USA > Vermont > Windsor County > Gazetteer and business directory of Windsor County, Vt., for 1883-84 > Part 24
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Solomon Keyes, who took an active part in town affairs and was a justice of the peace for many years, came to Reading at an early date and located at what was afterwards known as Hammondsville. Solomon, Jr., one of his ten children, was born here in 1796 and died in 1872, upon the farm now occupied by his son, William W. W. Keyes, who also held many of the town offices, and reared eight children, two of whom reside in the town.
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TOWN OF READING.
Sewell Wilkins, from Mohawk, N. Y., was an early settler. He located on road 33, upon the farm now owned by Roland Wilkins. He had thirteen children, six of whom are now living.
Daniel Stearns came to Reading, from Massachusetts, at an early day and located in the eastern part of the town, where Jarvis Pratt now lives. Two of his eight children, still reside here, Rufus and Mrs. J. Pratt.
Samuel Newton, from Hinsdale, Mass., was among the early settlers of the town. He reared a family of eleven children, four of whom are now living, and died in 1857. His son Asa, born on the old homestead in 1798, died in 1867. Morris C., son of Asa, occupies the homestead.
Jonathan Shedd, who took an active part in public affairs, holding many of the town offices, settled in the northwestern part of the town in 1786, where he reared four sons, and died in 1831. His son Isaac was about eight months old when he came here, and resided in the town until his death, in 1872. Allen, son of Isaac, now resides at Felchville with his son George W. The old farm is now owned by Frederick Shedd, grandson of Jonathan.
Levi Bailey, from Andover, Mass., came to Reading in 1791 and located about half a mile north of the center of the town. He had a family of twelve children, ten of whom attained a mature age and seven are now living. He died in 1850, aged eighty-five years.
Paul Stearns, from Massachusetts, came to Reading in 1765, and in 1800 located upon the farm now occupied by his son, Honestus. He was twice married, reared a family of eleven children, four of whom are now living, and died in 1844. John M. is a lawyer in Brooklyn, N. Y. ; B. F. is a resident of Everett, Mass. ; George W. is a physician of Hollister, Mass., and Honestus occupies the homestead.
Asa Sherwin, from Westmoreland, Mass., came to Reading in 1800, locat- ing near the center of the town. He reared nine children, four of whom are now living, and died in 1872. His widow survives him.
David Hammond, from Woodstock, came to Reading in 1800, locating near the center of the town. Four of his seven children are living. His death oc. curred in 1867.
Oliver Whitmore, from Weathersfield, Vt., settled near the center of the town in 1802, and afterwards removed to road 19, where his son, Charles! S., now lives. He reared a family of ten children, seven of whom are now living, and died in 1845, aged sixty-four years.
Joel, son of Jesse Holden, was born here in 1804, kept a hotel at Felchville and at Hammondsville, and died in 1850. He had two sons, one of whom Orsemor S., born in 1843, now resides here. He early developed considera ble musicai talent and became an expert performer on the organ, banjo and guitar, and was also popular as a ballad singer.
Frederick Wardner, from Alstead, N. H., came here in 1796 and located with his family on " Wardner hill," and died December 17, 1825, aged seventy one years, having reared a large family of children.
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TOWN OF READING.
William L. Hawkins, son of William A. Hawkins, was born in Northboro, Mass., June 14, 1773. His father was a captain in the Revolutionary army, and at the close of the war came to Reading and located on a lot of land east of the "Orson Townsend place," and returning to Wilton, N. H., sent William L. on in June, 1789, to commence the clearing, and in a few weeks followed with the remainder of the family. William L. began at the age of eighteen years to teach school, his first school being at Bailey's mills, in 1791, and taught thereafter until 1818. In 1794 he became the owner of 200 acres of land and was engaged principally in farming until 1821, when he built a hotel at Hammondsville, opening it in 1822. This was destroyed by fire in 1836, and he built another in its place, which he kept for twenty years. He was town clerk, representative, justice, postmaster, and run a grist-mill, saw-mill and carding-machine. He married Anna 'Townsend and had seven children.
Capt. David Burnham, from Duxbury, N. H., came to Reading prior to 1786, and in that year opened at the Center the first hotel in the town.
. He was a public spirited man and his hotel was much frequented for many years. He married Abigail Persons, August 7, 1780, and reared eleven chil- dren. He died October 16, 1834.
