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 14

Author: Carleton, Hiram, 1838- ed
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: New York, Chicago, The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1032

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 14

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MERRITT C. BARDEN.

Merritt C. Barden, of West Pawlet, Vermont, a leading farmer and a citizen who has frequently been intursted by his neighbors with offices of honor and trust, traces his descent from Richard Barden, said to be from Solsbury, England, who, with two brothers, supposed to be William and Thomas, came on the ship Elizabeth to the ex- treme south of New Bedford, Massachusetts, where in 1732, he deeded to his three sons, Sam-

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uel, Thomas and Joseph, all of Tiverton, Massa- chusetts, the year of the immigration being 1702. He had two nephews, Timothy and Thomas.

John Barden, whose brother, named Timothy, was killed in the Revolution at Bloody Pond near Lake George, lived at Freetown, Massachusetts, married Lydia Barrows, and was the father of the following children : Juda, Kezia, Lydia, Lou- rania, Bethuel, Lemuel and Noah. John Barden, whose father's name was Noah, died about 1812. in Freetown, and his son Bethuel, who was born there in 1763, removed, in 1818, to Vermont, and settled in the town of Wells, where he passed the remainder of his life, being an extensive farmer and a member of the Baptist church. In early life he was a sea faring man. He married Mary Crapo, and their children were: Peleg ; Juda ; Lydia; Polly; John, who was in the Vermont legislature fourteen years ; and Shubel, who was born in 1791 at Freetown.

Shubel, grandfather of Merritt C. Barden, also was a very prosperous farmer and a member of the Baptist church. He served in the state militia. He married Lydia, daughter of the Rev. D. Pierce, a Baptist clergyman of Dighton, Mas- sachusetts, and their children were: Julia Ann, who married Edward Solard, a Baptist clergy- man; Abigail, who became the wife of Calvin Farrar; Betsey, who married john Farrar ; Caro- line, who married Nelson Louis; Shubel, who married Amy Cook ; Henry, who died unmarried; and Horace. Shubel Barden, the father of the family, died in 1859.

Horace Barden, the son of Shubel and Lydia (Pierce) Barden, was born December 6, 1822, in the town of Rupert, Rutland county, and was educated in the district schools. He owned two hundred and eighty acres of land in his native town, the same being a part of the estate of his father, and he spent his entire life there as a farmer. Politically he was a Republican. He mar- ried Alma Eliza Bartlett, a member of the Church of Christ, and loved by all who knew her. She descended from an ancient family of Norman origin, the earliest known ancestor, Adam Bart- lett, having been an esquire in the retinue of Brian, a knight who accompanied William the Conqueror to England. A castle appears as the crest of the coat of arms which was granted by Edward the Black Prince to John Bartlett for

taking the castle of Fonteroy in France. The seat of the family was in Sussex.

John Bartlett, the founder of the American branch of the family, settled at Weymouth, Mas- sachusetts, before 1666. and his son Jacob lived in Providence, where he was a landowner. He belonged to the Society of Friends, as did his sons, one of whom, Joseph, was a blacksmith and farmer in the town of Providence, Rhode Island, being made a freeman in 1746. He was a mem- ber of the town council, and he and his wife were often called upon to serve the Society of Friends, being members of the Smithfield monthly meet- ing. They were very pious people, much inter- ested in the religious training of their children. The name of his wife, whom he married in 1744, was Abigail Aldrich. Joseph Bartlett, who was of a poetical turn of mind, and had composed several poems, died December 1, 1791. One of their sons, Jacob, born February 24, 1751, in Cumberland, Rhode Island, removed to Danby, Vermont, being the first in the town to carry on blacksmithing. He was a member of the Society of Friends, and married, first, Juda, and, after her death, Anna, both daughters of Samuel Cook, of Smithfield, Rhode Island. He died in Pawlet, January 14, 1837, and was buried in the Friends' yard at Granville, New York. Of his children, Daniel, born August 7, 1791, married Eliza Pot- ter ; after his death she married Joseph, a younger son of Jacob Bartlett. Daniel. Joseph and Eliza were buried in the Friends' burying ground at Danby, Vermont. Among the children of Dan- iel and Eliza ( Potter) Bartlett, was Alma Eliza, born May 3, 1822, mentioned above as the wife of Horace Barden. (See Bartlett Genealogy, also Loveland. )

Mr. and Mrs. Horace Barden were the parents of the following children: Mary E., who died at the age of twelve years ; John J., who died at the age of twenty-seven years; Merritt C .. mentioned at length hereinafter ; Harvey E., who is a manu- facturer of specialties at Wallingford, Vermont, married Ida Smith, and has one child. Frank ; Eugene, who died at eight years of age : Henry Bartlett, who is engaged in business as a manufacturer with his brother at Wallingford, married Anna Northrop, and they have the fol- lowing children : John, Etta, Clifford and Zella, the last of whom died when five years old. Mr.

