USA > Vermont > Washington County > Gazetteer of Washington County, Vt., 1783-1889 > Part 64
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Allen W. Nelson was born in Hardwick, August 3, 1826. In 1848, when twenty-two years of age, he formed a partnership in mercantile business with Hon. A. E. Jeudevine, at Woodbury, under the firm name of Jeudevine, Nelson & Co., Mr. Nelson removing to Woodbury and assuming the manage- ment. The firm continued until the fall of 1851, when Mr. Nelson bought the interests of his partners, and conducted the business until 1879. Mr. Nelson has been an active and influential citizen of Woodbury, and has served as town clerk and treasurer a period of twenty-four years. The town records show skillful and good work during the long period of his clerkship. He was also a lister for many years, and represented Woodbury in the legis- lature in 1863, and again in 1864. He is now giving his attention to farm- ing.
Caleb Putnam was born in Sutton, Mass., February 28, 1779, and in his early childhood his parents removed to Croydon, N. H. In the early part of 1799 he married Susanna Hayward, of Croydon, who was born in Bridge- water, Mass., June 1, 1781. They resided in Croydon until January, 1803, when, in company with Simeon Dwinell, with their families and effects, they emigrated to Marshfield, Vt., where they arrived February 2, and settled in a log house which they had previously built. Here he and Mr. Dwinell, in company, began clearing a farm; but the partnership was not of long dura- tion. Mr. Putnam settled on another farm, was industrious, and to support his family turned his hand to several occupations. He was a blacksmith and made nails at his forge for his neighbors, hewed timber, and built barns. The last part of the year of 1816 he settled in Moscow (East Calais), and for three years gave his whole time to blacksmithing. He then bought a farm, to give employment to his growing family, and to better support them. In 1831 he removed to Woodbury, where he was farmer, blacksmith, and manufacturer of potash. He died on the farm where his son, Hon. Fernando C. Putnam,
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now lives, October 25, 1865, aged nearly eighty-seven years. Mrs. Putnam survived until June 17, 1875, aged ninety-four years. They were parents of thirteen children, eight of whom arrived at mature age, viz .: Susan, born in Croydon, N. H., June 1, 1800, married Otis Smith, is a widow, and resides with her daughter, Mrs. William Zottman, in Burlington. Caleb S., born January 9, 1802, married, February 19, 1826, Elvira Wheelock, was a farmer awhile, then the newspaper carrier from Montpelier, by way of Hardwick, Barton, and intervening towns, to Derby Line, until the government estab- lished a mail line over the same route, when he obtained the first contract for carrying the mail. He drove a stage awhile, and eventually, on the com- pletion of the railroad from White River Junction to Concord, N. H., was. station agent at East Canaan, until his death, January 16, 1873. Ziba, born November 29, 1804, married Harriet Pearce, of Calais, was a farmer in Calais and Woodbury until 1844, when he removed to a farm in Colchester, where he died June 21, 1848.
Hiram Putnam was born in Marshfield in 1814. In 1839 he married Laura, daughter of Jabez Town, of Woodbury, and was a farmer and black- smith. In 1864 he settled on the farm where he now lives, in the eastern part of Woodbury. October 15, 1847, Mrs. Putnam died, and left a daughter- who married Hiram Wells, a merchant in Cabot. April 19, 1848, Mr. Put- nam married Lydia A. Haskell, who is the mother of his daughters Etta M. (Mrs. Orvis W. Conner), of Cabot, and Hattie B. (Mrs. Wesley Gray), of Plainfield. Mr. Putnam is an enterprising and well-to-do farmer, has served his town as selectman thirteen years, was chairman of the board through the war, has been lister fourteen years, and represented Woodbury in the legisla- ture in 1857 and 1858. He has settled a large number of estates.
Fernando C. Putnam, born in Marshfield, May 19, 1816, received his edu- cation at the common schools and a few terms at a select school. He taught district schools ten consecutive winters with but one exception. December 8, 1842, he married Laura A., daughter of Luther Ball, of Woodbury, and settled on the farm with his father where he now resides. He was assistant judge of Washington County Court in 1867-68, served as selectman from 1849 to 1852, inclusive, and state agent in connection with overseer of the poor to provide for destitute soldiers' families in the time of the late war, and has served as justice of the peace since 1852. Mrs. Putnam died February 15, 1888, and had the misfortune to be blind the last six years of her life. Their children are William R., who married Emeroy M. Currier, of Calais, and is a well-to-do farmer in Cabot ; and Sarah J., who married S. O. Burn- ham, and resides with her husband on the homestead.
