USA > Vermont > Rutland County > Gazetteer and business directory of Rutland county, Vt., for 1881-82 > Part 21
USA > Vermont > Rutland County > Gazetteer and business directory of Rutland county, Vt., for 1881-82 > Part 21
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TOWN OF PITTSFIELD.
The first settlement of Pittsfield was commenced in 1786, by Daniel and Jacob Bow ; Daniel settling on the farm now occupied by Daniel Avery, and Jacob, where Artemas Hunt now resides. The same year Thomas Hodgkins settled on the farm now owned by Royal Tupper, and George Martin on the farm owned by Granville Farewell. (The last two farms have been set off to the town of Rochester.) About this time Stephen Holt, familiarly known as Gov. Holt, settled on the farm now occupied by John Sawyer. Among the other early settlers were Lucius Kibbe, Simon Cleave- land, John Gaines, Dr. Tucker, David Lovette, David Daly, Uzziah Green, Jonas Stowe, Ebbe Durkee, David, Alba and Timothy Durkee. The first inhabitant of what is now the village, was Uzziah Green, who lived in a poor log-house, between where the school-house and Congregational church now stands. The first mills in town were built about 1780, by Charles Goodrich, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, who received from the proprietors a right of land for building them. They also gave him the privilege of naming the town, which he did. He built a saw and grist mill about where Brigham & Atwood's and Brown's mills now stand. The crank for the saw mill, weighing 200 pounds, was brought from Pittsford, a distance of twelve miles, by two men carrying it on their shoul- ders. Goodrich also built the first frame house in town, which was not only used for a dwelling, but also as a school-house and place for public meetings, this being the first school kept in the town. Daniel Bow built and kept the first tavern, a one-story log structure, located on the farm now owned by David Avery. The nearest post office was at Rutland, fifteen miles distant, the mail being brought on foot once a week, the neighbors taking turns at the task. The first store was kept by Asa Gaines. The first tan- nery was built and operated by David Daly. It was located on the site now occupied by Henry Adams' blacksmith shop, and was afterwards removed to the spot where Mr. Caryl's house now stands. The first physician located in the town was Josiah H. Phelps, of Connecticut, who settled in the town in 1823. Bears, wolves and deer were plenteous in the heavy forests, and the former were a constant source of annoyance to the early settlers, it being almost impossible for them to keep any sheep.
David Daly moved from Windham, Conn., to Pittsfield, in 1789. He built a house where Henry Adams' now stands, and a tannery where Mr. Adams' shop now is. This was the first and only tannery ever built in the town. Mr. Daly afterward owned the farm where Wm. Davis now resides, which he cleared and on which he built a large frame house. In 1791 he married Martha Call, by whom he had a large family of children. For a number of years Mr. Daly was justice of the peace, and held several other offices in the town. An incident in his life will illustrate the hardships the early settlers were obliged to undergo : Being in want of a grind-stone, Daly, in company with a man named Waller, started one morning, afoot, for Pittsford, taking their dinner, done up in a handkerchief, with them. On reaching the top of
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the mountain they hung their dinner on the branches of a tree, to be eaten on their return. They hastened down to Pittsford, bought a grind-stone weighing 100 lbs., with a crank attached, and started with it for home. For a time they tried to carry the stone by the crank, one taking each end ; but at last, becoming disgusted with this mode of procedure, they broke the crank and threw it away, putting a stick through the centre of the stone in its place, but as Waller was tall and Daly short, the stone kept slipping toward Daly ; however, with good pluck they persevered till they reached the spot where they had left their dinner, when, to their disappointment, they found it had been devoured by some animal, all but a few dry crusts. These the hungry men quickly disposed of and plodded on, reaching home in the night, having traveled between twenty-five and thirty miles. Mr. Daly operated his tannery until his death, at the age of seventy-six.
