USA > Vermont > Rutland County > Gazetteer and business directory of Rutland county, Vt., for 1881-82 > Part 14
USA > Vermont > Rutland County > Gazetteer and business directory of Rutland county, Vt., for 1881-82 > Part 14
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A. & B. E. Horton's mills, located at North Clarendon, are run by water power, and embrace a saw, grist and cider mill in one building. They em- ploy eight men and manufacture 200,000 feet of lumber, 15,000 cheese boxes and ten car loads of chair-stock annually.
The Marshall Cheese Factory, located at North Clarendon, receives the milk of 360 cows and manufactures 100,000 lbs. of cheese per annum.
N. S. Walkers's cheese factory is located on his farm, near Chippen Hook. He received during the past season, the milk from 200 cows, and manufac- tured 50,000 lbs. of cheese.
Tradition says that Clarendon derived its name from a man by that name, who was the first person buried within the limits of the town. The first set- tlers were Elisha Williams, Samuel Place, Elkanah Cook, Benjamin Johns and Randall Rice, who came from Rhode Island and Connecticut in the spring of 1768. Selecting locations on which to settle, in different parts of the town, they returned to their homes the following fall, coming back to Clarendon again the next spring, bringing their families with them. It was then, the spring of 1769, that the first permanent settlement was made, Rice and Johns, with their families, locating near the central part of the town, on the east side of Otter Creek, and were joined the same year by Stephen Ar- nold, Place, Cook and Williams, locating in the north part of the town, then known as Socialborough. These families were soon followed by Jacob and Amos Marsh, and their nephews Daniel and William Marsh, Whitefield Fos-
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TOWN OF CLARENDON.
ter and Oliver Arnold, who settled in the north part of the town, on the east side of Otter Creek. They brought with them but little, except one cow, and depended for subsistence upon their rifles and fishing-rods. They all worked together, detailing one of their number each week to milk the cow and pro- cure the game and fish. At the approach of winter, their united labors had erected five log houses and cleared a sufficient piece of land with each for crops the coming season. Therefore all except William returned to their homes and brought their families to the settlement the following spring. Wil- liam went north, intending to go to Montreal, and was never heard of after.
Previous to 1771, James Rounds and John Hill had taken lots on the east side of the creek and commenced improvements. Thus, ten families were all that had settled in the town previous to 1771. Several families had settled farther south, on what is known as the " South Flats."
In 1772 and '73 settlement was commenced in the south-east part of the town by Ichabod Walker, a Mr. Nichols and Mr. Osborn. These families had all left their homes in Rhode Island and Connecticut, and settled in Clarendon, in the midst of a dense wilderness, with the intention of making it their permanent home. They therefore were, quite naturally, anxious to procure sound titles to their land; so many of them purchased deeds under both grants.
During the land title controversy, and especially during the eight years' war with Great Britain, titles to land in the western part of Vermont were de- cidedly insecure. Claimants, under New York, would eject those holding under New Hampshire, while the New Hampshire men would in turn eject the New Yorkers. This state of things could only result in quarrels and ex- pensive litigations, which lasted until long after the close of the war, and seemed to be peculiarly bitter in Clarendon, until settled by the Legislature. This was done by an Act called the "Quieting Act," originated and advocated by Daniel Marsh, who was a member of the Legislature from the town of Clarendon for quite a number of years.
William Crossman immigrated from Easttown, Mass., in 1777, settling in Brandon. From thence he moved to Clarendon in 1781, settling on the farm now owned by W. R. Crossman. William was a revolutionary soldier. While living in Brandon, Burgoyne came down as far as his place and took his oxen and all his grain from him, leaving him destitute.
John Weeks came from Washington, Conn., in 1787, and settled in Claren- don, on the farm now owned by John Cleveland.
Caleb Hall, an old settler in the town, was born in Dunbarton, N. H., and came to Clarendon when he was fourteen years of age, where he resided until his death, at the age of 74. Mr. Hall, in his time, was one of the most active and prominent men of the town, held several town offices, and was for a long time postmaster at Clarendon Flats.
Jonathan Parker settled in the north part of the town in 1785. Mr. Par- ker was a wealthy and influential man, owning at one time nearly the whole of the town of Mendon, which for a long time was called Parkerstown.
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TOWN OF CLARENDON.
Silas Hodges, a surgeon of Washington's army, settled at an early date, in Clarendon, on the farm now owned by Hannibal Hodges.
