USA > Vermont > Rutland County > Gazetteer and business directory of Rutland county, Vt., for 1881-82 > Part 12
USA > Vermont > Rutland County > Gazetteer and business directory of Rutland county, Vt., for 1881-82 > Part 12
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Sec. 3 of the Act reads as follows :-
"And it is hereby further enacted, that the house in Castleton, lately erected on the spot where stood the school-house for said County which was lately consumed by fire, be, and is hereby established as a County Grammar School-house for said County, so long as the inhabitants of said Castleton shall keep the same, or any other house at the same place, in good repair for the purpose aforesaid, to the acceptance of the County Court for said County."
Save a limited amount of the subscriptions for the purchase of the brick building now used by the school, and the rents accruing from Grammar School lands, the entire expense incurred for buildings provided for the use of this school has been met from the first by the generous citizens of Castleton.
Rev. Oliver Hulbert was preceptor of the school until 1807, when he re- signed and settled as a minister in Ohio. Tradition reports that the school was well sustained. R. C. Moulton succeeded him and was followed by William Dickinson, Eleazer Barrows, who "was eminently popular and suc- cessful," Rev. John L. Cazier and Henry Belknap.
In 1815 the building was moved further back from the street and repaired at much expense. In 1819, Rev. John Clancy, a graduate of Middlebury College, taught for one year. In 1820, Mr. Henry Howe became preceptor. He remained in charge six years, during which period the school increased in numbers and greatly prospered. In 1826, he became principal of an academy at Canandaigua, N. Y., where he achieved a wide reputation. Rev. Edwin Hall, D. D., afterwards president of Auburn Theological Seminary, N. Y., succeded Mr. Howe.
In May, 1828, Mr. Solomon Foote, late U. S. Senator from Vermont, was chosen preceptor. He entered upon the work with high aspirations. The
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grammar school building becoming too strait for these, he conceived a plan for a high school for boys. October 29, 1828, the style of the school was changed by Act of the General Assembly to that of " The Vermont Classical High School." Through the zealous efforts of Mr. Foote and his associate, Mr. Fordice Warner, a spacious edifice was begun, one hundred and sixty feet long and forty feet deep, with a massive stone basement, surmounted by three stories of brick. Their means failing, Mr. A. W. Hyde generously completed the building at a cost of upwards of thirty thousand dollars. November Ist, 1830, an Act was passed restoring the original corporate name.
Mr. Foote did not long continue his school for boys, failing of sufficient patronage, and the spacious building fell into the hands of Mr. Aruna W. Hyde, who had furnished most of the means for its erection. To turn it to a successful and paying purpose tested the business capacity of its owner to the utmost. It was tried as a tavern, was used by the Medical College, and was offered for sale to several religious denominations, for school purposes. In the meantime the Grammar School was in a transition state, with frequent change of principals, among whom were Rev. Truman M. Post, D. D., now of St. Louis, Mo., Hon. John Meacham, late member of Congress for Ver- mont, while the brick building remained unoccupied. Finally, in 1833, the Trusteees of the Grammar School rented it for four years at an annual rental of four hundred dollars.
Rev. Charles Walker, D. D., and Rev. Lucius F. Clark, were chosen associate principals. From this date the school became a boarding as well as a day school. Within one year the number of pupils increased to two hundred. At the end of the year Mr. Walker returned to the ministry, while Mr. Clark remained in charge until 1837, when he became Professor of Chemistry and Natural History in the University of Tennessee, at Knoxville. Rev. Mr. Maeck, for a time his associate, succeeded him as principal.
March, 1838, the large brick building was purchased of Mr. A. W. Hyde for sixteen thousand dollars. From that date it remained in possession of the corporation until its purchase by Capt. Abel E. Leavenworth, May, 1881.
September 3, 1838, Rev. Edward J. Hallock was elected principal, and con- tinued at the head of the school until the spring of 1856. Under his inan- agement the school had an unexampled career of prosperity. He rendered valuable service in raising funds to cancel the debt of purchase, Mr. Hyde al- lowing thereon three thousand dollars for every thousand raised by Mr. Hal- lock. The number of pupils was also increased, reaching at one time as high as two hundred and fifty. He afterwards died of cholera at St. Louis, Mo., and the Alumni of the school have since erected a fine monument to his memory, in the cemetery at Castleton.
Rev. Azariah Hyde was principal for three years and was succeeded in 1859 by Rev. Stephen M. Knowlton, now of New Haven, Vermont, who had been assistant to Mr. Hyde. In 1862, Miss Harriet N. Haskell, of Walds-
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boro, Maine, a former pupil of the school, was appointed principal, and con- ducted the school, under the title of Castleton Seminary, with marked success, for five years, when she resigned, to become principal of Monticello Semi- nary, at Godfrey, Ill. During her last year the Medical College building was donated for the use of the school by Carlos S. Sherman, and moved upon its present site, at the east end of the Seminary building.
