USA > Vermont > Addison County > History of Addison county Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 34
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106
The first lot on the street leading south from the court-house was pur- chased by David Wells, a blacksmith, the father of Mrs. E. W. Linsley; it is now occupied by Edward Cushman. Mr. Wells built his house and shop about 1808, and continued his business until his death in 1825, at the age of forty- seven years.
As early as 1810 or 1811 Paul Reed erected the large building which is now the main part of the Pierce House ; he kept a tavern here and was suc- ceeded by Harry Moore. Mr. Reed died in 1836.
Captain Ira Allen, from Lebanon, N. H., purchased the lot now occupied by Dr. Sutton, and in 1814 built his shop for carriage-making, which trade he learned in Shoreham.
In the fall of 1807 David Page, jr., purchased twelve acres on the corner of the street under consideration and the one running into it from Pleasant street, and extending to the creek. Here he first built the house owned by Caleb Morton, son of Silas Morton, who was a carpenter here for many years. Several years later he built a house which stood on the site of the one now owned by Mrs. H. F. Hayden; this house was burned in 1828 and rebuilt by Asa Chapman. Mr. Page also built on the same lot the residence of Mrs. R. L. Fuller. Mr. Fuller was a tailor in early years, and later engaged in mercantile business in connection therewith. He died in 1857, bearing the respect of the community. On this same lot were erected the house now owned by Aaron Piper, formerly occupied by E. W. Lyon and Humphrey Smith ; also that of David S. Church, who filled the office of sheriff for fifteen successive years ; he died in 1859, from the result of an injury received on his head by a blow inflicted by a man whom he was attempting to arrest. He was a capable officer and a much esteemed citizen. The dwelling occupied by the late Horace Crane, and now by his son of the same name, was also built on this lot.
Timothy Matthews, a Revolutionary soldier and a captain in the War of 1812, came to Middlebury about the year 1800, and settled in the village, where he followed his trade of shoemaking many years. His son Eli also lived in the village and carried on blacksmithing; he died at the homestead of his son, E. J. Matthews, near the village. Charles Matthews, a farmer of the town, is an- other son of Eli.
283
TOWN OF MIDDLEBURY.
Warren Moore came to Middlebury in 1808 and located where Charles W. Matthews now lives. He worked in the marble business down to about 1823. He was from Sudbury, Mass., where he was born August 24, 1797, and died March 18, 1884. He had a son, James D. Moore, who died in 1844. One of his daughters is Mrs. James Vallette, and another is Mrs. Charles W. Matthews ; a third married E. J. Matthews.
To conclude this detailed account of settlements on lands derived from Judge Painter, we quote the following brief account of that eminent man's career from Judge Swift's work : "Any person who has read the foregoing details will perceive," says Dr. Swift, " that the life and labors of the Hon. Gamaliel Painter are intimately associated with the history of the town, and will accord to him his common designation of 'father of the town,' and especially of the village. He was not a learned man, having had only a common school educa- tion. He was a plain man, slow of speech and of few words, and not eloquent in public addresses or private conversation. But he had sound judgment and common sense, on which his friends placed implicit and safe reliance. He had great wisdom-some would say cunning-in forming his plans and in adopting the means to execute them. Thus he became a leader in all important enter- prises. He was among the earliest settlers, and from the beginning devoted what powers he had to the prosperity of the town. He personally surveyed and laid out lands and public roads. He was early called to this service in the neighboring towns, and in later years was employed in laying out some of the most important roads in this region. He early enlisted in measures designed to prepare the way to establish and maintain the independence and organization of Vermont as a State. He was the first delegate who ever represented the town in any public body, and was a member of the convention at Dorset in September, 1776, at which incipient measures were adopted to make a declara- tion of independence ; also a member of the convention held at Windsor July 2, 1777, which formed the first constitution. He was the first representative of the town after its organization in 1788, in the Legislature of the State, and was annually elected the four succeeding and several subsequent years, until 1810, after which he was several years a member of the old Council. In 1785, at the time of the organization of the county, he was elected one of the first judges of the County Court. Before the end of the year he resigned this office, for the purpose of being a candidate for the office of sheriff, which for some reason he preferred, and to which he was elected. But in the seven suc- ceeding years he was re-elected to the office of judge.
