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 92

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 92

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Jerry Ely Dickerman, fourth child in order of birth of Jerry and Maria F. Dickerman, ac- quired his education at the Newbury Seminary and at St. Johnsbury and Derby academies. After the completion of his studies he read law with his brother, William McAlpine Dickerman, at Coventry, and later with Henry F. Prentice at Derby Line, and in 1852 he was admitted to the bar at the June term of the Orleans county court. For some time after this Mr. Dickerman taught school, and subsequently practiced his profession for one year at Troy, Vermont. In September, 1855, he took up his residence in Charleston, Vermont, and continued his legal practice there until 1864, when he removed to Derby, Vermont, and entered into partnership with Hon. John L. Edwards, at that time the most prominent lawyer in that section of Vermont. under the style of Edwards & Dickerman. In 1882 the firm decided to remove to Newport, Vermont, where they carried on a large and lucrative prac- tice for ten years, and then another partner, John Young, was admitted to the firm, and the name was changed to Edwards, Dickerman & Young. In 1886 Mr. Edwards resigned, and the firm then conducted business under the name of Dick- erman & Young until November 5, 1895, when Mr. Dickerman retired from active practice on account of ill health.

Mr. Dickerman represented the town of Charleston in the Vermont legislature in the years 1859 and 1860 ; he also represented Orleans county in the state senate in 1869. 1870 and 1871, and was the state's attorney for Orleans county in 1858 and 1859. He also acted in the capacity of deputy collector of customs at Newport, Ver- mont, from 1872 to 1886. Mr. Dickerman acted as bank commissioner for the state of Vermont for the years . 1862, 1863 and 1864, and at the

520

THE STATE OF VERMONT.

expiration of that time he declined a re election. In August. 1854. Mr. Dickerman was united in marriage to Miss Hannah P. Bates.

BENJAMIN F. D.A.V.A.

Benjamin F. Dana, a leading man of affairs of Springfield, Vermont, traces his descent, as do all of the name in America, from Thomas and Richard Dana, who came from England in 1640, and settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Thomas Dana, grandfather of Benjamin F. Dana, was born March 3, 1753, in Roxbury, Massachusetts, and married, in 1777, Hannah Griggs. Their children were: Thomas, born May 18, 1779; Hannah, born March 31, 1781 ; John, born June 22, 1783; and William, born November 3, 1786. Thomas Dana died June 10, 1787, and Hannah, his widow, died October 26, 1813.

Thomas Dana, son of Thomas and Hannah (Griggs) Dana, was a brick-mason by trade, and also followed the occupation of a contractor and builder, in both of which vocations he was well known and successful. In 1799 he removed from Roxbury, Massachusetts, to Springfield, Ver- mont, where he made his home for the remainder of his life. He had business connections in every part of Vermont, and also in New York state. He was a man of influence in the community, held various offices, and was familiarly known as "Captain," having served in that capacity in a company of militia. He was a zealous member of the Universalist church, and gave liberally to its support. The labor for the present brick edi- fice at Springfield, in which the Universalist con- gregation worship, was given by Mr. Dana. He married, February 6, 1800, Betsey Davis, Who was born November 12, 1779. They were the parents of the following named children : Thomas, born February 20, 1801, died in Sep- tember, 1816; John, born August 4, 1803, died August 24, 1805 ; William, born January 21, 1807, died in Charlestown, New Hampshire; Eliza- beth, born October 14, 18II, who is now liv- ing at the age of ninety-two years; Benjamin Franklin, born September 5, 1814, now in his eighty-ninth year, is still well and active; and Hannah Williams, born November 20, 1817, who is still living in Boston. Mrs. Dana died Decem-

ber 17, 1851, aged seventy-two years, and her husband died September 2. 1852, aged seventy- three years.

Benjamin F. Dana, son of Thomas and Betsey (Davis) Dana, was educated in the public schools of Springfield, where, on coming of age he en- gaged in mercantile pursuits, beginning on the site called the Chase Block, where he staid three years. For twenty years he conducted business on the site now known as the Woolson Block, and later formed a connection with the firm of Holmes, Whitmore & Company, manufacturers of woolens, in Springfield. For several years they also operated a factory at Brattleboro, Ver- mont, under the firm name of Whitmore & Dana, and later conducted a shoddy mill at Saxton's River. After some years spent successfully in these various enterprises, Mr. Dana engaged in buying wool and in real estate speculations, in both of which he transacted an extensive busi- ness. In connection with these he bought and sold a number of farms, and made a specialty of sheep buying, paying particular attention to Spanish Merinos and Cotswold sheep, some of which were very highly bred, valued at from $75 to $100 each, and of which he kept as many as three and four hundred at a time. At a later period he disposed of this branch of business on advantageous terms.

