USA > Vermont > Franklin County > Gazetteer and business directory of Franklin and Grand Isle counties, Vt., for 1882-83 > Part 22
USA > Vermont > Grand Isle County > Gazetteer and business directory of Franklin and Grand Isle counties, Vt., for 1882-83 > Part 22
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Seth C. Collins, from New Hampshire, came to St. Albans in 1817, and located upon what is now called the Stilphen farin. He married Maria Saw- yer, by whom he had a family of five children, all of whom arrived at a ma- ture age, and three of whom, Seth, Stephen, and John, now resides in the county.
Myron W. Bailey was born at Waterville, Vt., in 1837, studied law with Homer E. Royce, at Berkshire, and graduated at the Albany Law School in 1858. He practiced law at Richford, Vt., until 1861, when he entered the army in the 3d Vermont Infantry, remaining until February, 1862. In 1867, he was elected judge of probate, and has held the office since that time.
Benjamin Swift was born in Amenia, N. Y., April 5, 1781. He received an academic education, studied law, and was admitted to practice at Ben- nington, in 1806. He then settled for a time in Manchester, and subse- quently removed to St. Albans, where he rose to eminence in his profession. In 1813, and 1814, and in 1825, and 1826, he was a representative to the general assembly, and a representative in congress, from Vermont, from 1827 to 1831. He received the degree of A. M. from Middlebury college in 1820, and was a member of the corporation of that institution from 1830, to 1839. In 1833, he was elected to the senate of the United States for six years, after which he retired to private life. While in apparent good health he died sud- denly, in an open field on his farm, November 11, 1847. His son, Charles B. Swift, is a prominent merchant on Main street.
rainerd
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Hon. Lawrence Brainerd, for many years a prominent railroad and anti- slavery man of St. Albans, was a descendant of William Brainerd, an early missionary to the Indians. He was born at East Hartford, Conn., March 16, 1794, and when nine years of age went to Troy, N. Y., to reside with an uncle, and, in 1808, came with him to St. Albans. Here he attended and taught school for a time, then engaged as clerk for the late N. W. Kingman, several years, at the expiration of which time, in 1816. he commenced a mer- cantile business on his own account, building up a large trade. He also be- came prominently identified with the navigation enterprises on Lake Cham- plain, building in 1847, the first upper cabin steamer on the lake-the well known "United States ;" was president of the first bank of St. Albans, and with Messrs. John Smith and Joseph Clark, succeeded in pushing through the enterprise of building the Vermont and Canada railroad, which marked an era in the progress of St. Albans from which she reckons her present prosperity.
Previous to 1840, Mr. Brainerd was a Whig in politics, though he had, however, an inborn dislike for American slavery, and no sooner did an op- portunity offer for the expression of his views by ballot, than he availed him- self of it. He became an adherent of the Liberty party from its start, and was one of the despised 319 of Vermont, who voted for Birney in 1840.
In 1854, after the death of William Upham, then U. S. senator from Ver- mont, he was unanimously chosen by the State legislature, to serve out the deceased member's term, being the first senator ever sent on the anti-slavery issue. He subsequently received a unanimous nomination for governor, but declined the honor. He also served as chirman of the national delegation that nominated President Lincoln, there being not a dissenting vote from Vermont, and was also at one time president of the American Missionary Association. Mr. Brainerd's wedded life was most felicitous. He was mar- ried January 16, 1819, to Miss Fidelia Barnett Gadcomb, a lady of an unusually lovely, Christian character, who died October 18, 1852, after rearing a Mace- donian family of twelve children, six of whom are now living,-four sons and two daughters. His long and useful life was brought to a close May 9, 1870, and his dust now honors with its long repose the sleeping ones of St. Albans cemetery. He was for many years an active member of the Congregational church, and the beauty of his Christian sentiments and character cannot, perhaps, be more aptly expressed than by quoting the following words, found written upon a paper in his pocket, after his death : " Evil exists in the world that men may grow strong by wrestling with it."
John W. Hobart, general superintendent of the Central Vermont railroad, has for many years been a trusted servant of that corporation, during which time he has succeeded not only in building up an excellent reputation with the company,but, in serving them faithfully has faithfully served his fellow citizens. Mr. Hobart was born at Randolph, Vt., in 1829, and in 1848, began clerking for the C. V. R. R., continuing in that capacity about one year, when he was
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appointed station agent at Montpelier, remaining there ten years. In 1859, he was appointed general freight agent, and in 1874, placed in the important position he still occupies.
