USA > Vermont > Lamoille County > Gazetteer and business directory of Lamoille and Orleans counties, Vt., for 1883-84, pt 1 > Part 17
USA > Vermont > Orleans County > Gazetteer and business directory of Lamoille and Orleans counties, Vt., for 1883-84, pt 1 > Part 17
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 | Part 38 | Part 39
The First Congregational church of Stowe, located at Stowe village, was organized November 21, 1818, by a council of whom Nathaniel Rawson was moderator, with six members, viz .: Joseph Savage, Daniel B. Dutton, Abner Fuller, Rachel Dutton, Lorania Dutton, and Esther Savage. The first set- · tled pastor was Rolden A. Watkins, in 1826, who retained the pastorate un-
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til 1830. Since that time, up to February 1, 1883, when the present minis- ter, Rev. Wilbert L. Anderson was installed, there were but four pastors in- stalled, covering a period of thirty-eight years. The remaining portions of the time it was supplied with various ministers as acting pastors. The church building, a wood structure, was built in 1839, and enlarged and repaired in 1864, so that it is now a comfortable structure, capable of accommodating 300 persons, and valued, including parsonage, at $3,500.00. The society has seventy-eight members.
The Methodist church, located at Stowe village, was organized by Lorenzo Dow, about the year 1800. The church building was erected in 1840, and enlarged and repaired in 1866. Rev. F. W. Lewis is the present pastor of the society.
The Union church, located about two and one-half miles from the central part of the town, on the Mansfield mountain road, was built in 1836, and is still used by all denominations. It will seat 225 persons, and cost $1,187.00.
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TOWN OF WATERVILLE.
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WATERVILLE.
ATERVILLE, an irregular outlined town lying in the northwestern part of the county, in latitude 44° 33', and longitude 4° 11' bounded north by Belvidere, east by Belvidere and Johnson, south by Cambridge, and west by Bakersfield and Fletcher, in Franklin county, was chartered by Ver- mont to James Whitelaw, James Savage, and William Coit, Oct. 26, 1788, by the name of Coit's Gore, with an area of 10,000 acres. On October 26, 1799, a part of this Gore was annexed to Bakersfield, and again, November 15, 1824, an act was passed by the legislature, " forming a new town out of the towns of Bakersfield, Belvidere, and Coit's Gore, in the county of Frank- lin, by the name of " Waterville," as follows :-
WHEREAS, It appears to this assembly that it is inconvenient for the in- habitants of the southeast corner of Bakersfield, and that part of Belvidere called the "Leg," to attend town meetings, and transact town business in their respective towns, and that Coit's Gore ought to be incorporated and form a part of a new town, etc."
Then follows the boundary lines of the new town, as at present established, and the signatures of the proper officials.
The surface of the town is varied, a large portion being rugged and moun- tainous. The soil is generally sandy and much better adapted to dairying than grain raising, though good crops of corn, rye, potatoes, and oats, are easily raised. Wheat is not so successfully cultivated. The timber is that common to most Green mountain districts, mostly birch, maple and spruce, interspersed with hemlock and elm. Large quantities of an excellent quality of sugar is made each season from the maple. Formerly, considerable at- tention was given to the cultivation of the apple. Extensive orchards were planted, and many hundreds of barrels of cider were manufactured; but of late years, this branch of farming has been more and more neglected, and many of the original trees have been cut down. Fletcher mountain lies in the western part of the town, while Round mountain, rising to an altitude of 3,500 feet, is in the eastern part. To the south and east are located hills of lesser alti- tude. The principal stream is the North branch of the Lamoille river, a stream that in its course through this town is characterized by a series of falls and rapids, which, if utilized, would render the town noted in whatever branch of industry they were directed ; but as it is, but a small part of this natural water-power is used. Numerous brooks and streams of minor im- portance spring from the mountain and hill sides throughout the territory.
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TOWN OF WATERVILLE.