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Barden died September 1, 1897, and Mrs. Barden died December 20, 1901.

Merritt C. Barden, son of Horace and Alma Eliza (Bartlett) Barden, was born October 13, 1852, at Rupert, Vermont, and received his edu- cation in the district schools of his birthplace. He has all his life followed agricultural pursuits, and not retains the old homestead. He is also the owner of another farm situated in the town of Pawlet, where he now resides, and on these two estates, comprising about five hundred and sixty acres, he makes a specialty of dairying, keeping altogether no fewer than seventy head of cattle, in addition to several horses. He has patented a number of inventions of great usefulness to the dairy industry. Among these is a cream sepa- rator, from which he derived a substantial sum. In politics he is a Republican, and has held vari- ous offices, having for several years held the posi- tion of selectman, and in 1898 represented his town in the legislature, where he served on the committee on agriculture. He is a Mason, affiliat- ing with Morning Flower Lodge at Pawlet, and with Poultney Chapter No. 10. He is a mem- ber of Friendship Lodge No. 45, I. O., O. F., at West Pawlet, and is first violinist in the West Pawlet Orchestra.

Mr. Barden married Estella F. Sheldon, and their children are: M. Eugene; Bertha M., who married Burt Nelson, a farmer of Pawlet, and has one child, Barden ; Zella, who died in infancy ; and Ray K. Barden. Mrs. Barden traces her de- scent from Isaac Sheldon, her great-grandfather, and from Isaac, her grandfather, who was born and passed most of his life in the town of Rupert, where he was an extensive farmer, and a member of the Masonic fraternity. He married Rebecca Spear, daughter of Ashel and Mariam (Phillips) Spear, and their children were: Isaac S., Henry, Enos P., Lavinia, Marilla, Asahel and William.

William Sheldon, father of Mrs. Barden, was born in 1813, in Cattaraugus county, New York, and removed to Bennington county, Vermont, where he owned a farm of over eight hundred acres, having been at one time one of the largest landowners of the town, and a man of considera- ble wealth. He served in the state militia, and was a Republican in politics. He married Anna, daughter of Sylvester Smith, and they were the parents of the following children: I. Thomas

died in infancy. 2 Albert M. is the second. 3. Lorin F., who was born December 23, 1844, at Rupert, Vermont, attended the district schools and Burr and Burton Seminary, and remained on his father's farm until reaching the age of twenty-one, when he married Adalaide, daughter of Nathan and Sophronia Baker, whose son Henry S. Baker, P. H. D., is principal of the Humbolt school, St. Paul, Minnesota, Lorin F. Barden engaged in farming in the town of Rupert, where he remained until 1901, when he removed to the village of West Powlet, still re- taining his farm of four hundred acres, where he devotes special attention to dairying and the making of maple sugar. He is a Republican, having served as lister for several years, and also as justice of the peace. He is master of Morning Star Lodge, F. & A. M., of Powlet, a member of Poultney Chapter No. 10, R. A. M., and of the Modern Woodmen of America, and has passed all the chairs in the lodge of Odd Fellows. He has four children: Myrtle F., who married A. W. Burdick, a merchant at West Paw- let, and has one child, Harold P .; Pearl and Al- bert, both of whom died in infancy; and Alice N., who resides at home. 4. Isaac S. and Nancy . R., twins, the latter of whom died at the age of twenty years, and the former married May Dings, and they have two sons and two daughters : Willie O., who married Lottie Hatch ; Willis O., who married Minnie Hart; Rose, who married Arthur Boueville; and Lizzie, who married Max Waite. 5. Estella F. is mentioned above as the wife of Merritt C. Barden.

Mrs. Sheldon, the mother of Mrs. Barden, is descended from Martin Smith, who was born in 1718, and in 1770 or 1772 re- moved with his family from Connecticut to Rupert, Vermont. During the Revolutionary war, when Burgoyne and his army were descend- ing from the north, Martin Smith succeeded in removing his family in safety to Connecticut, where, after a long and perilous journey, they found a place of refuge. He served as cavalry- man in the Revolution. He died in 1814, leaving the following children: Stephen, Truman, Cal- vin, Jonathan and Esther. Of these, Stephen married Anna Munson, and they had nine chil- dren, among whom was Sylvester, who married Nancy Harmon, and his daughter Anna is men-

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tioned above as the wife of William Sheldon, and the mother of Estella F., who became the wife of Merritt C. Barden.