February, 1857, a State Normal School for the First Congressional District was established in connection with the Rutland County Grammar School, by the Vermont Board of Education, the Trustees, on their part, expending sev- eral thousand dollars in fitting up rooms for its use, and in the refurnishing of the main building. Since that date the Medical College has been known as the State Normal Building.
From this date until 1876 two schools were conducted by the same princi- pals. Rev. R. G. Williams was in charge until 1874, and labored zealously to compel success. Edward J. Hyde, A. M., succeeded him for one year, 1874-75. Rev. George A. Barrett followed for the year 1875-6. In August, 1876, the Seminary course was suspended and Walter E. Howard, A. M., be- came principal, laboring zealously for two years and doing good work. In 1878 he accepted an appointment as principal of a normal school in Tennes- see, and Judah Dana, A. M., for many years principal, respectively, of the graded schools at Woodstock, Windsor and Rutland, was called to the charge of the Normal School. He held the position for three years, and under his charge the number of pupils was greatly increased.
In June, 1881, he was succeeded by Abel E. Leavenworth, A. M., a grad- uate from the University of Vermont, who has had an experience of over a quarter of a century as principal of classical and normal schools.
By the purchase of the property, the Trustees are relieved of the pecuniary embarrassments that have weighed upon the school for several years, and greatly hindered its prosperity, and permanency in the principalship is se- cured. The general supervision of the school remains, as before, in the "Corporation of Rutland County Grammar School," and in the State Super- intendent of Education.
WEST CASTLETON, a post village, located in the north-west part of the town, contains one store, one church, one slate manufactory and about fifty dwel- lings.
CASTLETON CORNERS is a hamlet located on the old turnpike from Lan- singburg, N. Y., to the State line at Poultney, thence north through Castleton to Sudbury. It contains one hotel, one agricultural implement manufactory, one blacksmith shop and about twenty to thirty dwellings.
HYDEVILLE, a post village and station on the D. &. H. C. Co.'s R. R., is located on the outlet of Lake Bomoseen. It contains two churches, three stores, one fine hotel, one agricultural implement manufactory, one grist- mill, two slate manufactories, three wagon shops, two blacksmith shops and about fifty dwellings.
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TOWN OF CASTLETON.
COOKVILLE, a small hamlet, located on the west shore of Lake Bomoseen, contains one slate manufactory and about a dozen dwellings.
The Lake Shore Slate Company (quarries and manufactory, located at West Castleton,) was established as the West Castleton R. R. & Slate Com- pany in 1852. In 1878 the name was changed and it has since been known as the Lake Shore Slate Co. The quarries are worked to the depth of one hundred feet, and have been in operation with little cessation since '52, being the oldest in this section. Their mill is 120x60 feet, and operated by water- power, where the slate is manufactured into billiard table beds, mantel stock, etc. They employ about 60 men in the quarries, etc., the product being to the value of $30,000, which, taken together with other branches of their busi- ness, will aggregate $40,000 per annum.
Clifford & Litchfield's Slate Works, located at Cookville, were established in 1856. They employ about 35 men and manufacture slate goods to the value of $25,000 per annum.
S. G. Bassett's saw-mill, located on North Hubbardton River, was built about 1868, and used an upright saw until 1880, when the mill was enlarged and a circular saw added.
Field & Co's marble and slate mill, located at Hydeville, is now (June, 1881) in the process of erection, they having not begun operations yet.
Sherman & Gleason's marble saw-mill, located at Hydeville, is operated by contract by James T. Freeman, who employs 14 men and works 12 gangs of saws. Freeman was born in Rutland, came to Castleton in 1842, where for the last 31 years he has been connected with the firm of Sherman & Gleason.
Downs & Delehanty's Slate Works, located at Hydeville, were established in 1873, and now employ seven men, manufacturing about $8,000.00 worth of mantel-stock per annum.
Billings Slate and Marble Company, located at Hydeville, was incorporated March 3, 1879, the company consisting of E. D., C. W., G. H. and L. H. Billings, and D. W. Ford; E. D. Billings, president and treasurer, and L. H. Billings, secretary. They manufacture about $40,000.00 worth of slate and marble goods per annum.
Uniform Green Slate Company -John J. Jones and Edwin A. Brien-have their office in Hydeville, their quarry being situated in the southern part of Poultney, where they employ 13 men and manufacture about $500 worth of roofing slate per month.