" After he removed to the village in the fall of 1787, he adopted his plans with appropriate measures to make it a respectable place of business, and the seat of the courts in the county. He early built mills and sold building lots to all worthy immigrants. As early as 1791, when the village was little else than a wilderness, standing on the lot that he had deeded to the county, he said to
284
HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.
the bystanders, 'This is the place for the court-house.' Through his agency, as a member of the Legislature, his plans were accomplished and his prediction fulfilled. In the town he often officiated as moderator of the meetings, and in other offices and trusts. When the Congregational Society finally decided to build a church, he was appointed superintendent to adopt the plan and make the contracts for its erection, to which also he largely contributed. He was also appointed by the corporation to superintend the erection of the stone college, to which he also contributed liberally. He was a prominent promoter of our other literary institutions. By the charter of the college he was constituted one of the original trustees, and occupied that place until his death. In his last will, all his children having died, he gave all his estate, except an annuity to his widow during her life, to that institution ; from which the college realized about thir- teen thousand dollars.
" Judge Painter was born in New Haven, Conn., on the 22d of May, 1742. His first wife was Abigail Chipman, sister of Colonel John Chipman, who died April 21, 1790. By her he had two sons, Joseph, who died in 1804, at the age of thirty-four, and Samuel, who was drowned in the creek in June, 1797, at the age of twenty-five. His second wife was Victoria Ball, of Salisbury, Conn., who died in June, 1806, at the age of forty-six. By her he had one daughter, Abby Victoria, who died in December, 1818, at the age of twenty-two. His third wife, who survived him, was Mrs. Ursula Bull, of Litchfield, Conn., a widow, and sister of Mrs. Tracy, wife of the distinguished senator from Connecticut. Judge Painter died in May, 1819, aged seventy- six years. The corporation of Middlebury College erected a monument at his grave."
It now remains to bring the settlements on the west side of the creek down to a later date to complete this feature of the history of the town. The settle- ment of Stillman Foot has been alluded to, and his milling business ; in addition to that he erected a small building on his mill-yard for a store and was sup- plied with goods by Daniel Henshaw, then of Albany ; these were sold by Mr. Foot as partner of Mr. Henshaw. The venture was not a success, and in the fall of 1800 he deeded to Mr. Henshaw his house and lands and either then or later his saw-mill. In December of the next year he sold his grist-mill to John Warren and in 1801 went away. Mr. Henshaw took possession of the place in 1803 and also built a structure on the west side of the bridge, which was rented to various persons. On the south side of his lot he erected a building designed for a store and used as such for a time and later as a dwelling. It was burned and the brick block of George McCue built on the lot. He was also interested in the manufacture of paper at the " Paper Mill Falls." Mr. Henshaw and his family occupied an enviable position in the community and were prominent in the Episcopal Church.
About the year 1794 Jonathan Nichols, an intelligent mechanic, purchased
285
TOWN OF MIDDLEBURY.
of Appleton Foot some land and a water-power and built below Foot's mills, successively a forge, trip hammer and gun factory. He was not very success- ful and the works changed owners, the forge and furnace being occupied by R. & J. Wainwright when they were burned in 1826. His brother Josiah was as- sociated with him for a time and died in 1836. On the land purchased by Nichols was a small house to which John Atwater added a story in 1801. Cap- tain Moses Leonard afterward occupied it until his death ; it is now owned by John Sargent. Andrew Rutherford afterward added to the north end and lived there until he left town. He was a son-in-law of Captain Leonard ; the latter was largely interested in the works at the falls and owned the Appleton Foot Mills when they burned; he died in 1853. Mr. Rutherford was a practical woolen manufacturer and built the factory on that side and operated it. Apple- ton Foot removed to Malone after selling his mills and died there in 1853.
Harvey Bell was one of the very early settlers on the west side and estab- lished the fulling and dressing of cloth, to which business he was bred. He built a small house and shop on land purchased of Stillman and Appleton Foot, on which now stand the brick house owned by L. R. Sayre and the large brick structure owned by the heirs of P. Murray ; the latter was erected by Jonathan Hagar. Bell was associated with his brother and they added mercantile trade to their other business. In 1797 he sold out to John Warren, also a clothier, and removed to New Haven, where he carried on business a few years, but be- ing unsuccessful he returned to Middlebury and bought the lot on Weybridge street formerly owned by Adna Smith, for some years sheriff of the county, and now owned by Horace Gorham. This lot had been sold by Nehemiah Lawrence to Jonathan Nichols, jr., before the annexation was made to Middle- bury. On this lot Bell built a house, which was burned and rebuilt. In 1805 he purchased Amasa Stowell's tavern lot and kept a public house ; in 1812 he leased the Mattocks tavern property (the Addison House site), and died there in 1844, in the fiftieth year of his age. John Warren, who bought the clothing works, was very successful and accumulated a large property. He largely ex- tended his operations ; bought the Stillman Foot grist-mill in 1801, and about 1804 erected the large brick house on the Bell lot, now owned by Mr. Sayre. Still not content he attempted the establishment of a cotton factory at about the beginning of the War of 1812 ; after a heavy investment by adding to his mill buildings and in machinery, he was finally forced to relinquish the busi- ness ; the mills were burned and Mr. Warren sold out his remaining interests and went to Massachusetts.
