USA > Vermont > Orange County > Gazetteer of Orange County, Vt., 1762-1888 > Part 66
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VERSHIRE (p. o.) is a small hamlet located near the central part of the town, and contains one church, a school-house, two stores, blacksmith shop, and twenty-five or thirty dwellings.
ELY contains the houses of worship of the Methodists and Roman Cath- olics, and a town building occupied by the Adventists. It is composed of about 100 houses, store and works of the copper mining company, recently in the hands of S. M. Gleason, as receiver. Since the failure of the com- pany, in June, 1883, there has been a continual exodus, until now not one building in ten is occupied. The postoffice was discontinued October 31, 1887.
In 1880 Vershire had a population of 1,875 souls. In 1886 the town had ten school districts and eight common schools, employing six male and ten female teachers, to whom was paid an average weekly salary, including board, of $6.01 and $4.05 respectively. There were 208 scholars, twelve of whom attended private schools. The entire income for school purposes was $1,040.79, while the total expenditures were $1,073.36, with Oscar Beckwith, superintendent.
Henry Mattoon's saw-mill was built by Willard and John Richardson about the year 1838, and was purchased by Mr. Mattoon in 1883. He manu- factures about 150,000 feet of lumber, 150,000 shingles, and 25,000 lath per year.
L. E. Allis's grist-mill was built by Nathaniel Mattoon and Willard Rich- ardson, about 1839, and was purchased by William Allis in 1885. It has three runs of stones, and does custom grinding.
It is not known when or by whom the town was first visited ; but Lenox Titus, one of the original grantees, arrived in 1779, and found located here a " squatter " name Irenus Knight, who was the first settler. The first white child born in town was Rosanna Titus, December 31, 1780. The first mar- riage was that of Nathan West and Martha Titus, July 16, 1787. The first death was that of Anna, wife of Thomas West, March 1, 1788.
The Paine family, to which this sketch relates, is descended from Hugh de Payen, the Crusader, through William Paine, of Suffolk, England, who emi- grated to Watertown, Mass., in 1635. Jesse Paine, the first settler on Paine hill, in this town, was a native of Foxboro, Mass., from whence he removed to Mansfield, where he enlisted and served in the Revolutionary war. He located in Plainfield, N. H., with his wife and two children, previous to 1788, and came to Vershire in 1791. He was the pioneer in that part of the town where he settled, and lived to the extreme age of ninety-two years, rearing a family of fifteen children, all of whom lived to maturity except the youngest. One son, Warren, resides in Barre, at the age of eighty-six years.
495
TOWN OF VERSHIRE.
Capt. Robert Paine, son of Jesse, was born in Vershire in 1799, married Lucia Patterson, and passed his life here. He was captain of the Vershire rifle company, and a justice of the peace. He reared two sons and two daughters, viz .: Azro, Charles E., (the present first selectman, who has served on the board of selectmen seven years,) Ellen (Mrs. Orrison Maltby), Philanda (Mrs. Uriah Colburn), and one daughter who died in infancy.
David Paine, another son of Jesse, was born in Plainfield, N. H., in 1788, was a Plattsburgh volunteer, lived to the age of eighty-two years, passing most of his life in Vershire. Earl and Edward Paine, also sons of Jesse, were prominent mechanics here. Isaac was the father of Col. M. K. Paine, of Windsor. Sophia, daughter of Jesse, married Benjamin Batchelder, and had seven children, of whom Clarinda married Sylvester Godfrey. Charles E. Paine married Sarah Colburn, and has one daughter.
Moses .Norris came from Northwood, N. H., to Vershire, in September, 1799, boarding the first season with his sister and her husband, Paul Davis, on the farm next south from the lot on which he located, and where, about 1807, he built a part of the house in which his son Alfred now lives. He served three months in the War of 1812, was an industrious farnier, a member of the Methodist church, and passed his life upon the farm he had wrested from the wilderness. He married Sally, daughter of Timothy Weymouth, and they had a son and a daughter, Polly and Alfred, both of whom have always resided on the old farm. Alfred has lived seventy-nine years in the same house, where he was born in March, 1809. He has served as selectman six or seven years, represented the town in 1861-62, with no candidate in oppo- sition. He married Cynthia Durgin, who bore him one son, Henry, and one daughter, Caroline, both deceased. Alfred Norris's farm of 400 acres is one of the best in town, and it is a remarkable fact that it is still owned by the son of the first settler.
