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 21

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 21

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company and a charter member of the Algonquin club. His military service was confined to mem- bership in the "Howard Guard," Burlington Company of uniform militia before the war. In addition to his many other interests, Judge Wales was one of the directors of the old Farmers & Mechanics' Bank imtil it was wound up by the organization of the national bank system, and he was for many years and until his death a director in the Merchant's Bank. He was one of the founders of the Mary Fletcher Hospital in 1876, of which he was one of the trustees, and was also president of the board of managers of the Home for Aged Women. He served as president of the Burlington Manufacturing Company ; as presi- dent of the Farmers & Mechanics' Savings In- stitute and Trust Company ; as vice-president of the Merchants' National Bank ; as president of the Burlington Law Library and as treasurer of the Governor Chittenden Memorial Association. For many years he was a member of the board of trus- tees of the University of Vermont, and for fifteen years served as deacon in the College Street Con- gregational church.

In February, 1846, Judge Wales married Elizabeth Chickering Mason, of Burlington, a daughter of Sells Mason. She passed away in death April 12, 1886, after becoming the mother of two children, George W. and Henry H., but the latter died at the age of two and one-half years. George W. Wales, the elder son, was born July 10, 1855, and was educated in the Univer- sity of Vermont, after which he acted as private secretary for Senator Morrill and for Senator Dawes, while later he was secretary of civil and military affairs for Governor John L. Barstow. He studied law in the office of Wales & Taft, and after his admission to the bar entered into partnership with his father, as previously stated, continuing as junior member of the firm of Wales & Wales until his death, in 1890. He was a bright and promising lawyer, a valued citizen and a man of sterling integrity and worth. He was a di- rector of the Mary Fletcher Hospital and of the Burlington Savings Bank, and in his social re- lation was an active member of the Episcopal church and of the Young Men's Christian Asso- . ciation.

Judge Wales' second marriage occurred in July, 1888, at the Quincy House, Boston, to Mrs.

Helen M. White, nec Mason, a daughter of G. L. Mason, of Boston, Massachusetts. She was a niece of his first wife, and her death occurred in 1896. After the death of his second wife Judge Wales resided in his home on College street, having the devoted care of his daughter- in-law, Mrs. George W. Wales, in his declining years. He passed into eternal rest on the 5th of July, 1902. In his high office of judge and in his private practice he was the friend of the widow and orphan, and many such will "rise up and call him blessed." As a citizen he was public-spirited and devoted to the best interests of the city and community, and in politics he was an earnest Re- publican from the organization of the party until he ceased to care for the things of carth. In his private life he was all that is estimable, and he will ever be remembered as a good officer, a good citizen and a good Christian.

THE FAIRBANKS FAMILY OF ST. JOHNSBURY, VERMONT.

All of the Fairbanks name in this country are the descendants of Jonathan Ffayerbanke, a Puritan of some means, who came to Boston in 1633, bringing with him the house framed of English oak which he erected in Dedham in 1636, and which has been occupied by a Fairbanks family ever since, being still standing, and likely to be kept in its present condition by the incor- porated "Fairbanks Family in America." Richard Ffayerbanke, the first postmaster and the early innkeeper of Boston seems to have been a cousin of Jonathan, but he had no sons to bear the name. The virility of the Fairbanks stock is attested by the fact that more than five thousand now living trace their ancestry to the immigrant Jonathan, and in hundreds of places they have made the name honorable. George, the second son of Jonathan and of his wife Grace, came with his father from England (the town of Sowerby in the West Riding of Yorkshire), resided in Ded- ham until 1657, then removed to Sherborne, now Medford, where he was selectman and an honored citizen. His fourth child, Eliezur, born June 8, 1655, became a leading man in Sherborne, married Martha His sixth child, "Captain" Eleazur, born in Sherborne, December 29, 1690, married Martha, daughter of Captain Samuel

GOVERNOR OF VERMONT, ISEL-3 . 1860 -1

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Bullard, December 25, 1712, and died there Sep- tember 19, 1741. His eleventh child, Ebenezer, known as "Deacon Ebeneezer," born June 1, 1734, married, July 2, 1761, Elizabeth Dearth, removed to Brimfield in 1783, and died there June 6, 1812. He was one of the minute-men who went to Lex- ington April 19, 1775, with the rank of lieutenant, and was afterward in the Revolutionary army.