Thomas Townsend was one of the early settlers of Reading, coming from Lynfield, Mass. He married Susanna Green, November 19, 1762, and came here with three sons and two daughters, leaving two married daughters in Massachusetts. Of the two who came to Reading, Susanna married Deacon Elisha Bigelow, and Anna married William L. Hawkins, Esq., who was a prominent man in the town. They had six children, only two of whom are now living. The sons, Aaron, William and Thomas, married and reared families in Reading. Aaron was born in 1773 and died in 1846. His first wife was Lydia Swain, who was the mother of his seven children. Sarah, the eldest, married Josiah French, of Clarendon, deceased. She now resides with a niece, in Rutland, at the advanced age of eighty-two years. Almond mar- ried Elvira Butler, both deceased. They had seven children. Louisa mar- ried Amasa Parker, both deceased. They had five children, of whom only one, Mrs. William Patrick, of Rutland, is living. James S. married Elvira White, of Kentucky, where he lived and died, leaving one child. Mary went South to teach, and married William Smith, of Arkansas, where they still live, having a large family. Otis A. married Lucia Cady, of West Windsor. He spent most of his life upon the old home farm in Reading, and died upon one adjoining, where his brother Almond lived and died. He left an adopted daughter. Caroline married William White, of Cleveland, Tennessee, where she still resides with her second husband, who was a brother of the first. She has four children. Her oldest son was in the Union army during the late civil war. William Townsend was born in 1780, and died in 1865. He was a armer, as were also his father and brothers. His first wife was Susanna Smith, of Wilton, N. H., to whom he was married January 8, 1806. She lied in 1820, at the early age of thirty-six years and eleven months. They
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TOWN OF READING.
had eight children who reached maturity, and were quite inclined to emigrate. Elmer the oldest, was born in 1807, and died in 1871. He went to Boston, Mass., at the age of twenty and spent the remainder of his life there, engag- ing successfully in mercantile pursuits. He was noted for superior business talents and great benevolence. He married W. Ann Beecher, of New Haven, Conn., now deceased. They left two sons and one daughter. Orson, the second son, was born in 1808, and died in 1865. He was the only son who settled in Reading. He lived and died upon the farm once his father's. He married Harret M. Holt, who is still living, and left four children. His second daughter, Annie, married Joel Crandall, and they now live upon the old home farm in Reading. Alfred and Albert, twins, were born in 1810, and died in the south. Albert died in Carthage, Miss., in 1844, and Alfred, in Austin, Texas, in 1871. They married sisters, Alfred's wife was Nancy Cole. He left four children. Most of his married life was spent in Louisana, where he engaged in mercantile pursuits. He lived there during the late war, and though a Union man, acted as postmaster under the confederate government.
Aurelia was born in 1811. She early engaged in teaching, and married Rev. Horace Herrick, of Peacham, Vt. A large part of their married life was spent in teaching in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, for which employment both were peculiarly adapted. Mr. Herrick's ministerial labors were mostly in Fitzwilliam, N. H., and Wolcott Vt. They are spend- ing the evening of life in Felchville. Susanna was born in 1813, and died in 1879. She married Ezra Fay, now deceased, and left one daughter, Minnie C. Fay. William Smith was born in 1814, and died in 1864, in Clinton, Louisiana. The greater part of his life was spent in teaching in the west and south, though he later became a minister. He was twice married, and left a wife and ten children. Dennis was born in 1817, and died in 1874, in Amador county, California, where he was engaged in teaching many years, and acted also as county school superintendent. He taught in the west and south before going to California, teaching being his life work. He left a wife and two children. A more extended account of him and other members of the family may be found in the " History of Reading," published in 1874. William Townsend married Hannah G. Bigelow, his second wife, in 1820. They had seven children who reached maturity and are still living. Eliza, the eldest, lived with her aged mother in Felchville. Teaching was her principal employment during her earlier life. F. V. Alstyne, married Aurelia Royce, in 1851. They have three children. Their early married life was spent in Reading, upon the farm of their uncle, Amasa Watkins. They moved to Springfield in 1861, where they still reside. He is one of the firm of Gil- man & Townsend, machinists. Isabella married Henry Waterman, of Norwich, a mechanic and farmer. Their home is now in Milford, Seward county, Nebraska. They have seven children. F. Torrey married Charlotte Stebbins, of Norwich, in 1852, who died in Clay, Iowa, in 1874, leaving three children. They emigrated to Iowa early in their married life, where he
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TOWN OF ROCHESTER.