Orson Putnam, who was born in Calais, September 16, 1818, is a blacksmith. He ran a prosperous business in Woodbury until 1869, when he went to farming in Calais, and was a farmer until 1882, and is now at the old trade in North Calais. He represented Woodbury in the legislature of 1859-60, was selectman in Calais in 1877, '78, and '79, and justice of the peace six
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years. November 22, 1842, he married Emerancy Pearce, and they have one daughter, Mrs. Edwin Burnham, of Calais.
Laura A. Putnam, born in Calais, March 30, 1821, married Jason W. Town, an inventor, and a manufacturer of boot-trees and lasts, but now a farmer in South Woodbury.
Mary A. Putman was born in Calais, June 2, 1823. In 1842 she married Gilbert A. Carver, of Woodbury, who is a successful farmer in Calais. Their only surviving son, Dr. Herbert S. Carver, is a physician in Marshfield.
Thomas McKnight came from Douglass, Mass., to Montpelier, with Col. Jacob Davis, in 1782. He was employed by Col. Davis awhile, and next engaged in butchering with Capt. Brown. He then settled on the farm known as the Cutler place, about a mile north of the village of Montpelier. About 1820 he moved to Calais, where he resided until his death, in 1836. In early life he married Silence, daughter of Stephen Cutler. Their children were Polly, John, Sally, Amasa, Thomas, and Leonard. Amasa McKnight, born in Montpelier, in 1803, married Recta Kendall, in 1825, and settled on a : farm in Calais where Harvey Lilley now lives. He owned several farms in Calais, but eventually removed to Woodbury with his son Nathaniel C., in 1862, where he died in 1871, aged sixty-eight years. Mrs. McKnight was drowned with four others of a pleasure party in Wheelock pond, June 15, 1873, at the age of seventy-one years. Their children are Samuel, born January 3, 1828; Nathaniel C., born September 25, 1830; Esther, born June 11, 1832 ; Mary A., born March 6, 1835 ; Matilda A., born September 21, 1837; and Carroll A., born March 1, 1840. All are now living (1888). Nathaniel C. McKnight married Sarah A. Fair, January 24, 1852, and settled in Calais, and followed the occupation of carpenter and joiner until he removed to Woodbury, in 1862. Mr. McKnight has held the office of justice of the peace several years, and represented Woodbury in the legislature of 1869, '70, and '71. Their children are Orpha (Mrs. Warren Ainsworth), of Calais, and Ida J., who resides with her parents. Carroll A. McKnight, son of Amasa, had a common school education, and was early taught industrious habits. In 1863 he enlisted in the Union army, and was discharged in 1864 (at the ex- piration of his term of enlistment) from the hospital where he was receiving treatment for a gun-shot wound received at the battle of Cold Harbor. He was permanently injured by this wound and now receives a pension. January 1, 1867, he united in marriage with Miss Hannah Osgood, and settled in the village of Woodbury, where he now resides. He is a carpenter and builder and farmer. He has the confidence of his townsmen, is now serving his fourth year as justice of the peace, and was representative in the legislature of 1880.
Ira Cameron, son of Daniel, of Scotch descent, was born in Berlin, Vt., December 25, 1807. He married Rebecca Pierce, was a farmer in Dux- bury about twenty years, in Middlesex ten years, and on the farm now owned by his son, S. K. Cameron, in West Woodbury, seven years. Since then he has had no settled residence, and now lives with his daughter Sarah (Mrs.
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E. P. Darling) in Elmore. Mrs. Cameron died at the home of S. K. Cam- eron, June 8, 1871. Five of their patriotic sons served their country in the Union army. Their children were Clesson, a farmer, who married, first, Clara C. Dugar, of Worcester, and second, her sister Emily. He enlisted in the Union army from Elmore, where he then resided. He received a gun- shot wound, and died on the battlefield of Winchester. Ira C. Cameron married Cordelia Leonard, of Middlesex, entered the service of the Union in 1862, and served to the close of the war. He is now a farmer in Berlin. Sylvester Cameron married Helen Warren, of Middlesex, enlisted in 1862, and served to the close of the war. He is now engaged in granite work in Barre.
