USA > Vermont > Windsor County > Gazetteer and business directory of Windsor County, Vt., for 1883-84 > Part 18
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Col. Oliver Willard, to whom and whose associates the New York charter was issued, was a prominent man in the public affairs of his day. He came to Hartland in 1763 and made the first settlement upon the farm now owned by Phineas Willard. The first birth in the town was a daughter of Mr. Wil- lard. She died soon after, making the first death in the township.
Gov. Paul Spooner was also an early settler. He made the first settlement on the farm now owned by Charles Gates and son, in 1770, and practiced medicine for a time. Mr. Spooner was for many years actively engaged in advancing the public interests of Vermont, and enjoyed the fullest confidence of the people of the State. He was a member of the council from 1778 to 1782, when he was chosen lieut .- governor of the State. In this position he was continued until 1786. He was judge of the supreme court in 1779, 1780, and from 1782 to 1788. During the years 1781-'82, he served as judge and register of probate for Windsor county. In 1779 he was town clerk of Hart- land. Subsequent to this he removed to Hardwick, Caledonia county, and was chosen first town clerk of that town, in 1795. Of the respect with which the
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TOWN OF HARTLAND.
early officers of Vermont were treated, the following incident affords a good example : On one occasion the Rev. Elisha Hutchinson, the first minister of Pomfret, was preaching a sermon at a private house in this town, when Mr. Spooner entered the room. Pausing in the midst of his discourse, the rever- end minister informed his audience that he had "got about half through " his sermon, but as Gov. Spooner had come to hear it, he would begin it again. Then turning to a woman who sat near him, he said : "My good woman, get out of that chair and let Gov. Spooner have a seat, if you please !" Mr. Spooner was accommodated and Mr. Hutchinson repeated the first part of his sermon, much to the edification, it is supposed, of those who had already heard it.
Daniel Spooner, brother of the governor, came to Hartland about the same time of the former, making the first settlement on the farm now owned by his . granddaughter, Sophia M. Gage. He married Abigail Monroe and reared nine children, eight of whom attained an age of over seventy years.
Elder Timothy Graw, for many years pastor of the Baptist church, was the first settled minister in the town. He located on road 3, upon the farm now owned by J. H. Eastman.
Mathias Russ, from New London, came to Hartland in 1763 or '64, to take charge of a grist-mill at what is now North Hartland. This was the first mill built in the town and the first in the county. Mr. Russ continued in charge. of the mill several years, then followed farming the remainder of his life. He reared a family of eight children, all of whom settled in this and surrounding towns.
Capt. Caleb Hendricks, from Massachusetts, was among the earliest settlers. He located, with his father, upon the farm now owned by J .. and S. S. Walker. They brought with them two slaves, Cæsar Brcckey and his brother, and loca- ted them upon a piece of land adjoining the farm. A rough stone now marks the colored men's graves and the spot where stood their cabin.
Isaiah Aldrich made the first settlement upon the farm now owned by A. L. Davis. Noah, son of Isaiah, was born and spent his life on the old farm. In 1852 the children of Noah removed to Mendata, Ill., where they now reside. The Aldrich family stood high in the respect of their townsmen.
Martin Cabot, who made the first survey of the town, receiving therefor a choice of a lot in the same, was also an early settler.
Asa Taylor, from Connecticut, made the first settlement on the farm now owned by James L. Paddleford, where he reared seven children-Asa, Jr., Sam- uel, Alvin, Elias, Oliver, Sprague and Nancy. Elias married Azubia Goss, of St. Johnsbury, and had born to him Elias, Jr., Solomon, Chandler, Foster, Samuel, Azubia, Anna, Susan and Sophia.
