USA > Vermont > Windham County > Gazetteer and business directory of Windham county, Vt., 1724-1884 > Part 18
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Leavitt R. Sargent was born in Dummerston, Vt., October 7, 1822, re- ceived a common school education, and remained on the farm with his father until twenty-one years of age, when, in 1843, he commenced the manufac- ture of sleighs, remaining in that business two years, in company with Oscar Dix, a brother-in-law. In 1845 he came to Brattleboro and worked at the carpenter trade two years, then formed a partnership with H. P. Green, which lasted six years, during which time he lost one of his hands in a planing machine. In 1861 he formed a partnership with Frank Harris for the man- ufacture of hand sewing machines, which business he continued six years, employing about forty men. In 1852 Mr. Sargent married Maria Lawton and has one child, Jennie, the wife of Prescott White.
George Persons was born in Jamaica, Vt., March 3, 1804, where he learned the mason's trade. He married Polly Chase, and came to Brattleboro in 1848, where he has since resided, having reared a family of one son and four daughters. He had charge of the mason work at Vermont Asylum for the Insane twenty-five years. Mr. Persons celebrated his golden wedding Octo- ber 24, 1883.
Asa Putnam came to Brattleboro from Warren, Mass., about 1780, locat- ing upon the farm now owned by George Clark, where he reared a family of nine children, the last of whom, Sylvia, wife of Z. Hamilton, died October 2, 1883. Josiah, his fourth son, was born here in 1781, married Susan W., daughter of Dr. Dickerman, and died here March 24, 1864, on the old Dick- erman homestead. His children are Beda G., wife of Elisha W. Pronty; Henry, of Watertown, N. Y .; John L., residing in Cheshire county, N. H .; and A. D. Putnam, who has been in the dental business here since 1846.
Abel Joy, from Rehoboth, Mass., settled in Guilford with his father, David 2d, about 1760. He resided there a few years, then came to Brattleboro and built the house now owned by W. F. Richardson, just south of the East vil- lage, where he died in 1813. He married Elizabeth M. Chase, October 28, 1779, by whom he reared a family of nine children. Mrs. Joy died June 28. 1843. John M., son of Abel, still resides in Brattleboro.
Thomas, son of Sylvanus Sherwin, was born in Newfane, subsequently set- tled in Whitingham, built a tannery there and carried on the business several years, and died about 1827. He married Marion Parks and reared six chil- dren, four of whom are living, as follows : Nathan, in Athens, Vt. ; Orrin, in Plainfield, N. J. ; and Eleanor, the wife of Horace Hinkson. Asa, second son of Thomas, was born in Whitingham, March 7, 1820, and when thirteen
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years of age came to Brattleboro, learned the pattern maker's trade and still resides here. He married Sophia E. Larabee, and for his second wife, Lemira Eddy. He has two children living.
Francis A. Wells was born in Leyden, Mass., in 1829, and came to Brat- tleboro in 1857, where he still resides. Mr. Wells resided in California about five years, and on his return, in 1857, the vessel, the "Central America," was wrecked off the coast of South Carolina, and Mr. Wells, in company with two others, after floating on the wheel-house of the wrecked vessel for sixteen hours, were picked up by a Norwegian barque.
Alexander G. Allen, a native of Boston, Mass., came to Brattleboro in 1830, and carried on the cabinet making business here. In 1837 he went to Pensacola, Fla., where he died of yellow fever, in November, 1839. He mar- ried Cordelia Brooks, daughter of Samuel M. Brooks, and reared two children, Henry J. and Alexander G., both of whom reside here. Mrs. Allen died in May, 1880.
Samuel M. Brooks, from West Springfield, Mass., came to Brattleboro in 1815, locating upon the Fort Dummer farm. He reared seven children and died in March, 1854, aged sixty-four years. Simon, son of Samuel M., was born on the old farm, November 22, 1815, married Mary Spring and has reared five children.
