USA > Vermont > Lamoille County > Gazetteer and business directory of Lamoille and Orleans counties, Vt., for 1883-84, pt 1 > Part 35
USA > Vermont > Orleans County > Gazetteer and business directory of Lamoille and Orleans counties, Vt., for 1883-84, pt 1 > Part 35
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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
In July, 1805, John Neilson, justice of peace of Ryegate, published a warning in Spooner's Vermont Journal, in the Rutland Herald and in the Green Mountain Patriot, warning the proprietors of that part of Jay that was chartered to John Jay and John Cozine to meet at the dwelling of Thomas Tolman, of Greensboro, on August 29, to choose officers to see if the pro- prietors will vote to allot or divide said tract in severalty, and to transact any other necessary business. The proprietors met at the appointed time and chose Curtis Elkins, moderator ; Thomas Tolman, proprietor's clerk ; and Charles Azarius, treasurer. It was also voted to allot the whole of said tract and divide the same " in severalty, into lots of one hundred and three acres each strict measure." Curtis Elkins was appointed surveyor, and took the necessary oath for the faithful execution of the trust, when the meeting adjourned.
Several meetings were held subsequent to this, all at the same place, but no business of importance was transacted until July 30, 1806, when the fol- lowing transactions occurred :-
" Voted, That the proprietors do accept the Report and Plan of the survey of the lots made and presented at this time by Curtis Elkins, surveyor and committee.
" Voted, That Louisa Tolman, an indifferent person, be and is appointed to draw the numbers in the Draft." John Jay drew 112 lots and John Cozine sixteen.
Under date of December 19, 1806, the following entry appears in the proprietor's records :-
" Draft of that Part of the Northern Division of the township of JAY that was drawn to JOHN JAY, Esquire, by the proprietors of said part of Jay and now divided between John Jay, Esq., and Azarias Williams, this 24th day of November, 1806." In this draft each party drew fifty-six lots.
Samuel Palmer was the first settler of Jay, as a bond for a deed from Azarias Williams, now in the possession William Williams, of Troy, locates Palmer in Jay the 16th day of July, 1807, and Mr. Williams is confident that Palmer came to town in 1803. He settled on lot No. 6, in the third range, and left town before it was organized.
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TOWN OF JAY.
Luther Bailey and his brother, Philander, came about 1806. Luther set- tled on the place now owned by J. E. Chase, and when he came there was a party'of Indians, fourteen in number, camped on the meadow. They left that summer, though occasionally one came back but not to stop long. When they left they told Mr. Bailey that they had more dried moose meat than they wanted, and left him about forty pounds. Mr. Bailey cleared a couple of acres, put up a log hut, and when harvesting time came went back to Peacham to work on a farm owned by his father, leaving his wife alone in the wilderness for three weeks, though his father, who lived in Potton, came over on horseback through the woods every Sunday to see how she got along. Mr. Bailey sold out to Madison Keith, about 1811, and went to Canada and was drafted there. He took his equipments and came this side of the line and afterwards bought out a man by the name of Whitcomb, where Hollis Manuel now lives, and was living there when the battle of Plattsburgh was fought and heard the guns. He was present at the organization of the town, being elected one of the auditors. He sold out to Adna Crandall, December 16, 1830, and left town in 1831 ; but was living in town again between the years 1836 and 1840. He had four sons born in Jay, viz. : Charles F., in 1820, who was second lieutenant of Co. D. 6th Vt. Vols., wounded at the battle of Lee's Mills, Va., April 16, 1862, and died May 1, 1862, having enlisted from Troy ; Chandler, born in 1823, now lives in Troy ; Luther, Jr., born in 1825; and John, born in 1829.
Philander Bailey made a pitch on the lot now owned by H. S. Ovitt, and built a log house ; but had no family there and did not remain in town a great while.
