USA > Vermont > Orange County > Gazetteer of Orange County, Vt., 1762-1888 > Part 30
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George L. Spear's steam saw-mill, located on the third branch of White river, at West Braintree, was built in 1867, and was conducted by Spear & Stearns until the spring of 1869, when George L. Spear, a son of the senior member of the firm, bought Mr. Stearns's interest ; and later, at the death
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of his father, Levi, he became proprietor of the entire business. He manu- factures spruce, hemlock and hard wood dimension lumber, shingles and lath, and does planing and matching. The mill is run by both steam and water-power, turns out about 1,500,000 feet of lumber and 2,000 cords of wood annually, giving employment to twenty-five men.
George Tarbell's saw-mill, on road 26, was built by Albert Hawes, but never operated by him. It was run by Daniel Tarbell for a number of years, and in October, 1868, was purchased by George Tarbell, the present propri- etor, a son of Daniel, who has since conducted the business. The mill turns out about 1,000,000 feet of lumber and 1,500 cords of wood annually, giving employment to twenty men.
Theodore B. Kendall's lumber and wood yard is located about one mile north of West Braintree village, on the ground formerly used by the coal kilns. The business was established in 1879. Mr. Kendall gets out about 1,000,000 feet of lumber in the log, and 1,000 cords of four-foot wood annually.
Hosea M. Blanchard's grist-mill, located at Snowsville, on road II, has been operated by the present proprietor since 1882.
M. D. Laport's carriage and repair shop, located at Snowsville, was built by the present proprietor about 1875. His principal business is general repairing.
J. A. &. V. I. Spear's cider-mill is located on road 16. The proprietors manufacture about 500 barrels of cider annually, besides a large amount of boiled cider and cider jelly. The boiled cider and jelly department has been running about four years.
W. C. Holman's shingle-mill, located on road 25, is operated by Charlie F. Flint, and cuts from 50,000 to 100,000 shingles per year.
On the 6th of August, 1783, two years after the date of the charter, the first proprietors' meeting was held, at the house of Ebenezer Baker, in Brook- line, Mass. At this meeting James Brackett was chosen chairman ; David Holbrook, proprietors' clerk ; Jacob Spear and Jonathan Holman were ap- pointed a committee to lay out the rights in the town. The first proprietors' meeting in Braintree was held September 19, 1786, at which meeting James Brackett was elected chairman ; Elijah French, clerk ; Jacob Spear, treasurer, and Samuel Nichols, collector. The town was organized April 7, 1788, upon a warrant issued by Asa Edgerton, justice of the peace, of Randolph, who served as first moderator. Elijah French was elected first clerk and treasurer; Jacob Spear, Ebenezer White and Stephen Fuller, selectmen and listers ; and Edward Bass, constable. The first representative of the town was Isaac Nichols, elected in 1791.
The first settlement in the town was made in February, 1785, by Silas Flint, who came from Hampton, Conn .; but before moving into this town lived for a time about two miles north of Randolph Center. He lived in a log cabin in the eastern part of the town, believed to be the first dwelling-
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house erected in the town. His wife was the first woman to come to Brain- tree, and she received in consequence 100 acres of land from the proprie- tors. Samuel Bass was the next of the sturdy pioneers of this town to arrive. He settled here about the last week in May, 1785, and built a log cabin, in which he lived for a time, when he erected a more commodious frame struc- ture. His son Hiram was the first child born in the town, and received from the proprietors 100 acres of land. Jacob and Samuel Spear were among the next early settlers. They came from Braintree, Mass. Jacob was the principal agent in procuring the charter, and in honor of him, it is said, the town was named after his first residence. Nathaniel Spear, from the same place, came to Braintree in 1790, and three years later built a saw-mill on Spear's brook. About the same time, or sooner, Isaac Nichols, Henry Brackett, John Hutchinson, Maj. William Ford, Ebenezer White, and others, became residents of Braintree. All were prominent, substantial men.
