USA > Vermont > Washington County > Gazetteer of Washington County, Vt., 1783-1889 > Part 48
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Col. Orange Fifield, whose own remark that he " belongs to the old line " is as accurate as he once gave our lamented and esteemed townsman, Charles T. Sabin, the credit of being, has lived in Montpelier for about a quarter of a century. His "six foot " form, his business capacity, his large acquaintance with men, and his command of a full vocabulary to express forcibly such of his large stock of original ideas as he has thought best to make public, have made him a notable man in the communities where he has lived. He has been the author of the matter for a large number of books of the size and pith of Poor Richard's Almanac-books never made, however, because in his day it was not the fashion to have a private stenographer. He is the son of Captain Samuel Fifield, who came from near Concord, N. H., and early settled in the town of Orange. Col. Fifield was born April 12, 1803, in Orange, where he " grew up," and became a merchant and general dealer,
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and spent the greater part of a very active business life. He bought wool and country produce all through Northern Vermont, and was largely engaged in buying wool in the West, and also in the cattle trade in the days when beef came east "on the hoof " instead of being transported under the pro- visions more or less well observed of the interstate commerce act. Col. Fi- field accumulated a large property, but like many other Vermonters be- lieved in real estate to his financial injury in his later days.
He obtained his title of colonel by being the commander for some years of a regiment of the old militia. He was the cotemporary of George Colla- mer, and many other active and live business men of the olden time. His wife, lately deceased, was a daughter of Captain David Nelson, of Orange ; she was descended on her mother's side from the Adamses, of Massachusetts. There were six children of the marriage, of whom Hon. Benjamin F. Fifield, of Montpelier, is the eldest. And the son never brought sharper wit or clearer thought to unravel the tangled skein of the long railroad litigation than the father used in his every day stock in matters little and big. Col. Fifield, since he came to Montpelier, lived in the house just east of the Pavilion, where, since the decease of his wife, a daughter has kept house for him.
He was an old Whig, and in later days has been a very lively and "set " Republican. His off-hand platform in 1880-perhaps in parts brought down from earlier times-was: "Free speech, free soil, protection to American in- dustry : let brains win and salt water bound us." That same year, when the Democratic town committee had secured Village hall for a meeting the even- ing before freemen's meeting, and some of the Republicans were worrying because " the Democrats had got our hall," his answer was: " Got our hall ! The Democrats got our hall ? Our hall is America ! " And last July, near the opening of the campaign, after hearing some vigorous Democratic stump or other oratory, he remarked : "The voice of the quiet, good people is going to elect Harrison. It isn't these bawling, - cusses that are going to carry this election. The quiet, good people are going to elect him, sir; what do you say ? " When George W. Wing was going off to try a lawsuit for him, and on the way inquired what about his proof of certain matters, his lawyer's heart was comforted by the assurance: "Got it right here in black and white ; that wasn't any - gabble on a knoll." He it was who some years ago assured the writer that his memory as to things of later years was not very good, but " as to things that happened sixty years ago it's like the sight of a diamond's eye." But one never took the pains to make a note of anything he said that was the source of keen mental enjoyment, because any one who knew him well understood that the next time he saw him he could get a fresh batch as original as any that had come before: so a host of sayings, with a nugget of philosophy in many a one of them, have gone their way-some forgotten at once, some heard by Charles T. Sabin, or Charles H. Heath, or Clarence H. Pitkin, or George W. Wing, or men of that kind, kept for a
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little while passing about among appreciative acquaintances, but, like all things resting in tradition, resisting in their original clear cut from the eating tooth of time. One more, however, comes now to mind. When Charles. W. Willard died Col. Fifield said to the writer, " All our good men seem to be dying off; and the villages don't grow those to take their places ; we've got to rake 'em in off the side hills."