Robert Barter came on in 1807, and began on lot No. 2, in the third range, and it is said, and probably truly, that his was the only family that remained in town during the panic created by the war of 1812. It is said he would have gone, only his wife had just put a web into the loom to weave, which had to be finished and the cloth made into garments for the children before they could go, by which time the scare was over. He was the father of twenty-four children, many of whom are living. The fact of his having so large a family caused a traveler who was passing through the town and happened along at the log school-house at noon-time, to enquire if " Mr. Barter lived there." He died in 1856, aged about ninety years.
The Keith family, James and his sons Madison, Bela, James, Jr., and Nahum, came to town about 1811, from Bridgewater, Mass. Madison bought out Luther Bailey, and Nahum began on lot No. 12, in first range, but left before the town was organized, and all but James went to the State of New York previous to 1845. James went to Troy, residing there until his death.
Joseph Hadlock came with his sons, Hiram, Ithamar, and Joseph, Jr., about 1820, and settled on what is called Hadlock hill. Ithamar soon after took up lot No. 10, in the second range, now owned by E. J. Blair. Joseph Hadlock, Sen., was found dead in his field one Sunday afternoon in
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TOWN OF JAY.
the summer of 1849, and his mother, many years before that, died instantly while sitting in her chair knitting. Other Hadlocks soon followed them to the town, until there were about as many Hadlocks as all the other settlers combined. Their names, in addition to those already given, were Samuel, Stephen, Amos W., Jonathan, Jonathan, 2d, Hazen, Henry D., Archibald, Jonathan, Jr.,' and Adams B., most of whom had large families. Several of them died in town, while others moved away. Hazen was shot and instantly killed on the night of February 27, 1838, at the house of Samuel Elkins, of Potton, P. Q., while engaged, with about thirty others from Jay and Troy, in making a raid on Elkins' house for guns and equipments.
Eli, Appleton, and Nathan Hunt, Abner Whicher, Asa Wilson, John Bell, Abel Alton, Elisha Upton, and Jehu Young were settlers in town previous to its organization.
The town was organized and the first town meeting held, March 29, 1828, at the house of Jehu Young, pursuant to a warning issued on the 15th of the same month, by Ezra Johnson, Esq., of Troy. Asa Wilson was chosen moderator; Abner Whicher, town clerk ; Abel Alton, Madison Keith, and Joseph Hadlock, selectmen ; Madison Keith, treasurer ; Madison Keith, Abner Whicher, and Joseph Hadlock, listers ; Madison Keith, Stephen Hadlock, and Abner Whicher, highway sur- veyors; Joseph Hadlock, Stephen Hadlock, and Madison Keith, fence viewers ; Abel Alton, sealer of leather ; Madison Keith, sealer of weights and measures ; Abel Alton, Madison Keith, and Abner Whicher, school com- mittee ; Abner Whicher, Elisha Upton, and Joseph Hadlock, overseers of the poor ; Luther Bailey, Appleton Hunt, and Asa Wilson, committee to settle with treasurer; Nathan Hunt, constable and collector ; Samuel Hadlock, tything man ; Nathan Hunt, Eli Hunt, and John Bell, haywards ; Jehu Young, pound keeper ; Abner Whicher, and Abel Alton, grand jurors; and Nathan Hunt, Madison Keith, Hiram Hadlock, and Stephen Hadlock, petit jurors.
John Blair was born at Paisley, Scotland, and emigrated to this country, locating at Ryegate, Vt., in March, 1817. In 1818, he came to Jay, hav- ing a capital of seventy-five cents, and now has a good farm of 240 acres. Mr. Blair is noted for his rigid ideas of honesty, and now enjoys a hale old age of sixty-six years. He first located in a log house where F. B. Wakeman now resides.
At a freeman's meeting held on September 2, 1828, the town was divided into school districts, as follows : District No. I comprised the Chittenden grant. District No 2, two miles north, or to the line between lots 6 and 7, in each range, and District No. 3, north to the Canada line, making each dis- trict two miles wide and six miles long. There were twenty-one votes cast for governor at this meeting, but it is not stated who they were for. Madison Keith was elected representative. In 1829, the vote for governor stood for Samuel C. Crafts, 17 ; for Heman Allen, 2. In 1830, Samuel C. Crafts had them all, twenty-two.
