USA > Vermont > Washington County > Gazetteer of Washington County, Vt., 1783-1889 > Part 17
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97
Smith, Whitcomb & Cook are the proprietors of the Barre iron works, a merchant and custom grist-mill, and a saw-mill. The iron foundry was established by Joshua Thwing about 1818, who, it is said, melted the first iron
142
TOWN OF BARRE.
in the state. Mr. Thwing's business so increased that he enlarged the works in 1833. He conducted the business at this old stand about half a century. In 1868 the present firm (J. M. Smith, W. E. Whitcomb, and B. B. Cook) purchased the property. This firm does a general business as iron founders and machinists, and also manufacture several specialties, among them gears, shafting, hoisting machines and derricks, and a new superior stone polishing machine. They manufacture the North American plow, the improved Barre turbine water-wheel, and do millwright work. At the grist-mill they grind and retail more than one hundred car loads of corn meal annually.
J. S. Robinson's sash and blind factory is located on Stevens Branch, off road 48. He manufactures doors, sash, blinds, moldings, and house finish- ings, and deals in hard and soft wood lumber. Mr. Robinson came from Lowell, Mass., in 1857, and commenced business in the building now occupied by the firm of J. H. Batchelder & Co. In 1866 he converted a starch factory to his use, and in 1872 removed it to its present site and enlarged and improved it to meet the wants of his increasing business. He now contemplates erecting another addition of 70x40 feet.
J. Walter Phelps's saw, planing, and matching-mills are situated on Jail brook, on road 46. Mr. Phelps has been in possession of these mills since 1873. He manufactures dimension and house finishing lumber, does plan- ing and matching and general custom work, and turns out of manufactured goods in his line from 250,000 to 300,000 feet annually.
The National Granite Co. was organized August 23, 1886, with a cash capital of $10,000, and was the first granite stock company formed in Barre. The officers are : William H. Morse, president ; James Haley, vice-presi- dent ; W. A. Strong, secretary ; and C. B. Martin, treasurer. The board of directors are William H. Morse, H. N. Parkhurst, R. B. Vaughan, John McGlynn, and James Haley. At the end of the first year of success the company increased the capital stock to $50,000, and elected its present board of officers. It is a leading company in the business, and has a pleasant office and shops on the bank of the river. A convenient side track to the works, and a steam derrick, give them convenient facilities for loading their finished goods for shipping. This company turns out monumental, cemetery, fine statuary, and building granite, and employs a force of forty men.
Sumner Kimball's granite shops are located opposite the National Granite Co. Mr. Kimball removed his granite works from Montpelier in August, 1886. He also quarries and manufactures, for the wholesale and retail trade, a full line of monumental, cemetery, and building work, and employs from thirty to forty men.
The Barre granite works have an office and shops opposite the Central Vermont railroad station. Messrs. H. A. Duffy and W. S. George are the proprietors. The firm owns quarries of dark and light granite, employs from fifty to sixty men, manufactures every description of monumental, cemetery,
I43
TOWN OF BARRE.
and statuary work, and deals in both rough and finished granite. Mr. Duffy is a practical granite and marble cutter. He came to Barre from Syracuse, N. Y., where he had nineteen years' experience in the business, and, with Daniel J. Francis, was the firm of the "Syracuse Marble and Granite Co." The energy and push of this company has made it one of the leading firms in Barre.
The firm of W. C. Quinlen and T. J. Murphy has granite shops located on S. Main street. They are practical granite cutters. They com- menced business January 1, 1887, and moved to their present location May 1, 1887. Mr. Quinlen was earlier in the business with J. S. Young, now of Montpelier. They manufacture and deal in cemetery and monu- mental work, in dark and light granite, wholesale and retail, and employ from ten to twelve men.
Jones Brothers .- The firm of Jones Brothers have been for many years the largest dealers in monumental work in Boston, their place of business being on Kilby street. They were, likewise, the largest dealers in Barre gran- ite in the market, and often had the majority of the stonecutters in Barre working on their orders. Desiring to possess quarries and shops of their own in Barre, Jones Brothers, in August, 1886, purchased the business of Messrs. Mackie & Simpson. Since acquiring the property Jones Brothers have largely increased the force at both shops and quarries, and now give employment to seventy-five stonecutters and from twenty-five to thirty quarrymen, in addition to teamsters, etc. The firm's shops are on the bank of the river, spur tracks running thereto. Jones Brothers' quarries are eight acres in extent, and the firm deals in both finished and rough stone. They manufacture every class of cemetery and architectural work, and their business in Barre is managed by competent persons. Jones Brothers are in possession of unex- celled facilities for the rapid and economical execution of all orders. They employ skilled draughtsmen and designers, and present much originality in their work.
