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 34

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 34

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Colonel Forbes has been president of the Ver- mont Press Association, and was one of the in- corporators of the Vermont Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, in which he holds the office of secretary. He is treasurer of the

Charles &. Forbes

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Vermont Society of Colonial Wars, of which he was one of the incorporators, and holds the office of corresponding secretary of the Vermont His- torical Society. He is a member of the New York Society of Mayflower Descendants, and an hon- orary member of the Society of Descendants of Colonial Governors. He takes an active interest in everything having a tendency to promote the welfare of the community in which he resides, and is a member of the Vermont League for Good Roads. He is a member and ex-vice presi- dent of the Owl Club of St. Albans. Colonel Forbes is a member of St. Luke's Protestant Episcopal church, of which he has been treas- urer, and in which he now holds the offices of vestryman and parish clerk. Hé has been a dele- gate to several diocesan conventions, and at the special diocesan convention of 1893 was one of the notification committee appointed to inform the Rev. Arthur C. A. Hall, of Oxford, England, of his election to the bishopric of Vermont. Col- onel Forbes's home is with his only sister, Mrs. Anna M. F. Brainerd, widow of the Hon. Herbert ' Brainerd, at 60 North Main street, St. Albans.

WALLACE N. HILL.

Wallace Norton Hill, ex-senator and also one of the prominent and influential citizens of Starksboro, Vermont, was born in that town, January 6, 1843. Samuel Hill, his grandfather, was born April 10 1765, in New Hampshire, where he attended the common schools, from which he received an excellent education. He was a son of John Hill, a farmer of that town. Samuel Hill was engaged in the occupation of farming, and, same years after his marriage, about 1805, removed to Starksboro, Vermont. Not having the means of transportation that we enjoy in these days, the journey was made on horseback, and Mr. Hill became one of the pio- neer settlers of that section of the state, where he pursued the occupation of farming up to the time of his death, which occurred December 15, 1843, at the age of seventy-eight years.

John Hill, son of Samuel Hill, was born Au- gust 4, 1799, in New Hampshire, and his educa- tion was acquired in the common schools of Ver-

mont. Being reared upon a farm, his thoughts naturally turned in that direction when he reached manhood, and throughout his life he was engaged in that occupation on a farm adjoining the old homestead. He was one of the representative men of the town, and was elected on the Repub- lican ticket to serve in the legislature, beside hold- ing various local offices of trust and responsibility. He was united in marriage to Miss Caroline B. Norton, who was born October 27, 1813, daugh- ter of Nathaniel and Polly (Buell) Norton, the former named having been born in Connecticut, and lived in Huntington, Vermont ; he was en- gaged in agricultural pursuits, and died when he attained the age of over eighty years. Five chil- dren were born to Mr. and Mrs. Hill, three of whom are still living: Calista, widow of Moses H. Varney, of Starksboro; Elma, wife of Robert A. Young, of Bristol ; and Wallace N. Hill. Mr. Hill died November 9, 1848, at the age of forty- nine years, and his wife passed away January 9, 1843 ; she was one of the first thirty members who joined the Free Will Baptist church of Starks- boro, Vermont. After her death, Mr. Hill mar- ried Olive L. Maxfield, who bore him a son, Newell J., now a resident of the town of Bristol.

Wallace N. Hill spent the early years of his life in the town of Starksboro, where he attended the common schools until he reached the age of twelve years, when he removed to Huntington, Vermont, and subsequently pursued a course of study in Barre Academy, under the preceptorship of Professor Spaulding. For a short period of time he taught school, and in 1875 purchased his present farm in Starksboro, which consists of two hundred and fifty acres of ground. The farm is a fine one, provided with first-class buildings and every facility and appliance that could con- duce to its successful management. Mr. Hill has always taken an active interest in local and na- tional politics, considering all public questions from the point of view of a patriotic and conser- vative Republican. His influence was fully recog- nized by his fellow townsmen, and he was chosen to represent the town in the state legislature in 1884, serving as a member of the committee on public buildings. He was also elected to serve in the senate in 1900, and was chairman of the com- mittee on state prison, and a member of joint com-

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portant home office. He is a prominent member of Panot Lodge No. 33. A. F. & A. M., of Hines burg. Vermont, having been elected to fill all the offices and serving as master for ten years. He is nothing member and attendant of the Method ist I piscopat church, and has served for many ver in the capacity of steward.

