History of Addison county Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 48

Author: Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925. 1n
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., D. Mason & co.
Number of Pages: 988

USA > Vermont > Addison County > History of Addison county Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 48

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Baldwin Creek, having its source in Washington county, flows through the southern part of Starksboro into Bristol, and thence by a circuitous route winds its way to New Haven River, which it enters about a mile and a quarter above Bristol village. Immediately after crossing into Bristol it enters a deep ravine,. known as " Chase Hollow," which it follows to its debouchure. It is a small stream, though it affords considerable motive power for mills. Many years since there were two forges in operation on this stream.

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HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.

O'Brian Brook, so named in honor of the O'Brians, who built the first grist- mill in Bristol on this stream, has its source in a small pond in the western part of the town, flows south and west through " Little Notch," uniting with New Haven River about where that stream turns west into New Haven. This is a smaller stream than Baldwin Creek, and is not so valuable for the water power it affords, although at one time it turned the wheels of four saw-mills.

Beaver Brook is a small stream flowing along the eastern base of Hogback Mountain, entering Baldwin Brook. There are several other small and unim- portant brooks, and springs are abundant.

Bristol Pond, about a mile and a half in length and three-quarters of a mile in width, lies in the northern part of the town, at the western base of Hogback Mountain, extending upon Monkton line. It is shallow and muddy and par- tially surrounded by extensive marshes. The only other pond is that which we have spoken of as the source of O'Brian Brook, in the eastern part of the town. It covers an area of only about ten acres.

Proprietors' Meetings. - There is strong presumptive evidence extant tending to prove that proprietors' meetings were held, and some measures taken towards allotting the lands in Pocock, previous to those appearing in the proprietors' record-book. It is generally believed by authorities that, as early as 1784, John Willard, of Middlebury, Hon. Jonathan Hoyt, of St. Albans, and Captain Miles Bradley, of New Haven, at a meeting held in Canaan, Litchfield county, Conn., were appointed a committee to survey and allot the land in Pocock, though no record of such an event has been found. But deeds from the proprietors recorded in the Rutland county clerk's office, to which county Pocock then belonged, speak of the " first division lots," and describes them as numbered, and containing one hundred and twenty acres each. In the files of the Vermont Gazette, printed at Bennington, may also be found an article warning a meeting of the proprietors to convene " at the house of Ben- . jamin Payn, in Addison, on the second Tuesday in May, 1788." This warn- ing proves that at least the third division had been made, for the fourth article reads: "To see if they [the proprietors] will proceed to lay out the fourth di- vision, and lay roads."

The same paper also states that, " on the second Tuesday of May, 1788, the proprietors, in pursuance of the foregoing notice, held a meeting at the time and place appointed, and chose Justin Allen, moderator, and Henry Mc- Laughlin, clerk ; and without doing any other business adjourned."

There was also a meeting held, it appears, on the same day and at the same place, "by adjournment from Pocock," at which one item of business brought up was, " to see if the proprietors will accept of the surveys, or di- visions of land that have been made, or whether they will make surveys or di- visions of land in said town ; also to choose a committee for that purpose." With reference to this it was found that " no legal " survey of a first division

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of land had been made, and that they proceed to make a first division of "ninety acres to each right."

Thus it seems that the business of all previous meetings was practically annulled, and that the first division finally contained instead of one hundred and twenty acres, only ninety acres, which was really the fact. The second division contained one hundred and ten ; the third, one hundred ; the fourth, fifty ; and fifth, twenty acres.

The first proprietors' meeting which appears on the records met at the house of Benjamin Griswold, in Pocock, March 3, 1788, in pursuance to a warning published in the Vermont Gazette. Captain Miles Bradley was chosen moderator, and Henry Mclaughlin, clerk. A tax of $2.00 was laid on each proprietor's right to defray the expense of the survey, and clearing highways, building bridges, etc. A committee, consisting of Timothy Rogers, Miles Bradley, Justin Allen, Cyprian Eastman and Henry Mclaughlin, was ap- pointed to attend to said business, and the meeting was adjourned to meet in Addison, as we have noted. From this time forward the meetings were held in Pocock, or Bristol, as it soon became, and the business transacted related almost entirely to division of lands, levying taxes, etc., and hence would prove uninteresting to the general leader.