Eliphalet Rogers, born at Martha's Vineyard in 1756, entered the Revo- lutionary army when quite young, was captured by the enemy and was con- fined in an English prison seven years, when he made his escape. After the war he came back, married, and settled in this town, upon the farm now owned by Harris Miller, where he died March 12, 1841, aged eighty-five
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TOWN OF HARTLAND.
years. The only descendants of Eliphalet now residing in the town are Ira, son of Pethuel, and Silas and Jerome, sons of Jonathan. Artemas Rogers came here from Martha's Vineyard in 1780. His son, William, married Chloe Peabody and reared eight children, of whom Cyrus W., Daniel P., Lorenzo and Mary Bagley are now living. Paul Rogers, brother of Eliphalet, came here in 1785.
Elisha Gallup, from Stonington, Conn., was the first settler on the farm now owned by his grandson, Elisha J. Gallup.
Samuel Williams, from Stonington, Conn., made the first settlement on the farm now owned by John W. Sawyer. In 1782 he built the house now occupied by Mr. Sawyer. He reared a family of eleven children, of whom Lewis D., Sarah K. (Bates), and Mary (Whitman), are living.
Amos Bryant, from Middlebury, Conn., made the first settlement on the farm now owned by Jerome Rogers, where he reared a family of seven chil- dren. Ephraim, son of Amasa, was born here in 1784 and died in 1869.
Thomas Lawton, from Petersham, Conn., made the first settlement on the farm now owned by William Short. His children were Thomas, Jr., George, Susan, Harvey, Sally, Amelia and Mary, many of whose descendants now reside here.
Thomas Park Rood made the first settlement upon the farm now owned by his great-great-grandson, Melvin J. Holt, where he built the second barn put up in the town. He died October 10, 1795, aged sixty-three years.
Adonijah Luce, from Martha's Vineyard, came to Hartland, June 4, 1774, making the first settlement upon the farm now owned by Byron Ruggles. He married Abigail Arthorn, who died in 1790, and was the first corpse car- ried to its grave by a team in the town.
Samuel Jenne, from Bedford, Mass., came to Hartland in 1770, making the first settlement on the farm now owned by his great-grandson, Sebastian Jenne. He died January 2, 1802, aged seventy-two years.
Benjamin Jaquith came to Hartland, from Massachusetts, about 1776, and made the first settlement on the farm now owned by his great-grandson, Wesley A. Jaquith.
Francis Cabot, from Woodstock, Conn., came to Hartland about 1776, making the first settlement on the farm now owned by F. T. Alexander. He married Marcia Hodgeman and reared a family of eleven children, the young- est of whom died in 1830, aged seventy-four years.
John Sumner, from Pomfret, Conn., came to Hartland in June, 1777, set- tling the farm now owned by his grandson, F. A. Sumner.
Solomon Brown, a Revolutionary soldier from Connecticut, made the first settlement on the farm now owned by his grandson, Sidney Brown, in 1780.
John Dunbar, another Revolutionary soldier from Connecticut, came here about 1780, making the first settlement on the farm now owned by Arthur Keen.
Nathaniel Weed, from Ware, N. H., came to Hartland about 1780 and 10
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TOWN OF HARTLAND.
purchased of Asa Heath the farm now owned by the heirs of his grandson, Nathaniel.
James Walker came to this town, from Massachusetts, in 1781, locating upon the farm now owned by his great-grandsons, J. and S. S. Walker. The old frame house now used by N. F. English as a machine shop was built by James, Jr., in 1800.
Adam Crandall, from Stonington, Conn., made the first settlement on the farm now owned by Harmon Merritt, in 1782. A. L. Crandall, residing on road 40, is the only one of the family left in the town.
Samuel Healey came from Dudley, Mass., in 1783 and made the first set- tlement on the farm now owned by his grandson, R. V. Gill.
Isaac Morgan, with his sonDaniel, came here from Groton,Conn., in 1784, and made the first settlemeut on the farm now owned by his grandson, Daniel F.
Charles Mackenzie, from Londonderry, N. H., came here in 1789, and, in 1797, purchased the farm now owned by J. N. Mackenzie.
