Gazetteer of Washington County, Vt., 1783-1889, Part 56

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836-, comp; Adams, William, fl. 1893, ed
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Syracuse, N. Y., The Syracuse journal company, printers
Number of Pages: 898

USA > Vermont > Washington County > Gazetteer of Washington County, Vt., 1783-1889 > Part 56

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46 1

TOWN OF ROXBURY.

Sylvanus F. Rich, son of Elias and Betsey (Coburn) Rich, was born in Northfield. In September, 1849, he married Abbie E. Cousens. Mr. Rich was overseer of a cotton manufactory in Waltham, Mass., about five years. In 1851 he went to California, returning in 1854 to Lawrence, Mass., where- he assisted in starting the ill-fated Pemberton mills. In 1859 he settled on East hill, in Roxbury, and in 1870 removed to his present home on road 15. Mr. Rich is an enterprising farmer and a respected citizen.

Ashel, son of Phineas and Sarah (Cheney) Flint, was born in Braintree, Vt., October 22, 1813. He married Roxana Willey, and after residing in. several of the surrounding towns finally settled in Roxbury, where he is en- gaged in farming, on road 41. Mr. and Mrs. Flint are parents of three sons and a daughter (Mrs. Mason C. Shepard), of Northfield.

Edwin P. Burnham, son of James and Fanny (Hibbard) Burnham, was born in Northfield, in September, 1818. At an early age he settled in Rox- bury, where he had various occupations and changes until 1869, when he engaged in the mercantile business and continued it the ensuing fifteen years. He has also dealt in wood and lumber. He has established a reputation for honesty and integrity, and has acceptably served his town in many of its. offices. His first wife, Harriet Edwards, of Roxbury, who was the mother of his three daughters and son, died in October, 1870. Mr. Burnham mar- ried, second, Mrs. Fanny D. Wakefield, of Stowe, Vt.

Sidney N. Miller was born in Cambridge, N. Y. His mother died when he was an infant. When he was five years old his father gave him to Capt. Sewell Blanchard, of Brookfield, where he had a home until he was seven- teen. He then learned the trade of wheelwright, and became a very compe- tent mechanic. While engaged in the extensive carriage shop of Mr. Hollis Collins, at Northfield, he was united in marriage with Miss Lucy Kathan. In 1860 he removed to Roxbury, bought a saw-mill of Col. J. V. Randall,. rebuilt it, and added a carriage shop. Here he has steadily continued in buisness. Mr. Miller is one of Roxbury's highly respected citizens.

In 1823 an enormous panther was killed in Roxbury, the largest ever killed in the state previous to the one killed in Barnard in 1831 or '82. His tracks were discovered by Major Allen Spaulding, who was returning home very early one morning from a rather prolonged visit to his sweetheart. He and his neighbor, Joseph Batchelder, supposed it to be the trail of a bear, and together followed it until night. Next day Mr. Spaulding called to his- aid Enos Young, a somewhat noted bear hunter, familiarly known as " Cap- tain Sip." Mr. Spaulding inferred, from the long leaps the brute made, that it was not a bear. "Capt. Sip " gruffly replied, " Damn it, it's one of them old long-legged fellers." They were obliged to give up the chase at night- fall. Next day a fresh and larger party took the trail. They heard the barking of a dog not far away, and one of their party, Charles Ellis, went to. ascertain the cause, and returned with the startling information that the dog had treed a fox. The party were armed with guns, and made an attack

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TOWN OF WAITSFIELD.

upon the animal. John McNeal fired his, loaded with shot, and blinded and enraged the beast ; and just as he was about to spring upon them, Orin Or- cott dispatched him by firing a charge of chain links into his open mouth.

Among Roxbury's early settlers Samuel Richardson and Capt. Benjamin Samson are known to have been veterans of the Revolutionary war, and doubtless there were many others.