Elias Lathrop was born in Norwich, Conn., February 18, 1763, located in Chelsea about 1790, having passed several years in Canaan and Lebanon, N. H. Rufus Lathrop, his brother, preceded him to Chelsea. Elias served in the Revolution, and when a boy of fifteen years saw Burgoyne's troops soon after the surrender. He was the musician for the first training in Chel- sea, where, having no fife, he led the company by whistling. He married, in Chelsea, January 12, 1797, Dorcas Bohonon, by whom he had nine chil- dren, four of whom are living, viz .: Olive, widow of Peter Bragg, Hiram, Warren and Lodicy (Mrs. Long). Mr. Lathrop came to Vershire in 1806, bought the land and cleared the farm where his son Hiram now lives, where he remained until his death at the age of eighty-eight years. Warren has always resided in this town, where he is engaged in farming. His first wife was Rosetta Barker, and his present wife is Nellie Aldrich, who was born in Stanstead, P. Q.
John Dimond, son of Ephraim Dimond, of Ipswich, Mass., came from Londonderry, N. H., in 1795, and bought about 200 of land in Vershire,
496
TOWN OF VERSHIRE.
comprising the present farms of C. W. Powers and C. C. Reynolds. He married Lydia Chapman, by whom he had five daughters and four sons, viz .: Mary, Lydia, Sylvia, Celia, Anna, Ephraim, Israel, Joseph, and John P. He was among the Plattsburgh volunteers from Strafford, and is said to have been the first who mined for copper where the Ely mines now are. All of his children removed from Vershire except Celia and Israel. The latter married Lucinda, daughter of Captain Phineas Kimball, of West Fairlee, spent his whole life in this town, dying here in 1872, aged seventy-two years. He was a farmer by occupation. Of his family of two sons and one daughter, the eldest son, Lorenzo, died while en route to California in 1850; Ethan, the only one of the family in Vershire, was born in 1832, has served as select- man five years, lister, auditor, postmaster at Ely two years, and has ever been a successful farmer. He married Laura J. Carlton and has two children, a son and daughter, twins. .
Jonathan Maltby, born July 10, 1746, came from Hebron, Conn., to Ver- shire, in 1783, was one of the first settlers in town, and located on the place now occupied by Danford Blanchard. He was the first proprietors' clerk, the first inn-keeper in Vershire, and owned a large amount of land. He died in 1801, and his widow kept the tavern many years afterwards. They had four sons and four daughters. Jonathan Maltby, Jr., settled on the farm southeast from his father's, now owned by his grandson, W. F. Maltby. Josiah and Jesse removed to Illinois. George W. passed the most of his life here, serving in various town offices, and died at Post Mills. Jonathan, Jr., married Susannah Hosford and reared fourteen children, all of whom attained adult age. George W., the youngest, is the only one now living, and he has served many years as justice of the peace.
Jacob Church located in Vershire as early as 1797; Asa and David at an earlier date. They probably came from Willington, Conn. Lemuel, son of Jacob, lived on road 16, near the head of Ompompanoosuc river, erected the buildings now occupied by Truman Johnson, in which he kept hotel. He went with the Plattsburgh volunteers in 1814, lived to be seventy-seven years old, married twice, and reared a family of five children, all of whom attained maturity. Jacob Church, 2d, eldest son of Lemuel, was an extensive farmer in the district known as "Eagle Hollow." He also engaged in lum- bering, and served as selectman and in other town offices. His wife was Maria Shaw, and their children were Freeman, George A., Hiram G. and Eunice A. Freeman served in the late war.
Elisha Prescott came to Vershire from Sanbornton, N. H., about the year 1800, and located in the western part of the town. His son William was about nine years of age at this time, and came here with his father. Elisha served in the war of the Revolution.
Rev. Stephen Fuller, the first settled minister in this town, was born Tin Mansfield, Conn., December 3, 1756. He was graduated from Dartmonth college in 1786 ; studied theology with Asa Burton, D. D., of Thetford, and
TOWN OF VERSHIRE.
497
was ordained pastor of the Congregational church of this town, September 3, 1788, and so continued until his death, which occurred in New Haven, Vt., April 12, 1816, in the sixtieth year of his age. Mr. Fuller married Phebe Thurston, of Hollis, N. H., by whom he had a family of seven sons and three daughters. Mrs. Fuller lived to the great age of ninety-two years. Most of the children removed from town. His son Sewell lived here for many years, but died in Bradford in 1883. His son Cyrus now resides in town.
