USA > Vermont > Franklin County > Gazetteer and business directory of Franklin and Grand Isle counties, Vt., for 1882-83 > Part 21
USA > Vermont > Grand Isle County > Gazetteer and business directory of Franklin and Grand Isle counties, Vt., for 1882-83 > Part 21
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).
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Eliphalet Edmunds £ 8
os. |David Odell £ 8 os.
James Chadey
8
O
Hananiah Brooks.
II O
Jonathan Hoit. 8
0
Noah Potter 22 O
Jabez Colvin .
6
0
Jonathan Colvin
14 IO
Simeon Spencer 6
0
David Powers
2
5
Thomas Gibbs. IO
0
Freeborn Potter
19
I5
David and Isaac Gibbs. 14
Nathan Crary . , ,
8
O
William Griffin 8
0
Timothy Winter
8
O
Eleazer Brooks. 6
0
Ichabod Randal
8
0
David Welden. 8
0
Azariah Brooks. I6 O
Silas Hathaway.
18 10
Daniel B. Meigs.
T7
I5
Benjamin Bradley.
18 O
Andrew Potter.
44 O
Solomon Hinds.
8
5
Total.
£364 5S.
Richard Biddlecomb 8
O
David Campbell 6 0
Jesse Welden. 28
0
As these were the old colonial pounds, one can easily compute the wealth of the town in dollars and cents by multiplying by four. In 1789, the grand list had increased to £540 ; to £636 5s., in 1790; and £924 in 1791, while in 1792, the whole number of tax payers was sixty, and the list aggregated £1,178.
At the next town election, in 1789, the first full board of officers were elected, as follows, the meeting being again held at Welden's house: Silas Hathaway, moderator ; Jonathan Hoit, town clerk ; Andrew Potter, David Powers, and Silas Hathaway, selectmen ; Alfred Hathaway, town treasurer ;
Job Greene. 8
RESIDENCE OF WILLIAM O. GADCOMB, NORTH MAIN STREET .- Erected in 1830.
DONESSUN
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TOWN OF ST. ALBANS.
Daniel B. Meigs, constable ; Jonathan Hoit, Alfred Hathaway, and David Pow- en, listers ; Samuel B. Meigs, collector ; David Campbell, grand juror ; Jesse Walden pound-keeper ; Andrew Potter, tithingman ; Silas Hathaway, hog hayward ; Jesse Welden, fence-viewer ; Andrew Potter, Jesse Welden, and Benjamin Bradley, surveyors of highways; and Noel Potter, Benjamin Brad- Wy, and Timothy Winter, petit jurors. The first justice of the peace was Jonathan Hoit, chosen in 1786, and who was also elected first representative, in 1788. The first birth in the town was that of Limna Potter, who became Mrs. Limna Wead. The first males born were John Meigs and Heman Greene, though the date of their birth we are unable to state.
The first record of a store is that of "Capt. Whitney's," probably in 1792 A Mr. Jackson is said to have had a store here about that time, and afterwards came Daniel Ryan, Prince B. Hall, Azro Crane, Seth Pomeroy, John Curtis, Anthony Rhodes, Joseph H. Munson, William Foote, and Carter Hickok. The first tannery was built by Christopher Dutcher, who located at the Bay in 1790. On the location of the county seat at St. Albans, he purchasd a farm about a mile south of the village, now the property of Benjamin F. Rugg, upon which he built a tannery, on what has since been known as Dutcher's brook. He was a prominent business man of the town until his death, Feb- ruary 4, 1814. The first physician was Dr. John Warner, who came here from Bennington, Vt., in 1793. He possessed great knowledge of the medi- cinal qualities of the indigenous plants of Vermont, and was exceedingly suc- cessful in treating the diseases incident to a new country. The first settled minister was Rev. Jonathan Nye, who was ordained pastor of the Congrega- tional church, March 5, 1805. The Methodist church was built in 1820. The · first Episcopal church in 1825. The one now in use in 1858. The first Congre- gational church was built in 1826, the second, being the one now occupied, was finished in 1862. The first academy was built in 1800, the second in 1828, and the third and present spacious and commodious building in 1858. The grounds on which the public buildings of the town were to be erected, was selected by the voters in town meeting, assembled June 12, 1792. Col. Robert Cochran, Capt. Ford, and Stephen Pearl were appointed a committee "to set the stake for the center," which was done a few days afterward.
