USA > Vermont > Franklin County > Gazetteer and business directory of Franklin and Grand Isle counties, Vt., for 1882-83 > Part 12
USA > Vermont > Grand Isle County > Gazetteer and business directory of Franklin and Grand Isle counties, Vt., for 1882-83 > Part 12
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AIRFIELD, the largest town in the county, lies in the central part of the same, in lat. 44° 49' and long. 4º 5', bounded north by Sheldon, east by Bakersfield, and a small part of Enosburgh, south by Fletcher and Fairfax, and west by Swanton and St. Albans. The town originally contained 23,040 acres, chartered, in connection with two others, Smithfield and Bakersfield, by New Hampshire, August 18, 1763, to Samuel Hunger- ford and sixty-three others. But on October 25, 1792, Fairfield, Smithfield and Bakersfield were made into two towns, Fairfield and Bakersfield, giving to Fairfield about 38,000 acres, thus making it the largest in the county.
The surface of Fairfield is generally very uneven, though not so much so but that it is mostly susceptible to cultivation, and having a various, though excellent soil, it produces fine crops of grasses and grains, and also sustains large areas of grazing land. It is well watered by numerous streams, the principal of which is Black creek, which rises in Fletcher and flows from Bakersfield in a northwesterly course through this town into Sheldon. Fair- field river is a small stream which also has its source in Fletcher, and flowing north through the center of this town, unites with Black creek. Dead creek, sometimes called Cedar Swamp creek, on account of its having its source in a large cedar swamp lying in the western part of the town, flows in a north- uly course into the outlet of Fairfield pond. This pond is a beautiful sheet, covering an area about three miles in length by one and a half in breadth. The rocks of the town are almost entirely of the talcose formation, conglom- erate in the western, and schist in the eastern. No minerals of importance nor natural curiosities have been discovered. In times gone by lumbering was carried on quite extensively, and is now conducted to some extent, the principal timber being of the hard wood varieties. Agriculture, however, is now the prevailing industry, the products finding a convenient mode of transportation in the St. J. & L. C. railroad, which extends through the town in a northwesterly direction, with a station at East Fairfield.
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TOWN OF FAIRFIELD.
In 1880, Fairfield had a population of 2, 172, was divided into twenty school districts, and contained nineteen common schools, employing nine male and nineteen female teachers, to whom was paid an aggregate salary of $1,953.87. There were 507 pupils attending common school, while the entire cost of the schools for the year ending October 31st, was $2,387.56. W. H. Fairchild was school superintendent.
EAST FAIRFIELD, à flourishing post village located in the southeastern part of the town on Black creek, and also a station on the St. J. & L. C. rail- road, contains a saw-mill, flouring-mill, five or six stores, a good hotel (Isham House), several shops for mechanical work, and about thirty dwellings.
FAIRFIELD CENTER, a post village located in the central part of the town, contains three churches, (Catholic, Episcopal, and Congregational,) two general stores, one tin shop, three blacksmith shops, a wheelwright shop, a grist and saw-mill, and about twenty-five dwellings.
ST. ROCKS, a hamlet located in the northern part of the town on the out- let of Fairfield pond, contains a saw, shingle and planing-mill, and a small cluster of dwellings.
W. C. Prouty's mills, located at East Fairfield, do grinding of meal and feed, manufacture bent wood work for wagons and carts, and do job work in slitting and planing, amounting in all to about $10,000.00 worth per annum.
R. S. Read's saw and shingle-mill, located at East Fairfield, manufactures bout 200,000 shingle and 600,000 feet of lumber annually, employing five hands.
Burton & Rodee's custom flouring-mills, located at East Fairfield, keep in stock flour, meal and feed, and do custom grinding. Their machinery is mostly new and of modern style, giving them facilities for grinding ten barrels of flour and five tons of feed daily.
N. & N. A. Gilbert's grist and saw-mill, located on Fairfield river, on road 41, does custom grinding and sawing. The grist-mill has three runs of stones, and does most of the grinding for the surrounding farmers. The saw-mill turns out about 100,000 feet of lumber annually.
Augustus Marcett's carriage shop is located on road 82, where he is en- gaged in the manufacture of all kinds of light and heavy carriages, wagons and sleighs.
Thomas Maloney's blacksmith shop, located about one and one-half miles northwest of Fairfield Center, turns out all kinds of general blacksmith work.
Horatio N. Burr's saw-mill, located at St. Rocks, does custom sawing for the farmers in that vicinity, cutting about 150,000 feet of lumber annually.