John Victor Morrow was born in Plattsburgh, N. Y., May 16, 1843, learned the trade of marble worker, and at the age of fifteen years enlisted into Co. A, 7th Regt. N. Y. militia, and was promoted from sergeant to first lieutenant, and, next, to the post of captain, in 1860. At the breaking out of the war, in 1861, his company, by the requisition of Gov. Seymour, was. ordered to the seat of war. April 11, 1861, this boy captain, less than eigh- teen years old, led his company of eighty-five men to the front. The even- ing of his arrival at Washington, without stopping for supper or rest, he was ordered to Baltimore Turnpike, just across the Potomac, in Maryland, and at twelve o'clock at night was engaged in battle, with four companies of the. rebel militia under command of Stonewall Jackson. The enemy was repulsed with terrible slaughter, and fifty prisoners were captured. Capt. Morrow re- ceived a gun-shot wound in the left arm, and a severe one in the lower jaw,. with the loss of five teeth. One of his men was slain and five wounded. Notwithstanding his wounds Capt. Morrow refused to go to the hospital, but remained with his command. Later he was attached to Buell's corps, par- ticipated in the battle at Fairfax Court House, and at the end of three months, when he was mustered out of service, there were only sixteen of his. eighty-five men left. In New York city he at once reënlisted in Col. Ells- worth's regiment, with rank of first lieutenant, was present when that brave officer was murdered, participated in twenty-eight engagements and thirty-two. skirmishes, and received a wound in the knee and another in his ankle. June 25, 1864, for bravery on the field, he was promoted captain in the regular army and transferred to Gen. Sherman's army, at Atlanta, Ga., and "marched to the sea." In crossing the Savannah river, in charging the bridge, he lost heavily of his company and received a bullet in his right side near the hip, and another through the left lung, which lodged in his left shoulder, where it still remains. He was nineteen weeks on board the hospital ship Cosmopol- itan, receiving excellent treatment, and as soon after as he was able he re- signed his position and returned to civil life. He now resides in the village of Montpelier, on the old hospital ground, where he has been since the war.
Dean G. Kemp, M. D., son of Phineas A. and Betsey (Blanchard) Kemp, was born in Worcester, Vt., November 8, 1841. He resided with his father until he was about eighteen years of age, and like other farmers' boys spent his time in attendance at the district school and at hard labor. He then went to Montpelier and was in attendance at Washington County Grammar and Union School about three years, with the medical profession as the ob- ject to be attained. In 1862 he entered, as a medical student, the office of
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Dr. W. H. H. Richardson. He remained with Dr. Richardson, attended med- ical lectures at Bellevue Hospital Medical College, New York city, graduated March 26, 1866, and commenced the practice of his profession with his tutor, Dr. Richardson, one week later. April 1, 1867, he purchased the resi- dence of Dr. Richardson, and succeeded him, where he is now in successful practice. Dr. Kemp was a member of the board of examining surgeons for pensions in the administrations of Presidents Garfield and Arthur. He held the honorable position of president of the Vermont State Medical society in 1886, has been secretary of the school board for several years, and is a director of the Montpelier Electric Light and Power Manufacturing Co. In politics Dr. Kemp is a decided Republican, and is a member of Bethany church. September 5, 1866, he united in marriage with Annette C. Max- ham, of Northfield, an amiable and highly cultivated lady.
Enoch D. Putnam, son of Jacob, was born in Alstead, N. H., March 26, 1813. In 1820 his father moved with his family from Alstead to Marshfield, Vt. His education was acquired in common schools and the Washington County Grammar School of Montpelier. In early manhood he taught common schools eight terms, in the towns of Marshfield, Cabot, Peacham, Vt., and Canajoharie, N. Y. In 1835 he entered the store of George D. Dana, in Cabot, as clerk, and in the spring of 1836 he settled in Kenosha, Wis., in the employ of Denning & Durkee, merchants. In the spring of 1837 he opened a store at Fox River, now Burlington, Wis., in company with his late employers, where he traded until the following December, when he returned to Vermont. April 4, 1840, he bought the store and stock of goods of H. McLane, Jr., & Co., in Marshfield village, where he continued in trade fourteen years. In 1848 he represented Marshfield in the legisla- ture, was elected assistant judge of Washington County Court the same year, and was reelected in 1849. While in trade in Marshfield he manufactured potato starch seven years. In March, 1854, he formed a mercantile partner- ship with A. F. Sprague, in Cabot, where he continued thirteen years. In 1858 he was state senator for Washington county and reelected in 1859. In 1868 he sold to Mr. Sprague and removed to Montpelier, and assumed charge of the large boarding-house of the Vermont Methodist Seminary, where he remained two years. In July, 1871, he engaged in the wholesale trade in tea, tobacco, and spices, with the firm of Tute, Putnam & Co., of Boston. In the fall of 1873 he sold his interest in the store in Boston to L. W. Jones, of Montpelier, and in company with his son-in-law, Thomas Marvin, bought the stock of groceries, crockery, and glassware of Mr. Jones. At the great fire in Montpelier, May 31, 1875, their store and stock of goods, worth about $7,000, were entirely destroyed, but their business was sus- pended only two weeks. Mr. Putnam continued the senior member of this firm until June 5, 1888, when he retired from the firm. Mr. Putnam entered the mercantile business in 1835, and continued in it with very little interrup- tion about fifty-three years ; and now (1889) he is enjoying good health, with
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his mental faculties unusually well pres‹ March 26, 1845, he married Mary Ann Stone, of Cabot. Their children were Charles B., born in Marsh- field, January 1, 1846, who is a printer, and is now engaged in the office of the Rutland Herald; Clara R., born in Marshfield, August 19, 1847, died in Cabot, July 14, 1856 ; Eva, born in Marshfield, October 7, 1853, married Thomas Marvin, a merchant, of Montpelier ; and Isabel, born in Cabot, June 16, 1862, married Henry A. Phelps, of the firm of Phelps Brothers, hard- ware merchants, of Barre.
