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 II, Part 105

Author: Carleton, Hiram, 1838- ed
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: New York, Chicago, The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1044

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 II > Part 105

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(7) Lydia, the seventh child of David and Phoebe ( Hall) Blakely, died in infancy.

(8) Dan, the eigtht child of David and Phoebe (Hai!) Blakely, was born in Pawlet, Ver- mont, April 18, 1793. After receiving a good common school education, he became a farmer, and was one of the most prosperous men of the town. He was always interested in the cause of education, and at one time established a private school in his own house for the benefit of his own children, and of any others who chose to avail themselves of the extra advantages it offered. In

politics he was a member of the Whig, Free-soil and Republican parties. He was a Congrega- tionalist and was a stanch supporter of the church, having been the prime mover in the erection of the edifice which is still standing in Pawlet.

In July, 1818, he married Hannah Edgerton, who was born in Pawlet, April 18, 1793 ; she was descended from George Denison, who came to American from England in 1632, when twelve years of age. . He returned to England after some years and entered the army then under the com- mand of Cromwell. He was wounded in the bat- tle of Naseby, which occurred in 1645; he was removed to the house of John Borodil, whose daughter he afterward married and brought to America. Colonel Denison lived in Stonington, Connecticut, for many years, and was considered one of the most influential men of colonial times, both in civil and military life. He died in 1694, at Hartford, Connecticut, where he had gone as the first representative to the general court, and was buried in the Congregational churchyard of that place. His widow died in 1712, and was buried in the old Denison burying ground at Mystic, Connecticut. Their son John married and had a son George, whose daughter Hannah was the wife of John Hough: their daughter Abiah married Captain Simeon Edgerton, of Norwich, Connecticut, who fought in the Revo- lutionary war. He settled with his family at Pawlet, Vermont, where he died in 1809; his widow died in 1821. Captain Edgerton was a prominent and influential citizen of his time. One of his sons, Jacob, married for his first wife Es- ther Reed, and for his second wife Hannah Shel- don, whose daughter Hannah married Dan Blakely. Hannah (Edgerton) Blakely was also directly descended from Elder William Brewster. who was born at Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, England, and who came to America in the May- flower in 1620; he was afterwards a leading elder in the church at New Plymouth, Massachusetts. The lineage is a follows: Elder William Brew- ster (1), Jonathan Brewster (2). Grace Brewster Wetherell (3), Mary Wetherell Denison (4), Hannah Denison Hough (5), Abiah Hough Ed- gerton (6), Jacob Edgerton (7). Hannah Edger- ton Blakely (8). Collins Blakely (0). Joseph Wing Blakely (10).

Dan Blakely died in 1862: his wife died in

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THE STATE OF VERMONT.

1885 Their family consisted of the following children .

(1) Bavette, born April 16, 1819, married Abby Laselle, and had two children, who died when young. He was a farmer in early life, but · later became an active business man, and was elected to various town offices. (2) Almira, born February 20, 1821, married Curtis E. Reed, and had one daughter, who married William C. Ma- son. (3) Hiland Hall, born October 27, 1825, married Sarah Norton, and had two daughters : Nellie, who married Charles Harris; and Ottie, who married Charles Dodge. (4) Hiram E., born January 1, 1826, died April 15, 1828. (5) Mary Hyde, born June 9, 1827, is unmarried and . residing on the old homestead. (6) Sheldon Edgerton, born July 29, 1829, married Mary I. Mercer. He was graduated from Union College in 1859, then studied law at the Albany Law School, and was admitted to the bar in 1861, prac- ticing for a time in Troy, New York, but later removing to California.

(7) Adoniram Judson, seventh child of Dan and Hannah Blakely, born in Pawlet, June 20, 1834, graduated from Union College in 1859, studied law and was admitted to the bar, prac- ticing with Hon. A. B. Waldo, at Port Henry, New York, until on the breaking out of the Civil war, he raised a company for the Ninety-sixth New York Volunteers, but disagreed with its colonel and declined to enter service. He after- ward enlisted in the Fourteenth Vermont Infan- try, and was first lieutenant of Company B, serv- ing in the Army of the Potomac, in Stannard's brigade, Doubleday's division, and in the battle of. Gettysburg. In 1867 he purchased a farm in Grinnell, Iowa, and has since engaged in the occu- pation of agriculture. He is well known among political men, and belongs to the People's party. He was married April 12, 1888, to Elizabeth Sul- ser, a native of Switzerland, and has had five chil- dren, three of whom are living, one son, Adoni- ram Judson, Jr., and two daughters.