Capt. Samuel M. Orcott led his company, containing all the men in Rox- bury except Samuel Richardson, who much regretted that he was too aged, and Job Orcutt, a lame man, to Plattsburgh, to assist in repelling the inva- sion of the British from our northern borders. The company started from Roxbury on the morning of September 10, 1814, but did not reach Platts- burgh until Monday evening, September 14. As the battle occurred on Sun- day the Roxbury men did not arrive in time to participate in the battle. They returned to their homes in Roxbury on Friday.

From Hon. Zed S. Stanton's historical address is taken the following for Roxbury in the late war for the Union :-

"No state in the Union has a better record in connection with the war of the Rebellion than Vermont, and no town in the state has a better one than Roxbury. With a population of 1,060, Roxbury gave the Union army ninety- five brave soldiers, eight of whom reënlisted. Eight more were credited to this town as the result of the draft of 1863, and four men were credited to us out of that number, who enlisted without being credited to any towns, and were afterwards proportionately distributed among the different towns. When the war closed Roxbury had a surplus of twenty-three soldiers over all calls-a much larger percentage than any other town in the state. Com- pany H, 6th Vt. Regiment, under command of Capt. D. B. Davenport, was recruited in this town, in the fall of 1861. Besides this company there were residents of this town in many other regiments. Twenty-six of these died in the service of their country."

The Union Congregational church of Roxbury was organized by Rev. Ammi Nichols, in 1838, with twenty-two members. Rev. Aldin Ladd, the first pastor, was installed in 1865, and remained until the autumn of 1879. The church and society built a house of worship, of wood, in 1839. In 1871 their present pleasant and convenient house was built of wood, at the expense of $3,600, and will comfortably seat 200 people. The church now has thirty-four members, under the pastoral charge of Rev. Henry C. Howard. The estimated value of church property, including buildings and grounds, is $3,000. Connected with the church is a Sunday-school of about sixty members.

W AITSFIELD lies in the western part of Washington county, in lati- tude 44° II' and longitude 4° 15', and is bounded northerly by Moretown, easterly by Northfield, southerly by Warren, and westerly

by Fayston. It was chartered February 25, 1782, to Roger Enos, Benjamin

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TOWN OF WAITSFIELD.

Wait, and others, in all numbering seventy, by the legislature of Vermont. The charter was signed by his excellency Thomas Chittenden, then governor. The township was then supposed to contain 23,030 acres ; but by an actual survey made in 1788 it was found to contain 23,850 acres. November 7, 1822, four tiers of lots were annexed to Northfield from the east side, and again in 1846 six lots more, an aggregate of 8,310 acres, and diminishing the area of Waitsfield to [5,540 acres. The tract set off to Northfield lies on the easterly side of the mountain, and all business matters are more conveniently transacted by its inhabitants at Northfield village than at any point in Waits- field.

The first proprietors' meeting was convened June 30, 1788, in Windsor, but the record shows no transactions of importance. The next meeting was held in Woodstock, June 2, 1789, and eight of the proprietors were present, viz .: Zebulon Lee, who represented seventeen shares ; Benjamin Wait, five shares; Joel Matthews, three ; John Marsh, five; Ezra Jones, three ; William Sweetzer, three ; Anthony Morse, one; and Reuben Skinner, three ; making a total of forty shares. The remaining thirty shares were sold at auction for taxes, and nearly all were bid off by Gen. Wait, at £1 Ios. per lot.

The first permanent settlement in the town was made in 1789, by Gen. Wait and his family. At this time the General had no neighbors nearer than ten or twelve miles in any direction. In 1790 the legislature granted a peti- tion to tax all land in town 2d. per acre, for the purpose of building mills and constructing roads and bridges. From the funds thus raised a saw-mill and grist-mill were at once commenced and soon finished, by John Heaton, where the little village of Irasville now stands.

The soil of Waitsfield varies, but is generally a strong, deep, rich, and mel- low loam. The extensive intervales along Mad river, with the adjoining up- lands, are divided into many excellent farms, and the highlands, though rough and broken, have a good soil and make excellent farms. The highest summit in the range of hills in the eastern part of the town is Bald Mountain. From these hills picturesque and unobstructed views of the surrounding country and distant peaks are obtained.

