USA > Vermont > Windham County > Gazetteer and business directory of Windham county, Vt., 1724-1884 > Part 34
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P UTNEY lies in the eastern part of the county, in lat. 42° 59' and long. 4° 28', bounded north by Westminster, east by the Connecticut river, south by Dummerston, and west by Brookline. It was originally char- tered December 26, 1753, by New Hampshire, to Col. Josiah Willard and others, being a partof the Equivalent Lands, and granted on thesame day that Dummerston and Brattleboro received their charter, as described on pages 55 and 82. A re-grant was given by New York, however, July 30, 1766, the charter being made out November 14, 1766, to Col. Willard and others. Under this New York grant the lands are held. They originally including anarea of 18, 115 acres; but October 30, 1764, a part of the land was taken towards forming the town of Brookline, another part being annexed thereto October 25, 1804 and October 28, 1846, a part of Dummerston was annexed to Putney.
The surface of Putney is pleasingly diversified by upland and meadow. while the soil is unusually arable and productive. The bottom lands along the river and Sackett's brook are rich and alluvial tracts, which amply repat the toil of the husbandman, the "great meadow " being proverbial for its
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fertility. The uplands have mostly a ricli, strong soil, well adapted to graz- ing and the production of the hardier kinds of grain. The lowest meadow lands, when the country was new, were covered with a tangled growth of butternut, elm, soft maple, and yellow pine, while the higher flats abounded with a white pine of majestic growth. The other forest trees are oak, maple, beech, birch, walnut, ash, etc. Sackett's brook flows a southerly course through the cen- tral part of the town, emptying into the Connecticut in the southeastern corner. There are several other streams, though they are of minor importance, being small tributaries of the Connecticut and Sackett's brook.
The rock formations on the east side of Sackett's brook are mostly clay- slate, abounding with garnets and staurotide. Through the center of the town runs the extensive strata of argilite or roof slate, that extends from the Mass- achusetts line far into Vermont. West of this range comes the mica slate again, interspersed with a hard, black limestone. In the eastern part of the town has been found a very rare mineral, known as fluate of lime or fluorspar, of a beautiful green color, this being the only locality in the United States where the mineral of an emerald green is found. Specimens of it have been sent to the most distinguished mineralogists in this country and in Europe. Serpentine of a beautiful shade, and susceptible of a high polish, is also found.
In 1880 Putney had a population of 1, 124, and in 1882 had ten school dis- tricts and contained ten common schools, employing two male and fourteen female teachers, to whom was paid an aggregate salary of $1,464.00. There were 220 pupils attending common school, while the entire cost of the schools for the year, ending October 31st, was $1,888.72, with Mark Ward, super- intendent.
PUTNEY is a pleasant post village of about 400 inhabitants, lying in the southern-central part of the town, on Sackett's brook, at a point where the descent is so sharp as to afford six or eight water privileges in a distance of eighty rods, all of which are utilized, two of them operating paper-mills. The village has three churches (Congregational, Methodist and Baptist), an hotel, two stores, a toy shop, plaining-mill, etc. The principal streets of the village, High and Main, lie respectively on the north and east slopes of a hill. Putney station, on the Vermont Valley railroad, lies about a mile south of the village.
East Putney (p. o.) is a hamlet located in the eastern part of the town, about a mile from the Connecticut. It has one church, a saw and grist-mill, and half a dozen dwellings. The postoffice is located at the railroad station, which was formerly called Cornton.
J. W. Stowell & Co's chair factory and toy shop, at Putney, gives employ- ment to ten men, turning out about $10,000.00 worth of good per annum. The factory was built in 1840, by Isaac Grout.
The Owl paper-mills, William Robertson & Son, proprietors, located at Putney village, were established by George Robertson, about 1828. The 18
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mills employ seventeen hands and manufacture about 1,800 pounds of manila tissue paper per day.
Orrin S. Thwing's grist-mill, located at Putney village, has two runs of stones, and grinds about 15.000 bushels of grain per annnm.
The Eagle paper-mills, Cole & Gough, proprietors, located at Putney vil- lage, employ about ten men, and turn out from 1,500 to 1,800 pounds of tissue paper per day.
Amasa N. Kidder's marble works, located on road 50, were established in 1877. He manufactures about $4,000.00 worth of goods per annum.
Horace Black's slate quarries are located on road 39, where they were opened by H. L. Black, about eight years ago.
