USA > Vermont > Windham County > Gazetteer and business directory of Windham county, Vt., 1724-1884 > Part 23
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Charles C. Howard, of Dummerston, was born in Jamaica, and the youngest of ten children of Banyard Howard, the first child born in Jamaica, who estab- lished a cloth mill near the old cemetery on West river in that town, and also owned one in the village. Charles C. was brought up in this business and that of farming. In April, 1851, he married Mary Brown. They have two sons, Arthur C., who is superintendent of the Patterson organ factory in Bridgeport, Conn., and Herbert C., who resides with his father on road 49.
Ira Ormsbee was born in Putney, Vt., in 1810. His father, Christopher Ormsbee, died when he was but four years of age, and he was brought up by Joel Knight of Dummerston. At the age of seventeen he began to learn the blacksmith trade, and soon after completing his apprenticeship he bought a shop at Slab Hollow, and began business for himself. In 1833 he built the brick shop now owned by his son Charles, and continued the business there until his death in April, 188t. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Joseph Miller, Sen., and raised ten children, five of whom are now living, Charles and Emily, (Mrs. D. W. Gates,) in Dammerston, and Albert F., Leslie, and Julia, in Westfield, Mass.
Sylvester May, the third son of Lyman May, was born in Wardsboro. At the age of four years his father died, after which he was brought up by Simeon Adams, of that town. In 1852 he married Mary Pond, of Wardsboro, result- ing in the birth of seven sons and one daughter. He died in November,
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1868, aged forty years. His widow resides in Dummerston, and Mary A., their daughter, in New Haven, Conn .; Simeon S., in Granville, Mich .; Herbert, in East Manville, Mich ; Henry F., in Edinbury, N. Y .; Charlie E. and Samuel L., in Hinsdale, N. H .; Walter, in Vernon ; and Willie L., in Dum- merston.
The Congregational church, located in the central part of the town, was organized by its first pastor, Rev. Joseph Farrar, August 18, 1779, with the following named members: James Holland, Aaron Brooks, John French, Amos Rice, Mary French, Sarah Town, Joseph Temple, John Crawford, Joseph Temple, Jr., Joseph Hildreth, Sarah Holton, and Hannah Brooks. The first church building was commenced in 1773. The present building, a wood structure capable of seating 400 persons, and valued at $3,000.00, was built in 1842. The society now has 107 members, with Rev. Josiah Merrill, pastor.
The Baptist church, located at West Dummerston, was organized by Rev. Mr. Goddard, in 1798, the first pastor being Rev. Mr. Freeman. After a few years he was succeeded by Elder Jonathan Huntley, under whose minis- tration the church was greatly prospered. In 1816 there were ninety-six per- sons paptized through the ice. The society's meetings were held in dwellings, barns, and school-houses until 1802, when the first house of worship was built. The building erected in Guilford but not finished, was purchased by the society, taken down and re-erected in West Dummerston. The building was of white oak timber and is the same now used as a store by J. E. Townsend. Their present house of worship was built of wood in 1860. It will seat 250 persons, cost about $2,000.00, its present value. They also have a parson- age worth $1, 200.00. The present preaching supply is by Rev. C. R. Powers, of West Brattleboro.
G RAFTON is an irregularly outlined town lying in the center of the northern tier of towns of the county, in lat. 43° 11' and long. 4º 4', bounded north by Chester, in Windsor county, east by Rockingham, south by Athens and Townshend, and west by Windham. It was originally granted by New Hampshire, April 8, 1754, to Jonathan Whitney, William Holt, Nathan Harris, Philip Goodridge and sixty-one associates, by the name of Thomlinson, being the last town chartered by New Hampshire previous to the breaking out of the French war.
On July 9, 1761, the time for fulfilling the conditions of the charter was extended ; but notwithstanding this extension of time, however, there prob- ably was a failure to comply with the conditions, for a new charter was granted, September 1, 1763, to the same persons who had held the former charter. The name Thomlinson was retained until 1788, when, for some cause, the "h" was omitted, and on October 31, 1791, the name was changed to Grafton, under the following circumstances : Many of the citizens of the
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town were anxious to have the town named after the town from which they emigrated, and to give each an equal chance it was decided to put the name of the town up at auction ; and on the 31st day of October, 1791, it was sold, and Joseph Axtell being the highest bidder, for the sum of $5, had the pleas- ure of having the town named Grafton, he having removed from Grafton, Mass.
According to the charter the township was to be divided into sixty-four shares and to contain an area of six miles square, or 23,040 acres ; but October 30, 1816, a part of Athens and Avery's Gore was annexed to it, and November 2, 1846, a part of Grafton was set off to Athens.