Joseph Livermore, from Paxton, Mass., came here with his father, William, in 1791, locating at North Hartland. In 1793 the family settled upon the farm Joseph now occupies. The longest period he has been away from the farm since, was seven months, when he went to the war of 1812. He is now ninety-four years of age and receives a pension.
Isaac Sargent came to Hartland, from Ware, N. H., in 1792, locating upon the farm now owned by his grandson, Isaac N. The house the latter now occupies was built during that year.
Willard Marcy, from New Hampshire, came here in 1795 and purchased the farm now owned by his grandson, Daniel Marcy.
Consider, Quartus and Eldad Alexander came to Hartland about 1795. Consider located upon the farm now owned by Nathan Harlow, where he carried on the clothier's trade until his death. His sons Taylor and Foster T. now reside here. Eldad located on the farm now owned by Charles W. Wales, where he practiced medicine until his death, in 1827. Qurtus located on the farm now owned by his grandson, Frederick Alexander. He was the first blacksmith in this part of the town.
George Miller came to Hartland with his father in 1795. Mr. Miller, Sr., purchased of Gen. Enos the farm now owned by J. R. Powers. George mar- ried Lucy Dean, and reared eight children, six of whom, Adelaide, James, Anson, Harris, Josephine and Oscar are living. The house in which Mr. Powers now lives was built by Gen. Enos nearly, or quite, one hundred years ago. The barn was built in 1798 and has never been re-shingled.
Lemuel Holt, from Woodstock, Vt., came here in 1796, and located upon the farm now owned by his son, James F. Holt.
David Hubbard Sumner, who did so much for the town of Hartland in the way of developing its business facilities and stimulating its growth, was born at Claremont, N. H., December 7, 1776, and came to Hartland about 1805:
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TOWN OF HARTLAND.
establishing himself in mercantile pursuits about where Mr. Sturtevant is now located. In early life Mr. Sumner's father had intended that David should be a collegian ; but young Sumner preferred the life of a business man, so he en- tered the store of the Lymans, at White River Junction, where he received the necessary training that made him so successful through life. In 1809 he also opened a store in Middletown, Conn., which he continued, with various changes of partners, down to 1856, while at one time he maintained another branch concern in Louisiana. During the war of 1812, a militia company was or- ganized here and Mr. Sumner was chosen its captain. In 1813 and'14 he was appointed postmaster, and retained the office nearly twenty years, tendering his resignation July 8, 1833. Soon after coming to Hartland Mr. Sumner ia- terested himself in the development of the town by building roads, establish- ing a ferry, bridging the Connecticut and establishing mills. The " Ferry oad" and the road from the village to Sumner's falls are among those he built. October 9, 1809, he purchased the Perez Gallup estate, the saw-mill at the falls, which was built a few years previous, and became extensively en- gaged in the lumber business, this point and Dalton, N. H., being the places for manufacture, while the lumber yards for its disposal were located at Spring- field, Mass., and at Hartford and Middletown, Conn. The mill and dam were carried off by a freshet in 1857. In 1821 he formed a company and built a bridge across the Connecticut, near the site of the present bridge, which was ultimately carried off by a freshet. In 1841 he completed another bridge, which shared a like fate in March, 1859. After that, until his death, he main- tained a ferry at that point. He also became sole owner of the canal and locks at Sumner's falls. Mr. Sumner married Martha B. Foxcroft, of Brookfield, Mass., in 1805. She died in March, 1824, leaving no children. April 25, 1839, he married Wealthy Thomas, of Windsor, who survives him. Their children were Mattie, born May 19, 1840, and David H., Jr., born November 8, 1842. Mattie, now the widow of Hon. Benjamin H. Steele, resides on the old homestead with her mother. David H., Jr., died August 18, 1867, a short time before the death of his father, which occurred August 29, 1867.