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TOWN OF JAY.
Eli Hunt kept the first school, in the winter of 1823, in a log house that was built on the point or bluff east of the pond where the Ball mill stood. School was afterwards kept in a log house on the meadow east of C. R. Bartlett's present residence, with Emeline Lamb, daughter of the Rev. Silas Lamb, of Westfield, and afterwards wife of Bradley Sanborn, teacher. The first frame school-house was built at the Center, as it was called, in 1831, where it still stands. It served also for a town-house and meeting-house, and is now used for town and school purposes. In the first district, a log school- house was built on the road leading west from the postoffice, upon the flat on the north side, west of the stream. Afterwards a frame house was built at the foot of the hill, farther west, and in 1860, the present house was built at the Corners, south of the postoffice. There are now five school districts on the east side of the mountain, and a fractional district on the west side. The first church was built in 1880, by the Methodist society. It was located at the Center, contrary to the better judgment of most of the society, who wished to have it at the south end of the town, where the business enterprise is centered. There has been and effort made to move it to that point which may yet prove successful. The first store was opened by T. A. Chase, in the spring of 1867, by finishing off the wood-shed, a room 14 by 20 feet, in the ell of the house built by A. B. Chamberlin. On February 3, 1873, H. D. Cham- berlin took possession of the store by purchase, remaining until the spring of 1877. In November, 1880, the building was burned, being then the property of B. F. Paine. In 1881, H. D. Chamberlin purchased the building . lot, and, in the summer of 1882, began to build a hotel, which is not yet completed, but is intended to be open for summer boarders in 1884. The building is 30x48 feet, two stories in height, with a French roof, and is designed to accommodate from twenty to thirty boarders. The post- office and town clerk's office are located in this building. In 1881, H. G. Banister built a store and dwelling combined, commencing trade in the winter of 1882, and is now doing a thriving business. His store is situated just across the stream, south of the hotel and postoffice. The first saw-mill was built in 1822, by Solomon Wolcott, on the Branch, twenty or thirty rods below the present mill site and below the covered bridge. It was car- ried off the following summer by high water, and was never rebuilt. The house was built upon the bluff on the south side of the stream, and was occupied by a man by the name of White, who run the mill. The next built was a saw-mill erected by Ithamar Hadlock, on the Cook brook, just below the present dam. The precise date cannot be acertained, but was about 1830. Hadlock sold Ebenezer Brewer a half interest, April 16, 1835, and the whole interest June 22, 1838. Brewer sold to Solomon Sheldon, March, 18, 1839, and he in turn to Willard Walker, September 25, 1841. Walker, although one of the leading men of the town, had but little respect for the Sabbath and did most of his sawing during low water time in the summer on that day. It was so rare for him to saw on a week day, that when he did
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TOWN OF JAY.
so once, a neighbor's little girl went to the mill and inquired of Mr. Walker if it was Sunday. Walker sold the mill to T. M. and Josiah Caswell, Feb- rury 26, 1857, and they sold to S. D. Butler, March 10, 1858. Butler deeded the property back to them March 4, 1859, and they in turn deeded it to Z. O. Sargent January 7, 1860, and he to Willard Walker, March 2, 1867, Walker sold to S. S. Huntley, March 1, 1872. Huntley built a new mill below the bridge and conveyed the water in a tube. The next saw-mill was built by James Peck in 1834, where B. F. Paine's upper mill now stands, on what is called South branch. It was afterwards owned by Chester Hovey. In 1858, B. W. Lee became the owner of the property, and put up a new mill, adding a circular-saw, the first in town, and also put in the first clapboard-mill which he afterwards run in the starch factory. In 1860, Lee deeded the property to George E. Percy, but again became the owner in 1864, by a deed from S. M. Field, who obtained his title from Thomas Reed, in 1862. Lee again deeded to Root & Paine, in 1866, and the next year Dwight Root put in a dam a short distance below the old mill, and also put up a clapboard mill, which is now owned and run by B. F. Paine. The upper mill has gone out of use.