Early Settlements .- The first permanent settlement was not begun in the present town of Bristol till the summer of 1786, twenty-four years after the charter was granted.1

Early in June Samuel Stewart and Eden Johnson, who married sisters, started out from Skenesboro (now Whitehall), N. Y., for the wilderness land of Pocock ; Johnson traveling by land to drive their cattle, while Stewart took passage by boat up the lake with their household effects, his wife, Mrs. John- son and her two children, and his own child, Chauncey A. Stewart. On the third day he and his party arrived at Vergennes, where he procured horses to convey them and their effects to their destination - the farm now owned and occupied by Joel B. Barlow. Here they were joined by Johnson, and together they built a small log house, to serve as their dwelling in common, the first erected in Bristol. In the autumn Mr. Stewart built a house for himself, where Perez Hubbard used to reside. About eighteen months later he purchased a location on the north side of the river, and built a log house near the stream and directly east of the junction of the road which leads to New Haven Mills,

1 While John Willard and the others who formed the committee we have previously spoken of were prosecuting the duties devolving upon them here, in 1785, about a mile west of Bristol village they came across a rude habitation occupied by a Dutchman named John Broadt, as he stated. He had made that place his home, with no other company than a dog, for twelve years, seeing in that time no human face till met by the said committee. He came from Unadilla, N. Y., a fugitive from justice. Word was sent to his friends, informing them of his whereabouts, and subsequently he received pardon for his offense and returned to New York, after which nothing was heard of him. Thus this man may prop- erly be said to have been the first white inhabitant of the town, though he did nothing towards clearing or improving the land, but subsisted like a savage by hunting and fishing.

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which he occupied until 1797. His daughter Polly was the first child born in the town. In 1817 he moved with his family to Ohio. Johnson resided in the town only a few years, when he removed to Plattsburgh, N. Y., and from thence to Canada, where he was drowned, November 4, 1809.

Not long after Stewart and Johnson began their settlement here they were joined by Benjamin Griswold, Cyprian Eastman, Robert Dunshee, John Arnold, Justin Allen, Henry Mclaughlin, Gurdon Munsill, Samuel Brooks, Amos Scott and Elijah Thomas, the last four arriving on the same day ; while Benjamin Clapp, Samuel Renne, Samuel P. Hull, Dan Miller, Adam Getman, Daniel Thomas, Ezekiel Dunton, Amasa Ives and Nathan Corey were here previous to 1790.

According to the town records these were added to, from time to time, by the arrival of the following, about in the order named : As early as September 4, 1792, Phinehas Rugg, Ellis Maxham, Calvin Eastman, Asa Smith, Elisha Andrews and Anthony Field ; in 1793, Robert Sutton, Henry Franklin, Mat- thew Franklin, Benjamin Sutton, Benjamin Bartholomew and Oliver Scott; in 1794, Nahum Smith, Hezekiah Murdock, Asa Freeman, Moses Wheeler, Ephraim Munson, jr., Jedediah Keeler, Nathan Brown, Chauncey Ellsworth, and Peter Renne; in 1795, John Ketcham, Truman Allen, Silas Hewett, Asa Hitchcock, William Day and Jeremiah Frazer; in 1796, Robert Holley and Ephraim Raymond; in 1797-98, Justin Eastman, Noah Holcomb, Johnson Allen, John Jewell and Stephen Scott; in 1799, Oliver Drake, John Bunn, Obadiah Beal, David Copeland and Samuel Murdock ; and in 1800 by Asaph Parmelee, David Isham, Sylvester Scott, Reuben Abram, Luther Eastman, Jonathan Allard, James McAllister, Abraham Wiley, James Ketch, Isaac Isham, Josiah Field, Andrew Tubbs, Benjamin Freelove, George Blanchard, Elisha Freeman, Jesse Hanford, Artemas Parmelee, Richard Andrews, Gershom Hall, James Douglass, Joseph Myrrick, Eleazur Richardson, Enos Soper, Henry Soper, A. B. Sumner and Paris Miller, and doubless others.

Benjamin Griswold came with his family to the town from the State of New York in 1787, locating on Bristol Flats, upon a part of the late Morgan estate. He remained only a few years, when he removed to Cambridge, Vt. His son Horace was the second child born in the township.

Captain Cyprian Eastman was born in Norwich, Conn., in 1749, and removed with his father to Beckett, and subsequently to Bennington county, where he married Rosannah Nehon, and soon after, in 1787, removed to this town, locating on the flats. He was chosen one of the first selectmen of the town, and at the organization of a militia company, in June, 1791, was chosen its captain, and was also one of the committee elected to lay out the first divi- sion lots and survey highways. He died of small-pox May 23, 1798, aged forty-nine years, leaving a family of ten children.