Wells, Lamson & Co .- This well-known firm, which is particularly well qualified to make contracts for the construction of any class of monumental work, and furnish original designs on short notice, was established in March, 1880, by Smith & Wells, the organization of the present firm dating January, 1882. The members of the firm are S. O. Wells, George Lamson, and J. K. Pirie. The location of the firm's shops is near the depot, the office being the nearest to the station of any of the granite firms. Two quarries are oper- ated by Wells, Lamson & Co., one embracing fifteen and one half acres of dark granite, and the other nine and one-half acres, medium in color. Half a hundred men are employed by the firm. The leading business of Wells, Lamson & Co. is in dark granite, which is very popular, for the reason that the contrast between the polished and the hammered surfaces is very great, enabling inscriptions to be distinguished at considerable distances. Every
144
TOWN OF BARRE.
class of monumental work is executed by this firm, but the leading specialty is heavy work, for which their stone is perfectly adapted, and in much favor.
Marr & Gordon .- On arriving in Barre by train the first granite working establishment to attract attention is that of Marr & Gordon, on the right hand side of the railroad track, at the end of the village. Two lines of sheds stand with gables to the railroad, about forty feet apart. Between these sheds is a novelty in the way of a hoisting machine, made in Aberdeen, Scotland. A track runs above each building, and spanning the space between is a bridge-like structure that can be moved along the tracks. Upon the bridge is the hoisting machinery, movable, also, so that blocks of granite can be carried from one shed across the court to the other, or from one end of the yard to the other. The apparatus extends over the railroad track, and by it cars are loaded quickly and easily. The apparatus is capable of lifting and carrying twelve tons. Marr & Gordon have been in business in Barre about four years. The individual members of the firm are Charles Marr and Alex- ander Gordon, both sturdy Scotchmen, who are practical stonecutters, sculp- tors, and designers. The firm manufacture for the trade exclusively. At their shops Marr & Gordon give employment to fifty men. The firm owns a quarry five acres in extent where they employ fifteen men. Marr & Gordon turn out all classes of granite monumental and architectural work, and do a large business in stone in the rough.
The Vermont Granite Co. is one of the largest granite working firms in Barre. The location of the works is on the opposite side of the railroad track from the depot building, and the plant has an area of four acres. The Vermont Granite Company was organized April 1, 1887, succeeding the well-known firm of White Brothers, which began business in March, 1882. The company has a capital of $60,000, and its officers are : S. C. White, presi- ident ; A. E. Bruce, vice-president ; H. K. Bush, secretary. The directory consists of S. C. White, George F. White, H. K. Bush, and A. E. Bruce. The Messrs. White, named in the directory, were the original proprietors of the industry, and both are practical sculptors and stonecutters of over forty years' experience. Mr. H. K. Bush has been for many years in hotel business at Saratoga Springs and Troy, N. Y., and is a thorough business man, who brings rare discernment and executive ability to the company. The Messrs. Bruce formerly composed the firm of Bruce Brothers, who con- ducted stonecutting works in Barre. The Vermont Granite Co. owns IIO acres of quarry property, in different parcels, and their wide range covers every variety of granite found in Barre. The company gives employment to over 100 hands in the various departments of the industry - stonecutting, quarrying, polishing, hauling, etc. Every facility here exists for the rapid and economical conduct of the business, and the company is able to dress granite at the least possible expense. The leading business of the company is in furnishing granite monuments at wholesale, and in dealing in rough granite, shipped in blocks. The company also sells granite quarries.
I45
TOWN OF BARRE.
Forsyth & Ingram's granite works are located off Granite street, west of the railroad. The members of the firm, S. H. Forsyth and James Ingram, are granite cutters of twenty years' experience. They engaged in business in Barre in 1882, and now occupy the shops formerly occupied by E. L. Smith & Co. They have every desirable facility for successfully carrying on their large business, including a derrick operated by steam. They quarry, manu- facture, and deal in monumental, fine carved, and statuary work in light and dark Barre granite. The firm has established a branch agency at 1,313. Washington avenue, St. Louis, Mo. They employ forty men.
James Cordiner's granite shops are located opposite Central Vermont railroad station. Mr. Cordiner is a practical granite cutter and commenced business in Barre in 1887, and manufactures for wholesale and retail all kinds of monumental and cemetery work. He gives employment to twelve or fif- teen hands.