Benjamin Blossom immigrated to Pittsfield in 1796, settling where the vil- lage now stands. He was employed by Mr. Goodrich as miller for the ten years following. Wm. R. Blossom, who is at present a resident of Pittsfield, was at the time his father came to the town, only seven years old, and the youngest of a large family of children. At this time the site of the present village was almost an unbroken forest, and the town was so sparsely settled that Mr. B. can remember the name of nearly every family that then resided in the town. William's only education was thus obtained at the district school. At the age of thirteen he worked six months for Mr. Goodrich, for the sum of $4.50 per month, the wages to go toward paying for thirty acres of land, then covered with timber, lying about a mile west of the village. For three years more young Blossom worked as he could to pay for his land, his mother and himself being quite anxious to own a farm. When he was sev- enteen he took his axe and his little pail of dinner and began the labor of felling the trees to make himself a farm. The next year he succeeded in getting up a house, to which he moved his father and mother, and where he resided until he removed, a few years ago, to a house standing on the very place where he lived when he first came to Pittsfield. When eighteen years of age he was elected corporal of the militia company, and at twenty-one was chosen lister, and the next year one of the selectmen. Since that time Mr. B. has held every office in the town, both civil and military, excepting that of treasurer. He now enjoys good health, in the 92d year of his age.
During the year 1786, Stephen Holt, of Hampton, Conn., immigrated to Pittsfield, settling on the farm now occupied by John Sawyer, having obtained the land by allotment, or at a cost of four cents per acre. This was the first farm settled within the present limits of the town. The land was covered with a dense growth of heavy timber at the time Mr. Holt took possession, but in a short time, however, he had cleared off a number of acres, and by aid of his wife, Hannah Gear, of Hampton, built comfortable buildings, and set out an orchard, which, for size and thrift, is probably not surpassed by any in town to-day.
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TOWN OF PITTSFIELD.
Mr. Holt was in the battle of Bennington, and when the war of 1812 broke out he enlisted and was at the battle of Plattsburgh. He had a family of six children, and with the aid of his boys, enlarged his farm from fifty to four- hundred and fifty acres. In his old age a brother in Connecticut died, leav- ing him $7,000. On receiving news of this bequest, Stephen set out for Connecticut, with a horse and wagon, secured his money and brought it to Pittsfield in a bag, lying in the bottom of his wagon. When staying over night at hotels he threw his harness over the bag of gold, this being the only precaution he took. Mr. Holt died at the age of ninety, leaving several sons, three of whom were captains of militia.
Erastus Holt was born at Hampton, Conn., September 8th, 1777. He re- moved to Pittsfield at twenty-three years of age, in the year 1800, and settled on the farm now owned by William Swift. Here Mr. Holt built a log house and out-buildings and cleared off the farm. The year after he settled in town he married Sallie Parmenter, of Pittsfield, by whom he had a family of nine girls and three boys, all but one of whom married at maturity. He practised law considerably, and was proverbial for a number of years as being the best legal man in the town. He represented the town in the general assembly seven consecutive years at one time, and eight years at another; attended three constitutional conventions and was justice of peace thirty-two years. During the last eighteen years of his life he was confined to his bed by inflammatory rheumatism. Died March 28th, 1875, aged 98 years.
There are now no soldiers of the Revolution, nor of the war of 1812, liv- ing, except William R. Blossom. During the late war of 1861-'65, the town furnished 32 men as their quota of soldiers. Lester Bard was killed at Gettysburg ; Freeman Brown, at Fredericksburg; Frank Swan and John Shannon missing since Sheridan's fight in the Shenandoah valley ; Blanchard died in hospital near Washington ; Francis A. Gibbs died in a rebel prison, at Florence, S. C. The town has paid its expenses of the war and is clear of debt.
Until the year 1800 there was but one school district in town, and the people built a large school-house near where Joel Ramsey now resides, which was used for schools, town-house and meeting-house for a number of years.
The Congregational Church, located at Pittsfield village, was organized September 17, 1803, by the Rev. Martin Fuller, of Royalston, with a mem- bership of sixteen and Justin Parsons as first pastor. The church building was erected in 1820, is a modest affair, capable of accommodating 200 persons, and cost $1,000. The church property is at present valued at $2,000. It has now about fifty memhers, with no settled minister.
The M. E. Church of Pittsfield was organized by Joseph Crawford in 1802, then having a membership of eight ; Mr. Crawford was their first pastor. In 1830 the first house of worship was erected, which was followed in 1859 by the present edifice, a neat structure, capable of seating 250 persons, and -12
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TOWN OF PITTSFORD.
cost $2,615; but the value of the church property has since decreased, so that the whole property is now valued at only $2,200. The society at present has a membership of ninety, with the Rev. J. W. Hitchcock, pastor.