John W. Walkup's saw and grist-mill, located on road 20, was built by Lyman Miller in 1873. Mr. Walkup came into possession of the property in 1883, and does custom work.
James H. Knight's saw and plaining-mill, located at Putney village, cuts about 250,000 feet of lumber per year. Mr. Knight also does a general job and undertaking business.
C. F. Farnum's carriage shop, located on road 11, turns out about twenty carriages and sleighs per year.
F. L. Pierce's saw-mill and box factory, located at East Putney, gives em- ployment to twenty men, manufacturing about 200,000 feet of lumber, thirty car loads of chair-stock, and $500.00 worth of boxes per year. Mr. Pierce has also a saw-mill on road 38.
F. O. Pierce's cider-mill, located at East Putney, manufactures about 200 barrels or cider per year.
Leroy Pierce's grist-mill, located at East Putney, has one run of stones, and does custom grinding.
A settlement was begun in Putney soon after the year 1740, and a garrison called Fort Hill was built in the center of the " meadow ;" but who erected or who occupied the fort is not known. Soon after the breaking out of the Cape Breton. or first French and Indian war, in 1744, however, the fort was evacuated and the inhabitants retired to Northfield, Mass., which was the frontier post during that war. One circumstance took place, however, pre- vious to the breaking up of the fort, and which undoubtedly hastened that event, as follows. On July 5, 1745, a man by the name of William Phipps was engaged in hoeing corn near the southwestern part of the meadow, when two Indians sprang upon him and dragged him into the woods near by. Here. after a short parley, one of the Indians departed, leaving the prisoner in the care of his companion. Phipps, with the hardihood characteristic of the pioneers, watching for an opportunity, struck his keeper down with his hoe. and seizing the fallen Indian's gun, gave the other, who was returning, a fata' wound. Thus at liberty again, he sought refuge in 'the fort ; but, unforte- nately, before he reached it, he was attacked by three other Indians, wbe butchered the brave fellow in cold blood. Shortly after, Nehemiah Howe, as
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he was cutting timber on the " meadow," was captured by Indians and carried to Canada, where he subsequently died.
Soon after the issue of the New Hampshire charter, which was in 1753, the first permanent settlement was commenced by John Perry, Philip Alexander and Michael Gilson, emigrants from Massachusetts. They located on the "great meadow," as their predecessors had done, and in 1755, in company with others lately arrived, they erected a fort in the southeastern part of the town. This fort was ablong in shape, about 120 by 80 feet, and was built of yellow pine timber, hewed six inches thick and laid up about ten feet high. Fifteen dwellings were erected within it, the wall of the fort forming the back wall of the houses. These were covered with a single roof, called a "salt- box" roof, which slanted upward to the top of the wall of the fort. In the center of the enclosure was a hollow square on which all of the houses fronted. A great gate opened on the south toward Connecticut river, and a smaller one toward the west. On the northeast and southwest corners, watch-towers were placed. In the summer season, besides its customary occupants, the fort was generally garrisoned, until about 1760, by a force of ten or twelve men from New Hampshire.
The only inhabitants on the " great meadow" at the beginning of the year 1755 were Philip Alexander, from Northfield, John Perry and John Averill, with their wives and families, and Captain Michael Gilson, a bachelor, his mother and his two sisters. On the completion of the fort several of the in- habitants of Westmoreland crossed the river and joined the garrison. These were Capt. Daniel Howe, Thomas Chamberlin, Joshua Warner and son, Daniel Warner, wife and son, Harrison Wheeler, Deacon Samuel Minott, who afterwards married Captain Gilson's mother, and Mr. Aldrich and son, the latter subsequently becoming General George Aldrich, who died at Westmoreland, N. H., in 1807. At the close of the French war all who had removed from Westmoreland returned, with the exception of Deacon Minott. During the summer Dr. Lord and William Willard joined the garrison. Several children were born in the fort, but the first child born within the limits of the town is supposed to have been Aaron, son of Philip Alexander. His birthi took place before the fort was built, and there is a tradition that Col. Josiah Willard, in commemoration of the event, presented to the boy a hundred acres of land, situated about half a mile east of Westmoreland bridge. The father of Capt. Daniel Howe and the father of Harrison Wheeler died in the fort. Both were buried in the graveyard in Westmoreland on the other side of the river. Religious services were for a long time observed among the occupants of the fort, and then the Rev. Andrew Gardner, who had previously been chaplain and surgeon at Fort Dummer, preached nearly three years. The "great meadow" was at this time not more than half cleared, and its noble forests of yellow pine, with here and there a white pine or a white oak, presented an appearance which is seldom to be met with at the present period, in any part of the State. Col.