Capt. John Gilman, who took a prominent part in local military affairs during the first quarter of the present century, came to St. Albans, from Epsom, N. H., during the year 1793, in company with his wife and young daughter, and his father-in-law, Major Morrill. Margaret Morrill was his . second wife, by whom he had one son, having had three daughters and three sons by a previous marriage. Capt. Gilman was an industrious man of re- ligious tendencies, and became a well-to-do farmer, also carrying on a black- smith business for many years. He built the large house on Main street, now occupied by his descendants, mentioned on a previous page. Capt. Gil- man died August 31, 1845, aged seventy-six years, having lived a life that endeared him to many, and brightened his pathway to the other world.
Jonathan M. Blaisdell, the eleventh child of Harvey and Elizabeth Blais- dell, was born at London, N. H., March 30, 1789, and came to St. Albans at the age of twenty years, in company with Smith Morrill. Here he was soon engaged in building houses, having learned the carpenter and joiner trade. He was occupied in the lumbering business one year, which, owingto losses, did not prove lucrative. In 1812, he was a volunteer, and went to Plattsburgh ; being anxious, with some others, to cross the sand-bar to the island, he attempted to do so before the moon was up, and came near being drowned. At the age of thirty-three years he married Margaret Gilman, youngest daughter of Capt. John Gilman, and died in his seventy-seventh year, leaving a widow, two daughters and two sons. The following account of the incident at the sand-bar was related by him to Miss Hemenway, editor of the Vermont Historical Magazine, a number of years ago :-
"September 14, 1814 .- The day of the election at St. Albans, after the election, Sanford Gadcomb, Solomon Walbridge, son of the old sheriff of St. Albans, and myself, started to go to Plattsburgh, as soldiers, on horseback, through Georgia and Milton. At the sand-bar there (at Milton) we attempted to cross over, having stopped a few moments at Fox's tavern, this side of the lake. It was a mile across the bar, dark-or only star-light, and I told Gad- comb it looked too much like going to sea horse-back in the night, and I did not like to cross. The wind blew strong from the north, but Gadcomb thought he could cross without difficulty, though the swells ran so high and dashed so upon the shore. We urged our horses in with difficulty, but we proceeded till we saw a light upon the opposite shore, which we supposed had been lighted to pilot us across, and we advanced till about half way over, when the water began to deepen, the swells from the north rolling hard against us, till our horses drifting off the north side of the bar, were afloat. Gadcomb was forward, I in the middle, Walbridge behind, each about 3 rods distant. Gadcomb undertook to swim his horse forward to shore, Wal- bridge behind, said his horse wanted to turn round and go back. My horse
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stood right up and down-in no swimming condition. In about two minutes Walbridge cried out, 'My horse touches bottom,' and my horse at once righted in a swimming condition and pursued his horse. Meantime I had climbed up- on the saddle from which I slid when my horse lost bottom, and we were soon back on the bar again where the water was not more than knee deep to our horses. Gadcomb was out of sight and I cried out, 'We are on good ground,' but he understood us to cry we were in trouble. Walbridge and I came out on shore where we entered, when we repeatedly halloed, and receiving no answer from any quarter, supposed Gadcomb was drowned and started to go back to Fox's tavern, but on our way through the swamp, moving along slowly near the shore, we heard somebody halloo, and answered. The halloo was kept up back and forth till we found it was Gadcomb, who had swam ashore, on the Point, north, below us, and landed on the most dismal part of the swamp. We waited till he came up to us, when we all returned to the tavern wet as water could make us, and remained about two hours, till the moon was up, and about a hundred had collected to cross; so that when we crossed, which at length was nicely done, the line of them reached clear across the bar. After we got over the bar, we went up to the old landlord's who kept tavern on South 'Island, where we stayed the remainder of the night. While here, the landlord stated that he hoped we should get whipped by the British, and that all would get off from the bar who attempted to cross. This raised my ideas, and I told him we should hear no such talk on our route, that we were going to Plattsburgh to fight for our country, and we could fight before we got there, if necessary, and the effect was sufficient to stop that tory's noise.