Captain Ebenezer Markham, who had been a merchant in Canada, and was held there as a prisoner during the War of the Revolution, was committed to the jail limits of Middlebury in 1795, on some debts in which he had become involved. In 1796 he started what is said to have been the first nail factory in the State ; it was situated in a room at the end of Stillman Foot's saw-mill.
19
286
HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.
During the first year of its operation he lived with his family in the factory. In 1797 he built part of a house on a lot leased of Mr. Foot, which premises subsequently passed to possession of Thomas H. McLeod. In the year 1800 he added to the building in anticipation of the legislative session and opened it as a public house, which he kept until his death. This building was burned in 1875, rebuilt by Mr. McLeod and again burned in 1883, and he has erected the block now standing. Mr. Markham died in 1813; his daughter was the wife of Mr. McLeod.
Samuel Sargeant, whose name has been mentioned, was a goldsmith from Worcester, Mass., and purchased the lot on Weybridge street now occupied by the widow of Harmon A. Sheldon, and also the lot next north of it; on the former he built a small house in which he lived a few years ; this he re- moved to the Wilder lot and built in its stead a two-story house, where he lived until his death in 1847, at the age of eighty years. He continued his business until the infirmities of age prevented. James McDonald married his daughter and lived in the one-story house mentioned. William Flagg after- ward purchased and lived in it until his death. It was finally torn down and John Flint bought and built on the site. On leaving the old house, Mr. Mc- Donald purchased the lot where his widow now lives, removed the old house and built the present brick structure. Mr. McDonald was a successful mer- chant in what is now the Allen block, and was succeeded by Harmon A. Shel- don, who continued there until the completion of the Davenport building, to which he removed. In 1859 he built the brick store which he occupied until his death in 1870, aged fifty.
Thomas Hagar purchased in 1813 the lot and small house constituting the premises afterward occupied by Hon. Samuel S. Phelps, and built the large house now owned by and the birth-place of Hon. Edward J. Phelps. There Judge Phelps resided until his death in 1855, in the sixty-second year of his age. Judge Phelps attained eminence in the legal profession and was elected to high political offices. His public career is elsewhere described.
Jonathan Hagar, a leading man in many respects in the early part of the century, was born in Waltham, Mass., in 1778, went to Montreal about 1800 and opened a wholesale shoe store, going to England for his goods. In the War of 1812, rather than take the oath of allegiance to the government, he came to Middlebury, near where his parents had settled. On visiting near the lines he was arrested as a spy and imprisoned in Montreal for six months. After his return he engaged in mercantile business in 1812, which he soon changed to book selling, and continued the same until 1852. He was several years a member of the Legislature, and held many other prominent offices in town.
The lot between Mr. Dodge's property mentioned and the Wilder lot, and which is now the property of Mrs. James M. Lamb, was formerly owned by
287
TOWN OF MIDDLEBURY.
General Hastings Warren, who built a small house there and sold it in 1815 to Nichols & Pierpoint, cabinet-makers, who built a shop on the lot. The present house was built by Russell Vallett, who owned the place in recent years.
In 1797 James Jewett began an apprenticeship in the cloth-dressing busi- ness with John Warren, whose career has been described. In 1806 they en- tered into partnership and purchased the carding machinery of Artemas Nixon, which he had established here in 1801, the first brought into the county. Mr. Jewett afterward purchased of Zelias Hall part of a lot which he had bought of Colonel Storrs and built a dwelling house ; on the other part of the lot, now owned by J. J. Wilcox, Hall removed a blacksmith shop and fitted it up for a dwelling. According to Dr. Swift, the lands in this neighbor- hood were largely purchased of Colonel Storrs, but most of the original set- tlers were only temporary residents. The first house on the lot now occupied by Prof. Parker, was built by Nathan Hubbard ; from him George Cleveland purchased it and about 1814 enlarged or rebuilt the house; he came to Mid- dlebury as early as 1806 and was in mercantile business for several years, and was postmaster for twenty years from 1809. He died in 1851, aged eighty-two.
