USA > Vermont > Essex County > Gazetteer of Caledonia and Essex Counties, Vt. 1764-1887 > Part 41
USA > Vermont > Caledonia County > Gazetteer of Caledonia and Essex Counties, Vt. 1764-1887 > Part 41
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Nathan Huse married Isabel Charlton, and reared four children, Simeon, Mary, Luthera and Nathan. He died at the age of thirty-two years. Simeon married, first, Adaline Hovey, who bore him two children, Emily and Charlie, and second, Rosalind M. Green, by whom he had three children, Maria A., Mary E. and Horace E. The last mentioned lives on the homestead, on road 16.
Oramel F. Russell, son of Luther, was born in Kirby, came to this town in 1853, and now resides at St. Johnsbury East. He married, first, Henrietta E. Parker, who bore him two children, Francis E. and Lestina E., and second, Tirzah, daughter of Solomon Wheaton. Mr. Russell lives on road 51.
Franklin Griswold was a tanner by trade, located in this town, served as town lister, and died here in 1874, aged sixty-six years, He married Caroline E. Wells, and reared five children, namely, Caroline E., Sarah F., Edward F., Charles L. and Henry F. The last mentioned married, first, Lillie F. John- son, who bore him four children-Lillie F., Carrie M., Frank M. and Grace A .; and second, Flora D., daughter of Palmer Russell, and has one son, Palmer R. Mr. Griswold lives in St. Johnsbury East, on road 53.
David Goodall, a native of Littleton, N. H., located in St. Johnsbury about fifty years ago, and engaged in trade at the Center, where he remained one year, and then removed to St. Johnsbury East, where he remained in trade until 1860. He died at the age of seventy-six years. He married, first, Adaline Page, who bore him two children, Leon and West F .; and second, Mary E. McGregor, and had two children, Inez and George E. The latter married Henrietta Carleton, and has one daughter, Mary.
Captain Fernando C. Harrington served in the Mexican war, and also in the Rebellion, in Co. D, 3d Vt. Vols. He was admitted to the bar in 1852, has published a paper, and is now postmaster at St. Johnsbury East.
John W. Learned came from Dublin, N. H., to St. Johnsbury Center, in 1837, and up to ten years ago carried on the business of a builder. He has erected about a dozen church edifices in the towns of northeastern Vermont. The present Congregational church at St. Johnsbury Center was built by him in 1849. The Methodist Episcopal church at the Center he also erected. He has two sons and four daughters. The eldest son, James W., served four years in the late war.
Elijah Ranney was a native of Westminster, Vt., where he died at the age
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of seventy years. He married Lydia Crawford, and his children were Samuel, Alfred, Russell, Bradford, Mark, Lyman, George, Charles, Fanny, Elizabeth and Lydia, all of whom lived until the youngest was fifty-six years of age. George was born in Westminster in 1813, came to this town in 1841, and has officiated as deacon of the First Congregational church about thirty years. He married Eliza J. Hall, and has had five children, namely, Crawford, Olive E. (Mrs. F. A. Pierce), Fremont H., Sarah J. (Mrs. George H. Morrill), and Charles H. Deacon Ranney has been lister twenty-five years, selectman four years, and for fifty years has been engaged as a land surveyor. Charles H. married, first, Sarah A. Hawkins, who bore him one child, Etta M., and sec- ond, Nancy P. Bennett. He is conductor on the Boston & Lowell Railroad.
Solomon Gerry, son of Seth, was born in 1802, married Polly Lowell, and located in Walden, where he lived many years, and where his son Lucius S. was born, in 1825. The latter married Elvira S. Pope, and has had born to him one son and one daughter. Mr. Gerry served in the late war, in Co. B, 15th Vt. Vols., and was appointed Ist lieutenant.
Abel Shorey came to this town, from Rhode Island, and located at Goss Hollow. His first wife was Bethiah French, and his second, Sally Brown. He reared thirteen children, and died at the age of seventy-eight years. His son Leonard, at the age of eighteen years, began to clear the farm where his son Moses B. now lives, on road 13. He married Rebecca Bagley, in 1829, and lived on this farm until his death, in 1860, aged fifty-six years. His children were as follows : Russell, Moses B., Melvina B., Isabel and Sarah A. Moses B. married Charlotte Frost, and has four children.
Jesse Farnham, from Palmer, Mass., came to St. Johnsbury with his father, and settled at East St. Johnsbury. He followed the trade of blacksmithing, and had a trip-hammer mill. His son Lucius C., now living on road 12, has been a merchant in St. Johnsbury Center, and in Wisconsin-Dunkirk village-from where he enlisted in the 7th Wis. Vols., and served until he received a bullet through his right lung, disabling him for service or hard labor. He has resided in St. Johnsbury since the war.