We went down the next morning and waited for a sloop to take us across. About 2 o'clock P. M., the sloop arrived and took us over to Plattsburgh. This was Wednesday. We remained there 'in battle' till Sunday night. Sunday, the last day of the battle, the British forded the river against what is called Pike's old encampment, with their whole force, 13,000 strong. They forded the river, and advanced into the pine plains, where the Ver- mont and New York volunteers were distant 80 or 100 rods. The woods were full of Vermont and New York volunteers, every man fighting for him- self, all on the Irishman's own hook, and we were so hard upon them that they were compelled to retreat, and we pursued them like a band of blood- hounds back to the river, their dead and wounded scattered along the way. In crossing the river they lost many guns and some of the men floated down stream,-retreating up the river, the enemy were soon, however, out of our sight.
That night they retreated back to Canada, leaving a good many de- serters in the village of Plattsburgh. On their camp-ground their supplies were many of them left. On Sunday, the winding up battle-day, about 200 of us went down from Pike's encampment toward our fort, and when we could see a picket guard on the other side of the river, we would fire at him, and
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when we could not see a redcoat to fire at, still we would all fire, so as to have the enemy understand the woods were all full of soldiers for two miles in length along the shore, and when we got opposite Plattsburgh village and attempted to cross the bridge, the British poured in a volley upon us. Only one was wounded, the bullets passing directly over our heads, one bullet passing within 12 inches of me, cutting off a little twig so I could see where the little fellow had tripped along. We returned up the river the same way as we came down."
Hon. Bradley Barlow, one of St. Albans' most prominent citizens, was born in Fairfield, Vt., May 12, 1814, and until 1858 was engaged in agricultural and mercantile pursuits, when he removed to St. Albans, where he has since been engaged in banking and other large business pursuits ; is now president of the Vermont National Bank, of St. Albans, and of the South Eastern Townships railway, of Canada, and is also pushing rapidly towards comple- tion the Canada Junction railway, connecting Sheldon Junction with the former road at West Farnham, P. Q .; he has been six times elected to the State house of representatives, and twice elected a State senator ; has been twice elected a member of State constitutional conventions-of one of which he was assistant secretary ; was for several years county treasurer, and was elected to the forty-sixth congress. His residence and grounds on North Main street are among the finest in St. Albans.
Seth Wetmore, a native of Massachusetts, studied law at Middlebury, and came to St. Albans to commence practice about the year 1800. After com- ing here he married a daughter of Gen. Shepard, of Massachusetts, who sur- vived her wedding but a comparatively short time, leaving one son, William Shepard Wetmore, who became a wealthy citizen of Newport, R. I. For his second wife, he married a sister of Hon. John Smith. Mr. Wetmore was two or three times elected a member of the general assembly, and sometime previous to 1810, was elected sheriff of the county, in which official capacity he was peculiarly unfortunate, and became a defaulter on an execution for a large amount in favor of the Vermont State Bank. By this means he be- came embarrassed in his financial affairs, remaining so the rest of his life. He . again turned his attention to the practice of law, and in 1817, was appointed judge of probate, a position he retained until his death. He was also a member of the executive council for Franklin county, for a number of years in succession. Mr. Wetmore was reputed to be a sound lawyer, and was a respectable member of the Methodist church. He died in August, 1830, after a lingering illness of a pulmonary character, aged about sixty-five years.
Gen. Levi House, a contemporary of Wetmore, came to St. Albans about the time the county was organized, and became a very successful attorney. His legal knowledge, however, is said to have been limited, his success being attributable more to a roughi, aggressive force, than to a talent for the pro- ession. At one time he was reported to be quite wealthy, and he built one
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of the finest residences in the county at that date, which was destroyed by fre in 1821 ; but becoming somewhat dissolute in his habits, he. lost all he had, including his reputation as a lawyer, and about the year 1810, removed to Canada. He returned subsequently, and died here in 1813. His title of General was derived from his being elected Brigadier-General of Militia, a position he retained for several years.
Dr. Hiram Fairchild Stevens was born at St. Albans, August 3, 1825, the eldest son of David and Rachel (Fairchild) Stevens. His father died while he was attending the Franklin County Grammar School, and at the age of fifteen years, by request of his parent, he became a private pupil of Rev. Dr. Smith. In August, 1842, he entered the University of Vermont, in the soph- more class, but owing to ill health he was obliged to give up the course in his senior year. In 1849, he entered the office of Dr. John L. Chandler, and commenced the study of medicine. During his course of study, he attended lectures at Pittsfield, Mass., Woodstock, Vt., and at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, in the city of New York, whence he took the degree of Doctor of Medicine, in March, 1850. In 1852, his health again began to fail, and in the autumn of that year he went to Florida. The winter following he spent in Charleston, S. C., where his health became so much improved that he re- turned in the spring of 1854, and commenced the practice of medicine in his native town. This he continued with remarkable success until his death, of typhoid fever, January 15, 1866.
