USA > Vermont > Windham County > Gazetteer and business directory of Windham county, Vt., 1724-1884 > Part 21
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Daniel Rice, whose father was one of the original proprietors of Somerset. canie to Dover in June, 1776, from Hardwick, Mass., and located upon the farm now owned by George E. Rice. He remained here that summer, then returned to Massachusetts for the winter, returning the following spring. Once a week he would go to Wilmington for provisions, that being the near- est point at which they could be procured. While on one of these journeys. in August, he heard that the British army was on its way to Bennington. He immediately returned home, procured his gun and ammunition, and started for Bennington on the morning of the 15th, and reached there in time to take part in the affray of the 16th, remaining with the army three months. From there he returned to Massachusetts for the winter, and the following spring his brother Simeon accompanied him to his new home. He married Sally Balls, of New Bedford, Mass., who bore him eleven children, two of whom died in infancy, the others being named as follows : Daniel, Susannah, Hazelton, David, Ephraim, Sally, Perez. Malintha and Aspher. Mr. Rice took up 600 acres of land. Daniel, Jr., married and settled in Peru. Susan- nah married Cyril Laughton and settled about a mile west of her father's place, rearing eight children. Hazelton married Rhoda Stone and settled on a farm adjoining his father's, rearing six children. David married Maria Cobb and settled on a farm east of his father's and reared four children. Ephraim married Virtue Johnson and settled on the homestead. He repre- sented the town in the legislature seventeen years, and was town clerk twenty- five years. The only one of his twelve children now living is George E., who married Eliza A. Millis, of Montague, Mass., and resides on the old home- stead. Sally married Luther Cobb and removed to Connecticut. Perez was drowned at the age of thirty-two years. Malintha died of consumption, at the age of eighteen years. Asher also died of consumption, at the age of eighteen years.
Isaac Lazelle, from Mendon, Mass., came to what is now Dover about 1785, making the first settlement on the farm now owned by Zina Goodelle, on road 11. He was a shoemaker and worked at his trade while his five sons cleared the farm. Four of the sons, Thomas, Isaac, Samuel, and John, and one of his two daughters remained in the town. Isaac, Samuel, and John were members of the Baptist church, at East Dover, Nathan, the oldest son of Thomas, born here 1811, married Lydia C. Sherman, and has two daughters and one son, Oscar A. Isaac, Jr., was an early member of the Baptist church of East Dover, and a deacon of the same many years. He died in 1875, aged ninety-two years, His wife, Lucy Wilson, bore him six children, of whom, Isaac W., Thurber H., Harriet A. (Gould), and Abigail M. (Gould), reside in the town.
Ginayle
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TOWN OF DOVER.
David Ward was born in Spencer, Mass., and located in Wardsboro before he was married and when the town included what is now Dover. He mar- ried, and by his first wife had one son, Nathaniel, whose children now reside in Wardsboro, where his life was spent. After the death of his first wife David married Charity Simonds, about 1805, and lived about half a mile north of the old village of Dover. He reared, by this marriage, two daughters and three sons, the eldest son, Elliot, now residing at East Dover, aged seventy- one years. His wife was Mary Ellis, a daughter of Sylvanus Ellis, of West Dover.
Louis Hall, son of William, was born July 29, 1788. His father came here, from Upton, Mass., and located on road 4. Louis married for his first wife Lucy Beals, to whom was born three sons, William J., Horace H., and Daniel J. For his second wife he married Mary Moore, who survived her marriage but a short time. He then married Mary A. Rawson, who bore him five children,-Irene L., Frances M., Sylvia A., Waity R., and Clinton L.
Gershom Eames was born in Holliston, Mass., in 1768, and when a young man came to Dover, bought a piece of land, built a log house, staid two years, then returned to Massachusetts and married Ruth Twitchell, bringing her to his new home. Mr. Eames cleared a large farm, was the first blacksmith in the town, shod his own horse when he was over ninety years of age, and died in 1855, aged ninety-four years. Mrs. Eames died in 1862, aged nearly ninety-four years. They reared three children, Emily, Anna and John. Emily married Samuel Jones, and Anna never married. John was born Feb- ruary 18, 1807, married Mary A. Perry, reared four children, and now resides in Brattleboro. His wife died in 1850.
Abner Perry came to what is now Dover, from Holliston, Mass., about 1790. He married Anna Phipps, who attained the age of nearly one hundred years, and he died suddenly while attending a freeman's meeting, in 1834. He reared six children. Abner was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and his son Calvin was a general in the war of 1812.
