USA > Vermont > Windham County > Gazetteer and business directory of Windham county, Vt., 1724-1884 > Part 46
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James Richardson came to Westminster, from Haddam, Conn., about 1770, and settled on road 42, about two miles from the Connecticut river. He died in 1819, aged seventy-five years. He married Molly Dodge, by whom he had nine children. His son John was born in 1770, and resided in this town till his death, in 1836. He took an active part in town affairs, and was honored with town trusts. He married Betsey Goodridge, and had four children, of whom John C., who was born in 1807, and now resides at Westminster street, is the only survivor. Nathaniel D., another of James's sons, was born in Westminster in 1778, and died here. He married Sally Colburn, and had one child, Derastus, who was born in 1797, and always lived in Westminster. In 1821 he married Eleanor Lane, by whom he had eight children; four of whom are living, Lewis C. and Mrs. T. W. Wiley, in this town, and the other two, John D. and Mrs. J. S. Fish, in Charlestown, N. H. One son, Ithamar, was accidentally shot while gunning, when thirty-two years old ; and one daughter, Amarilla, died in 1861.
Francis and Charles Holden, brothers, 'came to this town from Shirley, Mass., in 1754, and were the first settlers in the west part of the town, on the farm now owned by Jerome Holden. Francis served three years in the war for independence, and took part in the battle of Bennington. He raised a large family of children, and died in the town. His son Timothy was born
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in 1781, and resided here till his death, in 1853. He was a soldier in the war of 1812. He was twice married, and had eight children, three of whom are now living. One son, Jerome, now owns the old homestead, and is engaged in breeding Merino sheep, Durham cattle, &c.
Edward R. Campbell was born in Westminster, about 1765. He was a physician, and resided in this town till his death, in 1830. He married Anna Norton, and had seven children, two of whom are still living. One son, Sidney, resides in Chesterfield, N. H., and a daughter, Matilda, widow of Grant W. Ranney, resides at Westminster West. His son Edward R. was born about 1790. He was a farmer, and married Clarissa Chamberlain, by whom he had seven children, who lived to maturity. He died of cholera, in Pittsburgh, Pa. His eldest son, Charles C., who was graduated from Yale college in 1838, resides at Westminster street. He has been engaged in teaching, and in mercantile business, and in farming in Mississippi. In 1871 he returned to his native town. Another son, Daniel, is a physician at Sax- ton's River, and a third, Collin, resides in Texas. His daughter Mary is the wife of Clark S. Lake, of Saxton's River. Another daughter, Sophia, is the wife of Wendell Williams, of Rochester, Vt. Another son became the Hon. George Campbell.
Ichabod Ide was the first occupant of the farm on which Freeman Gor- ham now lives. He came here about 1771. None of his descendants of that name now reside in the town.
John Goold, from Massachusetts, was one of the first settlers in West- minster. He located in the East parish, and raised a large family of children. His son Aaron was born, lived and died in the town. He had eight children, four of whom are living, two in this town, Reuben C., who resides at West- minster West, and a daughter, Mrs. Zenas Lord, who lives in the east part of the town.
Ephraim Ranney came to Westminster, from Middletown, Conn., some time previous to the Revolution. He came up the Connecticut river in a log canoe, and settled near that stream in the east part of the town, in which locality he became one of the most prominent residents. When Mr. Ranney first came here there was no grist-mill nearer than Northfield, Mass., and thither he took his grain to mill in a canoe. He was one of the first deacons of the Congregational church. He had eight or nine children, some of whom filled important niches in social, business and official circles. Two of his sons settled in the east part of the town, and two in the west part. One son, Ephraim, was a prominent man in the town, and was a justice of the peace for many years. Another son, Elijah, settled in the south part of the West parish, and was at one time the wealthiest man in that part of the town. He was a successful farmer, and a deacon of the Congregational church. Two of his sons, like their father, were men of great prominence, and were honored with important town trusts. One, Elijah, was a deacon of the church for many years; the other, Joseph, was for many years a justice of the peace.
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A number of their descendants are still living in the town. A daughter of Ephraim Ranney married Deacon Ebenezer Goodhue. Three of her sons are living here. The second wife of Squire Ephraim Ranney was a very daring and athletic woman. When the first bridge was being built across the Connecticut river, she tripped across upon the stringers. It is also said that she could lift a barrel of cider by the chimes, and drink from the bung-hole.