Nathaniel B. Eldridge, a native of Connecticut, came to St. Albans in 1811, and during the winter of that year was admitted to the bar of Frank- lin county, and commenced practice at St. Albans. In 1816, he married Eliza, daughter of Joseph Jones, who survived her husband's death many years. Mr. Eldridge's health began to fail, and in 1819, he sailed for France, hoping its climate would benefit him, which it seemed to do for a time, but about a year after his return, in the summer of 1821, he died of consumption.
Joshua K. Smedley was born in Georgia, Vt., about the year 1784. He studied law with Benjamin Swift, and was admitted to the bar in 1809. Dur- ing the winter of the following year, he entered into partnership with Gen. Elias Fassett, of this town, and removed to the village, where he and his partner continued in practice for several years, or until the partnership was dissolved by the removal of Mr. Fassett to Chittenden county. Mr. Smed- ley continued in business here afterwards for a considerable time, first alone, and then in connection with Henry Adams until the summer of 1828, when he was attacked with a violent fever, of which he died. Mr. Smedley repre- sented the town in the legislature in 1817, and was never married.
Dea. Horace Janes, son of Jonathan and Martha Janes, was born at Brim- feld, Mass., September 18, 1781, and came to St. Albans early in the pres- ent century. He was postmaster of the town from 1807 to 1829, and clerk of the court from 1816, to the close of his life. August 30, 1827, he was elected one of the deacons of the Congregational church, and afterwards con-
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tinued active and faithful in the duties pertaining to that office. Dea. Janes was noted for his Christian benevolence and generosity, and died truly lamented, March 15, 1834.
Hon. Bates Turner, a native of Canaan, Conn., was born in October, 1760. At the age of sixteen years he entered the army of the Revolution, where he was exposed to many hardships and dangers. After the close of the war he entered upon a course preparatory to the profession of law. He entered the celebrated law school of Judges Reeves and Gould, of Litchfield, and after the usual course of study was admitted to the bar. Soon after his admission, he removed to Vermont, locating in Fairfield in 1796. In 1798, he removed to St. Albans, and, in 1804, formed a co-partnership with Asa Aldis, which continued but a few years, when Mr. Turner returned to Fairfield. He here established a law school which became quite popular. In 1812, he moved to Middlebury, Vt., intending to establish a school there, but not meeting with sufficient encouragement, he returned to Fairfield, remaining until 1815,when he again took up his residence in St. Albans. In 1827, and again in 1828, he was elected a judge of the supreme court. At the expiration of the second term he returned to his profession again and never left it until the close of his life. He died April 30, 1847. Mr. Turner was twice married, his first wife, Mrs. Persis Humphry, of Providence, R. I., dying in 1814. In 1815, he married Mrs. Sarah Webb, of North Hero, who died in August, 1839.