William Gould was born here in 1814, learned the gas fitters and plumber's trade, and when seventeen years of age began the manufacture of copper pumps, which business he has followed since, at one time also manufacturing lead pipe. He has done the plumbing work of the Vermont Asylum for the Insane ever since that institution was established.
William A. Conant, born at Concord, Mass., in 1804, came to Brattleboro in 1829, and has resided here since, being, for the past forty years, engaged in the manufacture of violins. He married Harriet E. Salisbury and has reared eight children.
Benjamin F. Bingham, who has been principal of the Brattleboro High school since 1863, was born in Cornwall, Vt., April 7, 1824. He began his career as a teacher by instructing a common school in his native town. He then taught a select school two or three years, at West Cornwall, when, having received an invitation to teach in West Rutland, he was at the head of a flourishing school there for eight years.
Adolphus Stebbins, son of Levi, was born at West Brattleboro, November II, 1779. Mr. Stebbins was a wagon maker, and, it is said, made the first wagon ever built in this town. He carried on that business at West Brat- tleboro until 1832, when he came to the East village and built the shop now occupied by son, J. H. Stebbins.
Hon. Parley Starr was born at Colchester, Vt., August 20, 1813, lived sev- eral years at Milton, and finally, at the age of twenty-one years, started out into the world to make his own way. Coming to Jacksonville, in Windham county, he began work at the tanner's trade, and in the course of a few years
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was at the head of a large leather manufactory. He represented the town of Whitingham in the legislature of 1852 '56 and'72, was a member of the State senate in 1859-'60, was a justice of the peace eleven years, trustee of the Provident Institution for Savings five years, and a director of the Brattleboro Bank seventeen years. In 1862 he opened a recruiting office for enlisting volunteers and was appointed a State agent to look after and provide for the families of absent soldiers. In 1873 he began a permanent residence in Brattleboro and has been president of the People's National Bank since its organization. Mr. Starr married Clarissa Blanchard, of Whitingham, and has four children living.
Elihu H. Thomas was born in Worcester, Mass., October 30, 1802, and when quite young came to Brattleboro to reside with his uncle, Elihu Hotch- kiss. He married Abigail Bangs, in 1824, and reared nine children, five of whom are now living. Elihu H. Jr., in Brattleboro. Mr. Thomas was a very enterprising man. He learned paper manufacturing and at one time had a mill in Brattleboro, one at Hinsdale, N. H., and one in Ohio, where he also manufactured pins and combs, and also a fanning-mill factory in Brattleboro. At one time he had a tannery here, near the present site of the depot, and was also the first to take daguerreotypes in this locality. In 1832 he was sent to England and France, in the interest of paper manufacturers, to study their process of manufacture, where he remained two years. In 1848 he went to Boston, where he was engaged in perfecting a sewing machine. In 1860 he went to California, where he engaged in hotel keeping, the manufacture of mining machinery andin other enterprises. About 1874 he returned to Ver- mont, locating at North Bennington, where he died February 8, 1876. Mrs. Thomas died August 4, 1867, in California.
Jesse Hadley was one of the early settlers of Brattleboro, locating in the- northeastern part of the town. Jesse, Jr., was born here in 1782, married Abigail Fletcher, reared a family of eight children, and died in 1840. Only one of his three surviving sons, Hannibal, is residing in Brattleboro. He was born here in 1812, and carried on a butchering business from 1832 to 1875.
Edward A. Stearns was born at Warwick, Mass., in 1806, and came to Brattleboro in 1831. In 1841 he purchased a rule factory of S. M. Clark, and was engaged in the manufacture of rules until his death, July 29, 1856. Mr. Stearns married Elizabeth C. Salisbury, in 1834, who still resides here, with her only son, Edward A., born in 1839.