Patrick Rooney's blacksmith shop and carriage manufactory is located on the outlet of Fairfield pond, on road 18, where he does repairing and all kinds of new work in his line.
F. C. Colburn's shingle-mill, located at St. Rocks, manufactures about 300,- ooo shingles annually. Mr. Colburn also does planing, scroll-sawing, turning
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of wood and iron, does quite a business at manufacturing cider, in its season, and has also a blacksmith shop attached to his mill.
The East Fairfield Library Association was organized in 1881, with W. S. Soule, president and librarian, and E. S. Read, treasurer. The association, though but in its infancy, has a number of influential members, and a library of nearly one hundred valuable volumes.
The first settler in Fairfield was Joseph Wheeler, who located here in March, 1787. During the following year he was joined by John Sunderland, John Mitchell, Gabriel Sherwood, William Beaden, and James Hawley, from Hun- tington, Conn., and Ebenezer Lobdell and David and Nathan Hoyt, from Bridgefield, Conn., Samuel Roberts and John Leach, from New Fairfield, Conn., Lucius Hall, from New Milford, Levi Wakeman, from Norwalk, and Edmund Town and Joel Barber, from Simsbury. In 1789, Andrew Bradley, Hubbard Barlow and Clark Burlingame, from New Fairfield, Conn., and Jabez Burr, from Reading, Conn., settled here. In 1790, the population was increased by the advent of Samuel Hollister, Samuel Gilbert, Dimon Barlow, and Jehiel Smith. In 1791, Joseph Soule, with his sons, Timothy, Isaac Newton, Salmon, Joseph, Hiram, and Harry, from Dover, N. Y., came on ; and, in 1792, Francis Story, Reuben Crow, and Isaac Luce took their resi- dence here. Among the names of other early settlers were those of Joseph D. Farnsworth, Bates Turner, Solomon Bingham, John Chandler, Benjamin Wooster, John Sturtevant, Dyer Sherwood, Morse Warner, Ezra Sherman, Eli Sherman, Ezekiel Bradley, Nathan Lobdell, Sherwood Whitney, Amos Thompson, Abraham Northrop, Bradley Davis, Samuel and Ebenezer Bar- low, Job Smith, Job Hulburt, Samuel Payne, Isaac Wakeman, Noah Dia- mond, Solomon Nelson, Ezra Sturges, Ezra, Samuel, and Nathan Gilbert, Abner Wright, Whittemore and Nathaniel Beardsley, William Morse, Benja- min and Andrew Kendrick, -- Story, Martin Prince, Orange Hall, West- over Barber, Norman Barber, Benjamin Fairbanks, John Abotts, Joseph Bowditch, and Jehiel Hill.
The first meeting of the proprietors was held at Fairfield, Conn., February 16, 1774, at the house of Gershom Bradley. No business of importance seems to have been transacted. From this date until 1804, the proprietors met at intervals when the usual business of dividing the lands, laying out roads, etc., was voted upon ; but in this year the proprietary government seems to have ended. The town was organized and the first town meeting held, March 30, 1791, at the house of Joseph Wheeler. Joseph Wheeler was chosen moderator; Edmund Town, town clerk; Levi Wakeman, constable; Edmund Town, Thomas Northrop, and Ralph Gregory, selectmen ; Joseph Wheeler, town treasurer; Salmon Wheeler, Abram Northrop, and David Hoit, listers ; and Nathan Lobdell, collector. The first representative was Clark Burlingame, from the Smithfield part of the town, in 1791, and David Davis, from Fairfield, in 1792. The first justice was Hubbard Barlow, chosen in 1789. The first child born was Smithfield Beaden, in the Smithfield part.
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The proprietors presented him with one hundred acres of land. The first physician was Joseph D. Farnsworth, and the first lawyer Bates Turner.
