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 98
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Mr. Stewart was married January 13, 1838, in the town of East Montpelier, Vermont, to Miss Mahala Davis, who was born August 5, 1811. The following named children have been born to them: Rollins Davis, born May 2, 1839; Helen Mahala, born March 31, 1841; Abel Hubbard, born May 5, 1843 ; William Henry, born July 25, 1845 : Alanson Cooper, born February 23, 1848, died September 16, 1849: Clark Harvey, born June 18, 1850; Clara, born May 19, 1853; and George Martin, born September 17, 1855, died June 12, 1863. Mr. Stewart died on the old homestead December 24, 1885. His wife has survived him to the present time (1902), and she resides with her son Abel Hubbard Stewart and his wife, where she receives every kindness that loving children can bestow upon an aged and honored mother.
Abel Hubbard Stewart acquired his educa- tion in the district school of Berlin, where he- formed the industrious habits and sound ideas which were to render him efficient service in the- events of his after life. Like so many of the
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boys of Vermont, Mr. Stewart has devoted him- self to farming on the old homestead. He has pursued this vocation in all its branches, and by patient and unremitting toil has met with well merited success.
Mr. Stewart is a' Republican in his politics, but has never taken any active part in the affairs of the town, although he has been requested to have his name placed on the list for the offices of selectman and lister. He is a man of a very quiet and retiring disposition, a good neighbor and a thorough gentleman in all relations of life. On April 4, 1867, Mr. Stewart was united in mar- riage to Miss Elizabeth B. Benjamin, who was born November 3, 1847, a daughter of Josiah and Rebecca Benjamin, of the town of Berlin, where they are one of the oldest and most prominent families. Mr. and Mrs. Stewart have one son, Leon Chauncy Stewart, born on the old home- stead, December 28, 1879. He received his edu- cation in the public schools of Berlin, and resides with his parents.
LUCIUS H. RICHARDSON.
Lucius H. Richardson, of Brattleboro, a pros- perous business man, was born in this town, a son of the late William F. Richardson. He comes of substantial colonial stock, being a direct de- scendant in the ninth generation from John Rich- ardson, the founder of the American family of Richardson, and in the eighth generation from Isaac Stearns, an early settler of Massachusetts. The line of descent from John Richardson, the immigrant, is as follows: John, John, John, Samuel, Nathan, Isaiah, Isaiah, William F., Lu- cins H.
John Richardson (I) sailed from London, England, for Virginia in the ship Assurance, when eighteen years of age. He subsequently settled in Watertown, Massachusetts, where, in 1636 or 1637, he received a grant of land. No record of his marriage or death is given, but it is supposed that he was the father of John Rich- ardson, 'of Medfield, Massachusetts.
John Richardson (2), born in Medfield, about 1645, married Rebecca Clark, who was born Au- g11st 16, 1660, a daughter of Joseph and Alice Clark, of Dedham, Massachusetts. The children
born of their union were John, Elizabeth, Dan- iel, Joseph, Mehitable, Benjamin and Rebecca.
John Richardson (3), born in that part of Medfield now included in the town of Medway, August 25, 1679, was a life-long farmer, living in East Medway until his death, May 19, 1759. About 1699 he married Esther Breck, who was born in Medfield in 1679, a daughter of John Breck, and granddaughter of Thomas Breck, who was one of the first four settlers of Medfield. She died in East Medway, August 17, 1774. Their children were Sarah, John, David, Jonathan, Es- ther, Mary, Joseph, Samuel, Solomon, Moses and Aaron.
Samuel Richardson (4), born in Medway, Massachusetts, January 13, 1713-14, was a farm- er by occupation, and resided in Wrentham, al- though he attended church in Medfield. He mar- ried, April 2, 1734, Mary Allen, of Medfield. She died about 1740, leaving five children, namely : Nathan, Sarah, Keziah, Sibyl and Olive. He married, second, about 1742, Sarah Clark, of Wrentham. He died February 10, 1811, aged ninety-seven.