Waterville abounds in beautiful scenery and extensive views, not the least prominent of which may be mentioned the Green Mountain spring, a mineral spring located on road 18. About twenty-five years ago Osgood McFarland erected an hotel here. In 1874, Samuel Miller leased the property, and finally, during the following year, purchased it. Since that time Mr. Miller has instituted many improvements, rendering this spot a delightful and health- ful resort for summer tourists. He has accommodations for about thirty-five guests.
Geologically, the town consists of two large beds of gneiss and talcose schist. In the western part are found one or two small beds of serpentine and clay slate. Upon the farm of Orrin A. Thomas there is an excellent freestone or talc quarry, which was opened as early as 1820. The stone is valuable for manufacture into fire-bricks, foot-stones, fire arches, etc., as it possesses the peculiar quality of imperviousness to damage by heat.
In 1880, Waterville had a population of 547, and in 1882, was divided into six school districts and contained six common schools, employing one male and twelve female teachers, to whom was paid an aggregate salary of $540.85. There were 152 pupils attending common school, while the entire cost of the schools for the year, ending October 31st, was $608.21, with Mark Stevens, superintendent.
WATERVILLE, a post village, is beautifully located in the southern part of the town, on the Branch, where a natural waterfall affords opportunities for unlimited mill power. The village contains two churches (Methodist and Universalist), three stores, a rake factory, saw-mill, a tin shop, a sheep-skin legging and belt-lace manufactory, and about fifty dwellings.
Daniel Dingwall's saw, shingle, and grist-mill, located on road 13, was purchased by the present proprietor in 1882. Mr. Dingwall has had much experience in the lumber business, and controls the timber on several thous- and acres of land. He intends shortly to extend the capacity of his mill so that he will be able to cut upwards of a million feet of lumber per annum.
Kelley & Son's sheep-skin leggings and belt-lace manufactory, located at the village, was established in 1881. Their superior methods of tanning, and the excellent quality of their goods, has rendered their wares already quite noted.
George W. Mann's knife factory, located at the village, was established by him in 1871. He employs from three to six hands, and turns out about 1,500 dozen knives per year.
Lucius Hayes's feed and saw-mill, located on road 13, was built about the year 1842, by Amos Fassett, and purchased by the present proprietor in 1868. He manufactures about 25,000 feet of lumber and grinds 3,000 bushels of grain per year.
Timothy Brown and wife, Meredeth Ward, were the first settlers in the town, coming from Westmoreland, N. H., in the year 1797. He bought 450 acres of land on West hill, embracing the Stephen Leach farm and adjoining lands. Here he lived until 1829, when he removed to Ohio, where he passed
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the remainder of a long life. Four children survived him, Timothy, Bartlett, Rhoda, the wife of Thomas Potter, and Asenath, the wife of Stephen Leach, all of whom attained a ripe old age. The first two died in Ohio, the last two, in Waterville.
The year before Mr. Brown came to town Amos Page built a log house with- out covering it, near where Orrin Tillotson now lives. There was no clear- ing there at the time, nor was the house occupied by any one for years after the settlement by Mr. Brown. The second family that located in the town was that of Abiathar Wetherell, who came from Westmoreland, N. H., in 1798. In 1803, there came from the same place Zephaniah Leach and his four sons, Stephen, Nathan, William, and Jacob. He first settled on East hill, above where Nathan Page now lives ; but afterward removing to the vil- lage, in connection with his son Nathan he built the first saw and grist-mill in town.
The Leache are the descendants of a McLeach family, of Scotland. Three brothers McLeach came to this country from the Highlands of Scotland about 250 years ago, and settled at Cold Run, Mass. They afterwards re- moved to Westmoreland, N. H., where, nearly 125 years since, the name was changed, on petition to Parliament, from McLeach to Leach. One of these brothers, Josiah McLeach, whose wife was Sarah Brittain, of Wales, was the grandfather of Zephaniah Leach, the early settler of Waterville.