'The few settlers who located here previous to the Revolution, left with the commencement of that war, and, it is believed, took an active part therein. Many of those who came in after the troubles were settled had fought in its bat- tles, and were thus well qualified to take an active part a few years later when the war of 1812, was brought upon the country. The trade and business of the town was considerably retarded during the existence of the embargo, and non-intercourse laws ; but during the war that followed, however, the growth and prosperity of the township were advanced rather than impeded. Smug- gling was pursued with considerable activity, the extreme scarcity and high prices of all foreign goods being such as to justify great risk. Collisions between the revenue officers and the smugglers occurred frequently along the
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TOWN OF ST. ALBANS.
frontier, and in several cases with fatal results. On Sunday, November 3, 1811, Harrington Brooks, of St. Albans, a young man twenty-four years of age, was shot and instantly killed, while attempting to escape from the cus- tom-house officials with a skiff-load of salt. The excitement which followed this event, aggravated by the extreme party virulence which at times prevailed was very great, and continued for a long time. Mr. Walker, who fired the fatal shot, although in obedience to the commands of his superior officer, greatly regretted the act, and it cast a shadow over his entire after life.
In 1813, the third brigade of the third division of the militia of Vermont, which included the entire county of Franklin, was called into the active ser- vice of the general government, marched out of the State, and was stationed at Champlain, N. Y. This act was greatly censured by all parties, as it left forty miles of the Vermont frontier denuded of its military force. This gen- eral dissatisfaction, together with the thought of the crops they were losing at home, caused many of the soldiers to desert. To such an extent did this proceed, that only a few over three hundred men were left in the camp. Among those who left for their homes was Silas Gates, of this town, a young man about twenty years of age, and both physically and morally a splendid type of manhood. Sergeant Henry Gibbs and private Alvah Sabin, of Capt. Asahel Langworthy's rifle company, were sent by their commanding officers to St. Albans to bring back deserters, including young Gates. On the even- ing of November 4th, they called upon him at his father's house, and after some conversation he agreed to accompany them. The three started from the house, and had proceeded but a short distance, when Gates went back for something which he said he had forgotten, but, instead of returning, he raised a window, passed through, and started off on a run through an orchard on the north side of the house. Sabin, being at the corner of the house, dis- covered him escaping, and called to him twice to stop, and as he did not obey, Sabin finally fired upon him, the ball taking effect above the hip and near the spine. He lingered five days and five hours, when he died. Sabin was twice tried for murder, but was finally acquitted of all blame.
The soldiers from Franklin county, however, acquitted themselves with honor during the war, and bore an especially honorable part in the great battle of Plattsburgh. This battle, which began on Sabbath morning, September 11, 1814, was in sight from St. Albans, and was watched with intense interest by many whose sons, husbands, or brothers were enshrouded in the deep cloud that overhung Plattsburgh Bay. The wind blew fresh from the north in the morning, and about seven o'clock the town was startled by a tremendious cannonade directly west. This was conjectured to be a signal of the ap- proach of the fleet, to the army at Plattsburgh, to commence the anticipated action. A general movement of the people to the hill-tops then commenced, from which heights the British war-vessels were distinctly seen, bearing a southerly course, and at length rounding Cumberland Head. Shortly after nine o'clock the action commenced, and Plattsburgh bay was soon covered
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179
TOWN OF ST. ALBANS.
with a dense canopy of smoke. The earth trembled under the thunder of the broadsides, while the result of the distant battle was awaited with intense anxiety. That result, and the consequent glory which has since surrounded the name of McDonough, are facts familiar to the general reader.
From the close of this war, except the excitement attending the rebellion of the " Patriots " of Canada against England, in 1837, no military troubles disturbed the peace of the town until the breaking out of the late rebellion, m 1861. St. Albans did her full share in this trouble, and furnished her full quota, both of men and money, with alacrity. On the 19th of October, 1864, occurred what has since been known as the St. Albans raid. A band of rebels, twenty-two in number, came into the village, robbed the banks in open day-light, killed one man, and escaped with their plunder into Canada. The entire amount taken by the robbers was $208,000.00. They were arrested in Canada, examined, and discharged by the magistrates, on the ground that it was out of their jurisdiction to hold them, it being in time of war. The Canadian government, however, did not sympathize with the mag- istrates in their decision. The governor-general, Lord Monck, recommended to the Provincial Parliament that they appropriate $50,000.00 in gold to be paid to the banks as an equivalent for the money found upon the captured robbers, and which had been restored to them by the order of Justice Coursel. This was voted by the parliament and paid to the banks, being equivalent to $88,000.00 in currency, so that the banks lost but about $120,000.00. Many shots were fired by the raiders, and it seems almost a miracle that a .number of the citizens were not killed or wounded. Elinus J. Morrison, the only victim, was a resident of Manchester, N. H., and was engaged as a con- tractor in erecting the brick work of the Welden House. Morrison was in the street, and the firing becoming general in his vicinity, he undertook to escape into Miss Beattie's millinery store, and had his hand upon the door- knob, when one of the robbers, named Young, fired at him, the shot passing through his hand into the abdomen. He was taken into the drug store of L. 1. Dutcher & Son, laid upon a bed, and cared for an hour or so, when he was taken to his lodgings at the American Hotel, at which place he died, October 2Ist. Mr. Collins H. Huntington, an old and highly respected citi- zen, was also wounded, a ball striking a rib on the left of the spine, following it six and one-half inches, leaving a flesh wound only, from which he recov- ered in a few days.
