USA > Vermont > Orange County > Gazetteer of Orange County, Vt., 1762-1888 > Part 32
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Joseph Morse came from Fitzwilliam, N. H., and located in this town in. 1819. Of his large family of children, only one is living, Mrs. Elizabeth Pat- terson, of Utica, N. Y., and eleven are dead, as follows : Joseph, Jr., John,. Elihu, Jerusha, Elijah, Lavinia, Elisha, Hannah, George, Mary and Samuel. Elijah was twice married. By his first wife, Olive Herrick, he had seven children, viz. : Daniel A., Sarah, Elijah R., Orren M., Orra, John H. and David. His second wife was Fanny A. Richmond, by whom he had one child, Adeline F. Four of his children are still living, viz .: Sarah (Mrs. Sprague Arnold) and Daniel A. in this town; Elijah R., of Alexandria, D. T., and John H., of Deerfield, Minn. Daniel A. married Nancy?Lamson and had born to him seven children, of whom Abbie (Mrs. N. W. Frink) and Clinton L. are dead, and five are living, viz. : Luella (Mrs. A. W. Free- man) and Julien in this town ; Azro D., Walter and Ethel (Mrs. Frank Mc- Whortel) in Barre. Daniel A. has filled the offices of selectman, overseer of the poor, lister and trustee, and has been postmaster for six years.
Hon. Sprague Arnold, son of Sprague and Rebecca (Walbridge) Arnold, was born in Randolph, April 19, 1803. He received his education in the common schools, with several terms in the Grammar school at Randolph. He taught fourteen terms of school in this and adjoining towns. In 1825 he located in this town, and in 1829 married Sally Carley, by whom he had four children, only one of whom is now living, Annette (Mrs. Marshall Carpenter), with her parents in this town. Mrs. Arnold died, and in 1840 he married Sarah Morse, with whom he is still living. Mr. Arnold was appointed side judge in 1857-58, which office he creditably filled.
Hezekiah Williams came to this town from Connecticut about 1826, and located upon the farm now owned by Charles S. Williams, on road 42, where he remained until his death. He married and had three children, Amaziah, Dorcas and Sarah. Dorcas lives with Charles S., in this town ; Sarah is dead ;. Amaziah married and reared five children, of whom Ellen and Joseph W. are
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dead; George lives in Roxbury, Washington county ; Ellen (Mrs. Henry Spaulding) also resides in Roxbury ; and Charles S. in this town, on the home farm.
Edward Sprague came to this town from Randolph in 1833. He first set- tled on the East hill, on road 72, where E. W. Farewell now lives. He was a religious and kind hearted man, and a deacon of the Free Baptist church for several years. He died in 1858. He married Aseneth Carlisle, and reared a family of twelve children, of whom but two are living, Edward, Jr., in East Randolph, and John in this town. The latter, who is the largest owner of real estate in this town, married Ruth H. Hibbard, and had born to him two children, Hovey, who died at the age of twelve years, and Hib- bard, who resides in Brookfield. John has always refused to accept political offices. He is a very liberal man, and gave more toward building the church at East Brookfield than any other one.
Captain Marshall Carpenter, son of Austin and Harriet (Walbridge) Car- penter, was born in this town May 24, 1836. September 8, 1862, he enlisted in the 15th Vermont regiment, and at the organization of Company C, in that regiment, was made Ist lieutenant. In Jannary, 1863, he was promoted to a captaincy. At the expiration of his term of service he returned to this town, and in 1866 married Annette, daughter of Hon. Sprague Arnold. He resides on road 48.