Jonathan Flint, one of the early settlers of this town, was born in Hamp- ton, Conn., November 17, 1775. He married Mary Amidon, who bore him four sons and three daughters, of whom two daughters are now living in this town, viz : Polly (Flint) Sumner, aged eighty-nine years, and Sally (Flint) Abbott, aged ninety-one years. Augustus Flint, fourth child of Jonathan, was born September 22, 1792. He married Nancy Vinton, October 29; 1813, who bore him four children, as follows : Zachariah B., born March 18, 1815; Samuel Minot, born August 4, 1818; Mary Ann, born May 14, 1821, and Russell Adams, born January 12, 1823. The latter, who is the only survivor of the family, married, first, Mary M. Spear, January 1, 1849, who bore him one child, Mary M. (Mrs. Selva H. Thayer), of this town, and second, Ellen M. Spear, June 9, 1859, by whom he has had two children, Ella May, who married Eugene S. Abbott, and lives near her father in West Braintree, and Carroll Langdon, now attending school at West Randolph. Mr. Flint has always lived in Braintree, where he has been engaged in ship- ping live stock to market, and had charge of the coal kilns of Chaffee & Cummings, of East Cambridge, Mass. His principal business, however, has been farming, by which he has accumulated a handsome property. He has been prominent in town affairs, and has held many offices of trust. He has the esteem and confidence of his neighbors, and is ever ready to aid the deserving, and substantially assist those who are in need.
John Hutchinson, son of Bartholomew, was born in Salem, Mass., July 18, 1766. He married, in February, 1792, Lucy Kenney, of Sutton, Mass., and in the fall of 1793 removed to Braintree and settled on a farm in Peth. He built one of the first saw-mills in the town, and was one of the prominent public men of the times, having represented the town in the general assembly seventeen terms. He reared a family of nine children, dying May 29, 1845.
James Hutchinson, son of John, was born in Braintree, February 27, 1797. He married Sophia Brown, of Randolph, November 16, 1820, and settled in that town on the farm now owned by his son Lyman. He was always one
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of the most active business men of the town, dying October 2, 1881. He reared a family of eight children, all of whom were born in Randolph, and grew to maturity. Of these children, William was born January 24, 1823, married Helen M. Fish, of Randolph, March 3, 1847, and now lives in Washington, D. C .; James, Jr., was born January 1, 1 826 (see sketch fol- lowing) ; Henry was born October 27, 1827, married Laura M. Parish, of Braintree, October 3, 1852, and resides in Randolph, Wis .; John was born March 27, 1830, married Lydia A. Fowler, of Yates county, N. Y., October 1, 1857, graduated from Dartmouth college, and is a lawyer, in Chicago, Ill .; Sophia was born March 26, 1832, married Harvey Spalding, a lawyer, Janu- ary 9, 1854, and lives in Washington, D. C .; Ruth was born October 12, 1834, married Henry Leis in 1865, and lives in Lawrence, Kansas ; Lyman was born August 12, 1837, married Paulina M. Read, of DeRamsey, P. Q., November 22, 1859, and resides upon the farm where his father settled; and Edwin was born November 2, 1840, and died in Kansas, October 26, 1864. Lyman Hutchinson has five children, namely, Edwin V., Leonard R., Carrie, John and Mary.
James Hutchinson, Jr., was born January 1, 1826. His education was obtained in the common schools, with two terms at a select school in West Randolph. He was married November 2, 1847, to Abby B. Flint, daughter of Elijah and Patience (Neff) Flint, and settled as a farmer on the old John Hutchinson farm, in this town, where he lived until 1869, when he removed to West Randolph. He was elected delegate from Orange county to the state constitutional convention, in November, 1856. He was elected asso- ciate judge of the county in 1864, and re-elected in 1865. He served as state senator in 1868 and 1869, and in 1870 was chosen delegate to the national convention at Philadelphia, which nominated General Grant for president. He was appointed postmaster at West Randolph in 1871, which office he now holds (1887). Before being appointed postmaster he was an earnest and active Republican, and in the early days of the anti-slavery movement he was a member of that organization, and his home in Brain- tree was the home of all the principal abolitionists while they were in that part of the state. William Lloyd Garrison, Samuel May, H. C. Wright, Pills- bury Remond, Lucy Stone, and others were frequently welcomed to his home.
