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 64

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 64

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DAN PEASLEE WEBSTER, M. D.

The Webster family is an old and honored one, and its members were natives of both Scot- land and England. John Webster, the progeni- tor of the American branch of the Webster fam- ily, was a native of Glasgow, Scotland, whence he removed to Warwickshire, England; later he and his three sons emigrated to this country and settled in New England. One of his sons located in Connecticut, one in the western part of the state of Massachusetts, while John Webster, Jr., the ancestor of our subject's branch and the eld- est son settled in Ipswich, Massachusetts. The father of these sons died in 1642.

John Webster, eldest son of John Webster, was united in marriage to Miss Mary Shatswell, and eight children were born to them. Of these, Hannah, whose name is the first of the Webster family to appear on the record of Haverhill, Mas-

sachusetts, married Michael Emerson, and their daughter, also named Hannah, was united in mar- riage to Thomas Dustin ; she is the woman who was captured by the Indians and taken to an island in the Merrimac river; she killed and scalped her captors, numbering ten Indians in all, and escaped in a canoe, bringing the scalps to her home in Haverhill, where she received a large bounty for them. The line of descent from John Webster, Jr., and Mary Shatswell, his wife, is as

DAN PEASLEE WEBSTER, M. D.

follows : Stephen, born in 1637, died in 1694, married Miss M. Hannah Aver, who died in 1676, and of their seven children Nathan was born November 24, 1674, and died August 16. 1741 ; he married Miss Sarah Lowe, and of their five children Jonathan, the second son, was born December 13, 1715, and died July 4, 1796; he married Miss Abigail Dustin, who was born Oc- tober 25, 1717, and died August 28. 1782. Of their twelve children Nathan was born May 5. 1741, and died August 2, 1788 : he married, May

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THE STATE OF VERMONT.

5, 1765, Miss Hannah Bailey, who was born Jan- uary 19, 1741, and died October 6, 1815.

Of their twelve children Jonathan was born July 21, 1775, and died January 14, 1866; he married, March 11, 1806, Miss Lucy Sterling, who was born June 8, 1876, and died May 26, 1859. Jonathan Webster was a native of Wood- stock, Vermont, but later removed to Weston, Vermont, where he died. He was a member of the Vermont militia during the Revolutionary war, and also took an active and aggressive part in the anti-Mason excitement. He was a promi- nent man in the political affairs of the town and held various town offices of trust and responsi- bility. He was a member and attendant of the Methodist Episcopal church, and was familiarly known as "Captain Webster," having held that commission in the organization of the home guards during the Revolution. The following named children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Web- ster : Marjorie, Amos Bailey, Lucy, Miranda, Livonia, Alonzo, Susan, Jonathan, Brewster, Norman, Harvey and Irwin Webster.

Alonzo Webster, father of Dan P. Webster, was born at Weston, Vermont, and received his education at the Newbury Seminary. He chose the profession of the ministry for his life work, and became a clergyman in the Methodist Episco- pal denomination ; his first charge was at Brat- tleboro, later at Greenfield, and subsequently at Northfield and Chesterfield, New Hampshire. At all these places he preached the gospel with a marked degree of success. Mr. Webster was the editor of the Vermont Christian Messenger at Northfield, and was presiding elder of the Springfield district for several years. During the war of the rebellion he served as chaplain of the Sixteenth and Sixth Regiments, Vermont Infan- try, and toward the close of the war as chaplain of the Sloane Hospital, Montpelier. At the close of the war, his health failing him, he went south, where he located permanently, and became the presiding elder for the district of South Carolina. He also acted in the capacity of president of the Claflin University at Orangeburg, South Caro- lina.

Mr. Webster was united in marriage to Miss Laura Ann Peaslee, who was born at Washing- ton, Vermont, and three children were born to them : Eugene Alonzo, the second child, born

February 16, 1848, received his education at Wesleyan University at Middletown, Vermont, and later became a resident of Orangeburg, South Carolina, where he became the collector of in- ternal revenue for that state during the adminis- trations of President> Harrison and Mckinley and a part of Cleveland's second term. He was a firm adherent of the principles of the Republi- can party and served as a member of the Repub- lican state and national committees up to the time of his death, which occurred September 17. 1901. He was twice married, his first wife having been Miss Josephine Dutton, and his second wife Miss Emma Dickinson, of Chelsea, Vermont. Hattic, the third child of Alonzo Webster, was born in 1857 and died in 1863. The father of these chil- dren died August 15, 1887, aged sixty-nine years, and his wife died at the age of sixty years.

