous to March, 1766.
About that date Benj. Purdy, jr., Gideon Ormsby, William Emes, Charles Bullis and Thomas Soper, settled.
Martin Powell settled in 1768 or 9; Wm. Marsh came pre- vious to 1770; Maj. Nathan Smith, Capt. Jesse Sawyer, Capt. Zadock Everist, Capt. Stephen Pearl, Jonathan Saxon, and Lieut. Thaddeus Munson were all here previous to 1780.
Subsequently, during the controversy with New York, respecting the land titles, this town, although most of its population was from New York, objected to that province holding and exercising juris- diction over the territory of "the grants."
In October, 1772, at a meeting of commitees of the severa? towns held here, it was voted that "no person on the grants should accept or hold any office under the authority of New York," and "all civil and military officers who had accepted under the authority of New York, were required to suspend their functions on the pain of being 'viewed' " In 1773, the annual March meeting voted "not to pursue the getting the jurisdiction back to New Hampshire at the present."
145
TOWN OF MANCHESTER.
While Bennington, Shaftsbury and the other southern towns were regarded by the New York authorities as being in Albany county, Manchester, Arlington and Sunderland, and those north were regarded as a part of Charlotte county.
When the Revolutionary war broke out, friends became ene- mies, for while some were loyal to the cause of freedom, others . were equally loyal to the mother country. And so it came about that leading citizens were branded as tories, and after awhile when means to carry on the war seemed beyond the reach of this im- poverished people, and when in response to the urgent appeal of neighboring States, the council of safety met here and deliberated long and earnestly as to the best course to pursue, it finally seemed evident that but two companies could be raised and sup- ported. Then, Ira Allen, the youngest of the council proposed the enlistment of a full regiment, and when the other members argued the impossibility of raising funds, Allen maintained that some plan might be devised to meet the emergency, and the meeting voted to wait until the next morning to hear his solution of the plan. All that night he considered the problem, and next morning when the council gathered, he proclaimed as his plan, the seizure and confiscation of all the tory estates. The plan was ac- cepted by the committee and immediately carried into execution. The tory residents of Manchester were the first to suffer the confiscation of their property during the Revolution. Some had to flee for protection to the shelter of the British army, and their property was seized without hindrance. Others were dispossessed forcibly. The sale of the property brought money into the treasury, and soldiers were equipped and paid, and sent to meet the enemy. In the events which followed during the war Man- chester bore her full part.
After Vermont declared her independence as a separate State, the Legislature met three times at Manchester. The first time, October 14, 1779, at the tavern of Eliakim Weller. The second time, October 10, 1782, and again October 9, 1788; both of the latter sessions were held in the old meeting house.
In 1782, when the people in Windham County arose in armed resistance to the authority of Vermont, a special session of the Governor and council was held to consider the crisis.
146
TOWN OF MANCHESTER ..
They met on the 29th of August, at the house of Elias Gilbert, who lived on the hill south-west of the village. It was there agreed that troops should be raised to cross the mountains, under command of Ethan Allen. This was done and order speedily restored without loss of life.
The first physician in town, of which record is made, was John Sage, about 1777. Dr. Lewis Beebe settled in 1780. Both were connected with Allen's regiment. Jonathan Bruce, a lawyer, settled in 1782. After a few years he returned to Hartford, Conn. Samuel Hitchcock, a lawyer, came about 1784.
Richard Skinner settled here in 1800. He soon became a prominent citizen and held various offices of trust, among them State's Attorney, Judge of Probate, Member of Congress, and in 1820 was elected Governor of the State, to which office he was twice re-elected. He died in 1833, from injuries received by be- ing thrown from his carriage.
In the war of 1812 thirty-four citizens from Manchester served ; among the number were Abraham C. Fowler, the village school-master, who won a commission for bravery at the battle of Plattsburg; John C. Walker, James Whelpley, John S. Petti- bone, Joseph Burton, Leonard Sargeant and Benjamin Munson.
One of the most remarkable murder trials on record was held in this town in 1819. Russell Colvin, a resident of Manchester, who had been partially deranged for many years, suddenly disap- peared in 1812. Nothing was heard of him by his family, and after a few years, suspicions began to arise that he had been murdered by the brothers of his wife, Stephen and Jesse Bourn, whose uncle, a gentleman of respectability, reported that he had dreamed three separate times that Colvin came to his bedside and told him he had been murdered, and that he would lead him to the spot where the body was hid. Search was made, and a large knife, a pen-knife and a button were found. A hat was also found near by, which was claimed as belonging to Colvin. De- cayed bones were also discovered, which at first were supposed to be the remains of Colvin, but were subsequently ascertained not to belong to the human species.