Jabez Goodell came here from Chapell, Conn., previous to the Revolution, and settled in the north part of the town, where he died in 1799. His son Asahel resided in this town during his life, and raised eleven children, three of whom are living. His son Asahel was born in Westminster, in 1799, and spent his life in this town, where he died in 1875. He had three children, all of whom are living, two, a son and daughter, E. R. and Gracie E., in this town.
Silas Burk came to Westminster at an early day, previous to the Revolu- tion, it is thought. He lived on the farm now owned by Joseph Clarke, and which had been previously owned by his father, whose name could not be ascertained. He died in 1825. He had eight children, all of whom are dead. His daughter Sarah married Timothy Clarke, of Rockingham, and had ten children, three of whom are living, Joseph, who has lived on the Burke homestead for forty-four years ; Albert, who lives in Rockingham ; and Ben- jamin, in Iowa.
John Grout was born in Spencer, Mass., March 14, 1765, and married Elizabeth Upham of the same place. He came to Westminster, probably before the Revolution, in which he took part, and settled in the southwest part of the town. He had thirteen children. Sylvester settled in Westmin- ster. John, who was born in Westminster in 1788, married Zuba Dunklee, of Brattleboro, and settled in Newfane. In 1847 he moved to West Brattle- boro, where he died October 16, 1851. He had eight sons and one daughter, six of the former of whom are living,-Rev. Lewis, in West Brattleboro; Syl- vester B. and Chester B. are farmers in Kansas; Isaac, a fruit grower in California; Henry M. is a Congregational minister in Concord, Mass .; and John M. is a traveling salesman, living in Medford, Mass.
Calvin Chaffee was born in Westminster, in 1780, and when thirty years old married Elizabeth Hall and went to Hartford, N. Y., where their chil- dren, Calvin C., Jane, and James C. were born. They then returned to West- minster, where Susan, Roxana, Chester and Charles were added to their household. Calvin Chaffee died in 1853. Dr. Calvin C. Chaffee is a resi- dent of Springfield, Mass., from whence he has been sent to congress three terms. Jane (Mrs. Nathan Robbins) and James C. are residents of Town- shend. The latter married Luceba Smith, of Westminster, in February, 1842, and has three sons and a daughter in the West, and a daughter in Town- shend.
Elisha Hitchcock came to Westminster from Springfield, Mass., about 1776, and settled in the northwest part of the town, on the farm on which his grand-
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daughter, Ruth M. Hitchcock, now lives. He died in 1839, aged eighty-six. His son Amos was born on the farm on which he settled in 1784, and resided here till his death in 1878, with the exception of a few years spent in Westfield, Vt., about 1811. Six of his eleven children are living, two in this town, William H., on road 17, and Ruth M., on road 18.
Levi Peck was born in Wrentham, Mass., April 14, 1757, and lived there till the commencement of the Revolutionary war. He served as a soldier about three years in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and came to Vermont from Providence, in the latter State. about 1780. He taught school in Brat- tleboro, Windsor and Weathersfield. September 27, 1785, he married Han- nah Stoddard, of Westminster, and settled on and cleared the farm now owned and occupied by Thomas Ashwell. He died September 17, 1835. He had five children. His son Shubal was born on the farm on which he settied, in 1795, and lived thereon till his death in 1872. He married Thirza Wheeler, by whom he had six children, five of whom are living. Three, Orestes F., Charles C. and Mrs. Thomas Ashwell, reside in Westminster ; Sanford L. lives in Elkader, Iowa; and Mrs. Lester Woodford, in Bloom- field, Conn.
Seth Arnold came to Westminster from East Haddan, Conn., soon after the Revolution, in which he took part, and settled on road 30. He died in 1849, at the advanced age of one hundred and one years. He had four sons and four daughters, only one of whom is living, Phebe, wife of Isaac Holton, in Illinois.
Eleazer May came to Westminster in 1789 and opened the first store in the town in the front part of his dwelling. . He built and occupied the brick, store now occupied by Austin Goodridge, in which he also kept a bank. He continued the mercantile business till his death, in 1845. He married Cynthia House, of Connecticut, and had ten children. His son James was born in this town in 1797, and was associated with his father in the mercantile busi- ness. He died April 13, 1877. He married Eveline Moore, of Bath, N. H., and had two children, James, who died September 13, 1863, and Belle, who resides with her mother on the old homestead.