ARCH MEAD BATCHELDER.

Arch Mead Batchelder, a prominent manu- facturer of Plainfield, Vermont, and who has renderd useful public service in various import- ant positions, is a descendant in the eighth gen- eration from that Batchelder ancestor from whom have sprung many whose names have ap- peared in honorable connection upon various pages of New England history.

Stephen Bachiler (as the family name origin- ally appeared), a clergyman, was born in Eng- land, and sailed, March 9, 1632, in the ship Will- iam and Francis, arriving at Boston, June 5 ; he went immediately to Lynn, Massachusetts.

Stephen Batchelder (2), son of the Rev. Stephen Bachiler, born in England, came to America with his father, and became a resident of Hampton, New Hampshire, where he held many positions of honor and trust. He died Jan- uary 2, 1710. His son

Thomas Batchelder (3), was born in Hamp- ton, New Hampshire, in 1685. He was with Col- onel Shadrach Walton's command in the expedi- tion against Port Royal, in 1710, and he died February 10, 1774. He was twice married, to Mary Moulton, and then to Sarah Tuck.

Nathaniel Batchelder (4), son of Thomas Batchelder, was born in Hampton, New Hamp- shire, May 10, 1722, and he married Hannah But- ler, of that place, November 29, 1743. He served in the colonial militia, and bore the rank of cap- tain. About 1756 he removed to Sandown, New Hampshire, and died October II, 1784. His son

Jonathan Moulton Batchelder (5), was born in Sandown, May 26, 1766. He located in Plain- field, Vermont, and was a farmer by occupation; his death occurred October 8, 1827. His wife was Judith Boutwell. Their son

James Batchelder (6) was born February 5, 1794; he was a farmer, and died May 24, 1875. He was twice married; first to Olive Lamson, September 30, 1816, and after her death to Sophia Johnson.

James Merrill Batchelder (7), son of James Batchelder, was born April 8. 1829, in Plainfield,

Vermont. He was educated in the district schools of his native town, and at the Newbury Academy. He was an enterprising man in the place of his nativity, and conducted a large business in lumber and milling. He was prominent in public affairs, recognized as a leader in all movements conducing to the advancement of the village and county, and occupied various local positions of honor and trust, and represented his town in the legislature, where his service was most useful and honorable.

He was married October 15, 1852, to Miss Amanda M. Lawrence, born November 8, 1833, in Marshfield, Vermont, daughter of Spencer and Mary (Parker) Lawrence. The children born of this marriage were: Arch Mead, born April 30, 1855; Mary Lawrence, born in October, 1857, now deceased : Frank L., born in April, 1859, now deceased ; Olive L. and Mary L., who both died in infancy. The father died October 23, 1899.

Arch Mead Batchelder (8), eldest child in the family last named, was born April 30, 1855, in Chicago, Illinois, where his parents were then residing. The family soon returned to Vermont, and Arch Mead received his education in that state, in the district schools of Plainfield, the Goddard Seminary at Barre, and Norwich Uni- versity at Northfield. By the time he had at- tained his majority he was well equipped for the duties of life, and at the age of twenty-one he became associated in business with his father, under the firm name of J. M. Batchelder & Son. In the following year ( 1877) they built their ex- tensive mills, which were adapted for both steam and water power, and were utilized in the manu- facture of all descriptions of hard and soft lum- ber. The firm soon built up a large trade, and came to be known as among the extensive opera- tors in their line in the state. The senior Batchelder died in 1899, and since that time Arch M. Batchelder has conducted the business alone, extending its scope from year to year. Of ex- cellent ability, he has not only prospered person- ally, but he has contributed largely to the de- velopment of the commercial and social interests of the community, taking a leading part in all measures tending to those ends. He has been called to various public positions, serving for some years as town auditor, and in 1902 he was elected to represent Plainfield in the state legisla- ture, serving on the railroad committee.

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In politics he is a Republican, and is regarded as a leading exponent of the principles and poli- cies of his party. He has attained to high rank in the Masonic fraternity. holding membership in Wyoming Lodge No. 80, F. and A. M .; King Solomon Chapter No. 8, R. A. M., of Montpelier ; Mt. Zion Commandery No. 9, K. T .; Vermont Consistory, thirty-second degree, Scottish Rite: and the Order of the Mystic Shrine. He is also a member of Arcadia Lodge No. 53, I. O. O. F., of Plainfield, and of Marshfield Lodge K. of P .; and of the Vermont Fish and Game Club. Mr. Batchelder was married January 1, 1877, to Miss Emma Best, a daughter of William and Harriet ( Brown) Best, of Northfield, Vermont. Two children born of this marriage died in infancy.