His second son, Joseph, born in Sherborne, November 1, 1763, moved with his father to Brimfield, surrendered to his cousin Rufus his opportunity to join his childless uncle Joseph in Halifax and become heir to his large property, feeling that he ought to remain with his father until the newly purchased farm was paid for. This having been placed out of danger, he bought a neighboring farm for himself, and marrying Phebe Paddock, brought not only his bride but also her father and mother to the new home. It seems probable that her filial devotion, she be- ing unwilling to leave her parents, as well as his own obligation to his father, was influential in deciding him to decline the golden opportun- ity offered him in Halifax, and he won his wife.

The ancestry of Phebe Paddock, mother of Erastus, Thaddeus and Joseph P. Fairbanks, is interesting. Burke's "Vicissitudes of Families" gives the record of the honorable family of Say- er, from the beginning of the fourteenth century. In the troublous times of Henry VIII, Richard Saver broke with his family, over the question of the church, and with his wife Anne Bourchier Knivent went to Holland. She was a descendant of Sir John Bourchier, Earl of Ewe, by Anne Plan- tagenet his wife, who was a granddaughter of Edward III. John Bourchier Sayer, son of Richard and Anne, married a daughter of Admi- ral Sir John Hawkins. His eldest son John Bourchier married into the family of Count Eg- mont, the victim of the Duke of Alva, and died in 1629. His elder son, Richard, became a dis- ciple of John Robinson in Leyden, broke with his Catholic parents in Amsterdam, and in 1630 came with the last of the Pilgrims to Plymouth colony, married Dorothy Thatcher, and later re- moved to Yarmouth. He had three sons, Knivet, Paul and Silas, and one daughter Deborah who married Zechariah Paddock. This Deborah Sears (as the family had come to write the name) was the daughter of the honorable houses of

Plantagenet, Knivet, Bourchiier, Egmont and Hastings. Robert Paddock, the father of Zechar- iah, was living in Plymouth in 1634, and prob- · ably earlier, with his wife Mary, and died July 25, 1650. Zechariah, second of his five children, was born in Plymouth, March 20, 1636, married Deborah Sears in 1659, represented Yarmouth as deputy three successive years, and died May I, 1727. The record says "he left of his own posterity forty-eight grandchildren and thirty- eight great-grandchildren, and he obtained the character of a righteous man." Of his eight children, Zachariah the second was born April 14, 1664, lived in Yarmouth, married Bethia -, and, after her death, a second wife Mary H. Thatcher, widow of Deacon Thacher, of the South church, Boston, in 1708, and died leaving thirteen children. Of these the eldest, Ichabod, born June 1, 1687, lived in Yarmouth, Middle- boro and Fall Brook, married Joanna Faunce, daughter of "the Godly Elder Faunce," who was ruling elder in Plymouth from 1686 to 1741. His care preserved Plymouth Rock. Of the nine chil- dren of Ichabod and Joanna Paddock, James, born April II, 1730, was the youngest. He mar- ried Ann Huxham, of Fall River, and lived in Western, Holland, Dartmouth and Brimfield. Of their ten children, the second, Phebe, born Sep- tember 8, 1760, died May 5, 1853, who married Joseph Fairbanks, October 21, 1790, was the sec- ond and her brothers, James born March 17. 1765, and Ephraim, born January 4, 1780, judge of the supreme court, are honored names in Vermont.

With such an ancestry, a worthy Puritan on their father's side, and an honored Pilgrim on their mother's Erastus Fairbanks, born October 28, 1792, Thaddeus, born January 17, 1796, and Joseph Paddock, born November 26, 1806. in- herited what was strongest and finest in both lines.

ERASTUS FAIRBANKS.

Nearly all who bear the name of Fairbanks in America have Jonathan for their father. This "Jonathan Fayerbancke" came in 1633 from Sow- erby, West Riding of Yorkshire. to Boston. Three years later he built in Contentment, now Dedham. a house which has been continuously owned and occupied by the family for more than two and a

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half centuries - a quaint and notable structure, 1111- changed to-day in the midst of modern surround- ings. Industry, sobriety, thrift, good citizenship have been well marked characteristics of all branches of this family from the first.