Nathan Richardson (5), of Medway, Massa- chusetts, was born November 15, 1739. Between 1758 and 1760 he married Mary Austin, an Eng- lish woman, of Medway, and among their chil- dren were six sons, namely: Nathan, Isaiah, Samuel, Joseph, Amos and Jesse.
Isaiah Richardson (6), of Athol, Massachu- setts. was born March 13, 1761, and died March 13, 1830. In 1782 he married Esther Bigelow, who was born November 3, 1757. a daughter of William and Margaret (Gates) Bigelow. She died November 28. IS51: Their children were as follows: Matilda, who was born November 26, 1784, married George Blair; Margaret, who was born March 13. 1786, and died October IO, 1868, married John Mixer; Esther, who was born June 26, 1787. and died October 4. 1874, married Elijah Jones : Isaiah, born July 1. 1790, died April 3, 1701 : Isaiah. the next in direct line of descent : Almira, born May II, 1794, married Solomon Eastman ; Willard, who was born June 3. 1797, and died February 20, 1883. married Eliza Sargent : and Mary, born August 7. 1799, married David Warriner. and died July To. 1880.
Isaiah Richardson (7) was born in Athol, Massachusetts, February 8, 1792, settled in Brat-
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tleboro, Vermont, in 1799, and died March 19, 188 -. On November 23, 1815, he married Betsey Sterns, who was born April 27, 1792, and died April 14. 1887. She was a daughter of Reuben and Annie ( Stewart ) Stearns, and a descendant in the sixth generation from the immigrant ances- tor, Isaac Stearns (1), and his wife Mary, the line being continued through Samuel Stearns (2), who married Hannah Manning; their son, Isaac Stearns (3), the succeeding ancestor, married Mary Bemis: the next in line of descent, Na- thaniel Stearns (4), married Grace Hammond ; and their son, Reuben Stearns (5), who married Annie Stewart, daughter of Deacon Stewart, of Holden, Massachusetts, was the father of Betsey Stearns (6), who became the wife of Isaiah Rich- ardson. Isaiah Richardson was engaged in agri- cultural pursuits in West Brattleboro, Vermont, until he sold his estate to the town, and it is now known as the "Town Farm." He was a very successful farmer, a Republican in politics, and an active member of the Congregational church. His family consisted of ten children, namely: Will- iam F .: Maria, who married Timothy Stoughton, a farmer; Charles, who married Victoria Mc- Ardle, by whom he had four children; John, a soldier in the Civil war, married Elizabeth Ran- ney, who bore him five children; Lucy, who mar- ried Ansel Tyler, and they became the parents of two children; Frederick, who married Lizzie McArdle, by whom he had two children ; Henry, who was drowned when a boy ; Oscar, who served in the Civil war, married and had one child; Austin, twin brother of .Oscar, married Mary Snedeker; and Elizabeth, who became the wife of Ozi Whittaker, of Philadelphia, Episcopal bishop of Pennsylvania.
William F. Richardson (8) was born in Brat- tleboro, Vermont, July 20, 1816, and, with the exception of a few years spent in Guilford, re- sided there during his life, dying there January 14, 1897. He carried on a very successful busi- ness as a dealer in meat, establishing, more than forty vears ago, the market until recently con- ducted by his sons, and carrying it on until his death. He was active in town affairs, serving as selectman and lister, and being politically iden- tified with the Republican party. He married, April 20, 1840, Sophia Plummer, who was born :September 17, 1822, and died January 19, 1897,
aged seventy-five years. She was a daughter of John, Jr., and Eleanor (Frazier) Plummer, and a granddaughter of John, Sr., and Jerusha Plum- mer. Their union was blessed by the birth of six children, namely : Ellen, wife of Judge James M. Tyler, of Brattleboro, supreme court justice of the state of Vermont ; Lucius H., the subject of this sketch ; Lucy M., wife of Orin O. Ware; Cassius M. C., who married Leonora Hunt, died May 21, 1901, leaving one child; Frederick A. married Helen Willcutt, by whom he has three children ; and Edward B., deceased, married Clara Pierce.
