USA > Vermont > Rutland County > Gazetteer and business directory of Rutland county, Vt., for 1881-82 > Part 29
USA > Vermont > Rutland County > Gazetteer and business directory of Rutland county, Vt., for 1881-82 > Part 29
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68
During the late war, Mr. Griffin was a recruiting-officer for this town, the enlisted men being assigned to different companies and regiments. One, Alva Allen, from this town, suffered for a long time at Libby Prison, and when at last released, his life was despaired of by the physicians ; but he ulti- mately recovered and is now a resident of the township.
Peter Reynolds was one of the early settlers, having come into the town by the way of Otter Creek, traveling on the ice, and built a tent on the line between Brandon and Sudbury, subsequently settling in Brandon ; but the high water the next spring drove him out, and he crossed the creek on a raft and settled in Sudbury, where he was justice of the peace many years, and held several other town offices.
John C. Sawyer was born in Brandon, January 17, 1800. When he was four years of age he was adopted by David Layton, of Sudbury, and has re- sided in this town ever since. Mr. Layton, his foster father, settled on road 4, corner of 5, upon the farm originally settled by one David Smith. Mr. Layton, dying without issue, the property reverted to Mr. Sawyer. Mr. Saw- yer was twice married, having by his first wife, Lois Rhodes, of Stafford, Vt.,
243
TOWN OF SUDBURY.
one son, David Layton Sawyer. For his second wife he married the widow of Charles Rhodes, of Sudbury, who was an uncle to Stephen A. Douglass. David Layton operated a tannery, manufactured potash, and was a hatter, located on road 4, a little north of the "Sawyer Stand," which was at that time a place of some considerable note, it being the "half-way house " from Brandon to Orwell, and a station on the old stage-road from Vergennes to Whitehall, and from Rutland to Lake Champlain, all the goods from the iron-works of Brandon and Pittsford being transported over it to the Lake.
Thomas Ketcham, born February 8, 1748, died May 19, 1834, aged 86 years. He immigrated from Dutchess County, N. Y., to Sudbury at a very early date in the history of the township, and was the father of twelve children. Maj. Barnard Ketcham, son of Thomas, located on road 1, corner road 2, where he married a daughter of Aaron Jackson. The Major was one of the most prominent men in the township, having held offices of various ranks, both civil and military, and at the time of his death was one of the most wealthy men in the township. The descendants of Thomas Ketcham are very numerous, and scattered in various parts of the State and country.
Aaron Jackson was also one of the earliest settlers, having located on road 1. It is claimed he built the first frame house in town, the lumber being rafted from Sutherland Falls to Miller's Bridge, in this town, from whence it was conveyed through the wilderness, the way being traced by the means of marked trees. He also had the first oven in town, wherein was baked the first loaf of bread made from wheat grown in the township, and is also accredited with manufacturing the first cheese. At the age of sixteen, together with his father and a younger brother, he entered the Continental army, being present at the battle of Bunker Hill, where he received a sun- stroke, from which he never fully recovered. He died in Sudbury at the early age of 44. John Jackson and Judge Joseph Warren were proprietors of the first store kept in the town, which was located on the site of the pres- ent store kept by N. F. Bucklin.
Capt. Pearse was an early settler, having located on the farm now owned by M. H. Landon, his old log house having stood just back of where the barn now stands. He also built the house now occupied by Smith Germond, and is the one in which Pearse's death occurred.
Charles Young came from Athal, Mass., settling in Sudbury about the year 1805, upon the farm now owned by his son. Simeon Young located on road 33, where he resided until his death, which occurred on December 30, 1863, aged 75 years.
Timothy Miller came to Sudbury from Massachusetts in 1771, settling on the land now owned by Andrew Steele; but afterwards located at the west end of what is now known as Miller's Bridge, where he built a log house in which he resided three years, when the Indians became so troublesome he was again obliged to move, and did not return until after the Revolution.
244
TOWN OF SUDBURY.
He was a very public spirited man, and was justice of the peace a number of years, dying in 1825, aged 75 years.