Mad river enters Waitsfield from Warren, flows entirely across the town near its western boundary, and parallel with it, and falls into the Winooski in Moretown about seven miles below Montpelier. Its tributaries in Waitsfield are Mill brook and Shepard's brook from Fayston, and Fay's brook and Pine brook from the east.

There is nothing peculiar in the geology of this town. It is underlaid en- tirely with talcost schist. There is a small bed of serpentine near the north - eastern corner, and one of steatite near the center of the town.

The leading industry of the people of Waitsfield is farming, and the staple productions are butter, cheese, maple sugar, and live stock. The farmers of Waitsfield are justly celebrated as breeders and growers of fine horses and cattle, and are not excelled by any town in the county.

464

TOWN OF WAITSFIELD.

The town was organized March 25, [794. Moses Heaton was the first town clerk. The first freeman's meeting was held it September, 1795. There were then but twenty-seven legal voters in the town, and they elected Gen. Wait to represent the town in the legislature. The first church (Congrega- tional) was organized June 27, 1796.

Waitsfield had a population in 1880 of 938 souls. This town is organized under the town system, and in 1888 supported six schools, which were taught eighteen terms by two male and thirteen female teachers, at an average weekly salary of $7.08 for males and $7.31 for the females. The whole num- ber of scholars in attendance was 218. The entire income for all school pur - poses was $2,019.33. The amount paid teachers, including board, was $1,536.95. The entire amount expended for all school purposes was $1,946.20, with H. N. Bushnell, superintendent.

WAITSFIELD (p. o.) village is situated on Mad river, and is so located that it is the commercial center for both Waitsfield and the adjoining town of Fayston. Its nearest railroad station is at Middlesex, and it has the benefit of a daily stage. The village contains about a dozen merchants and dealers of all kinds, one hotel, a grist and saw-mill, three church edifices (Congrega- tional, Methodi-t, and Universalist), a good school, three physicians, one lawyer, one photographer, the usual complement of mechanics, and about 250 inhabitants.

IRASVILLE is located at or near the junction of Mill brook with Mad river. It is a thrifty hamlet, containing one shingle-mill, one saw-mill, one store, a blacksmith shop, and about 125 inhabitants.

Palmer Bros'. grist and saw-mills were purchased by the firm in 1886. The grist-mill, with three runs of stones, does a large and flourishing busi- ness. The saw-mill turns out annually about 270,000 feet of clapboards and' about 250,000 feet of other kinds of lumber.

M. L. Richardson's saw mill, located on Mill brook, manufactures about 400,000 feet of lumber per year. This mill was built by Ira Richardson.

Fred Parker's shingle-mill at Irasville was originally built for a wool- carding-mill. Mr. Parker purchased the property in 1882. He manufact- ures about 1, 200,000 shingles per year.

Elmer O. Trask's saw and shingle-mill is located in the northern part of the town. Mr. Trask has owned the property since 1882. He turns out from 600,000 to 800,000 feet of lumber, 300,000 to 500,000 feet of clap- boards, and 75,000 to 100,000 shingles annually.

James S. Newcomb's carriage shop is located in the village of Waitsfield, where he and his son conduct the business of carriagemaking and general repairing.

George W. Olmstead's butter tub shop, established in 1884. is located in the village. He turns out about 400 butter tubs per year, and does a general repairing business.

465

TOWN OF WAITSFIELD.

Gen. Benjamin Wait, the first inhabitant, and after 1789 the owner of more than half of the township of Waitsfield, and in honor of whom the town received its name, settled here in 1789. The following sketch of him we extract from Thompson's Gazetteer of Vermont :-