ITTSFORD, a northern central town, in lat. 43° 43' and long. 4º 2' east from Washington, is bounded north by Brandon, east by Chittenden, south by Rutland and west by Hubbardton and a small part of Ira, con- taining an area of about thirty-six square miles, originally granted to Ephraim Doolittle and sixty-three others, by Benning Wentworth, on the 12th of Octo- ber, 1761, the charter containing the usual reservations common to all the Wentworth grants. The name was derived from a ford on Otter Creek, named in honor of William Pitt, then prime minister of England.
The surface, in the central part of the town, along the valley of Otter Creek, is level and quite productive, containing many beautiful farms; while the eastern and western portions are hilly and less fertile, though containing much good grazing land. The territory is watered by Otter Creek, which flows through the central part of the town from south to north, having many tribu- taries, of which Furnace Brook is the largest. Along these streams are mead- ows of rich alluvial soil, while that in other parts of the town is generally loam, with some tracts which are sandy, and some of clay. The rocks are principally of the eolian limestone deposit, containing some excellent quarries of marble. Iron ore is abundant, and manganese is found in some locali- ties. The timber is oak, pine, maple, beech, birch, elm, walnut, poplar &c., and lumbering is carried on to some extent, while from the maple large quantities of sugar are manufactured each year. The Central Vermont Rail- road passes through the middle of the town from north to south.
In 1880 Pittsford had a population of 1,983, was divided into fourteen school districts and contained fourteen common schools, employing two male and twenty female teachers, at an aggregate salary of $2,132.80. There were 286 pupils attending, and the entire cost of the schools for the year ending Oct. 3Ist, was $2,424.44, with Mr. Isaac H. Hall, superintendent.
PITTSFORD, a post village, beautifully located a little east of the center of the town, is composed of three sections, locally known as Pittsford, Hitch- cockville and Pittsford Mills, which once were separate settlements, but as they increased in size, gradually approached until they united. It contains four churches, several mercantile and manufacturing interests, a number of fine residences and a good hotel ; nearly a mile west of the village is a sta- tion of the C. V. Railroad.
F. W. Smith & Co's marble quarry is located in the western part of the town, about three quarters of a mile from the C. V. R. R., with which it is connected by a branch track. The deposit of marble at this place is of ex- cellent quality, the belt being from 400 to 600 feet in width and a mile and a
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half in length. The quarry is 100 by 400 feet, and in its first year, 1880, produced and exported upwards of 26,000 cubic feet of sound marble. The stock of this belt or deposit having been quite extensively used for the last twenty years, is rapidly growing in popularity, the company now giving em- ployment to seventy-five men, running five steam stone cutting machines, and producing marble at the rate of about 100,000 cubic feet per year, which amount they expect to exceed in the future.
The property of the old Central Vermont Marble Co., located on the farm occupied by Geo. H. Osborn, has not been worked for the last five years, but is now under prospect of reorganization.
J. B. Franklyn's pulp and paper-mill, located at Pittsford Mills, is operated by water-power, and employs from 12 to 20 men, manufacturing two tons of pulp and paper daily.
J. H. Peabody's sheepskin moccasin, mitten and glove manufactory, located at Pittsford, was established in 1860, and for a long time was the only manu- factory of the kind in the county. He is now doing a large business.
Wm. B. Sargent's wagon-shop, located on road 45, is operated by water- power, and employs four men. He has also a custom grist-mill in connection with the shop.
The Titan Furnace, located on road 15, owned and operated by Naylor & Co., of Boston, Mass., is run by both steam and water-power, and engaged in the manufacture of pig-iron. It employs 21 men, consumes 1,200 bushels of coal, producing ten tons of iron per day.
Edson's saw-mill, located at East Pittsford, was originally built in 1797, and is now owned by W. E. Edson, who manufactures here about 100,000 feet of lumber per annum.
About eight years after the granting of Pittsford, 1769, the first settlement was commenced by Gideon and Benjamin Cooley, from Greenwich, Mass., who were soon after joined by Roger Stevens, Felix Powell, Ebenezer Hop- kins, Stephen Mead, Moses Olmsted, Edward Owen, Joshua Woodward and others, from Massachusetts and Connecticut, so that at the time of the Rev- olutionary war there were over thirty families settled in the town, and at the time of the first call upon Pittsford for troops, there were within the limits of the town 38 families and about 195 inhabitants. But few of the men entered the regular service of the United States, but formed themselves into an inde- pendent company, numbering some forty members, which was frequently called out on occasions of alarm. Pittsford being a frontier town was partic- ularly exposed to attack by the British and Indians, the latter having in some instances attacked families whom they either killed or carried into captivity, so the inhabitants at an early date took measures to protect themselves as much as possible. Accordingly, in 1777, a fort was constructed on the east bank of Otter Creek, called Fort Mott, in honor of John Mott, who frequent- ly acted as commander. This fort, however, proved insufficient security for the people, so in 1779 they determined to build another of superior strength.