The surface of the territory is very uneven, though there is much fine, arable land in the valleys and on the hill slopes. All grades of grains and grasses are grown to advantage, though the town is much better adapted to grazing than tillage. Saxton's river forms the principal water-course, being formed here by the union of several branches and flowing a southeasterly course into Rockingham. A branch of Williams river flows an easterly course through the northern part of the town, nearly parallel with the north line- These streams afford several very good mill-privileges. The principal rock entering into the geological structure of the territory is gneiss. In the south- ern part is a large bed of steatite which is quarried to a great extent. In connection with this deposit are found fine green laminated talc, chlorite, potstone, and crystals of actynolite and bitterspar. The potstone is of a greenish gray color and is less frangible than the steatite. The crystals of actynolite are large, and of a light green color. Those of bitter spar are of different sizes, presenting rhomboidal surfaces, and are embedded in the steatite. They are usually perfect, but not transparent. Their color is a light gray, and their lustre more pearly than that of calcareous spar. Their structure is distinctly laminated, and they dissolve without effervesence in diluted nitric acid. Cyanite, or sapphire, is also found. It is of a light blue color, and is in compressed hexagonal prisms in mica slate and in massive garnet. Garnets abound both in falcose and mica schist, and hornblende is very common. Also the sulphuret of iron in small brown cubes, plumose mica or mica slate, limpid quartz in transparent crystals, greasy and milky quartz, schrol and precious serpentine. The schrol is in triangular prisms, bevelled at their lateral edges, and striated longitudinally, having triedral terminations. Gold also has been discovered in small quantities.
In 1880 Grafton had a population of 929, and in 1882 had nine school districts and contained nine common schools, employing thirteen female teachers at an aggregate salary of $849.85. There were 169 pupils attend- ing common school, while the entire cost of the schools for the year, ending October 31st, was $1,092.54, with C. W. Terrill, superintendent.
GRAFTON is a post village located at the confluence of the north and south branches of Saxton's river. It has two churches (Congregational and Bap- tist), three stores, an hotel, chair-splint factory, carriage shop, blacksmith
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shop, etc., and about eighty dwellings. The Green Mountain telegraph and Boston & Northern telephone lines each have offices here.
HOUGHTONVILLE is a hamlet located about two miles south of the north line of the town, and the same distance from the west line. It has a store, a blacksmith shop, and a few scattered dwellings. There formerly was a postoffice here, but it was discontinued some years since, by petition of the citizens.
CAMBRIDGEPORT is a post village located on the line beween Grafton and Rockingham. In this town it has a store, telegraph office, and three or four dwellings.
MECHANICSVILLE is the local name given an extension of Grafton village, where most of the manufacturing interests are centered.
George N. French & Son's carriage, wagon and sleigh manufactory, located at Grafton, was established in 1833, by Lyman French, who conducted it until his death, in 1852, when George N. French became proprietor of the busi- ness. In 1877 his son, George D., was made a partner. Their shop on School street, together with that of Dexter B. French, on Water street, gives employment to six men.
White & Wilbur's saw, shingle, grist and cider-mill, located at Mechan- icsville, was originally erected by William Wier, in 1824, as a cider-mill. He sold out to Abner Parker, who put in carding machinery, and who in turn sold to Burdette & Gibson. It was afterwards converted into a woolen fac- tory, by John and William Woolley, about 1830. About 1857 L. S. Walker became the owner of the property, and subsequently re-converted it into a saw-mill. In 1873 C. S. White became interested in the business, purchased the property, and in 1881 sold a half interest to V. A. Wilbur. The firm now manufactures about 300,000 feet of lumber. 500,000 shingles, and also does a custom grinding and feed business.
Butterfield & Smith's soap-stoue mills and quarry, at Cambridgeport, give employment to about twenty men, in the manufacture of all kinds of soap- stone goods.
S. W. Goodridge has been engaged about twelve years at Grafton in the manufacture of fine fishing rods. His goods have attained just celebrity among distinguished anglers in this and most of the other States.
Marsh & Leland's chair-splint factory, located at Grafton village, was established in 1882. It gives employment to ten men in the manufacture of black ash splints for the seats and backs of chairs.