(8) Collins Blakely, eighth child of Dan and Hannah Blakely, was born at Pawlet, Vermont, March 14, 1837. He was educated in the public schools, and also received private instructions in his own home. He had further educational ad- vantages at the seminary in Manchester, Ver- mont, and was graduated from Union College in

1861. He taught for a few years, then engaged in a commercial enterprise which he abandoned later for the drug business at Waterbury, Ver- mont, finally locating in Montpelier, Vermont, where he still continues the drug trade. He has been a member of the State Pharmaceutical Asso- ciation since its organization, and is a member of the state board of pharmacy, and of the American Pharmaceutical Association; he was sent as a delegate from the Vermont Association to the an- nual session at Richmond, Virginia, in 1900. He wrote an article relative to this session which was published in the Proceedings of the Vermont State Association in September, 1900.

He was originally a member of the Republican party, but since the time of Horace Greeley has been connected with the Democratic party. Al- though interested in general affairs, he never acts as a candidate for political office. He is a mem- ber of the Apollo Club of Montpelier, and has been a Mason since 1865, having been made a Master Mason in Morning Flower Lodge located at West Rupert, but lately removed to Pawlet, Vermont. He was a member of Poultney Chap- ter No. 10, of Royal Arch Masons, until he re- moved to Waterbury, Vermont, in 1869, when he became one of the charter members of Waterbury Chapter No. 24, and later was its high priest for two years. On his removal to Montpelier in 1870, he joined King Solomon Chapter No. 7, and Aurora Lodge No. 22, being worshipful master of this lodge, and district deputy grand master of the sixth district for three years. He was high priest of King Solomon Royal Arch Chapter for several years, and has served as principal so- journer for a long period. He was made a Knight Templar in 1874, in Mount Zion Com- mandery No. 9, and acted as prelate for a number- of years, also being elected eminent commander and holding that office for two years. He is a member of Mount Sinai Temple of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and was illustrious potentate of the order for four years. He has acted as high priest and prophet of the temple, and still serves- in that capacity. He was sent as a delegate to- · the imperial council during its annual session at Denver, Colorado, in 1894.

He has been twice married; his first wife- was Isabella Cheney, whom he married in 1872, and who died in 1878. In 1884 he married Flor --

John a. Sread

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THE STATE OF VERMONT.

ence A. Wing, and they have one child, Joseph Wing Blakely, born December 9, 1885, and now a student at the Montpelier high school.

(9) Franklin Blakely, born June 2, 1839, mar- ried Adelaide V. Cook, and settled on the home- stead. In about the year 1870 he converted the old original dwelling house, with some additions, into a cheese factory, and from that time has con- ducted a large and flourishing business in that line in connection with his farming. He has had two children, both of whom are dead, one dying in infancy.

JOHN ABNER MEAD, M. D.

Dr. John Abner Mead, of Rutland, during a long and active career prominent in public life and in important commercial and financial affairs, is of ancient and honorable English. descent, and a monument in Westminster Abbey commemor- ates the fame or one of his ancestors, Richard Mead, who was physician to George II and Queen Anne.

The founder of the American branch of the family came from England about 1642, and from him descended a noble array of talented and use- ful men. Colonel Richard K. Mead was an aide- de-camp to General Washington from 1777 to 1783, was his personal attendant in all his prin- cipal campaigns and battles, and was in command at the execution of Major Andre: Of the same family were the Right Rev. William Mead, Prot- estant Episcopal bishop of Virginia, and Richard W. Mead, born in Pennsylvania, and who is credited with being the first importer of Merino sheep into the United States.

