USA > Vermont > Genealogical and family history of the state of Vermont; a record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation, Vol I > Part 115
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WERedgerton
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THE STATE OF VERMONT.
they now rcside in Randolph, Vermont. The mother died in the year 1899, at the age of seven- ty years. She was the member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Her grandfather, Benjamin Irish, married Naomi Palmer in 1791. He bought a large tract of land in Hinesburg, Ver- mont, and, as his family of boys grew up, gave each of them a farm. The sons bore the good Bible names of Joab, David, Ezekiel, Enoch, Elias and Benjamin, the father of Mrs. Edgerton.
William Bull Edgerton, son of Robert and Anna Edgerton, was graduated from the Burr and Burton Seminary, in Manchester, in 1888, after which he taught school several years, in the meantime studying law with Martin & Archi- bald, of Manchester Center. After his admission to the bar, in 1893, he began the practice of his profession in Manchester. He was soon appointed register of the probate court by his law partner, Judge Fowler, and served in that capacity four years. In 1898 he was elected judge of probate for the probate district of Manchester, on the Republican ticket, being nominated for the office by Judge Fowler, his predecessor, and was re- elected to the same office for a term of two years in 1900, and again in 1902. Judge Edgerton has performed the duties pertaining to his official po- sition in a creditable manner, and is well de- serving of the respect and esteem so generally ac- ·corded him by those with whom he comes in con- tact. He has been extensively interested in real estate dealings in Manchester and vicinity, selling and renting most of the many beautiful summer homes and valuable farms of this locality. He carries on farming to a considerable extent, and in company with James D. Purdy is owner of the Manchester Stables, in which are many fine horses for sale or to let, and carriages of every description. The Judge has been a member of the school board for a long time, and has con- tributed largely toward raising the schools of his town to their present high standard.
On August 10, 1892, Judge Edgerton married Miss Grace I. Kelley, who was born in Danby, Vermont, which was the birthplace of her parents, Henry B. and Rachel (Staples) Kelley, who reared but two children, namely: Clarence D. Kelley, and Grace I., now Mrs. Edgerton, whose maternal grandfather, Ellery Staples, was a life-
long farmer of Danby, where he died in 1886. Judge and Mrs. Edgerton have one child, Robert Kelley Edgerton.
THE HICKOK FAMILY.
EZRA HICKOK, of Wilton, Connecticut, whose father probably emigrated from England, was born in 1715, and died at the age of seventy-nine years in Lansingburg, New York, May 24, 1794. He left six sons, viz .: Ezra, Uriah, Jeremiah, David, Benjamin and Carter.
EZRA, son of Ezra Hickok of Wilton, Con- necticut, lived in Sheffield, Massachusetts, for some time, where most of his sons were born. He finally moved to Lansingburg, New York, where he died April 22, 1807, aged seventy years. He left six sons, viz : James, Durlin, Ezra, William, Samuel and Horatio. Ezra, William and Horatio left no children. The children of Durlin are set- tled in Ashtabula county, Ohio.
SAMUEL, fifth son of Ezra, was born in Shef- field, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, Septem- ber 4, 1774, and died at Burlington, Vermont, June 4, 1849, aged seventy-four years. He came to Burlington in 1792, when he was eighteen years old, with his brother William, from Lansingburg, New York, to which place the family had removed and where his father and grandfather lie buried.
The site of Burlington was then a forest, its two or three buildings standing on the lake shore. William opened a store in a small building near the lake, and Samuel acted as his clerk, till De- cember 26, 1797, when William was drowned, while skating on the lake. Samuel succeeded to the business of his brother. As customers came in from the east, Mr. Hickok, to catch this trade, though ridiculed by his friends, built his second store in the woods on Main street, the site now occupied by the house of the late Mr. Daniel Roberts. He also built a large square dwelling house, yet standing on the corner of Main and Pine streets, above his store, where his three eld- est children were born. In 1805 he built and oc- cupied the three-story brick store on the west side of City Hall Park, next north of the present Bur- lington Hotel, and which is believed to be the old- est brick building in Burlington.
At this period he fixcd his permanent resi-
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dence in the house built by Moses Catlin, on the southwest corner of Main and St. Paul streets, where the Woodbury and Walker block now stands. This house was a fine, large, square wooden mansion in the colonial style, with elabor- ate interior finish, and, with its beautiful flower garden, was one of the most conspicuous homes in Burlington, and one of the centers of social life. Henry Clay was entertained there when he visited Vermont in 1838.
