Gazetteer and business directory of Windsor County, Vt., for 1883-84, Part 11

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- cn
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., Printed at the Journal office
Number of Pages: 704

USA > Vermont > Windsor County > Gazetteer and business directory of Windsor County, Vt., for 1883-84 > Part 11

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Benjamin Clapp was married in May, 1788, and built the first dwelling on the farm now occupied by Horace Hatch. Mr. Clapp was judge of probate for a number of years and represented the town twenty-one years. His son, Capt. Benjamin Clapp, now resides in Barnard village.

David Clark settled where Edwin H. Clark now resides in 1797. Aaron Fay settled where Eliakim Page and Willard Walker now reside. Eliakim Fay settled upon what is now known as the Plaisted place. Moses Fay settled where Daniel Perkins now resides. George Clapp, brother of Judge Clapp, settled where Benjamin Furber resides. His son, Alphonso Haywood, is a celebrated California millionaire. Capt. William Gambell settled the farm now owned by Monroe and John W. Gambell. Daniel McCormick, a Scotchman, came to this country with the British army. He made a settle- ment here at an early date and was the father of the late Mrs. Foster Gates.

TOWN OF BARNARD.

A Mr. Mackintosh made the first settlement where Alvin Angel now resides. He had a large family, and some of his descendants are reputed to be men of great wealth. Daniel Simmonds built the first house on the farm now owned by Nathaniel Richmond. He was a shoemaker and made the first pair of morocco shoes in the town. Mr. Richmond, a thrifty farmer, has resided on the place fifty years.

Seth Dean, a Revolutionary soldier, purchased a farm in Barnard, April 22, 1777. The two following winters he spent in Hardwick, Mass., then made Barnard his permanent residence. He married Mary Bicknell and reared four sons, one of whom died in youth. Of the others, Paul became a prom- inent Universalists clergyman ; Seth, Jr., married Martha French, reared six children, and occupied the old homestead until his death, in 1835; Asa became a mechanic and reared a large family. Of Seth, Jr.'s, children, three are in Iowa, one in Massachusetts, and one in Woodstock, while Paul D., the eldest, occupies the homestead. He has been a constable thirty years, col- lector twenty-eight years, selectman six years, and eight years a member of the legislature. At the time of the Indian incursion at Barnard, Seth, Sr., was one of the minute men who rallied to the rescue.

Joseph and Moses Ellis, from Walpole, N. H., were the first settlers in the neighborhood of East Barnard, about 1785. Moses married Catharine Boy- den and reared four children, Clark, Enoch, Lucy and Catharine. Clark married Anna Campbell, and Enoch married Eliza Smith, and later Marcia Spaulding. Both resided on the old homestead until 1841, when Joel, the only son of Clark, bought the place. Enoch removed to Royalton, while Clark lived with Joel until his death, in February, 1863. Moses was a dea- con of the Christian church which flourished in the village at an early date, but is not now in existence.

Dr. Iaaac Danforth was born in Bellerica, Mass., September 30, 1763, graduated from Harvard College in 1785, and the following year established himself a sa physician in Barnard. He married Persis Baker, of Westboro, built a log house near the present residence of C. H. Wright, in which he re- sided until 1800, then built the latter house and occupied it until his death, in 1851. His children were Persis B., Betsy M., Isaac E., Joseph B., Solon, William C., Albert H., and Samuel P.

Benjamin Cox was born in 1740, and came to Barnard from Wrentham, Mass., at an early date. In 1780 he had command of a company at the fort in Bethel, and two of his sons, Benjamin and George, served under him. He married Jerusha Washburn, and made the first settlement on the farm now owned by John McAvenna. He died at the early age of forty-eight, leaving five sons and four daughters. George Cox married Sarah Chamberlin and reared eight children, all of whom have passed away, except George, who, at the age of eighty-four years, resides on the farm given his father, by Ben- jamin, one hundred years ago.

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TOWN OF BARNARD.

Roger French, from Massachusetts, came to Barnard in 1792. He mar- ried Achsah Toby, and reared eleven children. Martha C. married Seth Dean, resided in Barnard, and reared six children. Harrison resides in South Woodstock, aged eighty-eight years. Enoch married Nancy A. Spear, and resides in Barnard. William S. Spends his summers in Barnard and winters in the south. Celim E. is proprietor of the Silver Lake House in Barnard. Lewis S. has been postmaster and town clerk over twenty-five years, and still holds the position.