On August 20, 1868, Mr. Hill was united in marriage to Miss Harriett L. Kinsley, who was born on the farm on which she now resides, where her father spent his life and died, July 30, 1874, at the age of fifty eight years. His wife, Miss Hes- ter Caswell, was born in Huntington, Vermont, and was the mother of three children : Emerette, Mrs. James Madison Tyler, who resides in Jones- ville, Vermont ; Betsy, widow of Israel Eddy, who died in Starksboro, and Mrs. Wallace N. Hill. The mother of these children died April 17, 1891, at the age of seventy-two years. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Hill, namely : Carrie E., wife of Frank J. Hanson, residing in Starksboro, and Nina B., wife of Arthur E. Clif- ford. The latter has one child, Harold W. Clif- ford, and they reside with her father. The Hill home is noted for its hospitality, and the circle of their friends is limited only by the circle of their acquaintances. In the community in which Mr. Hill has so long resided he is greatly appre- ciated for his energy, sagacity in business, his su- perior judgment, his unquestioned integrity and for the various qualities which make him a pub- lic-spirited citizen and loyal friend.

FRANK M. PAGE.

Frank M. Page, one of the substantial citi- zens of Groton, is actively identified with the legal, agricultural and political interests of the town. He was born in Topsham, Vermont, Sep- tember 23, 1845, a son of Benjamin Page. His paternal grandfather, John Page, was one of the early settlers of Groton, coming here from Cor- nish, New Hampshire, when neighbors were few and far between. From heavily timbered land he reclaimed a homestead, which has remained in the family until the present time, being now in the possession of his grandson, Carlos A. Page. He

married Merbia Wormwood, by whom he had eleven children, of whom four sons were born at one birth.

Benjamin Page, the last survivor of the pa- rental household, died at his home in Groton in 1897. He was a farmer by occupation, and served his fellow townsmen in various official capacities, being selectman several terms and lister. Of his union with Betsey l'rost, eight children were born, namely : George W., deceased ; Carlos A., a pros- perous farmer ; Cyrus B., also a farmer ; Albert, a resident of Groton, likewise engaged in agri- cultural pursuits; Isaiah F., who is engaged in mercantile pursuits in Monroe, New Hampshire ; Lizzie, widow of the late James Dunn, of Mon- roe, New Hampshire; Frank M., the subject of this sketch; and Lucy J., wife of Alvin Leith- head, of Lowell, Massachusetts. Betsey Frost was a daughter of Isaiah and Betsey (Morrison) Frost, the former a native of Maine, and the lat- ter of Vermont.

Frank M. Page received excellent educational advantages, attending the common schools of Groton as a boy, after which he pursued his studies at the Barre Academy for three years, helping to pay his way through this institution by teaching school. He subsequently read law with Mr. J. O. Livingston, of Montpelier, and after his admission to the bar, in 1873, located in Groton, where he has since had a successful legal practice. 'He likewise does much of the survey- ing in this and nearby towns, and is engaged in agricultural pursuits to some extent. An active, public-spirited man, he has rendered valuable assistance to the town as town agent, school di- rector, superintendent of schools, lister, census enumerator and town clerk, in the last named office having served continuously since his elec- tion in 1898. In 1876 he represented the town of Groton in the state legislature. He is a Republi- can in politics, and his long, creditable official record is a partial recognition of the regard in which he is held, not only by his own party, but by the community in which he resides.

Mr. Page married, in 1876, Miss Laura Wrin- kle, a daughter of Rev. Thomas Wrinkle, a former pastor of the Baptist church of Groton. She died in 1884, having borne him three chilren, two of whom died in infancy. One son, Leslie

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W., who was educated at Peacham Academy, died in 1898. Mr. Page married, second, in 1885, Rosalia Wrinkle, a sister of his first wife. Of this union one son has been born, Harold Ray- mond Page. Mr. and Mrs. Page are members of the Baptist church. Mr. Page is a member of the Caledonia County Bar Association.

HON. WILLIAM EDWARD POWERS.

Hon. William E. Powers, mayor of St. Al- bans, Vermont, is to be accounted among those leaders of the Democratic party whose devotion to their principles and whose activity in giving them advocacy have found suitable recognition at the hands of their political associates, result- ing in his frequent preferment, and recently in his elevation to a position for which he is well quali- fied.

William Edward Powers was born in St. Al- bans, Vermont, February 24, 1867, and acquired an excellent literary education in the public schools of that city. After completing his stud- ies, in October, 1881, he' was appointed to a posi- tion in the passenger department of the general office at St. Albans of the Central Vermont Rail- road Company : he discharged the duties of this office until May 18, 1895, when he was appointed ticket agent of the same office. He has been connected with the company for twenty years, and during this long period he has commanded the respect of his employers and the patrons of the road by his uniform courtesy and considera- tion.