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Josiah Willard, who owned the meadow, gave the use of the land as a con- sideration for building the fort and defending it during the war. The land was portioned out toeach family, and the inhabitants were accustomed to work on their farms in company, that they might be better prepared to assist one another in the event of a surprise by the enemy. There was no open attack upon the fort during the French war, however, although the shouts of the Indians were often heard in its vicinity in the night time. On one occasion they laid an ambush at the north end of the meadow ; but the settlers, who were at work on an adjacent island, were so fortunate as to discover the signs of their presence, and avoided them by passing down the river in a course dif- ferent from that by which they had come.
Early in the autumn of 1762, Lieut. Joshua Hyde purchased a tract of 2,800 acres in the eastern part of the town, and in December following removed his family and settled with them in a house situated about fifty rods south of the spot where Westmoreland bridge has since been erected. At this time, with the exception of the families on the meadow, there were only two other families in the place-those of John Perry and Philip Alexander, who resided not far from the river. There was no saw nor grist-mill in the town, and the grain for the settler's daily bread was for several years carried for grinding either to Northfield, Mass., or to Chesterfield or Westmoreland, N. H. In 1764 Joshua Parker made the first settlement on Sackett's brook, or on what has since been called Putney street. Soon after his purchase of land here he drove the first cart which had ever appeared in the town through what afterwards became Putney street, having fixed his residence at the north end of the said street. Although he removed his family from Canterbury, Conr., in October, he still located them for the winter in Westmoreland, for the conven- ience of mills, and did not permanently settle here until March, 1765. A saw-mill and grist-mill were soon after put in operation, and the settlers were thus relieved from several of their greatest embarrassments. Meantime, Henry Walton, James Cummings, and Moses Johnson had erected dwellings on the street, and Benjamin Hutchins and Samuel Skinner in the eastern part of the town. Before the middle of the year 1765 the number of families had increased to fifteen.
In 1768 Noah Sabin, of Rehoboth, Mass., afterwards distinguished in the annals of Cumberland county, came to Putney, building the first frame house erected in the town. In this year there were on Putney street, besides those already mentioned, the families of William Wyman, Charles Kathan, and Amos Haile. West of the street were three families, viz. : John Butler's, Michael Law's, and Dennis Locklin's. East of the mouth of Sackett's brook there were four families, viz. : Jonas Moore's Leonard Spaulding's, Fairbank Moore's, and Samuel Allen's.
In an historical sermon, from which most of the above facts were obtained, which was preached at Putney, by Rev. E. D. Andrews, on Fast Day, in 1825, the following minute details relative to the early settlement of the town
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are given, though there have, of course, been many changes in the localities as therein mentioned :---
" In 1768 the Hon. Noah Sabin built the first framed house, on the ground nearly opposite the Deacon Taft's; and the building is now a part of the store of Leavitt & Crawford. The same year Amos Haile built a framed house, opposite the house now occupied by the Hon. Theophilus Crawford. James Cummings built the house where Abel Haynes lives, and Charles Kathan also built on the spot where Mrs. McClellan lives, near Dr. Campbell's. Not long after, Moses Johnson built the first two-story house on the street-the house now occupied by Elijah Blake, thirty rods north of the meeting-house. The first saw-mill was built on the site of the paper-mill, in 1765 or 1766. The first grist-mill was built by Deacon Minott, where Minott's mills now stand, in 1766. The second grist-mill was built by Jonathan Houghton, about the year 1769. It was situated fifteen rods east of the paper-mill, on the site where Newell Moore's blacksmith shop now stands. The first cloth- ing works were built in the east part of the town, by Capt. Roswell Parker, in the year 1785. The first blacksmith who worked in town was Capt. Daniel Jewett. He commenced about the year 1773. The first store was opened about the year 1770, by Peter Wetson, a little west of the house of Hon. John Noyes, and here was the first tavern. The second store was opened by Charles Chandler, twelve rods south of the meeting-house, about the year 1783. The first meeting-house was built in 1773."
According to the census of Cumberland county, taken in 1771, the town then had a population of 301 souls, the enumeration being as follows : ninety- four males under the age of sixteen years, seventy-four between the ages of sixteen and sixty, four over sixty, sixty females under sixteen, and sixty-nine females over sixteen, fifty-one of the total number being heads of families. In 1791 the population had increased to 1,848, or 724 souls more than it has to-day.