Benjamin F. Graves' agricultural implement manufactory, located at Hydeville, was established in 1871. He employs three men and manufac- tures about $3,000.00 worth of implements per annum.
Francis A. Barrow's foundry and agricultural implement manufactory, located at Castleton Corners, was erected in 1851. He employs six men and manufactures from $8,000.00 to $10,000.00 worth of goods per annum.
Sherman & Armstrong's marble works, located on road 28, have been in operation for 40 years; but the present company have owned them only since May, 1880. They employ about twenty men in sawing and finishing marble.
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TOWN OF CASTLETON.
The first settlers in Castleton were Col. Amos Bird and Col. Noah Lee, from Salisbury, Conn. The first visit made by them to the town was in the year 1767, they being attended by one colored man. The summer of that year was spent in exploring and surveying the township ; but no record of what was done remains. During the season a log cabin was built on a bluff in the south western part of the town, on what was afterwards known as the Clark Farm. In the following autumn they returned to Salisbury. The next year the same party of three returned with the purpose of making a permanent settlement ; they made a small clearing but planted no seeds that year. Col. Bird returned to Connecticut before winter, leaving Lee and the colored man to occupy the log house alone. That winter was very severe and they suffered much from the cold and scarcity of provisions. In the spring of 1770 Bird returned with Ephraim Buel, Eleazer Bartholomew and Zadock Remington, with their families, arriving in May. These were the first and only settlers during that year, Bird and Lee not bringing their families until later. Other families followed, however, year by year, until in 1775 there were in the township about thirty families, and eight or ten un- married men.
The first child born was Israel, son of Ephraim Buel, in 1771. Abigail Eaton, daughter of John Eaton, born the same year, was the first female. '
The natural water power at the outlet of the lake, where Hydeville now stands, early attracted the attention of the settlers, and as the south-west part of the town abounded with excellent pine timber at convenient distance from the outlet, a saw-mill was erected here in 1772, and the year following a grist-mill. The saw-mill was built chiefly through the personal enterprise of Col. Bird, who spared no exertions and shunned no expense in accom- plishing his work, which proved to be his last. In the prosecution of it he contracted fever, from which he died September 16, 1772, in the 30th year of his age. This was a severe blow to the infant colony, who deeply mourned his loss. His remains were interred on the banks of Castleton River, near where the old turnpike crossed it, and not far from his former residence ; but in 1842 they were removed to the public cemetery, with appropriate ceremonies, and a substantial monument :-
"Erected by citizens of Castleton and friends as a tribute of respect to a worthy man."
He was born at Litchfield, Conn., in 1742. The widow of Col. Bird re- turned to Salisbury, Conn., soon after the death of her husband, and did not again visit Castleton.
Col. Lee settled in the east part of the township, on what was afterward known as the Gridley Farm. A log house was built near a beautiful spring of water, where they lived until the commencement of the Revolutionary war. Mrs. Lee then returned to Salisbury and was absent seven years, while her husband was engaged in the affairs of the Revolution, in which he took a prominent part. Among the proprietors of Castleton he was active, and in
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the troubles under the government of New Hampshire, the Council of Safety, and the claims of New York, he was vigilant. At the commencement of the Revolution he took a decided part on the side of American Independence. At the time Col. Ethan Allen mustered his men at Castleton for the capture of Fort Ticonderoga, Col. Lee was prime mover of an expedition against Skeenesboro, (now Whitehall), which left Castleton at the same time and resulted in the capture of Major Skeene. From 1781 till the close of the war he served in the capacity of captain in the Continental Army in Pennsyl- vania. He was in the battle of Yorktown, and present at the surrender of Cornwallis. Having received an honorable discharge at Albany, N. Y., he returned to Castleton with his family, and there spent the remainder of his days, mostly in agricultural pursuits. His physical constitution was remark- ably good, and retained its vigor to a great age. His descendants are numer- ous and widely separated.
Zadock Remington settled a half mile west of Castleton village in 1770. He was a large proprietor and a prominent and highly respectable man, noted for his eccentricities. It was a peculiarity of Mr. Remington, not to return a direct answer to any question. When asked by a business man in Troy, N. Y., about the pecuniary responsibility of a neighbor in Cast leton, he replied :- " You see Capt. L. is a very tall man ;" thus indirectly express- ing his opinion, if any one was shrewd enough to guess his meaning. His was the first frame house erected in Castleton, where he kept the first tavern. He was a man of correct habits, and at an advanced age became decidedly religious. He lived to be 94 years of age.