James Eddy settled in town at an early date, coming from Rhode Island. He, for a long time, acted as a scout for the Colonies during the Revolution, and was one of the nine who went from Clarendon with Lieut. Hall, to sur- prise a party of Indians on Gillmer's Creek, taking only six days rations with them and were gone twelve days.
Lewis Walker came to Clarendon from Cheshire, Mass., in 1779, settling on the farm now owned by his great-grandson, N. S. Walker, where he resided until his death, in 1813. Mr. Walker was a member of the Baptist Church, and highly esteemed by all who knew him. Lewis Walker, Jr., was born in Clarendon, on the homestead of his father, Jan. 24, 1781. He was selectman several years, town treasurer and justice of the peace for more than twenty years, and represented the town in the Legislature two years. Lewis M. Walker, son of Lewis Jr. and grandson of Lewis, was born on the old homestead Feb. 24, 1808, where he still resides. Mr. Walker was formerly engaged in mercantile pursuits, but is now engaged in farming. He has served the town as lister and justice several years, and in the Legislature in 1857 and 1858.
Silas Whitney, the first selectman of the town, elected in 1778, came from Connecticut in 1770, settling on the farm now owned by L. Holden.
Isaac Tubbs immigrated to the town from Connecticut about the year 1780, settling on the farm now owned by Daniel Tubbs. Isaac built a tan- nery on the farm, where he manufactured leather for more than forty years.
Daniel Colvin, from Rhode Island, settled in the town, on the farm now owned by Benjamin Fisk, in 1780. Mr. Colvin worked on his farm during the summer months, returning to Rhode Island in the fall, where he would follow the sea until the next ssason.
Eliphalet Spofford was born in Temple, New Hampshire, in 1773. He settled in the north-east corner of Clarendon when it was nearly a wilderness, cleared a small tract of land and built a log house, in which he raised a family of eleven children. He died in 1860, aged 87. He was a descendant of John Spofford, one of the first settlers of Rowley, Mass., in 1638, and of whom the following ancedote is told: During his residence at Rowley, a drought was followed by a great scarcity of food, and he repaired to Salem to purchase corn for himself and neighbors. The mer- chant to whom he applied, foreseeing a greater scarcity and higher prices, refused to open his store to supply his wants. Having pleaded the neces- sities of himself and others in vain, he cursed him to his face ; but on being immediately taken before a magistrate, charged with profane swearing, he replied that he had not cursed profanely, but as a religious duty, and quoted Prov. xi, 26, as his authority: " He that withholdeth corn from the hungry, the people shall curse him." He was immediately acquitted, and by the summary power of the courts in those days, the merchant was ordered to deliver him as much corn as he wished to pay for.
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TOWN OF CLARENDON.
Elias Steward, from Volney, Conn., settled on the farm now owned by J. Q. Stewart, in 1777.
Christopher Pierce came to Clarendon from Exeter, R. I., in 1802, locating upon the farm now owned by Henry Hodges. Subsequently he bought the farm now owned by his brother Giles, where he resided until his death, in 1811, leaving a large family. His son, John N., took the farm after his father's death, afterwards marrying Rosannah Spencer, by whom he had three sons. After her death he married Sallie Carr, who now resides with her son Thomas on the old homestead, Thomas having taken the farm after his father's death, which occurred March 20, 1881, at the advanced age of 91.
James Wylie came to Clarendon from Connecticut, in 1777, locating on Otter Creek, upon the farm now owned by W. L. Wylie. His family con- sisted of two sons and two daughters, William, Jacob, Sarah and Esther. After Mr. Wylie's death, in 1834, William took the old homestead, where he has resided since. The old house, built by James in 1791, is still occupied by the family.
Obadiah Chapman, from Salisbury, Conn., came to Clarendon March 1, 1786, and moved into the house then owned by Silas Smith and now owned and occupied by Burr Chapman, a grandson of Obadiah. The house is in good repair though over a hundred years old. Mr. Chapman purchased a farm on road 1, and in 1786 built the house in which he lived and died ; it stood just in front of Harvey Chapman's brick house. Obadiah's son, Joseph, succeeded him and died in 1859 .. His son, Harvey, now 78 years of age, lives on the farm with his son Joseph, and a grandson, a child, re- sides here too, a representative of the sixth generation on the same farm, which has never passed from the possession of the family.
