USA > Vermont > Windham County > Gazetteer and business directory of Windham county, Vt., 1724-1884 > Part 20
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The First Universalist church, located on Canal street .- Universalist meetings were held in Wheeler's Hall as early as 1835, by Rev. Charles
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TOWN OF BRATTLEBORO.
Woodhouse ; but it was not till May 24, 1843, that the present society was organized. Among the original members were Dr. Reuben Spaulding, A. J. Hines, J. H. Esterbrook, W. H. Esterbrook, Alford Simonds, O. J. Martin, Orin Starkey, Luther Weld, Harvey Houghton, John B. Miller, and Sewall Morse. The first meeting house owned by the society was located on the corner of Canal and Clark streets, and was purchased by the Millerites in May, 1843. It was built and occupied for many years by the Methodists. The first settled pastor of the society was Rev. L. J. Fletcher, who began his ministry in the early part of 1844. He was succeeded in July, 1846, by Rev. John. H. Willis, who remained here only one year. Rev. C. R. Moor assumed the pastorate of the society early in 1848, and closed his connection with it in February, 1852.
The present Universalist church was built during his settlement here and will now seat 450 persons, and is valued, including grounds, etc., at $5,000.00. It was erected in 1850, and dedicated in February, 1851. Rev. H. P. Cutting was settled over the society in May, 1852, and remained one year. He was followed, June, 1853, by Rev. Geo. H. Deere, whose pastorate extended through seven years. During his ministry the church was repainted, in 1857, and through his exertions $500.00 was raised in 1858, for Tufts college. Rev. E. Smiley began his labors with the society the first of January, 1861, and closed them with the same year. He was succeeded early in 1862 by Rev. W. T. Stowe, whose pastorate extended to July, 1864 Rev. M. R. Leonard supplied the desk through the winter of 1864-'65. Rev. James Eastwood was called to the pastorate September 15, 1865, and resigned Jan. 3, 1870. Rev. M. H. Harris was settled July 1, 1870. During the years of Mr. Harris's pastorate, the parish grew to be among the largest and strongest in the village, and the largest Universalist parish in the State, having at the present time 200 members. In 1871 the church edifice was enlarged and remodeled. The society is now under the pastoral charge of Rev. Elbert W. Whitney, who was settled January 1, 1880.
St. Michael's Roman Catholic church, located on Walnut street .- The number of Catholic families in this town must have been about fifty when the diocese of Burlington was separated from that of Boston. Rev. Z. Druon, (now of St. Albans), in 1844, bought an old paint or carpenter shop on Elliot street, and fitted it up for a church. Rev. Charles O'Reilly was given charge of the mission in 1855, and after a few years came to live in the village. He succeeded in building the present neat and substantial church edifice of St. Michael, in 1863-'64. In 1869, he was succeeded by Rev. Charles Halpin. Rev. N. St. Onge had charge of Brattleboro after Rev. Father Halpin. To Rev. Henry Lane was due the erection of a Catholic school-house, in 1874. the establishment of the house of the Sisters of St. Joseph, for teaching the children, the purchase of a parsonage, and ornamenting the church edifice. The church now has about 600 communicants, under the pastoral charge of Rev. P. Cunningham.
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TOWN OF BROOKLINE.
The West Brattleboro Baptist church was organized in 1874, as a mission of the Baptist church of Brattleboro, Rev. E. A. Votey being the first pastor. The old Universalist brick church, built in 1834, was purchased and repaired, which is now capable of seating 200 persons, and is valued at $7,200.00. The society has seventy-four members, with Rev. Charles R. Powers, pastor.
B ROOKLINE is a small, irregularly outlined town lying in the eastern part of the county, in lat. 43º I' and long. 4º 25', bounded north by Athens, and east by Westminster and Putney, south by Dummerston, and west by Newfane and Townsend, being partly separated from New- fane by West river. Its name was derived from Grassy brook, which flows through the town in almost a straight line from north to south. The town is about eight miles in length and from one half to two and one half miles in width. and was incorporated October 30, 1794, being set off from Athens and Putney. On October 25, 1804, another part of Putney was annexed, and again, November 12, 1820, a small part of Newfane, on the easterly side of West river, was annexed, so that the town now has an area of about seventeen square miles.