Francis Davis came from Warner, N. H., about 1794, located on road 7, and built the first grist-mill at East Barnard. His eldest son, Ichabod, mar- ried Susan Ellis about 1804, and made the first clearing on the farm now occupied by William Webb, and resided there until 1823, during which time his eldest son, Joseph E., built the first saw-mill on the site now occupied by the mill of S. H. Lamb. In 1823 Ichabod removed to Royalton, where he died, advanced in years. His family numbered fourteen children, four of whom are now living, three in Barnard and one in Sharon.

Oliver Goff came from Massachusetts at an early date and located in the northern part of Pomfret. He reared a family of ten children, all of whom reared children and spent their lives in Windsor county. Oliver, who now lives near the village of East Barnard, over the line in Pomfret, and Jonathan B., at East Barnard, are the only children now living.

Rev. Joel Davis, son of Eliphalet Davis, was born in Hubbardton, Mass., October 14, 1776, graduated from Middlebury College in 1804, and was ordained pastor of the old Congregational church of Barnard in 1808, re- mained here until 1824, when he moved to Williamstown, Vt. He married Persis Danforth in 1809, and reared eight children, as follows: Isaac D., Betsey M., Martha, Persis B., John P., Elizabeth, William D. and Jolon- Isaac D. Davis has filled with credit most of the town offices, having been selectman thirteen years, a justice of the peace many years, and represented the town in the general assembly of 1880-'81.

William H. Howe, who resides on road 22, is a son of Albert Page Howe, and grandson of Alpheus Howe, an early settler in Pomfret.

Amos Leavitt, born in Norwich, Vt., August 12, 1807, came to Royalton with his parents while he was yet an infant. He reared five sons and one daughter. Amos, the second son, now resides in Barnard. Amos married Susan Davis and has five children residing in this town and in Pomfret, viz : VanBuren, the eldest, in Pomfret ; Levi D., on road 72 ; Amos, Jr., on road 20; Mrs. S. E. Howe, on road 22; and Mrs. Louise A. Ellis, on road 72 in Barnard. Levi D. and Amos, Jr., served in the 16th Vermont volunteers during the late war. Levi D. has been a justice of the peace fourteen years.

The First Universalist church, located at Barnard village, was organized by Hosea Ballou, with thirty-eight members, in 1802. It 1828 it was reor- ganized as the First Universalist Society of Barnard, with fifty-eight members. The first church building was erected in 1803, and was replaced by the pres-

TOWN OF BETHEL.

ent structure in 1841, a building capable of accommodating 350 members and valued, including grounds, at $4,000.00. This society claims to have been the first Universalist church organized in the State, and that their first church building was the first for that denomination in the State. It now has forty- five members, with Rev. Eli Ballou, pastor.

The Methodist Episcopal church of Barnard, located at Barnard village, was organized by its first pastor, Rev. Joseph Crawford, in 1802. A church building was erected soon after, which did service until 1837, when it was re- placed by a new one, and which in turn was sold to the town for a town-hall, in 1863. The Congregational church was then purchased and has since been used. This building is valued at $2,500.00 and will accommodate 250 per- sons. The society, numbering fifty-three members, was consolidated with the East Barnard charge in April, 1883, and both are under the pastorate of Rev. H. F. Reynolds.

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The Methodist Episcopal church of East Barnard was organized by Revs. W. Wilcox and S. Richardson, during the winter of 1834-'35. The church building was also erected during that winter, in union with the Universalist society, the pews being owned as undivided property by members of the so- ciety. It will comfortably accommodate a congregation of 300 persons, and is valued at about $1,100.00. The society, numbering thirty-three members, was consolidated with the Barnard charge in April, 1883, both being under the pastoral charge of Rev. H. F. Reynolds.

The Universalist church of East Barnard was organized by Rev. John C. Baldwin, of Sharon, in May, 1861, with nineteen members, The church build- ing was erected in 1834, in union with the Methodist society, and has since been used by both. The society now has about thirty members, service being held once in two weeks, under the charge of Rev. L. S. Crossley, of Woodstock.

B ETHEL lies in the northwestern part of the county, in lat. 43° 50' and long 4° 21', bounded northerly by Randolph, in Orange county, east- erly by Royalton, southerly by Barnard, and westerly by Rochester, enclosing an area of 23,040 acres, or a tract six miles square. The charter of this town was the first granted by the State of Vermont, under the follow- ing circumstances : On December 29, 1777, an association was formed at Hanover, N. H., for the purpose of making a "settlement on White river and its branches," and in March, 1778, they petitioned the legislature of Ver- mont for the grant of a township to be called Bethel. In this petition they say they "understand that said lands were granted by the late governor of New York counter to the royal proclamation, to certain persons, the greater part of whom have now put themselves under the protection of the enemies of the American States." This petition met with success and a grant was made

TOWN OF BETHEL.