Samuel Hickok was a most capable and suc- cessful business man, reading the purposes of people with whom he had to deal with great ac- curacy. Ile was energetic and prompt in action ; of sound judgment and great decision of charac- ter, so much so that to casual observers he seemed stern and severe, though in reality he had a warm and kindly heart. His leading characteristics, however, were integrity and love of justice. In the exercise of these sterling qualities he was for many years the leading merchant in Burlington, and accumulated an estate of over two hundred thousand dollars which is believed to be the larg- est ever made by any individual in Chittenden county prior to 1849, the year of his decease.
Mr. Hickok was the cashier of the Vermont State Bank, chartered in 1806, until its removal to Woodstock in 1812. He was one of the original corporators and a director of the old Bank of Burlington, chartered in 1818, until the estab- lishment of a branch of the United States Bank here in 1830, when he left the Bank of Burling- ton to become one of the directors of the branch bank. He was also one of the early directors of the Champlain Transportation Company, which then owned and has since maintained the fine line of steamers on Lake Champlain.
Mr. Hickok was a firm and liberal supporter, and for many years a deacon, of "The First Church of Christ in Burlington under the Con- gregational order," organized in 1805, in the house of Moses Catlin, in which Mr. Hickok afterwards so long lived. Every worthy object had his countenance and support. The Univer- sity of Vermont found him always a firm friend and liberal contributor to its funds. At every stage of its early progress, his name stood prom- inent on all the old subscription papers, which served to keep alive the institution until the com- ing of its more prosperous days.
Samuel Hickok was one of the pioneer build- ers of Burlington. The period of his activity co- incides with that of the other leading families of the olden time-the Pomeroys, Doolittles, Dem- mings, Loomises, Haswells, Pearls, Catlins, Footes.
On May 10, 1800, Mr. Hickok married Han- nah Collard, who was born in Barnstable, Devon- shire, England, October 1, 1777, and died in Bur- lington, February 12, 1810. They had six chil- dren, viz .: Eliza Whelply, born April 8, 1801, (lied December 7, 1874; William Collard, born September 14, 1802, died June 12, 1883; Henry Pearl, born August 27, 1804, died August 9, 1884; John Edgar, born May 31, 1806, died No- vember 16, 1880: Jane Ann, born June 30, 1808, died April 21, 1836; Samuel, born February 7, 1810, died August 1, 18II.
After the death of liis first wife, Mr. Hickok married, on January 20, 1811, his cousin Eliza Whelply, who was born in Lenox, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, August 22, 1782, and died in Burlington, April 23, 1847. They had six children, viz .: Samuel, born August 8, 1812, died January 29, 1813 : Mary, born May 17, 1815,. died April 6, 1834; Frances, born October 23, 1817, died November 2, 1840; James Whelply, born March 7, 1819, died December 12, 1891 ;. Samuel. born October 7. 1820, died November 20, 1821 . Charles Horatio, born November 28,. 1822, died September 19, 1823.
ELIZA WHELPLY, the first daughter of Samuel and Hannah (Collard) Hickok, an account of whose life is given elsewhere in this book, mar- ried Frederick Buell, son of Ozias Buell, of Bur- lington, Vermont.
WILLIAM C. HICKOK, the first son of Samuel and Hannah (Collard) Hickok, practiced medi- cine successfully in New York city for twenty- five years, when he returned to Burlington and devoted himself to agriculture, astronomy and' conchology. The revolving dome on his house covered at that time the most powerful telescope in the state, and he possessed a very valuable and. extensive collection of shells.
On June 26, 1826, William Hickok was mar- ried to Laura Ann Platt, who was born in Lanes- boro, Massachusetts, January 30, 1807, and died May 7, 1894. She was a lady of refinement, who took an active part in the social life of Burling-
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ton, after her return with her husband and family from New York. The noble stone mansion built by Dr. Hickok near the junction of St. Paul and Willard streets, surrounded by ample grounds, and commanding a magnificent view of the lake, still remains one of the most attractive residences of the city. Here Mrs. Hickok maintained a quiet, generous hospitality, but her chief service to the community was rendered by her presidency of the Home for Destitute Children, dating from the year 1869 to 1883.
The institution was founded in 1865, and Mrs. Hickok had from the first been its vice-president, and had borne much of the care of its earliest years The following account of her work from the pen of Mrs. Sarah P. Torrey is a tribute by one best fitted, by reason of her own connection with the institution, to judge of its worth.
