USA > Vermont > Orange County > Gazetteer of Orange County, Vt., 1762-1888 > Part 31
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George W. Flagg, son of Austin and Mary E. Flagg, was born in this town
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TOWN OF BRAINTREE.
April 9, 1839. He was the second child in a family of eleven children, nine of whom were sons, and two daughters. His father died January 24, 1874, aged sixty-eight years, and his mother resides at Snowsville. George W. entered the army at the age of twenty-two years, as a private, and served during the late war. He was promoted to a lieutenancy, and later brevetted captain, but owing to the close of the war did not receive his commission as such. He married Adelia A. Howard, of this town, May 16, 1865, and they have two children, Lester G. and Bert C. Mr. Flagg's business is farming. He has gained a national reputation as a " collar and elbow " wrestler, and when he was in practice was open to all comers for sport or money ; but he has retired from active training, content to rest on the laurels he has already won. He holds the championship belt for the United States. In politics he is a staunch Republican, has held many offices of trust in the town, and in 1886 was elected representative. His pleasant home is located about one mile from Snowsville, in the northeast corner of the town.
Charles E. Woodward was born in Roxbury, Vt., March 15, 1835, and came to this town when sixteen years of age. He married Mary E. Flint, March 26, 1857, and their union has been blessed with two sons and five daughters, all of whom are living, viz .: Mary O., born April 30, 1858 ; Anna E., born March 26, 1860 ; Charles E., Jr., born July 4, 1862 ; John R., born September 2, 1865 ; Ida A., born April 4, 1868; Izza E., born August 14, 1872 ; and Flora E., born October 28, 1878. Charles E., Jr., John R., Mary O. and Anna E. are graduates of the State Normal school at Randolph, where Ida A. is a student at the present time. Mr. Woodward is a farmer on road 33}. He is a very kind hearted man, and has never found it necessary to inflict physical punishment upon any of his seven children, the eldest of whom is twenty-seven years of age.
Samuel R. Batchellor, youngest son of Chester and Sarah (Richardson) Batchellor, was born in Roxbury, Vt., April 12, 1818. He married, first, Sarah M. Clark, by whom he had one child, who died in infancy, and second, Lucinda M. Pearsons, by whom he has had six children, as follows : Ida M., born September 30, 1854 ; Ella, born September 5, 1856, died in infancy ; Lillian E., born December 15, 1857; Frank C., born February 18, 1861; Minnie F., born January 3, 1865 ; and Bertha M., born March 29, 1869. Mr. Batchellor came to this town May 9, 1854, where he has since been engaged in farming and lumbering. He has held several town offices, and has been justice of the peace for twenty-five years. In 1862 he was ap- pointed by the governor of the state to care for the destitute families of soldiers, which duty he faithfully performed. He resides in the western part of the town, on road 30.
David P. Mudgett was born in Sandwich, N. H., April 9, 1833, and came to this town in 1860. He married, first, Eliza B. Bean, by whom he had one child, who died at an early age, and second, Mary M. Fitts, March 4, 1863, which union was blessed with three children, namely : Lilla M., born April 4,
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1865; Ella F., a teacher, born October 15, 1867; and George D., born October 7, 1872. Mr. Mudgett, who was a farmer, was a devoted husband and father. He died June 13, 1880, since which time Mrs. Mudgett has con- ducted the farm, and has had the presence of all her children to assist and cheer her. She resides on road 182.
Jason A. French was born in Westford, Vt., February 19, 1832. He mar- ried Emma M. Hatch, of Montpelier, February 12, 1861, and settled in this town in 1862. They have had five children, namely, Perry H., Perly M. and Ruth E., deceased, and Mary E. and Celia, now living. Mr French is a Republican, and held the office of postmaster at Snowsville from 1863 to 1 886-twenty-three consecutive years.