Nehemiah Weeks was born in Piermont, N. H., went to Danville when a young man and learned the trade of tanner. He married a daughter of Sam- uel Brown, removed to Lyndon over sixty years ago, and engaged in business at Lyndon Corner. He located in St. Johnsbury Center about 1846, where he died in 1869, aged seventy-seven years. His son Hiram was in trade at the Center for twenty-eight years, has been town treasurer, tax collector, and served as postmaster eight years. His farm, " Riverside," a beautiful estate lying nearly a mile along the Passumpsic, is a part of the original farm of Major Butler, who transferred it to his son Jefferson, whose daughter became the wife of Mr. Weeks.
John Dana, Sr., spent most of his life in Danville and St. Johnsbury. His father was a native of France, and came into Vermont from Canada when John was about three years old. John married Abigail Hartshorn, of Dan-
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ville, and had six children. Two sons, Edward and John, Jr., and their father served their country in the Civil war. John, Sr., was over fifty years old when he volunteered. He was captured and spent five months in Anderson- ville prison, from which he was released, and came home a mere skeleton, but lived until January 31, 1885.
Maj. Abel Butler came to St. Johnsbury about 18to, from Dummerston, Vt., where he was born in 1761. He bought a tract of about 400 acres of land, comprising the present farms of Henry Ross and Hiram Weeks. He brought with him his family of six daughters and two sons, Abel and Jef- ferson. Major Butler was one of a company who went to Plattsburg to take part in the battle, but arrived too late to participate. Abel Butler, Jr., spent his life upon the homestead and kept a hotel in stage times. He mar- ried Almira Whittridge, of Montpelier, and three children were born to them, Corilla (Mrs. Rev. B. M. Tillottson) Beauman and Mortimer. Jefferson had that part of his father's land lying east of the river. He married Ruth Sar- gent, and was the father of one daughter, Sarah, who married Hiram Weeks, and three sons, George, Jerome and Lafayette, all business men of Ports- mouth, N. H. Maj. Abel Butler and his son Abel were chosen selectmen, and Beauman Butler served in that capacity seven years in succession. He married Elizabeth A., daughter of William Armington.
Elijah Hollis, a soldier of the War of 1812, married Margaret Allen, and his children were Elijah, Daniel, Laura, Sophronia and Nelson A. He died in 1824. Nelson A. came to Essex county in 1835, was a Freewill Baptist minister, and married Polly Bingham. His children were Sophronia C., Vandana S., Naomi A. and Nelson P. He died in Lyndon, in 1885. Nel- son P. married three times, first, Fanny Gaskill, second, Kate A. Southworth, and third, Ella Powers. He has one child, Kate, and lives in this town, on road 52.
Nathaniel Babcock, a native of Norwich, Conn., was an early settler of Orleans county, Vt., married Elizabeth Eddy, and reared four children, namely, Henry, Elizabeth E., Sarah H. and George A. He died in 1848, aged sixty-nine years. George A. located in Caledonia County in 1848, married, first, Deborah G. Morgan, who bore him two children, Maria G. and Elizabeth A., and second, Priscilla, daughter of Charles and Rebecca ( Morgan) Adams, and by her has had three children, Sarah A., George A. and Effie P. He resides in East St. Johnsbury.
Capt. Artemas Knight a native of England, located in Franconia, N. H., as an early settler, and finally moved to Westmoreland, N. H., where he died, aged ninety-seven years. He served as a captain in the Revolution, and drew a pension. His children were five, of whom Thomas was born in Franconia, N. H., married Abigail Knapp, and reared twelve children, viz .: Tabatha, Artemas, Luther M., Elmira, Oliver, James, Mary A., Abigail, Rebecca, Hor- ace, George and Thomas. Mr. Knight died in his native town, at the age of sixy-two years. His son Thomas came to St. Johnsbury, from Franconia,
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N. H., in 1862, engaged in Fairbanks's foundries, where he remained twenty- two years, and then retired to East St. Johnsbury, where he now resides. He married Mary J., daughter of Benjamin and Harriet (Mason) Locke, and has. one daughter, Grace E. (Mrs. S. W. Robertson), of Gilmanton, N. H.