During this time, through debtors who were manufacturers, Mr. Dana acquired extensive manufacturing interests. His career as a mer- chant began before the advent of railroads, and he recalls, as one of the noteworthy events of that period of his life, the fact that he took a load of cloth to Indiana, where he got a span of horses, driving over the country and selling it, the trip taking four months. He is interested in the Jones & Lamson Company, a flourishing en- terprise at Springfield, and in which he was one of the early stockholders. For a period of twen- ty-four years he was a director in the Springfield National Bank, resigning his office in 1901.

Politically Mr. Dana is a Republican, and has served as lister of his town, His father was a member of the Democratic party, and Mr. Dana attributes his own divergence from that body largely to the teachings of the "Boston Journal," a daily paper which he has taken always to the present time. Personally, by reason of his liberal

B. F. Dana

521

THE STATE OF VERMONT.

culture and genial manners, Mr. Dana is ex- employment presented itself, among the occupa- tremely popular with all classes of the com- munity.

He married, November 5, 1845, Jane E., born in Vergennes, Vermont, in October, 1819, daugh- ter of Samuel and Sarah ( Parker) Wilson. Mr. and Mrs. Dana were the parents of two chil- dren, both of whom died in childhood. Mrs. Dana's father, Samuel Wilson, was a skillful cabinet-maker in Vergennes. He was an old and prominent member of the Masonic fraternity, and served as grand master and grand lec- turer. He died at the age of ninety-six years, and his wife at the age of forty-five years. He married the second time Miss F. P. Parker, who died some years before his death.

SETH N. HERRICK.

Seth N. Herrick, for many years a leading · man of affairs of Brattleboro, Vermont, and one frequently called upon to fill positions of public and private trust, belonged to a family which came originally from Massachusetts, a state which has supplied so large a portion of the best element of our population.

Jonathan Herrick, the grandfather of Seth N. Herrick, went to Brattleboro, Vermont, from Beverly, Massachusetts, in 1743, and his sixth son, Seth, a well known Brattleboro farmer, mar- ried Melinda Coughlan. Thus it will be seen that the Herrick family is one of the oldest in Brattleboro, having been resident in the town for more than a century and a half.

Seth N. Herrick, son of Seth and Melinda (Coughlan) Herrick, was born September 20, 1819, in Brattleboro, Vermont, where he grew tip as a farmer's boy, receiving his education at the school in district No. 10, and at the West Brattleboro Academy. In his early manhood Mr. Herrick followed the profession of a teacher, in which he was very successful, but deciding to devote himself to agriculture, he settled on a farm on the old Newfane road, the buildings of which were soon after destroyed by fire.

By this misfortune Mr. Herrick was left pen- niless, but possessing in an eminent degree what has been called "the genuine New England qual- ity of pluck," he did not allow himself to be cast down, but cheerfully engaged in whatever

tions which he followed at this time being that of salesman of straw and palmleaf hats for a house in New York city. Soon, however, he returned to Brattleboro, and engaged with Han- nibal Hadley in the meat business, being employed also by Jonas Cutler, then the village baker. It was not long before he became prosperous, and the qualities of perseverance, activity and busi- ness ability, which insured his continued pros- perity, soon began to receive their merited recog- nition from his fellow townsmen, who called upon him during the whole remainder of his life to serve them in many ways. For fifteen years he was constable and collector, for thirty-two years a deputy sheriff, holding that office at the time of his death; for two years high sheriff ; repre- sented the town in the legislature of 1866 and 1867; and for twenty years managed the affairs of the town as chairman of the board of select- men. He was an original incorporator of the Brattleboro Savings Banks, its treasurer for the first three years, always a member of the board of trustees, and in 1880 became a director of the People's National Bank. For many years, and until his health began. to fail, he was the leading and favorite auctioneer in that section of the country.