Levi Wilder came here from Massachusetts about 1790 and settled in the southwest corner of the town, on the farm now occupied by Mr. Reed. He died about 1856. He had four children, all of whom are dead. His son Hiram was born in Westminster in 1800, and lived in the town, many years. In 1844 he removed to Rockingham and resided there till his death, in 1882. He had five sons, all of whom are living, one, Leman A., in this town, and three in Rockingham.
Joel Page was born in Westminster in 1791, and married Rebecca Clawson in 1812. He had seven children, five of whom are living. Three sons, Michael G., Henry and Bradford P., reside in this town. One daughter, Mrs. Sarah Spencer, lives in Weathersfield, and another, Mrs. Harriet Hadwin, in Worcester, Mass.
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TOWN OF WESTMINSTER.
Samuel Chipinan came from Connecticut in 1794, and in 1797 built the house in which his daughter Sophronia now lives. He had twelve children, only two of whom are living. Charles lives in Wisconsin. Samuel Chipman died in 1860, aged eighty-eight.
Capt. Matthias Gorham came here from Yarmouth, Mass., in April, 1798, making the journey with three yoke of oxen in thirteen days. He crossed the Connecticut river into Putney at Robinson's ferry, and thence proceeded to Westminster, arriving on the ad day of May. For the farm on which he set- tled hepaid $4,000.00 in gold and silver. The farm has since remained in the Gorham family, and is now owned by Freeman Gorham. Capt. Gorham's son David was eleven years old when they came to Westminster. He lived on the homestead farm and died there January 25, 1882, aged ninety-five. He took an active part in town affairs and held various offices. He had eight children, three of whom are living. Two reside in this town, Freeman on the homestead, and D. C. off road 38. Freeman has been selectman and has held other town offices. D. C. is a selectman at present.
Matthew Miller settled at Westminster street at an early day. He was a cabinet maker by trade, and died in Rockingham. Only one of his six chil- dren is living, viz., William, in Chester, Vt. A grandson, James M., lives on road 23 in Westminster.
Capt. John Braley, who was a sea captain, came to Westminster from Rhode Island at an early day and settled in the West parish. When he came the bears were so numerous that he had to chase them away from his calf pen with a fire brand. His son John was born in Westminster in 1780, on the farm on which his father settled, and lived in the town during his life, with the exception of a few years spent in Rochester, Vt. He died in 1853. His son William was born here in 1810 and resided here till his death in 1881. Three of William's children reside in this town and one in Putney.
Thomas Ranney, from Connecticut, was an early settler in the southwest part of the town. His sons Thomas and William, who came with him, and Stephen, who was born here, spent their lives in the town. The latter had eight children, five of whom are living, one, A. F., who was born in 1817, and has spent his life in the town, off road 60.
Nathaniel Robinson came to Westminster at an early day, and reared a large family here, though none of them now reside in the town. His son Titus married Susannah Gibbs and also reared a large family. He was a carpenter by trade and died at New Orleans, La., while there at work on a church building, in 1820. Only one of his family is now living, Anna, wife of Christopher Crowell, of Walpole, N. H.
Capt. Levi Crowell came to Westminster about 1800, locating in the West parish, where he reared a family of seven children, and died in 1848. Three of his children are now living, Surviah, Betsey, and Christopher, the latter in Walpole, N. H.
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Ebenezer Goodell, from Connecticut, came to Westminster with his father some time prior to the Revolution, and settled in the northwest part of the town. His son Alvin, who was born here in 1801, and resided here till his death about 1863, took an active part in the affairs of the town, which he represented four times in the legislature. He was a constable for twenty years and a selectman for many years. Four of his six sons are living, two in Westminster, Loren A. and Charles C. Cyrus, another of Ebenezer's sons, was born in this town and spent most of his life here. He died in 1856, aged fifty. Both of his children are living, one in Ohio, and the other, F. H., on road 56 in Westminster, where he is extensively engaged in farming.
Zadock Hitchcock came here from Brookfield, Mass., at an early day, and located on the farm now occupied by Roswell Powers, whose wife is his daughter.
David Wells, from Hatfield, Conn., was an early settler near the central part of the town. His daughter Saloma resides in Keene, N. H. His son David, who was born here in 1805, and resided here till his death in 1875, had two children, both of whom reside in this town, Henry A., on road 42 corner of road 43, and Mrs. A. S. Watkins, on road 30.
Scott Clark came early from Cape Cod and settled in the central part of the town. His son Perez came with him and lived on the same place till his death about 1855. The latter's son Fessenden was born here in 1801, and resided here till his death in 1877. He had ten children, only three of whom are living, two in this town, and one in New Jersey. One son, J. Hunt, lives near Westminster West.
