USA > Vermont > Rutland County > Gazetteer and business directory of Rutland county, Vt., for 1881-82 > Part 31
USA > Vermont > Rutland County > Gazetteer and business directory of Rutland county, Vt., for 1881-82 > Part 31
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The East Wallingford Baptist Church was organized March 3d, 1861, by Rev. Joseph Freeman, with a membership of twenty-nine. The church edifice was erected in 1860, at a cost of about $2,000, will comfortably seat 200 people, and is at present valued at $2,500. Rev. T. P. Kellog is the present pastor.
St. Patrick's Church, (Roman Catholic,) located at Wallingford, was organized in 1865 by Rev. C. Boylan. At its organization it consisted of 300 members, which has since increased to 600. The church edifice was erected in 1866, at a cost of $8,000, and will comfortably accommodate 350 people. Rev. T. J. Gaffney is the present pastor.
ELLS, situated in the south-west part, in lat. 43° 27', and long. 3 54 east from Washington, ranks in point of size as one of the smallest towns of the county. The township was originally laid out six miles square, containing 23,040 acres, an allowance of 1,040 acres free being made for "highways and unimprovable land by rocks, ponds, mountains and rivers." October 28, 1784, 6, 118 acres were taken from the north-east corner of the town toward the formation of Middletown, and October 31, 1798, nearly 4,000 acres more were taken from the north-west part and annexed to Poultney, leaving only 13,000 acres, which now comprise the town. Wells forms the southern boundary of Poultney and Middletown, while Tinmouth lies to the east, Pawlet to the south, and the State line forms its western boundary. It was chartered by Benning Wentworth, Governor of New Hampshire, Septem- ber 15, 1761, to Capt. Eliakim Hall and sixty-three others,-none of whom ever settled in the town,-they were mostly residents of Connecticut. In the original plan of the town there were seventy shares, or rights of land. A tract in the south-west corner, containing 500 acres, laid out and marked on the map "B. W." the record says, was for " His excellency Benning Went- worth, Esq.," and was accounted as two shares ; one share for the society for the propagation of the gospel in foreign parts ; one share for the "glebe for the church of England," one share for the first settled minister of the Gos- pel, one share for the benefit of a school in said town, and the remaining sixty-four shares to Capt. Hall and his sixty-three associates.
2564
TOWN OF WELLS.
'The western portion of Wells is moderately even and rolling; the eastern, rough and mountainous ; there are, however, good, rich farms lying in the valleys between the mountains. There are three quite considerable moun- ains extending across the entire eastern portion of the town from north to south ; they are, Pine Hill, Moose Horn and North-east Mountains, and all comparatively easy of ascent. St. Catherine Mountain, lying between Poult- ney and Wells, and Pond Mountain, in the centre of the town, are also high elevations. The territory is well watered by numerous streams, having sources among the springs on the mountain sides, and the scenery is made varied and picturesque by a number of ponds and lakes nestled between the mountains. Lake St. Catherine, or Lake Austin, lying partly in Poultney, and extending south to nearly the centre of Wells, is a beautiful little sheet of water, surrounded by mountains. It is nearly five miles in length, and about one in its greatest breadth, and covers an area of about 2,000 acres, lying in two parts, a lower and upper, connected by a channel about three-fourths of a mile in length and from three to eight rods in width; the lower portion, usually called Little Pond, is about three-fourths of a mile in length by one-half in breadth. The water is clear but shallow, abounds in fish and is a favorite resort for pleasure-seekers during the summer season. Lake St. Catherine House, a popular hotel, very pleasantly located in the midst of a hemlock grove at the south end of the lake, was originally built by Merritt Lewis in 1860, and rebuilt in 1867 by Charles W. Potter, who gave it its present name and was its landlord until 1878, when it was leased by Oliver Reynolds, and run by him until 1881, when, on April Ist, it was taken by the present owner and proprietor, Mr. Irving Wood.
The principal stream is the outlet of the lake, which flows a south-westerly course, emptying into Pawlet River. Wells Brook rises in Tinmouth, flows west through Wells and empties into the outlet of the lake. These are the largest streams, although there are numerous other small brooks and rivulets which serve to irrigate and enrich the soil.
Wells is not rich in minerals, but in the western portion of the town is an excellent quarry of building stone, and also a range on which is found both black and purple slate in great abundance. The soil is quite fertile and well adapted to grass and grain, the products of the dairy forming the principal wealth of the town. Lumber is quite an article of export, the timber being mostly beech, birch, maple, hemlock and spruce, with some balsam and black ash. Large quantities of maple-sugar are manufactured, much of which is sent to other localities not so well favored in this respect.
