USA > Vermont > Essex County > Gazetteer of Caledonia and Essex Counties, Vt. 1764-1887 > Part 36
USA > Vermont > Caledonia County > Gazetteer of Caledonia and Essex Counties, Vt. 1764-1887 > Part 36
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Lieut .- Col. Hugh Laughlin, Capt. (but acting Colonel) James Smith, Ser- geant Theophilus McLure, and privates Stafford Brown, John Brown, and Samuel Allen, Irish patriots, were all engaged in battles with the British forces in the north of Ireland in 1798. The British army broke the power of the rebellion in about two weeks, and the patriots, many of them, had extremely narrow escapes. Laughlin came to Ryegate in 1799, Smith in 1801, McLure and the Browns about 1802, though John Brown settled in New- bury, and Allen came in 1823. These were all married men and had fami-
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lies. They were good citizens, and as a rule were hard-working, industrious and economical, and were very successful. John McLure, oldest son of Theophilus, was many years prominent in Ryegate politics, and one of the fathers of the Reformed Presbyterian (New School) church, in Ryegate, and a ruling elder from its organization to his death.
John Orr, born near Glasgow, Scotland, in 1744, came to Ryegate with his · brother Robert, May 23, 1774, and settled at Ryegate Corner, where he lived about twenty years, when he went to the western part of Ryegate. His brother settled at Corinth, Vt. One report has it that five men were drafted in Ryegate in 1777, to serve in the war, and as their families were wholly dependent on the labor of the men for support, they finally got three men to volunteer, John Orr, David Reid and Bart. Somers. These were accepted, and the call for the other two was finally cancelled. Orr served near Saratoga in October, 1777. He married Sarah Mills, of Chester, N. H., in 1781. They had five children-Mary, James, William, John and Sarah. Mr. Orr died in 1832, and his wife died in 1815.
Bartholomew Somers, born in Cambuslang, Scotland, in 1747, came to America in 1771. He lived in Ryegate in its early days, was elected ensign in its militia company when it was first organized, May 14, 1776. He was one of the three Revolutionary heroes who went from Ryegate in Capt. Frye Bailey's company in 1777. On one occasion Captain Bailey wanted to capture some of the enemy's boats, on the opposite side of the Hudson river, in the night time. Somers and a New Hampshire man volunteered, swam the river, and brought one boat back, and Bailey's men returned and cap- tured fifteen boats laden with provisions for the British army. He was a tall, large-sized, bony, muscular man, full of fun. About the close of the war he settled in Barnet, Vt., and was called " Long Bart.," as other men of the same name lived in town, of whom one was called "Black Bart.," and one " Red Bart." He married Susan Carr, of Londonderry, N. H., and they had eight children. The Carricks of Barnet, and some of the Gilkersons, are descended from him.
Archibald Park, born in Scotland in 1780, came with his parents to Amer- ica in 1795, lived two years in Barnet, and came to Ryegate in 1797. In 1806 he married Margaret Renfrew, who bore him eleven children-five sons and six daughters-six of whom married and settled in town. He held town offices for many years. His wife died March 4, 1836, in her forty-sixth year, and he died December 12, 1847, in his sixty-eighth year.
Edward Miller, Sr., was born in Erskine parish, Scotland, January 1, 1780, and lived there forty years. He left North Glen, in Erskine, and sailed from Greenock, April 10, 1820, and was six weeks in reaching Quebec. He went to Montreal, stopping five weeks, and then came by Burlington and Montpelier, reaching Ryegate July 9, 1820. He bought a farm in 182 1, and married Isabel Gardner, January 5, 1822, by whom he had six sons and two daughters. All lived to an adult age, but the two daughters and the oldest son died before
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he did. Judge Robert Harvey, of Barnet, said "he was the fac-simile of General LıFayette, in looks and appearance," and the Judge had seen them both in 1825. He was of large size, his height being six feet, and his weight 200 pounds. His health was impaired in 1834, and shortly after he had the rheumatism so bad that he was crippled and mainly confined to his home for nearly thirty years. Four of his sons are now farmers in Ryegate, and one is in the west. He was free from prejudice and bigotry, kind- hearted and obliging and generous to all, though he had a keen sense of justice. His religion was that of the Bible, and of a noble and generous spirit. He was a man of large intelligence, an extensive reader, of strict veracity and sterling integrity. His wife was in every way well worthy of him. He died April 29, 1865, aged eighty-five years. His widow died October 30, 1878, aged eighty three years.