Jonathan Herrick was born at Beverly, Mass., September 26, 1743, came to Brattleboro among its early settlers, married Mehitable French, and reared a family of twelve children-six sons and six daughters. The sixth son, Seth, was born in Brattleboro, April 16, 1786 ; he married Melinda Coughlan, in 1815, by whom he reared two sons and two daughters. She died in 1842, and in 1844 he married Sarah A. Potter, by whom he reared five children. Mr. Herrick died June 16, 1848. Mrs. Herrick is still living. Of the chil-
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dren residing in Brattleboro are John N., a farmer, Ellen C., wife of A. W. Stowe, and Seth N. The latter was born September 20, 1819, was educated at the West Brattleboro academy, and has been engaged most of his life in mercantile pursuits, a portion of the time in New York city. He has held the office of collector of taxes from 1862 to 1875, deputy sheriff and col- lector from 1861 to 1868 and from 1870 to the present time, high sheriff in 1869 and '70, selectman continuously from 1868 to the present time, and rep- resented the town in the legislature of 1866-67.
George E. Crowell was born at Manchester, N. H., September 29, 1834. When two years of age his parents moved to Concord, N. H., and soon after to Hopkinton, N. H., where George received the educational advantages of only the common schools. In 1854 his father died, after which he assisted his mother in carrying on their little farm, until 1866, when he came to Brat- tleboro to edit the agricultural department of the Record and Farmer. Two years later he established the Household Magazine, which he has since conducted with such unusual ability and success (see page 55), and has also engaged in various manufacturing and village improvement enterprises. He married Miss Mary L. Spencer, daughter of Elijah Spencer, of Brattleboro, March 14, 1872, and has four children,-Christie, born January 24, 1873; Herbert S., born February 24, 1874; Esther L., born October 8, 1876; and Percy V., born January 21, 1884.
Benajah Dudley, Sen., came to Brattleboro, from Killingworth, Conn., about 1787, locating upon the farm now owned by John P. Liscoin, on road 42. After two or three changes of location he finally settled in West Brat- tleboro, where he remained until his death, in 1850. His wife, Elizabeth Red- field, died in 1846. Their family consisted of seven children, as follows : Linus, born in 1786; Benajah, born in 1791; Roswell, born in 1794 ; Elizabeth, born in 1799; Freedom, born in 1801 ; Thankful, born in 1805 ; and Sybil, born in 1809. The only one now living is Capt. Benajah, who received his title from being captain of a militia company. He married Patience Harris, of this town, February 10, 1819, who bore him six children, all girls. Capt. Dudley has been quite noted as a school teacher in this part of the State, seeming to have possessed just the amount of government and executive ability for the old-time school. He is now, at the age of ninety- three years, bright in intellect and unusually robust for one of that great age.
Timothy Adkins was born in Connecticut, July 5, 1793. In 1808 he came to Guilford, Vt., and learned the hatter's trade of James Fosdick, and sub- sequently carried on the business in Chester, Vt., several years. In 1818 he married Lucinda Graves, of Guilford, and located in West Brattleboro, where he carried on the hatter's trade and kept a general store for a number of years. Two of his family of four children, John F., and Diantha L. Arms, are living.
John Thomas came from London, Eng., in 1792, and after a year's resi- dence in Boston, located in Brattleboro, upon the farm now owned by his
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grandson, George H., on road 13. Here he carried on a brewery for a time, but died in 1805. His son George now resides on the old homestead. Another son, Joshua, resides in Ohio.
Calvin Sargent, son of Thomas, was born in this town, on road 11, Nov. 9, 1763. He married Abigail Miller, of Dummerston, and settled upon the farm now owned by J. N. Balistier, on road 10, where he died in 1834. Mrs. Sargent died in 1849. Three of their nine children, Alfred, Olive and Electa, now reside in the town, one, Nelson, resides in Denver, Col., and one, Mrs. Fanny Miller, in Bangor, N. Y.