The population of the town in 1880 was 665, and during that year, ending October 31st, had seven school districts and six common schools, employing one male and nine female teachers, at an aggregate salary of $690.60. The number of pupils attending common schools was 152, and the total expense for school purposes was $769.18. The superintendent was Mr. Abisha X. Lewis.
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MOSS ENGCO N.Y.
LAKE AUSTIN KNITTING MILLS, WELLS, VT .- R. M. LEWIS, Proprietor.
$256
TOWN OF WELLS.
WELLS, a post village, located south-west of the center, the only settle- ment of any extent, contains three churches, one store, one blacksmith shop, one wagon shop and about 150 inhabitants. The store of Oliver R. Hopson and George Lewis was destroyed by fire at 8:30 A. M. of the 25th of February, 1881, the post office being at the time kept in the building. The store was rebuilt by Mr. Hopson and opened for business in about three months from the time of the fire.
The Lake Austin Knitting Mills are situated about half a mile west of the village, near the outlet. The site of the present mill was purchased by John Blossom about the year 1814, and a clothing works built thereon, which " dressed " cloth and carded wool for the farmers residing in the surrounding country. The wool, after carding, was taken home and spun, woven by hand, and then brought to this mill to be dressed into cloth and flannel for their family use. In the year 1819 Mr. Blossom sold the works to his brother Seth, who continued the business until the year 1823, when he sold the property to Henry Gray, who added machinery for making cloth, rude in structure, using hand looms only, but such as the country afforded at that time. Gray continued to manufacture cloth and do custom work until the year 1834, when he sold the property to Samuel Culver and Benjamin Lewis, the business being then carried on under the firm-name of Culver & Lewis, until 1843, when James Lamb bought Culver's interest, and the firm was changed to Lewis & Lamb, who added power-looms and other improved machinery which they continued to operate until the year 1848, when Wn). Goodrich purchased Lamb's interest, the new firm continuing about one year, when Goodrich sold out to Lewis, he continuing the business alone until 1866, when his son, R. M. Lewis, became associated with him under the firm-name of B. Lewis & Son. In 1873 the firm changed their business and engaged in the manufacture of knit underwear, shirts and drawers, since which time the mills have been known by their present name. The mill was leased to J. S. Wilcox during the years 1876, '77 and '78, but was under the management of R. M. Lewis, the present owner. The mill has been twice destroyed by fire, the first time about the year 1830, and again in 1853. The main building is 35x100 feet, two stories high, there also being connected with it a dye-house 23x30 feet, store-house 25x25, picker house 20x25, and wood-shed 20x40 feet, all built of wood and painted red. (See illustration opposite page.) The works employ about twelve persons, male and female, who manufacture twenty dozens of shirts and drawers per day, which are mostly sold in New York, the sales aggregating about $20,000 per annum.
Lewisville Cheese Factory, located on road 21, was built by Benjamin Lewis in 1875, and is now owned by Rodney M. Lewis, has twenty patrons and manufactures 85,000 pounds of cheese per annum.
Goodspeed's saw mill, located on Mill Brook, near road 23, was built by W. Goodspeed in 1840, and now manufactures about 500,000 feet of lumber annually.
2566
TOWN OF WELLS.
The Alfred Lewis Cheese Factory, located at East Wells, on road 25, was erected in 1871, has six patrons and manufactures 22,000 pounds of cheese per annum.
Wilder Lewis' saw mill was originally built over fifty years ago, by whom, it is, so far as we have learned, not known. It is situated at the outlet of Lake St. Catherine, and rebuilt in 1851 by Mr. Lewis, who at present manu- factures there about 200,000 feet of lumber per annum.
Goodrich's grist mill, located in the south-west part of the town, on the outlet of the lake, was erected by Roswell Goodrich in the year 1808. It is now owned by the estate of Haley Goodrich, has four runs of stones, and does mostly custom work.
The settlement of Wells was commenced by Ogden Mallory in 1768, and Daniel and Samuel Culver came into town in 1771, bringing their families the following year. The town was organized at a meeting held March 9, 1773, being the first town meeting ; Ogden Mallory was elected moderator, and John Ward, clerk. This meeting was adjourned till November Ist of the same year, when Ogden Mallory, Daniel Culver, Joseph Lawrence, Abner Howe and John Ward were chosen selectmen. The first listers were elected March 11, 1777, and were Ogden Mallory, Timothy Morse and Reuben Searles.