It was said a quarrel had taken place between Colvin and the Bourns, and some suspicious remarks reputed to them, led to
147
TOWN OF MANCHESTER.
the arrest of Jesse, who, upon examination, was about to be re- leased, when he said that his brother Stephen had told him last. winter that he had struck Colvin on the head with a club, and supposed he had killed him. This led to the immediate arrest of Stephen in Lewis County, N. Y., who was brought to Manches- ter for examination. Stephen denied the truth of his brother's story.
The prisoners were tried October, 1819. It was shown by the State that all the parties were picking up stones just previous to Colvin's disappearance, and that they were quarrelling. Colvin's son testified that he was of the party; that in the quarrel his father struck Stephen, when Stephen knocked his father down with a club, and that being afraid, he, (the son,) ran away, and never saw his father afterwards.
The jailor testified that Jesse confessed to him that he was afraid Stephen had killed Colvin. A fellow prisoner testified that Jesse confessed that Stephen had done the deed, and they two and their father had buried the body. A written confession by Stephen to Merrill, the fellow prisoner, was also produced, ac- knowledging the murder and giving full particulars. This docu- ment was introduced by counsel, but rejected by the court as evidence against the prisoners.
The prisoners were found guilty and sentenced to be hung January 28, 1820. Jesse's sentence was commuted by the Legis- lature to imprisonment for life. The public generally acquiesced in the result of the trial.
What then must have been the excitement there, when, in December following the trial, a letter was received from Mr. Chadwick, a gentleman residing in New Jersey, who had acci- dently seen a newspaper report of the trial. The letter stated that Colvin had been living with his brother-in-law in New Jersey, since April, 1813. Soon after, Colvin returned to Man- chester. Much of the testimony was undoubtedly fabricated, and the confessions of the Bourn's were obtained by acting upon their hopes and fears, and were of course wholly false. This has become a famous case and is perhaps quoted as often as any other by the opponents of capital punishment, to show the in- sufficiency of circumstantial evidence alone, to warrant conviction.
148
TOWN OF MANCHESTER.
For several years a Farmers' and Mechanics' Fair has been held at Factory Point, and usually with gratifying results.
The growing importance of the marble business calls in addi- tional skilled artisans and laborers, who earn and spend their money here, thereby adding to the wealth of the town.
LOCAL, TELEGRAPH LINES.
The American Telegraph Line, extending from Manchester Depot, via Factory Point and South Dorset to Dorset, was estab- lished November, 1879. It is owned by Clark J. Wait of Factory Point and H. H. Holley, of South Dorset, and besides being a great convenience to the people along the line, it has proved a good investment for the owners.
The Popular Telegraph Line between Manchester and Factory Point was established in the fall of 1878, and is owned by Paul W. Orvis, Henry Gray, J. N. Hard, and C. J. Wait. The line is popular, not only in name but in fact, for the small charge of ten cents for local messages of moderate length without regard to number of words, has enabled the company to declare very liberal dividends upon its capital stock.
CHURCHES.
The first religious services were held in town by Rev. Seth Swift, a Congregationalist, in 1776. The necessity of building a meeting house was felt and discussed, but owing to a difference of opinion respecting the location, it was not erected until about 1780.
The first organized society was
The Baptist Church of Manchester, June 22, 1781, by Rev. Na- than Mason, with 65 members, about half of which were from the neighboring town of Dorset. Rev. Joseph Cornell was the first pastor, and became entitled to the lands set apart for the first settled minister.
Before the erection of their meeting house, they occasionally held services in a building near the falls on Glebe Brook. About 1785, their first church building was erected on the present limits of the cemetery at Factory Point, and was occupied until 1833, when the present brick structure opposite the Colburn House was
149
TOWN OF MANCHESTER.
erected, at a cost of $2,400. It will seat 250 people. The pres- ent value of church property is $8,000. There are 139 members who are anxious to settle a good pastor.
The Congregational Church of Manchester was organized with seven members in 1784, by Rev. Job Swift, D. D. The society occupied the house previously built upon the common, and near the present church edifice, which was built in 1870.