Joseph Fairbrother came to Westminster at an early day and died about 1843. His son Eliakim came with him and resided here till his death, in 1881. Two of the latter's sons reside in this town, George H., on road 1, and Dighton H., on road 45.
Jonathan A. Phippen was an early settler on road 42, on the farm now owned by John E. Ellis. He came with an elder brother and married a daughter of Asa Averill, who was an early settler at Westminster street, and built the house now occupied by Moses Moulton. Mr. Phippen had seven children, one of whom, Samuel, now lives in Burke, Vt. Another son, David A., was born in Westminster in 1798, and resided on the farm on which his father settled, till his death in 1865. Only four of David's eight children are living. Two of them, Mrs. John L. Collins and Mrs. Sidney A. Spencer, reside in Westminster. Nearly all of Averill's descendants are gone.
Capt. Michael Gilson, who served in the Revolutionary war, came to Westminster at an early day and lived where Bradford Page now resides. He died in 1823, aged ninety-two years. None of his descendants bearing his name are left in the town.
Calvin Dunham came from Mansfield, Conn., to Walpole, N. H., and from thence to Westminster previous to 1800. He spent the remainder of his life
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TOWN OF WESTMINSTER.
here. His son F. O. Dunham, who was born October 8, 1808, and has been engaged in carriage making, is still residing in the town.
George Smith came to Westminster from Rhode Island about the beginning of the present century, and was engaged in farming in the north part of the town, where he reared a large family and died about 1843. Otis and Curtis Smith, who were born in Rhode Island, and were yonths when the family came here, bought the farm near their father's, now owned by Joseph Smith. Otis is still living, at Saxton's River, in his eighty-fifth year. Three of his sons. Joseph, Jonathan E. and Ira, live in Westminster. One, Judson C., lives in Chester, Vt. ; another, Ransom E., at Saxton's River ; while a daughter, Mrs. Lyman C. Aldrich, also lives in this town. Curtis married Lydia Wright, who bore him eight children, all of whom are living, and six of whom have families. He died in 1852, aged fifty-six. His widow is now the wife of Ralph Whitney, of Brookline. Of his children, Fannie (Mrs. Samuel Wood), resides in Charlestown, N. H .; Ora F., in Rhode Island ; Luceba (Mrs. J. C. Chaffee), in Townshend; Clara (Mrs. F. Wiley), in Rockingham ; George, in Athens ; Mary (Mrs. H. Loveing), in Marlboro, N. H .; and Roderick R, in Westminster.
Ira Goodhue, the third son of Dea. Ebenezer and Mrs. Lydia (Ranney) Goodhue, was born at Westminster, December 20, 1803. He is also a grand- son of Rev. Josiah Goodhue, the first settled minister of Putney, and a great- grandson of Dea. Ephraim Ranney, who emigrated from Middletown, Conn., at an early day, and settled in Westminster. The father of Ira Goodhue was a farmer, settled in the West Parish of Westminster, and the subject of this sketch has always resided therein, and followed the same occupation, as his principal business. He had the privileges of the common schools in his boy- hood, and also two terms at Chester academy, Vermont. At eighteen years of age he commenced teaching school, teaching thirteen terms in all In 1832 he married Miss Almira Sawyer, of Heath, Mass. He has held nearly all the town offices, such as school superintendent, selectman, justice of the peace, etc., for many years, and has also settled quite a number of estates, being frequently chosen guardian of minor children. He has been a member of the Congregational church sixty years, senior deacon thirty-seven years, and was a member of the Congregational council at Boston in 1865. He served the town as representative in the general assembly of Vermont in 1843, '45 and '47, was a State senator in 1852 and '55, and in 1859 was elected one of the assistant judges of Windham county court, holding the office five years ; was a member of the council of censors to revise the State constitution in 186t ; was elected county committee in 1860, under the prohibitory liquor law of the State, holding the office seven years. He is now (1884) over eighty years of age and still hale and hearty, and able to attend to his own farming business, though business for others was given up by him several years since. The children of Ira and Almira S. Goodhue, are as follows: Henry A., a graduate of Dartmouth college and Andover seminary, and pas-
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tor of the Congregational church in West Barnstable, Mass., over twenty years ; Martha E., wife of Mr. Reuben Miller, a well-to-do farmer in West- minster ; Charles E., formerly a merchant of Townshend, and who was a Ist lieutenant in the 16th Vt. Regt., and died in 1865, of disease contracted in the service ; Wayland P., formerly a merchant in the city of Polo, Ill., now sec- retary of the Northwestern Manufacturing and Car Co., of Stillwater, Minn .; and Julia A., a graduate of Mt. Holyoke female seminary, and a teacher therein, also at Sackville, N. B., and Drew seminary, N. Y. She is now the wife of Prof. S. H. Trowbridge, of Glasgow, Mo.