Most of the early settlers of this town came from Massachusetts and Con- necticut, and it is not difficult to trace in their descendants their Puritan origin, by their characteristics, to this day. They were a pious, industrious, honest people, possessed of an indomitable will; quick to decide and lasting in friendship, as is proven by an act of their town meeting held February 25, 1774, at which Abner Howe and Joseph Moss were appointed a committee to represent the town in a general meeting, held at Manchester, in March, 1774. The committees from the several towns being there assembled to con- sider " The despotic act of the New York Assembly, for the suppression and apprehension of the Bennington mob," and voted thereto, " that as a country we will stand by and defend our friends and neighbors who are indicted, at the expense of our lives and fortunes." It is to the credit of the people of the town of Wells, that they in every sense of the word kept their promise. It is hardly possible for the present generation, who are living in comparative luxury, to conceive of the vicissitudes through which their forefathers passed, nor to realize the obstacles they had to contend with in procuring food and clothing, and preparing homes for their families. Even some of the oldest inhabitants at the present time can remember when they had to go bare- footed a greater portion of the year, and wear home-made clothing at all times.
The first marriage in the town was that of Ebenezer Welton to Catharine Culver, on the 18th day of May, 1775. The first birth was that of Joseph Moss, son of Joseph and Esther, born September 8th, 1775.
The whipping-post was at one time in use in the town; the last victim was
1256
TOWN OF WELLS.
about 40 years of age, who for stealing, was sentenced by Justice Samuel Lathrop to receive ten lashes. The punishment was inflicted by the con- stable and took place in about the year 1807.
Ogden Mallory, the first settler in the town, died in 1811, aged 91 years, leaving four children. Daniel Culver, the next settler, coming here in 1771, was the first Representative of the town. He was born in 1748 and died in 1831.
Timothy Moss emigrated here from Farmington, Ct., in 1772, served in both the French and Revolutionary wars, dying in 1828, at the advanced age of 90 years.
Joshua Howe, from Wallingford, settled in 1873 on the farm now owned by his grandson, Joshua, and built the first grist-mill in town. He was re- markable most for a temper never known to be quickened under any circum- stances. When he raised his grist-mill, it is told, he stood holding a post, which, as the tennon entered the mortise, the post came down upon his toes, smashing them flat ; but, with unruffled countenance he turned to his son, remarking in his ordinary, deliberate and mild tones, "Joseph, I wish you would get the crow-bar and raise up this post. I would like to get my toes out from under it." Mr. Howe died in the year 1800.
Mathias and Joseph Button, father and son, settled here in 1785. Mathias afterwards married the widow of Joshua Howe. He was born in 1732 and died in 1811. Joseph died in 1826, aged 76 years.
Aaron Ives, from Wallingford, Ct., settled near Harvard Pond, in 1785, and died in 1801, aged 53. His only son, Aaron, Jr., was killed in Middle- town, in 1831, by the falling of a tree.
Joseph Lamb, from Norwich, Ct., and his wife Betty, settled on a hill in Wells, hence called Lamb Hill, in 1778. Mr. Lamb died in 1809, aged 73 ; his wife in 1852, aged 95.
Bethud Barden settled in Wells, on road 25, in the year 1816. Mr. Barden had five children by his wife Sarah, two of whom are now living; one in Rupert, and one, John, still resides on the old homestead, aged 74 years. He has represented his town in the Legislature six years, was door-keeper nine years, and has held nearly every office in the town.
During the war of 1861, Wells sent sixty men, and paid for bounties and other expenses incurred, $15,057.00. The bounties ranged from $100 each for the nine months men, up to $1,000 and $1,150 for the three years men.
It is not known at exactly what date the first school-house was built, but it was very early in the history of the town, as soon as there were children enough to form a school. The first school-houses were made of logs and warmed by fireplaces, the benches generally made of slabs, turned flat-side up, into which holes were bored and legs inserted. The first Sabbath-school was organized at East Wells in 1823, with Levi Lamnb superintendent. The same year a Sabbath-school was organized at the village and Levi Lewis ap- pointed superintendent. In May, 1789, ten acres of land were selected by a
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256
TOWN OF WESTHAVEN.
committee chosen for that purpose, and the town voted to build a church thereon, thirty-six feet in length, twenty feet in breadth, and a story and a half in height. This tract is situated on a rise of ground about midway be- tween the Pond bridge and Pond Mountain, and on the north side of the road. The church was built in 1790, but was never entirely finished. This was the first house erected in the town for public worship, and used in com- mon by all, and after having been abandoned as a church it was for many years used as a barn, and was finally blown down during a storm, on March 27, 1847. On the same tract of land with the meeting-house, was laid out, also, the first burial-ground, where lie buried many of the first settlers of the town.