Francis Story, one of the earliest settlers in the town, was born at Benning- ton, Vt., in 1762. He first located in Fairfax, upon the farm now occupied by O. S. McGovern, whence, after two or three years' residence, he removed to this town, locating upon the farm now occupied by Mrs. Daniel Story, Frances Story, (his only surviving daughter-in-law,) and a grandson of Frances Story. At that early date the snow used to lie upon the ground to the depth of four or five feet in the winter, and the nearest neighbors were three or four miles distant, so that in case of illness it was almost impossible to procure medical assistance. For this reason the women were indefatigable in their efforts to assist at the bedside of sickness, and not behind the most zealous was Mrs. Story, as the anecdotes and incidents still related by her descendants will testify. To go to mill, the settler would put his grain upon an ox-sled and draw it through the forest to the lake shore, and thence transport it by boat to Plattsburgh. After the grinding was done they would return to where they had left their oxen to browse, search them out, and after many difficul- ties arrive home after a two or three days' journey. Mrs. Story is said to have often claimed that the country could not have been settled, in the face of so many difficulties, had it not been for the abundance of game and fish. But notwithstanding all these hardships, Mr. Story, with good management and the help of his hardy sons, succeeded in soon making a comfortable home, surrounded with orchards of apple, cherry, and plum trees, and laid aside, one by one, the primitive privations and inconveniences of the pioneer, to- gether with a comfortable competence. He died on the old homestead, May 30, 1830, aged sixty nine years. Mrs. Story died October 17, 1845, aged eighty years. Their family consisted of nine children,-seven sons and two daughters,-none of whom are now living. One son, Rev. Samuel Story, was settled as the pastor of the Baptist church of Plattsburgh, where he remained a long time, and one daughter settled in Cambridge, while all the others located in Fairfax and Fairfield, where many of their descendants now reside.
Josiah Briggs, an ex-lieutenant of the revolutionary army, from Shaftsbury, Vt., came to Fairfield at an early date, and located upon the farm now occupied by George Gould. Mr. Briggs made his journey thither on an ox- sled, following the trail of the few others who had preceded him. He became one of the esteemed citizens of the town, filled many of the town offices, and died here at an advanced age. Of his family of eight children, but one is now living, a son, eighty years of age, in Wisconsin. His only representative now in the town is a grandson, Joseph Briggs Webster, who is sixty-five years of age.
Andrew Bradley, another of the pioneers, came to Fairfield from New Fairfield, Conn., and located upon a farm in the northern part of the town, on which he continued to reside until his death, in 1830, aged over eighty years. He was much respected and filled several of the town trusts. Of
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his seven children, three married prominent men of the town, as follows: The oldest, Abel Northrop; the second, Solomon Soule ; and the youngest, Ira Wheeler.
John Sturtevant, from Fairfield, Conn., came to this town at an early date and located upon the farm now occupied by Newell Coburn. In the war of 1812, he served for a short time as a fifer, and was stationed at Burlington. He was the father of eleven children, three of whom are now living, one in St. Albans, one in Ohio, and Josiah Sturtevant in this town, on road 63. Mr. Sturtevant was an industrious, enterprising citizen, and died here at the age of sixty-six years.
Stephen Fox, from Hartford, Conn., came to this town among the early settlers, and located in the northeastern part, near Fairfield pond. Here he remained until age incapacitated him from labor, after which he resided alternately with his children, and finally died at the residence of one of his daughters, in Montgomery, aged eighty-four years. It is somewhat remark- able that Mr. Fox was married five times, and was the father of twenty-one children.
Ezra Sherman, an early settler from Fairfield, Conn., located upon the farm now occupied by J. C. Abell. Here he built a log house which was used for a time, but which ultimately gave place to a comfortable framed house that is now occupied. He was a firm supporter of the Baptist church, of which he was a deacon for a long series of years, acting in that capacity under the pastorate of Elder William Arthur, father of the present President. He died at an advanced age, having reared a family of nine children, none of whoni are now living.
John B. Mitchell served seven years in the revolutionary war, returned home to Hartford, Conn., and was married to a young lady sixteen years of age, and when the settlers first commenced to come into this town started on foot with his wife to make for himself a new home here. This they accom- plished by locating upon the farm now owned by Samuel H. Soule. Their first house was built on the low bottom land along the creek, but the first overflow of the stream caused them to seek higher land as a site for their residence. Here they remained until their death, at an advanced age, Mrs. Mitchell attaining the great age of 106 years. They reared a family of eight children, none of whom are living, though the family is represented here by several grandchildren.
Thomas Northrop, from Sherman, Conn., came to the forests of Fairfield in 1790, and settled upon a farm of 140 acres which he had purchased from one of his brothers, an original proprietor of the town, paying therefor $100.00. Upon this he made a small clearing, planted some corn, and cut some hay from a beaver meadow, and also erected a small log cabin, then returned to Connecticut. In the following spring he started for his new home with a yoke of oxen and one horse hitched to a heavy sled, upon which was placed his household effects and provisions for his family, consisting of his wife and
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three children. After a long and tedious journey, he arrived here and commenced his useful life, remaining in this town until his death. He had a family of four sons and seven daughters, only one of whom, Harmon Nor- throp, is now living, at the age of eighty-seven years. Harmon has been a deacon of the Congregational church, to which he has been a pillar for the past fifty years. He has held nearly all the offices in the gift of the town, and has also held the office of county commissioner four years, and was pres- ident of the Franklin County Agricultural Society three years. The great regard felt for his opinion and advice is attested by the fact that he has as- sisted in the settlement of, or settled independently, sixty-one different estates.