A deep valley runs through the whole township front north to south, at the bottom of which flows Grassy brook, so named from an open meadow near its head that the first settlers found when they came here. The stream rises in Athens and falls into West river, near the southwestern corner of this town. An extensive freshet occurred on this stream on June 20, 1821. The first indications of a storm were a small collection of black clouds directly over Lilly pond hill in Athens. These clouds gradually collected and gathered into a large dark cloud and soon the storm broke, pouring torrents of water that passed north through Athens and south through Brookline, carrying devastation before it. This is said to be the greatest freshet ever known in this vicinity. Along the whole eastern line of the town is an extensive eleva- tion, a peak east of the Baptist church rising to an altitude of 1, 100 feet. The soil of the territory is generally rich and productive, though better adapted to grazing than tillage.
The predominant rock entering into the geological structure of the town is calciferous mica schist, though there is considerable gneiss in the western part of the town. Upon the farm of Jacob Bush, on road 12, there are springs whose waters are largely impregnated with medicinal qualities.
In 1880 Brookline had a population of 205, and in 1882 was divided into three school districts and contained two common schools, employing two female teachers at an aggregate salary of $194.38. There were thirty- three pupils attending common school, while the entire cost of the schools for the year, ending October 31st, was $212.18, with C. P. Stickney, superintendent.
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TOWN OF BROOKLINE.
BROOKLINE ( p. o.) is a hamlet located in the central part of the town.
L. W. Bush's saw and grist-mill, located on road 9, was built in 1869. It is operated by water-power, fitted with upright and bench saws, and cuts about 75,000 feet of rough lumber per annum. The grist-mill has one run of stones for grinding meal and feed, and grinds about 2,500 bushels annually.
The first settlement in Brookline was made about 1777, by Timothy Well- man, Lemach Blandin, Cyrus Whitcomb and Jonah and Samuel Moore. The first town meeting was held at the house of Ebenezer Harwood, March 17, 1795, when Peter Benson was chosen moderator and the town was organ- ized by electing John Waters, town clerk ; Peter Benson, Lemach Blandin and Jotham Stebbins, selectmen ; Abijah Moore, treasurer ; Thomas Walker, constable and collector ; Ebenezer Bugbee, William Hills and John Blandin, listers ; Benjamin Farmer, leather sealer ; Ebenezer Wellman, grand juror; Benjamin Farmer and Ebenezer Bugbee, tythingmen; Ebenezer Harwood, pound-keeper ; Samuel Blandın, hayward ; Jonathan Ellenwood, Benjamin Farmer, Cyrus Whitcomb and Ebenezer Bugbee, highway surveyors ; Delnis Briggs, Jonathan Ellenwood and Joseph Boal, fence viewers; and William Hills, sealer of weights and measures. The first justice of the peace was John Waters, in 1795. Benjamin Ormsbee was the first representative, in 1823. The first school was kept in the dwelling of Cyrus Whitcomb, and the town was first divided into school districts in 1796.
The first grist and saw-mill was erected by Elijah Davis, and is still in ser- vice, though it was removed to the southern part of the town in 1866. Early in the history of the town there were two stores and an hotel located at the foot of Windmill hill. The stores were given up in 1823; but the hotel was continued until 1850. John Waters established a store at an early date, but he failed in 1813 and left the town. The first dwelling destroyed by fire was that of Elbridge Mason, in 1866. There have been only two of Brookline's citizens whom it was necessary to imprison for crime, viz : Benjamin Flint, for passing counterfeit money, and William Lee, for incendiarism.
In the early history of the town, John Waters and Peter Benson were the leading citizens. They left about 1813-'14. After them Dr. William Perry and Thomas Ceaver were the most prominent in public affairs.
Timothy Wellman, one of the first settlers, came from Norton, Mass. He reared a family of thirteen children. His descendants now residing in the town are two grandsons, Levitt K. and Allen O. Wellman. Darius, brother of Timothy, came to the town about the same time.
Ebenezer Harwood, from Walpole, N. H., was also an early settler. Otis his grandson, is the only one of the family now in town. He resides on the old homestead.
Jotham Stebbins, a Revolutionary soldier, was born in Brimfield, Mass., April 21, 1761, and came to Brookline in 1787. He married a Miss Ellen- wood, reared three children, and died at the age of eighty-nine years. His
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TOWN OF BROOKLINE.
son Samuel became a successful farmer and an influential citizen, rearing a family of five children.
Christopher Osgood came to Brookline in 1793. Luther, one of his nine children, now resides in the southern part of the town. He is a prominent farmer and has held most of the town trusts. Luke B. Osgood, brother of Christopher, also located here about 1793, married Sally Thompson, and reared seven children.