The Universalist Church, located at Wells village, was erected in 1855, on the site occupied by the old church, built in 1821. Rev. Aaron Kinsman was the first settled minister, locating here in 1821. There is no resident pastor at present.
The Methodist Episcopal Church, located at Wells Corners, was organized about the year 1810, with Rev. Anthony Price as pastor. The first house of worship was erected in 1802, which was succeeded by the present edifice in 1842, which was built at a cost of $1,500, and will comfortably seat 200 per- sons. The present value of the church property is about $1,000. Rev. J. Phillips is at present pastor.
St. Paul's Church, (Episcopal), located at Wells village, was organized by Rev. P. Dyer, April 27, 1844. The building was erected in 1840, at a cost of $1,800, and will comfortably seat 150 persons. The property is at present valued at $2,000. Rev. E. J. Randall is at present pastor, with a member- ship of twenty-one.
ESTHAVEN, the most westerly town of Rutland County, is located in lat. 43" 36' and long. 3º 44' east from Washington, and is bounded north by Benson, east by Fairhaven, south by Poultney River, which separates it from Whitehall, N. Y., and west by Lake Champlain.
The surface of the township is quite uneven, several ridges of mountainous hills passing through different parts of the town, mostly in a north and south direction. The largest of these, called Ball Mountain, located in the south- ern part of the town, contains about 4000 acres of land, entirely worthless for purposes of cultivation. The country is watered by several small streams, the principal of which are Hubbardton River and Cogmen Creek. Hub- bardton River flows through the eastern part of the township and empties into East Bay, about one mile below Carver's Falls. Cogmen Creek rises in Root's Pond, in Benson, passing through the township about three miles west from Hubbardton River, also emptying into East Bay.
The soil varies, and taken as a whole is not much different from that of the adjoining towns, clay, perhaps, predominating. The timber is that common to all mountain districts of Vermont.
9256
TOWN OF WESTHAVEN.
In 1880 Westhaven had a population of 492 ; it was divided into seven school districts and had seven common schools, employing two male and six female teachers, at an aggregate salary of $807.50. There were ninety-four pupils attending common school, and the whole cost of the schools for the year ending October 31st, was $1,031.13. S. R. Hitchcock was superinten- dent.
WESTHAVEN, (p. o.) a hamlet located in the central part of the township, contains a church, one store and post-office, one blacksmith shop and about eight dwellings.
Hunt's Cheese Factory, located on road 23, was built in 1875. It now uses the milk from 140 cows, from which is manufactured 40,000 lbs. of cheese per annum.
J. & H. Adams & Co's boat-yard, located on East Bay, was established about thirty years ago. They manufacture from one to six canal boats annually, employing from five to twenty-three men.
J. P. Hunt's saw-mill, spoke and ax helve manufactory, located on Hub- bardton River, near road 12, manufactures about 75,000 feet of lumber, 500 sets of spokes and 200 dozen ax-helves annually.
Westhaven was originally included within the limits of the township of Fairhaven, chartered by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont on the 27th day of October, A. D, 1779. By an Act of the Legislature ap- proved October 20, 1792, the township was divided and formed into two townships, the eastern part retaining the name of Fairhaven, and the west taking the name of Westhaven. The name, Westhaven, was adopted by the inhabitants of Fairhaven at a town meeting held March 27, 1792, and for the reason, without doubt, that it was the west part of the original town. The question of the division of the township appears to have been agitated a great deal by the early settlers, and they were not entirely har- monious on the subject of the dividing line between the two towns. Twenty of the citizens of the town, residing between Muddy Brook and Hubbardton River, in the central part of the township, remonstrated against the division. The town of Westhaven took about three-fifths of the area of the original township, leaving to Fairhaven the remaining two-fifths. The two towns were jointly to elect one Representative to the General Assembly. This they continued to do until the annual election in 1823, when separate elec- tions were held. Previous to this time, the annual Freemen's meetings were held, sometimes at the school-house near Mr. Minot's, in Westhaven, and at other times at the school-house near Mr. Stannard's, in Fairhaven, the people of both towns meeting together and having at times a good deal of sectional feeling in regard to their affairs.