Asa Hovey located in Waterford as one of the early settlers, in 1801, married Mary Alsworth, and reared eight children. He died in 1818, at the age of forty-six years. His son William, who came to Waterford at the age of five years, married Lydia, daughter of Abial Richardson, and had born to nine children, viz. : Abial R., Mary A., Armenia, Emily C., William M., Edwin L., Emery E., Marcus A. and Jacob G. The last mentioned married first, Elizabeth L. Chamberlain, who bore him one, William C., and second, Sarah J., daughter of Erastus and Melissa (Bradley) Graves, and has had born to him two children, Erastus G. and Marcus J. Mr. Hovey resides on a farm on road 54, where he has lived twenty-two years. He has held the office of associate judge of Caledonia county, two years, justice of the peace, sixteen years, lister fourteen years, and has held many appointments from the probate court.
David Locke, son of James, was born in Hopkinton, Mass., February 22, 1740, and died in 1800. He married Betsey Kibbe, and reared nine chil- dren. Mr. Locke was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and was present at the surrender of Burgoyne. His son John married Fanny Fyler, and reared eight children, namely, George, Elmira, Mary M., Katherine B., Samuel, Har- riet N., Elizabeth B. and Charles H. The last mentioned married Ellen C., daughter of John and Eunice (Wood) Russell, by whom he has had three children, John R., Herbert W. and Irving M. Mr. Locke has lived on road 51 thirty-two years.
Benjamin Williams, a native of Rockingham, married Mary Lovell, and reared five children, namely, Patty, Mary, Fannie, Betsey and Henry L. The last mentioned located in St. Johnsbury, in 1833, married Mrs. Betsey Walker, daughter of Thomas Reed, and reared children as follows : Mary, Gracia, Lucius, Benjamin, Harriet and George S. Mr. Williams died in 1862, aged sixty-three years. George S. married Louisa, daughter of Joseph and Mary (Bingham) Willie, and by her has had seven children, viz .: Katie L., Mary L., Nellie M., Inez E., Hattie E., Frank G. and Ruth H. He resides on the homestead, on road 14.
Charles H. Olcott, son of Henry, married Carrie R. Severance, daughter of Chandler and Sophronia (Chapman) Severance, and has one son, Arthur H. He resides on road 15.
John C. Paddock, son of John and Naomi Paddock, was born in Wilbra- ham, Mass., in 1807. In the winter of 1822 he made the journey of 175 miles to St. Johnsbury, on foot and alone, and entered the family of his brother, Huxham Paddock, who had then established an iron foundry on the grounds now occupied by the E. & T. Fairbanks & Co.'s scale works. He entered the employ of his brother and remained until about 1842, when he
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formed a copartnership with John H. Paddock, son of Huxham, purchasing a half interest in the Paddock Iron Works, at Paddock Village. A few years later he sold to his partner and removed to Montpelier, and engaged in a like business there for about five years. He then returned to St. Johnsbury, where he now resides at the advanced age of seventy-nine years. October 30, 1831, he married Miss Charlotte Lovell, of St. Johnsbury, who died Feb- ruary 25, 1874, aged sixty nine years.
Jeriah Hawkins came from Connecticut to St. Johnsbury previous to 1794, when, on September 2, he is recorded as having taken the freeman's oath. He settled in Goss Hollow, where he brought up several children. Stephen Hawkins, born before they settled at St. Johnsbury, was a farmer at Goss Hollow, and was prominent in military affairs, in which he engaged as soon as his age would permit, and rose to be colonel and major general. He lived to see four sons and four daughters of his ten children have families of their own, and died September 19, 1877, aged eighty-eight. Ansel W. Hawkins, his second son, now lives on Summer street. His only son, Abel W., enlisted in Co. A, Itth Vt. Vols., and died February 26, 1864, aged seven- teen years, nine months. .
Joel Owen, Jr., was born in Northumberland, N. H., in 1799. The death of his father, when Joel was six years old, left him to the care of strangers, and he was brought up by a Mr. Willis, in Hanover. He married there Amelia Gould, and about 1825 moved with an ox team to St. Johnsbury. He settled in the east part of the town, cleared up two farms, and brought up nine children, of whom two sons and one daughter are living : Adna T., who lives in Wichita, Kan., Amelia G. (Caswell), in Colusa, Cal., and Mar- quis G., in Barnet. Joel Owen died in . 1863. William Owen and Albert Caswell, of St. Johnsbury, are grandsons of Joel.
Albert G. Chadwick, born in Boscawen, N. H., November 10, 1810, a printer by trade, engaged in publishing The Courier and Enquirer, in Con- cord, previous to his removal to St. Johnsbury, in 1837. He established The Caledonian, a Whig paper, the first number being issued August 8, 1837. He edited and published this paper for eighteen years, which from small beginnings, through his indomitable energy and perseverance, became well established and was ranked among the best of Vermont journals. In 1855 The Caledonian was sold to C. M. Stone & Co. Mr. Chadwick's remaining years were largely devoted to public duties connected with the village, town and county. He represented the county in the state Senate of [858 and '59, and prepared " The Soldier's Record of St. Johnsbury." His death occurred August 4, 1873. He married Helen Martin, of St. Johnsbury, in 1843, whom he left with four children, Charles K., Martha, Payson M. and Al- bert M.