Calvin Fullam came to this town from Hartland, Vt., in 1836, and located in Brookfield village, where his son Frederick L. now lives, and where he remained until his death, in 1858. He married Nancy Wallace, who died in 1864. They had six children, of whom Levi served in the roth Vt. Regt., and was killed at Orange Grove, Va .; George was a merchant in this town, and died in 1869; Jane (Mrs. Maynard Winch) resides in Jamaica, Vt .; David is in Colorado ; and Calvin, Jr., and Frederick are residents of this town. The latter married Sarah Smith, October 16, 1867, and had born to him two children, Jennie B., born July 24, 1874, and one who died in infancy. Mr. Fullam has been employed in the fork factory, by Peck, Clark & Co., and their predecessors, for thirty-two years. Calvin, Jr., served three years in the late war, in the 4th Vt. Regt., and was slightly wounded in the side by a fragment of a shell. He has been a resident of Brookfield village longer than any other person now living here. He married Mary A. Read, and they have four children, viz .: Charles W. and Clarence, of this town ; Henry H., who has been connected with the " Raymond excursions " for several years ; and Lucy (Mrs. Walter Wilbur), of Waterford, Caledonia county.
Rodney W. Walbridge, son of William and Maria (Carpenter) Walbridge, was born in this town June 12, 1839. In 1861 he enlisted in the 4th Ver- mont Regt., and served three years. He was wounded in the first battle of Fredericksburg, and also at Funkstown, Md. He married, first. Augusta E. Carley, who died June 5, 1872, and second, Eunice W. Church, by whom he has two children, Rodney R. and Carley C.
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Samuel Upham Jr., son of Samuel and Patty Upham, was born in Leices- ter, Mass., in 1794. His first settlement in this county was made at Ran- dolph, in 1842. In 1855 he located in this town, in Brookfield village, and soon after removed to the house now occupied by his son Zenas. He was a captain of militia for several years, and a prominent member of the Metho- dist Episcopal church at Randolph. He died March 5, 1863. His son Zenas was born in Montpelier, August 3, 1821. In 1841 he removed to Milledge- ville, Ga., where he remained until 1843, when he returned and located in Brookfield village, where he carried on the tailoring business for ten years. He was also engaged in the fork manufacturing business, being one of the firm of Stevens, Peck & Co. This firm sold out in 1859, and Mr. Upham bought the farm now occupied by John A. Reed, on road 17, and there resided until 1864. He then engaged in mercantile business where D. A. Morse is now located, which he continued for one year, when he formed a partnership with Col. Justus Edson, in the same line, and located where W. P. Bigelow now is. While in partnership with Col. Edson he was appointed postmaster, which office he held until he withdrew from the firm. He then accepted a position as commercial traveler for a Boston firm, by whom he has been employed most of the time for the past twenty years. He held the office of town clerk seven years, was state senator in 1860-61, and was assistant judge in 1876-77. He was twice married, first to Lucy C. Edson, and by her has one child living-Curtis M., of this town. By his second wife, Caroline C. Crane, he has two children living-Lucy C. and Mary C .-- both of whom are graduates of Mt. Holyoke seminary, of Holyoke, Mass.
Alanson L. Follansbee came to this town from Grafton, N. H., in 1862, and until 1867 followed the occupation of farming, when he entered the employ of Peck, Clark & Co., in the fork factory, where he has since remained, and for the past fifteen years has been foreman of the shop. He was twice married, first to Harriet Allis, in July, 1864, who died October 28, 1882, and second to Sophia E. Clark, May 21, 1883.
Henry L. Edson, son of Henry and Clarissa (Capron) Edson, was born in this town. He enlisted in the First Vermont Cavalry in 1861, was taken prisoner and languished in Libby prison for a short time, when he was paroled, and for six months was detained from active service. He returned to his regiment and participated in thirty-five engagements. He is now a veterinary surgeon.
Charles H. Bigelow, son of Frederick G., is a native of this town. He married Louise Lyman, and they have three children, Charles A., Louis L. and Arthur G. Mr. Bigelow has been justice of the peace for the past six years, and for five years he held the office of postmaster at East Brookfield. He is a leader in the choir and superintendent of the Sabbath-school at the Second Congregational church in Brookfield village.
Ziba N. Page was born in Cabot, Washington county, November 30, 1833. When a young man he engaged in the manufacture of sash and blinds at
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TOWN OF BROOKFIELD.
