Gazetteer of Caledonia and Essex Counties, Vt. 1764-1887, Part 37

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- comp. cn
Publication date: 1887
Publisher: Syracuse, N. Y., Syracuse Journal Co., Printers and Binders
Number of Pages: 886

USA > Vermont > Essex County > Gazetteer of Caledonia and Essex Counties, Vt. 1764-1887 > Part 37
USA > Vermont > Caledonia County > Gazetteer of Caledonia and Essex Counties, Vt. 1764-1887 > Part 37

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

3º3

TOWN OF SHEFFIELD.

Collins, of St. Albans, Vt. ; Percival, who married Rachel S. Gray; Alonzo, who married Joanna Berry, and Robert A., who married Mary A. Hanscom, are living in this town.

Samuel Drown was born in Rochester, N. H., and came into this town in 1795. He was an old Revolutionary soldier, having been attached during some part of the war to an artillery corps. He was first engaged in the bat- tle of Bunker Hill, and served his country faithfully several years afterwards. He died at the advanced age of ninety-six years. Dea. Stephen Drown, son of Samuel, was born in Rochester, N. H., September 17, 1770. He mar- ried Sarah, daughter of James Gray, in 1791, and they moved to this town in 1795, and settled upon the farm now owned by Salma Davis, where they resided until his death, April 6, 1841. Mr. Drown represented the town in the legislature several years, was twenty-two years town clerk, and taught the first school in town. He experienced religion in 1800, was the first convert, and ever after one of the main pillars of the church. To him the people were indebted as to a pastor for visiting the sick, attending funerals, holding meet- ings, baptizing converts, and performing all other pastoral duties. He lived an exemplary life, sustaining his christian profession unblemished until death closed his labors.

William Simpson was the first of this family to move into the town. He married Sally Heath. John Simpson, son of William, was born in 1770. He married Lydia Gray, daughter of Jonathan Gray, for his second wife, and Mary Keniston for his first. One child was born by his first wife, and eleven by his second, eight of whom are living, Jonathan, Hiram and Lydia (Mrs. John Blake), in this town.

Moses Hall came here from New Hampshire about the year 1800, and commenced a settlement on the farm now occupied by R. B. Dow. He here erected a log house and commenced farming, after the pioneer style. He was born May 2, 177 1, and was killed by a shed blowing down on him. He mar- ried Eleanor Hawkins in 1779, and five of twelve children are living.

Joseph H. Ingalls was born in Medbury, Mass., in. 1774. He came into Wheelock about the year 1797, where he married Comfort, daughter of Capt. Joshua Weeks, and continued to live in that town until 1806, when he moved with his family to Sheffield, where he resided until his death. He was one of the leading citizens of this place, and for a long series of years held responsi- ble offices in town. He was a member of the Vermont legislature thirteen years, and-of the Senate one year. As a man of sound judgment and thor- ough business habits, he had few superiors. He died June 14, 1850, aged seventy-six years.

Paul Otis was born in Stafford, N. H., in 1777. He married Mary Foss, and moved to this town in the spring of 1809, and settled on road 25, first erect- ing a log house in the dense forest and commenced felling trees. The fruits of his labors were soon apparent, and the forests were converted into produc- tive fields. He reared a family of six children, three of whom are living, viz .:

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TOWN OF SHEFFIELD.

Harriet, wife of Jonathan Clark, Martha (Mrs. Sullaway), and Paul. Mr. Otis died in 1857, aged eighty years.

Aaron Drown was born in Rochester, N. H., in 1787, and moved to this town in 1810. He married Betsey Tucker, of Rochester, by whom he reared a family of ten children, eight of whom are living, and three in this town. His son Noah was born in 1807. He married Lovina Bean, of Albany, N. Y., in 1832. Eight of their eleven children are living.

Joseph Barber was born in Barrington, N. H., September 12, 1778, a son of John Barber, who was killed in Ossipee, N. H., by a falling timber, in 1785. Joseph came to this town in 1812, first locating in the village. After living here a short time he bought out the business of Capt. Joseph Staples, the first blacksmith in this town, and carried on the blacksmith business for about thirty years. He married Polly, daughter of Josiah Clark, of Farmington, N. H., and nine children were born to. them, three of whom are living, viz .: Joseph L., Hannah L. (Mrs. Isaac Keniston), and Asa L. The latter, at an early age, learned the blacksmith trade of his father, and has worked at it for nearly fifty years. . He married Hannah A. Jones, December 26, 1849, and five of their seven children are living.