Dan Peaslee Webster, eldest of the children of Alonzo and Laura (Peaslee) Webster, was born in Northfield, Vermont, December 7, 1846. His elementary education was acquired in the com- mon schools and the Newbury Academy. He then entered the University of Vermont, and in 1867 he was graduated from the medical depart- ment with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. He first located in Putney, Vermont, where he suc- cessfully practiced his profession for sixteen years ; he then removed to Brattleboro, where his devotion to the duties of his profession, combined with a thorough understanding of the principles of the science of medicine, has made him a most successful and able practitioner, whose promin- ence is well deserved. Dr. Webster has acted as surgeon general on the staff of Governor Asahel Peck, and he also held the same position on the staff of Governor Levi K. Fuller, and for a long period of time he served as surgeon of the Fuller Light Battery. During the progress of the Civil war he accompanied his father, when the latter was chaplain of the Sixteenth Vermont Regiment, and was present at the battle of Gettysburg.

Dr. Webster was elected in 1872 and again in 1874 to represent the town of Putney in the state legislature, and in 1878 he was chosen a state senator from Windham county; during the fall of the same year he was elected by joint assembly railroad commissioner, discharging the duties of that office both creditably and honorably until 1880. He served from 1895 to 1897, inclusive,

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as chairman of the board of selectmen of Brattle- boro. He is a member of Brattleboro Lodge, No. 102, F. & A. M., Fort Dummer Chapter, R. A. M., and Beausant Commandery No. 7, Brattle- boro. He served as deputy grand master of the Grand Lodge of Vermont from 1876 to 1881, and was elected and served three years as eminent commander of Beausant Commandery, K. T., of Brattleboro, and is at present (1902) right eminent grand commander of Grand Comman- dery, K. T., of State. Dr. Webster is also a thirty-third degree Mason. He is a member of the Connecticut River and the Vermont State Medical Associations. Dr. Webster was ap- pointed by President Mckinley, in March, 1898, postmaster at Brattleboro, and was re-appointed by President Roosevelt in March, 1902.

On January 9, 1868, Dr. Webster was united in marriage to Miss Ada White, daughter of Charles H. and Maria (Howard) White, of Put- ney, Vermont. Mrs. Webster died in South Caro- lina. March 14, 1887, leaving three children : Hattie A., Harry P. and Dan C. Webster. On November 1, 1889, Dr. Webster contracted a sec- ond alliance, with Miss Mabel Julia Waterman, daughter of Hon. E. L. and Jennie E. Water- man, of Brattleboro, Vermont. Hattie A. Web- ster married W. H. Cary, a native of South Caro- lina, who was, at the time of his demise, in July, 1901, general manager of a sugar plantation near Cienfuegos, Cuba. He left one son, Daniel Webster Cary. His widow now resides in Brattleboro. Harry P. Webster is assistant treasurer of Vermont Savings Bank, Brattle- boro. Dan. E. Webster, a traveling represen- tative of Farson-Leach & Company, bankers and brokers, of New York city, married Elizabeth P. daughter of the late William H. Cary, of New- town, Bucks county, Pennsylvania.

ADELBERT W. BRAISTED.

The family of which the subject of this re- view is a worthy representative has long been identified with the annals of American history and the name has been one of prominence in New England and divers other sections of the Union, where representatives of the family have become disseminated. The original American ancestor of the Braisted family came from Hol-

land in the early colonial epoch, and established a home in Sparta, Sussex county, New Jersey, where have lived many of his descendants. The name was originally spelled Brasted, and this or- thography is retained by the majority of the family of the present generation, the father of our subject having adopted the form Braisted, as the spelling more clearly indicates the correct pronunciation of the name.

William Braisted, the great-grandfather of Adelbert W., was born in New Jersey. the orig inal location of the ancestors having been ix Sussex county, that state. He was born in the year 1776, and he married Mary Hines. In 1797 they removed from New Jersey to Bridport. Vermont, where he became the owner of a large tract of land, which he cleared and improved and the same was long known as the "Old Braisted farmi." His wife died in 1846, and a short time afterward he went to the home of his son William, the grandfather of Adelbert W., and there remained until his death, in 1858, at the patriarchal age of ninety-one years. He was a man of great ambition and distinctive mentality, and both he and his wife were devoted and con- sistent members of the Baptist church. Their eleven children were as follows: John,. Benja- min, William, Mary Ann, Betsey, Charlotte, Par- melia, Arpey, Polly, Sophronia and Darius, all being now deceased. The line of direct descent to the subject of this review is traced through William, the third of the above children.