Frederick Button, son of Charles F., was born in Clarendon in the year 1789, and resided in the town all his life, dying in 1874. He represented the town in 1828 and was much respected. He married Elizabeth Rogers, his family consisting of one son and five daughters. The son, Hiram F., born in 1818, has always resided in the town, marrying Lucretia Button, his family consisting of one son and one daughter. Mr. Button has always been ex- tensively engaged in breeding blooded sheep.
Daniel Dyer came to Clarendon from Rhode Island in 1798, locating upon the farm now owned by his daughter, Mrs. Lydia S. Briggs, wife of Philip, who died in 1853.
Joseph Congdon came here from Rhode Island previous to the Revolu- tion, locating upon the farm now owned by T. P. Brown. George, son of Joseph, was also an early settler, residing here until his death, in 1842. His grandson, Edwin, has been town clerk since 1873, and represented the town in 1878-'79.
Thomas Spencer, from Rhode Island, came to Clarendon at an early date, locating near the centre of the town. He died October 4th, 1804, leaving a family of two sons and two daughters. His son Calvin was born in October,
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TOWN OF CLARENDON.
1799, studied medicine at Castleton, and practised in the town until his death, in 1870. His son, J. C., was born November 11th, 1826, and has been en- gaged in mercantile pursuits in the town for the last thirty years.
Hon. Theophilus Harrington died in Clarendon, November 17, 1813, aged 52. He held the office of representative and selectman of the town, was chief judge of Rutland County, and a chancellor and assistant judge of the Superior Court of the State of Vermont. He was buried in Chippen Hook Cemetery, with Masonic honors.
Henry Hitchcock came to Clarendon in 1840, residing here until his death, in 1871. Mr. Hitchcock was a merchant in Rutland and Clarendon Springs for about twelve years. He was a son of Remembrance, and grandson of John Hitchcock, of Pittsford.
Mrs. Sprague, the first white woman who came to the town, was the grand- mother of Frederick Button, of Clarendon, and Harvey Button, of Walling- ford. She died at the age of 104, her son, Durham Sprague, being the first male child born in the town.
The first frame-house erected in the town was built by Daniel Briggs, in the year 1777, and is still a comfortable house, owned and occupied by Harmon Albee, on road 39.
The first mill built in the town was located on the farm now owned by Timothy K. Horton, the mill irons all being brought from Albany in a two wheeled cart drawn by oxen.
In 1795 Oliver Whitney and Moses Goddard were general merchants, and Stephen Pope was a tanner and currier and shoemaker, the latter in the north part of the town.
Stephen Arnold was the first town clerk. The date of. his election is not preserved. His first record is in 1778. He was continued in office till 1779 ; John Hill, March 27th, 1799 ; Randall Rice, March 4th, 1813 ; Seba French, March 2, 1814; Silas W. Hodges, March 2, 1819; Daniel S. Ewing, March, 1831 ; Joseph A. Hayes, March 6th, 1838 ; Philetus Clark, August 2Ist, 1844; William G. Crossman, March 2d, 1847; Lewis M. Walker, March 7th, 1848; Hannibal Hodges, March 2d, 1852; Lewis M. Walker, March 3d, 1857 ; William T. Herrick, March, 1864; Edwin Congdon since.
Increase Mosely was a judge of the Supreme Court in 1784, and president of the first council of censors in 1786.
After the Revolution, among the returning settlers was Daniel Marsh, who it appears took protection papers from the British and sympathized with the enemy. On his return to Clarendon, Dec. 16, 1782, the town "voted to receive him as a good, wholesome inhabitant." He attempted to get posses- sion of his old farm, a part of which he found occupied by Silas Whitney. A lawsuit followed in which Marsh was twice beaten. He then appealed to the Legislature, which passed an Act in June, 1785, giving him the possession of the farm " until he had an opportunity of recovering his betterments," for which Act the Legislature was severely censured by the first council of cen-
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TOWN OF CLARENDON.
sors, of which Judge Increase Mosely, of Clarendon, was president. During the struggle between Marsh and Whitney for the possession of the disputed land, one party would put a tenant into the house, and the other party would put him out by force and put in another tenant, who in turn would be put out by force by the other party. On one occasion, Whitney, with several hands, mowed a large quantity of grass on the disputed meadow, and Marsh, obtain- ing help, drew it all off, while Whitney was eating his dinner. This is but one instance of the many quarrels in which conflicting land titles involved the settlers of the fertile lands of Clarendon-so fertile that Whitney, visiting his relatives in Rhode Island, claimed that on the Clarendon intervales he could raise ears of corn ten feet long ; and in the following summer, when visited by his friends who wished to see his long corn, he was prepared to make good his boast, and showed them several ears over ten feet long, suspended from the ridge-pole of his corn barn, which he had made that length by joining and pinning short ears together.