W. L. Burnap's grist and saw mill, located on road 28, is operated by water-power.
There was no settlement of the town commenced until several years after the date of the charter. In the year 1768, a man by the name of Slack removed to town and built a log house on the farm now owned by Seth Wright. This is said to be the first house built in town. About the same time three families named Hinkley, Hill, and Walton, removed into town and
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began a settlement on what is now and since then has been called Hinkley Brook, near the present residence of R. M. Cook. Hinkley built near the brook, Walton some rods north on higher land, now owned by Deacon Allen Fay, and Hill on land lately owned by Martin Daggett. Neither of these families remained in town but a few years, but all left, and the first permanent settlement was made about the year 1780. In the year 1779 Asa Fisher. of Hopkinton, Mass., Aaron Putnam, James Guild, William Parkhurst, of Win- chendon Conn., and Thomas Kinney, of Marrowfield, Conn, purchased land in this town of Thomas and John Chandler, of Chester .. Their deeds were all recorded in the town of Rockingham. The first deed recorded in the land records of Thomlinson, where either grantor or grantee were residents of the town, is a deed froin Thomas Kinney, of Thomlinson, to Esek Sanders, of Ashford, Conn., dated Dec. 27: 1781, and recorded June 17, 1782. Aaron Putnam was then town clerk. The first town records commenced in 1782. Several deeds were executed and recorded at that date. The value of the ratable property in town in 1781, was 200 pounds. In 1791 the population was 561 souls. The first birth in town was a child to Mr. and Mrs. Hill, dar- ing their stay on Hinkley Brook. The first record of a death is that of Asa Fisher, Jr., son of Asa and Esther, who died June 19, 1780, in the sixteenth year of his age. His body was buried in the burying-ground at the center of the town.
The first town meeting on record was held in 1783, though there is evidence that the town was organized in 1781. when Aaron Putnam was chosen town clerk ; Amos Fisher, constable ; and Miles Putnam, Samuel Spring. and Aaron Putnam, selectmen. The first justice of the peace was Charles Per- kins, in 1786. The first representative was Miles Putnam, in 1780. The first school was taught by Hester Fisher, in a log barn owned by Maj. John Dwin- nell. The first hotel and store were under the same roof, and kept by Henry Bond, located where widow Nancy Fisher's house now stands. It was a log house with one room and one bed for family and guests. The first goods placed in the store was a barrel of new rum, in 1787. This was drawn from Saxton's River, most of the distance in the river, with oxen, on a drag built for the purpose, there being no road. On the arrival of the goods the citizens flocked to the store to inspect them. They were pleased with the quality and purchased freely until quite a number had taken a larger quantity than they found themselves able to carry away. In 1788 the town voted that Samuel Spring should keep tavern on the place now owned by Capt. A. H. Burgess. David Stickney, Joab Gleason, and Ensign Jonathan Gibson, were also licensed to keep taverns.
As a speciman of the business transacted at the early town meetings, we print the following, the first being the meeting held in 1783 : At that meet- ing it was voted to have preaching from neighboring towns that season, and David Stickney was appointed to get preaching that season ; and it was voted that hogs should not run at large. In town meeting 1784, chose Ebenezer
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Burgess town clerk ; Ebenezer Burgess, Aaron Putnam, and Edward Putnam, selectmen ; chose Samuel Spring a committee to look out a road or part of a road to Rockingham ; chose Charles Perkins brander of horses. In town meeting 1785, chose Stephen Hayward, town clerk ; Charles Perkins, brander of horses. Voted that a man shall have three shillings a day for highway work, and a yoke of oxen two shillings a day ; voted that the law book should be kept at the town clerk's office ; voted that all ox sleds in town shall be four feet wide; voted to purchase ground for a burial place, and that each man give one day's work to clear the ground. This place was located at the center of the town.
Josiah Baird was one of the first settlers in town ; he settled upon the farm lately owned by S. S. Davis, known as the Sabin Gowing farm; he enlisted in the Indian war, was captured by the Indians, and remained a prisoner sev- eral years, but escaped and returned in 1788. He was father of George W. Baird, who was married in 1820, to Mary Cutter and resided until his death, in 1856, on the farm where her father, Nathaniel Cutter, settled in 1802.
Benjamin Dwinnell, father of Maj. John Dwinnell, was also one of the earli- est settlers in town He settled on land near the village, and the first school was taught in his barn.
Among the 117 tax payers in Grafton in 1792, may be mentioned the fol- lowing : Joseph Axtell, Alexander Axtell, Amos Dennison, Benjamin Dwin- nell, Oliver Davis, John Goodridge, Jr., Moses Goodridge, Solomon Gilson, John Kidder, Stephen Hayward, Ziba Hayward, (the family name being now spelled Howard), Robert Holmes, Mannasseh Houghton, Capt. David Pal- mer, Lieut. Thomas Palmer, Edward Putnam, Elijah Phelps, Samuel Spring, Dr. William Stickney, William Stickney, Jr., George Smith, Jr., Peter Petten- gill, Capt. Joseph Whitcomb, and Peter Whitcomb.
