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 119
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THE STATE OF VERMONT.
years later Mr. Hartness came cast and was em- ployed as a foreman for a bolt-maker at Winsted, Connecticut, and later removed to Torrington, Connecticut, where he filled a similar position. In 1885, at Winsted, Connecticut, Mr. Hartness married Miss Lena Sanford Pond, and their chil- dren are Anna Jackson, born January 7, 1889, and Helen Edith, born May 19, 1890. Lena Sanford Pond, daughter of Fredrick L. and Anna C. (Holt) Pond, was born at Winsted, Connecticut, August 28, 1865.
In February, 1889, Mr. Hartness settled in Springfield, Vermont, where he entered the em- ploy of the Jones & Lamson Machine Company in the capacity of superintendent. In the mean- time he had made several inventions, on which he was receiving royalties, and later he ex- changed some patent rights for a one-third inter- est in the company, of which he was manager and was later appointed president. The Jones & Lamson Machine Company is one of the most important and prosperous manufacturing enter- prises in the state; in 1888 the business was re- moved from Windsor to Springfield, and they then occupied a main building forty by eighty feet, with an addition of two stories twenty by forty feet, and gave employment to seventy-eight men. They enlarged from time to time as the growing necessities of their business demanded until now they occupy building's having a floor space of 82,000 square feet, of which 39,000 is fire-proof construction, being composed of brick, steel and cement almost wholly. These buildings are equipped with most efficient machinery, giv- ing them a large output in proportion to the hands employed, which at present number two hundred and fifty. The business is rapidly growing and is the chief employment in the enterprising vil- lage of Springfield. Although they continue to operate under the style of the Jones & Lamson Machine Company, the name has no significance as to the ownership, the business being under the control of Mr. Hartness as president and Mr. Wolson as treasurer. They manufacture the Hartness Flat Turret Lathe, being the only ma- chine tool builders in the world that make but one machine and that in only one size; this is protected by twenty-one Hartness patents, and others are pending. This lathe is exclusively man- factured and sold not only in America by his
company, but they have their own office at Bir- mingham, England, and also well organized agencies all over the continent of Europe. Since his connection with the company, Mr. Hartness has been giving much attention to his inventions and other kindred machines to protect the pat- ents on the machine which they manufacture; in all he has taken out about fifty American patents and many foreign patents to secure such pro- tection. These machines received the gold medal at Paris in 1900, and a silver medal was also issued to the inventor, both awards being the highest attainable for a single exhibit ; they also received an award from the Columbian Exhibi- tion in 1893 for superior design.
CHARLES D. WARREN.
Charles D. Warren, a well known merchant and a prominent citizen of Williston, was born in this town, August 6, 1855, a son of the late Charles E. Warren. He comes of substantial New England stock, his paternal grandfather, Stephen Warren, Jr .. and his great-grandfather, Stephen Warren, Sr., having been of Connecti- cut birth. The latter, who was born August 16, 1741, reared the following named children : Stephen, Jr., born October 3, 1768; Sarah, born August 12, 1770; Henry, born June 23, 1772; Almonson, born June 22, 1774; Clarence, born March 9, 1776; Thankful, born January 13, 1778; Seth, born March 10, 1780.
Stephen Warren, Jr., was numbered among the pioneers of Williston, coming here from Con- necticut at an early period of its settlement. Subsequently removing to Fairfax, Vermont, he resided there until his death. Eight children were born to him, namely: Abigail, born De- cember 25, 1789; Charity, born May 13, 1791; Lucy B., born December 31, 1793 ; Stephen, born in 1798; Clarissa, John, Theodore and Charles E.
Charles E. Warren, born June 7, 1810, fol- lowed the trade of a carpenter and joiner for several years, after which he worked for awhile in the paper mills at Essex. On leaving the mills he purchased a farm in Williston, where he en- gaged in agricultural pursuits until his death, July 30, 1888. Politically he was a stanch sup- porter of the principles of the Republican party. On January 1, 1839, he married Rosetta Baldwin,
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THE STATE OF VERMONT.
who was born December 23, 1811, and died Feb- ruary 10, 1895 She was a daughter of Eber and Rachel (Brundage) Baldwin. Of her union with Charles E. Warren three children were born, namely: Isabel T., who was born Sep- tember 26, 1839, married George Wing, of Fer- risburg, Vermont, and died March 3, 1902; Birney E., born October 5, 1844, now a farmer on the old homestead, married Lucy Slade, by whom he has four children, Rosella, Nettie, Guy and Bessie; and Charles D., the special subject of this sketch.