In the seventh generation from Jonathan, was Joseph of Brimfield, a farmer and mechanic of the substantial New England type. His wife, Phoebe Paddock, was a woman of remarkable strength and energy of mind-a strain of Planta- genet blood was in the family. The dignity, force and character of Joseph and Phoebe Fairbanks found wider scope for influence in their three sons, Erastus, Thaddeus and Joseph P., founders of the Fairbanks Scale industry.

Erastus was the pioneer of this family. He was born at Brimfield, Massachusetts, October 28, 1792. At the age of nineteen, he made his way up into the obscure township of St. Johns- bury, in northeastern Vermont. For ten years thereafter he was trained in a severe school of discouragements and adversities. But his faith was strong and his sense of duty rigorous. "Res- olutely he handled the simple and obvious ele- ments of his destiny. He shrunk from nothing, complained of nothing, but tried his young strength on the objects and opportunities that met him, wrestling for the prizes of life in a con- fident brave way, all unconscious that he was wrestling with the angel of God, little thinking that even then he had power as a prince and pre- vailed." Out of successive reverses, he brought habits of frugality, industry, persistence, ma- tured religious convictions and character, prac- tical knowledge of men and of various business.

Meantime his parents and brothers had fol- lowed him to St. Johnsbury, where operations were begun on a small water power in "Fair- banks' Village" for the manufacture of stoves, plows, and other articles needed in the rural com- munity. Presently the inventive genius of his brother Thaddeus hit upon the device of a plat- form on which a loaded wagon could be drawn "and weighed. This was the signal for a new order of things. The invention was patented in 1830, and shortly afterward the three brothers, men of strong individuality, tenacious purpose and generous ideals, established the firm of E. and T. Fairbanks & Company for the manufacture and marketing of the Fairbanks platform scales.

Erastus Fairbanks as head of the firm was already recognized as a man of mark, and of mcompro- mising sincerity. His skilful and energetic man- agement of affairs brought him into wider rela- tions with men. In 1836 he was sent to the leg- islature and at once took rank as a leader, especi- ally in every issue of education and good morals.

One of his colleagues in the house who served with him on important committees says: " In the execution of his official duties he was ardent, con- scientious and faithful: he retained the confi- dlence of all parties, and I can confidently say that no man of my acquaintance in Vermont com- manded more unqualified respect than he. Pos- sessing good, practical sense, ready discrimina- tion and great quickness of perception, he was a sagacious and prudent politician, a safe and ju- dicious counselor and a successful business man."

He was chosen a presidential elector of the Whig party in 1844, again in 1848, but declined a nomination to Congress. Meanwhile he was vigorously pushing the construction of the Con- necticut & Passumpsic River Railroad, of which he was the first president, and in November, 1850, he greeted the arrival of the first locomo- tive that ran into St. Johnsbury.

Two years later, 1852, he was elected gover- nor of Vermont. " His administration was firm and judicious, eminently healthful in its tone." Amongst other important legislative acts, he had the satisfaction of affixing his signature to the prohibitory liquor law, which with some modi- fications remained in force for fifty years.

Temporary opposition to this measure brought in a Democratic governor at the next election. But in 1860 Erastus Fairbanks was called a sec- ond time to the front, and, as it proved, to be known now as the war governor. At the first stage of the war the situation was exceedingly embarrassing. but such confidence had the peo- ple in Governor Fairbanks' wisdom and integrity that "the extra session of legislature which met eight days after the firing upon Sumpter, had the good sense to place at his disposal a million of dollars, putting no check upon the use of it only as his judgment might deem prudent and best. To those acquainted with his good judg- ment, strict integrity, his high sense of impartial right, his systematic business habits, early and continuously trained to grasp business matters

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on a large scale-the result was no surprise." In acknowledgment of his delicate and laborious official acts the senate and house passed joint resolutions of appreciation and thanks. On his retirement from office it was found that "the sal- ary to which he was entitled was never touched, and it still remains in the treasury of the state, another evidence of his generous love for Ver- mont, whose interests were dearer to him than his own, and an honor to both people and execu- tive."

During his entire life Governor Fairbanks was a leader in the support of public morals, of political and business integrity, and religion. He was for fifty years a pillar in the Congregational church, he served officially on many benevolent boards to which he gave liberal contribution of money, time and personal attentions. He was a corporate member of the American Board of Foreign Missions, and one of the three laymen of the committee of thirteen on the deputation to India. In 1849 he was made president of the Vermont Domestic Missionary Society, earn- estly supporting its work for the moral welfare of the state until his removal by death. He was for twenty years a member of the corporation of the University of Vermont, from which insti- tution he received the honorary degree of LL. D. in 1860.