William Gray, son of Captain John Gray, was born in Ryegate, June 12, 1789 He married Isabel Roben, March 3, 1813. She was born in Scot- land, February; 3, 1793, and came with her father's family to America, reach- ing Ryegate, June 28, 1801. Mr. Gray raised a family of eleven children- seven sons and four daughters-all of whom lived to be men and women, and all married, excepting John, the oldest son, who was born June 11, 1817, and died at Rochester, N. Y., September 6, 1844. Esquire Gray was through life one of the most prominent men in town, and often held important town offices. Six of his children are living. He always had wealth, which was largely in- herited from his father. He was town clerk and treasurer for a number of years. He died October 1, 1861, aged seventy-two years. His widow died November 8, 1884, aged ninety-one years. She had been a member of the Associate (now United) Presbyterian church, seventy-one years and four months, and was the oldest person in town at the time of her death.
Alanson S. Moore was born August 29, 1816, in Ryegate. He married, May 25, 1855, Laura Jane Nelson, who was born in Lyman, N. H., August 9, 1825. He lives in the northeastern part of Ryegate, and his farm assessed in the grand list of 1882, at $10,096.00. It consisted of 375 acres, and was the highest valued, and had the largest number of acres of any farm in Rye- gate, for that year. He has had four sons, the oldest of whom is dead, and three are living. Mr. Moore began life with two willing hands for his capital, and has been all his life one of the hardest working men in Ryegate, and has learned one great lesson, that "labor creates wealth." He has held several important town offices.
John Johnston, born near Galloway, Scotland, in 1760, married Mary Erven. They had three children, Robert, who died young ; William and Mary. They came to New York in 1795, and to Ryegate in 1796. He died in 1805, aged forty-five, and his widow in 1833, aged seventy seven years. William Johnston, their son, began life in very indigent circumstances, mar- ried Jean, daughter of James Whitehall, in March, 1830, and had three sons. William, the youngest, died in May, 1861, aged twenty-six years, and John,
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the oldest, died in October, 1861, aged about thirty-one years. James is now living. Mr. Johnston was for many years an elder in the Covenanter church at Ryegate. By dint of the most persevering industry, economy, and good financial management, he became one of the richest men in Ryegate. He died April 19. 1870, aged eighty-three. His widow died February 19, 1873; aged seventy-eight. James, son of the above, was born September 18, 1832. He has often held leading town offices, and often engaged in settling estates. He is very accurate and exact in all business transactions. In 1885 his grand list in Ryegate was $28,420, it being the largest in town, while he had con- siderable taxable property in other towns. He is probably the wealthiest man in Ryegate.
William T. George, born in Topsham, Vt., about 1854, is a young man of fine talents and much promise, and has been a Ryegate citizen for many years.
Dr. John B. Darling, born in Groton, Vt., about 1823, married Margaret Shaw, of Barnet, about 1848. They have six sons and three daughters, all living at South Ryegate. He lived, after his marriage, a short time in Groton, when he came to South Ryegate, where he has been ever since, steadily at work, with the most determined energy, giving his best days and his highest endeavors to build up an important and flourishing village. He has done more for that place than any other single person, although a dozen others have constantly worked for the same purpose. In addition to his practice as a physician, he has, at different times, been engaged in a variety of pursuits, which he has pushed with vigor. Of his sons, one is a doctor, one a dentist, and two are in the mercantile business with their father.
Samuel Mills, Sr., a blacksmith, was born in Scotland about 1819, came to America, and settled in Topsham, Vt. Later he came to South Ryegate, where he has been engaged at his trade for quite a number of years. His son Samuel has taken his business, and also is carrying on that of carriage- making. His son James L. is the blacksmith at Ryegate Corner.
Robert F. Carter, born in Deerfield, N. H., about 1838, has spent consid- erable time in the Western and Southern states. He was engaged in the gran- ite business for a time, in Montpelier, and first came to Ryegate to examine the granite in 1876. He began the granite business in Ryegate, January I, 1879, and in three or four years it was greatly enlarged, and he has continued a heavy business up to the present time. He married a lady from Baltimore, Md., and has a family.
James White was born in Ryegate, about 1821. He is a joiner by trade, though he long has been the leading legal man at South Ryegate. He has held leading town offices for many years, and is a conscientious, upright and fair-dealing man.