Ransom Covey, was born at Acton, Vt., and came to Brattleboro about 1819, locating upon the farm now owned by his daughter, Almira L., wife of M. R. Robbins, where he died, in 1867. Of his children now living, are Almira L., above mentioned, Edson A., and Calista L., wife of Josiah Put- nam, of Annawan, Ill.
Jonathan Dunklee, with two brothers, Robert and Joseph, from Brimfield, Conn., came to Brattleboro among its earliest settlers. Jonathan settled on road 4, upon the farm now owned by his great-grandson, Edward C., the old homestead never having been owned out of the family. Jonathan started for the battle of Bennington, but it was over before he got there. He married Sarah Scott, and reared ten children. At one time, it is related, Mrs. Dunk- lee, while on a horse-back journey to the western part of the town, was chased by wolves, and only escaped by climbing into the branches of a trees, when the horse made his way home and the family came to her rescue. Solo- mon, son of Jonathan, was born on the old farm, in 1783. He married Anna Gould, reared four children, Clarissa, Edward C., Ruth and Martha, and died January 7, 1865. Edward L. was born January 27, 1814, married Abigail Newton, widow of Calvin Gould, and reared two children.
Benjamin Chamberlain, from Winchester, Mass., made the first settlement on the farm now owned by Charles Whitaker, on road 1. He reared a family of fourteen children. His son Cyrus was born here, reared nine children and died in 1867, aged seventy-one years. Luke, another son, died here in 1883, aged ninety years.
Abel Carpenter was one of the earliest settlers in the western part of the town. He came from Rhode Island in 1785 and located upon a farm on road 19. He was twice married, reared twelve children, and died August 8, 1862. His son Humphrey carried on the old farm until his death, May 1 ;. 1883, the house now standing thereon having been built by Abel in 1800. Humphrey married Almira Joy and reared four children, two of whom, Andrew D. and Ida, are now living on the old homestead with their mother. James Carpenter, a cousin of Abel, located on road 33 at an early date, upon the farm now owned by Clark Stark. He reared a large family of children, but the family removed to Ohio many years ago.
Joseph Haywood, from Winchester, Mass., came to Brattleboro in 1793, and located on road 44, upon the farm now owned by G. W. Ward. He
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reared eight children, and died in 1857, aged ninety years. Two of the chil- dren are living, Sally, widow of B. F. Harris, born August 15, 1792, and Nancy, wife of T. J. Holland, of Townshend.
Samuel Warriner, for many years a justice of the peace here, came from Wilbraham, Mass., in 1774, and located on the old Warriner homestead, on road 46. He reared a family of ten children. Daniel, son of Samuel, born on the old homestead in 1785, married Mary Richardson, reared eight chil- dren, and died in 1866. Since the latter's death his son Henry has occupied the old farm. The house thereon was built by Samuel in 1800, it having took seventy men to raise the frame, which is all made of hard wood.
Jabez Wood, from Rehoboth, Mass., came to Brattleboro in 1776, locating on road 45, though he was offered the land where the East village now is for twenty cents an acre. Only one of his ten children are living, Israel, born August 24, 1801. He has reported the weather record for the Brattle- boro papers since 1838. Aaron, son of Jabez, was born on the old farm, now owned by his son, John S., May 18, 1791, married Relief Stoddard, and died May 22, 1875. His wife died September 24, 1851.
Thomas Akley, a Revolutionary soldier, came to this town from Boston, Mass., just after the close of the war, and made the first settlement on the farm now owned by his grandson, Henry, on road 39, where he reared four- teen children. Almon, son of Thomas, born on the old farm in 1790, mar- ried Harriet Fessenden, for his first wife, by whom he had eight children, and for his second wife, Mrs. Florinda Church, who survives him, he having died in 1879. His son Henry, born in 1830, and who now occupies the old homestead, married Florinda E. Church and has two children, Eugene H. and Ida F. He is the present third selectman of the town.