Job Gleason built the framed house now standing on road 8, in 1787, being, probably, the first framed house erected in the town. A large stone chimney stands in the center of the house, while the hardwood floor is pinned down by wooden pegs. Benjamin Burgess located on the place in 1800. His family consisted of the following children, Lyman, Laura, Hubbard and Maria, the latter of whom now occupies the place.
Thomas Davis located just east of Bear hill, in 1789, moving into a long shanty that was not supplied with a door. As a substitute for the useful appendage, Mrs. Davis hung a heavy bed-quilt over the opening, thus serving as a curtain. It was in the autumn of the year, and the nuts from the beech trees in front of the cabin were dropping plentifully about the door-yard, form- ing a very tempting bait for any wandering bruin that might pass that way. Late one afternoon, as Mrs. Davis sat quietly knitting near the hanging cur- tain, thinking, perhaps, of the friends and dear ones she had left within the pale of civilization, she was suddenly startled by having the curtain cooly raised by the black snout of a huge black bear. At sight of her, bruin gave an ominous growl; but the screech that Mrs. Davis gave completely drowned
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the growl, cut short the inquisitive beast peregrinations, and he turned tail and trotted off into the forest. Such were the pleasant visitors our pioneer mothers were called upon to entertain. It is needless to state, perhaps, that not many hours elapsed before Mrs. Davis had caused her husband to make a more substantial door of split logs.
Oliver Davis, born in Massachusetts in 1767, married Triphena Gleason and settled near Houghtonville in 1789. His bride died, however, only thirty days after their wedding. In 1783 Mr. Davis married Hannah Baird, who bore him children as follows: Triphena, Hannah, Betsey, Oliver, Jr., Alice and Benoni, the latter being twins and at whose birth Mrs. Davis died. In 1799 Mr. Davis married, for his third wife, Martha Page, who bore him children as follows: Silas, Sally, Lucinda, Benoni, Ascenath and Joel. The lat- ter married Harriet Briggs and had one son, George. Norman R. married Ellen Stiles, has one daughter, is one of the present town selectmen, and resides on the old homestead.
John Smith, from Dedham, Mass., came to Grafton in 1781, and settled, with Mr. Palmer and Mr. Baker, in that district known as "Howeville." All three families were large, and the first school taught here was made up of thirty scholars from these three families. The first school-house was built of logs, on the Slack farm. John Smith raised nine children, of ten born to him. John Smith, Jr., married Elizabeth Closson and at one time owned 500 acres of land about his birthplace. He raised three children, one of whom was a son. The two daughters are now living, Mrs. George Lawrence, of Grafton, and Mrs. Sarah Sanderson, of Townshend.
Elijah Phelps came to Grafton among the earliest of its permanent settlers, making the first settlement in the northwestern section of the town, previous to 1788. During that year his son Joseph was born. He became a black- smith, married, and built a residence at Houghtonville, where he carried on business until his death. Five of his seven children are now living, at Grafton village as follows : Samuel, Francis, Leverett, Charles and Harlan.
John Goodridge came to Grafton, from Keene, N. H., in 1786, having purchased his farm in 1783. He subsequently sold the farm to his son Moses, with whom he spent the latter years of his life. Moses married Abiah Wads- worth, of Keene, N. H., December 24, 1790, and reared a family of ten children.
Robert Converse, born in 1773, spent his youth at Marlboro, N. H., and at the age of twenty-one years married Edna Hale. In January of the following year, 1799, with his wife and her sister, Mercy Hale, who afterwards became Mrs. Ebenezer Burgess, he came to Grafton and located upon the farm now owned by his son, Newton R. Converse. Newton R. married Mary Stuart, of Andover, who died January 7, 1883, and reared five sons and four daughters, of whom Nelson resides in Illinois; Edna married Rev. E. W. White, of Castile, N. Y. ; Martha became Mrs. H. T. Wright, of Massachu- setts ; Sarah V. graduated from the Boston School of Oratory ; and Clara A. graduated from Smith college, of Northampton.
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Given Holmes made the first settlement on the farm now owned by D. W. Twitchell, on road 25, where he brought up a large family, from which Holmes hill derived its name. Only three of his children, Henry, Harry and Harriet, permanently located in the town. Harriet became Mrs. Harvey Stoddard. Henry was thrice married, originally carried on the blacksmith business, but subsequently was many years a merchant and manufacturer of the town; was a member of the constitutional convention of 1870, and held many of the town trusts. He died in August, 1871, aged sixty-five years. The fam- ily is now represented here by his son Sidney, who carries on the manufac- ture of churns, a business established by his father.