Hon. John Smith, the youngest son of Dea. Samuel and Mrs. Patience Smith, and father of John G. and Worthington C. Smith, of St. Albans, was born at Barre, Mass., August 12, 1789. When John was eleven years of age, his father purchased a farm in the southeastern part of St. Albans, and immigrating thither from Massachusetts, settled thereon. Land titles in the northern part of the State were at that time decidedly insecure, and through some flaw Dea. Smith was deprived of his. After losing his property he removed to the village. Here John was allowed the slender educational advantages the place at that time afforded, after which he entered upon the study of the law in the office of his brother-in-law, Roswell Hutchins. His subsequent legal studies, however, were mainly prosecuted in the office of Hon. Benjamin Swift. In 1810, he was admitted to the bar, and soon after entered into a copartnership with Judge Swift. The firm thus existed for a period of seventeen years, during which time it gained an extended reputa- tion for legal soundness and ability, and did a large amount of remunerative business. At the expiration of this time, Mr. Smith having entered quite extensively into politics, the partnership was dissolved. In the meantime he had represented St. Albans in the legislature nine successive years, and, in 1826, was elected State's attorney, in which capacity he served six years. In 1831, 1832, and 1833, he was speaker in the general assembly, and from 1839 to 1841, was a representative to Congress from Vermont, after which, until 1846, he resumed his legal pursuits. In this latter year began the labor that was continued to the end of his life, and which, as a climax to what he
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had already done, has caused the people of Franklin county to revere his memory as one of their greatest benefactors,-indeed, the whole State will always be indebted to him and his colleagues, (see page 30,) for the active employment of their time, money and influence for a series of years while achieving a connecting link between the great roads of the West, and the Vermont Central on the East, while the county is indebted to his forecast and sagacity for the stimulus given to the development of her agricultural and manufacturingresources. The old Vermont and Canada railroad should now stand as a monument to his earnest struggles and ultimate triumph, for the exhaustive and perplexing labors of which that road was the fruit, caused his sudden death, in 1858. A beautiful memorial-stone of white marble, in the St. Albans cemetery, indicates the spot where the mortal remains of this public benefactor repose, upon which is inscribed the following epitaph :-
IN MEMORY OF JOHN SMITH. Born at Barre, Mass., August 12, 1789. Died at St. Albans, Vt., November 20, 1858. His private virtues, and the graces of a well ordered Christian life, endeared him to his family and friends, and qualified him for the distinguished position which he occupied at the Bar, and for the many offices of public and political trust which were bestowed upon him.
Mr. Smith was married September 18. 1814, to Miss Maria W. Curtis, of Troy, N. Y., with whom he passed a most happy wedded life, and the follow- ing year, December 31st, he united with the Congregational church, remain- ing an active member and warm friend of that society until his death.
Nehemiah W. Kingman, a native of Canaan, N. Y., came to St. Albans soon after the year 1800. Mr. Kingman was a hatter by trade, and for a considerable time worked at his trade here, but finally gave up that business and devoted his attention to mercantile pursuits, acquiring thereby an ample fortune. In 1805, he married Miss Almira Humphrey a step daughter of Judge Turner, who died in 1816. In 1820, he was again married, to Miss Thankful Stone, who died in 1855. Mr. Kingman died in 1845, aged about sixty-five years.
Dr. Julius Hoyt, father of Hon. Romeo H. Hoyt, of St. Albans, and son of Samuel Hoyt, of Guilford, Conn., was born at Sunderland, Vt., November 26,
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1778. When seventeen years of age he went to live with his brother Joseph, who had settled in Westford, Vt., in which place he taught school. From Westford he went to Arlington, where he studied medicine with Dr. Todd. After he had completed his studies he entered into partnership with his cousin, John Wilcox, in the druggist business, and removed to Vergennes. In July, 1802, he came to St. Albans and established himself as a physician and drug- gist, on the corner of South Main and Nason streets. 'The practice of medi- cine was soon relinquished, and his stock of goods was extended to the usual assortment of a country store. On September 15, 1805, he was united in marriage with Miss Jemima Taylor, daughter of Col. Holloway Taylor. He died November 14, 1852, ending an honorable, Christian life. Hon. Romeo H. Hoyt, one of St. Albans most venerable citizens, was born in 1810, graduated from Middlebury College in 1830, and subsequently from the New Haven Law School, commencing the practice of law soon after, following the profession with great success for many years. He was elected to the State senate in 1853-'54, has been judge of the county court, and held many other offices of honor and trust, honoring the positions as the positions have hon- ored him. He now resides in modest retirement on North Main street, aged over three-score years and ten.
Hon. John Gregory Smith seems to have received his father's fallen mantle of untiring energy and far-reaching forecast. Like his father he too adopted the profession of law, being admitted to the bar in 1841, and like the father he also relinquished its practice to launch into extensive railroad enterprises. The great power exerted and the many millions of dollars invested by the Central Vermont Railroad Co., of which Mr. Smith is president, is largely owing to his great executive ability. Few there are who could have built up such an enterprise. That Mr. Smith also shares the public confidence that was bestowed upon his father, is attested by the many positions of honor he has enjoyed, having been raised to the highest office in the gift of his native State,-the gubernatorial chair. In his private life, Governor Smith is a most courteous and kindly gentleman, the admired center of a host of friends. His house and grounds, located on the corner of Smith and Congress streets, are among the finest in the State, while they afford a view of the surrounding lake and mountain scenery that is probably surpassed by none in the country.
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