Homer Goodhue, son of Dea. Ebenezer Goodhue, was born at Westmin- ster, March 4, 1811. He worked on his father's farm until he was twenty years of age, when he went to Charlestown, Mass., and was connected with the McLean asylum for the insane for twenty-one years, the most of the time as supervisor. He returned to Westminster in 1853, was married here in 1855 to Miss Delyra Tuthill, of Westminster. He was town clerk and town treasurer several years ; was elected town representative in 1863 and '65 ; was elected to the State senate in 1866, and re-elected in 1867, and also held the office of county commissioner for several years; was appointed by the legis-" lature as commissioner of the insane in 1866, and re-appointed in 1867. In 1882 he was chosen one of the board of supervisors of the insane, whose duty it is to visit the hospital at Brattleboro every month, which office lie holds at the present time.
Horace Goodhue, another of Deacon Ebenezer Goodhue's sons, was born in Westminster in 1805 and has always lived in this town. In his younger days he was a school teacher, but latterly he has been engaged in farming. He now resides on road 38.
Eldad H. Harlow, whose father, Levi Harlow, was one of the early settlers of the town, was born in Westminster in 1803. He lived here during his life, and died October 17, 1883. His son H. G. resides on road 40.
Charles Church, who was a soldier in the Revolution and served three and a half years in the colonial army, came to Westminster from Westmoreland, N. H., in 1807, and settled on road 10. He purchased 700 acres of land, which was heavily timbered with pine, and engaged in lumbering and farming. He built three saw-mills and did an extensive business. His farm, now known as Riverdale farm, is one of the best in the town. The house now occupied by M. W. Davis was built by him. He died in 1836. He was twice married and had twenty-three children, only three of whom are living .- T. W., in Westminster, where he was born in 1808; James C., who lives in Towns- hend; and Emma, wife of Lyman Hapgood, of Bellows Falls. His son Har- mon was born February 15, 1799, and died February 7, 1877. His widow, Betsey, daughter of John Farnsworth, Jr., was born in Coventry, Vt., in 1806, and still resides in Westminster. Five of his eight children are living-Martha, Mary, and Rebecca, with their mother on road 10, Charles on road 13, and Frances, wife of Charles E. Watkins, in Walpole, N. H. Charles has been
Liningle
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TOWN OF WESTMINSTER.
engaged in breeding Merino sheep since 1869, and thoroughbred short-horn cattle since 1879. He is one of the prosperous farmers of the town.
Zaccheus Cole came to this town from New Hampshire, in 1808, when seventeen years old. He married Annis, widow of Giles Marvin, and settled on the farm now owned by Benjamin F. Richmond, who married his daughter Frances. He was a silver plater by trade, and carried on that business for many years. He died October 12, 1882, aged ninety-one and one-half years, and his wife, September 3, 1877.
George Campbell was born in Westminster in 1818 and always lived on the homestead now occupied by his sons, Fred G. and Charles H. He was largely engaged in sheep breeding and took the premium at the world's fair at Strasburg. He married Adeline Wilcox, of Westminster, and had four children. He died in 1882, and his wife, July 1, 1883. His son Edward re- sides near Fort Edward, N. Y., and a daughter is the wife of C. Horace Hubbard, of Springfield, Vt.
William Whittle was born in Claremont, N. H., where his father, Samuel Whittle, was one of the first settlers, December 24, 1783. When a young man he moved to Walpole and carried on the wheelwright business there. He was a resident of Westminster for over fifty years. He built a saw-mill and grist-mill one and one-fourth miles west of the village. He was a captain of the militia. He married Electa Rugg, of Swanzey, and had nine children, five of whom are living,-George W., Hannah E. Kimball, and Abby A., wife of Moses S. Moulton, in Westminster ; Phineas R., in Shelburne Falls, Mass., and James C., who carries on the carriage business in Keene, N. H. He died in May, 1871, and his wife, in November, 1847.
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