In addition to the official positions which he was called upon to fill, Mr. Herrick was fre- quently entrusted with the settlement of estates, a tribute to his character which the result always fully justified. His great skill in the management of affairs was joined to an incorruptible integ- rity, which commanded the respect of all, while the charm of his genial cheerfulness caused him to be universally beloved. It is doubtful if any man, in proportion to his opportunities, has ever been more helpful to a greater number of people, his helpfulness manifesting itself not only in giving freely when occasion required, but in the readiness with which he made small loans in any time of distress or scarcity of work, trusting for payment solely to the honesty of those whom he assisted, and it is a signal proof of the influence exerted by his personality that in the exercise of his benevolence he met with comparatively few losses. It may be truthfully said that no citizen of Brattleboro ever enjoyed in a greater degree the confidence of his neighbors, or re-

522

THE STATE OF VERMONT.

conved from them more loyal support, than did Mr. Herrick One of his most remarkable traits was his memory of names and faces. This was strikingly exemplified when, at the town meet - ings, of which he was many times moderator, he would take the ballots as they were handed up, with a great crowd thronging about the box, calling cach voter by name without hesitation, and rarely making a mistake.

Mr. Herrick married, in 1844, Mary P. Mil- ler, but was without children. In all the strug- gles of his early life, and amid the accumulated cares and responsibilities of his later years, Mr. Herrick found in his wife an unfailing source of sympathy and help. Mr. Herrick is survived by his wife, and also by his brother, J. Newton Her- rick, and by four sisters : Susan E. Herrick ; El- len C., wife of A. W. Stowe, of West Brattle- boro; Mrs. Grout and Mrs. Tufts, who are resi- dents of Massachusetts.

In Mr. Herrick's death, which took place in May, 1895, it was felt that the whole community had sustained a bereavement. It was not only in business and official circles that a void was left by his decease, but, as was said at the time, "not only men of his own age and rank in life, but hundreds of working men and women, and men upon the remote farms, felt that they had lost a personal friend." The funeral was held at the Congregational church, the body lying in state an hour before the services, and the face being viewed by many people. During the services business was suspended, and practically the whole population united in paying a tribute to the memory of one who had been, in many re- spects, the foremost man in the community.

CHESTER A. ARTHUR.

Chester A. Arthur, the only native of the state of Vermont who came to occupy the ex- alted position of president of the United States, was born in Franklin county, October 5, 1830. His father, William Arthur, was a native of county Antrim, Ireland, who came to this coun- try when eighteen years old, and who, young as he was, had graduated from Belfast Univer- sity, and had studied in the University of Edin- burgh. Arriving here, he began the study of law, but an early marriage with a daughter of

the Rev. Washington Stone changed the current of his life. He soon afterward united with the Free Will Baptist church, became a minister in that denomination, and for several years preached and taught school in the counties of Chittenden and Franklin, and also in Canada. In 1829 he accepted a call to the pastorate of the Baptist church in North Fairfield, Vermont, and it was here that his son Chester was born. The parson- age was a small frame building of one and a half stories, and was used as a barn for some time, but is now torn down, and a large granite block suitably inscribed marks the birthplace of the twenty-first president of the United States. It

BIRTHPLACE OF CHESTER A. ARTHUR.

was unveiled on August 20, 1903, the presenta- tion being made by ex-Governor William W. Stickney, who had charge of its erection, and Governor John G. Mccullough receiving it on behalf of the state. The principal speaker was Hon. William E. Chandler, who was secretary of the navy under President Arthur, and remarks were made by Hon. Robert T. Lincoln, secre- tary of war under President Arthur, and also by Senator Redfield Proctor, and Representa- tives D. J. Foster and Kittredge Has- kins. The Rev. Dr. William Arthur was from 1855 to 1865 pastor of Calvary Baptist church in Albany, New York, and he died October 27, 1875, in Newtonville, near that city. He was a profound scholar, and for sev- eral years he published a journal, "The Anti- quarian," and was author of a curious volume

523

THE STATE OF VERMONT.

treating upon "Family Names." Of the six chil- dren of Dr. Arthur, two were sons: the young- est, Major William Arthur, made an excellent military record during the Civil war, and was subsequently appointed paymaster in the regular army.