Erastus Fairbanks' life in Vermont covered fifty-two years. During every year of that per- iod he made himself felt as "a positive quantity and power" in manifold ways. His life was a continuous contribution to good citizenship, to the improvement of town and village affairs, to the promotion of industrial enterprises, of educa- tion, of sound morals, to the healthy development of all public interests. His death at St. Johns- bury, November 20, 1864, at the age of seventy- two, removed from earth a man of great original force, noble presence, wide and varied usefulness.

Family memoranda .- Erastus Fairbanks mar- ried, May 30, 1815, Lois, daughter of Samuel and Lois (Chamberlin) Crossman, of Peacham. Their children were: Jane, born December 3, 1816, married Ephraim Jewett, January 26, 1837. died March 29, 1852. George, born January 21, 1819, died April 20, 1843. Horace, born March 21, 1820, died March 17, 1888. Charles, born December 8, 1821, died February 8, 1898. Julia,

born June 9, 1824, married John H. Paddock, February 11, 1857, died June 10, 1884. Frank- lin, born Junc 18, 1828, dicd April 24, 1895. Sarah, born June 30, 1831, married Charles M. Stone, May 4, 1858. Emily, born March 4, 1833, married Rev. C. S. Goulde, May 5, 1859. Ellen, born July 27, 1836, died May 28, 1843.

FRANKLIN FAIRBANKS, son of Erastus Fair- banks, was born June 18. 1828, and died April 24, 1895. His early familiarity with the foundry and machine shops of Fairbanks village stimu- lated a native aptitude for mechanical pursuits and easily determined what his course in life was to be. After completing his academic studies he entercd the scale factory in his eighteenth year, and became familiar with details of draughting, construction and practical mechanics, also with

THE FAIRBANKS MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE.

various office work. Nine years later, in 1856, he was admitted to partnership in the firm. of which his father, Erastus Fairbanks, was presi- dent. His connection with the scale business covered fifty years, his life in St. Johnsbury sixty- eight years.

Besides a natural turn for mechanics, he had an ingenious and inventive mind, and as the de- mand for scales of various sorts increased he se- cured patents for new devices and adjustments, among them the revolving beam for letter bal- ances, adopted by the government for use in the postoffice. He served for many years as superin- tendent of the corporation of E. & T. Fairbanks & Company, and after the death of his brother Horace, in 1888, he succeeded to the presidency

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of this, and of other business organizations at home and elsewhere.

From early life he took generous interest in public affairs and many expressions of popular confidence came naturally to him. He became an accomplished presiding officer, often called to the chair at political or religious conventions. He was a member of the staff of Governor Hiland Hall in 1858, also of Governor Erastus Fairbanks in 1860. During the Civil war he superinteded the manufacture of artillery and harness irons for the government. He represented St. Johns- bury in the state legislature in 1871-2-3, and the last two years of this period he was speaker of the house. For some twenty years he was an active member of the state Republican committee. He was a member of the Masonic fraternity; in 1877 he received the honorary degree of A. M. from Dartmouth college. He appreciated the honor and this opportunity of serving as direc- tor or exucutive officer in various corporations, railway, telegraph, mining, manufacturing, banking, and aided to give a practical turn to whatever was in hand.

His keen appreciation of the natural world made him very observant of its aspects and productions. He kept metorological tables, studied stars and rocks and trees and living things. Few birds flew among the hills that he could not identify by peculiarities of color, song or habits. He became an enthusiastic col- lector of objects of interest of every sort-min- erals, birds, insects, mammealia, also specimens representing a wide range of entomology and archeology. These collections, which were more than half a century's accumulation of increasing- ly rare value and variety, were placed in a capa- cious building, incorporated and presented to the town of St. Johnsbury in 1891, under the name of the Museum of Natural Science-this was designed to be one of the educational fea- tures of the town, affiliated with the Academy, Athenaeum and Union Schools. In the class- room of the museum the graded schools hold reg- ular sessions for nature study under guidance of the director.