Charles D. Warren was educated in the public schools of Williston, but, as he was a poor boy on a farm, from the first he had to make his own opportunities, and all the subsequent record of his life is evidence of what may be accomplished by one consumed with ambition and energy. He devoted himself to his books and then earned money by teaching in the country schools to aid him in the acquirement of further education, thus pushing his own way until he had secured the advantages of the higher institutions. He at- tended the Essex Classical Academy, and alto- gether taught school twelve terms. He then turned his attention to farming, and, although he had no experience, he was not to be unsuccess- ful, and he made money at it, but he was soon led into other fields. In 1885, a stranger to mercantile pursuits, he purchased the store of Henry Joslyn in Williston, and his eighteen years as a leading merchant of the town shows how well he has attended to his affairs.
Mr. Warren is a man of most cordial dis- position, has excellent judgment in business mat- ters, which is often taken advantage of by the less experienced, and his interest in public affairs is shown by his official record. He was post- master under the administraton of President Har- rison, and also under Presidents Mckinley and Roosevelt. This indicates his political prefer- ences, and as a representative of this party he has served efficiently as town clerk since 1886, and as town treasurer since 1887. In 1896 he was elected to the state legislature, in which he was a member of the general committee. For many years he has been a delegate to the county conventions, and he is now serving in his fourth year as school director. Fraternally he is one of the leading Freemasons of this part of the state,
belonging to North Star Lodge No. 12, F. & A. M., of which he is senior warden ; to Water- bury Chapter No. 24, R. A. M .; to Waterbury Council, R. & S. M .; to Burlington Commandery, K. T .; and to Mount Sinai Temple of the Mystic Shrine. He is a member of the Ethan Allen Club of Burlington.
On February 4, 1886, Mr. Warren was mar- ried to Miss Josephine Patterson, daughter of James Patterson, of Shelburne, and they have two daughters, Sylvia A. and Mildred. Such is a brief portrayal of the career of one of Willis- ton's leading and model citizens, a really self- made man, who has relied on himself in the struggle of life, and is certainly deserving of the high esteem of those who know him.
SAMUEL, M. GLEASON.
Samuel Mills Gleason, of Thetford, Vermont, known throughout the state as an accomplished lawyer, and who has rendered highly useful serv- ice to the community and the commonwealth in various responsible positions, is a descendant of an old New England family first known in Massa- chusetts, in which colony, at Sudbury, was born Samuel Gleason, paternal grandfather of Samuel M. Gleason. Samuel Gleason removed to Nor- wich, Vermont, with his wife and four children. He was regarded as one of the wealthiest men of his day and region, his possessions including large tracts of splendid pine lands and numerous sawmills. By his marriage with Azubia Wright, he became the father of the following named chil- dren : Sewell, who was for some years engaged in a mercantile business ; Richard Mills, who is fur- ther referred to below; Catherine, who became the wife of Isaac Hovey, a merchant, who re- sided at Craftsbury, whence he removed to Will- iamsville, where he died, leaving children, Nancy, Elizabeth and Sewell Mills; and Louise, who be- came the second wife of Isaac Hovey, and to whom was born a child, Charles. Richard Mills Gleason, second son of Samuel Gleason, was born in Winchester, New Hampshire, in March, 1798, and received his education in the Norwich Uni- versity during the days of its greatest efficiency. He was associated with his father in his large lumber business, and afterwards engaged in vari- ous useful and profitable enterprises. He con-
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THE STATE OF VERMONT.
ducted a considerable mercantile business, and for more than fifteen years of this time he served also as postmaster, for many years as selectman, and also as justice of the peace. He was, as well, a captain of militia. He was a Republican in politics, and was affiliated with the Masonic brotherhood. He married Harriet Moxley, and their children were: (1) Elizabeth, who became the wife of William Duncan, commander of a lake steamer plying the St. Lawrence river from Montreal, where was his home; their children were Hattie and Browning. (2) Arabella, who became the wife of Stillman Dana, who was post- master at Portage, Wisconsin, whence he removed to St. Paul, Minnesota; their children were Kate, Suc, May and Charles. (3) Samuel Mills is the third. (4) Harriet N. lives in Thetford, un- married. (5) Edgar W. died in December, 1858, at the age of nineteen years, while a student in Dartmouth College. (G) Addie became the wife of the Rev. D. E. Miller, of Maine, who is now preaching in a church at Brunswick, Mainc.