John Field, a descendant of Zachariah Field who came to Dorchester, Mass., in 1629 or '30, from England, was born in Amherst, Mass., May 18, 1740, and came to Brattleboro about 1785, locating upon the farm now owned by O. L. Miner, the house he occupied being still in existence, on road 47. He married Rachel Wells, reared six children, and died in 1819. His son David, born in 1789, was a shoemaker and settled at West Brattle- boro. He married Pattie Wood. Only one of his three children, Mary L., wife of Hannibal Hadley, of Brattleboro, is living. David died June 19, 1819.
Col. George W. Hooker was born at Salem, N. Y., February 6, 1838, and when three years of age came with his widowed mother to Londonderry, Vt., where he remained until fifteen years of age, when he went to Bellows Falls and entered the employ of Mr. Flint as a traveling salesman, remaining there until the opening of the war, in 1861. In August of that year he entered the 4th Vt. Vols, as a private, and soon after was made a sargeant-major; was 2d and ist lieutenant in 1862, and then placed by order of Gen. Franklin on the staff of Gen. Stoughton, as A. D. S. ; thence on the staff of Gen. George J. Stannard; was dangerously wounded at Cold Harbor, June 3, 1864; pro- 10
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moted by order of the secretary of war for gallant conduct, to assistant adju- tant of volunteers, and was commissioned captain by the president, served thence as chief of staff of Gen. Charles Devens, and was breveted major and lieutenant-colonel. for meritorious conduct in front of Richmond; and was engaged in nearly all the battles in which the army of the Potomac took part, being mustered out of service in January, 1866. Since the war he has been actively engaged in manufacturing and banking interests at Brattleboro, and also served on the staff of Governor Proctor in 1878-80 ; was delegate at large in the Republican national convention at Chicago; member of Repub- lican national committee, also member of executive committee and assistant secretary ; member of Vermont legislature, 1880-82 ; department commander of G. A. R., 1880-81, and of Boys in Blue, department of Vermont; and was also unanimously elected judge advocate general of the State, by the legis- lature in joint session. In 1882 he was elected sergeant-at-arms, of the house of representatives, at Washington, for the 47th congress.
James Fisk, son of Samuel, was born at Smithfield, R. I., and when three years of age removed with his parents to Adams, Mass. Subsequently he was engaged in a manufac- turing business there until 1837, when he re- moved to Bennington, remained one year, then caine to Brattleboro and resided here until his death, June 4. 1883. Mr. Fisk also sold goods on the road with his son James. twenty-four years, and was somewhat noted as an inventor. He built the old Revere House in 1849, opened it as a temperence hotel in 1850, but was obliged to give up the enterprise (JAMES FISK for want of patronage. He married Leone. daughter of Stephen Greenlief, of Brattleboro, their only living child being the wife of George W. Hooker. Their son James was noted as an extensive railroad and steamboat operator.
Stephen Greenlief was one of the early settlers of the town, coming here from Boston, Mass., in 1868, or '69. He purchased a tract of about 800 acres of land, built a log house where the American House now stands, which he used as a hotel and store, and resided here until his death, rearing a large family of children. Stephen Jr., was born in Boston, in 1758, came to Brat- tleboro with his father, and at the age of eighteen or nineteen years he enlisted in the Revolutionary army and was at the Battle of Bennington. He settled in West Brattleboro, and resided there until his death. Mrs. Love Fisk, who resides with her daughter, Mrs. George W. Hooker, was his second wife. Stephen, Jr., built the first saw and grist-mill in the place.
Nathan Miller, son of William, was born in Dummerston in 1795, married Philinda Buck, and resided on the old homestead, carrying on the business of
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farming, and harness making until 1832, when he came to Brattleboro and carried on the harness business here until his death, December 19, 1871. By his first wife he had nine children, two of whom, Nathan W. and Emma, are living, in this town. He married for his second wife Anna Works, of Put- ney, by whom he had one child, Fred W., who now carries on the harness busi- ness here.