Previous to 1817, one Sheperson owned and run a blast furnace at West Clarendon, about two miles S. W. of Chippen Hook. Stoves were cast about that year.
At what date the first school house was erected is not known. It was very early in the settlement, however, and as there was but little money in circula- tion, teachers were paid in grain. The wood was furnished by assessing a certain number of feet to a scholar, to be delivered by lot. There were four school districts in West Clarendon in 1826, where there were but two in 1871. The earliest records of " District No. 1, West Clarendon," say that at a school meeting held June 27, 1808,-
" Voted to build a school-house, that it stand in the corner where the road that comes from Lewis Walker's interferes with the road that leads to the mill." "Voted that the property be paid for in grain by the first of June next."
The first church erected in the town was of Baptist denomination, built about 1780, in the east part of the town, followed by another of the same de- nomination in the west part of the town. Both these have years ago ceased to exist, and the buildings long since went to decay.
The Congregational Church at Clarendon was organized February 18, 1822, by Rev. Henry Hunter and Rev. Stephen Martindale, Mr. Hunter be- ing the first pastor, and was dismissed October, 1827. At the organization the Church consisted of ten members, which has increased up to the present time to sixty-nine. Has a flourishing Sabbath school, a young people's union and ladies' aid society for the study of sacred history and for benevolent pur- poses. The building was originally built of brick in 1824. In 1859 it was thoroughly rebuilt, and finished very neatly inside, and is now capable of comfortably seating 250 persons. Rev. George H. Morss is the present pastor.
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TOWN OF DANBY.
ANBY is located in the extreme southern part of the County, in lat. 43º 21' and long. 40° 1' east from Washington, and is bounded north by Tinmouth and a small part of Wallingford, east by Mt. Tabor, south by Dorset in Bennington County, and west by Pawlet. It was granted to Jona- than Willard and sixty-seven others from Nine Partners, Dutchess Co. N. Y., the charter bearing date Aug. 27, 1761, being issued one year after it was petitioned for by the above mentioned parties. In area it is a trifle over six miles square, or about 24,690 acres.
The charter bears the usual restrictions and reservations incident to all the Wentworth charters, the tract being bounded therein as follows :- " Begin- ning at the north-west corner of Dorset, from thence running due north six miles ; thence due east six miles; thence due south six miles, to the north- east corner of Dorset aforesaid ; and thence due west by Dorset aforesaid, six miles, to the north-west corner, which is also the south-east corner of Pawlet, and that the same be and is hereby incorporated into a township, by the name of Danby, and the inhabitants that do or shall hereafter inhabit the said township, are declared to be enfranchised with, and entitled to all and every the privileges and immunities that towns within our province by law exercise and enjoy." The bounds of the township have never been changed, remaining the same to-day that they were in 1761.
The surface of the town is diversified by numerous hills and valleys, lend- ing a charm to the scenery, at the same time affording superior advantages for all kinds of agricultural and pastoral pursuits. The rich valleys, clothed with waving grain, and the verdant hill-slopes affording pasturage for numer- ous flocks, all being embellished and enriched by numerous springs and limpid streams, affording numerous mill-sites. With all these; is it to be wondered at that the Danbyites are a prosperous happy people ?
Danby Mountain, sometimes called "Spruce," extends north and south through the entire length of the township, intersecting on the south with what is familiarly known as "Dorset Mountain." Another range of hills extends through the eastern half, thus dividing the town into three sections, designat- ed as the east, west, and middle. A portion of Otter Creek valley is included within the limits of the town, east of which lie the Green Mountains.
Of the numerous small streams the two principal are Mill River and Flower Brook. Mill River is formed by the junction of a large number of small streams, one of which rises in the extreme south-western part of the town; it flows an easterly course through the township, emptying into Otter Creek, in the township of Mt. Tabor.
Flower Brook rises in the north-western part of the town, flows a southerly course for about one mile, then turns westerly and empties into Pawlet River, in the town of Pawlet. A small pond or lake is situated in the center of the township, called Danby Pond, the outlet of which flows into Mill River. Otter Creek flows through a portion of the north-eastern part of the town, and the Bennington and Rutland Railway crosses the north-eastern corner.
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TOWN OF DANBY.