William Braisted was born in New Jersey on the 14th of October, 1794, and was three years of age at the time of his parents' removal to what was then the wilderness of Addison county, Vermont. He was reared on the pioneer farmstead, near Bridport, and there continued to follow agricultural pursuits for a long term of years. There occurred his marriage to Mis: Anna Russell and they continued to make thei: home in Bridport until 1836, when they re- moved to Essex county, New York, where Mr Braisted purchased a farm near Whallonsburg and there he passed the remainder of his long and useful life, his death occurring on the 24th of 'May, 1875, at the ripe age of fourscore years. He had been a soldier in the war of 1812, and was accounted one of the most influential men of Essex county. His wife died April 13. 1885.

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aged nearly eighty-six years. Both were worthy members of the Baptist church and were folk of sterling character. Mrs. Anna ( Russell) Braisted was one of a numerous family, and was of Scotch lineage. Of her children we incorpo- rate the following brief record, the date of birth appearing in connection with each name, while the first seven of the children were born in Brid- port, Vermont. and the other four in Essex county, New York: William R., born October 3. 1820; Jonathan Fletcher, November 22, 1822; Oran Darius, January 29, 1825 ; Polly Ann, Au- gust 27, 1826; Evalina A., January 23, 1829; Myron Orville, February 17, 1831; Nathan Russell, April 16, 1833; Millie Almira, June 15, 1835: Julia E., September 28, 1837; Nelson Paris, March 3, 1840, and Amy Sophrona, April II, 1842.

Of these children further record may be given as follows: (1) Jonathan F. Braisted, who went to California in 1851, passed three years in the . Golden state, where he endured many hardships, but was quite successful as a gold- seeker. After his return, he married Mary E. Vial, November 22, 1854, and shortly afterward purchased a farm at Westport, New York, where he maintained his home until his death, which occurred October 13, 1902, his wife having died June 6, 1902. He had five children : George, a farmer, married Abbie Stafford, of Iowa, and they reside in Grundy county, that state, being the parents of two sons, Oran and Dee ; May E. is the wife of Hardy Sherman, a farmer of West- port, New York, and they have two daughters, Annie and Elsie; Fred C., married Julia Sher- man. of Westport, and they now reside at Hart- ley, Iowa, where he is engaged in the under- taking business, and they have one son, Chester ; Millie E. is the wife of George DeSelhorst, a farmer of Iowa, and they have two children, Vera and Floyd; Dana, who is postmaster in the village of Westport, New York, married Lizzie Gardner, who died June 1, 1902. (2) Oran D. Braisted died on the 26th of February, 1852, while en route to California, and was buried at sca. (3) Polly Ann Braisted married Joab Staf- ford, a farmer of Essex county, New York, and she died March II, 1886, her husband passing away four days later. They had two daughters : Agnes, who married Charles Tucker, and who

died in 1875, leaving two daughters, Cora and Minnie A .; and Ellen L., who is the wife of Warren A. Tucker, of Boquet, Essex county, New York, where their one son, Ervin, is a mer- chant and also incumbent to the office of post- master. (4) Evalena A. Braisted was married in 1854 to Adam K. Stafford, who died in 1894 at his home in Essex county, New York, six chil- dren having been born of this union: Anna M., who died Nosember 2, 1902, aged forty-eight years ; Alma A., who is the wife of Howard Walker and who has two children, Lina and Gardner; Watson, who married Eliza Stafford and who is a farmer in Hamilton county, Iowa, having six children, Edith, Celia, Myron, Louis, James and Arthur; Myron die:l at the age of thirteen years; Paris married Fannie Stafford, and he is a merchant of Whallonsburg, New York, their children being Howard and Ernest; Burton, who is a teacher in Iowa, married Car- rie Archer and they have four children, Violet, Marie, Harold and Maurice. (5) Myron O. Braisted was a soldier in the war of the rebel- lion, having served for three years as sergeant in Company I, Ninth New York Cavalry. He married Sallie Safford, of Essex county, New York, and they have one daughter, Ida Louisa, who is the wife of Albert Cook. Mr. Braisted lives on the old homestead in Essex county, New York. (6) Nathan R. Braisted married Adaline More, of Chautauqua county, New York, where they were living at the time of the outbreak of the Civil war, in which he served three years as sergeant of Company D, One Hundred and Twelfth New York Volunteer Infantry, and after the war he removed to Sac county, Iowa, where he still owns a farm, the family at present having their home in Oklahoma, where he has a farm. In his family were four children, namely: Nelson, who died in 1880, at the age of thirteen years; Anna, who is the wife of Rev. William Grey, a clergyman of the Baptist church, and they were missionaries in China for a period of seven years, being now residents of Iowa and having four children, Bessie, Allen, Adaline and William; Fred, who is a prominent lawyer at Ida Grove, Iowa, is married and has two children, N. Russell and Helen; and Alva, who is a cler- gyman of the Baptist church and a resident of Oklahoma. (7) Millie A. Braisted was married