Abram Moore, from Bolton, Mass., came to this town in 1800, locating upon the farm now occupied by his son Ephraim. He married Mary Rich- ardson, who bore him nine children, Harriet, Emma, Sophronia, Charlotte, Peter, Mary, Ephraim, Louisa, and Cynthia. Consumption took off three of them in one week. Charlotte married Joel Cutler. Mary married Louis Hall. Peter married Sophronia Haskins, settled in Wardsboro, and reared thirteen children, six of whom were burned with his dwelling.
Rev. James Mann came to Dover from Dummerston, in 1813. He mar- ried Anna Rogers, of Guilford, and reared seven children, James, Abijah, George, Betsey, Sally, Hosea and William R. James, Jr., married for his first wife, Miss Chloe Carpenter, who bore him two daughters, Olive and Chloe. For his second wife he married Lucretia Hawks, of Charlemont, Mass., who bore him six children, Betsey, Sally, Mary, Adaline, George and Gilbert. Olive married Amos Lincoln, and for her second husband, Joseph P. Long.
Cindyle
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TOWN OF DOVER.
Chloe married Edson E. Franklin, of Vernon. Betsey married Gideon K. Moss, of Somerset. Sally married Levi Bradford. Mary never married. Adaline married Augustus Knapp. Gilbert is now living in Rowe, Mass.
Dea. Ebenezer Copeland came to Dover, from Vernon, in 1807, locating on a farm at first settled by a man named Slater, at the head of the present road 20, but which was then the principal county road, leading on through Somerset to Bennington. Here he resided until his death, in 1862, aged 85 years. Harvey, the eldest of his ten children, resides on road 41, aged eighty- one years.
Capt. Samuel Yeaw came to Dover, from Guilford, Vt., not far from 1812. though he soon after removed to Marlboro, but came back to Dover in 1822, locating about half a mile north of where Delphia W. Yeaw now resides. He married Melinda Fisher and raised thirteen children, as follows : Serecta, Timothy, Olive, Rhoda, Melinda, Roxana, Rosina, William, Joseph C., Gil- bert W., Delphia W., Arminda C., and Mary A. Gilbert W. married Han- nah Brown and resides on road 30 cor. 31. Delphia W. married Betsey Hanks, who died after bearing him four children ; for his second wife he married widow Lucy Harris, and now resides on road 41 cor. 43. Members of this prominent and numerous family have held many of the town offices and taken an active part in public affairs.
John Turner, from Massachusetts, was one of the pioneer settlers in the western part of Putney. He spent his life there and reared three sons and three daughters. Henry I. Turner, residing in this town on road 9, where he located in 1856, is the only one of the family now residing in the county. He was a representative to the State legislature in 1880-'81. His wife, Mary J., is a daughter of Francis Merrifield, of Newfane.
Dr. Daniel Leonard, son of David, settled in this town, married Sally, daughter of Rev. James Mann. and reared eleven children, one of whom died in infancy, the others being as follows : Martin, Elvira. Clark, Elliot, Mary A., Philena, Fidelia, Daniel G., Chloe M., and David P. Daniel was a Free Will Baptist and preached a number of years. He was also a physician and surgeon, and owned six hundred acres of land in West Dover. He served the town as selectman several terms.
William H., son of Ebenezer Jones, was born in this town. He married Diana Allis, of Wilmington, and reared six children. His son, W. Franklin married Annette, daughter of Levi Snow, reared two children, and died December 16, 1881.
Samuel Hill, from Massachusetts, was an early settler in the northern part of Marlboro. He married, first Sarah Church, by whom he had two sons, Daniel and Alvah E., and second, Belsie Blake, who bore him eight chil- dren. Alvah E. married Sarah Hall, came to Dover and located where his widow now resides, on road 36. Ozro E. and Daniel reside on road 16.
James Fitch came to Dover in 1789, from Ellington, Conn., after a resi- dence of two or three years in Wilmington, and located on the place now owned by Augustus and Freeman F. Fitch.
Linayle
169
TOWN OF DUMMERSTON.
Ansel B. Collins, residing on road 19, cor. 35, is a son of Joseph Collins, who was born in Castleton, Vt. His father died when Ansel was six months of age, however, and he was brought up by Luther Corse. He kept a hotel here nine years, has been deputy sheriff and constable twenty years, collec- tor of taxes five years, and selectman and lister several terms. He is now town agent, justice of the peace, and overseer of the poor.
Among those from Dover who served in the war of 1812, was Asaph Has- kins, William Lyman, Amos Gould, and . ---- Sears. In the late great conflict of the Union, Dover did her part faithfully and well.