Osgood McFarland, a son of Major Moses McFarland, of the revolution- ary war, a Scotch-Irish immigrant, together with his wife, Mary Bartlett, came to town from Haverhill, Mass., in 1809. A few years afterwards he removed to Marietta, Ohio. He remained there seven years, when, on account of his health, he returned to Vermont, driving his own team the whole distance, as he had done on the outward journey. On his second coming to Waterville he located upon the farm on East hill, known as the "Tobin place," whence he removed, after a few years, to West hill, and tilled the farm now owned and occupied by Samuel Brown. During his long and useful life, which closed in 1865, at the age of eighty-four, he served his townsmen acceptably as a member of the legislature, and in other offices of trust and honor. His children were six sons and six daughters, of whom six are now living-Os- good and Eunice in Minnesota ; Francis in Massachusetts ; Nathan in Hyde Park ; and Louisa and Moses in Waterville.
Moses McFarland was born in Marietta, Ohio, June 25, 1821, coming to Waterville when about three years old, where he has since resided. He mar- ried Livonia, oldest daughter of Stephen and Asenath Brown Leach, and set- tled upon the home farm. In 1854, he removed from West hill to the village, his father and mother accompanying him, where he was successively engaged in manufacturing, hotel-keeping, and farming, always putting that energy into whatever he did that roused all other business of the village into renewed and greater activity. In 1861, he enlisted as a volunteer in the Eighth Ver- mont regiment, serving to the end of the war, and returning as captain of
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TOWN OF WATERVILLE.
Co. A. He removed from the village to the Stephen Leach farm, on West hill, in 1874, where he has since resided.
About the year 1800, Mr. Rice built a saw-mill on Stony brook, in the eastern part of the town. Soon after a blacksmith shop was erected near by, and also several dwellings. The site on which these buildings were erected presented a very desirable location for a village, and it is probable that the intentions of the early proprietors of this section were to build up a large and thrifty place of business. But, however sanguine might have been their ex- pectations, it is certain they have never been realized. The mills and the shops have all long since been among the things of the past.
The first town meeting was petitioned for by Sylvanus Eaton, Joseph Rowell, Ezra Sherman, and Jesse C. Holmes, November 29, 1824, and was duly warned by Moses Fisk, justice of the peace, the following day. The meeting was held in the school-house near the mills, December 13, 1824, with Sylvanus Eaton, moderator. The following list of officers was elected : Moses Fisk, town clerk ; Jesse C. Holmes, Antipas Fletcher, and Luther Po- land, selectmen ; Sylvanus Eaton, constable ; Stephen Leach, grand juror ; and William Wilbur, tithing man. The first justice of the peace was Thomas Page, appointed in 1803. The first representative, Luther Poland, in 1828. The first child born in the town was Ira Church, August 16, 1789.
Abithar Codding, one of the earliest permanent settlers, came here from the southern part of the State, in company with his brother-in-law, a Mr. Fletcher. They settled on adjoining farms, on road 9. Mr. Codding reared a family of eight children, six of whom are now living. Joel B. Codding, re- siding on road 9, is a son of Jonas, and grandson of Abithar.
Jesse C. Holmes, from Petersboro, N. H., came to Waterville at an early date, and located where the village now is. Here he resided until 1860, then went to live with his son-in-law, Ober D. Rogers, on road 13, where he died in April, 1876, aged ninety years. Mr. Holmes was among the first advo- cates of the "free soil" issue in the town, which claims the honor of sending the first "free soil" representative to the legislature.
Amos Page, from Massachusetts, was an early settler in this town. He located in the eastern part, where he died in 1840, aged eighty-four years. His family consisted of four sons, one of whom, Aaron D., settled in Water- ville. Several of Amos's descendants now reside in the town.
James Cheney, from Hanover, N. H., located in the northern part of this town at an early date, where he resided until his death, in 1810. He reared a family of seven children, three of whom remained in the town.
Isaac Tillotson, from Massachusetts, came to Belvidere at an early date, remaining until his death, in 1857, aged ninety-eight years. Isaac was a revolutionary soldier, and reared a family of eight children. His son, Eben, was born in 1783, reared a family of nine children, and died in 1848. Chauncey, youngest son of Eben, born in 1834, has been a resident of this town since 1862. Richard, the third son of Isaac, was born in 1798. His
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TOWN OF WATERVILLE.
family consisted of six children, of whom the second, Orrin, has always been a resident of Waterville. He has held many of the town offices.