E. A. Wilkinson's granite works are located on South Main street, where he' manufactures a full line of monumental and cemetery work, for the wholesale and retail trade, and gives employment to from ten to fifteen men. Mr. Wilkinson was in business one year with G. W. Mann, previous to 1882. They were the first to use steam-power for polishing granite. In 1882 he formed a partnership in the business with S. B. Huse. At the end of six months he bought Mr. Huse's interest and took as a partner William P. Day. The firm of Wilkinson & Day closed in July, 1886. Since then Mr. Wilkin- son has continued alone.
Smith & Hopkins (E. F. Smith, late of E. L. Smith & Co., and F. H. Hopkins) have granite shops north of Marr & Gordon's. This firm com- menced business May 1, 1887. They turn out monumental, statuary, and cemetery work, for wholesale and retail trade, and employ from twelve to fifteen men.
Emslie & Coburn's granite works are located opposite the Central Ver- mont railroad station. The firm, William Emslie and Alexander Coburn, practical granite cutters, commenced business in the spring of 1886. They turn out monumental and statuary work and all kinds of Barre granite, are wholesale and retail dealers, and employ sixteen men.
W. M. Warley's granite shops are located on Summer street. Mr. Warley started the business in Barre in the spring of 1879, when the granite industry was just being developed and only a few men were engaged in the business. Mr. Warley was then of the firm of Batchelder, Warley & Co., and succes- sively since of the firms of Warley Bros. and Warley & Williams. Since January 1, 1887, he has conducted the business alone. He deals in both rough and finished granite, and employs sixteen men.
A. H. Gamble's granite works are on South Main street in Barre. Mr. Gamble commenced the business with Charles Young, in the winter of 1882 and '83. In May, 1887, he sold his interest to his partner, intending to remove to New York. Circumstances prevented his removal and he re- 10 *
146
TOWN OF BARRE.
entered the granite business in Barre. He manufactures monumental and cemetery work for the wholesale trade, and employs from ten to fifteen men.
Carnes & Kane's granite cutting and polishing shops are located at East Barre village. Mr. Carnes commenced business in 1879, and then employed but one man. In 1885 he built the shops, 50 by 20 feet, now occupied by the firm, and put in two polishing machines. Mr. Kane became his partner in 1886. The firm owns two quarries and turns out a general line of monu- mental and statuary, rough and polished, granite work, and gives employment to twenty men.
P. O. Wheaton's granite quarry, the first opened in Barre, produces a quality adapted to building purposes, of which Mr. Wheaton makes a specialty. His shops are located near Cobble hill. Mr. Wheaton employs in summer twenty men and in winter from six to eight.
Mann Brothers' granite shops (George W. and Ambrose) are located east of the railroad and north of Marr & Gordon. This firm quarrys and manu- factures at wholesale and retail, cemetery and monumental granite, and employs about twenty-five men. Mr. George W. Mann is one of Barre's pioneers in the granite business.
Fraser & Cassie (James Fraser and George Cassie), both practical granite cutters, have shops located just north of Marr & Gordon. They commenced business in June, 1887. This firm also manufactures, for the wholesale and retail trade, Barre granite, for monumental and cemetery purposes, and em- ploys from fifteen to twenty men.
Littlejohn & Barclay (S. L. Littlejohn and William Barclay), practical granite cutters of fifteen years' experience, have shops on the bank of the river, north of Jones Bros. The firm commenced business in April, 1887. They manufacture from Barre granite, cemetery, monumental and statuary work, for wholesale and retail trade, and employ sixteen men.
Milne & Connan (Alexander Milne and John Connan), manufacturers of Barre granite, have shops just north of Jones Bros. Mr. Milne commenced business in Barre in 1886. In May, 1887, Mr. Connan became his partner. They are doing a wholesale and retail business in monumental and statuary work, and employ about twenty men.
Milne & Wyllie (George B. Milne and William S. Wyllie) have granite shops opposite Lane & Moore's planing-mills. They are young men and practical workmen, and natives of Scotland. They began business in Barre in April, 1886, and are manufacturing monuments and fine statuary, for wholesale and retail trade, and employ twenty men.
Herlihy & Williams (M. C. Herlihy and Thomas Williams) formed this co-partnership January 1, 1887. Their shops are opposite the National Granite Co. They employ about thirty men in the manufacture of all kinds of granite work for building and monumental purposes, and do a wholesale and retail business.
147
TOWN OF BARRE.
Edgar Norton's granite shops are just north of Jones Bros., on the river bank. Mr. Norton commenced business in Barre January 1, 1886, is a prac- tical granite cutter, and is acquainted with every detail of the business. He employs fifteen men in manufacturing, for the wholesale and retail trade, all kinds of cemetery and statuary work.