Thomas Riste, from Sutton, Mass., came to Brookline between 1780 and 1790, and purchased of Jonathan Boydon the most northerly farm in the town. He reared ten children. Anderson S. and William' Riste now occupy the old homestead.
Peter Derry was born in London, Eng., and when a young man was pressed aboard a British vessel and brought to America, where he deserted, became a settler and reared a family. Peter, Jr., was born June 6, 1755, married in 1774 and settled in Brookline, reared a family of children, and died September 4. 1824, aged seventy years. Tyler Derry, his seventh child, mar- ried Betsey Daggert and reared nine children, of whom James D. the fourth, now resides in Townshend, at the age of sixty-eight years. Abner T. and Benjamin F., of Townshend, are also his sons. Betsey A. married Reuben Gale and also resides in Townshend. Mary C. married Thomas B. Gould, who died in the late war. Ormando C., the youngest son, resides in Guil- ford. B. F. and O. C. Derry both served in the late was. James D. mar- ried Sarah T. Bixby January 16, 1838, and reared two children, Sarah P. and Judson B., of whom the latter married Abbie S. Hastings, daughter of Loren M. Hastings, and resides on the old homestead in Townshend. Parmelia S. married Rocius N. Fairbank, October 3, 1871, and died with- out issue.
Jonathan Cutler came to America with his brothers, Eben and Tarrand, from England, before the Revolution, and Eben served as a soldier in that struggle. Jonathan located in Fitzwilliam, N. H., where, in 1798, Ira was born, the youngest of eight children. In the following spring, 1799, Jonathan Cutler bought and settled on the farm his grandson, C. A. Cutler, now occupies on road 7, in Brookline, At that time it was a part of the township of Newfane. Ira grew to manhood here, and, October 19, 1823, married Eleanor Round, who bore him eleven children, of whom Lura, Mrs. Henry Kidder, of Putney, Marshall, Charles A., Henry and Frank A., are now living. Jon- athan Cutler was one of the founders and one of the first deacons of the Baptist church. Of his sons, David and Jonathan were twins. The former became a Baptist minister and preached at Brookline, but later removed to New York. Jonathan went to Putney where he was a machinist, and is said to have made the first covered button machine in America. He died in Massachusetts. Isaac became a hatter and spent his life in New York. James became a physician and settled in New York. Samuel and Ira were farmers and spent their lives in Brookline, the latter on the old homestead.
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He was often chosen to do town business, trusts filled with uniform ability and fidelity. C. A. Cutler married Celia M. Walden, June 22, 1864, having pre- viously spent two years in the army, a member of Co. H, 8th Vt. Vols. He now lives on the old homestead on road 7, which has been in the family eighty- five years.
Anthony Mason came to this town in 1796. The only one of his eleven children now living here is Elbridge G., aged seventy years.
The Baptist church of Brookline, located a little south of the center of the town, was organized in 1785, Rev. Amos Beckwith being its first settled pas- tor. The present church building was erected in 1836, at a cost of $1,700.00. It will accommodate 300 persons and is valued, including grounds, at $2,300.05. The society now has fifty-one members, with Rev. Charles Far- rar, pastor. At the raising of the church building an accident occurred, through the breaking of some of the timbers, by which thirty men were per- cipitated to the ground. None were killed however, though fifteen were more or less injured.
The Brookline branch of the Athens Methodist church, located at the corner of roads 5 and 6, was organized by its first pastor, Rev. C. W. Levings, about 1835. The church building was erected in 1838, in union with the U'niver- salists, and is now valued at about $2,500.00. The Universalists, however, though owning half of the church, have never had stated preaching in town. The Methodist society has only seven members at present, and is under the charge of the Athens society.
D OVER is a small town located in the western-central part of the county, in lat. 42° 58', and long. 4° 13, bounded north by Wardsboro and a small part of Stratton, east by Newfane, south by Marlboro and Wil- mington, and west by Somerset. It was formerly a part of Wardsboro, which was granted by Vermont to William Ward, of Newfane, and sixty-two others, November 7, 1780. October 18, 1788, the town of Wardsboro was divided into two districts, North and South Wardsboro, and on October 30, 1810, South Wardsboro was incorporated into a separate town by the name of Dover. A few years since a part of Wilmington, known as the "Leg," was added to the territory.