The settlement of the present town of Westhaven was not begun to any extent until the year 1783. Previous to this, and it is believed before the chartering of the township, Benoni Hulbert had made a claim and com- menced some small improvements near the intersection of Hubbardton and
25610
TOWN OF WESTHAVEN.
Poultney rivers ; but it is not known that he became a resident of the town- ship until the year 1781. How long he remained in the town is not known. It was but a few years at most.
In 1782 Beriah Mitchell, of Woodbury, Conn., began some improvements in the township, where he continued to reside until 1786, when he returned to Connecticut.
Early in the year 1783 Capt. Eleazer Dudley and family, and Abijah Peet, also from Woodbury, settled in the township and began the work of clearing a farm, a little west of where Nathaniel Fish lately resided. Wm. Dudley was the first town clerk of Fairhaven and was interested in several proprietory shares in the township. In 1788 he sold his interest to Dr. Simeon Smith and removed from the town. John Howes, also from Woodbury, Elijah Tryon, of Granville, Mass., John and Henry Cramer and others, came the same year. In 1784 Hiram Barlow, an early settler of Tinmouth, and Cornelius Bronson, of Woodbury, came. In 1786 Benjamin and Cooley Weller, and Benjamin Chippann, settled on the west side of Ball Mountain, on what has since been known as the "Benjamin farm." During this year, James McCottin, from Pennsylvania, came into town and erected the first grist-mill, near where Michael Blake now resides. The first saw-mill was erected in 1785, on the lower fall on Hubbardton River, since known as " The Hunt Mill."
Dr. Simeon Smith, from Sharon, Conn., came to Westhaven in 1787, locating on the premises first settled by Capt. Dudley. Dr. Smith had been a druggist and trader in Connecticut, was a physician by profession and had been compelled by business misfortunes to leave Connecticut and seek his fortune in another country. He became at once the leading and most prom- inent business man in the vicinity, and at his death, February 27th, 1804, he bequeathed the town $1,000, which was to be kept at compound interest at six per cent. for a term of sixty years, at the expiration of which time the accruing interest of the accumulated fund should be appropriated to the schooling of youth, to have one good grammar school kept in Westhaven, the overplus to be used for the benefit of other schools and the support of Gospel ministry, and if any over, for the support of the poor and needy in said town. The subsequent accruing interest became available after July 13th, 1868, and at that time the fund amounted to $22,996.69. Had it not been for an early loss of $100.00 of principal, and loss of interest while wait- ing for investments, the sum would have reached nearer its possible earnings, $32,987.69.
About 1790 the first store was started, located on the knoll north-east of where J. G. Briggs now resides, Smith & Woodward, proprietors ; the busi- ness was afterwards carried on at the same place by Charles Rice and Bohan Shepard, and later by Shipherd, Rice and Higgins. Another store was kept near where Mrs. Adaline Hitchcock now resides, by Lemuel Hyde and John Bronson. The firm was dissolved prior to 1800, and the business continued
"256
TOWN OF WESTHAVEN.
at the same place by John Van Allen, and perhaps others, for a few years, and then discontinued. A carding machine and clothing works were estab- lished by Erastus Coleman, on the upper falls of Hubbardton River, about the year 1802, and continued for about thirty years, when he erected a woolen factory on the same ground and continued in the manufacture of woolen cloth until 1844, since which time the building has been taken down and all business discontinued at that place.
Oliver Church, from New Marlboro, Mass., purchased, June 30, 1780, of Samuel Allen, of Tinmouth, the right of Nathan Clark in the town of Fairhaven. He did not become an inhabitant of the town until about ten years afterwards. In 1801 he removed to the farm first settled by Hiram Barlow, and continued his residence there until his death, in 1826. In the year 1800 he married Lucy Barker, who survived him a number of years, dying in 1859, aged 76. Of their large family there are now living, Mrs. Calista Adum, in Westhaven, Mrs. Lucy Tyler, in Portland, N. Y., and Oliver Church, in Pike, N. Y. During all the period that he resided in the town, Esquire Church, as he was called, was a prominent and influential citizen. He represented the towns of Westhaven and Fairhaven in the Legislature of the State, in the years 1803, 1806, 1807, 1810, 1811 and 1819. He held the office of justice of the peace for many years, and pos- sessed the confidence of the people of the town in a remarkable degree, doing almost all the conveyancing and justice business for many years.
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