The First Church of Christ, Christian, located at Dover village, was origin- ally organized by Rev. Daniel Leonard, May 18, 1843, and was re-organ- ized as a Congregational church, January 3, 1872, with eighteen members. Rev. Daniel Leonard, under whose ministrations the church was formed, was succeeded by Rev. D. H. Ranney, as pastor. The society occupies the Union church, built by the Baptists, Universalists and Methodists, in 1830. The society now has no pastor and does not hold regular services.
The Congregational church of West Dover was organized by a council convened for the purpose, January 17, 1868, with nineteen members. O. S. Harris being the first pastor. The society now has thirty-nine members, with Rev. H. R. Titus, of Wilmington, pastor. Their church was built in 1857.
D UMMERSTON lies in the eastern part of the county, in lat. 42º 56', and long. 4° 28', bounded north by Putney and Brookline, east by the left bank of Connecticut river, south by Brattleboro, and west by parts of Newfane and Marlboro. Dummerston was originally a part of the Equivalent Lands, described on page 58, that name being applied to the whole tract, in honor of William Dummer, one of the principal proprietors. In 1750 Joseph Blanchard, of Amherst, N. H., was sent to survey the territory. His survey having been completed, the proprietors of the Equivalent Lands petitioned the Governor of New Hampshire for a confirmatory grant of that tract and a portion of the adjacent territory. Accordingly, on the 26th of December, 1753, the "Equivalent Lands," together with a "considerable quantity of other lands, was formed into three townships, beginning at the north bounds of Hinsdale, on the west side of the river, and extending back about six miles, and so far up the river" as to enclose the required amount, and which was divided into the townships of Fulham, Putney and Brattleboro. Fulham, which in old documents is also spelled Fullham and Fullum, subsequently attained the ancient name of Dummerston, though at what time is not posi- tively known. As late as 1773, however, the territory was known by both names. The charter deed allowed an area of 19,360 acres to Fulham. On June 12, 1760, the restricted time for fulfilling some of the conditions of the charter was extended, and was again extended July 7, 1763.
Cinayle
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TOWN OF DUMMERSTON.
The surface of the town is, in many parts, broken and uneven, though there are large tracts of level, excellent farming land, Dummerston meadows being noted for their fertility. The principal elevations are Black mountain, of granite formation, in the central and southern part, Prospect hill in the cen- tral part, Spaulding and Leverwood hills in the northern part, and Stoddard hill in the western part. The scenery of the town is of the finest in the county, the picturesqueness of White river valley being proverbial, while many points of view are afforded that are grand in the extreme. White river, the principal stream, flows a southeasterly course through the western part of the township, having a number of small tributaries, while the eastern portion of the territory is drained by tributaries of the placid Connecticut. These sev- eral streanis go far towards making up the scenic beauties of the town, and at the same time afford many good mill-sites. The soil is, in most localities, arable and easily cultivated. The rocks entering into the geological structure of the territory are principally of the calciferous mica schist and clay-slate formation, the former underlying the western, and later the eastern portions. The granitic formation of Black mountain has already been mentioned. It is white, flecked with black mica, and is much used for monuments, building purposes, etc. Lyon & Co. have a quarry here where they employ about forty men. Primitive limestone also occurs in beds. Specimens of tremolite, limpid quartz and galena, or the sulphuret of lead, are also found here.
In 1880 Dummerston had a population of 816, and in 1882 it was divided into eleven school districts and contained ten common schools, employing four male and fifteen female teachers, to whom was paid an aggregate salary of $1,159.00. There were 176 pupils attending common school, while the entire cost of the schools for the year, ending October 31st, was $1,345.40, with D. L. Mansfield, superintendent.
DUMMERSTON (p. o.) is a small hamlet located in the central part of the town. It consists of one church (Baptist), and about a dozen dwellings. About sixty rods to the east is located the postoffice, and one mile east is the ham- let of Slab Hollow, where are located a carriage shop, grist-mill, saw-mill, blacksmith shop, etc. Dummeiston station, on the Connecticut River R. R., is located in the southeastern part of the town.
WEST DUMMERSTON, a post village and station on the Brattleboro & Whitehall railroad, located in the western part of the town, has one church (Baptist), an hotel, one store, a grist and saw mill, a blacksmith shop, the granite works of Lyon & Co., and about twenty dwellings.
John Taft's saw, shingle and cider-mill and jelly manufactory is located on Stickney brook, on road 39.
George E. Lyons & Co's granite quarry, located on West river, produces a large amount of granite, which is cut and shipped ready for use in building bridges, piers, etc., giving employment to about forty hands.
