USA > Vermont > Lamoille County > Gazetteer and business directory of Lamoille and Orleans counties, Vt., for 1883-84, pt 1 > Part 24
USA > Vermont > Orleans County > Gazetteer and business directory of Lamoille and Orleans counties, Vt., for 1883-84, pt 1 > Part 24
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
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TOWN OF BARTON.
for manufacturing whiskey in 1804. The first physician was Elihu Lee, in 1802. The first lawyer to reside in the town was Asa King, in 1811. The first religious meeting was held at the dwelling of Asa Kimball, in 1803, by Phineas Peck, a Methodist preacher.
Asa Kimball, the first permanent settler, was a resolute and persevering man. Soon after he came to the town he opened a public-house and kept a tavern as long as he remained in the town. In 1816, he removed to Candor, N. Y., where he remained a few years, then removed to Burlington, Ohio, where, a few years after, he died.
Jonathan Robinson, a veteran of the Revolution, came to Barton, from Lyndon, Vt., in 1796, and located where his son, Lyndon, now resides. Only three families had preceeded him in the town, hence he suffered all the pri- vations and inconveniences attending the life of a pioneer, being, among other inconveniences, obliged to go to St. Johnsbury to mill, a distance of thirty miles. Lyndon Robinson now has in his possession a five-pail kettle that was bought for his father by Joseph Eddy, and carried from Lyndon on his head, bringing at the same time a half bushel of meal. Mr. Robinson mar- ried Hannah Owen, of Winchester, N. H., with whom he passed a happy wedded life of sixty-seven years, he dying May 6, 1852, aged eighty-seven years, his wife following him the fourteenth of the following November, aged ninety years. Their family consisted of eight children, seven of whom attained an adult age. Mr. Robinson was often chosen to positions of trust and responsibility by his appreciative townsmen, all of which he filled with ability and honor. In 1817, the season following the "cold summer," the St. Francis Indians found themselves with no seed-corn. One of the princi- pal men of the tribe came into Barton for a supply, but indulging too frequently in fire-water, he became intoxicated and was refused admission into the houses. He finally laid down beside a fence, where he was subsequently found by Mr. Robinson, in a dying condition, the result of exposure. Mr. Robinson carried him into the house and kindly cared for him, where he lingered a day or two and died. His body was buried in the cemetery near by, and members of the tribe frequently visit the grave to this day. This kindness on the part of Mr. Robinson has made the tribe firm friends of the family. Two sons of this hardy pioneer now reside here, Lyndon and J. Prentice. Lyndon is eighty-three years of age. He has held the office of selectman fifteen consecutive years, and twenty-two years in all, lister several years, overseer of the poor five years, and represented the town in the As- sembly in 1847, and in 1851.
David Abbott, from Parsonfield, Me., immigrated to Sheffield, Vt., in 1796. He remained there during that winter then located in Barton, upon the farm now owned by John G. Hall, where he built a camp, then a block- house and finally, after a number of years, a farm-house. He married Sarah Keyser, by whom he reared six children,-Polly, Prudence, David, George, David S., and Hannah P. David S. is the only one now living. Mr. Abbott
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TOWN OF BARTON.
died in March, 1847, aged eighty-one years. His wife died in May, 1816. David S. was born here October 6, 1798, and has always, except four years, resided here since. He married Sarah Colley, in March 1830, and has had six children, five of whom are living. Mrs. Abbott died June 6, 1853.
James May, with his wife and one child, came to Barton April 1, 1796, in company with Asa Kimball. He was a magistrate for nearly half a century, trusted and confided in by all, and was almost always selected as a talisman upon jury in the higher courts, if present when such was required. He often served as petit and grand juror, and tried as many cases, as court and juror, as almost any man in the county. He died at the age of eighty- eight years, just sixty-seven years, to a day, from the time he came to reside in Barton. Nine of his numerous family arrived at the age of maturity though more than half were deceased before their parents.