"It was a 'feeble child' at first, beginning with six children and about two thousand dollars in subscription. Mrs. Hickok's labors were un- wearied during all those years of anxiety. She was certainly 'instant in season and out of sea- son.' The needs of the institution were met by annual subscriptions and donations. Needs were arising all the time which it was very hard to meet. Questions were constantly coming up, connected with the starting of a new charitable institution. Often it was a serious question where the food and clothing for the constantly increas- ing number of children were coming from, to say nothing of the salaries of the matrons, teacher and attendants. The building itself was mortgaged for five thousand dollars or more. There were then no telephones, no street cars. I have been told, and I know it to be true, that there were few days that did not see her in her little carriage on the road to the Home. Her interest, her re- source, her energy never failed, though her health did at last. No one would deny that in those days Mrs. Hickok was the mainstay, the back- bone of the Home. Of course she had able ad- visers and supporters, and many generous friends and givers were not wanting, but the Home prob- ably owes more to her than to any one person. I rejoice that before she was obliged to give up the reins of her office, she saw the mortgage raised, the permanent fund had reached a goodly figure, and in her last year, Mr. Howard, by the
gift of the Opera House block, made the financial basis of the Home secure.
"I was not on the Home board at the same time that she was, but I am sure those who were would more than corroborate all that I have said."
The offspring of the marriage of Willian Hickok with Laura Ann Platt were: Samuel, born August 28, 1827, died May 4, 1832; Will- iam Henry, born February 24, 1831 ; Mary Dick- inson, born December 24, 1835, died November 20, 1843 : George, born March 12, 1842, died De- cember 4, 1843 ; Horatio, born February 21, 1845, died April 2, 1898; Francis, born October 23, 1847.
William Henry Hickok, second son of William and Laura, is a practicing physican in Philadel- phia, Pennsylvania. Horatio Hickok, fourth son of William and Laura, an account of whose life is given elsewhere in this book, was married, on June 16, 1875, to Harriet E. Whiting, who was born at St. Albans, Vermont, March 18, 1851, and they had seven children, viz : Constance, born April 16, 1876; Laura Platt, born January 7, 1879, died May 23, 1883 ; Mary Whiting, born February 21, 1881 ; Kate Morton, born November 6, 1882; Harriet Eleanor, born September 26, 1886; Dor- othy, born November 19, 1888; Marjorie, born May 9, 1894. Francis Hickok, fifth son of Will- iam and Lanra, has been engaged in the lumber- ing interests in different parts of the country. His home is in Columbus, Ohio. In December, 1878, he married Eliza Acton. They had two- children, Margaret Acton and Mary Noble, the latter of whom died when a child.
An account of the life of HENRY PEARL HICKOK, second son of Samuel and Hannah (Collard) Hickok, is given elsewhere in this- work.
JANE ANN, second daughter of Samuel and Hannah ( Collard) Hickok, married Henry Leavenworth.
MARY, first daughter of Samuel and Eliza (Whelply) Hickok, married the Rev. James T. Dickinson, pastor of a church in Norwich, Con- necticut. They had no children. After her death Mr. Dickinson went as a missionary to China, returning to this country, after a period of six- teen or eighteen years. He died in Middlefield, Connecticut.
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FRANCES, second daughter of Samuel and Eliza ( Whelply) Hickok, died married at the age of twenty-eight. She was a person of rare intellectual gifts and strongly marked benevolent and Christian character. Through her liberality and energetic efforts the "Ragged" or "Charity School" both of which names were applied to it, was established and maintained. This was the first distinctively Christian effort to improve the moral condition of the poor and outcast children of the town, and was rendered necessary by the then bad condition of the public schools. She raised by subscription the money to pay the teacher and other expenses of the school. After her death the school was continued some twenty years, and originated those impulses which re- sulted in the establishment of the present "Home for Destitute Children."
JAMES WHELPLY, second son of Samuel and Eliza (Whelply) Hickok, practiced law for a few years, but was diverted from it by business af- fairs. He was treasurer of the University of Ver- mont and a director of the old Bank of Burling- ton; was one of the founders of the Burlington Savings Bank, and served it as treasurer for the first five years of its existence without salary. He was for fifteen years treasurer and principal contributor to the support of the Winooski Ave- nue Congregational church. He passed four years in New York associated with the late Will- iam B. Ogden and Charles Butler, Esq., in laying the foundation of what is now the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad Company, and was one of the directors and managers of the Rutland Railroad. In town affairs he took a prominent part, being chairman of the committee that planned and erected the city hall. Mr. Hickok married Julia Francis on June 5, 1850, and she died in Burlington, Vermont, June 2, 1900. Three children of this marriage died in early life.