Alexander Cochran, oldest son of Capt. Robert Cochran, was born in Rye- gate, May 21, 1835. He was raised on a farm, but began storekeeping at Ryegate Corner, March 1, 1865. He was appointed postmaster at Ryegate
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in 1865, and was chosen town clerk and treasurer in 1866, and has held all three offices for the past twenty years continuously, giving good satisfaction, notwithstanding his politics were in opposition to the past administration. He married Theresa Jane Hall, of Groton, September 20, 1866. They had one son, Newton R., born in 1869, very bright and promising, whose death, in 1871, was caused by a sad accident. They have three daughters living.
George L. Hall, second son of Capt. William Hall, was born in Ryegate, February 5, 1831. His parents dying when he was young, he was raised by his uncle, James Lumsden (on a farm), who went to Greensboro, Vt , when he was a boy. In 1852 he went to California, and returned in 1856, when he began storekeeping at South Ryegate, was appointed postmaster in 1871, un- der Grant's administration. He has been a merchant thirty years, and a postmaster fifteen years. He was very prominent in leading town offices for several years. He married Isabella M. Lauder, in 1862, who was born in Topsham, in 1840. They have three daughters living, and one son died in 1872.
James R. Park, son of Archibald Park, was born in Ryegate, February 20, 1813. He married Hannah G. Nelson, February 7, 1839, by whom he had two sons and three daughters. His wife died in 1874, and his second daugh- ter died in 1878. He married a second time, Mrs. Nancy (Brown) Plummer, March 3, 1878. He has held many of the leading offices in town.
Pringle Gibson was born January 5, 1833. For many years he farmed ex- tensively, owning and managing one of the best farms in Ryegate, until the fall of 1882. Since then he and his son have become merchants at South Ryegate, under the firm name of P. Gibson & Son, and are doing a flourish- ing business. He married Frances Gray, June 11, 1860. They have one son and one daughter. He has held a number of prominent town offices.
John, James and Thomas Nelson were three brothers, and sons of William Nelson, of Ryegate. John was born in 1776, the second male child born in town. He first married Jane Duncan, in 1814, who died six weeks after. when he married Mary Finley, of Acworth, N. H., in 1818. He had three sons and five daughters, of whom three daughters are dead. James Nelson was born in Ryegate in 1778, married Agnes Gibson in 1808, and had six sons and four daughters, of whom one son died in infancy, and one at sixteen years. Five of the family are living. Thomas Nelson was born in Ryegate in 1780, and married Mary Allen in 1804. They had eight daughters and four sons. One daughter died in infancy, and one son at twelve years. Only three out of twelve in the family are now living. James Nelson's first wife died in 1838, aged about fifty-three, and he was again married, to Mrs. Jean (Roben) Buchanon, in 1839. He died in 1840, aged sixty-two. His second wife died in 1863, aged seventy-seven years. John Nelson died in 1854, aged seventy- eight, and his second wife died in 1865, aged seventy. Thomas Nelson died in 1860, aged eighty, and his wife died in 1864, aged eighty-four. Each of these brothers have been town representatives, captains of the militia, justices
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of the peace, selectmen, listers; and John and James have been constables and overseers of the poor, and all have held all of the minor offices of the town, and all have throughout their entire lives been prominently identified with all public measures in town.
In 1787 the first regular school was established, in James Whitelaw's house. The first teacher was Jonathan Powers. The school continued to be kept in private houses until 1792, when the first school-house was erected. This was built of logs and stood on the town lot, a few rods southeast of John O. Page's house. In 1795 the town was divided into two school districts. In 1800 was the first recorded return of scholars, and only from one (the main) district, numbering ninety-eight scholars. In early times male teachers were employed exclusively. They then used a sun dial or a sand-glass for a time piece, and birch bark instead of paper to write upon. It was then considered as impos- sible for a woman to teach school as it was for one to be a preacher or pre- siding judge. It was finally resolved upon to run the daring risk, and Abigail Whitelaw, daughter of General Whitelaw (afterwards Mrs. Alexander Hen- derson), was hired to teach school in summer, and being of superior talents and education, she made a brilliant success of it, settling at once and forever the capability of female teachers.