Chester Abell Arthur, whose Christian name was given him in honor of Dr. Chester Abell, an intimate friend of his parents and the family physician, was afforded the best of educational facilities. His father made his proper prepara- tion for life his most ardent object, procured for him instruction in the best schools in the vicin- ity, and gave his personal attention to his prep- aration for college. So carefully trained was the young scholar that he was admitted to Union College when but fifteen years old, and he grad- uated in 1848, when only eighteen. While a student he partially defrayed his expenses by teaching school, and he continued this occupa- tion during portions of the years when he was engaged in the study of law. He pursued a course in Fowler's Law School in Ballston Spa, in 1853 became a student in the office of ex-Judge E. D. Culver, in New York city, and the same year was admitted to the bar and entered upon practice.

Passing over the routine professional work of his early years, more ample mention must be made of such of his efforts as afford a keynote to his character, and serve to indicate his prepara- tion for his conspicuous career in active life. Firmly anchored in the principles of justice, he early appeared as a champion of humanity. With William M. Evarts as associate counsel, he ap- peared in behalf of eight slaves whose master attempted to convey them through New York on his way to Texas. The right of Lemmon, their master, to do so, was contested by Mr. Arthur and his colleague on trial before Judge Payne under a writ of habeas corpus, on the ground that freedom had inured to the slaves through his voluntarily bringing them into free territory. The court decided that they could not be held to servitude in New York, neither could they be returned to slavery under the provisions of the Fugitive Slave Act, and this decision was sustained by the supreme court of New York as well as by the court of appeals, where the con- tention of Mr. Arthur and Mr. Evarts was con-

tested by the eminent Charles O'Conor, who had been retained by the attorney general of Vir- ginia. In 1856 Mr. Arthur again successfully defended the legal rights of colored people when he appeared as counsel for a colored girl who had been forcibly ejected from a street car after she had paid her fare, and secured vindication for her race by obtaining a verdict against the com- pany.

It is, however, with Mr. Arthur's political career that we are more particularly concerned, for he came to exercise a commanding influence during a long and brilliantly useful life. In his young manhood his associations were with the Whigs, and he was a member of the Saratoga convention which formed the Republican party in New York. Interested in military affairs, he was, prior to the opening of the Civil war, judge advocate of state militia, and in 1860 he was called to the staff of Governor Morgan in the capacity of engineer-in-chief. He was subse- quently appointed inspector general and then quartermaster general of the state, and he served . in the last named position until the close of Gov- ernor Morgan's administration in 1863. His serv- ices while quartermaster general were of im- meausrable value to the state and to the nation. He occupied the position during the crucial days of the Rebellion, when almost superhuman effort was needed to provide men and means for the support of the national government. He equipped and forwarded to the battle front the immense levies demanded of the state, and kept all the intricate accounts connected with the vast busi- ness with such method and accuracy that. in the settlement with the United States, they were read- ily audited and without deduction, whereas the claims of some other states were long a subject of controversy, and were finally subjected to con- siderable diminution. Incident to his duties was the awarding of large contracts for food, cloth- ing and other supplies, with opportunity to amass ample fortune, but no taint of self-seeking at- tached to one of his transactions, and he retired from the position with smaller means than when he entered upon it. So well did he stand with the first men in the nation, and so depended upon were his patriotism, sagacity and marvelous ability, that upon the occasion of the famous meeting of the "War Governors," in 1852, he

521

THE STATE OF VERMONT.

met with them by special and urgent invitation, the only person present who was not a state executive.

General Arthur resumed his law practice im- mediately after his retirement from staff duty under Governor Morgan. He was principally concerned in the collection of claims against the national government for war supplies, but he never appeared for an undeserving claimant. He was for a short time counsel for the New York board of tax commissioners. His services were frequently in demand for the drafting of im- portant state and national legislation. He was at all times a conspicuous figure in the councils of the Republican party. In 1871 he was ap- pointed collector of customs of the port of New York by President Grant, who re-appointed him in 1877, and the second nomination was con- firmed without the formality of a reference to a committee. In 1877 General Arthur became in- volved in a difficulty with President Hayes as a result of an executive order forbidding officers under the government to take active personal in- terest in political affairs. General Arthur de- clined to retire from the chairmanship of the Re- publican central committee of New York city, as did Naval Officer A. B. Cornell from the chairmanship of the state central committee, and both were removed by President Hayes in 1878. No imputation of official misconduct was directed against General Arthur, and his fidelity to public interests was so apparent that his retention was asked for by all the judges of the New York courts, a large majority of the leading members of the bar, and nearly all the mercantile import- ers in the city, but their petition was suppressed at the request of General Arthur.