Isaac Huff, born in 1744, came to Sudbury from Nine Partners, N. Y., in 1790, and rented a place on road 22, where Steele's cider mill now stands, at which place he remained one year. During that time he cleared enough land on road 20, upon which to build a log house. In this house he dwelt until 1812, when he erected a frame house in the same vicinity, which is now occupied by his grandsons, Benj. F. and John Huff. He died in 1821, aged 77 years, leaving six children as follows :- Israel, Lawrence, James and Ellis, and two daughters, Susan and Rebecca, most of whom removed to the West. James remained on the old homestead which is now occupied by his sons. The old farm house has undergone no change of any account, and is now a very comfortable structure. At the time Isaac came here there were no roads in the township, he having to travel through the forest, finding his way by means of marked trees. James lived to the age of 73 years and II months, marrying for his first wife, Lucy Reynolds, unto whom was born one daughter, (now Clark Morton's wife,) and three sons, Andrew J., Benj. F. and John.
Gideon Morton was born in Orwell, Addison County, in 1789, and died in Sudbury, April 2, 1870, aged 83. He purchased the farm now owned by Solon Bresee, located on road 31, early in the present century, upon which he resided until 1843, when he removed to road 20, where his son, Benjamin L., now resides. Mr. M. was a physician by profession, and at his death left three daughters and two sons.
Reuben Allen settled on road 25 at an early date, where he resided until his death at an advanced age. At the time of the battle of Plattsburgh, during the war of 1812, although Reuben was much too old for military duty, he shouldered his gun and started for the scene of strife.
Dea. Eli Roys settled on road 19, where C. C. Selleck now resides, in 1790. He was a noted trapper and hunter, and once caught a wolf on the spot where the Sudbury meeting-house now stands.
On the land owned by Marcellus Landon, there was a signal post estab- lished in 1879, although no observations have yet been made. It is the highest point of land in the township, and affords a magnificent view of the surrounding country. From here can be seen Lake Champlain, Ticonderoga, Crown Point, Fort Henry, Middlebury, Brandon, and the line of the Green Mountains, as well as many other points of interest.
On road 25, near road 21, there is a cemetery beautifully located, where are buried the remains of many of the early settlers, also containing a very fine tomb, erected by Nathaniel Jackson. On the gravestones can be seen the names of Benoni Griffin, Elias Ketcham, Noah Merritt, Zebediah John- son, Asahel, Joseph and Abijah Williams, and some of the Landons.
On the Ist of April, 1881, about ten o'clock in the evening, Mr. James K. Foster's house, located on road 5, corner of road 6, burned to the ground,
245
TOWN OF TINMOUTH.
making the fifth time he had suffered in this manner during a period of seven years.
In district No. 2, there was a brick building erected to be used both as a church and school-house, being the first school building erected in the town- ship. The upper part of the building was built at the expense of Barnard Ketcham, David Layton and Enoch Smith, while the lower part was built by the district.
The First Congregational Church, located at Sudbury hamlet, was organ- ized in 1803, and had for its first pastor Silas Persons. The church building was erected in 1807, the land, consisting of about two acres, being donated by Apollos Rollo. The upper part is now used for church services, and the lower part as a town hall. It is valued at about $1,500. The society has no settled pastor at present.
-
-
Guwiru INMOUTH lies in the southern part of the county, in lat. 43° 27' and long. 4° 2' east from Washington, and is bounded north by Clarendon and Ira, east by Wallingford, south by Danby, and west by Wells and Middletown. It was chartered by the Governor of New Hampshire, Sept. 15th, 1761, to Joseph Hooker and others. The following is an extract copy of the charter-deed, which we insert for the reason that it is about the form used in chartering all the towns, and may be an object of interest to many :--
" PROVINCE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE, GEORGE THE THIRD,
By the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, &c.
TO ALL PERSONS TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME : GREETING :
" KNOW YE, That we of our special grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion for the due encouragement of settling a new Plantation within our said Province, by and with the advice of our trusty and well-beloved Benning Wentworth, Esq., our Governor and Commander of our said Province of New Hampshire in New England, and of our Council of the said province, have upon the conditions and reservations hereinafter made, given and granted, and by these Presents for us, our Heirs, and successors, do give and grant in equal shares, unto our Loving Subjects, Inhabitants of our said Province of New Hampshire and our other Governments, and to their Heirs and assignees forever, whose names are entered on this grant, to be divided to and among them into seventy equal shares ; all that tract or Parcel of land, situate Lying and being within our said Province of New Hampshire, con- taining by a measurement twenty-three Thousand and forty acres, which tract is to contain six miles square and no more, out of which an allowance is to be made for High Ways and unimprovable Lands by Rocks, Ponds, Mountains and Rivers, One Thousand and forty acres free, according to a plan and survey thereof, made by our said Governor's orders and returned into the secretary's office, and hereunto annexed, butted, and bounded as follows :-
" Beginning at the North-East corner of Pawlet and running from thence due east six miles, from thence Turning off at Right Angles and running due
246
TOWN OF TINMOUTH.