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TOWN OF PITTSFORD.
The site was selected about a mile north-east of Fort Mott, and the fort com- pleted in June, 1780, and kept garrisoned until the close of the war. Soon after its completion, it was christened "Fort Vengeance," in record of a vow made by the inmates against the Indians for killing one of their number, Caleb Houghton.
The fort at Centre Rutland was made the principal depot of supplies for the troops in this section of the State, and from which the ammunition and provisions were conveyed to the forts at East Rutland, Castleton and Pitts- ford, as they were needed. But it was found inconvenient to get supplies at Pittsford, on account of there being no bridge across Otter Creek at this place. Accordingly the General Assembly passed an act in 1780, that one should be built, which was done, being the first bridge erected over Otter Creek in the township, and stood near the present Gorham bridge, being built under the superintendence of Benjamin Cooley. In 1785 this was fol- lowed by another bridge, just below the former, and was called the " Mead bridge."
The first grist mill was erected in 1772, by Samuel Crippen ; previous to this the settlers had been obliged to carry their grain to Bennington and Charlestown to get it ground, a distance of about sixty miles. The most popular mode of grinding, however, had been that of crushing the grain in a mortar in the Indian style. The second grist mill was built at the mouth of Stevens' Brook, in 1774, or early in 1775, by Roger Stevens, Jr. The third was built in 1783, on Furnace Brook, by Elder Elisha Rich. The first saw-mill was built about the year 1774, by Jonathan Fas- sett, and was located on Mill Brook. In the year 1800, Amos Weller and Anthony Butler built a saw mill on the brook near Mr. Butler's house, and during the same year mills were erected by Stephen Jenner, David Cross, and Benjamin and Caleb Cooley. The first fulling mill and works for dressing cloth were erected by Noel Avery, in 1796, located on Ripley Brook, some twenty-five rods above its entrance into Fur- nace Brook. The first tannery was carried on by Nathaniel Kingsley, who was located in school district No. 2, in 1785.
A furnace for smelting iron ore was erected in the town upon the present site of the furnace in Furnace village, by Israel Keith, from Easton, Mass., in 1791, the ore being mostly brought from Chittenden, a distance of two miles, and yielded a fair per cent. of good iron, which found a ready sale. The present furnace has passed through a number of hands, and a portion of the time been closed, until now it is operated by Naylor & Co., of Boston.
In 1827, a foundry was started by Cyrus Gibbs and John Cooley, located near the mouth of Ripley Brook, and was long known as the "Pocket Fur- nace." This was followed by another in 1829, built by Simeon Granger & Sons, near the blast furnace.
The first marble quarry in the town was opened by Jeremiah Sheldon, in 1795, and was subsequently sold to William Barnes in 1802. Most of the
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TOWN OF PITTSFORD.
marble used for monuments and building purposes at that early day was taken from this quarry.
The town records were accidentally destroyed by fire at an early date, so it is not known just at what time the town was organized, but probably about the year 1770, one year after the first settlement. According to the present records, Jonathan Fassett was the first Representative, serving during 1778, '83 and '84.
The first white child born in Pittsford was a daughter of Felix Powell, the exact date of her birth not being known, but probably about 1770. The child lived but a few weeks. The first male child was Alfred, son of Isaac and Elizabeth Buck, born March 28, 1771, who grew to manhood, became a useful citizen, and died May 23, 1842, leaving several children.
There was but one public house in the town before the Revolutionary war. This was kept by Samuel Waters, on the west side of the creek, near the military road. At what time it was opened for the accommodation of travel- ers cannot now be determined, though it was known as a public house in I774. Mr. Waters kept this house till about the time of Burgoyne's invasion, in 1777, when he fled with his family to Shaftsbury, where he afterwards died. The first public house after the war was kept by Dea. Caleb Hendee, on the site of Fort Vengeance. On his return from Clarendon, in 1782, he repaired his house, and the following year opened it as a tavern, and continued it as such until 1808, when it was closed to the public.