In 1899 Mayor Powers was elected to serve as alderman for the fourth ward of St. Albans, and during his term of office acted in the capacity of chairman of the finance committee; he was elected to the board of aldermen from a strictly Republican ward, being nominated by the Dem- ocrats. Previous to this he had been a strict par- tisan, although not offensively so. Serving his term in office, he was nominated by the Demo- crats and endorsed by the Republicans (this be- ing the first instance of the kind in the history of the city,) and was elected to fill the responsible position of mayor of the city of St. Albans, Vermont. During his term of office he fulfilled his duties in a thoroughly conscientious manner, and many important public improvements were

planned and executed. So satisfactorily did he discharge the duties of this responsible office that at the expiration of his term (1903) he was again nominated, and in addition he received the entire vote and endorsement of the citizens on the Union Ticket and also the nomination from the straight Democratic party, receiving the entire vote of all parties and the unanimous election.

Any one who has had the pleasure of meet- ing Mayor Powers, as has the writer, cannot but feel that St. Albans, in its unanimous choice, se- lected a man who in every way will fill the posi- tion with credit to himself and honor to the of- fice. He is one of the most genial gentlemen, ap- proachable at all times. Aside from the high repu- tation which Mayor Powers enjoys from a com- mendable official record and an unassailable po- litical reputation, he is one of the most promi- nent, respected and useful citizens of the com- munity in which he resides. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus, but beyond this prefers the society of his own home. Hon. Will- iam E. Powers was united in marriage, June 4, 1888, to Miss Frances Richey, and their chil- dren are : Mary, Theresa, Mildred, William, Ray- mond and Charles Walter Powers.

MARTIN SCOTT.

Martin Scott, an old and honored citizen and leading merchant of Brattleboro, Vermont, be- longed to a family the former generations of which had made many migrations and witnessed many vicissitudes. Thomas Scott, the grand- father of Martin Scott, born in 1744, was kid- napped and taken to Connecticut between the years 1744 and 1769. In regard to the place of his birth and the circumstances of his abduc- tion the record is silent, but from the fact that he came in a ship, the captain of which bound him to a farmer for two years' pay in compensation for bringing him over, it is probable that he was born in England. At some time subsequent to 1769 he went to Halifax, Vermont, where he followed the occupation of a farmer, and died June 3, 1802. He married at Ashford. Connec- ticut, February 16, 1769, Sarah Hale, and had ten children: Clarissa, Thomas, Abel, Sallie. Asahel, Joel, Henry, James, Elijah and Ruby. Mrs. Scott died February 27, 1805.

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Lines Scott, on of Thomas and Sarah (Haley Scott, was a man who filled various local offices, among others, that of captain of militia. He was born October 20, 1781, and died May 27. He married. April 12, 1810. Clarissa Smith, born July 23. 1787. and had eight sons and three daughters: Thomas, born in 1811 ; Jonas, bom in 1812: Henry, born in 1813: Al- son, born in 1816; Oshea, born in 1818; Claris- sa, born in 1819; James, born in 1821 ; Martin, born in 1824; Horace, born in 1826; Lucy, born in 1829; and Sarah, born in 1830. Mrs. James Scott died March 31, 1870, and only two of her children survive her.

Clarissa Smith was the daughter of Jonah and Deborah (Ayres) Smith. Jonah Smith was born May 2, 1754, died in October, 1813. Deb- orah Ayres was born August 29, 1754, died in July, 1802. Their children were: Jonathan, born February 26, 1783, died in June, 1857; Sarah, born May 8, 1785 ; Clarissa, born July 23, 1787, died March 31, 1879; Oshea, born September 25, 1789, died April 14, 1863. Mrs. Christine Ayres, wife of William Ayres, father of Mrs. Scott's mother, died December 12, 1805, aged seventy-four years.

Martin Scott, son of James and Clarissa (Smith) Scott, was born February 22, 1824, in Halifax, Vermont, where he received his educa- tion, and afterward kept a country store. In 1875 he removed to Brattleboro, where, in part- nership with one of his sons, he conducted a grocery store, doing a flourishing business, which some years since was sold out to Stickney Broth- ers, Mr. Scott at that time retiring from business. Mr. Scott stood high in the esteem of his fellow townsmen, and while at Halifax, Vermont, was elected to the offices of lister, selectman, serving at one time as chairman of the board, constable and assemblyman. Mr. Scott also filed the office of justice of the peace, and from 1854-to 1861 represented the town in the state legislature.