In June, 1866, St. Albans was again the scene of considerable interest and excitement, by the concentration here " of the right wing of the army of Ireland," more commonly known as the Fenian organization for the invasion of Canada. On the 6th of the month they gathered at Franklin, and on the 7th, their commanding officer, Gen. Spear, ordered an advance, and they crossed the line into Canada, where the "head-quarters of the army of Ireland" was located. the force amounting to about 1,200 men. The pro- ject of invading Canada, however, was given up by them a few days after, and the men returned to their homes.
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180
TOWN OF ST. ALBANS.
The town has at present two military organizations of which she is justly proud,-the " Ransom Guards," and the "Barlow Grays." The Ransom Guards were originally organized in 1856, and, in 1861, went out with the three month's men in the cause of the Union. After this term of service expired, most of the men re-enlisted, and the organization was broken up. In 1872, the Guards were re-organized as Co. D, of the National Guard of Vermont, with F. Stewart Stranahan, captain ; S. H. Wood, first lieutenant ; and W. H. Farrar, second lieutenant. The company has fifty-one members, and has a regular muster annually. The " Barlow Grays" were also organ- ized in 1872, and belong to the First Regiment of the National Guard of Vermont. The company adopted its title in honor of Hon. Bradley Barlow, who took an active interest in the organization, and fitted out one of the finest armory's in the State, which the company now occupies, in the Barnes Block, on Lake street. The company consists of fifty-one members, accord- ing to the laws of the State, with Hiram E. Perkins, captain; Matt. Gilder, first lieutenant ; and William E. Clark, second lieutenant.
Daniel B. Meigs came to this town in 1785, and, having selected a farm, brought his family on the next year. He was the first constable of the town, and an active and influential citizen for many years, or until his death, about 1850. His son, John, is said to have been the first child born of civilized parents in St. Albans, while several of his descendants still reside here.
Capt. Freeborn Potter, from Bennington county, came to St. Albans in 1786, and located upon the farm now owned by Hon. J. Gregory Smith. He married Dolly Irish, of Milton, Vt., and reared a family of eleven chil- dren, two of whom, Mirand Irish, of Fairfax, and Daniel R. Potter, are living. His death occurred August 9, 1845. Mosley Potter, son of Free- born, was born in St. Albans, and died in Franklin county, N. Y., April 17, 1865. He had a family of seven children, one of whom, William M., now resides here.
Silas Hathaway, from Bennington, Vt., came to St. Albans to look out a place for settlement, in March, 1788, and in 1789, he moved with his family · to the farm now owned by Romeo H. Hoyt, and at one time owned a large tract of land here. He died November 24, 1831, aged sixty-seven years. His son, Hiram, was born in this town May 24, 1799, and located on road 42, upon what is known as Hathaway's Point, in 1838, and has since resided there, engaged in farming. His son, Hiram, Jr., was born in 1845, and is now proprietor of Hathaway's Point, a summer resort for picnic and excur- sion parties. The grounds are nicely situated for the purpose, lying about three miles from St. Albans Bay, and six miles from the village.
Josiah Coloney, from New Hampshire, came to St. Albans at an early date and located in the southern part of the town. His son, Hiram, was born here in 1795, married Eunice Sabin, of Burlington, and reared a family of six children, one of whom, Hiram E., is now a house painter of this town.
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18I
TOWN OF ST. ALBANS.
Nathan Greene, from Rhode Island, came to this town at an early date, and during his long life here was known as an active, influential citizen, and held many of the town offices. He reared a family of fourteen children, and, it is said, used to brag that he had the choice of the town when he selected his wife. The humor of the conceit is apparent when it is known that there were but two unmarried females in the town at the time, one of whom was a half-breed squaw. . He rejected the squaw, however, and married the white girl, a Miss Susan Alfred, and could not have made a better choice had there been many others to choose from. Col. Heman Greene, Nathan's oldest son, died at the age of seventy-three or seventy-four, and his funeral was attended by his mother. Orrin Greene, son of Job, was born in 1795, on the farm now owned by his son, W. H. H. Greene, on road 35, which was purchased by Job, February 19, 1788, and has never since been sold out of the family.