Thaddeus Taylor born in Massachusetts in 1768, came to Grafton in 1795, locating on Davis hill. Early in the following year he married Sally Taylor, who bore him four sons and four daughters, of whom Horace, born October 24, 1796, married Fanny Alexander, of Athens, their family being four sons and one daughter, of whom Thaddeus N. resides with his mother at the village ; Charles L. was lost at the battle of the Wilderness; Harry was killed in a powder-mill in 1856; George M., of Brattleboro, is sergeant-at-arms in the House of Representatives at Washington ; and Helen S. married Edwin Hamilton, who was killed by lightning in Missouri, in 1871. In 1857, the father, Horace was thrown from his wagon while on his way to church, the injuries received resulting in his death, while at the same time Mrs. Taylor had both wrists broken.
James Thompson came from Derry, N. H., at an early date, locating on road 35, upon what is now known as Kidder hill. All of his seven sons spent their lives in Grafton, and in turn reared large families. John Thompson married Betsey Conant and reared six children, three of whom were sons, Stillman, Elliot, and John. The latter inherited the homestead, married Chastina Fairbank, and Charles E., their only child, now occupies the home- stead. Stillman married Martha Smith, reared three children. One of these, Henry A., resides on road 36. Herbert E. Thompson, of Cambridgeport, is a great-grandson of James.
Abraham Hill, of Cambridge, Mass., was a Revolutionary soldier and was engaged in the battle of Bunker Hill, where a ball from one of the enemy's rifles passed through his hat and another through his cartridge-box. He sub- sequently married Ruth Blodgett, of Lexington, Mass., and, with his wife and five daughters, came to Grafton in 1797, locating on road 2, upon the farm now occupied by his son Thomas. He had three sons and three daughters born in Grafton, of whom Thomas married Roxanna White, of New Hamp- shire. Abraham died in 1838, aged seventy-eight years, and Mrs. Hill died in 1858, aged ninety-two years.
David Stiles, a cooper by trade, came to Grafton with his family in 1798, locating in school district No. 11. His children were Anna, Lydia, David, Joseph, Ephraim, Mark, Orrin, Elkanah W., Hosea B., Harriet, Philinda and Miranda. His first wife died in 1832, and in 1833 he married the widow
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Gleason. Elkanah married Mary R. Rugg, of Townshend, and had three children, Mary H., David and Harriet. David married Lucy A. Holden, of Townshend, and is now a prosperous farmer on the Stiles homestead, upon which was erected the first framed house in the western part of the town.
David Gilson came to Grafton in 1801, and married Eliza McAllister. Wesley W. Gilson of this family married Myra Stearns, of Grafton, by whom he had two sons, Albert W. and Earnest D. His wife died in 1864, and he subsequently married Mary Wolf, by whom he has one daughter, Cora E.
Capt. Joseph Whitcomb and his father Peter came to Grafton from Swanzey, N. H., previous to 1792. Capt. Joseph located on road 28, near the present residence of C. S. White, where he reared four children. William, the youngest son, married Annis Converse, and spent his life here as a farmer. He was a deacon of the Baptist church fifty years, held many of the various town trusts, and died in 1876, aged seventy-four years. Three of his four children are living, viz. : George R. Whitcomb and Mrs. Wealthy W. Conant, on road 36 in this town, and Rev. Winchester W. Whitcomb, in North Amherst, Ohio.
Alexander Zuill, a merchant, came from Scotland to Boston, Mass., where he had four children born to him. His son Alexander, born at that place in 1763, married and came with his wife and three children to Grafton about 1797, where four other children were added to the family. Col. N. A. Zuill, the oldest native resident of the town, was born in 1800, on the farm now owned by Otis Ranney. Four of seven children are living, Nathan O., on road 12, J. T., on road 23, and two daughters, Louisa M. Park and Abigail M. Zuill.
Ephraim Smith, from Worcester, Mass., located in Rockingham in 1783, at the age of fourteen years. In 1803 he came to Grafton, locating on road 36, where Stillman and H. A. Thompson now reside. He married Patty Dale about 1790, who bore him a number of children, and after her death, in 1815, he married Dorcas Streeter, of Surry, N. H., who bore him three chil- dren, of whom Martha, the eldest, married Stillman Thompson and resides on the old homestead. Hannah married Almon Richmond and removed to Illinois. Ansel married Adaline Kidder and went to Duluth, Minn., where he died.
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