Capt. Joseph Staples served in the War of 1812. It is said that in one en- gagement he slew with his own hand three British soldiers that had attacked him, and after this encounter he joined his company in safety. He continued in service until the close of the war, when he moved into this town and for several years labored at his trade, being the first blacksmith in town.

Alexander Berry was born in Barrington, N. H, and moved to this town with his wife and five children in the spring of 1816, first pitching on road 25, on the farm known as the " A. J. Ham place." His son Samuel was also born in Barrington, in 1790, and married Dorotha Willey. He reared a fam- ily of ten children, all of whom grew to maturity, and five of whom are living. His son Samuel lives on the farm cleared by his father, where he was born July 29, 1813. He married Hannah French, July 17, 1834, and seven chil- dren have been born to them, viz .: Elizabeth, Elisha, Lydia A., Mary J., Frank W. and Martha G.

Samuel Willard was born at Barnstead, N. H., in 1808, and moved to Wheelock when about ten years old, in company with his mother, three broth- ers and three sisters. He lived there about ten years, when he, with his mother and sisters, moved into this town, first locating on road 28. He mar- ried Margaret Gray, daughter of Henry Gray, by whom six children were born to him, four of whom are living, viz .: Oliver, in Barton; Paul, in this town; Margaret N., who married Amasa Hutchins, of Stannard; and Mary J., who married Alexander Drake, of this town. He died June 8, 1870, and his widow died June 3, 188 1.

Noah L. Folsom, son of Andrew, was born in this town, January 25, 1828, and married, April 17, 1851, Hannah Pearl, who was born August 3, 1828. In 1855 he opened a hotel on the site of his present residence, remaining

3º5

TOWN OF SHEFFIELD.

there one year, then opening again farther up the street, where Mrs. Lucy Drown now lives. On October 5, 1875, he opened a grocery store in the small building, on road 32, corner 31, and here he remained until 1880, when he commenced in the store where he is at present located, in company with his son-in law, A. J. Giffin. In 1882-83 he represented the town in the leg- islature, has been collector of taxes for twenty-two years, and deputy sheriff sixteen years.

Dr. Cyrus Root was born in Strafford, Vt., in 1780. He graduated at the medical institution in Honover, N. H., and commenced practice in Strafford, his native town, but subsequently moved to Wheelock, where he practiced for a long series of years. His son Edward F. is living in this town, on road 2.

Stephen K. Dexter was born in Providence, R. I., and came to the town of Barton when a young man, opening the first tavern in that town. His son Samuel P. was born in Barton, March 28, 1803, and was united in marriage with Mahilla Leavitt, of Wheelock, December 26, 1847. Three children were born to them, of whom Henry H., born April 10, 1841, served in Co. N, 2d Mass. Cav., and was killed in action February 22, 1864. The daughter, Lucy L, was born December 31, 1844, and died September 20, 1866. The other son, William, was born November 3, 1838, married Mary J. Wright, of Pep- perell, Mass., February 5, 1867, and three of their five children are living- Mabel K., Henry W. and J. W.

James Williams, with his wife and ten children, came to Lyndon, Vt., from Rhode Island, in 1802. His son James, born in Rhode Island, came to Ver- mont with his father. He married Betsey Peck, and reared a family of eight children, only one of whom is living, Cyril, on road 9, in this town.

Freewill Baptist church .- The early settlers of this town were mostly of the Freewill Baptist persuasion, and they began early to hold religious meetings in barns and dwelling houses upon the Sabbath. In 1800 the Baptists of this town and Wheelock united, and the first monthly meeting was held October 6th, of the same year. The society at that time, counting the members from both towns, numbered seventy-seven. They enjoyed frequent religious revivals until 1829, when a church was built in this village, where they afterwards met for worship. They had no settled pastor until March 9, 1836, when a new organization was formed, the members of the different towns having be- come sufficiently numerous to render a separate organization expedient. Rev. Zebina Young was that year installed as pastor.

The Second Freewill Baptist church, located at the corner of roads 25 and 26, was organized by its first pastor, Rev. Abel Bugby, February 11, 1837. The church building, a small structure capable of seating only about seventy- five persons, was built in 1851. A. P. Tracy acts as pastor for the society.

The Methodist Episcopal church, at Sheffield village, was organized by Israel Luce, with forty members, in 1866, Rev. R. H. Barton being installed as the first pastor. The church building, a wooden structure, was erected in 1860. The society has 134 members, with Rev. Robert Christie, pastor.

306

TOWN OF STANNARD.

S TANNARD, the smallest township in the county, lies in the western part of the same, in lat. 44° 33' and long. 4° 46', bounded northeast by Wheelock, southeast by Danville, southwest by Walden, and northwest by the Orleans county line. It has an area of about 7,339 acres.