EPHRAIM CRANE.
Ephraim Crane, the editor and sole proprietor of the Vermont Tribune, was born at Hyde Park, Vermont, January 29, 1876, the son of the Rev. Edward Clarence and Mary Jane Crane. Charles Crane, grandfather of Ephraim Crane, was born in England, and upon attaining young manhood came to this country and settled at
Hyde Park, Vermont, where he became a promi- nent factor in the general merchandise business of the town. He was united in marriage to Miss Alvira W. Hitchcock, and their children were: Charles Herbert, a merchant and hotel-keeper at Hyde Park; Lizzie, who died unmarried ; and the Rev. Edward Clarence Crane. Mr. Crane's death occurred at Hyde Park, Vermont, in the seventy-first year of his age, and his wife died when she had attained the age of seventy years.
The Rev. Edward Clarence Crane, father of Ephraim Crane, was born at Hyde Park, Ver- mont, Janury 23, 1853, and his education was acquired in the common schools of that town and in Wesleyan Academy, Wilbraham, Massa- chusetts. In early life he united with the Metho- dist church of Hyde Park, during the pastorate of Rev. Charles Parkhurst, now editor of Zion's Herald, and evinced great ardor for religious work ; he conceived the idea of becoming a min- ister of the gospel, and in 1876 resigned his posi- tion in the office of Governor Page to enter Bangor Theological Seminary, which he left with honor in 1879. His ministerial career commenced while a student in the seminary, having supplied the pulpit of the Congregational church; after- wards he was pastor of the church at Holden, Maine, two years, later received a call to Waldo- boro, Maine, where he remained for three years, and then for two years and a half was pastor ot a church in Mendon, Illinois. In 1884 he en- tered the Andover Theological Seminary, where he pursued a special course and subsequently officiated as pastor of the South Main Street Con- gregational church at Manchester, New Hamp- shire. His sermons contained the real measure of the spiritual and mental powers of the man, and during his ministry he met with most gratify- ing results. In 1889 Rev. Mr. Crane withdrew from the ministry to become editor and proprietor of the Vermont Tribune at Ludlow, having pre- viously performed considerable journalistic work as contributor and editor. While a resident of this town he continued to identify himself with the Christian work in the Congregational church, being frequently heard in the local pulpits. He was a thoroughly practical man, a great friend of young people, and entered heartily into every worthy enterprise ; he was very successful in his management of the paper, increased the circula-
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tion and made improvements in the plant; he purchased a new engine, folding machine, job press, and moved the entire plant from the Ar- mington block to its present commodious quar- ters in the Peabody or the Ludlow House block. He controlled it until his death, which occurred June 23, 1893, from an accident, after which the paper passed into the hands of his widow, who employed the Rev. Evan Thomas, of Lud- low, to manage it. This he did successfully for a period of five years, during which time the paper became a six-column quarto, and has since remained that size. A new folding machine which cuts and pastes the papers was added, and an Otto gasoline engine put in.
On June 2, 1873, the Rev. Edward C. Crane married Miss Mary Jane Thomas, a daughter of Jefferson Thomas, who acted in the capacity of overseer of the poor for many years at Morris- town, where he had large agricultural interests. Their children were: Lizzie, wife of Louis S. Bugbee, of Ludlow, now a resident of Wollaston, Massachusetts, and engaged as teller in the Mas- sachusetts National Bank at Boston, Massachu- setts ; Ephraim; Alice May, wife of Dr. W. H. Lane, of Ludlow, now a resident of Readsboro, Vermont ; Charles E., a student at Dartmouth College; and Clarence, who died at the age of six months. The mother of these children died May 4, 1902, at Hyde Park, Vermont.
Ephraim Crane, eldest son of the Rev. Ed- ward C. and Mary J. Crane, obtained his early education in the public schools ; later he was en- rolled as student of Black River Academy; Ludlow, and finally pursued a course in Dart- mouth College, from which institution he was graduated in 1898. He commenced his busi- ness career in the office of the Vermont Tribune, succeeding the Rev. Mr. Thomas as manager, and, September 1, 1899, he became the sole proprietor and editor. The equipment of the office is better than ever before, he having added two new presses, new heating apparatus, a Westminster four-horsepower en- gine and an Acme self-clamping cutter. With thorough training, journalistic instincts, knowl- edge of affairs, and perseverance, he reflects honor upon his profession, and in his conduct of the Tribune has tried to make it the exponent of the highest interests of the community, the
state and the nation. Politically Mr. Crane is a Republican, in his religious belief a Congrega- tionalist, and fraternally is a member of Black River Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, and Vermont Commandery, Knights Templar.