"Gen. Wait, the first inhabitant of this town, was born at Sudbury, Mass., February 13, 1737. He possessed a firm and vigorous constitution, and early manifested a disposition and talent for military enterprise. At the age of eighteen he entered the service of his country, under the brave Gen. Amherst. In 1756 he was taken by the French, carried to Quebec, and from thence sent to France as a prisoner. On the coast of France he was retaken by the British and carried to England. In the spring of 1757 he returned to America,. and in 1758 assisted at the capture of Louisburgh. During the two suc- ceeding years he aided in the reduction of Canada. After the submission of Canada he was sent, by the command at Detroit, to Illinois, to bring in the French garrison included in the capitulation. He left Detroit December 10th, and returned on the first of March following, having performed this difficult service with singular perseverance and success. At twenty-five years of age he had been engaged in forty battles and skirmishes; and his clothes were several times perforated with musket balls, but he never received a wound. In 1767 he removed to Windsor, in this state, and constituted the third family in the township. He acted a decided and conspicuous part in favor of Ver- mont in the controversy with New York. In 1776 he entered the service of the United States as captain, and fought under the banners of Washington till the close of the war, during which time he had been raised to the rank of colonel. After this he was made a brigadier-general of militia, and was for seven years high sheriff of the county of Windsor."

He is described as a man of over medium height, straight as an arrow, stout, and with a very light complexion. And from what knowledge we gain we think he had a mind and will of his own. Tradition has it that the com- missioners appointed to locate the state capital, finding Waitsfield near the geographical center of the state, stuck their stake for that purpose where the village now stands ; but Gen. Wait declared, " He would n't have his meadow cut up." He resided in Waitsfield thirty-three years, until the time of his death, June 28, 1822, aged eighty-five years.

The following sketch of Jennison Jones, Esq., is by Rev. P. B. Fisk, in Hemenway's Gazetteer :-

" Jennison Jones, Esq., was born in Claremont, N. H., January 1, 1777, and removed in early life to Waitsfield, where he resided until his death. He enjoyed only the common school advantages of those days, but was one of those ' self-made men,' for which this country has been noted. As a young man he was a very successful teacher. He filled nearly every town office with perfect acceptance when in the prime of life, represented the town in 1827-28, and was especially interested in the history of the town, and ac- curate in dates and figures. He married, December 26, 1802, Miss Philany Holmes, and reared a large family. He died December 22, 1852, aged sev- enty-five years."

Matthias S. Jones, Esq., was born in Claremont, N. H., April 12, 1778, and removed to Waitsfield at an early date. He was one of the more prom- inent men of the town, and held many of its offices of trust and responsibility

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TOWN OF WAITSFIELD.

-was justice of the peace more than thirty years, town clerk for half that period, and represented the town in the legislature in 1825, '26, and '27. He was married twice, first, August 28, 1807, to Betsey Joyslin, of Waitsfield, and second, May 26, 1836, to Mary Prentice, of Weathersfield. He died June 25, 1851. He reared a numerous family, all by the first marriage. One son, L. W. Jones, became a successful merchant of Waitsfield, and was a man of decided public spirit.

Edwin Jones, M. D., was born in Waitsfield, June 3, 1825, studied medi- cine with Dr. D. C. Joslin, attended one course of lectures at Woodstock, and graduated at Pittsfield, Mass .; practiced a few months at Orange, Vt., and at Vershire and Strafford the remainder of his life. October 18, 1852, he married Mary A., daughter of Rev. Elisha Brown, of Montpelier, and died precisely two years later, at Strafford.

Hon. Hiram Jones, another son of Matthias S. Jones, was born June 26, 1808. He was educated in the common schools of his native town, and made so good use of the scanty means afforded him for improvement that at an unusually early age he was called by his appreciating townsmen to fill many important places of public trust. He represented his town in the legislature of 1840, '41, and '42, was assistant judge of the County Court from 1855 to 1857, and besides he almost continually served as justice of the peace. October 6, 1835, he married Laura L., daughter of Hon. Jason Car- penter, by whom he had six children, only three of whom are now living, viz. : Charles E., Walter A., of Waitsfield, and Hiram E., of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Levi Wilder was born in 1772, and came from Shelburne, Mass., to Waits- field, in 1792 or 1793, and settled on the farm where his son Orcas C. now lives. He was three times married, first to Lavinia Skinner, second to Clarissa Skinner, and third to Bernice Bates. He was the father of ten chil- dren, three of whom are now living, viz .: Levi C., in Minnesota ; Orcas C., as before mentioned, on the homestead in Waitsfield ; and Ann (Mrs. Har- rington), in Moretown. Mr. Wilder died in 1855. He was captain of militia and active in the interest of his town. Capt. Orcas C. Wilder was born in Waitsfield, in 1828. He served as captain in the war for the Union, and participated in the battle of Gettysburg. He has since taken an active part in town affairs, served as selectman, and in all has been lister about ten years. He married Mary E. Holden, and they had seven children, viz .: Alice M. (Mrs. Orville H. Richardson), of Montpelier; Fred F., who resides in Minneapolis ; Levi O., Enos E., Allen F., Josie C., and Roy J., who re- side with their parents.