On May 8, 1770, the town was organized and the first meeting for the election of officers was held, when Noah Sabin was chosen town clerk ; Amos Haile, constable ; and Abijah Moore, Daniel Read and Amos Haile, select- men. The first justices of the peace were Noah Sabin, Jr., and Lucas Wilson, in 1786. The first representative was Abner Miles, elected in October, 1878.
Josiah White came to Putney, from Lancaster, Mass., in 1760, and settled in the east part of the town, where he died in 1806, aged eighty-seven years. His son Alfred was born in this town in 1788, and spent most of his life here. He died in 1874. He married Tabitha Cobb, by whom he had nine children, four of whom are living, one son, Charles H., in this town.
Abijah, William, Rufus, Gideon, and Jephtha Moore, brothers, came to Putney, from Bolton, Mass., March 6, 1769, and settled in what is known as the Moore neighborhood. Abijah died about 1851; William, in 1815 ; Gideon, in 1834 or '35 ; Rufus, in 1838, and Jephtha, about 1838. Abijah and David Moore, of a former generation, were captains in the Revolution, and seven of their sons and sons-in-law were engaged in that war. A sister of the Moores married Elisha Hubbard, and removed to Rochester. Vt., where she raised a family of sixteen children, twelve of whom, as well as eighty-three grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren, survived her. It is
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related by their descendants that soon after the Moores came here the stocks, an ancient contrivance for the punishment of criminals, were carried off one night and concealed, but were found and brought back. They were again removed and hidden in a swamp, where many years after they were found and used for pin timber by Mr. Hubbard.
Peleg Winslow was born in Putney, in 1770, and died in 1805. He was a farmer, and married Rhoda Dutton, of Dummerston, about 1792, settling on West Hill, near the Dummerston line, on the farm now owned by Warren Bennett. He raised five children, three sons and two daughters, viz .: Rhoda, who married Valentine Carr, of Putney ; Aaron M., who married Orilla Wells, of Coleraine, Mass., and settled on the same farm in Putney ; Rebecca F., who married Martin Gates, of Dummerston ; Peleg, who married Nancy Bowles, of Rockingham, Vt., and lived in Dummerston till 1842, but died in Townshend, in 1871 ; and Samuel D., who married Sarah W. Joy, of Putney, January 17, 1842, and settled in Townshend, in district number two, where he spent most of his life, but now resides in Grafton. Peleg and Henry, sons of Aaron M., are extensive and well-known dealers and raisers of short-horn cattle in Kaukakee, Ill. Three of Rebecca's four children, Sarah, Daniel, and Emma, are living. The fourth, Martin, died in Kansas, in 1882. Peleg had four sons and one daughter : George, Nelson, Samuel D., Rhoda, and Lemuel J. George, Rhoda, and Lemuel J., are dead. The latter was a captain in the late war, and was afterwards a merchant in Newfane, where he died in 1882. Nelson, who is a merchant in Townshend, has hield the offices of town superintendent, selectman and deputy sheriff. Samuel D., who has been a merchant for twenty-five years, is president of the Windham County Savings Bank, and has taught school in California, where he resided four years.
Zenas Black, whose father was one of the first settlers in Putney, was a native of this town, but removed about 1848 to Barnard, where he died. He was twice married and had seven children, only two of whom are living, one son, Charles, in Barnard, and another, Horace, in Putney, on road 39. Hib- bard C. Black, son of Horace, resides with his father, who has four other children.
Zenas Hyde was one of the first settlers in Putney, and spent his life on the farm on which Horace L. Scott now lives. He died there in 1841, aged eighty-three years.
Ebenezer Johnson, who came from Massachusetts, was among the first set- tlers in Putney. He located near the village of Putney, and engaged in agri- cultural pursuits. His son, David B., who was born in the town about 1 802, spent most of his life here, and died in 1875. He took an active part in town affairs, and was honored with official trusts. Eight of his twelve chil- dren are living, two, Willard R. and Mrs. Mary Pierce, in this town, the latter of whom resides in the east part of the town. One son, A. J., of New York, is the publisher of " Johnson's Cyclopedia," and "Johnson's Analysis of the Bible."