William Wilder was born in Oswego Co., N. Y., went to Littleton, N. H., in 1845, where he engaged with Edmund Carleton in manufacturing lumber. He went to California in 1850, crossing the Isthmus on foot, came back in
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1855, and in the spring of 1856 to St. Johnsbury, where he engaged in busi- ness under the firm title of Ely & Wilder, manufacturers of hoes, and continued until 1862 or '63. He then spent about two years in California, and was for some time engaged in the kerosene oil business, at Bothwell, Canada. In January, 1870, he bought out the hardware department of Joel Fletcher, and until his death carried on the business. He died in February, 1885, aged sixty-seven. In June, 1883, his son Arthur became partner, and still con- tinues under the firm name of William Wilder & Son.
Benjamin Walker, son of Lieut. Moses Walker, of Rehoboth, Mass., born October 19, 1770, married Susannah Bullock, of Rehoboth, November 22, 1801. He removed to Lyndon, Vt., in 1797, on to what is known as Pud- ding Hill, and was a farmer, selectman, lister, justice of the peace and repre- sentative to state legislature. Benjamin died at Lyndon, September 10, 1847. His wife, Susannah, died at Burke, Vt., May 14, 1859, aged ninety vears. They had four children, born at Lyndon, viz .: Ferdinand L., born August 25, 1805, died February 20, 1858. He married Sarah Randall, March 3, 1831, who was born in Lyndon, April 27, 1808. She died October 23, 1860. Nancy B., born in Lyndon, March 29, 1807, married, January 10, 1830, Abel Brown, M. D., son of Josiah Brown. Adeline R., born February 20, 1809, married Harris Smith, of Sheffield, February 16, 1835, who was born in Lyndon, August 20, 1802, now living at Burke. Rodolphus W., born in Lyndon, November 30, 1811, unmarried, now resides at Oakland, Cal. Ferdinand L. Walker, of Lyndon, had two children, Nancy B., born January 27, 1832, died September 5, 1835 ; and George B., born April 21, 1837, married, September 14, 1857, Mary Jane, daughter of D. Whipple, Esq., of Lyndon, and now lives at St. Johnsbury. He is owner of Walker's block, on Main street, and has two children.
At a town meeting held in March, 1794, seven years after the first settle- ment, the subject of hiring preaching was discussed. On the question being put,-" Will the town raise money by a tax to pay for preaching the gospel ? " it was "determined in the negative." During the seven following years, sev- eral attempts were made to raise money for hiring a minister, but these efforts, generally, if not in every case except the last, proved abortive. But in July, 1804, the town voted to raise one hundred dollars, and appointed Joel Rob- erts, Barnabas Barker, and Nathaniel Edson, to superintend the expenditure, and to provide a place for meeting. The committee accordingly performed the service assigned them. From that time to the present, whatever has been done in the town for the support of the ministry, has been done by the volun- tary association of individuals.
With the increase of population, and the increased number of those who were disposed to attend public worship, the want of a house for religious and town meetings was more and more felt ; but difference in opinion respecting the location, prevented the erection of one for a considerable time. The first town meeting in which this subject was acted upon, was held in March, 1798.