March 18, 1778, the township charter being issued to John Payne, John House, Dudley Chase and forty-three others, December 23, 1779.

The surface of the town is very broken and uneven, Paul's Peak and Blue- berry Mountain, in the central part, being the principal elevations, though the soil is in general warm and productive. The timber on the highlands is mostly hemlock and spruce, while on the lowlands it is principally beech, birch and maple. The principal streams are White river, which flows across the south- east corner, and its second and third branches. The second branch but just touches upon the northeast corner. The third branch rises in Roxbury, flows through Braintree and the corner of Randolph into this town, and after flowing about four miles within this territory, joins White river. Locust creek falls into White river in the southeastern part of the town. Camp creek flows across the center of the town from west to east, joining the third branch a little northwest of the center of the township. There are also many other minor brooks and streams. Many good mill-sites are afforded. The Central Vermont railroad crosses the northeastern part of the territory, affording a convenient mode of transportation for the imports and exports of the town.

Nearly the whole of this town, geologically speaking, is made up of rock, of the talcose schist formation, though there is a considerable bed of clay slate in the western part, and one or two small beds of granite and steatite are found. Traces of gold have been discovered in the southeastern part and in some other localities. On the farm of Albert G. Marsh are found specimens of iron ore, green vitriol, and excellent slate, and in the eastern part of the town Edwin Kittredge operates a good granite quarry, operated by in 1867.

Mr. E. A. Maxham, of Bethel, has a mounted specimen of the North American panther, killed in Barnard, November 24, 1881, by Alexander Crowell. It measures seven feet six inches from tip to tip, and weighed, after losing several pounds of blood, 1822 pounds. It is said to be the largest specimen ever found in the country.

In 1880 Bethel had a population of 1,693, and in 1882 was divided into twelve school districts, and contained twelve common schools, employing three male and twenty-one female teachers, to whom was paid an aggregate salary of $1,815.80. There were 668 pupils attending common school, while the entire cost of the schools for the year, ending October 31, was $2, 166.81, with W. B. C. Stickney, superintendent.

BETHEL, a post village located in the southeastern part of the town, on White river, is the central point for trade and travel from Barnard, Stock- bridge, Pittsfield and Rochester, and one of the most important railroad stations on the line of C. V. R. R. between Essex Junction and White River Junction. It has three churches (Episcopal, Congregational and Univer- salist), a bank, two hotels, a graded school, an extensive flour and feed mill, a tannery, carriage shop, harness shop, marble and granite shop, two livery stables, about a dozen stores of various kinds, and between 500 and 600 inhabitants.

TOWN OF BETHEL.

EAST BETHEL is a small post village located in the northeastern part of the town. It contains one church (Baptist), a hotel, about twenty houses and the usual compliment of mechanic's shops, etc.

The Bethel Grist-mill, owned by Hiram H. Gilson, was built by Peleg Marsh, in 1835. Mr. Gilson employs four men and does a large amount of business. The mill has a water-power with an eight-foot head.

James Mannix's blacksmith shop was built in 1880. Mr. · Mannix does a large business in all kinds of blacksmith work,

J. B. Alley & Co.'s tannery, located at Bethel, employs thirteen hands, turning out a large amount of work per annum.

Samuel H. Bank's tin shop, located on Main street, turns out a large amount of work.

E. M. Weston's carriage manufactory, located on Main street, was built by D. & I. Weston, and is now managed by the son of the latter.

Messrs. Hascom, Brooks & Brigham, proprietors of the Bethel Toy Manu- factory, carry on a large business.

Hibbard & Perkins's carriage shop, located on road fifty-four, was built in 1858. This firm does a good business in custom work and repairing.

M. D. Brown's grist-mill, located at East Bethel, is supplied with three runs of stones. Mr. Brown has also machinery for doing custom plaining.

The National White River Bank, located at Bethel village, was chartered under the old State banking system, as the White River Bank, and com- menced business in February, 1851, with Charles Baxter, president, and L. L. Tilden, cashier. In May, 1865, it was organized as it now exists, with a capital of $125.00. Nelson Gay, of Stockbridge, is now president of the institution, and M. Sylvester, cashier.