The paternal great-grandfather of John Abner Mead was James Mead, born in Greenwich, Con- necticut, August 25, 1730. He was the first white man to settle in Rutland township, Vermont, whither he came in 1763. He bought of Nathan Stone. of Windsor, seven thousand acres of land, about one-fourth of the whole township, paying $333.33 in horses. On the same day he sold three thousand five hundred acres of the land to Charles Button, of Clarendon. John Mead built a log house about half a mile west of Center Rutland, near the bank of Tinmouth river, the first house built in the township of Rutland. During the winter he returned for his family, consisting of a

wife (Mercy Holmes), eleven children and a son- in-law, returning with them in March of the fol- lowing spring. Owing to a poorly selected lo- cation, the log house proved untenable, and the family were forced to take shelter in the wigwam of a friendly Indian. In the light of subsequent events, the selection of land reserved for himself proved extremely wise, and James Mead became the most important man of his day. He was the moderator of the first town meeting, the first se- lectman of the town, the first representative from Rutland to the first legislature, and was the father of the first white child born in the valley. He was one of the first Congregationalists in his region, and he organized the first church there of that de- nomination.

James Mead was among the most active of the Vermont patriots of his day. He was a member of the Dorset Convention of September 25, 1776, and of the committee appointed by the Windsor convention in June, 1777, to arrange with the commander of Fort Ticonderoga for the frontier defence. He was also colonel of the Third Regi- ment of Vermont Militia, and the Vermont pay- rolls contain the record of a payment to Colonel James Mead's militia for their tours to Ticon- deroga in 1777. The state records for the same year show that: "Colonel Mead's regiment ren- dered efficient service in scouting after Tories at sundry times, and also in guarding such as were taken, supposed to be enemies," etc. In 1779 Colonel Mead was engaged in guarding the fron- tiers, showing that not only upon the field of bat- tle, but also in dealing with a wily foe in ambush, he was a living illustration of the watchword of his ancestors, "Semper Parattis."

Colonel Mead died in 1804, and his widow re- mained faithful to his memory until her death, May 1, 1823, at the venerable age of ninety-two years ... The remains of the pair, husband and wife, now rest in Evergreen cemetery, in the fam- ily plot of Dr. John A. Mead, whither they were removed from the old Congregational burying ground in West Rutland.

Abner, son of James Mead, married Amelia, daughter of the Rev. Benajah Roots. Mr. Roots was a graduate of Princeton College, and was the first settled pastor over the Congregational church, organized in 1773, and the only settled minister of the denomination in the entire region

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THE STATE OF VERMONT.

between M. 1 ada and the Hund : som and Connecticut Hver. At his home or - cured the death of the Rev. William Emerson, of Concord, Massachusetts, who was a chaplain in the continental army under General Gates, and was the grandfather of Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Roswell Rowley Mead, son of Abner Mead, was born in West Rutland, in a hotel conducted by his father. He followed mercantile pursuits from 1850 until his death, in January, 1875. He married Lydia Ann, daughter of Eli Gorham, of Rutland, Vermont, October 29, 1839, and their only child was John Abner Mead.

On the maternal side John Abner Mead in- herited some of the "bluest blood" in this country, and can trace his ancestry back to four of the original Mayflower colony. One of these ances- tors was the Mayflower pilgrim John Howland, of whom history tells us that "in the face of savage foe, or savage beast, or peril by land or sea, was never known less than the foremost." When an expedition was planned for exploring a place for the colony to locate, John Howland asked eagerly to be one of the ten chosen for this purpose. "A strong arm, a stout heart and a ready wit," replied Governor Carver, looking at him kindly, "and gladly do I number thee of the company." As this little band approached the shore of Plymouth, "See! there are cleared fields and a river full of fish and all things ready to our hand," cried How- land excitedly. "Bring her up to the beach then, and we will land and explore," replied Carver, smiling at the young man's enthusiasm. "There is a rock a few rods ahead, set ready for a step- ping stone," announced Howland, standing in the bows, and in a moment the bows of the shallop caressingiy touched the cheek of that great gray Rock, itself a pilgrim, as has been well said, from some far northern shore, brought by the vast forces of Nature, and laid to wait in grand pa- tience, until the ages should bring it a name, a use, and a Nation's love and honor. "Jump then, lad!" cried one of their number and Howland, leaping lightly from the boat to the rock, cried in his blithe voice, "I seize this mainland for King James." Thus he was the first of the Mayflower pilgrims who stepped on Plymouth Rock, when, later on, the signers of the original compact on board the Mayflower gathered for the purpose of organizing the colony, seated beside the Governor

was John Howland, his secretary and right hand man, ready to take minutes of the proceedings of the meeting and open the town records of Plym- outh, consequently he was the first town clerk of Plymouth.