Mr. Scott married, June 10, 1846, Fannie Hinsdale Larrabee, born November 28, 1825, daughter of Timothy and Cynthia (Olds) Lar- rabee, of Halifax, Vermont. Their children are: Frank, a railroad engineer, now living in Texas, married Emma Rogers, of Indiana, and has two children, Jessie and Fannie. Jonas, born in 1852, also engaged in the railroad business, married

Lilly Lamck, and is a resident of Wabash, Indiana. Freeman, born in 1854, a resident of Brattle- boro, married Lizzie Adams, and has three chil- dren, Minnie, Arthur and Horace. Ella gradu- ated from the high school in 1880, then taught three years in the public schools of Brattleboro, and later in the well known Clark School for the (leaf and dumb at Northampton, Massachusetts, where she remained eleven years; she then filled for five years the position of principal of the Mystic Oral School, and since then has been de- voting her time to a private pupil at her home, in Montreal, until her marriage, October 8, 1902, to Mr. George E. Warner, of Brattleboro. The results of her system of teaching the deaf and dumb oral expression are almost marvelous, enabling them to dispense with the sign lang- uage and to express themselves by means of the vocal organs. She was by reason of her labors in behalf of this afflicted class, a benefactor of her race. Leslie, the fifth and youngest child of Mr. and Mrs. Scott, is a resident of New York, married Ada Richardson, and has one child, Mildred.

Mrs. Fannie Hinsdale (Larrabee) Scott died in Brattleboro, Vermont, May 25, 1902, her death being, with the exception of that of a grandchild which occurred at the age of a few weeks, the first break which has taken place in the family circle. The funeral was largely attended, the many friends of Mr. and Mrs. Scott uniting in paying a tribute of respect to one whose kindly disposition and tenderness of heart had endeared her to all by whom she was known. Mrs. Scott possessed a well in-

formed mind and a retentive memory, and was extremely interesting in conversation. She was a regular attendant at the Universalist church, never missing a Sunday unless through an unavoidable cause. Mrs. Scott belonged to a family which had been for several generations resident in Vermont, and had numbered among its members some of the state's most highly re- spected citizens.

Timothy Larrabee, grandfather of Mrs. Scott, lived in Guilford, Vermont, moved to Grove, and died in that town. He married Clarissa Corse, and was the father of the following children : Hart married Clarissa Nash, of Springfield, and lived in Grove, and their children were Lucinda,

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Hart, Edward and Harriet Cook; Ruth married William Livermore, lived in Ellisburg, New York, and had the following children: Hart, Horace, Marryetta, Arvilla and Flora Ann; and Timothy is mentioned at length hereinafter. Mr. Larrabee died May 7, 1798, aged thirty-four years.

Timothy Larrabee, son of Timothy and Clar- issa (Corse) Larrabee, was born May 1, 1788, in Guilford, Vermont, where he followed the occupation of a farmer, and later removed to Halifax, Vermont, where he engaged in agricul- tural pursuits on a more extensive scale. Mr. Larrabee was prominent in local affairs, holding for many years the office of selectman, and was familiarly known, for what reason is not stated, as "Captain Larrabee." Mr. Larrabee's mother survived her husband many years, dying Novem- ber 7, 1842, at the age of seventy-three. Mr. Larrabee married Cynthia Olds, daughter of Thaddeus and Helena Mosher. Their children were: Chipman, born December 28, 1822, died March 4, 1823 ; Harriet, born February 23, 1824, died February 23, 1835; Fannie Hinsdale, born November 28, 1825, mentioned above as the wife of Martin Scott; Martha, born October 22, 1827, married Abner Ballou; Clarissa, born October 21, 1829, died January 26, 1841; Cynthia, born August 26, 1831, married, January 22, 1862, George Tucker, a farmer of Halifax, Vermont, where he fiilled the office of selectman, and died January 26, 1880, and they were the parents of one daughter, Nellie, who became the wife of Milton Cooper, and has the following children: Grace, born September 23, 1889; Eva, born August 18, 1891; and Minnie, born May 23, 1900. The next child of Mr. and Mrs. Larrabee was Timothy, born November 30, 1833, married Susan Stacy ; next came Ira, born December 2, 1835, married Mary Ann Jenks; and last Lucy, born July 7, 1841, married Charles Stacy. Timothy Larrabee died February 26, 1857, and his wife, January 20, 1886.

CHESTER LORENZO FISHER.