Lenox Gilman was born in Vershire, April 10, 1803. He married Lois E. Church, of this town, and reared a family of two sons and two daughters. He was one of the substantial farmers of the town, always took an active interest in town affairs, and held many positions of trust and responsibility. He was selectman, lister, town clerk, justice of the peace, and also repre- sented the town in the legislature. He died October 16, 1880. Of his children, Lucy died at the age of eighteen ; Sarah C. married Obed K. Rob- inson and resided in this town till his death ; Alden C. died in this town in 1870 ; Joseph H., who formerly resided in Corinth and in Bradford, now lives in this town. He was constable in Corinth for eleven successive years, and deputy sheriff for many years.
Rufus Blanchard came to Vershire from Acworth, N. H., about 1807, and settled in the northern part of the town. He married Amie Keyes and reared seven children, three of whom are now living, Rufus, Jr., and Danford in this town, and Mrs. Sabrina Carpenter in Fairlee. Rufus died in 1840. Rufus, Jr., was born in 1817, and has always resided in town. He was engaged in trade about fifteen years, and has always taken an active part in town affairs.
David Carleton, a native of Bradford, Mass, enlisted at the age of sixteen and served four years in the Revolution. He settled in this town about 1816, where Ethan Dimond now lives, coming from Hopkinton, N. H. He died at the ripe age of eighty-four years, having reared two sons, George and Ira S., and five daughters. The sons passed their lives in this town, Ira S. upon the original homestead. The latter married Mary Morey, daughter of Joshua, and reared five sons and two daughters, all of whom are living, Laura J. (Dimond) and Oscar in this town. One son, Jerome, served in the Ist Mass. Vols., in the late war, and now resides in San Francisco.
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John Godfrey, a soldier of the Revolution, came from New Hampshire and located in this town. His son John, born in Vershire, removed to Thetford when nineteen years old and bought the land now occupied by Carrol Gillett on road I, in that town, which was then unbroken forest. Here he cleared up the farm, married Sarah Wallace, and reared seven children. He went with the company fromn Vershire to take part in the battle of Plattsburgh. Sylvester Godfrey, son of John, Jr., married Clarinda Batchelder, of Vershire, and now resides in Thetford. He served three years in Co. E, 11th N. H. Vols.
Captain Richard Smith, son of Ebenezer and Abigail (Steele) Smith, was
32*
498
TOWN OF VERSHIRE.
born in Cabot, Vt., January 31, 1820. In early life he was a farmer, but later engaged in the manufacture of tinware at Barton and Tunbridge, being in business four years in the former and six years in the latter town. At the breaking out of the war he assisted in organizing Co. E, 2d Vt. Vols., of which company he was elected captain, serving in the first battle of Bull Run and through the Peninsula campaign. He was discharged in August, 1862, and returned to Tunbridge, soon after being appointed deputy marshal, in which capacity he served two years. At the time of the Fenian raid in 1865 he was chosen major of the regiment raised for its suppression. He twice repre- sented Tunbridge in the legislature and once in Constitutional convention. Locating in Vershire in 1881, he was chosen representative from this town in 1886-87. He has been twice married, first to Frances J. Hall, of Cabot, who bore him three sons and one daughter, and second to Lida Roberts, of Williamstown, by whom he has one son.
John Stacy, who served in the Revolution, a tailor by trade, located in Orange before 1798, where he spent most of his life, held many town offices, reared four sons and four daughters, and died at Burlington at an advanced age. Capt. Charles H. Stacy, his eldest son, kept hotel at Orange, later re- moved to Corinth, and to Vershire in 1831, where he located on the farm still owned by his son James R., dying here in 1865. He was the father of eight children, of whom Horace and James R. are living. The latter has been selectman and justice of the peace several years. Horace has been engaged in the book business in the West for many years. H. B. Stacy, the second son of John, became a publisher in Burlington, and was United States consul to Russia.
Richard W. Barrett, of English descent, was born in Chili, South America, in 1835, and removed to England when a child. He came to this country when fourteen years of age, and in 1855 settled in Vershire, and was one of the first engaged in opening the Ely mines. He was general superintendent of the mines and invented a self-acting railroad switch. He is at present en- gaged in farming, and has been town clerk for ten years, treasurer, justice of the peace, notary public, lister, and selectman.
David T. Banker was born in Lyme, N. H., in 1821, and removed to Ver- shire, with his parents, at an early age. He has four children-Frank and Mrs. C. E. Douglass in this town, Charles R. in California, and Mrs. Loren K. Merrill in Bradford. Mr. Banker is a farmer and resides on road 39.
The First Congregational church of Vershire was organized July 14, 1787, the first church organized in the town, and Rev. Stephen Fuller was the first pastor. The first church building, a wooden structure, was built in 1802, and did service until 1836, when the present building, also of wood, was erected. The society now has forty members, under the pastoral charge of Rev. Evan Thomas. The Sunday-school has forty-five members.