Lucius H. Richardson (9), a native of Brat- tleboro, was educated in this town and in Guil- ford. On leaving school, at the age of thirteen years, he entered his father's market to learn the meat business, remaining as an employe until made a partner in the firm, and on the death of his father succeeding to the entire business, which he carried on successfully up to April, 1902, when he retired from business. He is a Republican in politics, a member of Wantastiquet Lodge, I. O. O. F., and formerly belonged to the local militia. He married Mary Esterbrook, and they have one child, Charles W. Charles W. Richardson (10), who is cashier of the Vermont National Bank, married Vinnie Elmer, and they have two chil- dren, Marion and Howard.
Orin O. Ware was born in Wilmington, Au- gust 12, 1847, and was there reared and educated. Since early life he has been actively engaged in mercantile pursuits in Wilmington, where he has a large store, well stocked with general merchan- dise. He is the eldest son of the late Schuyler and Harriet (Gaines) Ware, who reared five sons and one daughter, as follows: Orin O .; Adelbert Loren ; Herbert ; Harriet ; Harvey ; and William. On June 26, 1872, Mr. Ware married Lucy M. Richardson (9), and they have two children, El- len Lucy and Katherine Stuart.
CAPTAIN HENRY CLARK STREETER.
Henry C. Streeter, a retired business man and veteran of the late Civil war, familiarly known as Captain Streeter, is a worthy descendant of Ben- jamin Streeter, who came from Oxford, Massa- chusetts, in 1781 or 2 and located in Chesterfield, New Hampshire, and in 1777 participated as a soldier in the war of the Revolution. Benjamin
Henry & Streeter
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Streeter (2), son of Benjamin Streeter (I), mar- ried, in 1780, Sarah Hudson, daughter of Ben- jamin Hudson, who died October 15, 1842. He settled in Chesterfield, on Streeter Hill, and his death occurred there March 1, 1835, when he had attained the age of seventy-four years. Benja- min Streeter (3), son of Benjamin Streeter (2), married, in 1807, Sarah Fair, daughter of Charles Fair, and was a prominent resident for many years in Chesterfield. Squire Streeter, son of Benjamin (2) and Sarah Streeter, married Phoebe Hildreth, daughter of Lotan Hildreth ; he was prominently identified with the business and social life of Chesterfield, where he died in Sep- tember, 1847. Clark Streeter, son of Benjamin Streeter (2), married for his first wife, in 1827, Sarah Hildreth, daughter of Lotan Hildreth; she died March 4, 1841, and on September 26, 1841, Mr. Streeter married Mary E., daughter of Amos Smith. Clark Streeter followed the occupations of shoemaker and farmer in the town of Chester- field, where his death occurred August 4, 1868. He served as captain in the state militia. Hollis Streeter, son of Clark Streeter, was born April 9, 1824 : he married in September, 1849, Maria Bixby, of Guilford, Vermont. He was a shoe- maker by trade and later became a dealer in boots and shoes at Bellows Falls ; subsequently he re- moved to Brattleboro, where he resides at the present time (1902). John L. Streeter, son of Clark and Mary E. Streeter, married September 25, 1853, Lucinda Needham, of Marlboro, Ver- mont. He is one of the representative citizens of Chesterfield, where he is engaged in farming, and in addition to this occupation he follows his trade of shoemaker.