South Northfield, Washington county, and later, in 1862, removed to Ran- dolph. In 1863 he enlisted in the 3d Vt. Regt., and during the late san- guinary struggle served in sixteen engagements. At the close of the war he removed to Montpelier, where for twelve years he was employed by George Bennett and the Lane Manufacturing Co., in the manufacture of sash, doors and blinds. In 1877 he removed to this town, and located on road 3, where he now resides.
Vernon C. Goodrich, son of Sylvanus and Mary (Woolson) Goodrich, was born in Burlington, Iowa, May 9, 1846. He studied medicine at the Uni- versity of Pennsylvania, at Philadelphia, and also at the University of Ver- mont, at Burlington, at which place he graduated in 1873. He came here the same year and began practice, and in 1886 was appointed postmaster at Brookfield village. He married Mary L. Lampson, of this town, October I, 1874, and they have two children, Mary, born December 8, 1875, and Susie A., born November 24, 1878.
Charles E. Wyman, son of David and Almira (Newton) Wyman, was born in Rochester, Vt., in 1833. In 1853 he removed to Randolph, and followed farming for about five years, was a clerk in F. B. Salisbury's general store for three years, and also for H. C. & C. A. Badger for a short time. While a resident of Randolph he held the office of constable and tax collector. In 1869 he removed to Wisconsin, and was successively proprietor of a saw-mill and meat-market at Waupaca. He was then employed by the Western Union Telegraph Company as lineman, and later was section master on the Chicago, Rock Island & St. Louis railroad. He returned to Randolph in 1876, and later came to this town, locating on road 56, where he now resides.
Charles W. Fullam, son of Calvin, was born in this town, and soon after attaining his majority went to New Mexico, where he engaged in herding sheep. Later he was employed in driving cattle from Salt Lake City to Denver, Col., and also drove the mail coach from Denver to Georgetown, Col. In 1873 he returned to this town, and for the past thirteen years has had the contract for carrying the mails between Brookfield and West Ran- dolph villages. He married Ella Laport, and they have four children, viz. : Zoe, Walter, Wallace and Avis.
Abraham Curby, a native of New Haven, Vt., learned the painter's trade at Nashua, N. H. In 1861 he enlisted in the 3d N. H. Regt., and served three years. May 15, 1864, at Drury's Bluff, Va., he was wounded in the left arm, and sustained the difficult surgical operation of having a portion of the bone removed and the ends brought together, making the arm four inches shorter. There are only fourteen similar cases on record at the office of the commissioner of pensions in the United States. He is unable to work, and draws a pension of $36 per month. He became a resident of this town in 1880.
Amos C. Chase was born in Unity, N. H., April 24, 1819. In 1858 he removed to Waterbury, where he remained until 1884, when he became a
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resident of this town. In 1862 he enlisted in the 13th Vt. Regt., and later re-enlisted in the 17th Vt. Regt. September 30, 1864, near Welden railroad, Va., he was wounded in the left arm, two balls having struck him at nearly the same instant. His arm was amputated at the shoulder joint, and he was discharged June 12, 1865. He draws from the government a pension of $45 per month.
The Church of Christ (Congregational), located at East Brookfield village, was organized January 16, 1883, by the Congregational council, with twenty- one members. The church building, a wooden structure, was erected in 1882, at a cost of $1,300, and is owned by the Congregationalists and Methodists together, who unite in supporting the pastor, Rev. Benjamin P. Parker. The house will comfortably seat 200 persons, and is valued, including grounds, at $1,800. The present number of members is twenty-three, and about forty scholars regularly attend the Sunday-school.
The Second Congregational church, located at North Brookfield village, was organized by the ecclesiastical council in 1848, and at its organization con- sisted of fifty-seven members. S. J. Lord was the first pastor. Their house of worship, the present structure, was erected in 1848, of wood, at a cost of $3,000, will comfortably seat 180 persons, and is now valued, including other church property, at $5,000. The society has 132 members, with Rev. William Carr, pastor. The Sunday-school has a membership of 180.