Col. Isaac Nichols, a Revolutionary soldier, son of Isaac and grandson of Isaac, was born in Sutton, Mass., May 24, 1737. He married Dorcas Sibley, of Sutton, who died May 9, 1841, aged nearly 105 years, by whom he had eight sons and two daughters. He came to Braintree in 1787, and located on Alban lıill, where he followed the occupation of carpenter and farmer. His son Abner married Molly, daughter of William Nichols, by whom he had four sons and two daughters, viz .: Polly (Mrs. Nathaniel Flint), now living (1887); Abner, Jr., died in Braintree ; William, born in 1796; Ammi died in 1863; Isaac died in Randolph; Naomi (Mrs. Arba Sherman) resides in Royalton, Mass. William married Betsey, daughter of Ebenezer
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and Lucretia (Partridge) White, in 1825, and their son William H., born in 1829, graduated at Middlebury college in 1856, studied law with J. B. Hutchinson, and was admitted to the bar in 1857. He was a sergeant in Co. K, 3d Iowa Vols., and served until the close of the war. He married Ann Eliza, daughter of William A. Bates, in 1856, and they have three sons and one daughter, viz .: Henry H., of Mexico; William B., of Nova Scotia ; Edward H. and Anna G., who reside at home. Mr. Nichols was assistant judge in 1872-73, judge of probate in 1874, and has held the office by suc- cessive elections to the present time (1887). He owns a farm of 200 acres in the town of Randolph, where he now resides, with his office in Draper & Fales block, at West Randolph village.
Samuel C. Sumner was born in Hampton, Conn., and came to Braintree at an early age, settling in the northern part of the town. He married Polly Flint, who bore him five sons and four daughters, of whom one daughter and four sons are living, viz .: Jennie ( Mrs. Martin V. B. Richardson), Benjamin and Jonathan F. reside in this town, William in the West, and Godfrey R. in Warren. Jonathan F. married Hannah Linfield, who bore him nine children, eight of whom are living, viz .: Sarah (Mrs. Vilas C. Flint), and Newton J., in this town; Abby O. (Mrs. Avery Richardson), in Roxbury, Washington county ; Emma E. (Mrs. Hamlet Barrows), and Jennie (Mrs. William Bar- rows), in Irasburg, Orleans county. The remainder of the children live at home, with the exception of Charles E. Nettie M. is housekeeper for her father, and George works on the farm.
Dr. Samuel Craig was born in Rumney, N. H., August 15, 1777. He was a son of Col. Alexander Craig, who, at the age of twelve years, came from Scotland with his father. He kept a hotel in Rumney many years, and removed to Exeter, N. H., when Samuel was sixteen years of age, for the purpose of educating his children (four sons and two daughters), who attended school with the Hon. Lewis Cass, Daniel Webster, and other distinguished men. From there he went to Tunbridge, Vt., and read and practiced medi- cine with Dr. Copp. In 1805 he settled in Braintree, and continued the practice of medicine until his death, April 13, 1861, aged eighty-four years. He married Miss Matilda Parish, of Brookfield, October 10, 1820, and their children were Cornelia Manorra, Huldah Jane, Betsey Matilda, Samuel George Parish, and Mary Juliett-the first three named being the only ones now living. Manorra (Mrs. Flint) and Jane (Mrs. Spear) reside in St. Paul, Minn., and Betsey (Mrs. Hood) in Winooski, Vt. But few men, if any, now have the constitution to undergo the exposure, by night and by day, through snowdrifts and storms, for nearly sixty years, that Dr. Craig had- never refusing the calls of the poor, though he knew he could never be com- pensated for his services. His father, Col. Alexander Craig, was commis- sioned lieutenant of militia at Portsmouth, N. H., in 1773, and promoted to captain in 1774, which commissions bear the seal of His Majesty King George the Third. He was also commissioned by the Congress of the Colony
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of New Hampshire, as second major of the 11th regiment of militia, in 1775, and by the state of New Hampshire in 1776, as first-lieutenant for Conti- nental service. All of said commissions are in a good state of preservation, in the possession of A. O. Hood, Esq., of Winooski, Vt.