Asahel Wakefield married Sally Byam, December 6, 1792, and reared a family of six children. James, the eldest son, married Lucy Wellington, December 14, 1820, and resided in Braintree about fifteen years. He died in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1879, aged eighty years. Of his children, George W. married Clara Fisk, and resides in West Brookfield ; Calvin lives in Flint, Mich .; Luther in Northfield, Vt .; Jefferson in Linn, Mich .; Matilda in Des Moines, Iowa ; Mary, deceased ; Jasper resides in Cedar Rapids, Iowa ; Lava died in the Federal army ; Augusta lives in Towas City, Mich .; and and Dana was killed at the battle of Gettysburg.
Gideon and Rachel Martin came from Connecticut to Randolph, and were among the first settlers in that town. They reared a family of nine children -five boys and four girls-all but one of whom lived to mature age and were married. Jesse Martin, the youngest in the family, was born February 3, 1792. He married Betsey Fish, February 4, 1813, by whom he had seven children-four sons and three daughters-of whom Melissa, the eldest, was born December 3, 1814; the second child died in infancy ; Saphira was born April 15, 1817; Norman F., September 10, 1819; Nelson H., September 9, 1821; Eliza E., October 6, 1827 ; and Jesse W., February 3, 1832. Jesse W. has always lived in Randolph and Braintree, in the latter town since 1863, where he has followed the dual occupation of painter and farmer. He mar- ried Louisa B. Fales, of Pomfret, Windsor county, November 29, 1854, and they have had born to them five daughters and one son, as follows: Ida Edith, born January 20, 1856 ; Emma Alice, born May 11, 1858 ; Ida Emma, born March 9, 1861 ; Minnie Edna, born October 6, 1863; Jessie Eliza, born August 1, 1870 ; Elwin Fales, born August 31, 1872. Ida Emma and Elwin F. are the only ones now living. Mr. Martin is deacon of the Con- gregational church at Snowsville. He resides just outside of the village, on road 10.
Heman A. Powers, son of Heman and Isabel Powers, was born in Mont- pelier, June 22, 1827. Until he was twenty-seven years of age he worked in and traveled through New England, and as far west as Pennsylvania. In 1868 he settled in Braintree, on the farm where he now lives. He married Sarah J. Short, of Montpelier, in March, 1850. Of their eight children, two
14*
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TOWN OF BRAINTREE.
died in infancy ; Laura married Howard Gilbert, of Randolph, and died at the age of thirty-one ; Betty M. (Mrs. Charles Ford) resides in Randolph ; Alice lives with her parents ; Sadie (Mrs. Monroe Bruce), in Roxbury ; Elsie and Heman Earl reside at home with their parents. Mr. Powers has held the office of selectman for five years, and was representative of the town in 1884-85. He does an extensive dairying business, keeping from fifty to sixty cows, besides young stock, and teams to carry on his large farm on road 14. The products of his large dairy go to supply the Narragansett House, of Providence, R. I. He owns several other farms in Orange county, and one in Plainfield, Washington county.
James P. Mudgett, who was born in Sandwich, N. H., October 1, 1844, located in Braintree about 1866. He married Elna Copeland, March 1, 1871, and they have two children, Bessie Elna, born June 23, 1884, and Mark J., born April 19, 1886. Mr. Mudgett is engaged in farming, stock raising and lumbering.
Leonard Fish, son of Peter and Anna (Parsons) Fish, was born in Ran- dolph, November 11, 1806. His grandfather, Ellis, a native of Sandwich, Mass., located in Randolph about the year 1795, with his family of seven children, of whom Peter was the second son. Leonard is the only survivor in a family of six children-three girls and three boys. His early life was spent upon his father's farm, in his native town, and at the age of fourteen years he took entire charge of this farm during his father's absence. He managed the farm successfully until he was twenty years of age, when he took an extensive western trip. Not liking the western country he returned to Vermont and engaged in farming. He also engaged in a manufacturing business in Barnard, Windsor county, for a few years. In 187 1 he purchased the hotel at West Braintree, where he has since resided. He married Lucia M. Cummings, of Barnard, daughter of Rev. John and Susanna (Clapp) Cummings, December 25, 1827, and the union was blessed with six sons and one daughter, of whom Susan Abbott died in Minnesota; Hannah died in Barnard ; Leonard A. served in Co. K, 7th Vt. Vols., and died in hospital at New Orleans, La .; Jane married Captain Silas B. Tucker, and resides in Barton, Vt .; Maria married Oliver R. Dutton, and resides in Nashua, N. H .; Florett D. resides at home with her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Fish are well pre- served, both mentally and physically, the former having attained the advanced age of eighty-one years, and the latter seventy-eight.