Henry C. Streeter acquired his education in the Chesterfield public school, and after complet- ing his studies he was engaged as a clerk in a shoe store until the breaking out of the Civil war. He enlisted at Brattleboro, Vermont, October 2, 1861, for three years; re-enlisted at Stevensburg, Vir- ginia, December 31, 1863, for three years; was promoted successively to corporal, fifth sergeant, orderly sergeant ; commissioned second lieutenant, first lieutenant and brevet captain ; discharged at Burlington, Vermont, August 25, 1865. On the 26th of August, 1864, he was dangerously wounded at Charleston, Virginia, by a bullet that passed through his left arm and one through the
body. After three months in hospital, he recov- ered sufficiently to return to his company for duty ; though he narrowly escaped death, his cour- age was good to fight the Johnnies again. He had: three horses shot from under him, but horses were cheaper than men. After enlisting at Brat- tleboro and remaining there for two weeks they then were ordered to Burlington, Vermont, also men that had enlisted in other parts of state for the cavalry regiment reported there and were organized into ten companies of one hundred in each company, Company F being the Brattleboro. company. He was mustered into the United States service by Lieutenant J. W. Jones, of the United States Army, November 19, 1861. De- cember 14, 1861, the regiment broke camp under orders to report to Washington, D. C., and it started by rail. The men were loaded into the cars with the horses, eight of each, and one hun- dred and fifty-three cars were loaded. After re- maining in Washington a few days, they were then ordered to Annapolis, Maryland, where they now came down to camp discipline under Briga- dier General Hatch's orders, as he was put in command of the brigade composed of the First Vermont, First Michigan, Fifth New York regi- ments, and he also insisted upon company officers attending to stable duty, though the buckwheat cakes grew cold. Squadrons were now organ- ized from the different companies of the regi- ment, F and C being put together as the fourth squadron. Company drills were now an every day occurrence. The regiment left Annapolis March 9, 1862, for Shenandoah Valley, via Har- per's Ferry, and singing as they went through, "John Brown is here no more." Active opera- tions were now in progress in the valley. General Stonewall Jackson was in the upper valley making ready to attack General Banks, and the regiment was divided up into spuadrons and companies at different points in the valley, doing picket duty until the night before Banks' retreat. The com- panies were then ordered together on Fisher's Hill, and the next day fighting commenced and the Union forces were driven out of the valley. The cavalry had some hard fighting on that re- treat out of the valley, as General Banks' forces were light in number compared with General Jackson's. As the regiment was filing past an Indiana regiment, they called out, "Let the Green
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Mountan boys go at the Johnnies; they are old sons of old Ethan Allen, and will show the Michi- gan boys something new." The chaplain of Mr. Streeter's regiment evidently had some of the spirit of Peter Muhlenburg, the old Revolutionary minister of Woodstock, Virginia, who after preaching to his flock, called them out into the churchyard and said: "There is a time to pray and a time to preach, and a time to fight, and the time to fight has now come," and then led them on to the fight. The fighting went on with Mr. Streeter's regiment, companies and squadrons sometimes together, other times separate, until the surrender of the Confederate army at Appomattox Court House by General Robert E. Lee to General U. S. Grant, April 9, 1865, and Company F took an active part in the many battles and skirmishes the regiment were in, and the same may well be said of other companies of the regiment.
The regiment participated in seventy-five battles and skirmishes, and Company F took part in forty-five of the above number, and Mr. Street- er was engaged in thirty-eight of the battles and skirmishes of the company. The locations of the battles and engagements that Company F took part in are as follows : Mount Jackson, Vir- ginia. Bank's retreat out of Shenandoah Valley; second battle Bull Run, Virginia; Orange Court House, Virginia; Cedar Mountain, Virginia ; Culpepper Court House, Virginia ; Luray Court House, Virginia ; Broad Run, Virginia ; Hanover, Pennsylvania : Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, July I, 2 and 3; Hagerstown, Maryland; Boons- boro, Maryland; Fallingwaters, Maryland; sec- ond battle Culpepper Court House, Virginia ; Brandy Station, Virginia; General Kilpatrick's raid around Richmond, March I to 20; Craig's Church, Virginia : Wilderness, Virginia : Spott- sylvania, Court House; Cold Harbor, Virginia ; Yellow Tavern, Virginia; Meadow Bridge, Vir- ginia ; Haws Shop, Virginia; Hanover Court House, Virginia: Ashland Station, Virginia; White Oak Swamp, Virginia ; Malvern Hill, Vir- ginia ; Nottoway Court House, Virginia ; Wilson's raid, including Roanoake Station, Stony Creek, Reem's Station and other light skirmishes, Vir- ginia ; Winchester, Virginia ; Kearneysville, Vir- ginia ; Opequan Creek, Virginia; Front Royal, Virginia ; Tom's Brook, Virginia; Cedar Creek,
Virginia ; Middle Road, Virginia; Sheridan's raid, Winchester to White House landing, via Lynchburg and Richmond, March 8 to 20, 1864; Waynesboro, Virginia; Five Forks, Virginia ; Farmsville, Virginia; Appomattox Court House, Virginia ; Clover Hill, Virginia. The company was in the grand review of the Army of the Po- tomac at Washington, D. C., May 23, 1865.