Robert Dunshee came from New Hampshire in 1787. He first located in

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the southern part of the town, but soon after removed to a part of the late Morgan estate, on the flats, where he erected a two-story house. Here he carried on the business of a saddler and harness-maker several years, then sold his house to Lewis Miller and removed to the mountain road, near the "Little Notch." At the organization of the town he was chosen one of its selectmen. He resided here until his death, of cancer, at an advanced age.

Henry Mclaughlin, who figured extensively in the early transactions of the settlers, was born in Ireland, and came to America with Burgoyne, serving as drummer boy, and remaining with the army till it marched from Ticonder- oga. For a few years following he engaged in teaching school at Williamstown, Mass. He married Mary Dunton, of Dorset, Vt., sister of Ezekiel Dunton, and soon after, in March, 1787, came to Bristol, and located upon the farm now owned by Dorus S. Parmelee. He was the first proprietors' clerk, first town clerk, and one of the committee for laying out the first division, moderator of the first town meeting, and represented the town in the Legislature of 1793, '94 and'97. In 1800 he built the first brick house erected in the town, about a mile west of the village, which he kept for a time as a public house, and in which, in 1803, was opened the first post-office. In the spring of 1805 he re- moved to St. Lawrence county, N. Y., though both he and his wife died in Bristol, while on a visit in 1813.

Captain Gurdon Munsill was born in Windsor, Conn., October 26, 1760, served all through the Revolutionary War, and soon after its close married Olive Carver, of Bolton, Conn., and came to Bristol with his wife and two chil- dren, arriving March 21, 1789. He had been in town the previous year, made some improvements and built a log house on his farm, purchased of Timothy Rogers, and now owned by E. C. Powell. He was appointed by the Legislature a collector of the first land tax in Bristol, was a selectman of the town seven years, a justice of the peace two years, and represented the town in the Legisla- ture of 1796. He died on the old homestead November 15, 1807. Judge Har- vey Munsill, one of his eight children, long and favorably known in Bristol as a man of honor and ability, received his education in the district schools of Bristol, and at the Addison County Grammar School at Middlebury, and studied law with Hon. Daniel Chipman, of that town. Although reared a farmer, he inclined to the study and use of books. He succeeded to the ownership of the homestead, which he retained until about 1840. After the year 1820 he be- came prominently identified with the public affairs of the town, and his career as a public officer continued uninterruptedly from that date to a short time previous to his death. He was judge of probate for the New Haven district from 1836 to 1870; justice of the peace for over thirty years; trustee of the United States deposit money from 1838 to 1852 ; State senator for the years 1842 and '43 ; deputy sheriff eight years, and county commissioner four years ; represented the town in the General Assembly for the years 1829 and '31 ;

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served as selectman three years; town clerk six months ; constable two years ; overseer of the poor one year ; town agent thirteen years, and moderator of town meetings eleven years. He was appointed a captain in the First Brigade, Third Division, Vermont militia. As a Mason he was master of Libanus Lodge, No. 47, from 1828 to 1866, and held the charter during the anti-Masonic movement. He was a man of strong political convictions, always founded upon a basis of what in his best judgment seemed just and for the public good, and was not an ultra partisan; a frequent presider at political conventions, both Whig and Republican, and was active in matters of reform, especially temper- ance. He married Laura, daughter of Ziller Stickney, of Weybridge, Vt., March 10, 1818, and Harvey C. Munsill, of Bristol, is their only son. Judge Munsill never united with any church, but inclined to and supported the Con- gregational creed, and was a member of that society. In the observance of all of the proprieties of life he was a noble and impressive example. He died April 11, 1876, full of years and covered with honor.

Harvey C. Munsill was born in Bristol June 22, 1824. £ He hired his father's estate, and has been somewhat prominently identified with the civil affairs and business growth of the town. He married, October I, 1851, Charlotte M. Holley, daughter of John D. Holley, of Bristol, and they have three children : Newcomb H., born July 14, 1852, fitted for college at Bristol Academy, en- tered Middlebury College, and graduated from that institution in the class of 1877, taught in the graded school of Wallingford, Vt., four terms, studied law with Veazey & Dunton, of Rutland, later with Judge Albert Hobbs, of Ma- lone, Franklin county, N. Y., and was admitted to the bar of the State of New York, and is now a member of the firm of Beeman & Munsill, of Malone, N. Y. He married, in 1880, Mary, daughter of Orrin Moses, of Malone, and they have two children, Arthur H. and Edith.