Hon. Benjamin Hinman Steele, the husband of Mattie Sumner, died in Faribault, Minn., whither he had gone in search of health, July 13, 1873, and was buried in Hartland on the Friday following. Mr. Steele was a resident of the town only a short time, coming here after the death of Mr. Sumner, yet his loss was greatly lamented. Mr. Steele was born in Stanstead, P. Q., Feb- ruary 6, 1837, attended school at Derby Center, at the St. Pierre college, P. Q., at the Norwich University, and graduated from Dartmouth college in 1857. About a year after his graduation he was admitted to the Suffolk bar, and also to the bar of Orleans county, and commenced practicing at Derby Line ; and in the autumn of 1865 was appointed to the bench of the supreme court of Vermont, the youngest man who ever filled that position. He remained on the bench only five years, however, when he deemed it advisable to decline a re-election, to the unanimous regret of the bar and of the public. Mr. Steele
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TOWN OF HARTLAND.
married Mattie Sumner February 6, 1861, and left two children, Mary Hinman Steele and David Sumner Steele, to comfort their mother in her great loss.
Dr. Friend Sturtevant, son of Dr. Josiah and Lois (Foster) Sturtevant, was born in Halifax, February 19, 1767, studied medicine at Middleboro, with an older brother, Dr. Thomas Sturtevant, and married Sarah Porter, April 25, 1793. After his marriage, Dr. Sturtevant went to New York State, thence to Pittsfield. Mass., thence, in 1804, to Woodstock, Vt., and, in 1807, to Hartland, where he was the only educated physician for some years and had an extensive practice. During the war of 1812 he enlisted in the U. S. army, as surgeon, was quarted at Plattsburgh, but was taken sick and re- turned home before the close of the war and continued the practice of his profession until his death, August 26, 1830.
Elias Bates was born in Waitsfield, Vt., in 1795, and came to Hartland in 1812, purchasing the farm now owned by Edgar Spear. In 1834 he sold this place and purchased the farm now owned by his son, James G. Bates, where he died in April, 1872, aged seventy-nine years.
Charles Marble, from Massachusetts, came here in 1816 and purchased a farm near the mouth of Lull brook, where he built and for many years run a saw-mill. He reared eight children, five of whom are now living. Mr. Marble died August 7, 1872, aged ninety years.
Barker Crooker came to Hartland in 1817 and resided here until his death in 1825. His son, W. S. Crooker, still resides here.
Harvey Lamb, from Massachusetts, came to Hartland in 1818 and engaged in farming and running a saw-mill with Lewis Merritt. About 1821, in com- pany with Lewis Merritt and Stephen Hammond, he purchased a portion of the farm now owned by his son, Julius Lamb, and built a distillery which they operated for several years. They also built a grist-mill where Martin & Stickney's shops now are. Mr. Lamb married Esther Hammond and reared four children, three of whom, Julius, Harriet and Clara E., are now living, on the old homestead.
Eldad French, from Tewksbury, Mass., came to Windsor in 1818, and since that time he has resided in Windsor and Hartland.
Lewis Merritt came to Hartland from Massachusetts in 1819, and rentec of Aaron Willard a grist-mill which stood where Asa Merritt's now is. Ir 1821 he entered into partnership with Harvey Lamb and Stephen Hammond and built the grist-mill mentioned above.
William Labaree, son of Peter Labaree, Jr., was born at Charlestown, N H., June 21, 1781, married Sarah Kennedy, January 24, 1808, and came to Hartland, from Weathersfield, Vt., in March, 1829. All but two of thei nine children are now living, and three of them, Harriet (Mrs. S. F. Short) Ralph and Benjamin F., in this town. The latter is a merchant at Hartlan village.
Eldad French, from Tewksbury, Mass., came to Windsor in 1817, as a guar at the State prison. He returned to Massachusetts again in 1819, remaine
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TOWN OF HARTLAND.
five years, then came back to the county, locating here on the Nathaniel Pen- niman farm. He married Polly Penniman and reared nine children, six of whom are living, two sons in this town, as follows : Charles H., on road 72, and Robert E., on road 68. His other surviving son, Frank, resides in Chicago, Ill.