Dea. Moses Fisk, from Shelburne, Mass., came to Waitsfield in 1795, and settled in the north part of the town, on the farm where Charles Eddy now lives, and where he resided until about 1810, when he removed to a portion of the farm now owned by Dea. E. A. Fisk. He reared a family of twelve children, eleven of whom arrived to mature age, and three of them,

467

TOWN OF WAITSFIELD.

Perrin B., Hawley, and Joel, became noted ministers of the gospel. Dea. Fisk died February 5, 1847. His son Amos was born in Waitsfield, in 1806, and resided in town most of his life, dying in 1880. His wife was Joanna Barnard, and their children were Fidelia J., who died at the age of twenty- two years ; Carrie S. (Mrs. Orrin H. Joslin) ; Rev. Pliny B., who resides in Dakota; and Dea. Edward A., who resides on the homestead in Waitsfield. He served his country in the late war.

Jonathan Palmer was a pioneer of Waitsfield. He came from Hill, N. H., and settled in the northeastern part of the town at a very early day. He reared a family of nine children, none of whom are now living. He died in this town. His son Jonathan was born in Waitsfield, in 1804, where he re- sided until his death, in 1869. His children are Jonathan H. and Mrs. Laura Davis, of Moretown ; Julius I. and John W., of Waitsfield ; and Mrs. Emeline Brown, of Warren. Aaron Palmer, another son of Jonathan, and his sons Moses, William, and Hiram, all reside in Waitsfield. Moses and William are active business men.

David Bushnell, of Saybrook, Conn., came to Waitsfield about 1797, and settled in the eastern part of the town, where he cleared a farm. He died in 1861. Of his eleven children, all of whom lived to rear families, only his son Pardon is now living (1888). He was born in 1808, and always resided in Waitsfield. He represented his town in the legislature of 1859 and '60, and has served his town as selectman and overseer of the poor. In 1835 he married Miss Elmira Woodbury, of Baltimore, Vt., and they had born to them six children. Those now living are Milo A., in Waitsfield; Frederick O., who served in the late war, in Worcester, Mass .; and George and Oscar, who reside in Thompsonville, Conn.

Jedediah Bushnell was born in 1797, and resided about one mile below the village, on Mad river, where he was located in 1830, at the time of the great freshet. He afterwards removed to the farm where his son Henry N. now lives. He was interested in the affairs of the town and held numerous offices. He married, first, Abigail Taylor, and second, Naomi Joslin, and by both marriages was the father of nine children, five of whom are now living, two, Henry N. and Elvira (Mrs. Walter A. Jones), in Waitsfield. Henry N. Bush- nell was born in 1838. In August, 1860, he enlisted into Co. H, 6th Vt. Regt., as a private, and was mustered out of service in July, 1865, with the rank of captain. He was in twenty-five engagements, which covered a period of about fifty days' fighting, and escaped with but one slight wound, and in his whole term of four years' service he was sick less than one week. He represented Waitsfield in the legislature of 1872-73, and has served as select- man and lister.

William Waite was born in Waitsfield in 1797 and died there in 1886. He held most of the offices in the gift of his townsmen. He married, first, Persis Grandy, and second, Laura Carroll. His three children, all by the

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TOWN OF WAITSFIELD.

first wife, were Harvey M., William A., and Susan. Harvey M. and William are still living, and in Waitsfield.