John Bell was one of the early settlers of the town, having located on the farm now owned by Nelson Laselle, on road 5, in company with his brother- in-law, Lyman Weed. He reared a large family of children, and now has many descendants residing here.
Eleazer Brooks settled in St. Albans in 1785. He married Olive Weed, reared twelve children, four of whom are now living, and died November, 25, 1847. Eleazer, Jr., was born in 1813, and now resides on the farm upon which he was born. He married Catharine Babbitt, and has a family of eight children.
Adonijah Brooks, from Poultney, Vt., came to St. Albans in 1790, and lo- cated upon the farm now occupied by Willie Bascomb, on road 42. He married Hannah Harrington, and reared a family of seven children. Asahel Brooks, born in 1781, came here with his father and subsequently located on road 42, where he resided until his death, in 1836. He married Polly Todd, by whom he had nine children.
Amos Morrill, an ex-major of the revolutionary army, came here in 1795, and located in the western part of the town, having purchased the Governor's rights of Georgia and St. Albans, consisting of 1,000 acres. He made his purchase in 1794, moved his family in 1795, and continued to reside here until his death at an advanced age. He was a blacksmith by trade, though a wealthy man, and the house he built, previous to the year 1800, using nails of his own manufacture, is yet standing.
David Clark was born in Connecticut, in 1768, and came to St. Albans, from Bennington, Vt., in 1795, and located in the southern part of the town, where he resided until his death, June 10, 1860, aged ninety-two years. He reared a family of thirteen children, five of whom, Amos, William C., Hiram, David, and Mrs. Phoebe Greene, are now living. Amos and Hiram served in the war of 1812, and now draw pensions. Mrs. Greene also draws a pen- sion, as her husband served in that war.
Richard Whittemore, from Lynn, Mass., settled in the southern part of St. Albans in 1798, locating on road 35. He married Mary Martin, had a
182
TOWN OF ST. ALBANS.
family of four children, and died January 4, 1804. His wife survived his death until April, 1855. John Whittemore, born February 5, 1796, came here with his father, in 1798, and has been a resident since. He married Aluna Kingsbury, of Fairfax, who died in 1836, leaving a family of five chil- dren. Mr. Whittemore is now eighty-six years of age, one of the most ven- erable and respected men of the town. He has been an active member of the Congregational church for fifty-six years, and also an active temperance worker. Rodney, son of John, was born in 1820, married Maria West, by whom he had two sons, and for his second wife, Miss Cora Thorp. He has been county commissioner three times, holding the office from 1872, to 1875, and was assistant judge from 1878, to 1880.
Capt. John Gates was born in Marlboro, Mass., in 1765, and came to St. Albans in February, 1800. When sixteen years of age he enlisted in the Continental army, serving under Gen. Knox, and after the war was a pensioner. He married Abagail Ball, of Northboro, by whom he had a family of twelve children, four of whom, Abagail B. (Mrs. Livingston), James W., of Boston, Mass., Susan, and Nahum, of Ohio, are now living,
Samuel Eaton, from Connecticut, came to St. Albans in 1800, and located three miles west of the village. William, son of Samuel, was born in 1795, and died January 27, 1876. He married Sabrie Thompson, and reared a family of nine children.
Paul Brigham came to this town from Marlboro, Mass., in 1800, and located on road 19, upon the farm now owned by his grandson, S. J. Brigham. William D., son of Paul, was born on the old homestead in 1805, and died in 1875. He married Lucy Doane, and reared a family of five children. In 1853, he commenced breeding Spanish Merino sheep, and since his death the business has been carried on by his son, Sanford J.
John Hayward came to St. Albans from Dover, N. H., about the year 1 800, and located upon the farm now owned by Mrs. Maria Hayward, on road 39. Otis, son of John, was born here in 1814, married Maria Robinson, whose parents were among the early settlers of the town, reared a family of five children, and died in 1877.
William Weeks, from Marlboro, Mass., came to St. Albans in 1800, and located on road 19. He married Martha Barnes, from Massachusetts, by whom he had a family of nine children, and died in 1810. Five of his chil- dren are now living, all over eighty years of age, one of whom, Martha Tuller, resides with her son-in-law, S. H. Boynton, on road 19. Mr. Boynton mar- ried Caroline M. Tuller, and has two sons, Frank C. and Gates T. He came here in 1839, and engaged in the tanning business on South Main street, where he remained twenty-one years. He has been selectman of the town eight years, seven of which were consecutive.