In 1834, Maj. Orin Emerson became an extensive land owner in Jay, by way of his uncle, Thomas Reed, of Montpelier. He owned twenty lots in the north division, thirty-five whole lots and parts of two others in the south division, from Martin Chittenden, and in 1835 he was deeded by Truman Galusha seven whole lots and parts of two other lots, and by Truman Chit- tenden fifteen whole lots and part of a lot. Soon after, on one of these lots, No. 22, Emerson built a forge, where A. W. Honsinger's mill property is now situated. This forge contained a trip hammer, operated by water-power, and all the appliances for manufacturing iron. It was run until about 1848, when it passed into the hands of Thomas Reed, who sold it to I. P. Hunt, in De- cember, 1851. Here also the fourth saw-mill was built, by the said Hunt, in 1852, and was sold to John Magraw in 1853, being destroyed by fire during that year. Another was erected on the same site by I. P. Hunt, that autumn, which he sold to Alfred Hunt, in 1857, and he to Daniel Burt, in 1858. Burt put in a circular saw in 1860, and deeded it back to Hunt in 1861, and the same year Hunt deeded it to Horace Squire, and Horace Squire to Amini Squire, in 1864, Amini Squire deeded it to John Young, of Troy, Septem- ber 5, 1866, who, on the 15th day of September, 1866, deeded it to John Young, of Derby, and J. T. Allen. In the spring of 1870, Young & Allen deeded it to D. Y. Clark. Clark put up a new mill a few rods below the old one, in 1872, and in the spring of 1873, sold a half interest to his brother, F. E. Clark. They run the mill together and did considerable business till the fall of 1874, when F. E. Clark retired from the firm. D. Y. Clark run the business alone for a couple of years, or till February, 1877, when it went into the hands of Hildreth & Young, who disposed of it to G. S. Butler, in March of the same year. Butler sold it to R. M. Dempsey, in the spring of 1881 ;
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TOWN OF JAY.
but Dempsey failed to fulfill his part of the contract, and it went back again into Butler's hands, and in the fall he sold it to A. W. Honsinger, who still owns it. He has torn down the old mill, which had not been used for years.
In 1853, John Hamilton, of Troy, built a starch factory which he run for several years. In 1864, the dry-house connected with it was burned while being used by M. S. Chamberlin, for drying lumber. The factory is now used by William Porter for a tannery. In 1875, Brown & Kimball built a large steam mill in West Jay, to be used for a saw-mill and the manufacture of trays and other wooden-ware. In connection with the mill they owned a large tract of timbered land, employing a large amount of help in taking the timber from the stump and manufacturing it into lumber. In September, 1881, Brown & Kimball dissolved partnership, Kimball retiring, and in the summer of 1882, the mill was burned. In 1876, A. O. Brainerd, of St. Albans, who had been interested in the steam mill, built a factory for the manufacture of acetate of lime. This did not prove a good investment, and the mill is now lying idle. It was built a few rods below the steam mill at West Jay. In the same year H. D. Chamberlin commenced to build a saw- mill and tub factory, completing it in the spring of 1877. The dam was built about twenty five rods below the tannery, the water being conveyed to the mill in a large wooden tube 690 feet long, giving a head of sixteen feet. The mill did not long remain in Chamberlin's hands, however, as he was forced to go into bankruptcy, August 31, 1877. He took the job of manu- facturing the butter-tub stock remaining on hand, making about ten thousand tubs. On May 1, 1878, the property was sold to B. F. Paine, and the tub contract to J. W. Currier. Chamberlin continued to live in the house and run the mill for Paine until the house was burned on November 25, 1880. In the fall of 1881, the water-power was exchanged for steam, which adds greatly to the facilities for cutting lumber. The concern is furnished with a board-mill, edger, planer and matcher, clipper, shingle-mill, and a full set of machinery for making boxes, with band-saws for cutting chair-stock. The building of this mill proved the means of starting a village, of concentrating business, of greatly increasing the grand list of the town, and will doubtless prove a strong factor towards drawing the new railroad from Johnson to North Troy, by this place. In 1868, a clapboard-mill was built where the dam now stands, below Mr. Blair's, by M. W. Shurtleff, of Waterbury, and C. P. Stevens, of Troy. They run the mill for two years, when Shurtleff bought out Stevens, and took in a partner by the name of Ball, from Canada. They run the business one year, then Ball bought out Shurtleff and run the mill alone until it was burned, in the fall of 1874. The site is now the property of the Waterloo (P. Q.) Bank.