was one of the pioneer farmers, and his home is still there in Clay. He was a Union soldier in the war of the Rebellion. His second wife was Mrs. Rosanna Heward, of Bloomington, Ill., deceased. His present and third wife was Mrs. Melissa Braman, formerly of West Windsor. VanBuren mar- ried Annie Austin, of Worcester, Mass., where they have lived many years. They have a home in Orange county, Florida, where they expect soon to reside permanently. They have one child, a son. Velette P. married Emily Stebbins, of Norwich, who died in Iowa, in 1860, leaving one child, a daughter. He returned to Quinsigamond, Worcester Co., Mass., where he had formerly and still lives. His present wife was Eliza J. Hallett, of St. Johns- bury, Vt. Marquis D. married Cordelia Hicks, of Ohio, in 1858, who died in 1870, leaving a daughter. Most of their married life was spent in Wash- ington county, Iowa. He was a volunteer from Iowa in the late civil war. Since the close of the war he has been engaged in mercantile business in Conneaut, Ohio, where he now lives with his second wife, Mary Palmer, of Girard, Penn. They have two children. Thomas Townsend married Philinda Beckwith, of Acworth, N. H. They had four children who reached maturity, and are still living. Daniel S. married Martha Stanford. He set- tled in West Burke and has three children. Ann H. married E. D. Hough- ton, and resides in Keene, N. H., having eight children. Lewis S. married Julia Austin, and resides in Utica, Ill. They have a son and daughter. Rufus E. married Caroline Dow, and has two children, Abbie and Stephen, who reside with them at their home, in Woodstock.
The Calvinist Baptist church, located at Reading, was organized by Dea. Silas Bowen, Samuel Kendall and others, with twenty-two members, in 1835, Rev. David Burroughs being the first pastor. The present church building was erected in 1861, and is valued, including grounds, at $3,600.00. The society now has eighty-nine members, with Rev. A. Held, pastor.
The Union church of Felchville was organized by the Universalist and Methodist societies, in 1862. It will seat 175 persons and is valued at $1,000.00.
R OCHESTER is a very irregularly outlined town located in the north- western corner of the county, in lat. 43º 53' and long. 4º 15', bounded northerly by Hancock, in Addison county, and Braintree, in Orange county, easterly by Bethel, southerly by Pittsfield and Chittenden, in Rutland county, and westerly by Hancock and Goshen, in Addison county. It was granted by Vermont November 6, 1780, and chartered to Dudley Chase and sixty-four others, July 30, 1781, containing 23,040 acres. This area, how- ever, has been greatly augmented by annexations of territory from adjoining towns. This has been done for the reason that Rochester is the natural business center for a large tract of territory in this section, and the inhabitants
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dwelling therein, on the sides of the hills and mountains, whose natural modes of ingress and egress is by the way of White river valley, and whose business accommodations lie principally in Rochester, would, as a matter of course, be desirous of being included in the town. The first annexation was in 1806, when 1, 175 acres were taken from Pittsfield. In 1814, 300 acres were annexed from the old town of Goshen, and comprise that portion of the town known as West Rochester. The other annexations have been as follows : 1,500 acres from Braintree and 850 acres from Pittsfield, in 1824; 160 acres from Hancock, in 1834, and 11,300 acres from Goshen in 1847, giving the town a total area of 38,325 acres.
The surface is extremely uneven, affording a very pleasing landscape picture, but diminishing to a considerable degree the agricultural worth of of the territory, though the valleys and hill-slopes afford valuable tracts of excellent farming and grazing land. This unevenness has also lent appro- priate names to certain localities, as North, South and Middle Hollow, located as their names respectively designate. A ridge of highland, known as Rochester Mountain, extends north and south across the eastern part of the township, about three miles from the town line, east of which lies Little Hollow, a well-watered and productive locality. White river, with numerous tributaries, forms the principal water-course, flowing through the town from north to south. About half a mile south of the Rochester village it receives a large tributary having its source in Goshen. From Little Hollow, above mentioned, the streams flow south into Bethel. Some excellent mill-sites are afforded. The timber is mostly hard wood, interspersed with spruce, hem- lock, etc. The principal rock entering into the geological structure of the township is of the talcose schist formation. Extending through the town from north to south, however, there is a bed of clay slate having a mean width of about a mile. In the eastern part are found beds of steatite, serpen- tine, granite, syenite and protogine In the western part there is a bed of saccharoid azoic limestone. No metals, except gold in small quantities, have been discovered.