S. Kimball Cameron, born in Duxbury, September 7, 1837, married Laura A. McKnight, of Calais, December 29, 1874. He brought his bride to his home in West Woodbury, where he had settled in 1863, and where he has since resided. He is an enterprising and thrifty farmer, and owns a fine farm. Previous to his settlement in Woodbury he had been three years in railroad business in Brooklyn, N. Y. In 1874 Mr. Cameron represented Woodbury in the legislature, and again at the extra session in the winter of 1875, called for the purpose of locating the State Reform School. He has served his town as selectman four years, and lister about as many. Lovinia was drowned at the age of eleven years, by falling into the river through the railroad bridge at Montpelier Junction. Asaph P. Cameron entered the army in 1861, and served to the close of the war. He lost his health in the ser- vice of our country, and is now a pensioner, residing in the village of Wor- cester. He married the widow of his deceased brother, Clesson, in 1865. Jason C. Cameron was also a Union soldier, enlisted in 1864, and served to the close of the war in 1865. He married Sarah Hardy, of Brooklyn, N. Y., where he now resides, and is superintendent of the Brooklyn City Railroad Company. Sarah M. married E. P. Darling. Her husband is a farmer in Elmore. Alvin M. Cameron married Lizzie Patterson, of Woodbury, and is a farmer in Calais.
Holden Wilber, of Bridgewater, Mass., was one of the early pioneers of Calais. He was a Revolutionary soldier, and a citizen of Woodbury at the time of his death. His son Reuben married Mary Bruce, and settled in a log cabin on East hill, Woodbury, where his son, Orange A. Wilber, now lives. Mr. Wilber died at the home of his son Reuben, Jr., in Calais, in 1874, at the advanced age of ninety years.
Ryland F. Drenan, son of James and Clarissa (Bill) Drenan, was born August 17, 1847. He received a good practical education, and February 11, 1875, united in marriage with Miss Dora M., daughter of A. W. Nelson. In 1884 he became a prominent resident of Woodbury. He is a farmer and proprietor of Woodbury Center Hotel. Mr. Drenan has been honored in Woodbury with the office of superintendent of schools the past two years, is
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TOWN OF WORCESTER.
now constable and collector (1888), and represented Woodbury in the legis- lature of 1886.
Gilman Bill, son of Cyrus Bill, born in Woodbury, April 10, 1822, mar- ried Rosannah Ainsworth, January 1, 1849, and settled where he now lives, near the village of Woodbury. His father died when Mr. Bill was only five years old, and when he went to housekeeping soon after his marriage he took his mother to his home and provided for her comfort the remainder of her life. Mr. Bill has been a farmer his whole life, except about seven years before his marriage, when he was a sailor.
Three veterans of the Revolutionary war settled in Woodbury, and were comfortable in their declining years by receiving a pension from the govern- ment they fought to establish.
In the late war Woodbury claims, and is justly entitled to, an excellent and honorable war record. One hundred and forty-four of her patriotic sons enlisted and went into the army-a number that more than filled her quota, who came forward without being stimulated by public meetings, or the offer of excessive bounties. No town in the state, with a population as small, sent more men to the war than Woodbury.
The Congregational church, located at South Woodbury, was organized November 30, 1875, with thirty-two members, by Rev. R. B. Wright, the first pastor, assisted by the Home Missionary society. In 1876 the society erected its present beautiful church edifice, of wood, at the expense of $3,000. The church now has a membership of forty, with Rev. F. B. Rockwood, pastor. The estimated value of the church property, including buildings and grounds, is $4,500. The Sunday-school numbers twenty-five scholars, and G. W. Foster is the superintendent.
The Methodist Episcopal church of Woodbury was organized in April, 1879, by Rev. W. D. Malcolm, presiding elder of St. Johnsbury district, assisted by Rev. Z. B. Wheeler. The church then had seventeen members. Rev. Z. B. Wheeler was the first pastor. This society has no church edifice, but holds regular service every Sunday in the town hall at Woodbury Center. The church now has twenty-eight members, and Rev. Z. B. Wheeler is their pastor. The Sunday-school is held immediately after the service, and has an average attendance of thirty-five scholars. Rev. Z. B. Wheeler is superin- tendent.
W ORCESTER lies in the northern part of the county, in latitude 44° 24' and longitude 4° 25' and is bounded north by Elmore, in Lamoille county, east by Calais, south by Middlesex, and west by Stowe, in Lamoille county. It was chartered by Gov. Benning Wentworth, of New Hampshire, to Joshua Mason and sixty-four others, with seventy-one rights or shares, June 8, 1763, by the name of Worster. The name has only been
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TOWN OF WORCESTER.
altered by the improvement in spelling and pronunciation in modern times. The township is regular in form, six miles square, and contains 23,040 acres.