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in 1865 to Edson Gates, who died in Winona, Minnesota, in 1894, his widow still maintaining her home there. They became the parents of three children, all of whom are deceased, and they adopted Jessie Maude Gates, a daughter of his brother, she being now a student in the Northwestern University, at Evanston, Illinois. (8) Julia E. Braisted married John L. Reynolds and she died in 1866. (9) Nelson P. Braisted was a soldier in Company A, First Vermont Cavalry, and died of typhoid fever at Alexandria, Vir- ginia, in 1862, at the age of twenty-two years and while in the service of his country. (10) Amy S. Braisted became the wife of John R. Mather, who served three years in the war of the rebellion as a member of Company D, Fourth Illinois Cavalry, and they now reside in Whallonsburg, New York, where he is postmaster. They have had four children, Nelson E., superintendent of the water works in Clinton, Massachusetts. married Louisa Bowser and they have two daughters, Lillian A. and Grace L .; Ernest R. Mather mar- ried Julia L. Stafford, and they reside in Provi- dence, Rhode Island, being the parents of four sons, Alton S., John R., Harland E. and Craw- ford N .; Lillian E. is the wife of James H. Rice, a merchant of Whallonsburg, New York, and they have two children, Herman W. and Carlisle M .; William B. Mather is a resident of New Ulm, Minnesota.

William R. Braisted was reared in his native town of Bridport, Vermont, until the age of sixteen years, having received his educational training in the public schools. At the age noted, he accompanied his parents on their removal to Essex county, New York. In 1845, when about twenty-five years of age, he made a trip to Illi- nois, which was then considered as the far west, the trip being made by way of the Great Lakes and by stage. He remained a short time and then returned to Essex county, New York, where he was a successful teacher for a number of years. He was later employed as superintendent of the Putnam Iron Forge Works at New Russia, New York, but he eventually came to Bridport, Vermont, where he effected the purchase of his grandfather's old homestead, and was here en- gaged in farming until the close of his long and honorable life, his death occurring on the 14th of

February, 1901, at the age of eighty years. He was a leading and influential citizen of his district, taking an active part in local affairs and having been incumbent of all the important offices with- in the gift of his townsmen, including that of town representative in 1874-5 in the state legislature. He was a man of high intellectuality and inflex- ible integrity, and commanded uniform confidence and esteem. On the 15th of October, 1856, Wil- liam R. Braisted was united in marriage to Miss Amelia Maria Allen, who was born in Bridport, being the daughter of Ebenezer Allen, whose wife was a daughter of Philip Stone, the first white settler in the town, and who was com- pelled to endure many vicissitudes and hardships in thus establishing his home in the primitive wilds, being driven out and burned out by Indian depredations several times. Many of his de- scendants still remain in that locality. Mrs. Braisted was one of four children, of whom two are deceased, her death having occurred on the 28th of September, 1878. Mrs. Lucinda Walker, another of the daughters, also deceased, had three children-Gustavus R .; Albert, who was killed at the battle of Gettysburg; and Selden Z. Fidelia, wife of Lyman Southard, is a resident of California, and has one daughter, Mrs. Rose Loutz. Miss Caroline Allen remains on the old homestead. Mrs. Braisted was a member of the Congregational church, and was a noble and earnest Christian woman, her influence in shap- ing the lives of her children having been most gracious and beneficent. Her three children are as follows : Alna C., born February 9. 1859. is the wife of Osmond Greely Frisbie, of Westport, New York (and they had three children, William Henry, born January 27, 1884; Earl Osmond, born June 12, 1887 ; and one daughter, born May 31, 1889, died August 19, 1899) ; Cora A .. born October 1, 1860, is the wife of Harris W. Staf- ford, of Iowa (and has three children, Harris Adelbert, born July 13, 1885 ; Ray Russell. born September 21, 1889; Clay William, born March 31, 1903) ; Adelbert is the immediate subject of this sketch.