Soon after the present Cornwall road was opened in 1803, Ethan Andrus, from Cornwall, built the house now occupied by Deacon George Porter, form- erly the residence of his father, Deacon Cyrus Porter; the latter died in 1841, aged eighty-five.
In 1810 Jonathan Blinn, from Orwell, purchased the house built by Andrus, as above noted, and after living in it a few years sold it to William G. Hooker, and purchased the lot on the corner of the Cornwall road and the street run- ning south, on which a small house had been built, and erected the present building, owned by Miss Nichols. He died there in 1832, at the age of sev- enty-one.
The foregoing account must close our description of settlements in the town, except as later details will appear in connection with the various indus- tries and mercantile business of the present day; and the reader must admit that, through the patient labors of Dr. Swift and others, the account is vastly more complete than can now be compiled in almost any other town in the county. It gives a picture of the early settlements, manufactures, etc., as inter- esting as it is valuable. The men whose incoming and early labors have been thus chronicled, builded, perhaps, "better than they knew," and gave to the village and town the needed impetus to render it in later years the most prom- inent in the county. The subsequent growth of the town and village, and the development and advancement of its educational, religious, and social character has been the work of later comers on the stage of action, the record of whose worthy deeds must be largely left to the future historian.
Roads and Bridges .- Almost the first public work of the pioneer in any locality is the opening of roads and the building of bridges ; they are a prime
288
HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.
necessity everywhere. The first pathways over which the early settlers passed were mere cuttings through the woods; and even these were preceded by the line of blazed trees. The first highways surveyed in this town, as far as known, were laid out in April, 1786, by a proprietors' committee composed of Benja- min Risley, John Chipman, Robert Huston and Jonathan Chipman. The first road was surveyed eight rods wide, beginning at the south line of the town and running north on the west line of the west tier of home lots to the New Haven line. This broad highway running through what was intended to be the center of the town was designed as a sort of trunk road, with which the cross roads were to be connected. It was re-surveyed by the selectmen in 1788 as far as the Philip Foot farm, where the road to the falls leaves it. In Septem- ber, 1789, the remainder was surveyed to the New Haven line ; but it was never opened farther north than where the Nichols and Wheeler mill was located.
The second road was laid out six rods wide, from the south line of the town, near where Captain Boardman lived, and running northerly until it joins the first highway near Allen Foot's residence.
The third road surveyed at that time was made four rods wide and began in the west line of the last-mentioned road, near the poor-house, and ran west- erly by Jonathan Seeley's to the bank of the creek near the three-mile bridge.
The fourth highway began where the last one terminated and ran along the east bank of the creek over the site of the village to the New Haven line ; this road was made six rods wide northerly of the creek and four rods wide south of it.
The fifth road began at the Salisbury line, crosses the river near Jonathan Seeley's and joins the third-mentioned highway ; this is known as " the Middle Road."
The sixth is a six rods road beginning, as the record says, "in the west line of an eight rods highway and on a public lot" (probably the glebe lot), north of the Philip Foot farm, and running westerly to " the west line of the high- way running from the falls to New Haven," near the falls. In 1788 the select- men laid out a road from near the Philip Foot place and running into the last mentioned near the farm now owned by William H. Cobb. In November of the same year they laid out what is known as "Preston's Road," running southerly through Munger street, and thence easterly to the line between the two tiers of home lots, and on that line southward; this road has been discon- tinued south of where Smith Severance lives. All of these roads, while they served the purposes of the inhabitants, with minor modifications, for many years, have been supplemented with others and more or less changed to their present condition.
The first bridge over the creek at the falls, subsequent to the one built by Mr. Foot in 1787, was erected in 1799; the first one on the site of the "three- mile bridge" was built in 1801, though it is probable a primitive crossing-place
289
TOWN OF MIDDLEBURY.
was made there earlier. The bridge at the falls was rebuilt in 1811, and again in 1823, when the old abutments of logs were replaced by stone, extended farther into the stream, and one stone pier built, the other portion being a wooden trestle; the result of making this part of the bridge on that plan was that in the freshet of 1832 the wooden portion was carried away. The other stone pier was then built and the bridge repaired. Except occasional repairs the bridge stood thus until 1835, when the present commodious and substantial bridge was built, which has been kept in good condition by necessary repairs since that date.