George C. Chandler, son of Dr. Charles B. and Nancy (Atherton) Chand- ler, was born in Tunbridge, Vt., August 16, 1831. He received a common school education and commenced life as a merchant in Waterbury, Vt., at the age of nineteen years. After being in Waterbury six years he emigrated to Lawrence, Kan., and was there three years dealing in real estate. He was a real estate broker in the city of New York, from 1872 to 1885. In January, 1886, he removed to his present residence in Berlin, where he is now engaged in farming. He married, April 18, 1853, Margaret R. Sears, of Waterbury, who died in 1863. He married his present wife, Alathia M. Smith, December 12, 1865.
M ORETOWN lies a little west of the center of Washington county, in latitude 44° 15' and longitude 4° 19', and is bounded northerly by the Winooski river, which separates it from Middlesex' and Water- bury, easterly by Berlin, southerly by a part of Northfield and Waitsfield, and westerly by Duxbury.
This township was chartered June 7, 1763, by Gov. Benning Wentworth, of New Hampshire, is about six miles square, and contains 23,040 acres.
Moretown is mountainous and quite broken in surface, but contains many good dairy farms and sugar orchards. It is well watered by numerous mount- ain streams and springs. Mad river is the principal water-course, which enters the town from Waitsfield, about a mile from the southwestern corner, and traverses in a northeasterly directon entirely across the township, and falls into the Winooski. This stream affords some of the best water-powers in the state. Moretown also boasts of several good mineral springs.
The rocks that form the geological structure of this territory are principally the talcose schist formation. Beds of saccharoid azoic limestone have been discovered, and one of steatite.
The settlement of the town was commenced about 1790. In that year Ebenezer Haseltine came from Lunenburgh, Mass., and commenced to clear a farm on the Winooski river about a mile and a half from Duxbury line. Mr. Haseltine found that he had a neighbor who had preceded him. Seth Munson was then living near where Mr. Haseltine made his pitch. Those
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who did not resort to the stump-mill, an immense mortar constructed by burning a large and deep cavity in the top of a solid stump, in which the corn was placed and reduced to meal by pounding with a huge pestle, went down the Winooski, with their corn, to a mill in Burlington, carrying both the skiff and corn past the Bolton falls. Col. Jacob Davis erected a grist-mill at Montpelier in the summer of 1789. If the above statement is authentic his- tory, as given by a descendant of Mr. Haseltine, and also found in Hemen- way's Gazetteer, we conclude that the inhabitants of Moretown preferred the easy water-course to Burlington, with the exception of Boltor. falls, to the probable rough and rugged road to Montpelier. Possibly there was no road at all as early as 1790.
The town must have settled quite rapidly the next two years, for the town records show that, March 9, 1792, Joseph Haseltine, Seth Munson, David Parcher, and Ebenezer Haseltine petitioned Richard Holden, a justice of the peace of Waterbury, to call a meeting of the voters in Moretown, to be held at the house of Joseph Haseltine, for the purpose of electing officers for More- town. The inhabitants met in accordance with this warning, March 22, 1792, and proceeded to elect the following list of town officers : Daniel Parcher, moderator ; Seth Munson, town clerk ; Joseph Haseltine, Daniel Parcher, and John Heaton, selectmen ; Phillip Bartlett, treasurer ; Joseph Haseltine, constable ; John Heaton and Ebenezer Haseltine, listers ; Joseph Haseltine, collector ; and Joseph Parcher, highway surveyor.
In those early days the robust wives and daughters of the pioneers not only spun, wove, and made the clothing for their families, but they also assisted in the field work. Mrs. Ebenezer Haseltine and Aunt Judith Has- eltine gathered sap on snow-shoes, and caught quantities of trout from the Winooski.