Jacob A. Spear, son of Jacob and Clarissa (Foster) Spear, was born in Brain- tree, September 1, 1811. He married Caroline F. Flint, September 24, 1835, who bore him children as follows : Salmon E., born March 20, 1841, died May 10, 1851, from injuries received at the hands of a brutal school teacher ; Emily Ann, born April 26, 1846, died November 22, 1861 ; and Victor I., born September 20, 1852. Mr. Spear has, since the spring of 1836, lived on the farm where he now resides, combining various branches of business with farming and stock raising, his specialty being registered Merino sheep, own- ing at present, with his son Victor, 300 head. Mr. Spear is seventy-six years of age, and his estimable wife seventy. About two years ago they celebrated their golden wedding, now having enjoyed fifty-two years of married life. Victor I., their youngest and only surving son, fitted for college at Randolphi academy, entered Dartmouth, and graduated with the class of '74. He taught school several years, but more recently has been engaged in business with his father, as mentioned above. He was one of the committee of three appointed to " edit and secure the publication of a history of the town," and has filled acceptably several town offices. He represented his town at Mont- pelier in 1880, and in 1886 was elected state senator. He married Abbie M. Davis, of Randolph, December 29, 1886.
Lewis H. Spear was born in Braintree, August 16, 1822, where he spent his early life, engaged in the farming and nursery business with his brother Jacob A. From 1860 to 1874 he was engaged in fruit and meat preserving in New York, Texas and Buenos Ayres, S. A. Since 1874 he has carried on farming and fruit growing in this town, having an orchard of 3,000 trees. June 20, 1882, he married Cornelia J. Sampson, of Chicago, Ill.
Levi Spear, Jr., eldest son of Levi and Charlotte (Hunt) Spear, was born in Braintree, December 9, 1817. His early life was spent upon a farm, and was marked by no especial incident. When he was seventeen years of age his father died. He was the oldest son of quite a large family, his father having had two daughters, however, by a former marriage, one of whom was dead and the other married. Upon Levi, Jr., then, with the aid of his mother, devolved the responsibility of managing the farm and keeping the family circle united. Many boys would have shrunk from this duty, arduous even for a man ; but boys of seventeen were men in those days, and he went manfully to work, and by close application and energy, which in later years characterized the man, he succeeded not only in keeping the home farm, but in adding to it many acres of valuable timber land in this town and in Gran- ville, becoming an extensive lumber manufacturer as well as farmer. In 1867, in company with a Mr. Stearns, he built a large steam saw-mill at West Brain- tree, continuing the business thus till 1869, when his son George L. bought
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Mr. Stearns's interest, and he conducted the business with his son until his decease, in 1880. He never aspired to office, preferring rather the quiet of his home and the management of his own affairs, which required his personal attention. Mr. Spear married Mary L. Rano, formerly of Hancock, and their union was blessed with two children, Charlotte Ellen (Mrs. George A. Wells), of West Braintree, born December 13, 1840, and George L.