Welcome Brown was born at North Providence, R. I., May 12, 1777; where he resided until 1798, when he came to Barton, in company with James Salsbury. Each took up a lot and worked together, keeping a bache- lor's hall about two years. Brown located upon the farm now owned by his youngest son, Dr. W. O. Brown. February 6, 1800, he married Phebe Farn- ham, who died about ten years after, leaving four children. In 1812, he married Miss Freelove Owen, this union being blessed with five children. Eight of Mr. Brown's children attained an adult age, and three are now liv- ing. Elisha, the eldest, aged eighty-two years, is a farmer in Attleborough, Mass., Daniel O., aged sixty-seven, resides on a farm in Irasburgh, near Bar- ton Landing. The youngest, Dr. Welcome O., is a practicing physician of Providence, R. I. Mr. Brown died in 1850, aged seventy-three years.
Daniel Smith, born in Tinmouth, Mass., April 6, 1800, came to Barton with his father, from Coventry, when about seven years of age. The family settled in the forest near the Brownington line, when they built a log house with a bark roof, and in which they spent their first winter. Mr. Smith tlien made some improvements, though the habitation would hardly come up to our modern ideas of comfort. Daniel was married December 31, 1823, to Eliza Sturtevant, and soon after located upon a farm about two miles north of the village. Both Mr. and Mrs. Smith are now living, the former aged eighty-three years. They have been blessed with eight children, only two of whom, Charles W. and Thomas, are living, both in Canada.
Andrew Folsom, from Meredith, N. H., came to Barton at an early day and located near South Barton, on a part of the farm now owned by John Forest. He had a family of sixteen children, eleven of whom are now liv- ing. He died at the age of seventy-nine years.
Daniel B. Smith was an early settler on the farm now owned by John M. Perley on road 10. He had a family of seven children, only one of whom, Daniel, is living. Daniel was born in 1800, and has always resided here.
Joseph B. Leland, from Johnson, R. I., came to Barton about 1809, and located where Barton village now is. Here he owned a tract of more than
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TOWN OF BARTON.
seven hundred acres, all of which, except two hundred acres, he sold to other settlers. He built for his residence the house now occupied by Ephraim Foster, known as Foster's hotel. He held many of the town trusts and was a colonel of militia in Rhode Island before he came here. Only two of Mr. Leland's seven children are now living, William and Albert, in this town. He died at his residence in Barton, aged fifty-two years.
Daniel Graves came to Barton, from New Hampshire, in 1809, locating about a mile southwest of Barton village, where he died in 1836. His wife died in 1844. His son William was born September 14, 1811. He served as town clerk from March 7, 1848, to April 10, 1882, and was postmaster several years, and well known throughout the county. He died December 1, ' 1882, aged seventy-one years. He had two brothers, Daniel, Jr., and John. William, Jr., now resides in the town with his mother, Nancy A. Graves.
Joseph Owen, born in Gloucester, R. I., came to Barton with James May and Asa and Philemon Kimball. His father, Daniel, was one of the original proprietors, and a lieutenant-governor of Rhode Island. Joseph was granted shares of land by him, which he drew with the others when the survey of the town was made, thus obtaining a large portion of the land where Barton vil- lage now stands. Mr. Owen assisted in cutting the canal by which Runaway pond was drained, in ISro. The flood caused by this event buried his land three feet under a sediment of mud, rubbish and debris, so that he left it and moved away, remaining about twenty years. During this time, as the alter- nate dry seasons came on, this rubbish gradually burned out, so that the land became again valuable. Mr. Owen then returned, remainining here during his long life, dying at the age of eighty-seven years. He was the father of four sons and six daughters, all of whom, except two of the sons and one daughter, are living, three, Daniel, Joseph and Freelove, (Mrs. John Drew), in Barton. Oscar D. Owen, son of Daniel, is a successful business man of the town, having been engaged in mercantile pursuits here about thirteen years.