William Thomas, from the southern part of the State, came to the eastern part of this town about the year 1800. He was a Baptist clergyman, and held services in houses, barns, etc. Amos, a grandson of William, born in July, 1800, still manages a farm in Belvidere. George B., the oldest son of Amos, born in 1824, now resides on road 5.
Jonathan Hemenway, from Walpole, N. H., came to this town in 1800, and located on road 5, upon the farm now owned by O. A. Thomas. Two of his children are now living on the same road.
Joel Brown came from New Hampshire about the year 1808, and located in Underhill, where he remained about fourteen years, then removed to Cambridge, where he died in 1858. Samuel H., the second of his eight children, born in 1815, has been a resident of Waterville since 1854.
Jacob Locke, from New Hampshire, settled in the central part of the town in 1808, where he remained until his death, in 1854. He reared a family of ten children, two of whom settled in the town. Thomas J., his third child, born in 1808, is now among the oldest inhabitants of the town.
Theophilus Potter came to this town from Bakersfield, in 1815, and located in the western part, where he followed the carpenter and joiner trade. Six of his twelve children are now living.
Solomon Manchester, from Barnet, Vt., came to Waterville in 1839, and located in the southern part of the town, on road 16. He has had a family of six children, three of whom now reside in the town.
During the late civil war Waterville furnished ninety-one enlisted men as her mite towards preserving our country's unity.
Congregational and Methodist societies were formed in the town about the year 1820. In 1839, the two societies united their funds, and built the union meeting-house, which still does service. Previous to this the people had been obliged to meet for worship in barns and private dwellings. The town now has a Congregational, Universalist, and Methodist society, the latter being the most popular, with Rev. G. L. Story, pastor.
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TOWN OF WOLCOTT.
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WOLCOTT.
OLCOTT, located in the eastern part of the county, in lat. 44° 34', and long. 4° 31', bounded northeasterly by Craftsbury, southeasterly by Hardwick, southwesterly by Elmore, and northwesterly by Hyde Park, was granted by the State, November 7, 1780, and chartered to Joshua Stan- ton and sixty-one others, August 22, 1781, as a township of 23,040 acres. Its. name was given in honor of Maj-Gen. Oliver Wolcott, one of the original proprietors. The names of the other proprietors were as follows: Joshua Stanton, John Fellows, Matthew Mead, Aaron Comstock, Samuel Middle- brooks, Isaac Lewis, Clap Raymond, Abijah Taylor, Levi Taylor, Ozias Marvin, Gamaliel Taylor, Jonathan Pynoger, William Chamberlain, David Phelps, Jedediah Lane, Joseph Cook, Thomas Phillips, Roger Lane, Samuel Lane, James Waterous, Samuel Lee, Theodore Sedgwick, William Bacon, Paul Dewey, Peter Parrit, Jonathan Pettibone, Abraham Stevens, Benjamin Seyley, John Adams, Zachariah Fairchilds, Lemuel Kingsbury, Stephen Law- rence, Elizabeth Stanton, Joshua Stanton, Rufus Herrick, Seth Austin, Joel Baulding, Benjamin Durkee, Giles Pettibone, Judah Burton, Solomon Ty- ler, Hezekiah Lane, William Dean, David Crocker Dean, William Goodrich, John Sedgwick, David D. Forest, Derrick J. Geois, Ezra Fellows, Gad Aus- tin, Sylvia Morgan, Elisha Taylor, William Fellows, John Ashley, Steven Dewey, Benjamin Keyes, Enoch Shepard, John Fellows, Jr., Enoch Shepard, Jr., Samuel Shed, Joseph Goodrich, John Watson, David Pixley, and Daniel Shepard.
In surface, Wolcott is somewhat hilly and uneven, though it possesses no mountains. The soil is usually of a good quality and produces fine crops of the grains and grasses indigenous to the latitude, while the rich pasturage of its many hill slopes afford sustenance to many herds of cattle. Many beautiful views are afforded throughout the town, the most accessible of which being from the cemetery near Wolcott village, where one may obtain a sweep of the fine country of the Lamoille valley, through Morristown, Hyde Park and Johnson, to the mountains, and south into Washington county. Near the . vicinity of A. H. Keeler's, on road 8, a fine view of the country south, west and north, to Canada, New York, and as far south as Camel's Hump, in- cluding the sublime profile of Mt. Mansfield, may be obtained.