499
TOWN OF WASHINGTON.
ASHINGTON lies in the northwestern part of the county in latitude . 44° 4' and longitude 4° 35', and is bounded north by Orange, east by Corinth, south by Chelsea, and west by Williamstown. It was granted by Vermont, November 6, 1780, and chartered to Maj. Elisha Burton and sixty-four others, August 8, 1781, and contained 23,040 acres. The terri- tory embraced in this charter was granted by New York by the name of Kingsland, and was constituted the shire town of the county of Gloucester. The grant was made previous to May 29, 1770, probably to William Kelley and others, and embraced about 24,000 acres. A number of sessions of the court of Quarterly Sessions, and the court of Common Pleas of Gloucester county, were held here previous to 1771, after which they were held in New- bury and Thetford. At the time the last effort was made to hold court in this town, the "court" got lost in the woods, as the following record of very ancient proceedings show :-
"Feb. 25, 1771.
" Sett out frome Moretown for Kings Land, travelled until Knight there Being No Road, and the Snow very Depe, we travelled on Snow Shoes or Rackets, on the 26th we travelled Some ways and held a Council when it was Concluded it was Best to open the Court as we Saw No Line it was not whether in Kingsland or Not. But we Concluded we were farr in the woods we Did not Expect to See any House unless we marched three miles within Kingsland and No one lived there when the Court was Ordered to be opened on the Spot. Present
"John Taplin, Judge " John Peters of the Quorum " John Taplin, Jr., Sheriff.
" All Causes Continued or adjourned over to Next term."
On the Bohonon farm, which is the central point of the town, the first jail in the county was built. It was constructed of logs, and could not have been a very safe place in which to incarcerate criminals, as it is related that the first prisoner, who was a man from Newbury, escaped, planted the potatoes which had been left for him to eat (as they had no jailor), and reached home ahead of the officer who had imprisoned him. The potatoes grew there for a number of years, coming up every spring spontaneously.
The first meeting of the proprietors under the charter was held June 25, 1783, at the house of Major Burton, in Norwich, Vt., when Col. John House was chosen moderator, and Albert Curtis, Esq., treasurer. A committee con- sisting of Timothy Bush, Oliver Williams, John Slafter, Phineas Powers and Joel Matthews was appointed to " begin a survey of said town and lay out 100-acre lots." They voted to raise a tax of $2 on each right of 300 acres to defray the expense of surveying, and it was to be paid on the first of September following. Maj. Safford was chosen to collect this tax. It was also voted, " as soon as the aforementioned lots shall be laid out any pro- prietor shall have liberty to go on and pitch any one of said lots, which shall be appropriated to him, his heirs and assigns forever, provided lie begin and effect a settlement on the same as the charter directs, within twelve months
500
TOWN OF WASHINGTON.
after said lots are laid out." At a meeting of the proprietors held June 15, 1784, it was voted to give Mr. Daniel Moss 100 acres in the undivided lands. as a donation for his moving his family into town first. At the same meeting it was also voted to give "one lot for benefit of building first saw-mill," with the proviso that the owner must keep the mill in good repair for six years.
The following petition for the first town meeting was addressed to Thomas. .Porter, Esq., of Vershire, and was signed by Eber Blakeslee, Silas Peaslee, Eleazer Bartholomew, Abel Skinner, Gideon Smith, Bela Tracy, Beriah Skin- ner, Phineas Wright, Jacob Burton, town clerk, and others :
" WHEREAS, The town of Washington has not been organized, and we the subscribers think it necessary, in order to promote the best good of us as a. people, to be organized, and like wise to comply with the requirements of the statute laws of the state.
" Therefore, We, the subscribers, your petitioners, request Your Worship to grant your warrant to warn the inhabitants of the town of Washington, those who are legal voters, to vote in town meetings to meet at the dwelling house. of Jacob Burton, in said Washington, on the first Thursday of March next. at 10 o'clock in the morning on said day, then and there to act on the follow- ing business :-
"Ist, To choose moderator to govern meeting.
" 2d, To choose town clerk or register for said town of Washington.
"3d, To choose selectmen for said town of Washington.
" 4th, To choose such other town officers as the law directs.
" 5th, To do any other business that is thought to be necessary and proper to be acted upon at sd. meeting.
" Given under our hands at Washington, this Seventh Day of February, one Thousand Seven Hundred and Ninety Three (1793)."