In 1880 Rochester had a population of 1,362, and in 1882 it was divided into sixteen school districts, and contained seventeen common schools, em- ploying six male and twenty-six female teachers, to whom was paid an aggre- gate salary of $1,599. 15. There were 315 pupils attending common school, while the entire cost of the schools for the year, ending October 31st, was $1,923.28, with George S. Guernsey, superintendent.
ROCHESTER, a post village, lies in the central part of the town, in the picturesque valley of White river, shut in by hills on the east and west, which rise so abruptly as to make the spot remind one of Horatius' words :-
"In yon straight pass a thousand Might well be stopped by three. Now who will stand on either hand And keep the pass with me ?"
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TOWN OF ROCHESTER.
Though located eighteen miles from the railroad, the village is one of the most enterprising in the county. Its residences have a tidy, well-kept appearance, and its places of business have a busy and prosperous air, while in 1883, the public spirited citizens established telephonic communications with Bethel, the nearest railroad station. The principal part of the village lies along one main street, about a little gem of a park. The postal and traveling facilities are Tinkham & Sons' stage line to Bethel, and to Hancock, where connections are made for Middlebury, while transient and summer tourists are entertained at the well-kept Rochester House. The Methodist and Universalist societies each have a house of worship here, while the manu- facturing establishments consist of a foundry and machine shop, a carriage shop, grist-mill, saw-mill, tin and harness shop, etc.
WEST ROCHESTER is a hamlet located in the western part of the town.
MILL VILLAGE is also a hamlet, located in the southern part of the town on White river.
ROCHESTER HOUSE.
(ROCHESTER HOUSE.)
The Rochester House, M. L. Faulkner, proprietor, located at Rochester village, is a large three-story building, erected in 1869. It came into Mr. Faulkner's hands in 1882, and he, with a large experience as a traveling man, and by general courteous and pleasing manners, has added greatly to its popularity. The hotel contains about fifty well-furnished rooms, for the accommodation of all classes of summer boarders, and with the pleasant drives, healthful climate and many adjacent fishing grounds, no better place can be found to spend the summer. Parties coming by rail are afforded easy modes of conveyance from either Bethel or Brandon.
Alonzo Worcester's iron foundry and carriage shop, located at the village, was built in 1872. Mr. Worcester does all kinds of work in his line, employ- ing three hands.
Fayette A. Kezer's saw and grist-mill, located on road 33, came into the hands of the present proprietor in 1869. He employes about ten men.
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TOWN OF ROCHESTER.
Chester Downer's saw and clapboard mill, located on road 432, and operated by George E. Austin, was built in 1880. He employs about twenty men, and turns out 9,000 feet of lumber and 8,000 feet of clapboards per day.
J. O. Robinson's clapboard and grist-mill, located on road 43, was built by the Robinson Bros., in 1874, taking the place of the mill destroyed by fire August 23, 1872. The clapboard mill has the capacity for turning out 400,000 feet annually, while the grist-mill is for local accommodation.
Piper & Messer's butter tub factory, located on White river, manufactures 15,000 butter tubs per annum, employing five men.
H. H. Bailey's saw mill, located on road 6, was built in 1876, does only a small amount of business.
The Rochester and Pittsfield Telephone Company, was organized June 20, 1883, for the purpose of establishing telephonic and telegraphic communica- tions between Rochester, Pittsfield and Bethel. The line extends from Gaysville, via Pittsfield to Rochester, a distance of twenty miles, completed July 7, 1881. From Gaysville to Bethel the line of a company previously established is used.
The first attempt towards the settlement of Rochester in 1780, by John Sanger, Joel Cooper, Timothy Clements, James Guggin and John Emerson, who came on and erected a shanty on the east side of White river, near where the Emerson bridge now crosses, and commenced chopping, working and board- ing in company on what is now the farm of Gardner Bride. During the sum- mer they returned home, intending to renew operations in the autumn ; but hearing of Indian depredations in the vicinity, they did not return until the next winter. They left a horse they had brought on with them, a two-year old heifer belonging to Lieut. David Currier, and their cooking and camp utensils. Tradition affirms that the horse found his way through the woods back to Barnard. On their return to Rochester the next winter, the shanty was found much as they had left it, but the camp had been visited by Indians during their absence, and the heifer killed. An old bake kettle left by them had been used by the Indians, and then broken. The fœtus from the heifer was fixed up in regular shape in an old tray, which was also left, and the tray and contents placed upon a shelf in the shanty, and upon the tray was written with charcoal this sentence : "Eat hearty, men." The writing upon the tray led to the belief that the Indians were accompanied by Tories. The old tray was afterwards fitted up with rockers and became famous as a cradle.