John Russell, born in Kingston, N. H., carne to Barton previous to 1812, and located on the Barton and Sheffield road, where he remained four or five years, then located upon the farm now owned by John G. Hall, remained fifteen or twenty years, and finally removed to the farm now owned by his son, Asahel, where he died. He was the father of five sons and two daugh- ters, three of whom, James, Asahel and John C., reside in this town.
Jonathan Skinner, Sen., came from Connecticut to Orange county, Vt., about 1806, where he resided until his death. Jonathan Jr., removed with his mother and family to Caledonia county, where he carried on the clothier's trade until his death. His son, Jonathan F., commenced the practice of medicine in 1822, and remained in that county until March. 1842, when he removed to Brownington, and lived about ten years, then sold out and went to Ohio. He remained there only about two years, then returned and has since resided in Barton. He married Sophia Stevens, of Barnet, by whom
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TOWN OF BARTON.
he had seven children, five of whom are living. For his second wife he married Alice B. May, of Barton. Mr. Skinner was appointed examining surgeon in 1861, which office he still holds. He represented the town in the legislature of 1859-'60, and was county senator in 1865-'66.
Timothy Dudley, a native of Maine, came to this town, from New Hamp- shire, in 1819. The following year he assisted in raising the first frame build- ing in Barton Landing, a saw-mill built by Roger Enos, of Irasburgh. Mr. Dudley remained only about two years at this time, when he married and removed to Glover, remained there four years, then went to Danville and re- sided until 1840, when he again returned to Barton and purchased the Pills- · bury farm south of Barton Landing. In 1871, he came to the village, where he now resides.
Enoch Fisk, born in Sharon, Vt., September 10, 1796, came to Barton in 1819. He afterwards resided for a short time in New Hampshire, but finally located here permanently, on Barton river. Mr. Fisk has held many of the town trusts with satisfaction to all. He served in the war of 1812. Two of his four children are living. Roswell R. and Seymour N.
Joseph Colley, born in New Hampshire, came to Barton in 1821, at the age of nine years. At the age of twenty-one he engaged in the manufacture of shoes, continuing the business about twenty-five years, since which time, he has been engaged in farming. When he came to Barton Landing there were but three frame buildings in the town, a house, barn and saw-mill. The only grist-mill was at Barton village, owned by Col. Cobb.
Chauncey G. Drown, born in Wheelock. came to Barton about 1822. and died here January 17, 1881, aged seventy-one years. His son Grover, born where he now resides, is postmaster, station agent of Passumpsic R. R., manager of the Western Union Telegraph office, and agent for the U. S. and Canada Express Company. Melvin, another son, is a manufacturer of dimension lumber and owns 700 acres of land.
William Barnard came to Barton in 1830, and carried on the blacksmith business at Barton village. He reared a family of nine children and died in August, 1852. Mrs. Barnard died in January, 1842. Their son Edward now resides here. He held the office of representative in 1852-'53, and has also held most of the other town offices.
Milton Barnard, born in Fitzwilliam, (now Troy,) N. H., came to Barton about 1828, where he married Clarissa Kimball. In 1843, he located at Barton village, where they remained until 1869, then removed to the place they now occupy, on road 37. They have two children John M. and Clara K., both residing at home with their parents.
Albert R. Thompson, born in Fairfax, Vt., in 1810, came to Barton in 1832, and located at Barton Landing, where he remained until 1842, then removed to road 48, where he now resides.
Joseph Willis, born in Windsor county, Vt., in 1800, located in Washing- ton county with his parents when ten years of age, where he remained until
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TOWN OF BARTON.
about 1838, when he came to Barton and located where William Graves now resides. In 1864, he purchased the place now occupied by his son, Orrin, on road 25₺.
Joseph Drew immigrated from New Hampshire to Canada at an early day where he subsequently died, and the family removed to Danville, Vt. His son Samuel, was born September 25, 1803, and came to Barton in 1845. In 1850, he purchased the farm he now occupies. March 20, 1825, he married Betsey S. Hill, of Danville, by whom he had a family of eleven children, seven of whom are living. Mrs. Drew died August 28, 1882.