The Lamoille river forms the principal water-course, flowing across the town from east to west, about a mile from the Elmore line. Its principal tributaries are Wild branch and Pond brook, from the north, and Elmore brook from
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the south, though there are a number of streams of minor importance. Nu- merous mill privileges are afforded, many of which are utilized. Several small ponds are found, the largest of which are Wolcott and Akins pond, near the eastern line, and Peach pond on the western line.
The rocks that enter into the geological structure of the township are of the talcose schist formation, with a narrow bed of clay slate in the eastern part. No minerals of importance, except copper, have been discovered. About six years ago this useful metal was discovered near the western line of the town. A mining company was organized soon after, composed of Cana- dian gentlemen, and though the ore is said to have yielded a good percent- age, nothing has been done towards the development of the mines for sev- eral years. The vein extends south to the river, underlying the farm of C. C. Twiss, and it is said to be only a question of time when this section will be reckoned one of the richest copper producing districts in the State.
In 1880, Wolcott had a population of 1, 166, and in 1882, was divided into twelve school districts and contained eleven common schools, employing one male and nineteen female teachers, to whom was paid an aggregate salary of $1,025.88. There were 256 pupils attending common school, while the en- tire cost of the schools for the year, ending October 31st, was $1, 180.56, with Mrs. Angie Jones, superintendent.
WOLCOTT, a post village and station on the St. J. & L. C. R. R., located in the southern part of the town on the Lamoille river, contains three churches, (Congregational, Methodist, and Universalist,) an hotel, school- house, three general stores, two groceries, a furniture store, drug store, saw- mill, grist-mill, two carriage shops, two blacksmith shops, two millinery shops, a shoe shop, and about fifty dwellings.
NORTH WOLCOTT (p. o.) is a hamlet located in the northern part of the town, containing two stores and a few scattered dwellings.
The Wolcott Hotel was built by Ira Woodbridge at an early date, and came into the present proprietor's hands, 1 .. A. Tillotson, in 1874. Mr. Tillotson, has made many improvements, so that the house is now a well appointed hotel.
H. B. Bundy's flouring-mill, located on the Lamoille river, is operated by four turbine water-wheels, and is supplied with five runs of stones. The building, a two story structure 42 by 52 feet, with a basement, was erected in 1878, upon the site of a mill destroyed by fire the year previous. Mr. Bundy grinds about 30,000 bushels of custom grain per year, in addition to 6,000 bushels of wheat and 20,000 bushels of corn for the trade.
C. H. Reed's saw-mill, located on road 40, is operated by water-power, employs twenty-five men, and cuts about 1,500,000 feet of lumber per year.
Joel R. Parker's saw-mill, located on road 18, corner II, is operated by water-power, is furnished with a circular saw, and cuts 250,000 feet of lum- ber per year. The first mill on this site was built by Calvin Graves about forty-five years ago. The present mill was erected in 1853. An upright saw was used until 1872, when a circular saw was introduced.
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TOWN OF WOLCOTT.
E. Guyer's saw-mill, located on road 33, was originally built by Amos Walbridge, in 1833, who operated it about eight years, when it passed into the hands of Hezekiah Guyer and Gilbert Noyes. In 1851, Mr. Guyer pur- chased the whole interest and retained the property until 1864, when he sold it to his son, Earle, the present proprietor, who remodeled the mill and insti- tuted many improvements. He employs eight men and manufactures 900,- ooo feet of lumber per annum.
W. W. Cate's saw-mill, located at Wolcott village, was built in 1879. Mr. Cate employs eight men and manufactures about 1,000,000 feet of lum- ber per annum.