The West Brookfield and East Braintree Congregational church was organ- ized November 24, 1871, with thirty-four members, by Rev. Arthur T. Reed, the first pastor. Their house of worship, a wooden structure, was erected in 1840, at a cost of $1,400, and will comfortably seat 200 persons. The society is composed of five denominations, all working harmoniously together under the pastoral charge of Rev. George E. Boynton. The present num- ber of members is sixty-two, while the Sunday-school has an average attend- ance of eighty-seven.
The Freewill Baptist church, located on East hill, was organized July 20, 1817, by Rev. N. King, the first pastor, with a membership of six. Their first house of worship, a wooden structure, was erected in 1839, at a cost of $800, and will comfortably seat 200 persons. The society has no regular pastor.
C HELSEA, the shire town, is situated near the center of the county, in latitude 40°, and longitude 4° 30', and is bounded north by Washing- ton and Williamstown, east by Vershire, south by Tunbridge, and west by Brookfield. It was first granted by the province of New York, under the name of Gageborough, but no settlement having been made under that grant and name, the legislature of Vermont granted to Bela Turner and asso- ciates, November 2, 1780, and gave it a charter by the name of Turnersburg,
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TOWN OF CHELSEA.
August 4, 1781. By the charter it contained 23,040 acres. The charter was signed by Thomas Chittenden, governor, and countersigned " by his excel- lency's command, Thomas Tolman, deputy secretary to the governor and council." The name was altered to Chelsea, October 13, 1788. Among other reservations the charter appropriated to the public uses "one share or right for the use of the seminary or college within the state; one share or right for the use of the county grammar schools throughout the state ; one share or right for the use of the first settled minister of the gospel in said township, to be disposed of for that purpose as the inhabitants thereof shall direct ; one share or right for the support of the ministers ; and one share or right for the benefit of the school or schools within said township." The charter also provided "that each proprietor of said township and his heirs shall plant and cultivate five acres of land, and build a house of at least eighteen feet square on the floor, or have one family settled on each share or right of land within the term of four years, next after the circumstances of the war will admit of it, on the pain of forfeiture of the land, -that all pine timber suitable for a navy shall be reserved for the benefit of the state."
Before Chelsea was settled, and before it became the shire town, the pro- vincial government of New York erected the county of Gloucester, of which Orange county was a part, in or about 1769, and Kingsland (now Washing- ton) was made the county seat. Courts of common pleas and quarter sessions were organized by the judges appointed, at Kingsland, May 29, 1770, although that township was then wholly unsettled, and not a road was opened, nor a house built, save a simple log hut hastily constructed for a court-house and jail. It will be seen by reference to the sketch of the town of Wash- ington that the "court" became lost in the wilderness, on one occasion, and failed to hold its anticipated session. The courts were continued at Kings- land until August, 1772, when they were held alternately at Newbury and Kingsland until February, 1774, which was the last term ever held for Glou- cester county, and no courts were held within that territory until June, 1781, when the first term for Orange county was held at Thetford. Orange county courts were held at Thetford till 1785, when they were removed to Newbury, where they continued to be held till the December term of 1796. when Chelsea became the permanent county seat for Orange county.
The township is well watered, being traversed from north to south, through nearly its center, by the "First branch" of White river. This branch is a considerable stream, affording some very fine mill-privileges in its course, although very few of them are within the town of Chelsea. The township is quite hilly, but mostly of good soil. All kinds of grain common in the state are raised with tolerable success. The timber is of various kinds, maple, elm, beech, birch and hemlock predominating. Pine was formerly abundant, but has almost entirely disappeared. The geological structure of the terri- tory is made up entirely of rocks of the calciferous mica schist formation,
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TOWN OF CHELSEA.
which, owing to their rapid disintegration, constantly add depth and strength to the soil.