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At this meeting a committee was appointed to report to the town on the fol- lowing June, " the most convenient place whereon said house shall be built." June came ; the town met ; but instead of accepting the committee's report, they voted not to build at all. Still, those desirous of a house, though de- feated, were not discouraged. Through their means the town was called to- gether again in the September following. Again the question was presented, " Will the town build a meeting-house or a town house ?" The same result followed as before. It was " determined in the negative." Four years now passed without any thing being done in relation to a house. The population had increased to about 800. The difficulty of transacting the business of " March meetings" and " Freemen's meetings" was great. In September, 1802, the town met once more upon this long-agitated subject. At this meet- ing the town voted to raise $850.00, the sum supposed necessary to build a " town-house," determined on its location, and appointed a committee to superintend the expenditure of the money. The committee was directed to build of such size as they might have the means to do, by adding to the $850 oo such sums as individuals would pay for pews, to be by them occupied as their own property, except when town meetings were holden. The next year the town added $80.00 to the $850.00 voted before. The result was, that in 1804 a large house was completed upon the hill about one-fourth of a mile west of where Center Village now is. This house was built by Nahum Stiles, one of the chief carpenters of those days. For nearly twenty years this was the only meeting-house in town. Public worship was com- monly attended in it on the Sabbath, and as occasion required, on other days. Those having individual rights in consequence of aiding to defray the expense of building by the purchase of pews, were of several denomi- nations, and each denomination was entitled to occupy it, if they chose, in proportion as each had paid for building. From several causes, however, it was more occupied by Congregational preachers than by those of any other denomination. Owing to the location of this house, it was not used for pub- lic worship for several years previous to its romoval, though it was generally occupied for town 'meetings till the summer of 1845, when it was taken to pieces, removed to the village and the same frame there again erected, with some slight alterations ; and in the lower story was finished a spacious room for a town hall. The upper loft of the large house originally built by the town, upon the hill, but now standing in the village, became, by an arrange- ment with the town, the property of members of the First Congregational Society ; and it being deemed desirable to have a better place of worship than the one which was then occupied, in the summer of 1846 this spacious loft was finished for a place of worship, and is now the meeting-house of the First Congregational church and society in St. Johnsbury. It is comely, convenient and sufficiently large, being capable of seating 350 or 400 per- sons. It was dedicated on the 29th of September. It is thus seen that it was long after the settlement of the town before a convenient place for pub-
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lic worship was provided, and still longer before there was any organized church. An unusually small proportion of those who came here to settle for the first ten or fifteen years, had been members of churches elsewhere ; and though a few while residing here had become hopefully pious, yet the num- ber of such was also small. And the circumstance that the few church mem- bers who came from abroad were of several denominations, added to the difficulty. However, on the 21st day of November, 1809, more than twenty years after the first settlement of the town, the way was so prepared that the First Congregational church was organized. It consisted of nineteen mem- bers ; six males and thirteen females. Their names were John Barker, An- drew Putnam, Stephen Ayer, Hubbard Lawrence, David Stowell, Samuel Eaton, Jr., Aphia White, Rebecca Stowell, Rebecca Houghton, Sarah Ayer, Lucy Putnam, Susanna Mansfield, Rebecca Brown, Ruth Barker, Mary Law- rence, Mary Bissel, Nancy Ayer, Susanna Baldwin and Martha Aldrich.
For six years after its organization, this church remained destitute of a pastor ; but public worship was generally maintained on the Sabbath, some- times with and sometimes without preaching. But in 1815 the church pro- cured a pastor, viz .: Rev. Pearson Thurston, who had previously been set- tled in Somersworth, N. H. He was installed pastor of the first church in St. Johnsbury, on the 25th day of October, 1815, at which time the number who had ever been received to the church was 60. The present pastor of the society is Rev. Nahum W. Grover.
The Second Congregational church in St. Johnsbury-the present North church-was organized April 7, 1825, being a colony from the First Congre- gational church, which was located on the hill west of the Center Village. Nineteen persons-six males and thirteen females-having obtained the con- sent of the First church, were constituted a separate church, under the name of the Second Congregational church in St. Johnsbury. The ecclesiastical council called on the occasion, consisted of the Rev. Leonard Worcester, of Peacham ; the Rev. Mr. Mason, of Waterford; the Rev. Mr. Hollister, of Danville ; and the Rev. Mr. Hall, of Concord. A small building, formerly a store, had been moved to the lot which is now the north corner of Main and Maple streets, and fitted up for a place of worship. This building was occupied thus by the church during the first two years after its organization. It was afterwards removed, and is now a small dwelling-house, nearly opposite Union block, on Main street. In the summer and autumn of 1827, a com- modious meeting-house was built on the site of the present house of worship.
The house was built by subscription, with the condition that it should be the property of the church, and the pews rented for the support of the gos- pel ministry therein. The house was dedicated in October, 1827. It was removed in 1847, and is now the academy boarding-house, next south of the court-house. In the year 1847, the first meeting house being inadequate to accommodate the church and congregation, the present house was built by subscription, upon the same conditions as were stipulated in regard to the
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first house. The grounds had been previously deeded to the deacons of the church, and their successors in office, in trust, for the use and benefit of the church. The first pastor, Rev. James Johnson, was installed February 28, 1827. The present pastor is Rev. Charles M. Lamson, D. D.
The Third Congregational church was organized in the east village of St. Johnsbury, November 25, 1840, and on the same day their meeting-house, then recently built, was dedicated. This church consisted of twenty members from other churches, namely: from the Second church, eleven ; from the First church, two; from the church in Kirby, five ; from the church in Lyn- don, two. The first pastor of the society was Rev. Rufus Case, installed May 4, 1842. The present pastor is Rev. Joseph Walker.
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