The surface of the town is broken and uneven, the soil being better adapted to grazing than grain raising, though there are many tracts of arable, productive land. A considerable branch of Deerfield river flows through the western part of the town, having several good-sized tributaries. Rock river flows a southeasterly course through the eastern part of the town, these two streams forming the principal water-courses of the township. The geological structure of the territory is made up of rocks of gneiss and talcose schist formation, the latter underlying the eastern, and the former the western por-
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tions. An extensive bed of serpentine lies in the eastern part, and traces of gold have been discovered in the same locality.
In 1880 Dover had a population of 621, and in 1882 the town was divided into nine school districts, and contained seven common schools, em- ploying four male and nine female teachers, to whom was paid an aggregate salary of $778.82. There were 232 pupils attending common school, while the entire cost of the schools for the year, ending October 31st, was $832.76, with E. H. Jones, superintendent
DOVER, a post village and once the business center of the town, now has six or eight dwelling, a store, a blacksmith shop, school-house, the town hall, and one church (Congregational). The village is located near the summit of one of the highest hills in the township, about a mile from the southern line and the same distance east from the center,
WEST DOVER, a post village, is located on the East branch of Deerfield river, within about three quarters of a mile of the southern, and about three- miles from the western boundary of the town. It has one church (Congre- gational), a school-house, a good hotel, a store, saw-mill and chair-stock fac- tory, carriage and blacksmith shop, shoe shop, etc., and about twenty-five dwellings. It is pleasantly located and has a general appearance of thrift and neatness.
EAST DOVER, a post village otherwise known as Rock River, is located on the eastern line of the town, about two miles from the southeastern corner. It has two churches (Methodist and Baptist), one store, one saw and grist-mill, and eighteen or twenty dwellings.
Prouty, Brown & Hale's saw and grist-mill and chair-stock factory is located at East Dover village. It is operated by water-power, is supplied with a circular saw, board saw, band saws, cutting-off saw and plainer, and has the capacity for manufacturing 5,000 feet of lumber per day. The grist-mill is for grinding coarse grain, and does custom work. This mill occupies the site of the old Cheeney mill, erected previous to 1793.
Prouty & Brown's steam saw and shingle-mill and chair stock factory, located at East Dover, was re-built in 1878, upon the site of a mill built by R. S. Staples, in 1862, which \. as destroyed by fire. It is operated by a thirty- horse power engine, and cuts annually about 800,000 feet of lumber, about one-third of which is manufactured into chair-stock, and also cuts about 400,- ooo shingles per annum, giving employment to a force of twelve men.
J. B. Davis's saw-mill and chair-stock factory is located at West Dover, occupying the site of the old William Gragg mill. The saw-mill cuts about 300,000 feet of lumber and 300,000 shingles annually. The chair-stock fac- tory is located on the opposite side of the stream, and works into chair-stock about 150,000 feet of lumber per year.
Leonard Bros. & Bogle's cider-mill and jelly manufactory, located on roads 34 and 37, was established about 1868. The firm now manufactures about 3,500 barrels of cider into jelly each year. The Leonard Brothers were the first in this locality to establish the business of canning maple syrup.
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TOWN OF DOVER.
As the early settlement of this town dates back to when it was a part of Wardsboro, to that town we must look for the record of the proceedings of its first inhabitants. The first settlement was made by John Jones, Ithamer Allen and others, from Milford and Sturbridge, Mass., in June, 1780. They were followed soon after by others, so that in 1791 the town had 753 inhab- itants. Wardsboro was organized March 14, 1786, when Aaron Hudson was chosen town clerk, he being also the first representative, elected the next year. After the division of the town, in 1788, each district had a separate list of officers, the election returns for this district, March 10, 1789, being as follows : Capt. David Johnson, moderator and clerk ; David Johnson, Aaron Thompson, and Luther Thompson, selectmen ; Daniel Warner, treasurer; Ebenezer Sears, constable ; William Standcliff, collector ; Elijah Baldwin, Isaac Lazell, and William Haskins, listers; Barnard Conven, leather sealer; Roger Burchard and William Hall, grand jurors ; Nathan Ganson, pound- keeper ; Silas Wright, tythingman; Wizziel Putnam, Nathan Baxter, and Hayward Sibner, fence viewers ; and Jacob Steepler, Daniel Warner, Nathan Ganson, William Haskins, Silas Wright, William Sears, Barnard Conven, and William Hall, highway surveyors.