Company F here has a record that is an honor to every member of the company, a notable record from beginning to the finish. The cavalry was the most important arm of the war of the Re- bellion. The Third Cavalry division in the last six months of the war, captured from the enemy in open battle one hundred and eleven pieces of field artillery, sixty-five battle flags and upwards of ten thousand prisoners of war, including seven general officers. The First Vermont Cavalry was in this division, and Vermont may well be proud of the record that it has caused to be recorded in the history of the war of the Rebellion, and also in the state report of her troops. Captain Streeter was on detached duty during the winter of 1862 and 1863, at Washington, D. C., on the general court martial, and his duty often took him to the front when the armies were quartered at Fairfax Court House, twenty-five miles from Washington, and he made the trip many times alone, going out and back in the night. There was only one picket post half way out, and that was the winter that the guerilla Mosby was picking off our picket posts and also captured General Stoughton there at Fairfax. Captain Streeter was at Fair- fax Court House the night before Stoughton was taken, at Colonel Johnson's quarters, and he said to Captain Streeter, Mosby will be gobbling you up one of these nights." It was one o'clock at night when the Captain left for Washington, and the Colonel said it was not safe to be coming out there and back, and said to tell the judge advo- cate to change his order of tactics out on this line and the order was obeyed and Captain Streeter did not go out there any more in the night time. He often thought of Mosby in passing that way, but he had a fleet horse and his only fear was of being surrounded.
After the termination of the war Captain Streeter engaged in the hotel business, and for several years conducted successfully the Bellows Falls House ; later he removed to Rutland, Ver-
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mont, where he acted in the capacity of superin- tendent of a peat factory ; in 1882 he located in Brattleboro, where he was employed with the Estey Organ Company, in the fitting-up stock department. He retained this position until his eyesight failed him and he was compelled to resign ; for the following two years he was placed in charge of the livery business at Fisher's Island and after the expiration of this period of time he retired from the active duties of business life, having accumulated a comfortable competence. Captain Streeter is a prominent member of Sedgewick Post No. 8, G. A. R., and has held all the chairs and acted as commander of his post. In his political affiliations he is a firm adherent of the principles of the Republican party, and he was honored by his townsmen by being elected a member of the board of trustees of the village. of Brattleboro, which position he held for three years ; he also acted as chairman of the board for two years. He is a consistent member and sup- porter of the tenets of the Universalist church.
Captain Streeter was united in marriage to Miss Nellie Clegg, of Bellows Falls, and their children are: Franklin C. Streeter, who married Velma Bailey and has one child, Eleanor; Mr. F. C. Streeter is employed with the Estey Organ Company. Henry Archer Streeter, a commercial salesman of Waterbury, Connecticut, is the second son. Charles Bertram Streeter possesses extraordinary mechanical and artistic talent, be- ing able to execute some of the finest work in parquetry and in-laid work; since learning his trade he has spent some time in Europe in order ยท to perfect himself in all its branches, and is em- ployed in Niles, Ohio, as expert finisher of rail- road coaches. Zilla, the only daughter, married Rollin H. Brown, of Brattleboro.