The Wolcott Steam Mill Co.'s saw-mill, located on road 41, was originally built in 1881. About three weeks after business was commenced the build- ings were destroyed by fire. The present mill was immediately commenced, and was in operating order by the 25th of May of that year. The mill con- tains one band saw, jointing and edging saws, planing and matching machin- ery, etc., operated by a forty horse-power engine, having the capacity for cut- ting 18,000 feet of lumber per day. The firm employs about fifteen men.
D. N. Boynton's saw-mill, located at North Wolcott, employs about twelve men and has the capacity for manufacturing 1,000,000 feet of lumber per annum.
C. C. Fisher's refrigerator and cold storage buildings, located on road 40, have the capacity for storing several tons of poultry.
Charles E. Clark's carriage manufactory, located on road 38, was estab- lished November 1, 1882. Mr. Clark manufactures all kinds of carriages, wagons and sleighs, and does a general repairing and blacksmith business.
The first settlement in the town was made in 1789, by Thomas Taylor and Seth Hubbell, who took up land in the western part of the town. Mr. Taylor came the day previous to Mr. Hubbell, with his wife and two children, on snow-shoes. Both families were subjected to great hardships, but Mr. Taylor having more means escaped many of the privations that fell to the lot of Mr. Hubbell and his family. The vicissitudes of the latter were un- usually severe, though but a counterpart of what many of our forefathers had to endure. No more earnest lesson of what energy and perseverance can accomplish could be found, perhaps, than in Mr. Hubbell's sketch of his trials and triumphs in those early days, found in the following narrative, written by him and published in 1829. We are indebted to the kindness of Mr. Justus Hubbell, one of the descendants, for a copy of the pamphlet, which we deem of sufficient interest to warrant an entire reprint : -
" This narrative was written for the private use and gratification of the suf- ferer, with no intention of its ever appearing before the public; but certain reasons connected with his present circumstances have induced him (by the advice of his friends) to commit it to the press. It is a simple narration of real facts, the most of which many living witnesses can now attest to. The learned reader will excuse the many imperfections in this little work: the
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writer not being bred to literary knowledge, is sensible of his inability to en- tertain the curious ; but if his plain and simple dress can reach the sympathy of the feeling heart, it may be gratifying to some. It may also serve to still the murmurings of those who are commencing settlements in the neighbor- hood of plenty, and teach them to be reconciled to their better fate, and duly appreciate the privileges they enjoy, resulting from the toils of the suffering few who broke the way into the wilderness.
" In the latter part of February, 1789, I set out from the town of Norwalk, in Connecticut, on my journey for Wolcott. to commence a settlement and make that my residence; family consisting of my wife and five children, they all being girls, the eldest nine or ten years old. My team was a yoke of oxen and a horse. After I had proceeded on my journey to within about one hun- dred miles of Wolcott, one of my oxen failed ; but I however kept him yoked with the other till about noon each day, then turned him before, and took his end of the yoke myself, and proceeded on in that manner with my load to about fourteen miles of my journey's end, when I could get the sick ox no further, and was forced to leave him with Thomas McConnel, in Johnson ; but he had neither hay nor grain for him. I then proceeded on with some help to Esq. McDaniel's in Hydepark : this brought me to about eight miles of Wolcott, and to the end of the road. It was now about the 20th of March ; the snow was not far from four feet deep ; no hay to be had for my team, and no way for them to subsist but by browse. As my sick ox at McConnel's could not be kept on browse, I interceded with a man in Cambridge for a little hay to keep him alive, which I backed, a bundle at a time, five miles, for about ten days, when the ox died. On the 9th of April I set out from Esq. McDaniel's, his being the last house, for my intended residence in Wolcott, with my wife and two eldest children. We had eight miles to travel on snow shoes, by marked trees-no road being cut : my wife had to try this new mode of traveling, and she performed the journey remarkably well. The path had been so trodden by snow-shoes as to bear up the children. Esq. Taylor, with his wife and two small children, who moved on with me, had gone on the day before. We were the first families in Wolcott: in Hyde- park there had two families wintered the year before. To the east of us it was eighteen miles to inhabitants, and no road but marked trees: to the south about twenty, where there were infant settlements, but no communica- tion with us ; and to the north, it was almost indefinite, or to the regions of Canada.
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