Horatio N. Wright, from St. Johnsbury, Vt., settled in Glover in 1832, and about 1835, located in Newport, where he kept an hotel for a number of years. In 1866, he came to this town and now resides with his daughter, Mary A. Blake, on road 19, aged seventy-five years.
Isaac McNeil was born October 26, 1803, and came to Barton in 1822. In 1830, he married Clarissa Green, of Wheelock, and located upon the farm she now occupies. He died from injuries received at the burning of George Reed's dwelling, January 5, 1879. One of his sons, Alonzo F., died from injuries received while hauling logs, April 2, 1880. A daughter, Emeline, and Isaac R., reside at home with their mother.
Thomas Wiggins, from Wolfboro, N. H., came to Barton about 1820, and located upon the farm now owned by A. Humphrey, on road 19. He reared a family of eleven children, five of whom are now living, and died of heart disease in 1838. His son, W. P. Wiggins, born in 1820, resides on road 193. He married Louisa Dean and has five children. William T., son of W. P., also resides on road 193. He married Jennie M. Batchelder, of Compton, P. Q., in 1871, and has three children.
Almond Mason, born in Ludlow, Vt., came to Barton about 1835, and located on road 25, where he now resides with his son, William F. He married Miss Minerva Gage, of Waterford, and has reared a family of six children, four of whom are now living. Lyman died of starvation in Andersonville prison, Joseph died in infancy, Wilbur F. resides in this town, Sarah E. resides in Minnesota, Lucy A., (Mrs. John Leland), is a resident of Barton, and Elsie, widow of Lewis R. Wood, Jr., resides in Glover. Mrs. Mason died in 1875.
James H. Cook, born in Lebanon, N. H., came to Barton Landing in 1841, remained five years, then removed to Brownington and remained nine years, and finally came back to Barton, in 1852, and located on road 8, where he now resides.
Captain Ira Merrill, born in Tolland, Conn., October 31, 1788, came to Irasburgh about 1807, where he remained until about 1847, then located in this town, upon the farm now owned by his son, Orrin H., on road 7. He reared a family of ten children, three of whom, Orrin H., G. G., and Corne- lius P., are living. He died December 10, 1855. Mrs. Merrill died Febru- ary 15, 1860.
John Forest, a native of New Hampshire, came to Barton, from Caledonia
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TOWN OF BARTON.
county, in 1849, and died here March 3, 1881, aged eighty years, eight months and nineteen days. Rev. John Forest, son of John, came here with his father, and is now a Methodist clergyman residing on road 46.
Isaac Goodnow, born in Newfane, Vt., located in Glover about 1842, where he remained about ten years, then came to Barton, locating at Barton village. In 1866, he removed to road 46, where he now resides.
Edwin A. Grow, born in Morgan, Vt., in 1831, was married at the age of twenty-two years to Miss Zilpha A. Cass, of Barton, and located in this town. April 4, 1861, he enlisted in the Union Army, as a drummer in Company D, 3rd Regiment. Here he was stricken with fever and obliged to return home, where he partially recovered and finally returned to the front and was appointed hospital steward and remained until 1864. He is now suffering from the effects of his army life, being totally disabled with a spinal desease which the doctors pronounce incurable.
Samuel Nelson was born in Wheelock, Vt., March 25, 1807, and now resides with his son, B. M. R. Nelson, who came here in 1861. The latter is exten- sively engaged in stock dealing, having bought and sold 10,000 sheep and 1,000 head of cattle during the past year. Another son, E. S. Nelson, came to the town about five years since and is now an enterprising farmer.
Samuel Willard, born in Barnstead, N. H., died in Sheffield, June 8, 1870, aged sixty-two years. His son, Oliver T., came to Barton and located upon the farm he now occupies, in the spring of 1861.