W. & W. E. Combs's grist and saw-mill, located at West Dummerston, is operated by water-power and is fitted with machinery for the manufacture
171
TOWN OF DUMMERSTON.
of board and dimension lumber, shingles, etc., and also with a mill for grind- ing meal and feed, and a machine for polishing granite. The first mill erected on this site is said to have been erected by Joseph Dunklee, about sixty years ago, and was burned about 1853. The present mill was erected by C. S. Roel, in 1855 or '56.
Charles H. Grant's stone quarry, located near West Dummerston, was pur- chased by Mr. Grant in 1882. He employs several men in quarrying and cutting granite.
Frederick F. Crosby's grist and saw-mill, located on Cone brook, road 48, was built by Ebenezer Cone, and was purchased by Mr. Crosby in 1866. He grinds about 10,000 bushels of grain and cuts from 75,000 to 100,000 feet of lumber per annum.
Edward F. Reed's'saw mill, located at Slab Hollow, cuts about 200,000 feet of lumber and 100,000 shingles per annuin. Mr. Reed also makes about 500 barrels of cider and 50,000 oak rims for baby carriages per year.
Franklin Crosby's grist-mill, operated by George N. Crosby, was built in 1857. It has one run of stones and grinds about 7,000 bushels of grain per annum.
Soon after the charter of Fulham was granted, John Kathan, who had resided within the limits of the town since the year 1752, united with a num- ber of persons, purchased in conjunction with them, from the New Hamp- shire proprietors, a part of the township, and in the year 1764, according to his own account, removed there, "with his wife and seven or eight helpless children." "Possessing the qualities of industry and perseverance," says Hall in his History of Eastern Vermont, " qualities especially necessary to the successful management of a new settlement, he addressed himself with energy to his task, and 'did actually clear and improve above a hundred and twenty acres, and built a good dwelling-house, barn, and all necessary offices, and also a saw-mill and potash works.'" In order to guard his improvements, he was " at a considerable expense in building a fort round his house," and was " under the disagreeable necessity of residing therein during the course of a tedious and distressing war." Misfortune rendered his toil more severe. His eldest daughter was taken prisoner by the Indians, and for two years and a half he knew nothing of her fate; but at the end of that time she returned home, Col. Peter Schuyler having "paid a ransom of four hundred livres for her redemption from captivity." In the year of 1752 a ferry was established between Westmoreland, N. H., and the proprietary of Dum- merston, and about the same period a similar method of communication was arranged between the latter place and the town of Chesterfield. The settle- ment, although much disturbed by the French and Indian war, was not allowed to die, and a few years after the restoration of order, John Kathan and his eighteen associates, with their families, were rapidly subduing the for- ests of Fulham, and accomplishing the conditions of their charter.
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TOWN OF DUMMERSTON.
In 1771 the settlement had increased to 189 souls, the enumeration being as follows : fifty-four males under sixteen years of age ; fifty-four between the ages of sixteen and sixty ; three over sixty ; thirty-seven females under the age of sixteen ; forty above sixteen, and one colored male, forty-four of the number being heads of families. In 1791 this population had increased to 1,501, in 1800 to 1,692, and in 1810 to 1,704 souls, being the highest popo- lation the town has ever had. Since then it has gradually fallen off to the present small list of 816. The town was organized in 1771, when Enoch Cook was chosen town clerk ; Rufus Sargent, Barzilla Rice, Ebenezer Haven. and Daniel Kathan, constables; and Ebenezer Havens, Leonard Spaulding, Thomas Holton, and Joseph Hildreth, selectmen. The first justices of the peace were Alexander Kathan and Nathan Duncan, in 1786. The first representative was Leonard Spaulding, in March, 1778. The first town meeting under the charter was called in writing. the document being signed by the following named individuals : Ebenezer Haven, Charles Davenport, Daniel Kathan, Enoch Cook, John Kilburn, Samuel Wiswall, Josiah Boyden, Barzilla Rice, Rufus Sargent, Samuel Dutton, Jr., Nathaniel French, Isaac Miller, and Horace Miller. The meeting thus warned met at the house of Isaac Miller, Monday, March 9, 1771, when Alexander Kathan was chosen mod- erator, and Enoch Cook, clerk. Samuel Wiswall, Alexander Kathan, and Enoch Cook were appointed a committee to lay out roads, and Isaac Miller and Benjamin Jones to act in company with the said committee, "to view the public lots and choose the spot to set a meeting-house." Alexander Kathan was elected surveyor of highways, and it was voted that each settler work four days on highway improvements. And Charles Davenport, David Kathan, and Joseph Hildreth were appointed a committee "to look out a burying place."
David Bennett was one of the early settlers of Dummerston. He was twice married, reared a family of seventeen children, and died June 9, 1848. His son, Jonas G., born July 28, 1814, married Adaline M. Miller, reared four children, Franklin E., Ellen C., and Fayette O., and now resides in Spafford county, Kansas.