Lemuel Laselle, from Massachusetts, came to this county at an early date, locating in Swanton, and thence, in 1800, came to St. Albans and located on the lake shore, on road 9. Nelson, son of Lemuel, was born here in 1807,
R
5
MOSS-ENG CENE
W.O. Gadeomb_
183
TOWN OF ST. ALBANS.
married Thankful Irish, who died in 1850, and reared a family of six children, three of whom are living. For his second wife, he married Eliza Perry, by whom he had two children. Arthur Laselle, a brother of Nelson, married Alvira Popple and had two children, of whom the son, Arthur, Jr., now resides on Hathaway's Point.
Samuel Mitchell came to St. Albans, from New Hampshire, in 1801, and located in the western part of the town near the present site of the Lake View House. Samuel, Jr., came here with his father at the age of twelve years, and subsequently married Nancy Neil. He reared a family of six children, four of whom are now living, and died in 1869. Henry S., son of Samuel, Jr., married Aurora, daughter of Charles Stephens, and now occupies the Stilfin homestead, on road 15.
William O. Gadcomb was born in Rhode Island, in 1791, and at the age of twelve years removed with his step father, Judge Aldis, to St. Albans. In 1811, he commenced the mercantile business, which he continued, with an interruption during the war of 1812, until 1850. His first place of business was located a little north of his present residence on Main street, and, in 1830, he erected the building he now occupies. In 1824, he built the store standing just north of the Brainerd Block, which he still owns. He is now, at the great age of ninety-two years, the oldest resident of St. Albans. His wife, Lydia (Smith) Gadcomb, a native of Hadley, Mass., is an extremely clear-minded old lady, and Mr. Gadcomb himself has an unusually bright and unclouded intellect for one of his age. Their union has been blessed with three children, though none are living. To Mr. Gadcomb we are greatly indebted for many interesting incidents connected with the early history of the town.
John Haynes, from New Hampshire, came to this town in 1807, and located at St. Albans Point, on road 2. He reared a family of five children, and died in 1867. His son, James M., born here in 1815, married Esther Tuller, and had a family of three sons, Theron, Volney, and Alfred, all of whom are now dead. He built the first sash and blind factory in this part of the State, nearly forty years ago, on the place he still occupies, on road 43, where he did an extensive business for twenty years.
James Davis, a lawyer of ability, came to this county from Rhode Island, in 1808. He became well known for his legal knowledge, was judge of pro- bate several years, and died in 1868. His son, Wilber P., has been county clerk for the past ten years, and was at one time connected with the publica- tion of the Messenger.
Asahel S. Hyde was born in Georgia, Vt., June 23, 1809. During the years 1828 to 1833, inclusive, he was engaged in the postoffice at Burlington. He then spent several years in Canada, and in 1837-'38, was at Mount Hope furnace, Washington county, N. Y., and in 1839, finally settled in St. Albans, and engaged in mercantile pursuits until 1848, when he returned to New York and took charge of an ore bed, remaining until 1850. He then returned to
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TOWN OF ST. ALBANS.
St. Albans, and resumed his business here, being now located on North Main street. In June, 1881, his son, Frederick W., was taken into partnership with him, and the firm name changed to A. S. Hyde & Son.
Henry Seymour was born in New Haven, Vt., March 23, 1787, and located at St. Albans, in 1813, where he continued to reside for half a century, a life remarkably industrious and frugal, and at the time of his death was one of the wealthiest, and also one of the most hospitable and exemplary citizens of the town. He was noted as a man of the strictest integrity in all dealings, and for his thorough domestic tastes and habits. He died March 27, 1865. aged ninety-eight years. He was a son of William Seymour, who was born at Norwalk, Conn., in 1760. Henry E. Seymour, now residing on North Main street, at the age of sixty-six years, is a son of Henry, and continues the descent of the long line of his most respectable ancestors, the first of whom, Richard Seymour, came to this country from England, in 1635.
Cornelius Stilphen, from New Hampshire, located at Swanton about the year 1810, and after a few years residence there removed to St. Albans, locating in the western part of the town, near the present residence of George and Warren Stilphen. Charles, son of Cornelius, came here with his father at the age of seventeen years, married Laura Warren, reared a family of nine children, and died November 11, 1878. Four of the children are now living, as follows: John, Laura, wife of William M. Potter, Aurora, wife of Henry Mitchell, and Carrie, widow of Charles Hayward.
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