The first school district in town was organized in the Haseltine neighbor- hood. The first birth in town was probably that of Polly Phemia Munson. Paul Knapp, who was killed by a falling tree, was the first person who died in town. Rev. Mr. Brown (Universalist) was the first minister who settled in town, and deeded to the town, for the benefit of its schools, the lands re- served for the first settled minister. Moretown was first represented in the legislature by Luther Moseley, who was chosen by seven voters.
Winship & Thornton were the first merchants, and opened their store in 1815, and their first load of goods was brought from Burlington by Cephas Carpenter. In 1822 Mr. Stevens commenced business as a merchant, and built a distillery and made whiskey. His death, which occurred about two years later, was considered a loss to the town. Martin L. Lovell and Francis Liscomb built a starch factory in 1833, and operated it about five years. It was then converted into a tannery by Jesse Johnson, and burned three or four years later. Joseph Sawyer built the first hotel in town, in 1835. The first physician was Dr. Stephen Pierce. He was a successful, skillful, and highly respected physician, and died in Barnard about 1864. Soon after the
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young Doctor located in the town the neighbors were discussing his merits, and one gave as his opinion that he had a very good theory of physic, but he lacked the practice. Very soon after this Mr. A. March, who had a sick child, called on the Doctor and asked for some "theory of physic " to admin- ister to his child. The Doctor supplied him, and often related the joke to his friends.
In 1840 Moretown had a population of 1, 128, and in 1880, 1,181. In 1888 the town had eleven school districts and supported twelve schools,. taught by one male and twenty female teachers, at a weekly salary of $6.67 for the male, and an average weekly salary of $4.31 for the females. The whole number of children in town who attended school was 226, of whom seven attended private schools. The total income for school purposes was $1,811.63. The whole amount expended for all school purposes was, $1,571.31. U. P. Child was superintendent.
Owing to the mountainous condition of the township it is divided into several separate neighborhoods, which prevents building up any large village within its borders, and many of the farmers market their produce in Water- bury, Montpelier, and Northfield.
MORETOWN village and postoffice is located in the southwestern part of the town, on Mad river. It contains two general stores, a hardware store, two grist-mills, two saw-mills, two blacksmith shops, an hotel, an undertaker's and carriage shop, one box factory, two churches (Roman Catholic and Methodist), and a population of about 200.
The grist-mill now owned and operated by I. D. Robinson & Son is: located at Moretown village, and was built by Charles Howe in 1831. It has four runs of stones, and does custom work. In connection with the grist- mill I. D. Robinson & Son are proprietors of a saw-mill, which was built in 1874 by I. D. Robinson. The mill cuts from 100,000 to 200,000 feet of lumber and about 200,000 shingles annually.
Messrs. Parker & Gillett's saw-mills are located at Moretown village, and were built by Charles Howe. The property was purchased by Mr. Parker in 1873, and in 1885 Mr. Gillett became his partner. This firm now turns out annually from 200,000 to 300,000 feet of lumber and about 200,000 shingles.
Orville H. Richardson's lumber and clapboard-mills are located on the Wi- nooski river, opposite the village of Middlesex. Mr. Richardson purchased the property in 1883. He turns out annually about 1,000,000 feet of clap- boards and other lumber, and employs six men.
The saw mill, butter tub factory, and cider-mill of C. A. Stevens are located on Jones brook, corner of roads 17 and 15. This property was purchased by Mr. Stevens in April, 1884. He manufactures about 20,000 feet of coarse lumber, 12,000 butter tubs, and 1,000 barrels of cider annually. He also manufactures, as a specialty, stone boat or drag plank.
The carriage and undertaking shops of Lovejoy & Towle, at Moretown village, were built by Calvin Foster in 1850, and became the property of the 26*
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present owners in 1867. This firm does undertaking, and manufactures car- riages, wagons, and sleighs, and does general repairing in their line.
H. O. Ward's box factory and grist-mill, at Moretown village, on Mad river, gives employment to six men, and manufactures about 1,000,000 feet of lumber into boxes annually. An old mill was burned on this site May 15, 1887, and J. B. Farrell and his wife, who lived in one part of it, perished in the flames. Mr. Ward's mill was built in the ensuing fall. Charles H. Dale ·operates the grist-mill, and grinds from 20,000 to 25,000 bushels of grain per year. Mr. Ward resides in Duxbury.
Joseph M. Brown & Son's saw and planing-mills, on road 33, are run by water-power and a forty-horse-power steam engine. This firm employs four men, and turns out from 600,000 to 800,000 feet of lumber annually.