George L. Spear, son of Levi, Jr., was born April 22, 1842, and lived on the farm with his father until he was twenty-one years of age, when he went to California and remained there one year. He then engaged in gold mining on the John Day river, in Grant county, Oregon, where he remained four years. Returning to Braintree in the spring of 1869, he purchased W. Stearns's interest in the saw-mill, and with his father carried on the lumber business until the latter's death, since which time he has conducted the business alone. In 1884, on account of the increase of business, he put a steam engine into the mill, which had before been run by water-power only. September 1, 1870, he married Mina M. Parish, of Brookfield, and one daughter has been born to them, who died in infancy. Unlike his father, he has taken an active interest in political affairs, representing his town in the legislature in 1876 and '78, serving on the committee on railroads, and had the honor of being the first Democrat elected in Braintree during a period of thirty years. He was a member of the Democratic state committee from 1880 to '84, was a dele- gate to the Democratic national convention at Chicago in 1884, and was the member from Vermont on the committee to notify Cleveland and Hendricks of their nomination. In May, 1885, he was appointed collector of internal revenue for Vermont, and performed the duties of that office creditably until July, 1887, when Maine and Vermont were consolidated with New Hamp- shire, with the main office at Portsmouth, N. H. Soon after the closing of the internal revenue office he purchased a large tract of timber land on the line of the Canada Atlantic railroad, in Canada, and in company with C. E. Waite, of Swanton, is doing an extensive lumber business. As a citizen he has the respect and confidence of all who know him, and the poor always find in him a friend. He is industrious, persistent, honest, courageous and ambi- tious. In social life he is genial and companionable, warm in his attach- ments and firm in his friendships-a gentleman, liberal in all his views.
Ira Mann was born in Braintree, July 23, 1811. His parents were Job and Matilda (Fuller) Mann, who were among the first settlers in the town. Mr. Mann came here from Randolph, Mass., and settled on the farm now occu- pied by his son Ira, about the year 1794, the "farm " at that time consisting of unbroken forest, while the only highways were marked trees. Ira married, first, December 3, 1833, Polly Morse, of Roxbury, who bore him six children, -one son, Ira, who died when three years old, and five daughters, three of whom are living, viz .: Julia M. (Mrs. Francis Wright), of Northfield; Lucy Helen (Mrs. Ira O. Thayer), of Roxbury, and Minora A. (Mrs. David B. Adams), also of Northfield. By his second wife, Mrs. Harriet K. Thayer, he
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had three children,-one son, Ira, who died in infancy, and two daughters, viz .: Ella V. (Mrs. Wilmouth Terry), who has three children, and lives on the home farm with her father, and Flora M. (Mrs. Edward H. Dunham), who has one child, and resides in Greenfield, N. Y. Mr. Mann has always fol- lowed the occupation of farming. He has held many offices of trust in the town, being lister for twenty-eight years, and constable since 1862, with the exception of one year. In 1862-63 he represented his town in the state legislature. Mr. Mann is seventy-six years of age, and attends to his farm, besides doing much business connected with the affairs of the town. His residence is about one and one quarter miles from Snowsville.
Addison Copeland, son of Zion and Polly (Harwood) Copeland, was born in Braintree, May 22, 1817, and spent most of his life in this town. He mar- ried Angeline Clark, December 8, 1839, and they had born to them five children, viz .: Zion C., born May 21, 1841, resides in Bridgewater, Windsor county ; Adeline, born March 22, 1843, died August 31, 1862; Charles L., born February 25, 1845, died in the army at Newburn, N. C., July 3, 1864 ; Mary E. (Mrs. Sheldon Dimick), of Bridgewater, born May 9, 1850 ; and Elna, born May 18, 1852. Mr. Copeland died October 14, 1883. His widow resides in this town with her children.
Henry Bass, third child of Seth and Mary (Whitney) Bass, was born in Braintree, May 11, 1814. He married Mary P. Cady, of Randolph, March 25, 1847, and had born to him children as follows: Henry Royce, born September 1, 1848, married Carrie L. Simmons, at San Diego, Cal., October 4, 1883, died April 1, 1884 ; Mary F., born November 28, 1849, married Warren E. White, May 14, 1871, died January 31, 1872 ; Selvy A., born May 12, 1852, married Clara S. Fowler, June 13, 1883, and is a physician at Elkader, Iowa ; Julia A., born May 24, 1854, married Fred. H. Packard, August 15, 1877, resides in this town ; Hattie L., born January 10, 1858, resides with her parents. Henry Royce, by dint of great energy and industry, secured a liberal education, graduating from Oberlin (Ohio) college with high honors, but with broken health, which he never fully recovered. He taught school for a time, but his last work was in gathering material for a history of his native town, which work shows his ability as a writer and compiler, and reflects much credit upon its author. In his early death the town lost an able and public spirited man, his large circle of relatives and acquaintances a true friend, and his wife a devoted husband. Henry Bass is a well preserved man of seventy-three years. His business has been that of farming, and his pleasant home is on Braintree hill. Mr. Bass is a devoted christian, and in the absence of a clergyman conducts services at the old church near his home, reading sermons and in other ways doing the Master's work.