Leonard K. Fisher, son of Alden and Sophronia Fisher, was born in Rip- ton, Addison county, October 29, 1839. He served in Co. F, 12th Vt. Regt., during the late war. February 26, 1874, he married Lucy Latham, of Ran- dolph, and they have one child, Dwight L., born March 16, 1877. Mr. Fisher has been a resident of Braintree for thirteen years, where he has conducted the business of farming and stock raising. His farm, which is one of the best in town, is located on road 16.
Benjamin L. Sumner, son of Samuel C. and Polly (Flint) Sumner, was born-
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TOWN OF BRAINTREE.
May 26, 1826. He married Emeline Martin, January 1, 1862, by whom he has had four children, viz .: Rockwell T., born October 22, 1853 ; Alma A., born March 9, 1854, married Rev. William Brunton, October 9, 1873, and they have one child, Herbert R .; Charlie R., born February 9, 1857 ; and Frank R., born May 22, 1862, married Abbie M. Abbott, July 5, 1879, and they have two children, Maud A. and Zella B. Rockwell T. and Charlie R. died in childhood. Mr. Sumner followed the occupation of a carpenter until about eight years ago, when he purchased the farm on road 31, where he now lives, and where he has since resided.
Rev. William M. Brunton was born in Sheffield, Eng., January 29, 1844. He graduated from college in Manchester, Eng., and since coming to this country graduated from Harvard. He married Alma A., daughter of B. L. Sumner of this town, is a Unitarian clergyman, at present located in Port- land, Me. He was for nine years pastor of a church in Brighton, Mass.
Frederick Francis Thayer, son of Abel and Lydia (Cleveland) Thayer, was born in Granville, Vt., where he resided until he was seven years old. He was of a family of twelve children, equally divided as to sex, and of whom only one daughter and four sons are living, viz .: Laurena (Mrs. George Tilson), in Randolph ; Horace A. and Ira O., in Roxbury, and Levi and Frederick F. in this town. The latter married Ruth H. Flint, and settled in Braintree, on the farm where he now resides, in the spring of 1856. They have three children, viz .: Ruth Frances (Mrs. C. H. Mann), of Randolph ; Levi F., who married Lizzie Bevins, and resides near Saratoga Springs, N. Y .; and Belle Mina, a school teacher, who resides with her parents in this town.
The East Braintree and West Brookfield Congregational church was organ- ized October 24, 1871, with thirty-four members, by Rev. Arthur T. Reed, the first pastor. The society has two church buildings. The one at West Brook- field, a wooden structure, was erected in 1840 at a cost of $1,000, and will seat 200 persons. That at East Braintree was built of stone and wood, with a slate roof, in 1852, cost $2,000, and will comfortably seat about 250. The present value of the church property is $3,000. George E. Boynton is the present pastor, and ministers to its ninety members. The church, in its for- mation, was composed of five denominations, and to the present time there has been no doctrinal jar. The society is not strong financially, is not able to have regular preaching, and occasionally receives aid from the Vermont Missionary Society. The Sunday-school has an average attendance of eighty.
The Baptist church, located at Braintree Branch, was organized March 5, 1799. Rev. Elijah Huntington was the first pastor. The church building, a wooden structure, was erected in 1815, will comfortably seat 200, and is valued, including other property, at $1,000. The present membership is twenty-six, with Rev. J. A. Pierce, acting pastor.