There are four burial grounds in the town. The first was laid out in 1785, though the proprietors intended the ground for burial purposes long before it was regularly laid out, as it was thus used almost from the first instances of mortality in the township. The inclosure contains two acres, and is located on the west side of the road, south-west of the Baptist meeting-house. It is not known whose remains were first interred, but the oldest there is any record of is that of Hannah, wife of Ebenezer Drury, who died December 12, 1777, in the 35th year of her age. There was a burial ground, at a very early day, on the west side of the creek, on land formerly owned by James Hopkins. It is situated on the east side of the road, some six or eight rods north of three fragments of a large boulder, which are conspicuously seen from the road. It was used for this purpose previous to 1785. The present cemetery, located a little east of the village, covers an area of about six acres, finely laid out and improved, until now it is a beautiful spot for burying the dead. It was dedicated on the 4th of July, 1857.
Gideon Cooley was born in the year 1737, and at the commencement of the French war enlisted as a soldier in the cause of his country, and during his service passed through this township several times, and each time became more and more impressed with its beauty and fertility, and after his term of enlistment was over, procured a right of Capt. Doolittle, free, providing he would settle upon it and make improvements. So in company with his brother, Benjamin, he came to Pittsford in May, 1767, made some improve-
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TOWN OF PITTSFORD.
ments and planted grain that year, and the year following brought his family, forming the first settlement of the township, where they resided many years ; several of their descendants are residents of the town now.
Roger Stevens came soon after Cooley, building a grist-mill at the mouth of Stevens' Brook, in 1774. At the breaking out of the war he espoused the cause of England, and his property was confiscated under the proscription act. After the war he settled in Canada, near the Rideau River, in which, some years later, he was drowned while shooting ducks. His wife did not long survive him.
Felix Powell settled here in 1770, and built a small house on land formerly owned by Isaac C. Wheaton, where he resided many years, his daughter being the first white child born in the township, as previously mentioned.
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James Hopkins came to Pittsford in the summer of 1769, and was so well pleased with the township that he purchased two rights of Felix Powell, a part of which he pitched on the east side of Otter Creek and a part on the west side ; early in the following spring he brought his family and began improvements upon his farm.
Richard M. Powers, from Greenwich, Mass., settled in Pittsford about 1800, on road 46, then known as the "Market Road," from the fact of its being the great highway to and from Troy, where he lived until he died. Mr. Powers was a farmer. He married Polly Carpenter, of Wilbraham, Mass., and raised thirteen children, seven boys and six girls. Seven of his children are now living. His youngest son, Artemus C., lives on the old homestead, near Sutherland Falls. A continuation of the Sutherland Falls marble de- posit extends across his land, one hundred and forty rods. Nicholas M., an- other son, lives in Clarendon, and is a bridge-builder of note. He and his son laid out the wood work of the Philadelphia & Baltimore Railroad bridge across the Susquehanna, at Havre-de-Grace, Md., and of many other important bridges.
Caleb Houghton, who was killed by an Indian, July 15, 1780, was the only man killed on Pittsford soil in the defence of his country. In 1873 a monument was erected to his memory by the citizens of Pittsford, bearing the following inscription :-
" Fort Vengeance, erected in 1780, stood here. Pittsford Company, 1778-Capt., Benjamin Cooley ; Lieut., Moses Olmsted; Ensign, James Hopkins ; Sergeants, Silas Mosher, David Crippen and Samuel Ellsworth; Clerk, John Barnes; Corporals, Jas. Stevens, Asahel Stevens, Aaron Parsons. Erected by the town of Pittsford, dedicated Aug. 28, 1873. Caleb Houghton, born at Bolton, Mass., 1780, member of Capt. Safford's Co., Major Allen's detachment, stationed at this fort, killed by an Indian one- half mile south, July 15, 1780. His re- mains removed here in Aug., 1873."
Pittsford Congregational Church, located at Pittsford, was organized by its first pastor, Eleazer Harwood, and fourteen others, on April 14, 1784, and
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TOWN OF POULTNEY.
was the first church organized in the town. Services were held in private houses until about the year 1790, when they were usually held in a school- house which stood a few rods south of the old Penfield house ; but when the town-house was completed in 1795, they were held in that building. The present building was commenced in 1835, and finished so that it was dedi- cated in July 18, 1837. In 1879-80 a commodious lecture room was built and a fine organ erected, at a total expense of $4,500.00, the structure now being capable of comfortably accommodating 600 persons. The society numbers 233 members, under the pastoral care of Rev. C. C. McIntire.
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