In 1844 or '45, Moses C. Cutler came into town and built a general repair shop operated by water-power. It stood about where A. D. Hinkson's saw- mill now stands. Mr. Cutler did wheelwright work and cabinet work, and made coffins as they were needed. He also put in a run of stones for grinding
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TOWN OF JAY.
provender and corn, the first in town. The property was afterwards owned by the Caswells, who also owned the saw-mill above, but it was not used very much after that. The Caswells sold to Mr. Butler, who used the building as a cooper shop, doing quite a large business in the manufacture of starch barrels. The Hunts also had a run of stones in their saw-mill previous to 1860. They had also a planing machine, the first in town. In 1861, A. W. Burt leased of David Johnson a piece of land lying on the Branch, where Henry West and Henry Trim's buildings now are, and built a dam across the stream, putting up a wheelwright and repair shop, with a planing machine and splitting-saw. This he run for about ten years, when the high water car. ried away the dam and the shop became useless. The planing machine was taken to S. S. Huntley's mill. About 1870, a shingle-mill was built by Albert Everts, on the brook just below A. Youngs. The shingles were cut by a knife, but it did not prove a successful experiment, and is not now in use. In 1875, James Willard put up a shingle-mill on the brook west of Wm. Ryans, in North Jay, operated by an overshot wheel, and supplied it with the first machinery for sawing shingles in town. He also made fancy boxes. He lived in the mill and was found dead there on the 19th of March, 1877, dying from the effects of over indulgence in rum." The mill has never been used since and has partly gone to decay. G. S. Butler bought the shin- gle machinery and put it into the mill now owned by A. W. Honsinger.
S. S. Huntley built the next shingle-mill, in 1877, setting it just below his saw-mill and putting in a damn where the old Cutler dam was located. It is now owned by A. D. Hinkson. A new steam mill is to be built this summer, (1883,) at West Jay, to take the place of the one that was burned last year, L. D. Hazen, of St. Johnsbury, being the owner of the property. The lum- ber business is quite extensively prosecuted on the east side of the mountain, by P. F. Paine, whose mill will cut this year about 4,000,000 feet of lumber. On the west side the business is carried on by L. D. Hazen, and formerly Kimball & Co.
Willard Walker, born in 1708, came to Jay from Fletcher, Vt., in 1841, becoming a prominent man in town affairs. He held the office of town clerk 16 years in all, was representative four terms, and a member of the constitu- tional convention in 1850. He also held various other town offices and was postmaster during Lincoln's administration. He had one son, Gilbert D., who now lives in Albany. In 1873, he moved to Newport Center and died there in 1880, aged 82 years.
William Williams was born in Bath, N. H., Feb. 5, 1802, and came to Jay in 1829. March 22, 1832, he married Martha Sanborn, the first marriage on record in Jay. He held the office of selectman eleven years, and various other town offices. He moved to Troy, where he now lives, in 1860.
Ebenezer Sanborn was born in Bath, N. H., October 13, 1772, and came to Jay in 1828, locating on the place now occupied by E. K. Hunt. He was town clerk from 1831 to 1835, and represented the town twice. He
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TOWN OF JAY.
married Mary Child, January 8, 1795, and died October 28, 1839, aged sixty- seven years. His wife survived him several years and died at the advanced age of eighty-four years.