G. S. & P. A. Chapman's saw-mill is located on road 33, in the eastern part of the town. It is run by water-power, and cuts about 200,000 feet of lumber annually.
John Foster, from Bridgewater, Vt., settled in Moretown on the farm where his grandson, Charles A. Foster, now lives. He reared a numerous family, and died in 1842. His son John was born in Moretown, in 1793, where he died in 1837. He married Ruth Rich, and they were parents of four chil- dren, all of whom are living, viz .: Charles A., Ruel S., John R., and Harriet J. (Mrs. N. K. Herrick), of Middlesex. Charles A. Foster, who resides on the old homestead, as before mentioned, has held the office of selectman of his town, and has been justice of the peace the past sixteen years. He married Huldah A. Hathaway, of East Montpelier. Their seven children now living are Mrs. F. M. McElroy, of Middlesex, Mrs. E. A. Drew, of Barre, Mrs. Ernest Crown, of Manchester, Vt., John E., of Bridgeport, Conn., Charles F., of Taunton, Mass., Arthur C., of Hartford, Conn., and Jesse J., of Pittsfield, Mass.
Ebenezer Haseltine came to Moretown from Lunenburgh, Mass., and set- tled on the banks of the Winooski in 1790. He was elected lister at the organization of the town, March 22, 1792. At the same meeting his brother Joseph, who probably came to Moretown about as early as he, was elected selectman, constable, and collector. Joseph Haseltine and six of his brothers served as soldiers in the Revolutionary war. Ebenezer, son of Ebenezer, resides on the farm where he was born, in 1813.
Alleduren Stowell, from Connecticut, was a pioneer of Moretown, and one of the earliest settlers. He located at the Common, where he cleared a farm and reared a large family, all now deceased. He died about 1840. His daughter Polly was the wife of John Howes, whose son George resides on road 26. He represented Moretown in the legislature of 1878. John Howes settled in the town at an early date. He died in 1846. His son John was born in Moretown, and here resided until his death, in 1881, aged sixty-one years. He was selectman, and held other town offices. Five of his children reside in Moretown.
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Amos Holt and his father, Humphrey Holt, came from New Hampshire to Montpelier at an early date. They made the shingles that covered the first State House. Amos Holt was a man of good abilities. His wife, Hopy, daughter of Abraham Howland, one of the first settlers of Calais, lived to the advanced age of ninety-four years. Their son David C., a school teacher, carpenter, and surveyor, served as fifer one year in the late war, in Co. G, 6th Vt. Regt. Amos Holt died in Moretown.
Abner Child, a native of Thompson, Conn., came to Moretown from Sharon, Vt., in 1805, and settled on the farm where his son Roswell now lives. He cleared the farm and reared to maturity a family of six children, of whom Dennis, residing in Wisconsin, and Roswell, before mentioned, re- siding on the old homestead, are living. Mr. Child was interested in the welfare of his town. He was captain of the militia and clerk of the town many years, and one of the foremost in prominence and influence. He died in 1860.
David Belding, from Swanzey, N. H., came to Moretown about 1810. He was a farmer, and settled on Mad river. He resided awhile in Duxbury, but died in Moretown in 1860, aged seventy-four years. Mr. Belding took an active part in the affairs of his town, and officiated as justice of the peace, lister, and selectman, and represented his town several terms in the legisla- ture. Three of his children reside in Washington county, viz .: Mrs. Mar- shall and David Belding in Moretown, and Eben Belding in Duxbury.
Barnabas Mayo came to Moretown from Acworth, N. H., in 1812, and settled on the farm where his son Barnabas now lives. He was a man of considerable influence and represented Moretown in the state legislature sev- eral terms. He died in 1847.
Osgood Evans, a native of Weare, came to Moretown from Bow, N. H., in 1827, and settled on a farm where Thomas Grandfield now lives. He was an influential citizen and served as representative in the legislature, and held other positions of trust. He died at the village in March, 1886. His wife, Mary P. (Bailey) Evans, still survives, and resides with her son George in Moretown. Their other surviving son, M. O. Evans, is an enterprising mer- chant of Waterbury.
Moses P. Heath, a native of Concord, N. H., came to Moretown about 1834, and died here in 1876. He was justice of the peace over twenty con- secutive years, and filled acceptably other town offices. His son Ephraim A. was born in Lincoln, Addison county, in 1846, and was admitted to the bar of Washington county, September 25, 1869. He began the practice of law in Montpelier, where he remained one year, and then returned to Moretown, where he has since resided and practiced his profession.
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