David N. Gibb, born in Danville, May 24, 1806, came to Brownington with his father in 1810, remained until 1826, then removed to Lowell, Mass., remained there a little over seventeen years, and finally, in 1854, located in Derby, where he still resides. His son, Charles S., is engaged in the manu- facture of boots and shoes at Barton Landing.
David Gillis, a native of Ireland, came to Vermont in 1847, and, in 1872, located in this town, on the Irasburgh road, where he still resides.
Lorenzo D. Webster, born in New Hampshire, came to Barton Landing in 1865, where he has since been engaged in mercantile pursuits.
Ira Skinner, born in Albany, Vt., died at the residence of his son Daniel, at Barton Landing, aged seventy years. Daniel, father of Ira, a soldier in the revolutionary army, was one of the first settlers of Albany. Daniel, son of Ira, was born in Albany and came to Barton Landing in 1866, where he is engaged as a book-keeper for Mr. Granby. He served two years in the war of the rebellion, and was wounded at the battle of the Wilderness. Henry Skinner, brother of Ira, was born in Albany, served in the war of 1812, and now lives in Michigan, aged ninety-one years.
James Clement, born in New Hampshire, removed to Irasburgh with his father, Tristram Clement, in January, 1826, who settled upon the farm now owned by the heirs of Daniel Houghton. After James became of age he resided on several different farms in Irasburgh, and finally came to this town, locating at Barton Landing, where he still resides.
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TOWN OF BARTON.
William H. Blaisdell, born in Hardwick, Vt., was engaged in mercantile pursuits, in Lowell and Greensboro, eighteen or twenty years, and finally located at Baton Landing, where he is engaged in the real estate and broker- age business.
Daniel Buchanan, born in Argyle, Scotland, in 1817, came to Derby, Vt., in 1830, remained there about five years, then resided in Holland thirteen years, and in Brownington thirteen years, and then located at Barton Land- ing where he still resides.
Mark F. Blake located at South Barton in 1856, where he carried on a lumber business until 1870, when he removed to St. Johnsbury, where he now resides. Mr. Blake held most of the town offices, and was a prominent citizen. His son, A. O. Blake, still carries on the business at South Barton. He married Ida A. Brockway, of Sutton, and has two children, Kenneth M. and Gertrude M.
Hon. William W. Grout, of Barton village, was born in Compton, P. Q., May 24, 1836. He received a liberal classical education, read law and took ** a course at the State and National Law Schools, at Poughkeepsie, N. Y., graduating in 1857, and immediately entered upon the practice of his pro- fession, locating at Barton. He served in the war of the rebellion as lieu- tenant-colonel of the 15th Vt. Vols. In 1865, and 1866, he was State's attorney for Orleans county, and was a delegate to the Chicago convention in 1868. He was a member of the general assembly, from Barton, in 1868, '69, '70, and '74, a senator from the county in 1876, and was president pro tempore of the senate, and finally was elected a member of the 47th congress.
Among the early settlers of Barton, the following were ex-soldiers of the revolution : Jonathan Robinson, David Pillsbury, William Gould, Ebenezer Cross, Joseph Graves, Paul Seekins, John Brown, Joel Benton, Lemuel Stur- tevant, John Merriam, Abraham Whittaker, Elias Bingham, David Abbott, Samuel Thatcher, John Parlin, Joseph Hyde, David Hamlet, Capt. Samuel Wells, George Keyzer, and John Adams. The soldiers of the war of 1812, were Royal Cross, Daniel Horham, Elisha Parlin, Peter Cross and Nathan Gould, called out as militia for three months ; Abraham Whittaker, Alexan- der Benton, and Seyniour Benton were one year's men. Andrew Folsom served in the Florida war. John Folsom went to the Mexican war and has never since been heard from. There were a number of soldiers in the war of 1812, who enlisted from other towns who subsequently lived and died here, viz. : Richard Newton, Moses Spaulding, Philip Colby, Laban Cass, Otis Peck, Moses C. Varney, and Alexander Benton. Enoch Fisk is now a resident of the town. In the late civil war, the town furnished 168 en- listed men, fifteen of whom were killed in service, or died from wounds or disease contracted while in the service.