The Three-Mile Bridge, as it is termed on account of its being about that distance from the village, was built, as stated, about the beginning of the cen- tury ; but as it and the road leading to it were not much used in early years, the selectmen voted in 1815 to discontinue both. In 1822 a petition was issued by some of the inhabitants, and the court ordered a new highway opened, varying somewhat in its course from the former one. At the next meeting, in March, 1823, the selectmen were ordered to build the bridge and " repair the road to Cornwall, or build a new one." This order was not very promptly executed and the town was indicted in consequence, and at the De- cember term in 1824 was fined $284 and costs. At the next meeting the town laid a tax to pay this judgment, with which the road and bridge were constructed. The present covered bridge was built in 1836, and has been well maintained since that date.
During a period early in the century a great deal of interest was awakened in the building of turnpikes and the incorporation of companies for their man- agement ; almost a fever of enthusiasm followed and swept over most parts of the country. In this town the Legislature of 1800 chartered with others the " Centre Turnpike Company," which was given the privilege of constructing a road from the court-house in Middlebury to Woodstock, with a branch to Royalton. This was a heavy piece of work and was not finished until 1808. In later years this highway was surrendered to the various towns through which it passed, the tolls not being sufficient to keep it in repair. In this town the surrender occurred in 1817, as far as the foot of the mountain, and farther east at a later date.
" The Waltham Turnpike Company " was incorporated in 1805 to build a turnpike from the termination of the one before mentioned to Vergennes. General Samuel Strong was the moving spirit in this company and held the most of the stock. In 1828, after a long struggle for profitable existence, the Legislature declared the highway a "free public road," and the company sur- rendered its charter.
The numerous changes in the highways and opening of some later ones need not be traced here; it is sufficient to state that the town has, as a rule, maintained its roads in good condition for the travel of the community.
290
HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.
The War of 1812 .- There is little to note of the history of this town suc- ceeding the settlements before chronicled, until the approach of the War of 1812. In the mean time the inhabitants had passed through a time of great scarcity in the year 1790, and had entered upon the sufferings caused by the epidemic of the fall of 1812, to which reference has been made in noting the deaths of many of the early settlers. This epidemic of a species of fever con- tinued through the year 1813 and into 1814 and carried away many of the prominent men and women of the State; its ravages were confined principally to adults. During the months of January, February and March, 1813, the deaths in Middlebury were forty-seven, in a population of 2,300, according to a statement of Dr. Willard.
In 1801 occurred the event which is of paramount importance in all new communities-the publication of the first newspaper. The name of the jour- nal was the Middlebury Mercury, and Joseph D. Huntington and John Fitch were the publishers. A full account of this enterprise and its successors is given elsewhere in this work.
The events that led to the last contest with Great Britain and the details of the struggle are matters of general history, and need not be entered into here, except as that they bear local interest and significance. The following para- graph in regard to events that transpired in this town near the opening of the contest, is from Dr. Swift's work: "Soon after the declaration of war in June, 1812, in pursuance of the act of Congress authorizing the president to call on the different States for detachments of militia to the number of 100,000 men, a brigade, consisting of four regiments, was called for from Vermont, under General Orms, of West Haven, and ordered into actual service, and was con- centrated at Burlington. The men composing the brigade were designated by drafts, except when volunteers offered themselves. There were, at the time, five or six young gentlemen studying law in the office of Hon. Horatio Sey- mour, all of whom, as well as their instructor, were friends of the administra- tion, and rather zealous supporters of the war; and, for that reason, the office was honored with the designation of the 'War Office.' Four or five of these were enrolled in the standing militia company then under the command, we think, of Capt. Joseph D. Huntington. The company consisted of seventy or eighty non-commissioned officers and privates, and about thirteen were to be taken from the number. When the company was paraded for the draft, the officers called for volunteers, and suggested the expectation that the young gen- tlemen who were so zealous for the war,-referring particularly to the law students,-would have patriotism enough to volunteer. But none offered them- selves. When the officers retired to make the draft, and returned to announce the result, it appeared that, among others, the following law students were drafted,-Hon. Zimri Howe, of Castleton; the late Hon. Samuel S. Phelps, of Middlebury ; Walter Sheldon, esq., and the late John Kellogg, esq., of Benson.
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.