Hyde Westover, one of the early settlers, served two months in the war of 1812. He was at the battle of Plattsburgh, and also assisted in raising a company of minute men at Hubbardton, who were drilled through the win- ter, but in the spring were not called into service. . Mr. Westover was also a landlord, having kept the Westover House, at Castleton Corners. This is situated on the old government turnpike, over which all the munitions of war passed from Albany to Vergennes, in the war of 1812. At this time Mr. Westover was assistant to Benjamin Carver, who kept a hotel on the corner opposite where the Westover House now stands. There they entertained Gen. Wade Hampton and many soldiers of his army, of whom the following anecdote has been related by Mr. W. :- One morning Mr. Hampton was taking the stage to leave for Vergennes, but seeing a lady in the coach, ordered the driver to take her out. The driver, (also the proprietor), in- informed him the lady was on her to way Burlington, to take care of her father who was ill, and he could either ride with her or wait for the next stage. The General concluded to ride with the lady.
From the Westover House can be seen the homes of Col. Noah Lee, Col. Rifle Clark, Prof. Geo. N. Boardman, of Chicago Theological Seminary, Mrs. Elizabeth Smith, a missionary massacred in Turkey, also the burying place of Col. Bird, of whom it is said the first three boards sawed in his mill were used in the construction of his coffin.
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TOWN OF CASTLETON.
Samuel Moulton settled in Castleton from Simsbury, Conn., at an early date. His son, Samuel, was born there in 1782, and died in 1838, at the age of 56 years. From 1810 to the time of his death he was postmaster. After his death, his son Cullum was appointed, who held the office about ten years, when he engaged in other business. William, also son of Samuel Jr., was appointed in 1861, and has held the office ever since.
Ira Hartwell came to Castleton from Barre, Mass., when but four years of age. He resided here 76 years, being 80 years of age when he died. Ora- mel, son of Ira, and Calista, a daughter, wife of Asahel Pond, now reside in the town. These were the only children, except one daughter who died at the age of fifteen.
William Sanford came to Castleton in October, 1799, where he resided till his death, March 24, 1866. His son, Dr. James Sanford, is still a resident of Castleton village.
Nathaniel Northup came from Salisbury, Conn., to Castleton, about the year 1770. When the war of the Revolution broke out he returned to Connecticut, but came back to Castleton again in 1777, where he resided until his death, in 1828, aged 78 years. His son, Ira, born in Connecticut, came to Castleton with Nathaniel in 1777, and continued his residence here until his death, in 1844, at the age of 68 years. Nathaniel had a family of seven children, all but one of whom lived most of their life-time in Castleton. Dr. Josiah N., son of Ira, has been a practicing physician in Castleton vil- lage 38 years.
Rev. D. M. Knapen was born in Orwell, Vermont. His father was a Congregational minister, but his son, though taught that doctrine, became a Universalist preacher and located in Castleton about 25 years ago, since which time he has been engaged in writing a very valuable work on logarithms.
Jacob Wheeler came to Castleton in 1795. He served in the war of 1812, and had five sons who served in the war of the Rebellion. He is now living, at the age of 90 years.
Dwyer Babbitt was born in Clarendon in the year 1797, whence he removed to Castleton in 1803, settling between Castleton Corners and Hydeville. In 1840 his house was destroyed by fire, burning four of his children to death, two sons and two daughters. Mr. Babbitt is now living on road 42. He has had a family of twelve children, six of whom are still living.
James Williams, born in Pawlet in 1797, came to Castleton in 1818, where he resided until his death, on January 28, 1879. His wife, Harriet, still re- sides at Hydeville.
F. S. Heath, born in Addison County, came to Castleton in 1840, estab- lishing the first boat-house and ferry on Lake Bomoseen. The last salmon trout ever seen at the lake was taken by Mr. Heath, and measured 3 feet 4 inches in length. The skeleton was sent to the medical museum at Castle- ton, where it was preserved.
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TOWN OF CASTLETON.
Col. Isaac Clark was one of the early settlers in Castleton, where he mar- ried a daughter of Governor Chittenden, and served as a colonel in the war of 1812. The same horse that he used in the army, drew him to his grave. The old homestead is still in the possession of the Clark family, having been owned by them over a century.
James Adams came to Castleton village in the year 1800, where he was engaged in mercantile pursuits for many years, dying in 1860. His son, Benjamin F., was born in 1813, and is still a resident of the town, as is also another son, James.
Josiah G. Harris, from Pittsfield, Mass., came to Castleton in 1795, resid- ing here until his death, in 1834. He served as town clerk thirty-five years. His daughter, Sarah, widow of Timothy W. Rice, is still a resident of Castle- ton, aged 69 years.