Colonel Fairbanks did much for the good of society : he was full of geniality and kindly humor always interested in children and young people. He maintained most friendly acquaintances with

the factory men, and did much in this way to secure good feeling and business prosperity. For more than thirty years he was superinten- dent of the North church Sunday school. Also for a long time he was on the international Sun- day school lesson committee. He was a trustee of St. Johnsbury Academy, of Northfield Semi- nary, founded by Mr. Moody, of Rollins College, Florida. In these and other services to the in- terests of education, of religion and of missions he worked with zeal, multiplying the wholesome influences of a Christian life.

He married December 8, 1852, Frances A., daughter of Rev. Summer G. and Pamelia (Stone) Clapp, of St. Johnsbury. Children : Mary Florence, born July 26, 1859, married, September 8, 1886, Dr. J. T. Herrich, of Springfield, Massachusetts; Ellen Henrietta, born June 29, 1862, married January 29, 1896, Frank H. Brooks, of St. Johnsbury; two other children died in infancy.

HORACE, the second son of Erastus Fairbanks, was born at Barnet, March 21, 1820, and died in New York city, March 17, 1888. In the Cale- donia county grammar school and Phillips Ando- ver Academy he received excellent academic training and at the age of twenty he became con- fidential clerk of the firm of E. and T. Fairbanks & Company, then in the tenth year of the scale manufacturing business. Three years later he was admitted to partnership. At that time the . annual sales were about fifty thousand dollars : he lived to see this volume of business sixty- folded, to three million dollars in a single year. On the death of Erastus Fairbanks he became president of the firm and subsequently of the corporation, which position he held till his own death twenty-four years later. His administra- tive and business abilities, his skillful manage- ment of the finances and the confidence which his personal character inspired, gave increasing scope and stability to the business, and, brought the corporation through successive periods of finan- cial stress with steady progress and well estab- lished credit.

His services were sought by many other asso- ciations. He was director and president of the First National Bank of St. Johnsbury, an officer of the Tamarack Mining Company, one of the leading incorporators of the Maritime Canal

The Lewis Publishing Co

Horace Fairbanks

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Company of Nicaragua, organized for the con- struction of a ship canal across the isthmus. He was one of the founders and supportors of the St. Johnsbury Academy, a trustee of the Uni- versity of Vermont, and of Andover Theological Seminary, a corporate member of the American Board.

In 1868 Mr. Fairbanks went to Portland to unfold a plan which he had been maturing for a railroad from Portland to Ogdensburg, by way of the White Mountain Hotel and St. Johnsbury. This was at the time regarded with disfavor as an impracticable scheme ; ultimately, however, it was entered into heartily by Portland capitalists and others who became convinced of its feasi- bility and importance. It took nine years to com- plete the construction ; on the 17th of July, 1877, the last spike was driven by Horace Fairbanks, president of the Vermont division.

He was not a man of political ambitions ; he accepted public responsibilities when they came to him, as a trust to be seriously held. He was a delegate from Vermont to the National Republi- can convention of 1864 and 1872, on which occa- sion Lincoln and Grant were nominated for their second terms. He was made presidential elector at large in 1868, and in the following year was elected state senator from Caledonia county, but was detained from his seat by sickness.

Early in the canvas of 1876, his name began to be mentioned as a candidate for governor of the state. This was without his consent and wholly contrary to his wishes. He distinctly said so and refused to be considered a candidate. At the nominating convention, neither of three leading candidates being able to carry its vote, Horace Fairbanks was nominated unanimously by acclamation. The first tidings of this reached him by a telegram which said, "You are to be gov- ernor of Vermont in spite of yourself." He was elected by a majority of 23,721 votes. St. Johns- bury gave him more than the total number of votes polled in any previous election. His inaug- ural message attracted wide attention for its plain and vigorous handling of matters needing reformed and advanced methods, notably the man- agement of prisons and jails. Many of his recom- mendations were promptly adopted : his adminis- tration was progressive, judicious and whole- some.

In the welfare of the town of which he was a life-long honored citizen, Governor Fairbanks was deeply interested. Churches, schools and public works never failed to receive from him cordial attention and generous support. In 1871 he presented to the town the noble institution endowed and incorporated under the name of the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum. This included the free public library building, opened with eight thousand volumes, also the art gallery of paint- ings and statuary containing representative works of American and foreign artists. The central feature of the art gallery is "The Domes of the Yosemite," one of Bierstadt's masterpieces. The collections of engravings and books illustrating the history of art are of great value.

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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 21

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