On February 5, 1903, Mr. Crane married Miss Mary Elizabeth Mastin, daughter of Silas Mastin and Lillie (Dale) Mastin, of St. Johns- bury. Mr. Mastin was for fifty years employed by the E. & T. Fairbanks Company of St. Johns- bury in the scale works, and was foreman in the wood-working department when he died, April 18, 1903. Mrs. Mastin, who was a Tennessee girl, makes her home with her daughter. A son, Dale, died in infancy.
WILLIAM DICKINSON WOOLSON.
William D. Woolson, prominently identified" with the commercial interests of Springfield, Ver- mont, was born in that city, October 1, 1866, a son of Amasa and Mary Woolson. Amasa Woolson, son of Asa and Ann Woolson, was born in Graf- ton, Vermont, August 6, 1811, and in the public schools of that town obtained an excellent educa- tion. In early life he displayed a remarkable me- chanical ability, and from the age of fourteen to thirty-five was employed at Manchester and Ches- ter in manufacturing and finishing woolen cloths and inventing and making machinery suitable for this purpose. In 1846 he removed to Spring- field, Vermont, where he acquired an interest in the firm of Davidson & Parks, engaged in the- manufacture of cloth-finishing machinery. Upon the death of Mr. Davidson, which occurred four years later (1850), the firm changed its name to Parks & Woolson and conducted business under this title until 1878, when it changed to a stock company. During this period of time Mr. Wool- son invented and patented the most effective shearing machine now in use. This is a wonder- ful machine, having a set of twenty-two revolv- ing blades, and was a great invention. In 1888 Mr. Woolson, in connection with several other business men, purchased the stock of the Jones & Lamson Machine Company of Windsor, which they removed to Springfield, and commenced the manufacture of machinists' tools of every de- scription, but soon devoted their efforts to tur- ret machinery exclusively, using for this purpose-
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and patenting several valuable appliances in- vented by James Hartness, then superintendent of the works, now president (sketch elsewhere). As an inventor Mr. Woolson ranked among thie best, having been awarded seven premiums, con- sisting of gold, silver and bronze medals, at dif- ferent fairs held in Boston and New York, as well as at the Centennial Exhibition at Philadel- phia, Pennsylvania. Mr. Woolson served in the capacity of president of the Jones & Lamson Ma- chine Company, and also filled a similar position in the First National Bank of Springfield, till his death in 1891.
On January 15, 1838, Mr. Woolson married Mary L. Davidson, a daughter of John Davidson ; their only child, Helen M., died in infancy, and her mother departed this life a few months later. Mr. Woolson was then united in marriage to Mary E., daughter of Aaron and Lettice Baker, July 1, 1863, and four children were born to them, two of whom survive, namely: William D. and Charles A. Woolson.
William D. Woolson, son of Amasa and Mary E. Woolson, was educated in the public schools ·of Springfield and St. Johnsbury Academy, and upon the completion of his studies he commenced his business career by entering the employ of the Jones & Lamson Machine Company, of which James Hartness is the president and for which Mr. Woolson is now acting in the capacity of treasurer. They are engaged in the manufacture of the Hartness Flat Turret Lathe, an article of machinery that has already achieved a world-wide reputation, and has resulted in the building up of an extensive and important manufacturing en- terprise at Springfield. (See sketch of James Hartness for description of same.) Mr. Wool- son is also actively interested in the Fellows Gear Shaper Company, and has been president since its organization, and one of its incorporators. This important industry gives employment to about sixty people. Politically Mr. Woolson is a Republican, and takes a keen interest in all local affairs which tend toward the improvement ·of the town and county.
Mr. Woolson was united in marriage in May, 1890, to Miss Frances Hazen, and three children have been born to them: Ruth, Hazel and Eric Woolson. Frances Hazen was born in Barnett, Vermont, daughter of Louis I. and Frances
(Johnson) Hazen, the second of four children, all living : Frank, county clerk in Montana; Frances; John, professor of instrumental music in Tarrytown, New York; Grace S., with her parents, in Melrose, Massachusetts, where her father is now living retired, he having formerly been a very large farmer at Hazen Junction, New Hampshire, where, with his brother, he owned about seven thousand acres of land, of which they had cleared a considerable portion, and which was used as a stock farm, it being the largest in that section.
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