Samuel Mills Gleason, third child and eldest son of Richard and Harriet ( Moxley) Gleason, was born in Thetford, June 28, 1833. He was there fitted for college by Hiram Orcutt, and was graduated from Dartmouth College in 1858. Hc studied for his profession, that of the law, under the preceptorship of Cornelius W. Clarke, of Chelsea, and was admitted to the bar in 1861. He at once entered upon practice at Thetford Center, and has been actively employed to the present time in conducting some of the most im- portant litigation known in the legal annals of the state. He was associated with Judge John W. Rowell in the conduct of the celebrated Me- lendy case against the town of Bradford, in which he made the argument, and afterwards fought the case through various courts to the supreme tribunal, during a period of ten years, finally ob- taining for his client a verdict for the full amount claimed, eleven thousand dollars, together with costs. This was one of the most important cases ·ever brought in Orange county. In the long con- tested chancery case, Bicknell and Pollard vs. Vermont Copper Mining Company, involving a claimed sum of five hundred thousand dollars, he was associated with Mr. Rowell again, and he argued the case for an entire day before the general term of the supreme court, and received
the congratulations of Chief Justice Pierpont for his masterly presentation. As a sequel to this cause celebre, he was appointed receiver of all the immense mining and other property in contro- versy, amounting in value to more than a million dollars, and this trust he discharged with the strictest integrity. Aside from his large personal practice, Mr. Gleason lias at various times filled positions allied with his profession. He served as state's attorney in 1864-65, and again in 1868- 69, and successfully conducted many criminal cases of much importance, and on one occasion was specially appointed to conduct for the state the case brought against Julius Fox on an indict- ment for uxoricide, the trial of which occupied seventeen days. He had for opposing counsel, at different times, some of the most eminent lawyers at the bar, among them being Hon. D. C. Denni- son, Orrin Gamble, former Governor Roswell Farnham and former Judge Poland. Mr. Gleason, it is conceded by his colleagues and by the bench, is one among the ablest lawyers in the state- well versed in law, of that judicial temperament which enables him to view all sides of a ques- tion and protect his case against whatever attack, a calm, dispassionate utterance which leaves nothing of statement to be misunderstood, and an ability to present an argument logically and forcefully. A fine tribute to his worth and ability is found in the circumstances which have attended his election to the probate judgeship for the dis- trict of Bradford, in Orange county. First elected to the position by a large majority in 1886, his conduct of the office was so highly approved by the people that he was re-elected without opposi- tion, and he has been returned to his seat at each succeeding election to the present time.
In 1864 and 1865 Judge Gleason was elected to the legislature, and he was chosen to the senate in 1880. His services in those bodies were marked by signal ability and strict integrity, and he left his mark upon the legislation of those periods by his earnest advocacy of all salutary measures, and by his effort to compel economical administration of public business. In 1880 Gov- ernor Farnham appointed him to the position of chairman of the board of railroad commissioners, and he discharged the duties devolving upon him with such sagacity that he commanded the ap- proval of the people and of the best railroad
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THE STATE OF VERMONT.
men at the same time. His usefulness in his community has been marked throughout his life. He has been called to various local affices, in- cluding that of town clerk, which he held for several years. He has long been a trustee of the Thetford Academy, and of the State Normal School at Randolph. He was formerly a director of and the attorney for the West Fairlee Savings Bank, and since 1893 has been a trustee of the Bradford Savings Bank and Trust Company.
Judge Gleason was married May 19, 1862, to Miss Sarah Lysenbee, a daughter of Dr. Enoch Hilton and Arvilla Smith (Brown) Pilsbury, of Hubbardston, Massachusetts.
HON. HENRY C. FISKE.
The Hon. Henry C. Fiske, of Morrisville, Vermont, is a representative of a very ancient family, as is proved by records which show that in 1208, during the reign of King John, Daniel Fisc (as the name was then spelled), of Laxfield. Suffolk, England, received a grant of land from the Duke of Lorraine. In the same county, Lord Symond Fiske, a grandson of Daniel, was lord of the manor of Stanaugh, parish of Laxfield.