The first minister was Rev. Abel Farley. The society have had but six installed ministers, the present one being Rev. Alber C. Reed. The present house of worship, built of brick and stone, is an ornament to the town. Kind friends from abroad, frequent visitors during the summer months, generously donated to the object. Among the contributions was the bell, weighing nearly 4,000 pounds, by Hon. Mark Skinner, of Chicago; the clock, by H. A. Hurlburt, of New York. Pierrepont Isham, of New York, and his son Edward, of Chicago, gave $500 towards the organ, which cost nearly $2,000. Mr. Wells also gave liberally. The building cost $26,000 and will seat 500 people. The present value of the church property is estimated at $32,000.
Zion Church, (Episcopal,) at Factory Point, was organized Oct. 4, 1789, by twenty-four members of the Church of England, who put themselves under the pastoral care of Rev. Gideon Bost- wick. The first house of worship was erected 1819, and was enlarged and remodeled 1863. The cost was about $4,500, and the pres- ent value is estimated at $5,000. The house will seat 300 peo- ple, and the number of communicants is 43. There is at the pres- ent time no settled rector, but services are held here at stated in- tervals by Rev. John Randall, rector at Arlington.
St. Johns Church, (Episcopal,) at Manchester, was organized with 19 members by Bishop Bissell, 1870. . Rev. G. V. C. East- man was the first pastor. The church edifice was erected on Seminary Avenue 1867, and cost about . $5,000, It will seat about 400. The present membership is twelve and the parish is without a rector.
PERU.
Peru is located in the north-east part of Bennington County. This town was chartered by Governor Wentworth, October 12, 1761, under the name of Bromley. During the year 1803 the people of the town wished the name changed, so it became known as Peru. It is related that with the change in name a change in the fortunes of the inhabitants was soon to be observed, and from a poverty stricken district it grew in population and business im- proved.
The town is mostly settled in the eastern and southern parts, the western portion being mountainous. The soil is somewhat varied, but consists in the greater part of coarse loam, gravel and a slight mixture of clay. It is watered by Otter Creek and Mad Tom Brook in the western part, and in the eastern, central and southern portions by a branch of the West River, Lath Factory Brook, Flood and Cook Brooks. Up in the north-western part of the town a body of water known as Buffum's Pond is consid- ered quite a natural curiosity from its elevation. It covers some sixty acres. A small body of water known as Mud Pond is in the eastern part of the town. The mountains form a sort of water- shed so that the different streams flow east, south and west on their way to the ocean.
The first settlement was made in 1773 by William Barlow, who moved to the town from Woodstock, Conn. When the Battle of Bennington was fought the soldiers from New Hampshire made their way through Peru, thus forming the road through to Man- chester.
The town was not organized until 1802, when a meeting was held at the house of E. Hurlburt, for that purpose, on the ist of March. At this time there were fourteen families in the town. In 1814 the road which was cut from Peru to Manchester by the soldiers, was made into a turnpike, thus furnishing one of the most available places in that section for crossing the mountains.
151
TOWN OF PERU.
The population of the town in 1880 was 558, all white. Dur- ing the year ending September 30, 1880, the town contained eight school districts, and employed one male and thirteen female teachers. The number of pupils attending the public schools being 150. The amount expended for teachers' wages was $680. 18, and the entire cost of schools was $733.04. The Superintendent of public schools is R. S. Batchelder.
As early as 1803 the people of the town had two school dis- tricts, the schools being held in private houses. Reuben Bigelow who seems to have been one of the most influentical men of those days, teaching the first school. In 1807 a school-house was considered necessary, and one was erected. It served the purpose also of church-or rather "meeting-house " and for town meetings. In 1821 three schools were taught in the town. In 1840 it was again divided into six school districts, and a little later into seven. In 1830 a select school was started for the purpose of teaching Grammar ; the one term only lasted four weeks, when it was considered best to discontinue it. No select school was opened after that until 1849, when a new interest seemed to awaken among the people, and the schools since then have ranked with other towns.
PERU, a hamlet on the turnpike in the south-eastern part, con- tains one church, (Congregational,) one hotel, one shoe-shop and between forty and fifty inhabitants.
A saw mill was built on Cook Brook, in 1840. In 1870 it be- came the property of Mr. S. A. Patterson, who put in a circular saw The mill cuts from 200,000 to 300,000 feet of lumber a a year.