In 1781 work was renewed and a log house, long known as the " House Com- mons," was built near the east end of the bridge, the first house erected in the town. In 1782 the first families moved in, viz. : David Currier, James Guggin, Timothy Clements, John Sanger and --- Haskell. David Currier and family occupied the House Commons. During the season Daniel Emerson with his family, consisting of his wife and four children, moved into town and pitched upon the farm now owned by Austin Leonard. Some stakes were driven into
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TOWN OF ROCHESTER.
the ground and a shanty erected, in which they lived. During the season, the family, through fear of the Indians, used frequently to leave the shanty at night, and taking such articles as they could for covering, hide themselves in the woods at the foot of the hill in the rear of the house, spending the night in the open air. Thus commenced the settlement of Rochester. The settle- ment increased quite rapidly, however, so that in 1791 the town had a popu- lation of 215 souls.
The warning for the first town meeting was signed at Stockbridge, April 30, 1788, by Asa Whitcomb, justice of the peace, to be held at the dwelling of Ebenezer Burnham, May 15th. At this meeting the town was regularly organized by electing Lieut. David Currier, moderator ; Capt. Timothy Clements, town clerk ; Capt. Timothy Clements, Enoch Emerson and Aaron Wilber, selectmen and listers and layers out of highways; Moses Currier, constable ; and Joseph Boice, collector. There were also elected three highway surveyors, three tythingmen and three haywards. Enoch Emerson was elected to represent the town in the legislature, and was also appointed a justice of the peace, a position he continued to hold for twenty-eight years.
At a meeting of the proprietors held July 1, 1784, it was voted the first five women in the town, Rebecca Currier, Mrs. Ruth Guggin, Mrs. Eunice Haskell, Mrs. Jemima Clements and Eunice Sanger should have one hundred acres of land each in the second division of one hundred acre lots. And also voted one hundred acres of land to Lieut. Currier's twins, Frederick and William, to be equally divided between them as the first children born in the town, and fifty acres to Dorcas Currier as a gift for her early attendance as a nurse in the town. The first saw and grist-mills were erected by Enoch Emerson, in 1786 and 1787, on the Branch, not far from where Lyman Emerson now lives. The first blacksmith was Ebenezer Morse. His shop stood upon the meadow, near the river, on the farm now owned by Hiram Hodgkins. The method of shoeing oxen was to cast the ox with a rope, bind them thoroughly, and then proceed to set the shoes. The first sermon or religious meeting of which there is any account was a lecture by a Mr. Bowman, of Barnard, September 13, 1789. The first physicians were Drs. Retire Trask and his wife, who practiced successfully together, some pre- ferring the Doctress to the Doctor. They moved into the town in 1790, and the Doctor afterwards built the old Webbe house, at the top of the hill, at the south part of the village, and kept tavern awhile. They were the prin- cipal physicians in the town for nearly twenty-five years. The first goods brought into the town for sale were by Foster & Stacy, in 1792, and a part of Mr. Selden's tavern, at the southwestern part of the common, was used for a store. The first school taught was in 1793, in the lower part of the town in the house of Enos Morgan, Rev. Mr. Howe being the teacher. November 3, 1795, was kept as Thanksgiving day, the first public celebration of the day in the town. The first clothing mill for dressing cloth was built in 1795, by Jonathan Jewett, on the brook a little below the old Adras place.
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TOWN OF ROCHESTER.
In 1805 a stage route was established from Hanover, N. H., to Middle- bury, Vt., the stage being driven by a Mr. Dewey. Previous to this the people were supplied by a post-rider, who distributed letters and papers from his saddle-bags. The first post-rider was Job Saunders. The first pastmaster was John Flint, the postoffice being in Shelden's tavern. During the year 1806 the first carding machine was brought into town by Oliver Wills and Nathaniel Dunham, and was set in operation in the upper part of the grist-mill owned by Enoch Emerson. The first leather tanned in town was by Esquire Eastman, on the old Foster place, in 1806.
Caleb Goodno, from Rockingham, Vt., came to Rochester in 1784, and located in the western part of the town, upon the farm now owned by his grandson, Kittridge Goodno. Two of his nine children settled in the town. William, the oldest, born in 1794, spent his life here, dying in February, 1852.
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