The settlement of the town was commenced by Benjamin Smith, in the autumn of 1779. The next year he was joined by Joel Marsh, Samuel Peak, Seth Chase, Willard Smith and David Stone, after which the settle- ment increased quite rapidly. About the first thing the settlers did was to build a stockade fort, as in the then troubled state of the country an Indian attack upon the defenseless settlements might at any moment be expected. The fort stood at the lower end of the village, as near as can be learned, precisely where the railroad depot now stands. At the time the excavations were made for building the railroad, some iron relics were dug up at this point, a gate hinge, etc., tending to prove that this was the spot where the settlers, with their wives, children and property, had gathered themselves together for protection from the foe.

The wisdom displayed in building this fort was soon made apparent, for on the 9th of August, 1870, a party of twenty-one Indians made a descent on Barnard and made prisoners of Thomas M. Wright, Prince Haskell and John Newton, also taking David Stone, of this town. Royalton had a small garri- son of soldiers, commanded by a Captain Safford. This garrison was called upon and was removed to the Bethel fort. This proved the salvation of

18 al

TOWN OF BETHEL.

Bethel, but was most disastrous to Royalton ; for only a little over two months later a party of nearly 300 came on and totally destroyed the settle- ment in the latter town, and Bethel would have shared the same fate had it not been for its little fort and its garrison of brave and hardy men. This body of Indians came up White river as far as the mouth of the second branch, destroying every house but one, a log dwelling which stood north of the branch on the meadow, and was not discovered by the Indians, the occu- pants having extinguished the lights, and the savages feared to approach nearer the fort at Bethel.

Early in August, 1781, an alarm was again spread, which caused the com- mandant of the fort, Capt. John Benjamin, to seek assistance from the neigh- boring militias. This alarm, however, proved to have no foundation in fact ; still, in obedience to the application, Capt. Bartholomew Durkee, on the 10th of the month, at the head of twenty-five of the stout men of Pomfret, marched to his aid, and was joined by Capt. Elkanah Sprague with five men from Hartford. The readiness of the soldiers to fight, however, was the only method by which they were permitted to evince their bravery on this occasion. The sole record of the expedition which remains, is that which preserves the names of the militia, the number of miles they traveled and the days they were absent on service.

Lois, daughter of Dudley Chase, and wife of Benjamin Smith, was a brave, noble woman. On the 6th of September, 1780, there was born to her and her good husband a son, who was also named Asa, the first birth on the town. Asa lived and died here, a quiet, unassuming, honorable gentleman, loved and respected by every one. He was but a month old when the Royalton massacre occurred, and his mother sought protection with him at the fort. Mr. Smith then lived in a Jog house on the meadow of what is still known as the Smith farm. It is said that when the family contemplatad emigration to this town, from Cornish, N. H., Lois opened her bible to read the first verse her eye should rest upon, as a guide for her final conclusion, or as a prophesy of her final failure or success. The verse that met her eye was the fifth of the fifth chapter of Amos,-"But seek not Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and pass not to Beersheba, for Gilgal shall finally go into captivity and Bethel shall come to naught." This sharp warning, however, did not deter her, but after the burning of Royalton she insisted that its name ought to be Gilgal. The mantle of prophesy seems to have fallen on this family, for her father, Dud- ley, so it is related, came to Bethel with a surveying party some time before the date of the charter, and encamped one night on the stream in East Bethel, sleeping on the ground with a stone for a pillow. In the morning, like Jacob of old ; he said to his companion,-"This place shall be called Bethel, and who knows but that this stone which has been my pillow shall be one of the foundation stones of a church of God;" (Genesis xxxiii, 11, 18, 19, 22). In 1824 the Baptist church was built on the very place where they encamped, and all the stones in the immediate vicinity were gathered and used in the foun-

TOWN OF BETHEL.

dation that the prophecy might be fulfilled. Solon S. Chase, a great-grandson of Dudley, now occupies the farm that Dudley gave to his son Simeon. The two adjoining farms were also given by him to his daughters, Lois and Alice. Solon S. was born here in 1813, and has resided on the old place seventy years.

The town was organized and the first town meeting held May 14, 1782, when Barnabas Strong was chosen clerk, Michael Flynn, constable, and Joel Marsh, John Benjamin and George Smith, selectmen. Michael Flynn was also the first justice of the peace, holding the office from 1786 to 1814.

Simeon Brooks came to Bethel, from Connecticut, in 1780 and located upon the farm now owned by S. A. Webster, who married his granddaughter, Nancy. He reared a family of six children and died in 1825, aged fifty-four years.