L. W. Preston, who came to Castleton, August 1, 1844, was the third tele- graph operator employed within the limits of the township, and now has in his possession the first table used in the town as an operator's desk.
Jesse Caswell settled in the west part of the town of Middletown in 1787, where he resided until his death, in 1844. His son, Menira, was born in 1799, and came to Castleton in 1847. He has served the county as deputy sheriff several years, and resided in the town until his death, June 30, 1881, at the age of 82 years.
Chauncey Langdon was an early settler, and one of the first lawyers of Castleton, where he was town representative for many years. Benjamin F., son of Chauncey, was born in 1798, studied law with his father and practiced in the town until his death, which occurred May 31, 1862. Ebenezer, brother of Chauncey, came to Castleton in 1792, and his son, Selah H., is still a resi- dent of the town. The house now occupied by him stands upon the old Fort ground, and was built by Walter McIntosh, an early settler. Mr. Langdon has in his possession an old camp kettle, once the property of Gen. Burgoyne.
Lemuel Ransom, from Connecticut, came to Castleton about the year 1800, locating on road 8, where he built the house now occupied by his grand- son, Albert V. Ransom.
Chas. Lincoln came to Castleton, from Rhode Island, in 1785, locating on road 8, upon the farm now owned by his son, D. S. Lincoln. Chas. died in 1826. D. S. was born in 1814, and has been a deacon of the Baptist Church of Hubbardton 35 years.
Stukeley Thornton came to Danby from Rhode Island at an early date, where his son Stukeley was born, and subsequently settled in the north part of Ira in 1777, where he resided until 1851, when he removed to Castleton, locating upon the farm now owned by his son, Asahel P. He died in 1862. Asahel P. was born in Ira in 1833, came to Castleton with his father, and still occupies the old homestead.
A. W. Hyde, born in Hyde Park, Vt., 1779, was one of the most active business men of Castleton. He came to Sudbury with his father in 1801, and
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in 1818 came to Castleton in attendance upon the Rutland County Gram- mar School, and was afterwards employed as clerk in the store of John Meacham, where he eventually became a partner. In 1836 he purchased a stage line of E. B. Dewey, and afterwards owned a line from Troy to Bur- lington, and from Rutland to Whitehall; he was also one of the original trus- tees of the Grammar School appointed by the Legislature. In 1845 he removed to Hydeville, where he built up a flourishing village. He was killed by a locomotive at Hubbardton road-crossing, near the ground where the Fort once stood.
Brewster Higley was one of the pioneers of Castleton, having located upon the farm now owned by his great grandson, A. E. Higley, who is now ex- tensively engaged there in the breeding of blooded stock.
The house now occupied by John Howe, on Main street, was built by Myron McIntosh, previous to the year 1800. The house east of the village, now owned by H. L. Baxter, was built by Sylvanus Guernsey, in 1800. Guernsey came to Castleton from Litchfield, Conn., with his father, Solomon, in 1784, he being then but fifteen years of age. His father built a brick house and store where the Bomoseen House now stands ; he also dug a well at the west end of the house, which has never failed and is now used by the towns-people. Solomon died in 1789. His grand-daughter, daughter of Syl- vanus, Mrs. Menira Caswell, is still a resident of the village, at the age of 75 years. Her husband died here June 30, 1881.
The capture of Ticonderoga and the invasion of Canada which followed, left western Vermont comparatively secure for a time; but the retreat of the American forces up the lake in 1777, laid the whole region open again to depredations from British and Indians. Castleton, the frontier town, was the rendezvous for recruits for Ticonderoga at this time, for which a most earnest appeal was made, as the British were seen to be closing around the fortress. Some 20 recruits were gathered here in July, 1777 ; a part of the citizens of Castleton, waiting an increase of their number, so as to make it safe for them to go to Ticonderoga. On the 6th of July, the day previous to the battle of Hubbardton, there occurred quite a lively skirmish in Castle- ton between these recruits and a British foraging party. About half a mile east of Castleton village, on the north-west corner of the east and west road and the Hubbardton road, stood the house of George Foote, where religious worship was held on the Sabbath. Upon the corner opposite was a school- house. A mile and a half north of this, on the Hubbardton road, lived Capt. John Hall. Still further north, on what is known as the Ransom Farm, was a building appropriated to recruits. On the Sabbath, July 6th, while the people were gathered for religious worship, the alarm was given that the enemy was approaching. At the same time the recruits came flying down the road and took shelter in the school-house and in the house of Mr. Foote, the women and children taking shelter in the cellar. There was a brisk firing from both sides for a considerable time, but the casualties were few, as
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