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TOWN OF BROOKFIELD.
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B ROOKFIELD lies in the western part of the county, in latitude 44° 2', and longitude 4° 25', and is bounded north by Williamstown, east by Chelsea, south by Randolph and a part of Braintree, and west by Roxbury, in Washington county. It was granted November 6, 1780, and chartered August 5, 178r, to Phineas Lyman and his associates, and con- tained thirty-six square miles, which territory it still retains. This town lies nearly on the height of land between White and Winooski rivers. The sur- face in some parts is broken, but it is mostly fit for cultivation, and the soil is very productive generally. It is well watered with springs and brooks, the principal stream being the second branch of White river, which rises in Williamstown, in conjunction with Stevens branch of the Winooski river, and flows through the eastern part of the town into Randolph. Near the northern part of the town, and running through North Brookfield village, is another stream of some importance. In the southwestern corner of the town is Ayer's brook, which derives its name, so tradition has it, from the fact that one Ayer, some years previous to the settlement of the town, and during the French and Indian war, had made himself so obnoxious to the English that he was captured, and, after a short trial by an extemporized court-martial, proceeded to execute him, by tying a rope to his neck, making the other end fast to a tree bent down for the purpose, and then suffering the tree to return to its natural position. This is supposed to have occurred near this brook about 1755. Of natural ponds Brookfield possesses its full share, no less than seven lying within its limits, viz .: Rood, Pierce, Colt's, Lamson, North, South and Beaver Meadow ponds, all of them liberally stocked with fish.
Geologically the formative rock is calciferous mica schist, while in the extreme western corner is found clay slate. Silicious limestone occurs occasion- ally, and several marl beds have been discovered, and some of them have been worked for lime, though it has been a work of little profit. Iron pyrites is also found, in the form of small cubes imbeded in the slate. A marked feature of the geology of this town is the existence, in large quanti- ties, of an ore of iron and arsenic called mispickel.
The town was organized March 18, 1785, in pursuance of a warning issued at Norwich, by Peter Olcott, justice of the peace, and dated March 4, 1785. At this meeting Timothy Cowles was chosen town clerk ; William Wakefield, Nathaniel Humphrey and Hezekiah Gaylord, selectmen ; Jona- than Pierce, treasurer ; and Amasa Hyde, constable. In August, 1785, a meeting was held to decide whether the town should be represented at the county convention of that year, and if so to elect a delegate. This question was decided in the affirmative, and Shubael Cross was accordingly elected as delegate. In 1786 the town was first represented in the legislature, by Jonathan Pierce.
For the past twenty-five years the town of Brookfield has paid all debts in . full at the close of the year, and even during the war did not allow the accu- mulation of any debt.
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TOWN OF BROOKFIELD.
In 1880 Brookfield had a population of 1,239. In 1886 the town had thirteen school districts and twelve common schools, employing three male and twenty female teachers, who received an average weekly salary, includ- ing board, of $6.76 and $4.55 respectively. There were 243 scholars, forty- one of whom attended private schools. The entire income for school pur- poses was $1,978.85, while the total expenditures were $1, 814 30, with Miss F. H. Graves, superintendent.
BROOKFIELD is a post village beautifully located on the shore of Colt's pond, a little north of the central part of the town. It contains one church (Congregational), a good school-house, two general stores, a blacksmith shop, carriage shop, grist-mill, saw and planing-mill, harness shop, town library, a manufactory of hay and manure forks and hooks and garden rakes, a manu- factory of patent clothes dryers, etc., and about 100 inhabitants.
WEST BROOKFIELD) is a hamlet located near the southwestern corner of the town, and contains a church (Union), blacksmith shop, saw-mill, and about a dozen dwellings.
BROOKFIELD CENTER is a hamlet near the center of the town, at the junc- tion of roads 56, 513, 32 and 33, and contains about fifty inhabitants. Here was erected the first church in town (Congregational), and which is now (1887) one hundred years old.