South six miles to the North East Corner of Danby, thence running due West by Danby six miles to the north-west corner thereof, Being the Bounds began at. And that the same be, and hereby is incorporated into a Town- ship by the name of Tinmouth and the Inhabitants that do or shall hereafter inhabit the said Township, are hereby declared to be enfranchised with and Entitled to every and all the Privileges and Immunities that other Towns within our Province by law exercise and enjoy : And further, that the said Town as soon as there shall be fifty families resident and settled thereon, have the Liberty of holding two fairs, one of which shall be held on the
And the other on the annually, which Fairs are not to con-
tinue longer than the respective -
following the said --- and that as
soon as the said Town shall consist of Fifty Families a market may be opened and kept one or more days in each week, as may be thought most advan- tageous to the inhabitants. Also that the first meeting for the choice of Town Officers, Agreeable to the laws of our said Province shall be held on the Second Monday of October next, which said meeting shall be notified by Jared Lee, Esq., who is hereby also appointed the Moderator of the said first meeting which he is to notify and govern agreeable to the laws and Customs of our said Province ; and that the annual meeting forever hereafter for the choice of such offices for the said town, shall be on the Second Tuesday in March annually. To HAVE and to HOLD the said tract of land as above expressed, together with all Privileges and Appurtenances, to them and their respective Heirs and Assigns forever upon the following conditions, viz :-
"I. That every Grantee, his Heirs or Assigns, shall plant and cultivate five acres of land within the term of five years for every fifty acres contained in his or their share or proportion of land in said township, and continue to improve and settle the same by Additional Cultivations, on Penalty of the forfeiture of his grant or share in the said township, and of its reverting to us, our Heirs and successors to be by us or them Regranted to such of our subjects as shall effectually settle and cultivate the same.
"II. That all white and other Pine trees within the said township fit for Masting our Royal Navy, be carefully preserved for that use, and none to be cut or felled without our Special License for so doing first had and obtained, upon penalty of the forfeiture of the right of such Grantee, his Heirs and Assigns, to us, our Heirs and successors, as well as being subject to the penalty of any such act or acts of Parliament that now are or hereafter shall be enacted.
"III, That before any division of the land be made to and among the Grantees, a tract of land near the centre of said Township as the land will admit of, shall be reserved and marked for Town lots, one of which shall be allowed to each Grantee of the contents of one acre ;
"IV. Yielding and paying therefor to us, our Heirs and successors for the space of ten years, to be computed from the date hereof, the Rent of one ear of Indian corn annually, if lawfully demanded, the first payment to be made on the Twenty Fifth day of December, 1762.
"V. Every proprietor, settler, and inhabitant shall yield and pay unto us, our Heirs and successors yearly, and every year forever, from and after the expiration of ten years from the aforesaid 25th day of December-namely, on the 25th day of December, which will be in the year of our Lord 1772, one shilling proclamation money for every hundred acres he so owns, settles or possesses, and so in proportion for a greater or lesser tract of the said land, which money shall be paid by the respective persons above said, their Heirs or Assigns in our Council Chamber in Portsmouth, or to such officers as
247
TOWN OF TINMOUTH.
shall be appointed to receive the same, and be in lieu of all other rents and services whatsoever. In testimony whereof we have caused the seal of our said Province to be hereunto affixed.
" Witness, BENNING WENTWORTH, EsQ., our Governor and Com- mander-in-Chief of our said Province, the fifteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord CHRIST, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty-one, and in the first year of our Reign.
B. WENTWORTH.
" By His EXCELLENCY'S
Command with Advice
of Council.
THEODORE I. ATKINSON, Secretary."
The township was granted in seventy shares, with the following five shares reserved : "One tract to contain 500 acres, marked on the map B. W., for His Excellency, Benning Wentworth, Esq." One share for the incorporated society for the "Propagation of the Gospel in foreign parts," one share for a glebe for the Church of England, one share for the first settled min- ister, and one share for the benefit of schools in said town. A part of the township was taken off in forming Middletown in 1784, and a part given to Wallingford in 1793, so that the township now contains only about 17,280 acres, or about three-fourths of its original area. Although the charter says that the first town meeting shall be held in 1762, it was not obeyed, and the town was not organized until March 8, 1774, at which meeting Charles Brewster was chosen town clerk.