On a commanding eminence in one of the most beautiful sections of the beautiful Green Mountain state, in the vicinity of Brattleboro,

Windham county, there is located the farm of this worthy representative of the agricultural interests of the county. No more picturesque spot can be found in all of New England. The view commands a sweep of country in which thirteen towns can be distinctly seen. Mr. Fisher takes great pride in the conduct of his farm, and is especially proud of a wood lot that he owns, which contains one of the finest bodies of forest trees that can be found at this late day in the state. He runs a general farming business, but gives especial attention to the culture of the po- tato crop, growing as high as a thousand bushels in a single season.

Mr. Fisher was born in Brattleboro, August 23, 1841, and is the son of Elias and Electa (Weatherhead) Fisher. For the ancestral his- tory of this family the reader is referred to the sketch of E. E. Fisher, found elsewhere in this volume. Elias Fisher, the father of the immedi- ate subject of these memoirs, was born May 26, 1809, on a farm in Brattleboro, and he lived in Brattleboro during his entire life. He was a Re- publican in politics, and was a man of influence in his community, having for a long number of years served in the office of highway surveyor. He was the father of two children : Adeline L., born December 16. 1838, became the wife of R. B. Robertson, of Leyden, Massachusetts ; and Chester L. The father of the family died April 7, 1892, and the mother October 9, 1885.

Chester L. Fisher gets his farming proclivi- ties honestly, having been born on the farm where his great-grandfather had lived. He has lived a period of fifty-six years on the farm which he now operates, the house, having been built by his father in 1846. The farm consists of sixty-one acres, with an adjoining woodland tract of ser- enty-five acres. The marriage of Mr. Fisher occurred January 2. 1864. to Miss Ammerillus Burdwin, of Hudson, New York, a daughter of William H. Burdwin. She was the mother of one son, Frank E., who was born November 7. 1864, and died February 14, 1901, having lived with his father and engaged in farming. The late Frank E. Fisher married Marinda Whitney, of Halifax, Vermont, by whom he had two sons, Charles F. and Robert W. Fisher.

Mr. Fisher is a man who stands well in his community. He is justly proud of the beautiful

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faim which he possesses, and hopes at no distant das to see if the Site of one of the popular sum met hotels which are found so frequently through. out the Green Mountain state. The beautiful scenery and the pure country air would certainly make this an ideal spot for an institution of this kind.

ALBERT DERBY.

Albert Derby, one of the prominent manufac- turers of Bellows Falls, Vermont, was born in Walpole, New Hampshire, July 4, 1830, a son of Ephraim and Elizabeth ( Whitney) Derby. Ephraim Derby was a son of Nathan Derby, who was a successful and progressive farmer of Leo- minster, Massachusetts, where young Ephraim acquired his education in the common schools. Being reared upon a farm, his thoughts naturally turned in that direction, and he followed farming pursuits in the town of Leominster until after his marriage with Miss Elizabeth Whitney, when they removed to Walpole, New Hampshire, where he still continued in the same line of work. He was a member of the state militia, and took an active part in all matters that pertained to the wel- fare of his town, county and state. The following named children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Derby : Albert; Amos G., who was engaged in gold and silver mining in Colorado, and later in San Diego, California, was united in marriage to Miss Sarah F. Bennett, and three children were born of this union, and his death occurred in 1901 ; Harriett, who married Daniel Sischo, a stone-cutter of West Milford, New Hampshire; Anna, now deceased, married George Hale, by trade a carpenter and joiner, and engaged in the manufacturing business in Gardner, Massachusetts, and five children were born to them. Mr. Derby died at the age of eighty-five years, and his wife died in her sixty- eighth year. Albert Derby, oldest child of Ephraim and Elizabeth Derby, acquired his early education in the public schools of Walpole, but the training that fitted him for a successful busi- ness man was obtained in the stern school of practical experience. In 1857, when he had at- tained the age of twenty-seven years, he engaged in the manufacture of agricultural tools and im- plements in Bellows Falls with Mr. Frost as his partner ; after several other changes of members,

for short periods, Mr. Franklin P. Ball, in 1882, became associated with Mr. Derby in the busi- ness, under the style of Derby & Ball. The firm now consists of Messrs. Vibert Derby and George F. Ball, son of the former proprietor. (See sketch of George F. Ball.) They are the most extensive and prominent manufacturers of scythe snaths in the world, and the plant is located in the north part of the village of Bellows Falls, and has been enlarged from time to time as the business has demanded increased facilities; it is operated by steam power and fully equipped with the most approved machinery. They manufacture from one hundred and seventy-five to two hundred thou- sand snaths per annum, of the most improved styles, and they find a ready market in all parts of this country, South America, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. Both partners are practical mechanics, understand every branch and detail of the business, and devote to it their careful and personal attention, and they have achieved great financial success.

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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 34

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