EAST BROOKFIELD is a post village located in the eastern part of the town on a branch of White river. It contains one general store, a saw and grist- mill, a union church, occupied by the Methodists and Congregationalists, and about a dozen dwellings.
D. S. Patterson & Son's rake factory, on road 38, was built by the pres- ent proprietors in 1884. They employ three men and manufacture about 300 dozen drag-rakes per year.
Langdon Marshall's steam grist and saw-mill is located on road 38. He does a fair business in the manufacture of coarse lumber and shingles. A cider-mill is also connected with this mill which manufactures about 1,000 barrels annually.
Benjamin F. Buxton's saw and planing-mill, on road 34, near the outlet of Colt's pond, was built by the present proprietor in 1871. He employs four men in the manufacture of lumber and shingles, and in doing planing.
Buxton's grist-mill, on road 34, was built by Asa L. Abbott about 1838, and became the property of the present owner in 1870. He does custom grinding.
A. W. Freeman's wheelwright shop was built by Col. Edson about 1815, and was used as a clover-mill. It came into Mr. Freeman's possession in 1879. He does a general repairing business.
Peck, Clark & Co's fork factory, in Brookfield village, at the outlet of Colt's pond, was built by the present owners in 1866. They employ twelve men and manufacture 2,000 dozen forks and garden rakes per year, which are sold wholly in the northwestern states.
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TOWN OF BROOKFIELD.
Harris S. Fuller's saw-mill, on road 25, was built by Joel Pratt about 1816, and become the property of the present proprietor in 1867. He manu- factures shingles and about 75,000 feet of coarse lumber annually.
The first settlement of this town began in 1779, by Shubael Cross and family. Mrs. Cross was the first woman who came into town, and on that account was presented, by the proprietors, with one hundred acres of land. Mr. Howard's family came in about the same time, and Caleb Martin, John Lyman, Jonathan Pierce, John and Noah Payne, and several others came in soon after. The early settlers were principally from Connecticut. Among the early settlers was also Ashel Grover, who settled where Charles S. Will- iams now resides, on road 4}. He used to take a bag of corn on his back and go to South Royalton to mill, returning the next day. One night while he was away his wife heard a disturbance in the pig-pen, and on investigating dis- covered a bear trying to get at her swine. She armed herself with a pitch-fork and climbed upon top of the pen, and as often as the bear came near she would prod him vigorously with the fork. She remained in this position until daylight and succeeded in "saving her bacon."
Luke Clark was born in South Hadley, Mass., and came so this town about 1785. He built the first log cabin in the western part of the town, on road 22, on the farm now occupied by his grandson, William C. Clark. He remained upon this farm until his death, in 1841. He was married three times, first to Sarah Smith, who bore him seven children, and died October 21, 1805; second to Lovina Abbott, who bore him one child, Urial A., the only one of his children now living ; and third to Zerviah Cushman, a widow, by whom he had three children. Urial A. was born in this town, where for twenty years he carried on the business of manufacturing hay and manure forks, and has followed the occupation of farmer all his life. For the past twenty-six years he has been deacon of the Second Congregational church in Brookfield village, to the support of which he has always been a liberal con- tributor. He has been twice married. His first wife, Betsey Samson, bore him seven children, of whom four are living, viz .: William C. and Urial A., Jr., in this town; Ann M. (Mrs. Charles Wilcox) in Milford, Mass .; and Charles H. in Charlestown, Mass. Mr. Clark married for his second wife Lucy (Jones) Martin. He has always been one of the most highly respected citizens of the town, and few have more friends and less enemies than he. William C. was born in this town, and has always followed the occupation of a farmer, on a farm on road 22, where he settled soon after attaining his majority. He held the office of representative in 1872, was lister and high sheriff in 1879-80, and has been deputy sheriff for fourteen years. He was census enumerator in 1880, and has always taken an active part in town affairs. He is actively interested in church and temperance matters. He married, first, Ellen L. Bailey, who died in December, 1864, and second Eleanor T. Allen, in 1870, and has had born to him two children, Bessie L., who died November 27, 1886, and Minnie L. He has been engaged with
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TOWN OF BROOKFIELD.