Resuming his law practice, General Arthur, now entirely untrammeled, also engaged in politi- cal affairs with redoubled energy. He directed the forces which effected the nomination of Mr. A. B. Cornell for the governorship, and aided largely in his election. He was the intimate associate of Hon. Roscoe Conkling in the un- successful effort to secure a third presidential nomination for General U. S. Grant, and this movement was indirectly, as it was unforeseen to himself, a step toward his own elevation to the high office of president. Nominated by accla- mation for the vice presidency on the ticket with

General James A. Garfield, he was largely in- strumental in conciliating the disappointed ad- herents of General Grant. During the campaign, as chairman of the Republican central commit- tee, he directed the canvass in his state with masterly ability. As presiding officer of the United States senate, he conducted himself with becoming dignity and signal ability. With a fine sense of propriety, he held himself aloof from the contest between President Garfield and Senator Conkling with reference to governmen- tal appointments in the state of New York, but, loyal to his friends, he afterwards exerted him- self to secure the re-election of Senators Conkling and Platt.

General Arthur was sincerely and deeply af- fected by the assassination of President Garfield, and, while that distinguished man was hovering between life and death, he refrained from active participation in public affairs, but took every proper occasion to give expression to his feelings of horror and regret. Having received, in New York, telegraphic information of the death of the president, General Arthur, upon the advice of distinguished men who were desir- ous of providing against all possible contingencies which might affect the public peace, took the oath of office at his own home, at two o'clock on the morning of September 20, 1881, be- fore a judge of the state supreme court. He accompanied the remains of the deceased chief magistrate from Long Branch to Wash- ington, and there formally took his official oath before the chief justice of the United States su- preme court. His first official act was to pro- claim a day of general mourning out of respect to the memory to his lamented predecessor. With great delicacy and consideration, he requested all cabinet officers to continue in their places until the ensuing meeting of Congress, and all com- plied except Secretary of the Treasury Windom, who retired in order to become a candidate for the governorship of Minnesota.

October 19, 1881, at Yorktown, on the occa- sion of the centennial celebration of the surrender of Cornwallis, President Arthur delivered an ad- mirable address, in course of which he made grateful acknowledgment of the manner in which the English sovereign and her people had ex- pressed their sorrow and sympathy for the United

525

THE STATE OF VERMONT.

States in the death of its chief magistrate, and, by his direction, the British flag was saluted by the national military and naval forces at the conclusion of the ceremonies.

As president, General Arthur conducted him- self with dignity, tact and sagacity. Criticised in advance by those who were seemingly hopeful for his failure, and viewed with foreboding by many well meaning ones who had ill estimated his talents and character, he disappointed foes and gained a larger respect from friends. He dis- played no elation at his unexpected elevation, nor sought to attract attention to himself by any spectacular or original pose. He entered upon his office as one who had inherited a sacred trust, and he modestly confined himself to the dis- charge of those duties which lay before him. He called to his cabinet a capable corps of statesmen and men of affairs, and associated with himself two splendid names, retaining Robert T. Lincoln, son of the martyr war president, as secretary of war, and appointing General U. S. Grant as one of two commissioners to negotiate a com- mercial treaty with the republic of Mexico. In his conduct of foreign affairs, President Arthur guarded well every national interest, at the same time conducting diplomatic affairs with such wise judgment as to avoid protracted discussion and misapprehension, a notable instance being his reassertion of the Monroe Doctrine in relation to the Panama Canal. . The governmental civil service rules were promulgated by him and went into effect in the third year of his term of office. He grew into a wider popularity with the people throughout the nation, and he was received by them with every expression of affection upon two notable occasions-in New York city, on the oc- casion of the opening of the great Brooklyn bridge, in May of 1883, and when he opened the Louisville (Kentucky) Exposition of Industrial Art in August following. His administration closed March 4, 1885, and he died on November 18 of the following year.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

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 92

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