Jonathan Bagley was an early settler in the valley of Lull's brook, locating upon the farm now owned by Sanford B. Bagley. Jonathan, Jr., married Lydia Small and reared sixteen children, ten of whom are living. Sandford B., one of these, has always resided on the home farm. Laura A. and Lucia A., wives respectively of C. H. and R. E. French, are twin sisters.
Charles Mckenzie, a native of Scotland, was born November 29, 1768, and immigrated to America with his parents in 1774, locating in London- derry, Mass. About 1788 Charles came to Hartland, in company with Capt. James Campbell, and located on road 54, near the place now owned by Fred W. Clark. He subsequently, about 1797, removed to the farm now owned by his son, James M. During that year he married Mary Scott, who bore him three children and died. August 27, 1807, he married Eliza Parker, by whom he had five sons and five daughters. Only one of the latter, Mrs. Seth Johnson, is living. Of the sons, James M. occupies the old farm, John resides in Woodstock, and Oliver in Windsor.
Isaac Morgan, from Groton, Connecticut, came to Hartland about 1788, locating on road 34, upon the farm now owned by his grandson, D. F. Mor- gan. He reared a family of eight children, several of whose descendants now reside here.
Jeremiah Richardson came to Hartland at an early date and located on road II. His youngest son, Amasa, was born on the old farm in 1788, and died thereon in 1870. He married Martha Cotton and reared a family of nine children, only two of whom, Ward C. Richardson, of Woodstock, and Mrs. Celistia Slayton, of Cavendish, reside in the county. Paul D. Richardson, Amasa's eldest son, became a clerk in the store of his uncle, Porter Cotton, at Hartland, and in 1841 succeeded to the business, which he carried on until his death, in 1870. He was much respected and held several of the town offices.
The Congregational church, located at Hartland village, was organized by Revs. Isaiah Potter, David Fuller and Peltiah Chapin, September 6, 1779, Rev. Daniel Breck being the first pastor. The first house of worship was a wood structure, built in 1785, which did service until 1834, when the present brick edifice was built. It will comfortably seat 250 persons, and is valued :at $2,000.00. The society now has fifty members, with Rev. Charles Scott, Dastor.
The Union church, at North Hartland, is occupied by the Methodist society. It was built in 1830, and is now valued at $1,500.00. The society has twelve members, with Rev. H. G. Hough, pastor.
The Universalist Christian church at Hartland Four Corners, was origin-
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TOWN OF LUDLOW.
ally organized May 10, 1802, with twenty-six members, under the name of the Catholic Benevolent Society. Afterwards it was known as the Univer- salist Benevolent Society, and since 1842 it has borne its present name. The first pastor was Rev. Hosea Ballou, his pastorate beginning with the first Sabbath in March, 1813. The first church building, a brick structure, was erected in 1822, and in 1854 gave place to the present wood building, which will seat 230 persons and is valued at $3,000.00, The society has twenty- four members, with Rev. C. E. Churchill, pastor.
L UDLOW is an irregularly outlined town, lying in the southwestern part of the county, in lat. 43º 23' and long. 3º 43', bounded north by Plymouth, east by Cavendish and Chester, south by Andover and Weston, and West by Mt. Holley, in Rutland county. It was chartered by New Hampshire, September 16, 1761, to Jared Lee, Esq., and sixty-five others, in seventy-one shares, with an area of about 24,000 acres. October 16, 1792, however, 11,739 acres were taken from the western side of the town, towards forming the township of Mount Holly, in Rutland county.