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Robert Blood came to Putney from Groton, Mass., about 1782, and set- tled where his grandson, Oliver Blood, now resides, the farm having since re- mained in the possession of the Blood family. He died in 1816, aged eighty- four. His son Oliver, who was twelve years old when he came here, spent his life on the homestead farm, and died there in 1860, in his ninety-first year. He was succeeded on the homestead by his son, the present occupant. Another son, Luke, resides on road 2. Miss Sarah Blood and Mrs. Eunice Wood, of this town, and John Blood, of Grafton, Vt., are descendants of this family.
Samuel Bennett came to Putney, from Warwick, R. I., in 1780, and crossed the Connecticut river in his journey hither, on what is commonly known as the " dark day," (May 19, 1780). He served five years as a soldier in the Revolution, holding the office of drum-major. He settled in the west part of the town, and died in Brookline, in 1841, aged eighty-three. His son Samuel, was born in Putney, in 1791, and spent most of his life here. He died in Brookline, in 1849. Six of his nine children are living. Warren is the only one who resides in Putney. Another son, Walter S., resides in Brookline. His daughter Louisa married Rev. Samuel Kingsley, who, together with his wife and three children, died within eighteen days.
Deacon Abner Bacon, son of Nehemiah, born in Brooklyn, Conn., came to Putney when about twenty years old, just after the Revolution. He lived here until ninety-six years of age. He learned the tanner's trade, which he followed for ten years, when he engaged in farming. He had five sons, all of whom married and raised families, and two of whom are still living. His son William was born in Putney in 1804. When about twenty-one years of age, he left the town, but returned after the expiration of ten years. He was a carpenter and joiner by trade, and died in Putney in December, 1870. He married Maria M. Blaisdell, of Haverhill, Mass. His children, all of whom are living, are Jennie L., wife of Rev. John Berg, of New Haven ; Henry C. and George, both living in Bellows Falls ; Ella, wife of Dr. G. E. Clark, of Lima, Ohio ; and Emma, twin sister to Ella, who resides with her mother, in Putney.
Rev. Josiah Goodhue, son of Deacon Samuel Goodhue, was graduated from Cambridge college in 1755. He came to Putney from Dunstable, Mass., and was the first settled minister in the town. He was for a long time pastor of the Congregational church, and died here in 1796, aged sixty-eight. His son Josiah F. was a distinguished surgeon, and lived at Chester, Vt., and Hadley, Mass., where he died. Joseph, another son, was also a prominent physician and surgeon, and served twenty-one years in the United States army. He died at Deerfield, Mass. Ebenezer, a third son, married Lydia Ranney, of Westminster, and settled in that town, where he was engaged in mercantile business, and in his latter years in farming. He was a deacon of the Congregational church for many years. His son Homer resides in Westminster.
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Dr. Noah Pratt was born in Winchester, N. H., about 1784, graduated from Dartmouth college, studied medicine, and settled in Rockingham about 1830, practicing in that town until his death, October 13, 1847. He married Sarah Brown, of Chesterfield, N. H., about 1810, who bore him seven chil- dren. The eldest, Rev. John B., is an Episcopal clergyman of Madison, Wis. Another son, Noah, resides in this town, on road 45.
James Campbell, a Revolutionary soldier, was an early settler in Putney. His son Benjamin, born here July 14, 1781, married Betsey Wilson when about twenty-one years of age, and reared a family of sixteen children, four- teen of whom lived to reach maturity. Ezekiel Campbell, born March 6, 1816, and now living in Brattleboro, is the only one of the family in that town. Ezekiel was engaged in the insurance business a number of years, and in 1874 was appointed by the State as a director of the Union Mutual Insurance Company, and when the company organized he was elected its president.
Simon W. Houghton, son of Timothy and Olive (Moore) Houghton, was born at Bolton, Mass., November 12, 1812. He married Sarah Mead, of that place, April 7, 1837, and came to Marlboro in 1838, where he engaged in the manufacture of carriages until 1849, when he came to Putney and has since resided here. He has been a justice of the peace about forty years, and was a member of the constitutional convention in 1870. All of his eight children are living. The eldest, Edward T., resides in Springfield, Mass. During the late civil war lie served in the navy, and George A., the second son, served in the army. Simon W., Jr., is a physician, practicing at Somers, Conn.
Abner Bacon, one of the early settlers of Putney, married Catharine Reed, in 1793, and reared five children. Of these, Clark married Lydia Kerr, of Putney, in 1836, and removed to Dummerston in 1855. His son, Har- rison K., born in 1842, enlisted in Co. K, 9th Vt. Vols., in January, 1864, was promoted as lieutenant Co. C, and served until December, 1865, though he contracted disease from which he died, July 22, 1866.
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