Adelbert W. Braisted was born in Bridport, Vermont, on the 17th of May, 1865. and is now incumbent of the office of bookkeeper and is one of the board of directors of the Bennington Water Company, and is also engaged in the real estate

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business, is a representative of Henry W. Put- nan. He secured his preliminary educational dis- cipline in the public schools of his native town, and at the age of nineteen became a student in Beeman Academy of New Haven, Vermont, where he completed a course of study, and then devoted two years to traveling in diverse sections of the Union. On the expiration of that period he came to Bennington, where he accepted a clerkship in the grist mill of Mr. Henry W. Put- nam, on North street. He retained this position fifteen months, when he was promoted to his present position of looking after the large prop- erty and manufacturing interests at Bennington . of Henry W. Putnam, who now resides in San Diego, California.

In May. 1894, Mr. Braisted was united in marriage to Miss Laura Belle Murphy, a daugh- ter of Deacon William and Electa ( Pierce) Mur- phy, the former of whom was born in Benning- ton September 6, 1832, and the latter in Massa- chusetts, March 26, 1844. Her father was a carpenter by trade, and was for many years identi- fied with building interests in Vermont, but is now living retired from active business. He en- listed in April, 1861, in Company A, Second Ver- mont Volunteers, was taken prisoner at the first battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861, while assisting a wounded comrade from the battlefield: ex- changed in February, 1862; was wounded at the battle of the Wilderness, May 6, 1864, and mus- tered out of service June 20, 1864, after having participated in nearly all the great battles of the war of the rebellion. William E. Murphy is the father of two children, the younger being Nelson P., who is secretary and treasurer of the Mark Manufacturing Company of Herkimer, New York. The elder of the children is Mrs. Braisted, who was born in Bennington, and who has here passed her entire life, and is a devoted member of the Congregational church, in whose work she takes a deep and active interest. Mr. Braisted has shown marked interest in military affairs, having served for three years as sergeant of Com- pany K, First Regiment, of the National Guard of Vermont. He exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the Repub- lican party, and fraternally is prominently identi- fied with the Knights of Pythias, being a mem- ber of Monument Lodge, No. 8, at Bennington,

in which he has passed all the chairs, and is now deputy grand chancellor, while he has also rep- resented his lodge in the Grand Lodge of the state. He is known as a young man of fine busi- ness ability and unwavering integrity, and his personality is of that genial type which wins strong and lasting friendships, while his course has ever been such as to gain him unequivo- cal confidence and esteem. Mr. and Mrs. Brai- sted have one child, a son, William Adelbert, born August 27, 1902.

CHARLES EDWARD WELLING.

Charles Edward Welling, president of the Stark Paper Company, at North Bennington, has the distinction of being the oldest man. actively engaged in business in the town. He was born October 16, 1823, at Hoosick, New York, a son of Edward M. Welling, and of Welsh ancestors. Edward M. Welling, a native of Nova Scotia, came from there with his parents to Pittstown, New York, about 1800. Learning the carpen- ter's trade, he followed that occupation for many years. Settling in North Bennington, then called Sages City, in 1824, he purchased land from which he improved a farm, and built many mills, school houses, dwellings, churches and business establishments of this vicinity, in 1833 erecting the stone mill now in use. He continued actively employed in milling and farming until his death, at the age of seventy-five years. He was identi- fied with town affairs, serving as selectman a number of terms, and attended the Universalist church, which he assisted in building, and was afterwards one of the trustees. He married, in 1821, at Hoosick. New York, the place of her birth, Amelia Russell, by whom he had three chil- dren, of whom two grew to years of maturity, namely : Charles E., the subject of this sketch ; and Evaline A., born January 27, 1827, married Charles Thatcher, Jr. The mother died at the age of seventy-three years.

Charles Edward Welling obtained his early education in the district schools of North Ben- nington, completing it at Castleton (Vermont) Seminary. He learned the carpenter's trade un- der the supervision of his father, with whom he worked several years, assisting in the build- ing of many houses, mills, etc., and from

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THE STATE OF VERMONT.

1844 until 1850 being engaged with him in the manufacture of starch. In 1850 Mr. Welling formed a partnership with his brother-in-law, Mr. Thatcher, with whom he carried on an extensive mercantile business for a number of years, being also among the larger paper manufacturers of this locality. In 1876 Mr. Welling exchanged his interest in the store for Mr. Thatcher's mill interest, in the same year buying of D. Hunter & Company the State Line Mill, which he and his sons ran as an independent enterprise for a year or more, when the Stark Paper Company was organized. Mr. Welling was made president of the company, and has re- tained the office until the present time, managing the affairs and operating the two mills to the en- tire satisfaction of all concerned, manufacturing some books and printing paper, but making a specialty of wall papers of all kinds.

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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 64

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