The town has an uneven surface, and nearly all of the western half is too mountainous for cultivation. This is in " The Hogsback " range, which com- mences abruptly near the southwestern corner of Middlesex and extends along the line between Middlesex, and a little east of the line between Wor- cester and Stowe, and ends near Elmore pond. In Worcester there are four considerable peaks in this range, the most conspicuous of which is Mt. Hun- ger. This mountain is in the western corner of the town, and partly in Mid- dlesex. The only road to its summit in the clouds, 3,648 feet above the level of the sea, is in Middlesex. Its summit is rocky and barren of trees and vegetation, and affords uninterrupted views that are hardly surpassed by Ver- mont's best. The town is watered by the North Branch of the Winooski river, and numerous brooks, several of which are sufficient to turn mills. The largest bears the religious name of "Minister's brook," from the fact that it discharges its waters into the North Branch through the lot granted to the first settled minister. The North Branch, which is a mill stream, rises in Elmore, flows nearly south through the easterly part of the town, and joins the Winooski in the village of Montpelier. The other streams are all tribu- taries of the North Branch. The town contains but one natural pond, situ- ated on Eagle Ledge road, which covers an area of about eight acres.
The geological structure of this township is entirely of the talcose mica schist formation, with a narrow belt of clay slate extending across the westerly corner. Gold has been discovered along the streams, and in the largest quantities on Minister's brook.
The first settlement was made in 1797, by John Ridlan and George Mar- tin, twenty-four years after its charter was granted. These pioneers came from Kennebec, Me., and settled on the one-acre lot at the center of the town, on Hampshire hill. They remained to clear ten or twelve acres, and it is said they soon left town. This is probably a mistake, as John Rid- lan is recognized in transfers of lands on the Branch in 1802 and 1805, and in Deming's Vermont Offices we find that he was a member of the Constitu- tional Convention from Worcester in 1814. The census reports show that the town was not settled rapidly at first. In 1800 the population was twenty- five ; in 18to, forty-one, an increase of only sixteen in ten years ; and forty- four in 1820. The next decade the population increased nearly ten times, and numbered 443. The town was organized March 3, 1803. John Young, son of Duncan Young, was the first town clerk. The others elected at the first town meeting are unknown. When the town was nearly deserted, about 1816, the records were deposited at Burlington for safe keeping, and were accidentally burned, and during the period of about five years the town had no municipal offices. The early settlers came to Worcester without much means, if any, and hoped to make comfortable homes of these cheap wood- lands ; but before they had been able to make extensive clearings the cold sea-
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sons from 1812 to 1816 came on, their crops were cut off by frost, and all were discouraged. In 1816 there were frosts every month, and as they said it was cold enough " to freeze their steers' horns off," they fled to escape the famine that they foresaw. In 1818 Amasa Brown and his family were the only in- habitants left in town. Perhaps Mr. Brown possessed more means than his unfortunate neighbors, and was enabled to see the way to keep the wolf of hunger from the door. At all events he remained with his wife, four sons, and seven daughters. It is facetiously said of him that " he threw his family on the town for support" at this time. He certainly was shrewd enough to take advantage of the situation, and occupy all the deserted clearings, in- creased his dairy by hiring cows, and his income by a corresponding increase in the sale of butter and pork. His sons were Milton, Amasa, Jr., Cyrus, and Martin C. Milton was the first constable under the second organization of the town, justice of the peace sixteen years, town representative seven years, a councilor in 1835, and superintendent of the Vermont state's prison four years. In 1850 he removed to Montpelier, and was admitted to the Washington county bar, and died July 3, 1852. Cyrus and Martin C. settled in Worcester, and Amasa studied theology and became a Baptist clergyman. In 1818, the seasons having become fruitful, the population again increased, and in 1820 the town contained forty-four souls.
March 14, 1821, the town was reorganized by the election of a full quota of town officers. The town meeting convened at the house of Amasa Brown, and elected Allen Vail, moderator ; Amasa Brown, town clerk ; Allen Vail, Amasa Brown, and Job Hill, selectmen; Allen Vail, Amasa Brown, and Jesse Flink, listers ; Milton Brown, first constable and collector of taxes ; Job Hill, grand juror ; Jesse Flink, highway surveyor ; Abraham V. Smith, William Arbuckle, Jesse Flink, fence viewers ; and Amasa Brown, pound- keeper. "Voted that Mr. Brown's barn be considered as the pound." They voted a tax of eight mills on the dollar, on the list, to defray town expenses, formed the town into one school district, taxed the town one cent on the dollar of the list to support schools the ensuing year, and to have a highway tax assessed on the list to be made the year ensuing, and that nine hours be considered as a day's work.