On Lammas Day (August 1), 1622, John Howland married Elizabeth Tilley, also of the Mayflower company. At the same time and place, John Alden was married to "Priscilla," Governor Bradford to Alice Southworth, and John Winslow to Mary Chilton, a bevy of four fair brides. They stood under a canopy upon the village green for the ceremony, and one can imagine it was a gala day for good old Plymouth. Upon a little table beside Elder Brewster was laid the colony's' first record book, brought by the Anne, and now to be used for the first time for the inscription of these marriages, all previous records having been kept in the Governor's note book, and alas! lost to pos- terity. Desire, daughter of John Howland, mar- ried Captain John Gorham, who was killed in one of the Indian wars with King Phillip. The Gor- ham family belonged to the nobility, as their gen- ealogical tree bears evidence, and pictures of the baronial castle occupied by the family in France. This Chateau de Gorham is located in northern France, province of Maine, twelve miles from the city of Mayenne, and was built about the year II00. Here, it is said by excellent authority; Henry II of England, found a retreat from the world after his murder of the learned Archibishop of Canterbury, Thomas a Becket. Dr. Mead is able to trace the line away back to the time when William the Conqueror made his excursion to France in 1051 down to his mother Lydia, the daughter of Eli Gorham, of Rutland.

John Abner Mead was born in Fairhaven, Vermont, April 20, 1841. He began his education in the common schools of West Rutland, pre- pared for college in the old Franklin Academy at Malone, New York, and during his two years' course boarded with an uncle, performing labor upon the place in payment of his board. In the last of these years he earned sufficient by teach- ing school to defray all his expenses. He en- tered Middlebury College in 1860. The next year began the struggle for the preservation of the national Union against the bitter and determined attacks of the pro-slavery secessionists. Mr. Mead stood high in his class, but, patriotically re-

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THE STATE OF VERMONT.

sponsive to the call of the great war president, he and twenty-five of his classmates joined various Union regiments, he enlisting in Company K, Twelfth Vermont Volunteer Regiment, which was mustered into the United States service for a pe- riod of nine months. It was soon called upon to participate in several skirmishes, and was held in reserve at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. At Gettysburg it formed a part of the corps of General Reynolds, and performed a thirty-mile night march to Westminster, immediately aft- er the battle. After serving for nearly a year, his regiment was mustered out, in the latter part of July, 1863. Mr. Mead then returned to college, and, although he had lost his relative scholastic standing, was graduated with his old class-that of 1864. He then began a course of medical study under Pro- fessor Perkins, of Castleton, Vermont, and after two years entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York city, from which he was graduated in 1868, and was at once appointed house physician in the Kings County Hospital. Two years later he returned to Rutland, where he engaged in a practice which he continued with marked success, building up a practice as exten- sive as that of any physician in the state. Some of his achievements were extremely interesting from a professional viewpoint. In 1872, in asso- ciation with Dr. Allen, he made a postmortem ex- amination which established the physical identity of a Mrs. Fries, who had been murdered, and her body subjected to the flames and partially de- stroyed. As a consequence, the man accused of the crime was convicted. The entire case, includ- ing its medical aspects, attracted much attention at the time. In 1888 he relinquished his medical practice in order to devote his entire attention to his business interests, which had become import- ant and exacting. Meantime he had received sig- nal recognition of his high professional abilities. He was appointed medical director of the Ver- mont state encampment. He had served as sur- geon general of the state Grand Army of the Re- public, in 1890, with the rank of brigadier gen- eral, on the staff of Governor Proctor (former secretary of war, now United States senator), as medical superintendent of the house of correc- tion, as a member of the board of pension ex- aminers for eight years, and he had been tendered

a chair in the medical department of the Univer- sity of Vermont. He is also a trustee in Middle- bury College, his alma mater.

It is, however, for his great and useful activ- ity in commercial and financial lines that General Mead is most widely known. In 1881 he aided in the organization of the Vermont Association, which has become one of the largest institutions of its class in the United States, and was chosen medical examiner and director. In the same year he was one of the organizers of the State Trust Company, and was elected vice president, and, at a later day, president. In 1888 he reorganized the Howe Scale Company, of which he became president, and the phenomenal success of that corporation is attributable in large degree to his energetic and sagacious management. He has also been connected with various other large cor- porations : the old National Bank of Rutland, as director and cashier ; the Rutland Railroad, as treasurer ; the Addison Railroad, as treasurer and director ; the Clement National Bank, as di- rector ; the State Trust Company, as president ; the Baxter National Bank, as vice president and director ; the New England Fire Insurance Com- pany, as president ; and the John A. Mead Manu- facturing Company, as president. The latter named corporation is one of the most important of all. Following the war with Spain, it afforded to the national government service of conspicuous usefulness.