Lanson Sanborn was born in Bath, N. H., November 26, 1797, and came to Jay with his father, Ebenezer Sanborn, in 1828. He was town clerk seven years, and represented the town once, besides holding other minor offices. He was the first postmaster, but at what time he was appointed we are unable to state. He died November 26, 1882, aged eighty-five years.
Bradley Sanborn was born December 2, 1805, in Bath, N. H., and came to Jay, with his father, Ebenezer. He was selectman several times, and rep- resented the town three years. He sold out in 1849, and went to Lowell, Vt., where he died, November 28, 1852.
Walter Charlton came from Littleton, N. H., in 1834, and located on the place where Jerry Deaett now lives. The next year he was elected town + clerk, which office he held ten years. He was a very neat penman, and un- doubtedly would have held the office longer had he remained in town. He was also selectman and town treasurer several years, or until he went to Hano- ver, N. H., in 1845.
David Jonson was born in 1807, and came to Jay in 1833, locating on the place where S. S. Huntley now lives. He represented the town two years, and went to Westfield to live, in 1868, dying there in 1880.
Joshua Chamberlin was born in Bath, N. H., March 8, 1802, and came to Jay in 1835, having lived in Troy twelve years previous to that. He married Sophia Smith, of Georgia, Vt., July 11, 1823. He was selectman four years, and held other town offices, and was a deacon of the Baptist church at North Troy and Jay for several years. His wife died April 26, 1867, and, in 1870, he went to Nashua, N. H., and married a Mrs. Baker, and died there Sep- tember 4, 1871.
Martin S. Chamberlin, son of Joshua, was born in Troy, Vt., October 29, 1824, and came to Jay with his father, in 1835, and has resided here ever since. He has held various town offices, representing the town two years, is a deacon of the Baptist church, and has been superintendent of the Sunday school here for twenty-two years.
Henry D. Chamberlin, son of Joshua, was born in Jay July 11, 1841. He served as a private in Co. B, 3d Vt. Vols., and was discharged December 10, 1862, has been superintendent of common schools five years, from 1866 to 1871, justice of the peace ten years, town clerk nine years, postmaster twelve years, represented the town at the biennial session of 1874, and at the extra session of 1875, was first lieutenant, and afterwards captain of Co. H, 5th Regt. Vt. militia, composed of the towns of Jay, Lowell, Troy and West- field.
Hiram and Pascal Wright, the first settlers in West Jay, came here in 1831, locating upon the farms now owned by their sons, Elias H. and Alonzo. Pascal died in 1880, aged seventy years, and was buried on the farm now occupied by his son Elias H. Hiram resides with his son Alonzo.
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TOWN OF JAY.
. Newton Chase was born in Croydon, N. H., March 5, 1807, and came to Jay from Cambridge, Vt., in 1849. He at once took a prominent position in town affairs, and the following spring was elected constable and one of the board of selectmen. He represented the town in 1859, has been school super- intendent and justice of the peace. He now lives with his daughter, Mrs. W. N. Du Bois, in Troy. His father, Jonathan Chase, came to town with him. He was born at Sutton, Mass., July 1, 1787, and died July 20, 1860.
T. Abel Chase, son of Newton, was born in Fletcher, Vt., October 9, 1832, and came to town with his father in 1849. He served as corporal and ser-
geant of Co. B, 3d Vt. Vols., and was discharged December 16, 1862.
He
learned the surveyor's profession, which he practiced in this and adjoining towns. He'lived in Troy awhile after the war, and, in 1867, bought H. D. Chamberlin's house and lot, and in the spring commenced keeping a store, continuing the business till he sold back to Chamberlin in 1873. He then went to North Troy, as a station agent. He was school superintendent sev- eral years previous to the war, was elected town clerk in 1868, and held the office till he went away ; represented the town at the annual session of 1869, and at the biennial sessions of 1870 and 1872. He is now in the custom house at Island Pond, Vt.
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