The first saw and grist-mill in the town was built at East Dover, by Eben- ezer Cheeney, previous to 1793, in which year it was sold to Amasa Little- field. The first store was kept by Daniel Clark. The first masonic meeting was held in a hotel kept by Gen. Perry, where Asaph C. Adamns now resides. Peter Hammond, a citizen of Wardsboro, was the first candidate initiated William Gragg, from Coleraine, Mass., built the first saw and grist-mill at West Dover, between the years 1795 and 1797. On the day the building was raised a lad living with a Mr. Slater was drowned in the mill-pond. The first church building erected was a Congregational edifice, at Dover Common. Silas Johnson kept the first hotel in the town, on a part of what is now the J. F. Parker farm. The first physician in town was a Dr. Fitch, who located south of the hotel kept by Silas Johnson, on a road which run parallel with road 42, and a short distance west of the present road leading to Marlboro. The first Baptist church was erected on land donated by Lemuel Osgood, in 1811, the fir.t settler on the farm of the late Dea. Burt Howard. The first house in West Dover was built by Rodolphus Carleton, about 1805, Mr. Carleton being a clothier and carried on business in one end of his dwelling. It is now the residence of John B. Davis. The first store in West Dover was established by Waters Pillett, about 1827, and was soon after sold to W. H. Jones, who kept it over thirty years. Mr. Jones became one of the promi- nent men of the town and was one of the county judges.
Dover was settled mainly by emigrants from Massachusetts, who moved into the "New State," as Vermont was then called. At the time of the erection of the territory into a separate town, it was a mooted question as to what name the new town should go by. Amos Hayward, tradition tells us, said, "call it after my dog, Dover." The suggestion was adopted, and Dover the town
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has since been called. Among the early settlers were the family names, Jones, Howe, Sems, Briggs, Howard, Hall, and Sherman, who arrived from 1785 to 1795.
Nathan Sherman, whose father was a Revolutionary soldier, settled in the eastern part of the town about 1792, on a tract of land which he occupied about fifty years, or until his death, when it became the property of his son Reuben, a deaf mute, who occupied it until his death, in 1881. The widow of Nathan attained the age of ninety-seven years, and was the mother of eight children, five of whom were sons, and who settled in Dover and reared families. Joseph, the second son, followed the occupation of a cloth dresser several years, and was afterwards a farmer. His eldest son, Sidney H., born in 1828, enjoyed the educational advantages of the district school and three terms in an academy. At the age of twenty years he went to Amherst, Mass., where he was a clerk for seven years. After this he was in Williamsville, Vt., a year, and in Illinois two years, but he then returned to Dover and estab- lished a store in the eastern part of the town, and soon after was instrumental in establishing the East Dover postoffice. About this time the late civil war broke out, and as Mr. Sherman was one of the selectmen of the town, he became actively interested in filling the town's quota of soldiers, and in rais- ing the town's share of the war debt. So successful was he in this task that no debt was left on the town, which raised as high as $16,000.00 in a single year. In the spring of 1869 L. H. Gould became associated in business with Mr. Sherman. In 1869 Mr. Sherman was chosen a delegate to the con- stitutional convention, at Montpelier, which changed the legislative terms from annual to biennial. He served eight years as justice of the peace, was town clerk f. ur years, and held most of the other town offices. He was also actively interested in building up the village of East Dover, purchased the mills there, and spent several thousand dollars in repairing them, putting in the first circular board saw ever used in the town, and carried on a very suc- cessful business therein, giving employment to a large number of men. In 1875, selling out most of his real estate in East Dover, Mr. Sherman re- moved to Brattleboro, where he has since resided. He was with C. F. Thomp- son & Co. two years, then engaged in the insurance business. He has been a justice of the peace of that town two years, trying many cases, was vice- president of the Brattleboro Savings Bank two years, and is prominently identified with the social, religious and business interests of the town.
Among the early settlers of the town were two Howards by the name of John, who, from peculiarities in their dispositions, were familiarly known as " Honest John " and " Jockey John." The latter lived near the corner of roads 6 and 7, and was so notorious that the name of " Jockey Hollow " was given to the neighborhood, which clings to it to this day. "Jockey John" finally removed to Canada, where he died. "Honest John " was a staunch Congregationalist, and reared a fine family of five children. He was the first settler on the farmi now occupied by Harvey Copeland, on road 41. His
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eldest son, Burt Howard, became a deacon of the Baptist church, of which he was a life-long and influential member. He died while speaking in a prayer meeting, at the church in East Dover. Only one of his four children, Mrs. George B. Boyd, now resides in town.
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