The American branch of the family is de- scended through the following line: William, Simon, Simon, Robert, William, John, William and Deacon William. The last named came to Massachusetts before 1645, and settled at Wen- ham, subsequently removing to Chelmsford. He was, it is presumed, the ancestor of all the New England families of the name of Fiske. He was a weaver and became a large landowner. The executor of his will, and principal heir of his estate, was his sixth son, Deacon Ebenezer, who was born at Wenham, Massachusetts, and was a substantial farmer, frequently honored by his townsmen by election to various offices. He mar- ried Elizabeth, daughter of Jacob Fuller, of Sa- lem,. among whose posterity was the celebrated Margaret Fuller. Of their children, Ebenezer, born in Wenham, received a grant of land in Shel- burne, and became one of the first settlers of the town, which was incorporated in 1768, and of which he was elected the first constable. He mar- ried Dorcas Tyler, an aunt of President John Tyler, and of their children, Moses, born Sep- tember 13, 1764, at Shelburne, Massachusetts,
settled at Waitsfield, Vermont where he and his wife became original members of the Congrega- tional church, in which for forty-five years Mr. Fiske held the office of deacon. He married Han- nah Batcheldor, and was the father of twelve children. Mrs. Fiske died at Waitsfield in 1854.
Moses Fiske, son of Moses and Hannah (Batcheldor) Fiske, was born July 25, 1794, at Waitsfield, and subsequently removed to Water- ville, where he became a prominent merchant. He was active in public affairs, and stood high in the esteem of his fellow townsmen, who re- peatedly honored him with offices of trust and responsibility. He was justice of the peace, and for twenty-five years held the office of town clerk. He was elected judge, for eight years represented his town in the legislature, and was one of the first senators of Lamoille county. In accordance with the traditons of his family, he was a deacon of the Congregational church. During the latter years of his life he resided in Morrisville, where he engaged in business. He married Maxy John- son, and their family consisted of the following children : Cornelia Ann Parmelee, who married the Hon. Thomas Gleed ; James Harvey, born in 1830, died in 1855; Anna Mary, who was born in 1832. Moses Fiske married, in 1851, Re- becca, sister of Whitman G. Ferrin, of Mont- pelier. By this marriage he had one child, Henry C. Moses Fiske died February 18, 1853.
Henry C. Fiske, son of Moses and Rebecca (Ferrin) Fiske, was born in 1852, in Morris- ville, Vermont, and received his higher education at the People's and Peacham Academies. In 1867 and 1868 he served as a page of the senate. and in 1869 was the executive clerk of Governor P. T. Washburn. Introduced thus early into the arena of public life, Mr. Fiske very soon proved his fitness for the sphere in which he was placed. He was for two years connected with the United States patent office as acting examiner of inter- ferences. This onerous and extremely responsi- ble position, the duties of which are of a purely judicial character, was filled by Mr. Fiske in a manner entirely satisfactory to the government and creditable to himself. In 1877. at the earnest solicitation of his wife's parents, he tendered his resignation, and returned to Morrisville, where he soon formed a law partnership with his half- brother, the Hon. George W. Hendee, under the
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firm name of Hendee & Fiske. In addition to his professional duties he has important business interests, chief among which is his connection with the Warren Leather Company of Morris- ville, an organization extensively engaged in the manufacture of harness leather, employing sixty people, and doing an annual business of over two hundred thousand dollars. Of this company Mr. Fiske is a director and treasurer. He takes an active part in local affairs, having served as a member of the school board and also of the ex- amining board. In 1889 he was appointed by President Harrison consul at St. John's, a posi- tion in which he again made manifest his apti- tude for mingling in public affairs, and which he resigned after more than four years' service.
The political life of Mr. Fiske has been a very active one, and he has been many times honored with offices in the gift of his fellow citi- zens. For four years he was register of pro- bate for the district of Lamoille, and for many years a member of the first district congressional committee. In 1886 he represented Morristown, serving on the judiciary committee and the com- mittee on state and court expenses. For six years he held the appointment of trustee of the Vermont Reform School, serving for four years as chairman of the board. In 1888 he was elected senator for Lamoille county, and during his term of office was a member of the committee on edu- cation and also of the judiciary committee. Mr. Fiske maintains his ancestral connection with the Congregational church, in which he serves as a member of the prudential committee.