MELVIN DORR CHURCH.
This is a name long known and honored in Vermont, where many generations of the family have been conspicuous in the public and business life of various communities. Robert Church, the great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, came from Connecticut in the latter part of the eighteenth century and was among the earliest settlers of Chelsea, Vermont, where he occupied an honorable position among its citizens. His son
Melvin became a successful farmer in Highgate, and for forty years carried on business as a car- penter and builder. For twenty years he held the important office of tax appraiser, and in 1866 was elected to represent his town in the state legisla- ture, where he exercised an influence as one of the Republican leaders. In 1867 he removed to Ran- dolph and purchased the farm on which he re- sided until his death, which occurred in 1895, when he was seventy-four years old. He married Electa Wright, who was very active and influ- ential both in social affairs and church work, to which latter she devoted much time and energy. This good woman, universally beloved for her humane spirit and charitable disposition, passed away in 1885, at the age of sixty-six years. Mel- vin and Flecta (Wright) Church had eight chil- dren, their eldest son, William, being killed on the famous field of Gettysburg, where so many other patriots surrendered their lives that this Union might be preserved and "government of the peo- ple, by the people and for the people" might not perish from the earth.
Of the other chilren, five still survive, and among the number Melvin D. Church, the sub- ject of this sketch, was born at Highgate, Frank- lin county, Vermont, August 11, 1849. After the usual training in the district schools he engaged in farming, which he has pursued with success, and now owns the old homestead of two hundred acres, one of the most produtcive and beautifully located farms in the county. Mr. Church is ex- tensively engaged in dairying and stock-raising. Like his father, he has been enthusiastic in poli- tics on the Republican side, and for nine years has held the office of selectman, being six years first selectman, in which capacity he has been largely instrumental in reducing the debt of the town. He brings to the management of public business the same good judgment and economy that have gained him success in his own private affairs, and thus shows the elements which make the most valuable executives and guardians of the public money.
On the 12th of November, 1880, Mr. Church was happily wedded to Miss Annie F. Hale, a most estimable lady of Deerfield, Massachusetts, who comes from the best New England stock. This union, which has proved congenial and fruit- ful of happiness, resulted in the birth of three
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bright boys, all of whom are on the farm with their father, and give promise of future useful- ness in their noble calling. William H., the eld- est of these children, was born September 2, 1881; Frank W., April 15, 1887; and Fred W., May 1, 1889. The entire family, including par- ents and children, enjoy general esteem and good will in the social circle in which they move.
JOHN JAY BIGELOW.
The gentleman whose name heads this sketch was for almost thirty years identified with mer- cantile and other business interests in Burlington. John Jay Bigelow was born in the town of Ches- terfield, New York, in 1832. His father was Erastus Bigelow, a sturdy farmer, who was a native of Ausable. New York. He married Lavinia Rann, of Poultney, Vermont, a woman of rare ability and accomplishments. Her father was Joseph Rann, who came over with Lafayette and was a commissioned officer in the war of 1812, and died in Poultney.
Mr. Bigelow attended the district schools in his native town, and after reaching the years of maturity learned the ship carpenter's trade. He later became an engineer, but did not follow this occupation long. For many years he was in the government employ on Lake Champlain, and as- sisted in the construction of the breakwaters in the Burlington harbor. He was very much in- terested in boats, and owned at various times severai crafts. He made a study of navigation and vessels, and possessed wonderful mechanical ingenuity. He built a model from the works of an old clock which would propel a vessel through the canals without destroying the banks with swells. This piece of mechanism he perfected and sent the model to the patent office at Wash- ington, D. C., where it was examined and pro- nounced the best invention of the kind ever ex- hibited to the government officials, but, it being so similar to another in the patent office he could not secure a patent; however, they claimed its superiority over the other model. This greatly discouraged Mr. Bigelow, and he let the matter drop.
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