Marcus Peck in manufacturing steel hay and manure forks and garden rakes for twenty years. He is also engaged with Mr. Peck in stock raising, in Rox- bury, Washington county, where they keep about one hundred head of cattle.
Thomas Peck came to this town from Canterbury, Conn., about 1790, and located on a farm on road 20, where Cassius Peck now lives, and where he remained until his death. He married Priscilla Howard and reared a family of nine children, as follows : Thomas K., Reuben, Newton, Sarah, Almyra, Priscilla, Mary A., Charity and Marcia. Mary A. married Stowell Paine and lives in Fairlee ; Reuben married Hannah G. Edson, who bore him four children, two of whom, Cassius and Marcus, are living in this town, and two, Aurelia B. and Marshall R., are dead. Marcus married Mary E. Wilcox, also of this town, and by her had four children, of whom Jessie M. and Bes- sie F. are dead, and two are living, viz .: Mary E. (Mrs. Arthur Lyman), of Rutland, and Marcia L., who lives with her father. Mrs. Peck died in Octo- ber, 1872, and he married for his second wife Mrs. Adeline Wheatley. He has held the offices of selectman, town lister, and town agent, was state sena- tor in 1880, and is now a director of the Northfield bank. For the past twenty years he has been associated with William Clark in the manufacture of hay and manure forks, etc.
John Wheatley was born in Ireland about the year 1718, and came to this country when about fourteen years of age. His father was an officer in the British navy, and John held several military and civil offices. In 1763 he removed with his family to Lebanon, N. H., where he held several prominent town offices, and represented the town in the legislature. In 1791 his third son, Nathaniel, removed with his family to this town, and purchased a farm of Capt. Cross, the first settler in the town, where he resided until his death, July 23, 1824, aged seventy-two years. He was a consistent and persevering christian, and had the confidence and respect of his townsmen, which was manifested by the many offices of trust they were pleased to bestow upon him. Col. Nathaniel Wheatley was born in Lebanon, N. H., January 21, 1786, and came to this town with his father, Nathaniel, in 1791. He was a hotel keeper for a great many years. He represented his town in the legislature, and served one term in the senate. The Wheatley farm has been in the possession of this family since 1791, and is now owned by the third Nathaniel Wheatley.
Barna Bigelow was born in Shrewsbury, Mass., and came from Paxton, Mass., to this town, about 1793. He built a house and store in East Brook- field village, now owned by Jonah Sprague, where he kept store for fifteen years. He then conducted the same business for ten years where William A. Robbins is now located, when he closed his mercantile business and followed farming the remainder of his life. At the time of his death he was the owner of five hundred acres of land. He was interested in the affairs of the town, and filled acceptably many offices of trust, among which was that of repre- :sentative in 1810-12, and selectman in 1799, 1809, 1811-17. He was also
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TOWN OF BROOKFIELD.
justice of the peace for many years. September 18, 1794, he married Nabby Pride, who bore him four children, Silas, Betsey, Abner and Charles, and died in 1808. The sons by his first wife all died in Virginia, Silas being a resident of Appomattox Court House during the war and at the time of Lee's surrender. Barna married for his second wife Lois Griswold, by whom he had three children, Nabby, Frederick and Samuel, of whom Nabby (Mrs. Joseph Partridge) is living in Oil City, Pa. Frederick was representative in 1860-61, selectman in 1841-43, and was a justice of the peace for twenty- five years. He married Philena Prouty and had three children, Charles H. and William P., of this town, and one who died in infancy. He was in mer- cantile business at East Brookfield for seventeen years. He died January 29, 1884. William P., son of Barna, has been town clerk and treasurer twelve years, and has been in mercantile business fourteen years. He mar- ried Julia, daughter of Caleb Ladd, of Calcutta, India, and they have one child, William F., who is a clerk in his father's store.
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