William McCune (now spelled Cune) came from Massachusetts at an early date and located near the center of the town. He raised a company and served in the Revolutionary war, and resided here until his eath, rearing a large family of children. His sons, Isaac, William and John, settled in the town. John married Sally Harris and resided on the homestead until his death. His son, William P., born July 16, 1807, married Mary Ann Goodhue and reared three children, William, Mary and Julia, none of whom are now living. He has been a merchant here about forty years, and is now president of the Vermont National Bank.
William Howard Bigelow was born in Easton, Washington county, N. Y., December 21, 1829. His father was a native of Hudson, N. Y., of which town he was supervisor for many years, and was also a member of the New York Legislature. William H. remained with his father until seventeen years of age, attended school in the meantime, and graduated from Williams college, Mass., in 1852. After his graduation he taught during the fall term in the Brattleboro academy, and commenced the study of medicine with Dr. Wil- lard Arms. The following winter, 1852-'53, he assisted the Rev. James Tuffts in Munroe academy, Mass., and after commencing the spring term was interrupted in his work by an attack of hemorrhage of the lungs. Fol- lowing the advice of his medical attendants, he abandoned all literary and professional hopes and sought an active out-door life in the West. For a time he was with a corps of engineers, but finally located in Sioux City, Iowa, where he organized the firm of Bigelow & White, commencing the real estate and banking business, in 1856. In 1864 he went to Chicago, Ill., and became a member of the firm of Bigelow Bros., manufacturers and dealers in lumber. In 1874 he came to West Brattleboro and located on the Hayes place, the ancestral home of his wife, and where he died, August 12, 1882. Mr. Bigelow married Mary Ann Hayes, daughter of Dea. Russell Hayes, November 18, 1856, a fruit of the union being two sons, Russell Anson, born June 2, 1859, and William H., Jr., born July 22, 1861. Mrs. Bigelow still occupied the old homestead, a cut of which appears on page 122.
Levi Goodenough came to Brattleboro from South Hadley, Mass., in 1774, and located upon the farm now owned by his grandson, a son of Dwight, on road 41. He married Margaret Frazier, reared eleven children, only one of whom, Alonzo, is living, and died in September, 1848, aged eighty-three years. Winsor Goodenough, son of Levi, born on the old homestead in Decem- ber, 1800, married Elizabeth, daughter of Orrin Pratt, and reared three sons, Dwight, J. P., and Simon. Winsor died in 1862. His widow, born De-
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cember 4, 1803, resides on the old homestead. Alonzo, son of Levi, born July 31, 1808, married Relief Plummer and reared three children, all living, one, Alonzo, having manufactured brick here for many years, making the first brick used in the construction of the Vermont Insane Asylum buildings.
Samuel Earl, one of the early settlers in the western part of the town, was born in Lancaster, Mass., July 30, 1765. His parents moved to Guilford, Vt., soon after, while he came to Brattleboro in 1787, and bought the farm now owned by Mellen C. Goodenough. He married Sarah Wilder, in 1789, who was born in Guilford, Vt., March 23, 1768. They lived in a log house until 1793, when he built a frame house, which is now standing, occupied by the present owner. He lived and died on the old place where he first settled, dying May 20, 1854. His wife died November 10, 1843. Of their children Rachel died in infancy ; Alpheus married and left town; Newhall died in youth ; Samuel, born April 19, 1796, remained on the home farm, was an energetic man and knew how to make a success of farming. For several years he owned the largest dairy in town. He was a man of sound judgment, and often held offices of public trust. He married Lydia Marsh, who was born in Plymouth, Vt., June 8, 1803, and died March 17, 1871. Samuel died March 20, 1870. Rufus married and left town. Sarah was born De- cember 27, 1800, and was married September 24, 1822, to Asa Marsh, who was born in Plymouth, Vt., December 27, 1798. She lived, with the excep- tion of a few years, in town, and died here. Phoebe was born December 31, 1803, married Otis Lynde, and lived and died in town. Angelina married and left town.
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