Ezra Sturgis, a sea-faring man, came to Fairfield in 1790, and located upon a farm on road 12, where he resided many years.
Jabez Burr, from Reading, Conn., immigrated to Clarendon, Vt., in 1786, and, in 1792, removed to Fairfield and located upon the farm now owned by Michael Conley. Here he resided until his death, June 28, 1825, aged seventy-three years. His only child, Aaron, married Rebecca Cook, Decem- ber 23, 1804, and remained on the homestead until 1839, when he sold the place and removed to St. Rocks. He was an active business man until his death, January 15, 1864. Of his family of eleven children eight are now liv- ing, Amasa and Horatio at St. Rocks, in this town.
The Soule family is of French Huguenot extraction, and came to America in the "Mayflower." Joseph Soule, who served in the revolution, had a family of six sons and two daughters, all of whom settled in this town and in Fair- fax. Timothy, the oldest son, came to Fairfield from Dover, Conn., about the year 1792. He was twenty-two years of age when he settled in his wilder- ness home, and remained until his death, December 27, 1861, aged ninety- three years. His youngest child, James M., now resides on the old home- stead. Salmon Soule, brother of Timothy, came to Fairfield a year or two after his father, and located upon the farm now occupied by his son, C. Rollin, where he carried on the business of blacksmithing, in addition to conducting his farm. As a blacksmith he made himself particularly useful to the early settlers, and was noted for the fine axes he forged. He died on the old farm, aged eighty-six years and six months. Joseph Field, Jr., came here with his father, and settled at what is now the village of Fairfield Center. He was a carpenter and joiner, and subsequently engaged in merchantile pursuits, and carried on a distillery and starch manufactory. In business he was quite suc- cessful, and succeeded in gaining the regard and esteem of his townsmen, whom he honorably represented in many offices of trust. He died in 1863, aged eighty-four years. Of his family of eleven children, only three, A. G., Samuel H., and Mrs. A. A. Farrand, are now living.
John Leach, Sr., was born at New Fairfield, Conn., in 1735, and came to Fairfield, Vt., in 1789, locating in the southern part of the town. He reared a family of fourteen children, all but two of whom settled in the town, and died in 1811. John Leach, Jr., born at New Fairfield, in 1761, came here in
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1788, made some improvements on a farm, and returned to Fairfield, Con- necticut. In the spring of 1789, he returned, bringing his wife and two chil- dren, and located permanently upon the farm now owned by Mr. Oliver, on road 21. His honorable life was brought to a close in 1844, in his eighty- fourth year.
Amos Northrop came to Fairfield, from Fairfield, Conn., in 1792, and. located where Thomas Hale now resides. Here he resided until his death, in 1849, aged eighty-three years. During the war of 1812, he started to market, at Plattsburgh, with a load of oats, and upon his arrival there was pressed into the service of the United States, and sent with his team to Sackett's Harbor, to transport soldiers and supplies, and was retained from home from January until March. During a portion of this time he was obliged to camp in the forest with no protection from the weather, and thereby had his feet frozen so badly that a portion of the right foot had to be amputated. He reared a family of four sons and three daughters, only one of whom, Horatio, residing at East Fairfield, is living.
Capt. Joab Smith, the so-called " father of the town," was born at Oak- -
hanı, Mass., September 7, 1774, and removed from there to this town in 179 1. He married Sarah Merrill, May 5, 1808, and died January 26, 1858, aged eighty-four years, He was a kind, obliging neighbor, a social peace- maker, a strenuous upholder of law and order, and held several important civil and military offices for an unprecedented length of time. He was elected chief selectman of the town nine successive terms ; was town treas- urer for many years, holding the office at the time of his death ; was elected justice of the peace forty-nine consecutive years, and was eleven times elected to the general assembly. Possessed of an unusual degree of intellectual power and activity, he would doubtless have attained an elevated professional position had he been favored with early educational advantages. His widow and three married daughters survive him.
Moses Dimon was born at Weston, Conn., in 1776, and when nineteen years of age removed to this town, making his home with his uncle, Andrew Bradley, in the southern part of the town. He worked around for the early settlers until twenty-two years of age, when he married and located upon the farm now owned and occupied by his grandson, Henry W. Dimon. By in- dustry and economy he cleared this farm and increased it to about 350 acres. He died here October 16, 1869, aged ninety-three years.