The surface of Tinmouth is rather broken and mountainous. Extending across the whole length of the town from north to south, is a range of moun- tains which forms a natural division into "East" and " West Town." In the east part of the town this range is called West Mountain, while in the western part it is called East Mountain. West of this range is a fertile val- ley, affording fine farming and grazing land, while to the east of it lies the valley of the Tinmouth River, which is very fertile. This is the principal stream of the town, rising in a little lakelet, called Tinmouth Pond, in the south-eastern part of the township, and flows a northerly course through Clarendon and unites with Otter Creek in Rutland. There are numerous streams throughout the town that have their sources among the mountain- springs, but none of them of much importance except to irrigate the soil. In the east part of the town there are found considerable deposits of iron ore and some good grades of marble, but they cannot be practically worked on account of their distance from a railroad. There was a furnace located here at one time for smelting the ore, but was abandoned in 1837.
The timber of the town is mostly beech, birch, maple and white ash, with some spruce, cedar, etc. The soil is varied between slate, loam and cobble. In the western part farming is the principal pursuit, while in the eastern dairying exceeds the grain-growing interests. Nearly all the inhabitants are in comfortable circumstances, and many wealthy; there being but very few poor people in the town. Maple sugar and products of the dairy form the
248
TOWN OF TINMOUTH.
principal exports. In 1880 Tinmouth had a population of 532, and was divided into seven school districts and had six common schools, employing four male and eleven female teachers, at an aggregate salary of $731.38. There were 120 pupils attending common schools, and the total cost of the schools for the year ending October 31st, was $806.29. Mr. Clark Norton was superintendent.
TINMOUTH (p. o.) is a hamlet, near the centre of the town, and contains one store ; the mail leaving and returning by the way of Wallingford, three times each week, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
H. Clark's cheese factory, located in the south-west part of the town, on road 33, was built in 1867. Mr. Clark employs two men, uses the milk from 200 cows, and manufactures 60,000 pounds of cheese per annum.
Union Cheese Factory, located in West Tinmouth, on road 13, is operated by a stock company. They use the milk of 250 cows and manufacture 60,000 pounds of cheese per annum.
Packard's saw and grist-mill is located near the centre of the town, on road 19. The grist-mill has one run of stones, and the saw-mill one circular saw, which cuts five to eight thousand feet of lumber per day. Mr. Packard does mostly custom work in both mills.
Cold Spring Cheese Factory, located one-half mile east of the centre of the town, on road 19, was organized in 1873 by a stock company, with $2,450 capital. It uses the milk from 400 cows and manufactures 100,000 pounds of cheese per annumn.
Hoadley's saw and grist-mill, located about one mile south of the centre part of the town, on road 22, operates one run of stones and one saw, doing only custom-work.
Maranville's saw mill, located in the north-west part of the town, on road 1 I, is a custom-mill, and uses only one saw.
Eureka Cheese Factory, located in the north-east part of the town, on road 7, was built in 1875 by a stock company. It uses the milk of 230 cows and manufactures 65,000 pounds of cheese per annum.
Valentine Cheese Factory, located in the eastern part of the town, owned by Linus E. and Edmund Valentine, was built in 1875, and uses the milk from eighty cows.
Stinehour's saw and grist-mill, located near the centre of the town, owned by Nelson Stinehour, has one run of stones and the capacity for cutting 2,000 to 3,000 feet of lumber per day.
West Tinmouth Cheese Factory, located in the south-western part of the town, owned and operated by Elkanah Parris, uses the milk from 175 Cows per year.