Samuel Savage came to Waitsfield from Weathersfield before 1797. He was a man of influence in town affairs, and reared a family of eight children. Matthew C., son of Samuel, was born in 1808, and died in Waitsfield in 1880. His wife was Catherine E. Duren, of Middlebury, and they had born to them nine children, seven of whom are living, three, Lucius D., Edward M., and Alfred W., in Waitsfield. Lucius D. Savage enlisted into the Union army May 7, 1861. He was wounded at the battle of Savage Station, was taken prisoner June 29, 1862, released from prison July 30, and discharged November 29, 1862. Since then he has been prominent in town affairs, has served as lister, selectman, and member of the school board six years, was census enumerator in 1880, represented Waitsfield in the legislature of 1884, and was minor vice department commander, G. A. R., in 1880 and '81.

Job House, from Abington, Mass., came to Waitsfield about 1798. He resided a few years in New York state, but returned to Waitsfield, where he spent the remainder of his long life, dying at the advanced age of ninety-four years. Three sons and four daughters grew to maturity, four of whom are now living, and all reside in Waitsfield, viz .: Jason, Nathan D., Edwin, and Lucy N.

Joseph Joslyn, son of Joseph, was born in Massachusetts. He emigrated to Waitsfield in 1798, and located on a farm in the wilderness in the eastern part of the town, where his youngest son, Alfred, now lives. He cleared a. few acres, built a log house, and in 1800 married Miss Betsey Chamberlin, of Weathersfield, Vt., and brought his bride to the home he had prepared. They occupied the log house many years, but eventually built a fine frame house, in which he resided until his death, aged nearly ninety years. Mr. Joslyn was. the eldest of a family of twelve children, and had born to him by three mar- riages thirteen children, eight of whom are now living. The four children of the first wife are all living, (November, 1887,) the sum of whose ages is 336 years, viz .: Jennison, who resides in his native town, aged eighty-seven ; Luke, of Waterbury, aged eighty-five ; Hiram, of Berlin, Wis., aged eighty- three ; and Betsey, widow of Thomas Wilder, in Morrisville, Vt., aged eighty- one. His second wife, Nancy Spalding, of Plainfield, N. H., was the mother of three children, of whom one is living. The third wife, Abigail Taylor , bore him six children, three of whom are living. Alfred, the youngest, as before mentioned, resides on the homestead, and in the house built by his father.

Lyman Fisk, son of Moses, born in Waitsfield in 1801, was a cooper and farmer. He resided during his whole life in Waitsfield, dying in 1884. He was a deacon of the Congregational church over forty years, was selectman, and held other positions of trust and responsibility. He married Mary Pof- ford, of Moretown, and they were parents of five children, all now living, viz .:

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TOWN OF WAITSFIELD.

Rev. Perrin B., in Mount Dora, Florida ; and four daughters, Augusta (Mrs. H. B. Cross), Mary E., Anna B., and Hattie C., in Montpelier.

Capt. John Campbell, from New Boston, N. H., came to Waitsfield about 1802, and settled on road 32, on the farm where John Waterman now lives, and where he resided until his death, in 1852. He married Lois Whitney, of Morristown, and they had nine children, all deceased. Capt. Campbell was a prominent man. He kept a public house many years, and was rough in exterior, but possessed good abilities and sound judgment. Col. John Camp- bell was also a prominent man in Waitsfield. He, too, kept a public house, and was colonel of the militia, and filled acceptably several town offices. He died in 1880.

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Gazetteer of Washington County, Vt., 1783-1889, Part 56

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836-, comp; Adams, William, fl. 1893, ed Publication date: 1889 Publisher: Syracuse, N. Y., The Syracuse journal company, printers Number of Pages: 898

Author: Child, Hamilton, 1836-, comp; Adams, William, fl. 1893, ed
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Syracuse, N. Y., The Syracuse journal company, printers
Number of Pages: 898