CYRUS WASHBURN WICKER.

Cyrus Washburn Wicker was the scion of an old Massachusetts family and conserved the honor of the family in a marked degrec. He was born in Hardwick, Massachusetts, August 12, 1814, and removed with his parents to Or- well, Vermont, when he was two years of age. His grandfather, William Wicker, accompanied the family to their new home in the Champlain Val- ley, just south of Mt. Independence, of Revolu- tionary fame. He was of Scotch and English line- age, and lived to a good old age-eighty-four years-having survived his wife but a short time. His son Lemuel was born in Hardwick in 1783. and was therefore thirty-three years of age when he removed to Vermont.

The mother of the subject of our sketch was the second wife of Lemuel Wicker. She was the daughter of George Haskell, of Hardwick, Mas- sachusetts, and from her the oldest son, Cyrus, doubtless derived the energy and persistency for which he was so remarkable. He was but eleven years old when his father died, and from that time he was compelled by circumstances to take care of himself. He worked for two years on a farm in the neighborhood, and then spent two summers on the Champlain Canal, being rapidly promoted from the towpath to the helm. About 1829 he went to Cornwall, Vermont, to live with his uncle, Benjamin F. Haskell, a prominent inerchant of that place. Here he remained until

1835, dividing his time between the schoolroom and the store, and thus securing a practical busi- ness education.

When he was twenty-one, he made brief visits in his native town in Massachusetts and at the home of another uncle, Bela B. Haskell, of Waldoboro, Maine. Vermont, however, was the home of his choice, and he soon returned, and in 1837 opened a store in North Ferrisburg, as a branch of the Cornwall store. After a few years the partnership between his uncle and him- self was dissolved, and Mr. Wicker began busi- ness on his own account, gradually extending it from year to year, until in 1877 he retired from mercantile business and devoted himself to other interests. The confidence reposed in his ability and integrity by his fellow townsmen is indicated by the fact that he was called upon to fill nearly every position of authority and responsibility in their gift.

He was a justice of the peace nearly forty years, represented the town in the state legisla- ture, and was assistant judge of the county court, besides serving several years as county commis- sioner, and also as trustee of the United States deposit fund for the support of schools. Judge Wicker inherited many traits of his Puritan an- cestors. He wrestled with fate and obtained her blessing. albeit rather grudgingly given. A Ver- monter with such ancestry as his would almost of necessity be a man of sterling integrity and great will power, with an unlimited capacity for hard work, and a vast amount of nervous energy. His youthful nickname was "Drive."

He surmounted every difficulty and was victorious over circumstances. He was esteemed by his neighbors and all the country round for his thorough honesty and strong common sense. He was constantly consulted by his fellow towns- men on matters affecting private and public wel- fare, and no one was ever heard to regret having taken his advice. He was a member of the legis- lative committee that framed and reported a bill which was passed by the legislature of Vermont and became a law in 1858, making any man com- ing within the borders of that stalwart little state a free man, notwithstanding the famous "Dred- Scott decision," which of course it violated; as it also did the Constitution of the United States, but little cared the men of conscience of Vermont

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what they violated, when a question of right was involved.

A man of decided principles, outspoken and uncompromising, Mr. Wicker always wielded an influence for good in the community. He was an anti-slavery man and a member of the Free- soil party until the Republican party was formed. His home was known as one of the underground railway stations for fugitive slaves, and he was always ready to plead the cause of the poor and neady.

Mr. Wicker married Maria Delight Halladay, of Shoreham, Vermont. She was a helpmate for him in the truest sense. "The words of King Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him," give a faithful description of her char- acter.

Mr. and Mrs. Wicker had three sons, Henry C. Wicker, for some years traffic manager of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway and president of the Fort Worth & Rio Grande Railway Com- pany ; Cassius M. Wicker, a sketch of whose life will be found elsewhere in this work; and Lem- uel Theodore, who died when but three years of age.

Mr. Wicker was for a time a member of the Wesleyan Methodist church, but his preference was for the Congregational church, and for many years he was a deacon in the Congregational church at Ferrisburg. He died respected and honored by all, at his home in North Ferrisburg, May II, 1888. From that time until her death, April 9, 1903, his widow made her winter home with her younger son in New York city.

CASSIUS M. WICKER.