Until August 19, 1867, this town was known as Goshen Gore, deriving its name from the town to which it formerly belonged. By a singular act of the legislature, this Gore, with another now set off to Washington county, and one in Addison county, seventy miles distant, were incorporated into a town by the name of Goshen, chartered February 1, 1792, to John Rowell, William Douglass and sixty-five others, and was re-chartered to the same November 1, 1798. And again, the gore now the township of Stannard, was severed from the town of Goshen by the legislature in 1854. Frequent petitions were sent to the legislature by its inhabitants to have it organized as a town. Finally these petitions were granted, August 19, 1867. The town received its name in honor of General Stannard.

The western portion of the town, towards the Lamoille river, and compris- ing nearly two thirds of the territory, is improved by resident occupants. The eastern portion is mostly unimproved land, heavely covered with a growth of hard and soft wood timber. In the northeastern part there is a pond cov- ering about seventy five acres, the outlet of which finds its way to the Con- necticut river. T. C. Bronson erected a steam saw-mill near the outlet of this pond, in 1856, which did an extensive business for some years. About 300 rods west of this pond is a meadow, supposed to have been caused by beavers building a dam across a small stream that has its rise here.

In 1880 Stannard had a population of 252 souls. In 1886 the town had two school districts and two common schools, employing one male and three female teachers, to whom was paid an average weekly salary, including board, of $7.25 and $5.58, respectively. There were ninety-eight scholars, eight of whom attended private schools. The entire income for school purposes was $326.93, while the total expenditures were $342.73, with Mrs. E. Bradley, superintendent.

STANNARD (p. o ) is a small but pleasant hamlet, with two churches, a town hall, one saw-mill, and about a dozen dwellings. But little manufacturing is. done in town, the chief occupation being farming.

The first tree was cut in what is now Stannard by Warren Smith. This. tree stood a few rods south of where T. C. Batchelder now lives. Mr. Smith never settled in the town. Elihu Sabin built a log house here in the fall of 1802, and lived in it until 1809, when he built the framed house now occu- pied by T. C. Batchelder, on road 16. This was the first framed house built: in town. Sabin lived in town about forty-one years, and was buried in a. small yard on the farm formerly cleared and owned by him. Other settlers, arrived soon after Sabin, among whom were Reuben Smith, Elisha Shepard, Reuben Crosby, Thomas Ransom, Asariah Boody, Ephraim Perrin and Ar- thur Blair.

3º7

TOWN ,OF STANNARD.

Mary, daughter of Elihu Sabin, was the first white child born in town. Edmund Baker and Betsey Sabin were the first couple married here. The first saw-mill was built in the northwestern part of the town, on a stream which is the outlet of Wheelock pond in Wheelock. It was built by George W. Cook, was operated only a short time when it was burned. Another was soon erected on the same spot, by William Sherburn, which was also de- stroyed by fire, and a third mill was built by Enoch Foster. This mill was of short duration, however, it being torn down. In 1840 Levi Utley built one on what was then known as Gore brook, now called Stannard brook, which was operated for several years. The first school was kept by Barilla Morse, in the fall of 1812, in a barn. The first school-house was built in 1823, on road 13. In 1834 a second district was formed.

Elihu Sabin, before mentioned as being the first permanent settler in the town, was born at Dudley, Mass., in 1772. He was known as a trustworthy man, talented for his day and opportunities, commanding the respect of all who knew him. He was for about twenty years a justice of the peace, and held other offices of trust. He died July 9, 1843. He was one of the twen- ty-six children of Mr. and Mrs. Gideon Sabin.

Ephraim Perrin was one of the early settlers here. He came from Con- necticut in 1807, and lived alone in a log house for eight years. The house he constructed was by the side of a large rock, which served the double purpose of a fire place and one end of his apartment. Later his affairs pros- pered and he married Polly Cheever, and built a framed house. This wife died in a few years, and he married a second, Maria Cutler, and reared a large family. He died in 1859.

Elisha Shepard was a native of Connecticut. He came to this town about 1804. His son Moses D. was born January 5, 1805. He was by occupation a farmer. He married, in 1831, and reared a family of seven children, three of whom are living, and one, Calvin J., in this town.

Frank A. Paige was a son of James. He was born in Walden, Vt., Feb- ruary 9, 1834, and when two years old he moved with his parents to Hardwick. Here he lived until the breaking out of the war, when he enlisted in Co. I, 19th Vt. Vols., serving three years. He married, October 17, 1866, Helen Walker, and three children have been born to them.