William Kelley was one of the early settlers of Dummerston. His son Samuel, born in Dummerston in 1760, was thrice married, to Margaret Howe who bore him one child, to Rebecca Choate, who bore him three children, and to Eunice Choate, who bore him four children, viz .: Harriet, Urial, Austin and Benjamin F. He died in Wardsboro, in 1814. Benjamin F., the youngest son was born in Wardsboro, April 1, 1806. He was twice married and reared ten children, three of whom are now living. He resided in Wardsboro until 1848, then in Newfane until 1866, when he removed to Brattleboro, where he now resides, on road 5, the only one of Samuel's children living.
Isaac Miller was of Scotch descent. He was born in 1708, and in 1739, married Sarah Crosby, of Worcester, Mass. He had eight sons and four daughters. March 5, 1767, he located on road 34, in Dummerston. He was a civil engineer and surveyor, and in 1767 he surveyed the town into lots.
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TOWN OF DUMMERSTON.
Jacob Laughton, from Massachusetts, was born in 1761, and came to Dummerston with his father, Samuel, in 1769. He married and settled on road to. The homestead farm, which has always been in the Laughton family, is now in possession of his grandson, Austin Laughton, the youngest child of Jacob Laughton, Jr., who was the youngest of eight children raised by the pioneer.
John Laughton, a son of Deacon John Laughton, was born in 1770, and came to Dummerston when about two years old. He married Sally Miller, of Dummerston, by whom he had one son and two daughters. Thomas, who was born in 1796, married Rosanna Knapp, of Dummerston. The fruit of this marriage was five sons and four daughters, of whom Augustine I. and Frederick H. reside in this town. The latter married Anna Littleworth and has six sons and two daughters. His daughter, Nellie M., aged thirteen years, in the summer of 1883 caught a hawk measuring thirty-four inches from tip to tip, which had entered the barn to prey upon some chickens and was about to escape through the open door.
Jonas Walker, Jr., was born in Dummerston in 1781 and married Polly, daughter of Marshal Miller, by whom he had three sons and six daughters, six of whom are living.
Ichabod Knapp was born in Petersham, Mass., in 1755. In 1780 he mar- ried Catherine Miller and settled in the north part of the town. After a resi- dence there of three years he bought the place of Mrs. Andrew Stevens, liv- ing one year in a log house, when, in 1783, he erected the house now occu- pied by his grandson, George S. Knapp. He raised a family of six sons and five daughters. One son, Isaac, was a physician, and died in the town in 1856. Another son, George W., born in 1796, married; Elizabeth M. Mans- field, widow of Josiah Williams, who bore him a son and a daughter. The former, George S., born in 1858, resides on the homestead with his mother.
Dr. Isaac Burnett was a son of Robert Burnett, who came to Warwick, Mass., from Scotland, about 1700. Isaac was born in 1745, married Esther Marriam, and came to Dummerston about 178r, where he commenced to practice medicine. He had a family of two sons and two daughters, Mollie, Jotham, Wilkins, and Anna. Isaac died October 18, 1816. He was twice married. His first wife died August 7, 1799, and his second wife, Lydia Eddy, died January 3, 1847. She had one child, Mary, who married Caleb Taft.
Dr. Jotham Burnett, son of Isaac, was born at Warwick, Mass., December 21, 1780, and came to Dummerston when about a year old. He studied medicine with his father and subsequently practiced here. He married Abigail Pratt and reared four sons and two daughters. Jotham died January 21, 1847. His wife died February 27, 1850. Three of his children are now living, Mary, widow of George R. Miller, residing at Brattleboro. Stephen P. resides on the home farm in Dummerston. Lysander resides in Boston, Mass. Isaac was also a physician, and practiced in Milford, Otsego Co., N. Y. Forest M. was a photographer and settled in Cooperstown, N. Y.
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TOWN OF DUMMERSTON.
Philena P. married Daniel Taylor and settled in Boston. Lysander was born in Dummerston, March 27, 1808, married Emily French, and has five sons and two daughters. His first wife died October 13, 1851, and his second wife was Louise Taylor, who died May 19, 1881.
Stephen Bennett, from Connecticut, came to Dummerston about 1873. He married Ruth Fellows, who bore him four sons and four daughters, of whom Orrin L., who was born in the town in 1792, married Sarah Bowker, of Walpole, N. H., and had four sons and two daughters, of whom George R., who is an. acting justice of the peace, married Mary E. Downes, and resides on the homestead with his father and mother, the former of whom is ninety-two years of age, and the latter eighty-three.
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