In 1777, when the British army under General Burgoyne was sweeping through western Vermont and northern New York, volunteering failed, and the militia were drafted to fill up the American army. When the draft was started in Ryegate, Andrew Brock was the first man drafted. For some rea- son he could not leave conveniently, and volunteering was then tried, and John Orr was the first man to volunteer, followed by David Reid and Bar- tholomew Somers. They left Ryegate for the seat of war about the first of October, 1777, in the company of Capt. Frye Bailey, of Newbury. The soldiers from other places, who lived here after the war, were Jesse Heath, Allan Stewart, Abraham Alexander, Ezra Gates, Sylvanus Learned, Daniel Hunt, Samuel Johnson, Joshua Hunt, Err Chamberlain, William Tice and Moses Moore. The soldiers who served from Ryegate in the War of 1812 were Robert White, Stephen Meader, John O. Page, John Sly, Stephen Holman, and James and William Thomas. Robert Gibson, Robert Gibson, 2d, and Andrew Warden were drafted, but got substitutes. William Clark, a New Hampshire soldier, lived many years in town, and died here. In the late great war the town also did her full share.
The United Presbyterian church .- When the Presbyterian church of Rye- gate and Barnet was organized is not known exactly, owing to the loss of the church records, but it was previous to 1779. Previous to 1856 the church here was known as the Voluntary Associate society ; but at this time the three branches then in existence united, under the present name, Rev. Thomas Ferrier was the first pastor. The first church building was not erected until 1824. The present edifice, capable of seating 230 persons, is
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valued at $3,000.00 The society now has seventy members, with Rev. Daniel Harris, pastor.
The Ryegate Reformed Presbyterian church, located at Ryegate Corner, was organized by its first pastor, Rev. William Gibson, with seven members, in 1798. For a long time the meetings were held in the town hall. The present church building will accommodate 300 persons, and is valued at $1,800.00. The society now has sixty members, with Rev. Hugh W. Reed, pastor.
The South Ryegate Reformed Presbyterian church was organized in 1843, with about twenty members, Rev. Robert A. Hill being the first pastor. The church building, erected in 1849, will accomodate 275 persons, and is valued at $3,500.00. The society has 125 members, with Rev. John H. Kendall, pastor.
The South Ryegate Presbyterian church was organized by a commission of the Boston Presbytery, with fifty members, in 1875, Rev. John H. Lloyd being the first pastor. Their church building, erected in 1880, will seat 275 persons, and is valued at $3,500.00. The society now has 130 members, with Rev. James W. Flagg, pastor.
S HEFFIELD lies in the northern part of the county, in lat. 44° 57', and long. 4° 51', bounded on the northeast by the Orleans county line, easterly by Sutton, south and southwest by Wheelock, and north- westerly by Orleans county. It was chartered by the state legislature, Octo- ber 25, 1793, to Stephen Kingsbury and his associates. Its original area of about 22,067 acres was retained until November 23, 1858, when a corner containing 3,000 acres was set off to the township of Barton, in Orleans county.
The surface of Sheffield is mountainous ; but the land, unlike that of many mountain ranges, does not seem to penetrate the distant sky, nor is it char- acterized by craggy cliffs. abrupt precipices, or sharply pointed peaks ; but rather by gently sloping sides and rounded summits, heavily wooded to their very tops. The soil is mostly of a loamy nature, although broken, and in some parts stony. The snows here fall very deep, covering the earth nearly one half of the year. Using the words of one of the early settlers: "It is a first-rate place for sleigh-rides, for the reason that we have nine months winter, and the other three months very late in the fall." The town is watered by several brooks, which, rising upon the mountains, unite a short distance north of the village, and form a considerable stream, which, flowing onward, empties into the Passumpsic at Lyndon. Within the limits of the town are several ponds romantically nestled amid the woody elevations. Duck pond, so called from its having been a favorite resort for wild ducks, is a small, shal- low sheet of water, though it has the appearance of having once covered a
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much greater surface. Gradually it is growing more and more shallow, and as the waters recede, the atmosphere, rain and frosts enter as successive agents in the work of general change, and, judging from the past character- istics, the pond will sometime entirely disappear. Bruce pond is so named from the fact that a man by the name of Bruce once attempted to build a saw-mill near its outlet ; but after erecting the frame and getting his mill nearly completed, he suddenly abandoned the project, removed the machinery, and left the country. The town is also supplied with excellent springs, which, together with its elevated altitude and pure air, renders it a very healthful locality. The mountain streams here were formerly a favorite resort of the beaver tribe, their industrious habits being marked by several meadows which produce a luxuriant growth of grass, and which, from the earliest settlement of the town, until these lots were taken up and settled, was yearly cut, stacked, and drawn to the barns upon sleds during the ensuing winter. Traces of their dams in some localities still remain, but the greater part of them have been leveled by the plow.