The Congregational Church of Brownington and Barton Landing, located at Barton Landing and Brownington, was organized in Brownington by Rev. Jonathan Hovey, with ten members, March 4, 1809. The church was ex-
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TOWN OF BARTON.
tended to Barton Landing and the name changed, May 25, 1875. Until 1841, the court-house and old academy hall were used, at Brownington ; but during that year the present building was erected. The church at Barton Landing was built in 1875. Each will seat about 200 persons, the former having cost $2,000.00, and the latter $6,000.00, and both together are now valued at $7,000.00. The society has 105 members, with Rev. J. A. Bates, pastor.
The Barton Congregational Church located at Barton village, was organ- ized September 24, 1817, with seventeen members. Rev. Thomas Simpson was the first pastor. The first church building was dedicated September 6, 1820, the second December 29, 1842, and third and present, September 25, 1876. All of the buildings were wood structures, the present one cost $15,- 000.00, will accommodate 350 persons, and is now valued at $10,000.00. The tower has lately been furnished with a fine town clock, costing about $550.00. The society has 112 members, with Rev. Lawrence Phelps, pastor.
The Methodist Episcopal Church, located at Barton village, was organized by Hezekiah Ramsdall, in 1833, Rev. David Cop being the first pastor. The church building was erected during the same year, a brick structure, at a cost of $3,000.00 ; it will seat 300 persons and is now valued, including grounds, at $5,000.00. The society has eighty members, with Rev. S. S. Bingham, pastor.
The Methodist Church, located at Barton Landing, was organized by Is- rael Putnam, with fifteen members, in 1846. A church building was erected during that year which did service until 1876, when the present building was erected at a cost of $800.00, about its present value. The society has 140 members, with Rev. - Swett, pastor.
The Barton Roman Catholic Church, located at Barton village, was or- ganized by Rev. Father John Michaud, in 1876. The church edifice was built during the same year, at a cost of $1,000; it will seat 190 persons, and is now valued, including grounds, at $1,400. The society has 440 members under the charge of Rev. Father Norbert Proulx, of Newport.
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TOWN OF BROWNINGTON.
BROWNINGTON.
ROWNINGTON lies in the eastern-central part of the county, in lat. 44° 49', and long. 4° 51', bounded northeast by Salem and Charleston, southeast by Westmore, southwest by Barton, and northwest by Cov- entry, being ninety-five miles north from Windsor, forty-five miles north by east from Montpelier, and fifty-seven miles northeast from Burlington. It was chartered to Timothy and Daniel Brown, under the name of Brownington, October 2, 1780, an oblong tract of land containing only 19,845 acres. The usual township area of 23,040 acres was made up, however, by Brownington Gore, a tract of land that has since been annexed to Morgan.
The proprietors soon after disposed of their interest in the new township to the State of Connecticut, which in turn disposed of the property to Elijah and Elisha Strong, and Amos Porter. These gentlemen made preparations to begin a settlement, but it is supposed that they assumed responsibilities beyond their control, so were obliged to re-sell the property to Connecticut. Elijah Strong, however, became an agent for the State and subsequently, with his brother, Mr. Porter, and others commenced a settlement in the town.
The surface of the town is moderately uneven, the only prominent eleva- tion being in the central part. The principal water-course is Willoughby river, which issues from the lake of that name in Westmore, and after flowing through the southern part of this town unites with Barton river, in the north- ern part of Barton. Numerous small streams are found throughout the ter- ritory, and in the northern part, lying partly in Derby, is a small pond named after the town. The rocks that enter into the geological structure of the town are mostly of the calciferous mica schist formation, except in the southeastern part, where they are granitic. A narrow bed of hornblende schist extends through the central part, from north to south. The soil is good, comparing favorably with any in the county.
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