Joseph Clark was born in Peacham, Vt., September 14, 1807. When quite young he entered a printing office at Wells River, learning the printer's trade. He afterwards followed this vocation in Stanstead, P. Q., and also at White River Junction, Vt. In 1837 he came to this town, settling on the farm now owned and occupied by his son, Joseph H. He died in 1867.

Edward Clark, M. D., was born in Peacham, Vt., a son of Edward, Sr. He was a graduate of Dartmouth college, Hanover, N. H., graduating in 1822. He at once went to Greensboro, Vt., and commenced practice. He married Caroline Hale and reared a family of five children, as follows : Eliza

308

TOWN OF STANNARD.

A., Laura C., Egbert W., now of this town, Caroline S. and Lydia M. He died July 15, 1842.

James Batten was a native of Topsham, Vt. He moved to this town about 1858. On July 16, 186r, he was mustered into Co. K, 3d Vt. Vols., and was killed by a gunshot wound at the battle of Lee's Mills, April 16, 1862. Three of his sons were in the army.

Alfred Chase, son of David, was born in Rumney, N. H., July 14, 1800. He moved to this town about 1825, first settling near road 6. He married Persis Hedges and reared two children, Almon 'H., born January 1, 1833, and Hannah E., born September 15, 1835. Almon H. married Elizabeth Smith and lives on road 17.

Benjamin Blodgett was born in Vershire, Vt., March 4, 1772. He lived in Vershire about twenty-five years, when he married Polly Greenleaf, of Con- necticut, and moved to Bath, N. H. He reared a family of eight children. His wife died November 11, 1825, after which he married Sally.Utley. He died February; 10, 1858. Only one of his children is living, Joseph F., born August 16, 1803. The latter lived in Bath, N. H., until 1837, when he moved to this town, first locating on road 10. He was twice married, first to Rosanna Utley, and second to Abigail Sawyer. Of his six children only two are living, Sally, wife of Nathan Moore, of Monroe, N. H., and William H., in this town.

Charles Weed, a native of Amesbury, Mass., was born in 1749. He took an active part in the Revolutionary war, participating in the time-honored conflict on Bunker Hill. He married Dorothy Goodwin, and reared a family of three sons and two daughters. About the year 1805 he moved to Topsham, Vt. The children were Charles, Jr., Joseph, Isaac, Judith and Marion. He died about 1830, and his wife survived him until about 1838. All of their children were born in Amesbury, Mass. Joseph married Marion Currier, and died in Topsham, leaving a family of seven children. Isaac married Sally Jones, of Topsham, and moved to this town in 1840. They reared a family of thirteen children, five of whom are living, as follows: Daniel J., Olive, Sarah, Ephraim G. and Gustie.

The Freewill Baptist church .- Most of the early settlers of this town were of the Freewill Baptist persuasion, and organized a church here in August, 1841. Rev. John Garfield was their first settled pastor, although services were conducted by a minister by the name of Blood previous to the organiza- tion of the church. At its original organization the society consisted of twelve members, but it soon increased to over forty. In 1850 this church resolved itself into a society for the purpose of aiding superannuated ministers and poor widows and orphans, and to do all they could for their aid and support.

The Union Baptist church, located at Stannard village, was organized by its present pastor, Rev. G. B. Wheeler, December 23, 1884, with seventeen members. The present edifice, built of wood, in 1885, is capable of seating

309

TOWN OF ST. JOHNSBURY.

150 persons, and is valued, including grounds, etc., at $1,500. The Sunday school has an average attendance of thirty.

The Union Advent Christian church was organized by its first pastor, Rev. J. H. Smith, October 4, 1885, with eleven members. The building is capa- ble of seating 125 persons. The society now has seventeen members, with Rev. J. H. Smith, pastor. A well attended Sunday school is held regularly.

S T. JOHNSBURY,* the county seat of Caledonia county, lies in the eastern-central part of the same, in lat. 44° 27', and long. 4º 58', and is bounded northeast by Lyndon, east by Kirby, southeast by Water- ford, and west by Danville and Barnet.

These few lines will guide the stranger in his search as to what St. Johns- bury is ; but if he would know what it was, what built it, the causes which brought into existence the beautiful township of to-day, let him follow us in a journey back to a period prior to the existence of the state of Vermont, to the times of its parent-the "New Hampshire Grants." In 1770 a tract of land on the Passumpsic river was granted by King George III. to his " loving subjects of the Province of New York." This tract contained 39,- ooo acres, including nearly all of the present St. Johnsbury, and a portion of what is now Concord and Waterford, and was granted to thirty-nine peti- tioners, under the leadership of John Woods and William Swan. In honor of the Earl of Dunmore, who was afterwards appointed governor of the province, the new township was named "Dunmore." But King George and his representatives were soon crowded aside, and seven years after the grant of Dunmore, Vermont declared herself an independent sovereignty. Probably most of the grantees of Dunmore sold or relinquished their claims in Ver- mont, and settled in other quarters. It is not known, at least, that any per- manent settlements were made within its limits until 1785.