In the winter of 1821 and 1822 Job Hill taught the first winter school un- der the organization thus effected, in an old log house, and the next was taught by Betsey Cutler. The first school-house was built of logs in 1822 or '23. The town was first represented in the legislature by James Green, in 1808, and after the second organization it was first represented by Allen Vail, in 1822.
The first road through the town extended from the Middlesex Center road over Hampshire hill to Elmore. The first settlement made in Worcester was on this road, and as late as 1812 there was no other road through. A road had been marked and cut from Montpelier along the Branch, which entered the southern part of the town, and in 1823 this road was extended
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up the Branch through the town and made passable. This is the first road recorded in town.
The first manufactories were the necessary saw-mills, and the first articles of commerce from the town were lumber, shingles, and potatoes, and it was said that these articles with the Worcester people were "legal tender." The town produced very good pine ; and to possess it some of those residing in town, and not very scrupulous, visited non-residents, who owned the town- ship, largely, and for a nominal sum bought all the pine trees that had fallen down. To keep the supply good, and to make a profitable business, it is said some felled such trees as were desirable and converted them into lum- ber, with those that had been prostrated by the winds.
Edwin Blood, from Bolton, Mass., came to Worcester and bought land in 1828. He went into the woods away from any road (probably soon after) and built a hat factory and boarding-house, and commenced the manufacture of hats, and employed from seventy-five to one hundred men. He died about 1831, and the hat business was soon after discontinued.
Tanning was quite an industry from 1849 to 1861. Ebenezer Frizzell came from Berlin and built a tannery, which had several owners. The last, who owned it for a number of years, were Mr. Wheeler and Mr. Frye. They employed several hands until the tannery was burned, in 1861. The knitting business, inaugurated by Mrs. Artemas Richardson, and continued by Mrs. Frances E. Celley, for the firm of H. B. Claflin & Co., of New York, kept the fingers of women and children busy, and brought them an income of several thousand dollars per year.
The inhabitants procured their mail at Montpelier until a postoffice was established in Worcester in 1828. Amos Rice, appointed January 5, 1828, was the first postmaster, and John, son of Amos Rice, was the first mail car- rier. Like the other towns of Vermont the clear, sparkling mountain brooks abounded in trout, and the moose, deer, and bears inhabited the valleys, hills, and mountains ; and any sort of an angler in the space of half an hour could capture enough of the speckled beauties for a family's breakfast ; to the present time the disciples of Izaak Walton resort to these mountain-born streams. A large beaver settlement once occupied the meadow now covered by Moses P. Wheeler's mill pond.
At the last census, in 1880, Worcester had a population of 802, and in 1888 the town had nine school districts and maintained schools in all of them. The number of scholars between the ages of five and twenty years who at- tended these schools the past year was 178, and five others attended private schools. The number of male teachers employed was three, and the number of female teachers thirteen, at an average weekly salary of $5.93 for males and $4.69 for females. The entire income for all school purposes was $1,334.18, and the whole amount paid out was $1, 151.82. Rev. P. H. Car- penter was superintendent.
WORCESTER village is situated on North Branch, in the southeasterly part of the town. It is a post village and has a daily mail. Its nearest railroad
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station is at Montpelier, eight miles distant. The village contains two churches, a store, one hotel, a school-house, lumber and grist-mills, a number of shops and mechanics, and about forty dwellings.
C. M. Ladd's saw, planing, and grist-mills are located on the North Branch of the Winooski river, in the village of Worcester, about nine miles from Montpelier. There has been a saw-mill on this site over forty years. The first one was built by A. Rood. About 1866 William Barnes, Jr., bought the property, and while the mill was undergoing repairs it was swept away by a freshet. Mr. Barnes soon built on the site a good circular saw-mill and a . custom grist-mill. In 1873 these mills came into the possession of Mr. Ladd, who is now doing an extensive business, and turns out of manufactured lumber about 800,000 feet annually. He also does custom grinding, and deals in flour and groceries. Mr. Ladd gives employment to six men, and in the busy season to many more.
A. H. Camp's saw-mill is located on North Branch, about four miles from Worcester postoffice. Mr. Camp built his mill in 1873. He stocks it mainly himself, turns out about 150,000 feet of lumber yearly, and employs two men constantly.
George H. Stone's saw-mill is located on North Branch, about one mile north of Worcester village. This is an old mill site, on which has been a mill more than forty years. Mr. Stone gives employment on the average to about five men, and manufactures about 500,000 feet of lumber annually.
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