Lewis Gilbert, from Weston, Conn., came to Fairfield about the year 1794, and located on road 23, upon the farm now occupied by his son, John, and grandson, Levi. Mr. Gilbert came here on foot, with his axe upon his shoulder, and immediately set to work clearing his farm and building a log house. At the close of the season he returned for his family, consisting of his wife and four children. Here he resided until his death, at St. Rocks, while on a visit to his daughter, Mrs. Sturgis, October 23, 1848, aged eighty-five years. Only one son, John, survives him, aged eighty-three years.
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Nathaniel Wait came from Alburgh, Vt., to Fairfield, in 1797, and settled on road 3, where Thomas Kerly now resides, and died there in - 1813. His son, Nathaniel, then took the place and resided there many years. He reared a family of eleven children, his widow surviving him until 1855, aged ninety years.
Nathan Gilbert came to Fairfield from Connecticut, in 1798, and located upon the place now. occupied by his son, Nathan. Soon after his settlement he erected a grist-mill which he operated until his death, caused by drowning while endeavoring to save his mill-dam during a freshet, in September, 1804. He left a widow and four children, of whom Nathan is the only one now re- siding in the town.
Martin Prindle was born in 1775, and removed to Fairfield, Vt., from Fair- field, Conn., about the year 1798. . He married Phoebe Leach, November 20, 1800, and died here December 25, 1849.
Rev. Benjamin Wooster, one of Vermont's most noted clergyman, was born at Waterbury, Conn., October 29, 1762. When but fourteen years of age he enlisted in the American army. After leaving the army he spent three or four years in assisting his mother, then attended the academy at Lebanon, and finally entered Yale College in 1788, and studied for the ministry. He was installed over the Congregational church of Fairfield, July 24, 1805, and after a long and useful life, died in this town, December 18, 1840, aged seventy-eight years.
Eli Sherman, from Connecticut, came to Fairfield in 1803, and settled where his grandson, C. R. Sherman, now resides, and continued to reside there until his death at the advanced age of eighty-six years. He was the father of nine children, all of whom attained an adult age, and two, daughters, are still living. The youngest son, William, remained on the homestead until his death, in 1857, where his widow, and son, William, still reside.
John Newton came to Fairfield, from Massachusetts, about the year 1802, when but twelve years of age, and made his home with Edmund Hall. He enlisted during the war of 1812, received a severe wound, and thereafter drew a pension. Soon after the war he married Tirga Leach, and located where his son, E. G., now resides. He reared a family of seven children, three of whom are now living.
Rensselaer Read, from Cambridge, Vt., came to Fairfield in 1808, bought four acres of land at Fairfield Center, and erected a tannery, the first built in the town. He continued this business until 1829, when he trans- ferred the business to his son, Charles R., and returned to Cambridge, where he remained until his death, February 22, 1866, aged eighty-one years. He was the father of seven children, six of whom are now living.
Joseph G. Webster came to Fairfield, from Salisbury, about the year 1809, and located where his son, Joseph B., now resides. He was struck by a fall- ing tree and died from the effects thereof in 1829, leaving a family of six children.
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Joseph Larkin was born at New Haven, Conn., in 1758, married Hannah Winslow, of Brandon, Vt., in 1785, and came to this town in 1810, and located upon the farm now owned by B. F. Bradley, where he died soon after, aged fifty- three years. His wife survived him until 1847, and died at the age of eighty- eight years. The family is now represented here by Ezra N. Sherman, a descendant.
Thomas Ryan came to Vermont from Ireland, about the year 1812, and worked at his trade of tailoring at Burlington for a time, then removed to this town and located upon the farm now owned by his son, John H. Soon after locating here he married Catharine Belfort, the union being blessed with six children, two only of whom are now living. Mr. Ryan was a man of intelligence, and much respected for his integrity and gentlemanly character. He died in 1872, aged seventy-two years.
Jesse Bush, a native of Greenfield, Mass., came to Fairfield in 1818, and engaged in the cloth dressing business and lumber sawing in the southern part of the town on Fairfield river, near where B. F. Stanley now resides. In time he added a shingle-mill and continued in business there until 1841, when he sold out and engaged in coopering and farming, continuing the same until he came to St. Rocks, about twelve years ago, where he died, April 13, 1882. He married Matilda Barnes, January 22, 1829, and became the father of eleven children, seven of whom are now living.
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