Samuel Peak, from Hartford, Conn., came to Bethel about 1780, locating in the eastern part of the town, where he died in 1829. Four of his seven children settled in the town and left a number of descendants.

Rev. Thomas Russell, from Long Island, came to Bethel in 1785, receiv- ing the lot of land allowed by charter to the first settled minister. Only one of his four children, Hannah R., widow of Seneca Marks, is now living. She was married in 1820. Two of her three children are living, one, Frederick H., on road 17.

Michael Flynn, from Connecticut, located in the northern part of the town in 1782, reared a family of six children and died in 1827, aged seventy three years. Richard R., his first child, born in 1784, died here in 1846. Charles C., fourth child of Richard has always resided in the town.

Peter Woodbury, from Sutton, Mass., located in East Bethel about 1787, reared ten children, and died in 1833, aged seventy-eight years

Jeduthan Rogers, from Connecticut, came here in 1787, locating upon a farm at South Limpus, where he died in 1834. His only son, Isaiah, born in 1774, resided here until fifty years of age, then removed to New York, where he died in 1861, aged seventy-five years. Only one of his ten children settled in the town.

Capt. Joel Marsh came to Bethel, from Hartford, Conn., at a very early date, receiving a grant known as the "miller's right," consisting of 400 acres, for building the first mill. Irene Marsh, daughter of Jonathan, was born in 1808, married William Adams and reared three children, two of whom, William R. and Rush M., now reside here. Albert L., third child of Jona- than, born in 1810, has never been absent from the town over six consecutive weeks.

John Blake came to Bethel at an early date, from Massachusetts, and died here in 1852. William, his second child, reared a family of thirteen children, and died in 1874. Samantha, the fourth child of William, was born in 1826, married James S. Freelen, and has reared a family of five children.

Samuel Wilson came here with his father, from Connecticut, at an early date, and settled upon a farm on Camp brook. He reared seven children and died in 1836, aged seventy-nine years.

TOWN OF BETHEL.

Ezra Putnam came from Sutton, Mass., at an early date, and settled upon a farm in the southern part of the town, where he attained the great age of ninety years. His sıx children also permanently located in Bethel. Ezra, Jr., the fourth, born in 1792, reared seven children, three of whom now reside here.

Reuben Brooks, from Connecticut, came here at an early date and located at Bethel village, and died in 1843, aged seventy-nine years. Two of ten children permanently located here.

Oliver H. Brooks, from New Hampshire, came to Bethel at an early date, locating at East Bethel, where he worked at his trade of carpenter and wheelwright, and for twenty-one years had control of the hotel, and during that time was postmaster. He had two children, of whom Samuel H., the youngest, born in 1828, resided at East Bethel.

Reuben Spaulding was a resident of Royalton at the time of the Indian trouble in 1780, and was one of the prisoners taken to Canada. One of his seven children, Edwin, is now living in Bethel. Charles, his third child, born in 1810, died in 1858. Two of his family, Elbridge G. and Ellen, twins, also reside here.

Seth Chase came from New Hampshire to Bethel among the early settlers, locating on road 30, near the present cemetery, the land comprising which he gave to the town. He afterwards removed to Randolph, where he built the first grist-mill in that town. His grandchild, Lucy Chase, married. Abel Byam, by whom she had eight children, six of them now being residents of the town.

John Wallace, a native of Connecticut, came to Bethel about 1790 and located on road 17, upon the farm now owned by his grandson, Elroy E. He reared a family of thirteen children, all of whom lived to be over sixty years of age, and two are now living. John, Jr., born in 1801, resided here until his death, in 1872. Four of his children, Nelson H., Gardner J., Laura E. and Elroy E., reside here.

Jeremiah Morse, a Revolutionary veteran, came here from Massachusetts in 1794, locating upon the farm now owned by his grandson, Alexander Morse, where he died in 1836. Four of his six children settled in the town.

Nehemiah Noble, from New London, Conn., came to Bethel in 1794, locating upon the farm now owned by his grandson, Robert Noble. He served in both the war of the Revolution and in the war of 1812, and died in 1826, aged seventy years, having reared a family of ten children.

Zachary Dean, from Connecticut, came to Bethel about the year 1800, and with his son Zebulon located near the village, where he engaged in shoemak- ing. Later they removed to the farm now owned by Hiram Dean, who makes the fifth generation of the family residing on that place.

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Gazetteer and business directory of Windsor County, Vt., for 1883-84, Part 11

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- cn Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., Printed at the Journal office Number of Pages: 704

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- cn
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., Printed at the Journal office
Number of Pages: 704