The population of Chelsea in 1880 was 1,462. In 1886 the town had seventeen school districts and the same number of common schools, employ- ing five male and twenty-eight female teachers, to whom was paid $9.74 to the males, and $4.45 to the females. There were 305 scholars, fifteen of whom were attending private schools. The entire income for school ex- penses was $3,048.97, while the total expenditures were $2,479.82, with Miss A. A. Clement, superintendent.
CHELSEA, the county seat, a beautiful little village, is located near the central part of the town, upon First branch of White river, twenty-two miles south from Montpelier. The nearest railroad station is South Royalton, on the C. V. R. R., thirteen miles distant, to which daily stages are run. Daily stages are also run to Barre and Thetford. The first court-house was erected here in 1796, and was located on Main street. This gave place to a more commodious structure at the head of South Common, in 1810, and in 1847 the present building, nearly on the same site, at the east end of South Park street, was built. The jail is on Vershire street. The village contains a national bank, two churches (Congregational and Methodist), Orange County Hotel, Chelsea academy, four general stores, one drug store, two groceries, two furniture stores, two undertaking establishments, three milliner and fancy goods stores, a boot and shoe store, two harness shops, four blacksmith shops, a wagon shop, flouring-mill, saw-mill, feed store, hard- ware store, photograph gallery, jewelry store, dentist, merchant tailor, livery and sale stable, tannery, six lawyers and four physicians. The "Old Cemetery" is situated nearly in the center of the village, on the west side of Main street, where many of the pioneers of the town are quietly sleeping, oblivious to the many changes which have taken place since they passed away. The new cemetery is in the southern part of the village, and contains many fine monuments, among which is one in memory of those who laid down their lives in defense of their country.
George Hutchinson's saw-mill, in the northern part of the village, on the North branch of White river, was built about 1820. It has the capacity for cutting 8,000 feet of lumber daily.
A. H. Powers's grist- mill is located on the North branch of White river. It has three runs of stones, with the capacity for grinding 200 bushels of grain per day.
Allen & Bacon's cider-mill, located north of Chelsea village, on the North branch of White river, was built in 1881. It manufactures about 1,200 bar- rels of cider annually.
P. W. Rogers's wagon shop, shingle mill and planing-mill, located on Main street, on the Second branch of White river, was established in 1876. Mr. Rogers manufactures wagons, sleighs and shingles, and does planing and general repairing.
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TOWN OF CHELSEA.
Orange County Hotel, located in the village of Chelsea, is a large and com- modious house where guests or summer visitors may enjoy the home-like comforts of country life. It will accommodate one hundred guests, and is in charge of the genial proprietor, E. D. Barnes.
The First National Bank of Chelsea .- A recent report gave this bank a capital stock of $150,000 ; circulation $135,000 ; surplus $3,041.33 ; deposits $34,827.07 ; profits $3,869.92. Aaron N. King is president ; J. B. Bacon, vice-president ; and C. S. Emery, cashier.
The first settlement of the town was commenced in 1784, by Samuel Moore, Thomas Moore and Asa Bond, the first two named being brothers, and the last a brother-in-law. It is stated in Thompson's Gazetteer that the three gentlemen named came from Manchester, N. H., that improvements were made here by them in the spring of 1784, and that the next year they brought their families with them. It has also been stated, by good authority, that four brothers by the name of Wills settled on the West hill, in this town, in 1784, where they cleared and occupied land, -that they came by the way of roads leading through Brookfield, and knew nothing of the other pioneers who came up the branch from Royalton. They supposed that they were the only settlers in the township, and probably the families who first settled here in the valley knew nothing of the settlers on West hill. They were soon followed by Dea. Enos Smith and many others whose descendants still reside in the town, and in 1791 the population had increased to 239 souls. The first house in the township was built by Thomas Moore, near the central part of the " old burying-ground," and where was born the first child in town -- Thomas Porter Moore. Thomas P. Moore lived a long and useful life, and now lies buried within a few yards of the place of his birth. He was born October 16, 1785, and died in May, 1867, having spent his entire life in the town.