J. E. Sullivan has a granite shop just west of the National Granite Co. Mr. Sullivan has had over twenty years' experience as a practical workman in the business. He commenced business in Barre in the winter of 1884 and 1885. He turns out a general line of manufactured goods for the wholesale and retail trade, and employs from ten to fifteen men.
Alexander Grant & Co. are sculptors and designers, and make a speci- alty of fine carved statuary work. Mr. Grant, the senior member of this firm, was born in Parish Alvah, Banffshire, Scotland. He came to America in 1872, and learned his trade in Hallowell, Maine. He has the honor of carving the first figure in granite in Vermont, and has since executed some of the most celebrated pieces of statuary in this country. Mr. A. J. Dingle, the junior member of the firm, was born in Cornwall, England, and came to this country in 188r. He has also executed some very fine statuary work.
James Ahern, manufacturer of all kinds of quarrymen's and stonecutters' tools, came from Rhode Island, and commenced his manufacturing business November 1, 1886. His shop is located at the foot of Granite street, and is furnished with an eight-horse power upright steam engine. Mr. Ahern employs four men.
E. C. French, manufacturer of granite, commenced business in 1883, where E. A. Wilkinson is now engaged. In 1885 he moved to his present location, on South Main street. He executes monumental and cemetery work of all kinds, for wholesale and retail trade, and employs ten men.
Charles Young's granite works are located on South Main street. Mr. Young commenced business in the spring of 1883, with A. H. Gamble as his partner, where H. A. Duffy now has a shop. In the ensuing fall they moved to his present quarters. In the fall of 1887 Mr. Gamble retired from the firm and Mr. Young continues alone. He turns out all kinds of monumental and cemetery work, and employs from fifteen to twenty men.
L. W. Whitcomb & Son's granite polishing shops are located on Stevens Branch, Factory Village, and are run by a thirty-horse power steam engine. Their works contain thirteen polishing machines and employ fifteen men. They do all kinds of work in their line.
John Mc Donald and Alexander Buchan, natives of Scotland, are both prac- tical stonecutters, and commenced business in June, 1884, under the firm name of McDonald & Buchan. They then employed one man. Their business has increased constantly, and they now employ thirty men in the manufac- ture of all kinds of granite, but make a specialty of carved and drapery work.
148
TOWN OF BARRE.
Staffords & Batchelder manufacture all kinds of polished granite columns and pilasters, for buildings. This enterprise is the only one of its kind in Barre. The industry was instituted in December, 1886, by the firm of Stafford & Ladd. In April, 1887, Mrs. J. H. Batchelder purchased the interest of Ladd, and since then the business has been conducted under the present firm name. They now also turn out urns, vases, and round work in either large or small pieces, rough or polished. The shops are at the foot of Granite street. The firm employs five men.
Hobbs & Mc Donald manufacture, deal in and repair all kinds of stone- cutters' and quarrymen's tools. Their shops are located near Forsyth & Ingram's granite shops, off the foot of Granite street, and are run by a twelve- horse power upright steam engine. They employ four men. Mr. Hobbs commenced business January 1, 1887, and Mr. McDonald became his partner April 15 of the same year.
Lane & Moore (W. A. Lane and A. D. Moore) are proprietors of a steam planing-mill, located at the foot of Granite street. They are young men and thorough mechanics. They commenced business in September, 1885. They are dealers in rough and dressed hard and soft wood lumber, moldings, sheathing, and house finishing lumber, and are jobbers in general wood work.
Donald Mc Leod came to Barre from Aberdeen, Scotland, and is a practi- cal granite cutter. After working at his trade in . Barre four years, he estab- lished his present business in April, 1886, at the foot of Granite street. Mr. McLeod turns out a general line of monumental and cemetery work, in gran- ite, for the wholesale and retail trade. He employs fourteen men.
E. L. Smith & Co. (E. L., John E., and Donald Smith), quarrymen, are wholesale and retail dealers in rough and finished, light and dark, Barre gran- ite, monumental, cemetery, and statuary work. This firm gives employment to about forty men. Mr. E. L. Smith began business on Cobble hill, in the spring of 1868, and has continued in the granite business from that time to the present (1888). He has been associated as partner in several firms, and has been in this special business a longer time than any other man in Barre. In the long time he has been in the business he has furnished granite for the construction of the Methodist seminary and postoffice buildings in Mont- 1 pelier, the Reform school at Waterbury, and an incalculable amount for nu- merous other buildings. Mr. Smith was the first in Barre to quarry granite in winter ; first to place on his quarry a permanent derrick ; first to adopt the steam drill ; and the first to use the electric battery in blasting.