Many of the first settlers of Tinmouth came from Salisbury, Conn. Just at what date they came we are unable to state, but probably not long after 1761, when the town was chartered. At the first settlement a number of fam- ilies came simultaneously, so there is no particular family that can claim the
249
TOWN OF TINMOUTH.
honor of having the first inhabitant as an ancestor. Among these families were those of Charles Brewster, John Spofford, John McNeal, John Trim, Samuel Chipman, James Adams and Benjamin Chandler. At the first town meeting, John McNeal was chosen moderator ; Charles Brewster, clerk; and these two, with James Adams, selectmen. A short time after this, Ebenezer Allen and Stephen Royce came into the town, and were subsequently ap- pointed delegates from Tinmouth to the first convention that was assembled to declare the New Hampshire Grants an independent State, and which was held in Dorset, at the house of Cephas Kent, July 24, 1776. Ebenezer Allen and Chas. Brewster were delegates to the convention that assembled at Windsor in July, 1777, and adopted the Constitution of Vermont. About 1778, Elihu Clark, Jonathan Bell, Thomas Porter, Obadiah Noble, Samuel Mattocks and Ebenezer Marvin moved into the town. Charles Brewster was the first Representative sent to the Legislature. He was also appointed a judge of the Special Court which was created for. the Rutland shire of Bennington County, before Rutland County was organized. Col. John Spofford was a member of the convention that shaped the Consti tution of the U. S. preparatory to admitting Vermont into the Union. Ben- jamin Chandler was killed at the Battle of Bennington, the only one from Tinmouth killed at that battle. On the 17th of February, 1777, the inhabitants of Tinmouth held a meeting at which was "voted not to raise money towards paying Seth Warner's regiment." This led to the following oath of allegiance being imposed upon the town :-
"You each of you swear, by the living God, that you believe for your- selves, that the King of Great Britain hath not any right to command, or authority in or over the States of America, and that you do not hold your- selves bound to yield any allegiance or obedience to him within the same, and that you will, to the utmost of your power, maintain and defend the freedom, independence and privileges of the United States of America, against all open enemies, or traitors, or conspirators whatsoever ; so help you God."
In the same year John Irish was shot by the Revolutionary soldiers Elisha Clark, John Train and Mr Cleff, he having been suspected by them of being a Tory and spy. He was buried in the north-east part of the town.
At the surrender of Ticonderoga to the British, on the Ist of July, 1777, a greater part of the inhabitants of Tinmouth moved into Arlington, Shafts- bury and Bennington, and indeed to any place where they could find safety, returning again, most of them, when Burgoyne left this section.
The first marriage that is recorded in the record of marriages is that of Daniel Burr and Flora Warrenner, July 9, 1804. The first birth was that of Hannah, daughter of Rachel and Solomon Bingham, born July 8, 1774. The first death was that of an infant of Thomas and - Peak, in 1770.
At the organization of Rutland County, in 1781, Tinmouth was selected as the county seat, which dignity it retained until 1784 ; after this the courts were held at Rutland. The first State treasury was also located here, at the residence of the treasurer, Mr. Mattocks. The room used for this purpose
250
TOWN OF TINMOUTH.
is twenty feet long and six feet wide, lighted by two windows. It is still in a good state of preservation. The building is located in the north-east part of the town, on road 7, and is now owned and occupied by Mr. J. H. Round.
Nathaniel Chipman was born in Salisbury, Conn., Nov. 15, 1752, and his father removed to Tinmouth among the first settlers. Nathaniel was edu- cated at New Haven, and admitted to the Bar in Connecticut some time during March, 1779. He was married in March, 1781, and went immediately into possession of his father's farm in Tinmouth, where he built a forge for the manufacture of bar iron, but finally sold out to his brother, Darius, and removed to Rutland, where he resided until 1803, when he rebought the Tinmouth farm, where he resided until his death, Feb. 15, 1843. He represented the town of Tinmouth in the Legislature eight years, was two years judge of the District Court, six years judge of the Supreme Court of this State, and six years a senator in Congress. Judge Chipman, as a jurist, was not surpassed by any of his contemporaries. He lived to the age of 90, his mind strong and vigorous to the last. On Oct. 3, 1873, a monument was dedicated to his memory, furnished by the State of Vermont. The monu- ment is 22 feet high from bottom of base to top of shaft, the base being of white and the column of clouded marble. It stands on a commanding eminence, about one-half mile east of the hamlet, and is surrounded by a handsome iron fence. It bears the following inscription :-
" State of Vermont, to NATHANIEL CHIPMAN, Born in Salisbury, Conn., November 15, 1752. Died in Tinmouth, Vt., February 15th, 1843. A principal founder of the civil institutions of this State, and framer of its fundamental laws. Eminent as a Lawyer, Judge, Legislator and Statesman, for his ability, learning and fidelity, and as a citizen for his purity of life. Graduated at Yale College, 1777. An officer in the war of the Revolution.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.