About this time Jonathan Arnold, in behalf of himself and associates, petitioned governor Thomas Chittenden, of Vermont, for a tract of unap- propriated lands. In answer to this petition the governor had drawn up, October 27, 1786, a charter for a new township, and which was formally granted November 1, 1786. To this new township it was thought to give a name other than that which was to have perpetuated the name of the Earl of Dunmore. Among the French people the grantees had found a man who challenged their respect and won their gratitude-St. John De Crevecoeur, the French consul at New York. At the suggestion of General Ethan Allen, a personal friend of St. John, it was decided to name the new township in his honor. That the honor was not ill-conferred nor unappreciated, may be

*For much of the following sketch we acknowledge our indebtedness to the writings of Rev. Edward T. Fairbanks, who has delved deeply in the mine of the town's historical lore.

20*

310

TOWN OF ST. JOHNSBURY.

seen by the following letter relative to the subject, received by General Allen :-

" NEW YORK, 31st May, A. D., 1785.

"GENERAL ALLEN :- In consequence of the leave you have given me, with pleasure I will communicate to you the following thoughts, earnestly desiring. you'd be persuaded that they have not been dictated by any vanity or foolish presumption, but by a sincere and honest desire of being somewhat useful to a state for the industry and energy of which I have a great respect. I am an American by a law of this state passed in the year 1763. I have lived and dwelled in it ever since. I married in 1770. I have three children. I have drained 3,000 acres of bog meadow, built a house, cleared many acres of land, planted a great orchard. I have had the pleasure of publishing in Europe a work which has been well received by the public ; wherein many interesting facts are recorded of the bravery, patience and suffering of the Americans in the prosecution of their last war. Such, dear sir, are the titles whereon I pre- sume to found and establish the liberty I am now taking. First, I offer to. have the seal of your state elegantly engraven on silver by the king's best engraver, and to change, somewhat, the devices thereof. I offer, with pleas- ure, to get another engraven for the college which the state of Vermont intends erecting, and I will take upon myself the imaging of the device thereof. I will do my best endeavors to procure from the king some marks of his bounty, and some useful presents for the above college. If the general approves what I told him formerly concerning national gratitude, and the simple though efficacious way of showing it to such French characters as have amply de- served it, no opportunity can be so favorable as the present, since new counties and districts will soon be laid out. If the general don't think it too presump- tuous, in order to answer what he so kindly said respecting names, I would observe that the name of St. John, being already given to many places in this country, it might be contrived by the appellation of St. Johnsbury. But the most flattering honor that the citizens of Vermont could confer on me would be, to be naturalized a citizen of that State, along with my three chil- dren-America Francis St. John, William Alexander St. John, Philip Lewis St. John. As soon as any resolution will be taken towards giving to the new townships and districts, some of the new names, I earnestly beg the general would write the account of it, which I should beg of him to send me by two or three different ways, so that I should not fail to have that part of it translated and put into the French newspapers, with the name of the general. Wish- ing your state every prosperity, your good governor and counsel and your- self, my dear sir, I take my sincere leave of you, and beg you will look on me as a true friend and your very humble servant, ST. JOHN."

The names of the grantees of St. Johnsbury were as follows : Jonathan Arnold, Esq., Samuel Stevens, Esq., John, James, Clark and Joseph Nightin- gale, Joseph Lord, Ebenezer Scott, Jr., David Howell, Thomas Chittenden, Esq., John Bridgman, John C. Arnold, Joseph Fay, Esq., Ira Allen, Esq., Simeon Cole, Benjamin Doolittle, Josiah Nichols, James Adams, Jonathan Adams, J. Calender Adams, Thomas Todd, William Trescott and Jonathan Trescott. Governor Chittenden, in accordance with the usages of the day, received one share as remuneration for his services in drawing up the charter. His right was located on the east bank of the Passumpsic river, north of the present Center Village. Ira Allen, of Irasburgh, and Joseph Fay, of Benning-

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Gazetteer of Caledonia and Essex Counties, Vt. 1764-1887, Part 37

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- comp. cn Publication date: 1887 Publisher: Syracuse, N. Y., Syracuse Journal Co., Printers and Binders Number of Pages: 886

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836- comp. cn
Publication date: 1887
Publisher: Syracuse, N. Y., Syracuse Journal Co., Printers and Binders
Number of Pages: 886