John Goldsbury, as seen by the record in the old family Bible, published in 1759, and now possessed by his grandson, John A. Goldsbury, was mar- ried to Rebecca Hastings, and settled on West hill, in the town of Wilders- burgh, now Barre, about 1788. His was the second family in town, having been preceded only a short time by Samuel Rogers. Soon after several other families came in. They then had to go twenty miles or more to the nearest grist-mill, in 'Randolph. Mr. and Mrs. Goldsbury reared a family of nine
I49
TOWN OF BARRE.
children. John Goldsbury, Jr., was their third child. His marriage with Clarrissa Roundly was blessed with one son, Loren, born in Barre, in Decem- ber, 1807. Loren married Sally Heath, and they had two children, John A. and Emily C. (Mrs. Oel Town), of Barre. John A. resides on the farm set- tled by his grandfather, and in the house which he built. He was born May 17, 1834, and united in marriage, February 5, 1858, with Louise Preston, who bore him six children, viz .: Albert C., Leonard A. (deceased), Clara B. (Mrs. W. M. Emerson), of Barre, Willie A., Fred E., and Helen R. John A. Golds- bury is a successful farmer and milkman.
John Sherman, brother of Capt. Joseph Sherman who contested for the honor of naming the town of Barre, with Jonathan Sherman, came from Hol- den, Mass., and settled in the northeast part of the town, on the farm now owned by P. P. Larabee, and where he resided until his death, March 28, 1848, aged seventy-eight years. He married, first, Orpha Glidden, who was the mother of five children. His second wife, Mrs. Sally (Freeman) Larabee, was the mother of his daughter Sadie F., who married Elbridge G. Rosebrook, and resides in Guildhall, Vt.
Isaac S. Thompson and his wife came from Holden, Mass., in the spring of 1790, in company with Mr. and Mrs. Major Nathan Harrington. M.r. Thompson lived in Harrington's house the first season, and then located on the farm now owned by his son Phineas. They made the journey from Massachusetts with an ox-team. At that time they had to go to Newbury to mill. There were then only four or five families in town, viz .: Capt. Rogers, Capt. Hale, Mr. Goldsbury, and Mr. Dwight. Mr. Thompson was constable for some years, and went to Plattsburgh, N. Y., with his company, from Barre. He died in 1827, aged sixty-three years.
The Carleton family in America is of English extraction. Jeremiah Carle- ton, son of Jeremiah, was born in Newburyport, Mass., and when a child accompanied his parents to Lyndeboro, N. H. In 1794, when about twenty years of age, he came to Barre and located on the farm in the northeasterly part of the town, which has ever since remained in the possession of the family. He felled the first tree in 1795, and, it is said, cut nine acres of heavy timber in seventeen days. December 6, 1798, he married Deborah Edwards, of Montpelier. Their children were Jeremiah, Silas, Noah, Deborah, Elliott, David, Hiram, Betsey, and Guy. David Carleton resided on the homestead where he was born until his decease, which occurred April II, 1888. He married Mary Wheeler, daughter of the late Benjamin I. Wheeler, of East Montpelier, January 31, 1837. Their children were Hiram, now judge of probate for the district of Washington; Mrs. Mary Hazen, deceased ; Mrs. Ellen Osgood; Edwin, who now occupies the old farm ; and Mrs. Fanny D. Dike. Mr. and Mrs. David Carleton celebrated their golden wedding January 31, 1887.
John and Asa Dodge, sons of Nathaniel Brown Dodge, Sr., were among the early settlers of Barre. They came from Winchester, N. H., and settled
150
TOWN OF BARRE.
in the northwest part of the town. Their ancestor, William Dodge, came to America from Lancashire, Eng., in the ship Lion's Whelp, in 1629, and settled in Salem, Mass. Later he returned to England, married and brought his wife and brothers Richard and John with him. Asa Dodge, before mentioned, was born February 13, 1770, and married Abigail Blodgett, who was the mother of his twelve children. His son, N. Brown Dodge, married Elva Smith, and they were parents of seven children. He is still living, and resides with his daughter, Mrs. Ira Benjamin, in Berlin. Wesley Dodge, son of Asa, was born July 13, 1803, married Irena Bullock and settled in Barre. He died March 4, 1879, and his wife died April 17, 1879. They had one child, Abba P., born October 20, 1825, who married Horace W. Soule, and lives in Barre. They have three children, all living.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.