In 1880 Sheffield had a population of 884. In 1885 the township adopted the town system of schools, and its common schools now number eight, having decreased one in the past year. One male and nine female teachers were employed, to whom was paid an average weekly salary, including board, of $5.50 to the former, and $4.76 to the latter. There were 229 scholars, five of whom attended private schools. The entire income for school purposes was $1,087.33, while the total expenditures were $876.86, with C. H. Gar- land, superintendent.
SHEFFIELD, the only post village in the township, is situated about one mile from the southern boundary of the same, in a pleasant valley, upon a stream designated as Miller's run. It consists of two churches (Methodist and Free- will Baptist), two general stores, one grocery, a saw-mill, grist-mill, and about thirty dwellings.
S. & R. C. Hall's saw-mill is located on road 35, near 36, on the stream known as Miller's run. The mill contains machinery sufficient for the manu- facture of dimension timber and shingles, and cuts about 8,000 feet per day. It was purchased by its present proprietors in the fall of 1885. It was built by Joseph H. Ingalls, in the spring of 1829.
Chesley's saw mill is located on road 20. Its capacity is about 4,000 feet per day, of dimension timber. The mill was formerly owned by Hazen Gray, A. L. Barber, and C. H. Chesley, but the latter has been its sole proprietor for the past four years.
Alfred Gray's grist-mill is located on road 32. It grinds about 5,000 bushels of native grain per annum. It was built in 1855, by John Ingalls, Charles Sanborn and Joel Fletcher, and was used by them as a starch factory. It was bought by its present owner eighteen years ago.
The first settlement in the town was made in the spring of 1794, by John and Richard Jenness and James and Jonathan Gray, who came on from New
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Hampshire with their families. John Jenness built the first framed house. He was by trade a tanner, and carried on the business here for a time, using for a vat a trough cut from a large tree, and pounding his bark by hand.
A large portion of the township was at one time owned by General Hull ; but previous to his disgraceful conduct in the War of 1812, he exchanged his possessions here with Isaac McLellen, for land in Newburyport, Mass. The settlement increased slowly, but surely, and among the early settlers other than those mentioned were Caleb Heath, Isaac Jenness, Samuel Daniels, Reuben Miles, Henry Gray, James Hodgen and Samuel Weeks. Most of the settlers were from New Hampshire, and brought with them the intelli- gence and thrift which has always characterized the people of the Granite State.
The town was organized March 25, 1796, when the following officers were elected : Moses Foss, moderator ; Archelaus Miles, Jr., town clerk ; Stephen Drown, Archelaus Miles, Jr., and Isaac Keniston, selectmen ; and Jonathan Gray, constable. The first representative was Stephen Drown, elected in 1806.
The town was first surveyed by Jesse Gilbert, and a beautiful tract of about 1,000 acres was named in his honor, and is still known as " Gilbert Square." The first physician was a Dr. Mitchell ; the first merchant John Green, where Noah Folsom now lives. The first male child born in town was William Gray, July 28, 1794, and the first female Hannah Jenness, October 15, 1794. The first marriage was that of Capt. Samuel Twombly and Elizabeth Gray. The first death was that of an infant of Richard Jenness. The first school- house was built in 1805, upon land now owned by Sylvester Hall. The first blacksmith was Capt. Joseph Staples, a veteran of the War of 1812, who moved into the town just after said war. The first church (Baptist) was built in 1829. The first settled pastor was Rev. Zebina Young, in 1836.
James Gray, one of the first settlers of the town, was born in Barring- ton, N. H. He married Hannah Burrill, of the same place, and moved to this town with his family in the spring of 1794. Mrs. Gray was the first white woman that ever came into this town. His son Jonathan also came with him, and to him belongs the honor of having felled the first tree in town. Benjamin Gray, son of James, was born in Barrington, N. H., in 1787, and came to this town with his father. He was a farmer and shared the pioneer life with the early settlers. He married Susan Drown, and five children were born to them, four of whom are living-Elizabeth E. (Mrs Carpenter), in Landaff, N. H., Franklin, Samuel and Harriet. James Gray, the father of Benjamin, died May 26, 1859. He served in the Revolutionary war.
William Gray, the first white child born in town, was a son of Jonathan. He was born July 28, 1794, served in the War of 1812, and at its close mar- ried Abigail Staples. Twelve children were born to them, six of whom are living, viz. : Alfred, who married Lydia J. Goodwin, in this town ; Clarissa, who married Jacob Welch, of Canaan, Vt .; Dorotha, who married Seth C.
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