Mr. Fiske married, in 1876, Isabelle M., daughter of Russell S., and sister of ex-Governor C. S. Page. Their family consists of five chil- dren : Mary M., Lillian E., Carroll P., Henry C., Jr., and Hazel. Their home on Jersey Heights is the center of a circle representing the best elements in the social life of the place.
HENRY G. DARLING. -
Henry George Darling, deceased, of Burke, Vermont, was a native of the state and a descend- ant of old and honored New England ancestors. The earliest of the name known in America was an Englishman, a sca captain, who came between 1640 and 1665 and settled in Kingston, New
Hampshire. He was the father of five daughters and three sons. From him descended Lieuten- ant John Darling, born in Salisbury, Massachu- setts, in 1714. He married, about 1739, Han- nah Morse, who bore him six sons and three daughters. Of this family was Peter Darling, born in 1752, who married Rebecca Burbank, and to them were born seven sons and two daugh- ters. One of the sons, Major Ebenezer Darling, born in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, in 1787, served in the war of 1812, and was major in the militia. He was one of the first settlers in Burke, Vermont. He married Abigail, daughter of Es- quire Timothy Fisher, whose son, Captain Timo- thy Fisher, was a prominent citizen of Burke. All the children of Major Ebenezer and Abigail (Fisher) Darling were born in the village named, and they were: Henry G., Chiarles B., Alfred B., Caroline M., Lucius A., Pamelia and Scott E. Darling. Of the three daughters, only one married-Abigail, who became the wife of John Evans.
Probably the most widely known of Major Darling's children was Alfred, who gained a wide circle of acquaintance throughout the coun- try by his long connection with the Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York city. Born in Burke, Ver- mont, in 1821, he was reared 011 a farm, and educated in the common schools. When he came of age, he found employment in the Revere House, Boston, and as steward he made its cuisine world-renowned. In 1852 he became a partner in the management of the Battle House, at Mo- bile, Alabama, at its opening. In 1857 he became - identified with the Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York city, associated with Paran Stevens and Mr. Hitchcock. The building was but partially erected, and work had been stopped, the parties interested deeming the location too far up-town,. but he encouraged his partners to a perseverance which was successful. Prior to the Civil war, the hotel was the favorite stopping place of wealthy southerners. Mr. Darling gave particu- lar attention to the cuisine, and was the manager for thirty-seven years. He was also known as one of the solid citizens of the metropolis, being a director in various banks, an early member of the Union League Club, and prominently con- nected with many public enterprises. He was an active official member of the Chester Hill Land
Ch Backing.
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THE STATE OF VERMONT.
Company, and, with Charles Carey, was the po- tential factor in the beautiful Chester Hill resi- dential section of Mount Vernon, New York. Some months before his death, he sustained a serious shock by being thrown from his car- riage, while driving near his country home at Ramsey's, New Jersey, and his advanced age precluded his recovery. He died September 6, 1896, and his widow passed away February 28, 1903.
Henry George Darling. eldest son of Major Ebenezer and Abigail (Fisher) Darling, was born in Burke, Vermont, August 15. 1816. He obtained an excellent common school education, and was for several terms a successful teacher in the district schools in his town. About 1840 he entered the forest at the foot of Burke Moun- tain, where, almost unaided, he cleared off a tract of land and made a farm. He was also a carpen- ter, a thorough and excellent workman, and dur- ing the winter season he built sleighs and wagons, deriving from this employment a sum which went far toward paying for the necessary labor on the farm during the crop and harvest season. In -
1854 Mr. Darling removed to a farm in Sutton, but while there his health became impaired as a result of too severe labor, and in 1866 he removed to East Burke. It was largely due to his ad- vice that his eldest son, Elmer A. Darling, in 1883, purchased what is now known as Mountain View Farm, which has ever since been the fam- ily home.
Mr. Darling was married June 15, 1845, to Mehitabel Whitcomb, of Lyndon. Four chil- dren were born of this marriage: Elmer A., of New York city ; Scott E., who died in 1885; A. Louise, who remained with her parents and gave them faithful and loving care during their de- clining years ; and Lucius A., superintendent of Mountain View Farm, whose residence is ad- jacent to the home mansion. While the develop- ment and active management of this large prop- erty has been under the control of his children, Lucius and Louise, nothing of importance was ever done without the wise counsel of their fa- ther. His physical infirmities for many years prevented his mingling in the affairs of men, so his home to which he was always strongly de- voted, was his greatest source of happiness. One of the keenest pleasures afforded one in conversa-
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