The petition was granted and the meeting held March 1, 1793, at which time the following officers were elected : Eleazer Bartholomew, moderator ; Jacob Burton, town clerk and treasurer ; Abel Skinner, Bela Tracy, and Robert Ingraham, selectmen ; Elias Tracy, constable ; Able Skinner, Bela Tracy, and Robert Ingraham, listers ; Elias Tracy, collector of rates ; Phineas Wright, grand juryman; Gideon Smith, tithingmin ; Bela Tracy and Eleazer Bartholomew, fence viewers ; Thaddeus White, Beriah Skinner, and Nathan Barron, surveyors of highways; Gideon Smith and Stephen Strong to be a committee to assist the selectmen in the disposal of public lands. The first representative of the town was Thaddeus White, elected in 1794.
In 1809 a turnpike was built from Chelsea, the county seat, through Wash- ington to Montpelier, and this was the mail route from Hanover, N. H., to. Montpelier. The first mail was carried by General Washburn, on horse- back. He also carried the newspapers in s iddle-bags, and on nearing a house would blow a loud blast on a tin horn and throw out his papers. This con- tinued for only a short time, when a stage line was started.
On looking through the town records many things are observed that seem- strange to the present generation, among which are the records of "ear- marks," of which the following is a sample :-
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TOWN OF WASHINGTON.
" Giles Cheney's ear mark for cattle, sheep, and hogs is a square cross off of the right ear and a slit in the end of the same ear.
" Recorded Sept. 20th, 1814.
" E. Chapman, "T. Clerk."
It is in this town that many of the streams of Orange county take their rise. Wait's river receives two branches, one rising in the northeastern cor- ner, flowing through Orange and Topsham into the eastern part of Corinth ; the other in the southeastern part flows through Corinth and unites with the main river in Bradford. Many branches of the First branch of White river rise in the southern part, unite in Chelsea and flow south to the White river in Windsor county, while a branch of Winooski river rises near the center of the town and flows north through Orange. While there are no mountains in town the almost numberless hills are very abrupt, bordering on the precipi- tous, yet with a freedom from stones which enables them to be cultivated in many places nearly to their tops. The original forest growth has almost dis- appeared ; but orchards of sugar maple abound, and beech, birch, ash and other trees prevail.
The scenery, while not majestic, is pleasing in a high degree. There are no natural ponds, a feature in which this town differs from most others situ- ated on the height of land between river systems.
The first burials in town were in the old cemetery near the center of the town, and which is not now in use. Sarah Bliss, wife of Samnel Bliss, was buried here in April, 1789; Lydia Ingham, in January, 1802 ; Maj. John Stone, in December, 1807 ; and Bashaba White, wife of Thaddeus White, in February, 1809.
Among the first clergymen to hold services in the town the records show that Benjamin K. Hoyt was ordained June 3, 1813, by Rev. William M. Ken- die, bishop of the Methodist Episcopal church at Colchester, Conn. He came here soon after his ordination. In 1815 Amasa Taylor, also a Methodist, located here. Revs. Nathaniel Bolles and George Hackett were locatated here about 1815 and 1816.
The first physician to settle here was a Dr. Styles, who located near the center of the town. He was followed successively by Drs. Emmons, Blodget, Foster, Burton, Braley, Fields, Fields, Jr., Bailey, Scribner and Charles Newcomb, the latter still a practioner here, and to whom we are indebted for much valuable information.
The population of Washington in 1880 was 922. In 1886 the town had twelve school districts and an equal number of common schools, taught dur- ing the year by three male and seventeen female teachers, who received an average weekly salary, including board, of $6.50 and $3.96 respectively. There were 186 scholars, four of whom were attending private schools. The entire income for school purposes was $1,192.01, while the total expenditures were $1,312.47, with H. G. Carpenter, superintendent.
502
TOWN OF WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON is a pleasantly located post village in the northwestern part of the town, on Jail creek, and contains two general stores, two churches, two blacksmith shops, a good hotel, and about fifty dwellings, with a population of nearly 200.
SOUTH WASHINGTON is a halmet in the southern part of the town.
W. & C. W. Huntington's saw-mill, at Washington village, was built about 1866 by Warren Huntington, one of the present proprietors. It is operated by water-power and cuts from 300,000 to 400,000 feet of rough lumber per year, one-half custom work, cuts 150,000 shingles, does planing and turning, employing three to seven men.
The first settlement in the town was commenced in 1785, by Daniel Morse, who was soon joined by his brother, John Morse. A son of John Morse was the first child born in the town, and received from the proprietors fifty acres of land in consequence. The population increased but slowly, and it appears that many of the inhabitants, soon after the courts left the town, abandoned it also.
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