The first town meeting was held and the town organized March 31, 1788, pursuant to the following warning, which we copy literally :-
" TURNERSBURG, March 14, 1788.
" These are to notify and warn all the inhabitants of Turnersburgh, who are legal voters, to meet at the dwelling house of Samuel Moore, on the 3 Ist day of this instant March, at 9 of the clock, to act on the following articles, T. witt: To choose a Moderator to govern said meeting ; 2d, to choose a Town Clerk and all other necessary town officers, as the law directs, and to do all other bisness which may appear necessary att said meeting. Signed, Thomas Murdock."
The following are the minutes of the meeting, copied from the early town records :-
" Agreeable to the above warning, at a time and place, Thomas Porter, Esquire, according to the acquirements of the law, opened sd. meeting. First. Chose Mr. Roger Wales Moderator to govern sd. meeting. 2d. Voted and chose Enos Smith Town Clerk. 3dly. Voted and chose Mr. Asa Bond First Selectman for the year ensuing. 4thly. Voted and chose Mr. Joshua Lathrop Second Selectman for the ensuing year. 5thly. Voted and chose Mr. Roger
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Wales Third Selectman for the year ensuing. 6thly. Voted and chose Mr. Thomas Moore, Esq., Grand Juror for the year ensuing. 7thly. Voted and chose Enos Smith Treasurer for the town for the ensuing year. 8thly. Voted and chose Mr. Ivory Douglass Sealer of Weights and Measures for the year ensuing.
"Personally appeared the above named persons that were elected to office, and took their engagements by oath before Thomas Porter, Justice Peace. " Attest, ENOS SMITH, Town Clerk."
At a meeting held September 29, 1788, it was voted to petition the assem- bly to change the name of the town, and call it Brookline. At the next town meeting, held March 3, 1789, the warrant begins with the date of Chel- sea, alias Turnersburg, thus proving that the suggested name of Brookline was not accepted, but that that of Chelsea was. The town was first repre- sented in the legislature of Vermont in 1791, by Theophilus Huntington. The first justice of the peace was Samuel Huntington, appointed in 1789.
Jonathan Wills, with three brothers, Joel, Jacob and Jesse, from Wind- ham, Conn., located on the West hill, as previously stated, in 1784. Jonathan and Joel had served in the Revolutionary war. Jonathan, the only one mar- ried at the time of their settlement here, brought his wife and two children, a son and daughter, Reuben and Lucinda, the latter dying a few days after their arrival, which was probably the first death in the town, although it can not positively by stated as the fact, as a daughter of Thomas Moore died about the same time at the other settlement. Jonathan had born to him six sons and five daughters. He removed to Randolph, where he died, and where his son Anson now resides, at the age of eighty-six years. Joel never married, and died in Brandon, Rutland county. Jacob had born to him four children, equally divided as to sex, and died in Tunbridge. Jesse was born in 1766, and married Emma, daughter of Jacob Perkins, in 1796. Of their eight children-five sons and three daughters-Abigail married Hiram Stan- ley, and had four sons and three daughters ; Perley C. was born April 5, 1798 ; Lee N. had two sons and two daughters, and died in Castleton, Vt .; Joseph C. had one son and one daughter, and died in Oswego, N. Y .; Hiram never married ; Aurelia (Mrs. Alfred Wells) has four sons and six daughters, and lives at Johnsburgh, N. Y .; Aaron P. had four sons and four daughters, and resides at Fort Edward, N. Y .; and Orpha died at the age of three years. Perley C. married Sally, daughter of Oliver and Lizzie (Martin) Smith, in 1824, and had born to him children as follows : Elvira, who died in 1871 ; Orpha (Mrs. I .. W. Bacon), who died in 1884 ; Frances (Mrs. Orville Bixby), who resides in this town ; Zerua (Mrs. Stillman Seaver), of Williamstown ; Sarah E. resides at home ; Merrill P. died at the age of two years. The wife of Perley C. Wills died June 19, 1886. Mr. Wills, the oldest resident of the town, who was born here, resides on road 36.
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