During that brief struggle experience demon- strated the necessity for larger coal supply stations for naval use, and in 1901 the bureau of equip- ment of the United States navy invited bids for a coaling station at Frenchman's Bay, on the coast of Maine. None of the designs submitted covered the requirements. Bids were then asked for on the competitive plan to incorporate the bidders' ideas, with the result that the plans prepared by the John A. Mead Manufacturing Company, in connection with the general contractor's, were found to be the best. and the contract was awarded accordingly. This plant consists of a main pier with two movable unloading towers. an approach pier, and a storage building. The main pier is four hundred feet long : the approach pier three hundred and five feet long, and the building, which holds ten thousand tons, has a length of three hundred and eighty feet. There

THE STATE OF VERMONT.

se two cable roads, one for carrying from the un- bouling towers to the storage building, and one traversing the tunnels under the storage building i'm transferring coal from the storage building to the pier; the cable roads traverse the trestles on main and approach piers, as shown on the photographs. The towers are of the double type, equipped with direct-acting engines and their patent automatic shovels. This plant has a ca- pacity of unloading from colliers or barges of one hundred and sixty tons per hour for each tower, and can take coal from the storage build- ing to the pier, for supplying war vessels or col- liers, at a rate of two hundred and fifty tons per hour, which capacity can be increased by the use of additional cable cars. So satisfactory and suc- cessful has this plant proved that the John A. Mead Manufacturing Company are now under contract for similar installations for the United States navy yards at New York, Boston, Wash- ington, Portsmouth and Narrangansett Bay.

In addition to all these large interests Dr. Mead is a most extensive realty holder, and his purchase of the Bates House block, in 1880, is recorded as the largest single real estate transac- tion known in the history of Rutland. In brief, it is to be said in all truthfulness that no citi- zen of Vermont has entered more largely into the financial and commercial life of the state than has Dr. Mead, if, indeed, there be one whose achieve- ments in these lines will at all compare with his own, and his name is a synonym for all that marks the accomplished and resourceful man of large affairs. It only remains to be noted that in all his great success he has owed nothing to ad- vantageous circumstance, but has built up for- tune and fame through his native ability and force of character.

A Republican in politics, Dr. Mead has ever been an influential factor in public affairs. In 1892 he was elected to the state senate by a large majority, and he served upon various important committees in that body. He was active in se- curing a city charter for Rutland, and was the first mayor elected thereunder. In 1893 he was appointed by Governor Fuller a commissioner to the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, and in 1895 Governor Woodbury appointed him a commissioner to the Mexican National Exposi- tion of Industries and Fine Arts. He is a member

of the First Congregational church of Rutland, and has been for many years chairman of its ex- ecutive committee, and is vice president of the Congregational Club of Western Vermont. He is a prominent member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and was a staff officer for General Alger and General Veazey when they were commanders in chief of the order.

Dr. Mead was married October 30, 1872, to Miss Mary M., daughter of Hon. William North- up and Mary M. (Bliss) Sherman. The Sher- man family was one of distinction in England. Sir Henry Sherman was one of the executors of the will of Lord Stanley, Earl of Derby, under an instrument executed May 23, 1521. William Sherman purchased Knightston in the time of Henry VIII, and a monument to his memory was erected in St. Mary's, Ottery, in 1542. Of the same family with Nathaniel Sherman, father of William N. Sherman, were the Civil war hero, General William T. Sherman, and his brother, Hon. John T. Sherman, the distinguished senator froni Ohio, and afterwards secretary of state un- der President Mckinley. From the same ances- tors came Senator Hoar, of Massachusetts, prob- ably the most heroic figure of to-day in the na- tional hall of legislation; Hon. William M. Ev- arts, the accomplished lawyer and statesman; Hon. Chauncey Depew, and many others prom- inent in public affairs.

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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 II, Part 105

Author: Carleton, Hiram, 1838- ed Publication date: 1903 Publisher: New York, Chicago, The Lewis Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1044

Author: Carleton, Hiram, 1838- ed
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: New York, Chicago, The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1044