In surface, the town is diversified and pleasing. Upon the west it is bor- dered by the Green Mountains, containing within its limits the eastern de- clivity of a lofty summit known as the Center Mountain. In the eastern part is a lofty range of serpentine, containing the harder varieties of asbestos, talc and hornstone, and once, undoubtedly, formed the eastern barrier of a large body of water, whose waves rolled over the central part of Ludlow and all that portion of Plymouth extending from the line of Ludlow to the source of Black river. That such a collection of water once existed, and that it was drained by the wearing away of the serpentine range through a long course of years, is evident from traces of the action of water upon the rocks, many feet above their present level in the bed of the stream, and from the succes- sive tiers of alluvial table-lands, which, at different heights, and successively increasing distances from the river, now furnish the most fertile land in the town. In the southern part of the village is a curious elevation of earth, whose formation can only be accounted for by supposing that at this point two streams once mingled their waters in the lake, forming an eddy, and depositing the gravel and soil which the autumn and spring rains would loosen from the surrounding hills. And, in fact, the conformation of the country about shows that once a stream came from the northwest, in what is now the channel of Black river, and another from the south between Center and South mountains and Bear hill. in what is now the channel of Jewell brook, and mingled their waters at this point. This elevation, called the Hogback, is about seventy-five feet in height, forty rods in length from east to west, and with just thickness enough from north to south to admit a nar- row foot-path upon its summit, and as steep as the earth and stones will lie,
TOWN OF LUDLOW.
while on every side it stands perfectly detached from the neighboring hills, and surrounded by alluvial flats. Its composition is earth, pebbles, and small stones, all rounded evidently by the action of water, and without any of the angular points and sharp corners found on stones freshly detached from their native ledge, and arranged in regular strata consisting of alternate layers of earth, sand and pebbles, dipping at an angle corresponding with the sides of the hill. Below Cavendish village, in Cavendish, three miles below the point where the serpentine range crosses the stream, is another of these rocky bar- riers, which once dammed up the waters of Black river. The water has there worn its bed an hundred feet deep through cliffs of mica slate, for nearly a mile, leaving traces of its tremendous effort in the large and disjointed masses of rock and the rugged and overhanging cliffs which present themselves upon both sides of its channel throughout the whole course. Again, commencing at the head of the present rapids and passing off southerly through a portion of Chester into Springfield, through what is known as the gulf road, to the latter town, are traces of the ancient bed of the river, consisting of cliffs and large masses of stone, worn deep in various places, and presenting large and numerous cavities, evidently the result of the action of pebbles whirled by the eddies of the stream. The highest of the table-lands in Ludlow, of which there are three elevations, was undoubtedly formed by the lake while in its original form; and the successive disruptions of the serpentine range, before mentioned, and the barrier at the head of Cavendish falls, would easily account for the formation of the two lower tiers.
Black river, with its tributaries, forms the only water-course of the town, and affords many excellent mill privileges. It enters the town from the north and flows a southerly and easterly course, passing into Cavendish about three miles from the southern boundary of the town. In the upper part of its course it widens into four large basins, known as the Ludlow and Plymouth ponds ; the largest, in Ludlow, being nearly circular and one mile in diame- ter. This body of water has always been known as Ludlow pond; but in August, 1881, a party of about 150 met on its shore and re-christianed it Rescue Lake. This name was given from the story of a little girl of Caven- dish, who was lost in the woods three days, years since, and was at last found on a rock on the east shore of the lake, opposite Elias S. Pinney's place. The little girl in relating her experience, said she slept one night between a black sheep and two lambs. This sheep, however, was supposed to have been a black bear with its cubs. In the northwesterly part of the town is Tiney pond, several hundred feet above the level of the river, and nearly half a mile in diameter. No stream supplies it, but a small rivulet passes from it, tumbling from one rock to another in its rugged course, until, after passing half a mile it empties into Rescue Lake. There is another considerable col- lection of water in the western part of the town, and several extensive bogs on both sides of the river, evidently once the bed of mountain ponds. The soil upon the river is alluvial, and throughout the town is fertile and well
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