Cassius Milton Wicker, railroad president and manager, financier and investigator, was born in North Ferrisburg, Addison county, Vermont, August 25, 1846, son of Cyrus Washburn and Maria Delight (Halladay) Wicker.

His father, Cyrus Washburn Wicker, was born in Hardwick, Massachusetts. His ancestors were among the early settlers of Massachusetts, and the family is of ancient and honorable de- scent. He traces his ancestors back to William Wicker, who settled in Roxbury, Massachusetts, in 1719. The family were of Scotch-Irish de-

scent, and owing to their religious views were regarded with suspicion by the intolerant Puri- tans of that section. The town records show that on May 20, 1720, Constable Joseph Scarborough was directed "to warn William Wicker and his family to depart this town or to give bonds to the selectman," and that on the 26th day of May, the constable duly reported: "I have warned said William Wicker and his family to de- part this town; he having been here near two months and came from Dorchester." Forced out of Roxbury, William Wicker settled in Leicester, where he died in 1769. His son, Jacob Wicker, who served in the northern army of the Revolu- tion in several campaigns, married Abial Wash- burn, sister of Colonel Seth Washburn, of Wash- ington's staff. By this marriage the family of Jacob Wicker became lineal descendants of James and Susanna Chilton and Mary, their daughter, passengers on the Mayflower. James Chilton died aboard that frail vessel in Province- town harbor, and was buried on Long Point. His wife Susanna died the first winter and was buried in "Wheatfield." Mary, historians de- clare, was the first white woman to set foot on Plymouth Rock. She married John Winslow. Her body lies in King's Chapel burial ground, Beacon street, Boston, where these historical facts are recorded and preserved in bronze. Mr. Wicker also has two other Mayflower ancestors, William Latham and Elder Brewster.

Mr. Wicker's wife, Augusta Carroll French, was a daughter of Governor Charles Augustus French, of Illinois, during whose administration as governor of that state, the Illinois Central Railroad was chartered and its construction com- menced, Governor French being ex-officio director. It was during his administration also that the Mormons were driven out of Illinois.

When Mr. Wicker was on his first trip to the Pacific coast, before there was a railroad to Salt Lake City, the small delegation of which he was a member was received by Brigham Young. A member of the delegation, in conversation with the Mormon prophet, referred to the fact that Mr. Wicker was a son-in-law of Governor French, and thoughtlessly asked "what became of the real estate holdings of the Mormons when they left Illinois." Brigham Young gave the speaker and Mr. Wicker one piercing glance and

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with a profound bow, silently left the room. The crestfallen member realized his blunder when he was informed that all their holdings had been confiscated by the state of Illinois, by an act of the legislature enforced by Governor French.

It was during a trip to Denver, a year later, upon completion of the Kansas Pacific Railway, that Mr. Wicker had the peculiar experience of having his train "held up" for an hour and a quarter by a herd of buffalo passing in front of the engine, covering the plains as far as the eye could reach. It was on this trip also that he came to know Chief Colorow of the "Coloradoes," then a large tribe of Indians at deadly war with the Cheyennes. By reason of information ob- tained from this chief, Mr. Wicker was able to advise Governor Evans, the first territorial 'gov- ernor of Colorado, that the "Cheyenne Indians were burning and pillaging in South Park," rare experiences for a middle-aged business man of to-day.

Those interested in the study of American history have noticed without doubt, that in carly annals of that history Virginia was not only the Mother of Presidents but of most of the promi- nent men of the time. Later, Massachusetts took the lead, and very few outside of that com- monwealth presumed to count themselves among the chosen men of the nation. In our own time, Ohio claims to have succeeded to the Virginia title "Mother of Presidents," but there is one state which makes no claim to greatness, as com- pared with sister states, and yet, if greatness consists in doing good service, she certainly has a right to that claim, for she has given to her country a host of great men. It may yet be said as significantly of Vermont as in olden times it was prophesied should be said of Zion, "This man was born there." Even now, whenever a national roll of honor is called, a noble army of Green Mountain boys answer "Adsum."

If any one is sufficiently curious to run over the first ten volumes of the "National Cyclo- pedia of American Biography," he will find there about three hundred names of distinguished men "born in Vermont." Moreover, although the fact that these men have achieved sufficient success in life to be given a place in such a work counts for much, still we may go farther and discover in the list some especially distinguished,

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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 14

Author: Carleton, Hiram, 1838- ed Publication date: 1903 Publisher: New York, Chicago, The Lewis Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1032

Author: Carleton, Hiram, 1838- ed
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: New York, Chicago, The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1032