C. S. Maltby has ten charcoal kilns in the lower part of the town. The kilns average about 35 cords of wood each per month, average 1,000 bushels to each kiln.
The coal is sent to Millerton, N. Y., and used in the manufac- turing of iron. A steam mill owned by Mr. Maltby has not been run for some two years, but is to be repaired and set running soon.
A saw mill built in 1874 by F. H. Hart, on a branch of the West River, is now owned by Jackson Chadwick. It saws about
152
TOWN OF PERU.
100,000 feet per year. On the same stream a mill is owned by Warren C. Tuttle of Ohio. This mill was built in 1850, and saws about 60,000 feet per year.
Settlement was slow in Peru until about the year 1800. Reuben Bigelow was one of the first and moved from Westminster, Mass. ยท Mr. Bigelow was an energetic business man, and his influence was always exerted toward the building up of all good work. He was sent to the Legislature and held each office of the town in turn. His life ended at the age of 59, and though less than the allotted years of man, they were full of usefulness, and he died greatly re- gretted by all.
Seth Lyon moved from Princeton, Mass., to Peru in 1800, and formed one of the pioneer families of the town. His grandson Freeman is at the present time residing in the town.
Thomas Wyman moved there in 1801 during the month of Feb- ruary. His son Thomas was born the May after, and was the first child born in Peru.
Peter Dudley, one of the most prominent men, moved here in 1801 from Littleton, Mass. He had a family of thirteen children. The sons as well as the father developed a taste for military life, and Mr. Dudley and one son each held the office of Brigadier-General in the State militia.
Joel Lyon, a native of Princeton, Mass., settled in 1802. When the Congregational Church was established in 1807, Mr. Lyon was one of the eight who organized it.
Aaron Beard and wife moved from Westminster, Mass., in September of 1802. This family were pioneers in the fullest sence of the word, and upon the mother fell the heaviest burden. Her husband being in poor health, she bore the hardships of life in an unbroken country in a heroic manner. Nine children were born to them, and they were prospered in all things. ' At the age of eighty-two Mrs. Beard was an unexceptionably hale old lady.
In 1803, Deacon David Simonds and his brother Asa moved from Gardner, Mass. In 1804, James Lincoln came from Keene, N. H. Joel Adams and family also settled here the same year.
In 1810, Jesse Brown moved into the town; he died in IS60 at the age of 93. His son Jesse, and grand-son, Asa, still live on the farm which was purchased by Jesse Brown in the year 1810.
153
TOWN OF PERU.
Israel Batchelder moved from Mount Vernon, N. H., in 1807. He died in 1858, at the age of 76. His son Dexter still lives in Peru.
Moodey Robey settled in Peru in 1817. He was in the war of 1812. Mr. Robey lived on one farm in the town for a period of sixty-two years. In 1880, he was living in Manchester, at the house of Mrs. Amanda L. Cook.
In 1820, John H. Sawyer moved from Lawrence, Mass. His son, S. A. Sawyer, resides on the homestead at present.
CHURCHES .- The Congregational Church of Peru, was organ- ized on December 23, 1807, by the Rev. William Fairley, of Manchester. It was organized with only eight members. As no minister was to be had at that time, the church was supplied by missionaries or ministers from neighboring towns, who supplied the pulpit occasionally. So strong was the religious sentiment however that, if no minister was available the people met and held a service always. Rev. Oliver Plympton was the first settled minister, and was ordained December 28, 1813. Mr. Plympton died after a few months, after which the church was without a settled pastor for some time. In 1826 the Rev. Mr. Rosson, supplied the pulpit, remaining for some three years, and was suc- ceeded by Mr. Hurd, who was followed by the Rev. Bowman Brown. In 1835 Thomas Baldwin of Plymouth, was settled and continued with the church for ten years. In turn the church was presided over by the Revs. S. S. Swift, Asa F. Clark and R. D. Miller.
The present house of worship was erected in 1849, during the pastorate of the Rev. Asa F. Clark. The original cost of the edifice was one thousand dollars. It will seat about two hundred persons and has a membership of one hundred and seven. The present pastor is the Rev. S. Sherman Vincent. Owing to im- provements the church property is now valued at twenty-five hun- dred dollars.
The Methodist society began a church in 1831, but it was not finished until 1848, and owing to the small number comprising. the society, has been occupied but occasionally. We have been unable to procure authentic facts relative to this Church.
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.