Several mineral springs, noted for their medicinal qualities, are located in different parts of the town, the principal of which, discovered in 1869, is situated about two miles north of Danby borough.
The principal part of the town is of the Eolian limestone formation, while the north-western and north-eastern part is of the talcoid schist. Several good marble deposits have been found, though none are worked to any great extent. Clay, suitable for brick manufacture is abundant, while plumbago and sulphuret of lead are found to some extent. The soil presents numerous varieties, from the finest alluvial deposit to clay, nearly all of which are susceptible of culti- vation. The timber is that common to the surrounding towns. This is one of the best sugar producing towns in the county.
In 1880, Danby had a population of 1,202. The township was divided into twelve school districts, contained thirteen common schools, employing five male and seventeen female teachers, at an aggre- gate salary of $2,571.00. There were 258 pupils attending common schools, and the whole cost of the schools for the year ending October 30th, was $2,811.00, with J. C. Williams, Esq., superintendent.
DANBY, a post village and station on the Bennington and Rutland Railway, located in the eastern part of the township, is the largest village. It contains three stores, two tin shops, one grist mill, one saw mill, one hotel, one church, two blacksmith shops and about one hundred inhabitants.
DANBY FOUR CORNERS, (p. o.) located north-west of the borough, near the centre of the township, is a small hamlet containing one store, one cheese factory, one blacksmith shop and half-a-dozen dwellings.
H. B. Jenkins' grist mill, located near Danby borough, is operated by both water and steam power, has two runs of stones and grinds 10,000 bushels of grain per annum.
O. B. Hadwin's grist mill, located at Danby borough, operates one run of stones, by water power, and grinds several thousand bushels of grain yearly.
E. Kelley's saw mill, located on road 40, is operated by water power, has one circular saw for cutting lumber, and two small saws for cutting shingles, lath, etc., and has also a planing mill attached. Mr. Kelley employs three hands, and manufactures 300,000 feet of lumber per annum.
Parris Valley Cheese Factory, located in the western part of the township, was established in 1875 by L. G. Parris, and is still operated by him. He uses the milk from 200 cows and manufactures 2,000 pounds of cheese per week.
Harris F. Otis is probably the most extensive sugar munufacturer in this section of the country. He taps over 3,000 trees per year. In 1880 he manufactured 1,500 gallons of maple syrup.
The first proprietors meeting was held on the 24th day of September, 1760, at the house of Nathan Shepard, in Nine Partners, N. Y., when Jonathan Ormsby was appointed clerk. Samuel Rose was appointed agent
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TOWN OF DANBV.
to go to Albany and get what information he could relative to obtaining a grant in the western part of the Province of New Hampshire. At a meeting held on the 15th of October following, Jonathan Willard was chosen agent to go to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and procure a charter. The request of the proprietors was granted, and on the 27th of August, 1761, as before stated, the charter was issued. Of the sixty-eight grantees, each one's share, according to the charter, was about 250 acres, although but few of the original proprietors ever settled within the township. The five hundred acres, re- served in all charters for the Governor, was located upon the mountain in the south-western part of the township, and still bear the name of "Gover- nor's Right."
According to the directions of the charter, the proprietors of the township held their first meeting after the grant, at "Great Nine Partners, Cromelbow Precinct, Dutchess County," Sept. 22d, 1761, with Jonathan Willard as moder- rator. At this meeting Jonathan Ormsby was appointed clerk, Aaron Buck, treasurer, and Samuel Shepard, constable ; a committee composed of the following, was appointed "to set out from home the third Monday in October next, in order to proceed on business of making divisions of land, etc. : " Jonathan Willard, Jonathan Ormsby, Samuel Rose, Nehemiah Reynolds, Moses Kelly, Daniel Dunham and Stephen Videto.
At the first annual meeting of the proprietors, held at Nine Partners on the second Tuesday of March, 1762, the number of this committee was reduced from seven to three, who were to finish laying out the lots. This committee was engaged during the summer of '62 in making the surveys, and on the 5th of October another meeting was held at the inn of Lewis Delavargue, to hear a report of their proceedings. This report showed that . the work was not wholly completed, and would have to be delayed until another spring, when Darius Lobdel, Aaron Buck, Jonathan Palmer and Zephaniah Buck, were ap- pointed to proceed at once and finish laying out the land. This committee finished the surveys of the first division during that summer (1763), and the lots were numbered, each share containing, as the proprietors had voted, 100 acres.
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