Daniel Flint was born in Braintree, February 19, 1826. He married Sarah E. Linfield, March 9, 1854, and they have had eight children, one of whom, Flora E, died in 1860, at the age of two years, and seven are living, viz .: Lora M., of Randolph, born April 13, 1855, married Albert C. Paul, March
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22, 1875 ; Charlie F., of this town, born August 18, 1856, married Ada M. Holman, February 27, 1883 ; Minnie F., born June 18, 1860, married Waldo F. Flint, September 19, 1883, and has one child, Nina E., born August 10, 1884 ; D. Hale, born December 13, 1863 ; Sherwin M., born January 7, 1856, married Jessie A. Prince, of West Randolph, May 12, 1887 ; Irving A., born May 21, 1868 ; and Marion L., born May 20, 1872. Mr. Flint's busi- ness is that of a carpenter and farmer, and he has lived on the farm where he now resides, on road 19, for thirty-three years.
Joshua B. Ford, son of Micah and Sally (Gooch) Ford, was born in Brain- tree, February 18, 1825. He married Rebecca B. Brown, October 29, 1854, and they have one child, Minnie M., born December 29, 1867, who married Carroll R. Dutton, June 1, 1887, by whom she has had one child, and resides in this town. Mr. Ford was in the commission business in Boston from 1846 to 1852, when he bought the farm on road 40, in this town, where he has since resided.
Francis E. Flint, son of Elisha and Huldah (Carpenter) Flint, was born in Braintree, October 30, 1832. He married Lucy A. Killam, July 19, 1853, and their children are as follows : Sarah I., born February 12, 1855, married Lester Watson, November 4, 1875; Waldo F., born September 16, 1857, married Minnie F. Flint, September 20, 1883 ; Minnie C., born April 14. 1860, married Julius M. Montgomery, July 4, 1878; Nettie A., born Febru- ary 23, 1863 ; Lillie L., born November 18, 1864. married Ernest E. Fish, of West Randolph, June 4, 1884 ; Lester A., born October 28, 1868; a son, born March 2, 1872, who died in infancy ; and Harry N., born June 15, 1874. Mr. Flint, when twenty-two years of age, went to Wisconsin, locating at River Falls, where for one year he engaged in the business of carpentering and building. Returning to this town he engaged in the same business until 1879, when he purchased the farm on road 19, where he now resides, and where he has since carried on the business of farming.
George Hutchinson, sixth child of Rufus and Abigail (Brackett) Hutchin- son, was born in Braintree, March 6, 1833. He married Rosina M. Cram, December 19, 1853. Of their three children, Mary Inez was born April 30, 1854, married Joseph S. Carpenter, September 2, 1874, has one child, Clyde N., born March 23, 1882, and resides in this town ; Anna M. was born October 7, 1855, married Jonathan E. Tilson, August 2, 1877, has one child, Annie Eliese, born July 12, 1878, and lives in Rutland ; George S. was born June 10, 1869. Mr. Hutchinson's parents moved, at an early day, to the farm where he resided until his death, and which is now owned by his widow, Rosina M. His business was that of a farmer and live stock dealer. He never sought public office, although he sometimes accepted such positions of responsibility and trust. He died October 3, 1881, of malarial fever, con- tracted while returning from a western trip, at the age of forty-seven years and seven months.
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