Seraph L., the only daughter of Harvey C., was born May 17, 1863, and died August 20, 1865. Charles E. Munsill, the third and youngest of the family, was born May 27, 1867, and is now attending the Albany Business College. Mr. Munsill has been for the past four years town treasurer of Bris- tol; has held the office of deputy sheriff from 1851 to 1855 ; justice of the peace several years ; moderator of town meetings several years; grand juror, and agent for the Vermont Mutual Insurance Company for twenty-six years past. He has dealt extensively in real estate and has made several creditable additions to the village plot of Bristol.

General Ezekiel Dunton, from Dorset, settled upon the farm now owned by Ezra Knowles, of New Haven. He held a commission as brigadier-general in the Vermont militia, and was at the battle of Plattsburgh. He served the town for many years as selectman, constable, representative and justice of the peace, and died here February 13, 1824, aged fifty-six years. He left two sons, Thaddeus, who went West, and Ezekiel K., who died September 20,

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1837, aged thirty-four years. The latter was the father of Walter C. Dunton, ex-judge of the Supreme Court of Rutland, and William H. Dunton, also of Rutland.

Jonathan Eastman, who came to Bristol from Rupert, Vt., in 1791, was born in Norwich, Conn., in 1753. He removed to Rupert with his father, where he married a Miss Haynes, who bore him a daughter ; and for his sec- ond wife a Miss Dean, who bore him five children. He was chosen as the town's first justice of the peace, and first representative, in 1792, holding the former office seventeen years, and was again a representative in 1795 ; was town clerk eleven years and a selectman four years. He died December 6, 1816. Calvin, Oliver and Amos Eastman, brothers of Jonathan, were all re- spected residents of Bristol, the latter dying at a very advanced age.

Robert Holley, a native of New London, Conn., came from Hebron, N. Y., in 1795, and located on the east side of the highway, nearly opposite the place now owned by Joel Barlow. In 1808 he removed to the village, where he kept a public house several years. He served the town as constable and collector, represented the town in the General Assembly eight years ; was a delegate to the constitutional convention in 1826; was a presidential elector, casting his vote for President Monroe, and was a justice of the peace twenty- eight years. He was the father of eight children, and died April 18, 1836, aged seventy-seven years. Mrs. H. C. Munsill, Mrs. Cornelia Smith, and Mrs. Titus B. Page are his grandchildren. One of his daughters, Samantha, mar- ried Dr. Joseph Needham, and several of their descendants now reside in the town. Samuel H., son of Robert, studied at West Point, was a lawyer and assistant judge of the County Court, and occupied the farm now owned by Frank Hines. He died March 21, 1858, aged seventy-five years. Willis R. Peak is a grandson.

Captain Noble Munson, born in Westfield, Mass., in 1770, located upon the farm now owned by Elexice St. George. He was in the battle of Plattsburgh, and served the town for many years as selectman, representative, etc.

Asaph Parmelee, jr., lived in a brick house about a mile south of the village, upon the place now owned by his nephew, Dorus S. Parmelee, where he died October 24, 1854. Daniel E. Parmelee lived on the farm now owned by B. W. Pollard. His son, George W., now lives in the village. Harvey Parmelee, for many years a justice of the peace, occupied the place now owned by his son, Dorus S. Parmelee. He died May 2, 1857, aged fifty-four years. Enos Soper, who came here at an early day, moved to the West some time between 1830 and 1840. Henry Soper, who died February 14, 1844, aged sixty-eight years, resided in the village where Colonel Dunshee now lives. Mrs. Dunshee is his granddaughter. Truman Crane, a wealthy farmer, and for a long time grand juror, occupied the farm now owned by Noble L. Varney. His widow resides in the village. Gershom Hall settled upon the farm now occupied by Albro

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S. Cummings. Barnes B. Hall, son of John Hall, was a celebrated Methodist Episcopal clergyman and at one time a presiding elder. James Wilder, who served the town as constable about 1830 or 1835, subsequently removed to Euclid, Ohio. None of his descendants resides in the town, but Charles M. Wilds, a lawyer of Middlebury, is a grandson. Josephus Hatch lived upon the farm now owned by Charles C. Dunshee. His son Jerry, a graduate of Middlebury College, became a Mormon priest. Henry G. Sumner lived in the southern part of the town. He was a twin brother of George H. Sumner. Among his descendants in the town is Seneca Sumner. Nathan Hastings at one time resided in the village. He died here June 19, 1858. Rufus H. Bar- nard occupied the farm now owned by his son Clinton R. He died September 22, 1842, aged fifty-seven years. David L. Annan lived in the village. He died here November 26, 1846, aged sixty years. John Howden lived on the farm now owned by Joel B. Barlow. He died July 3, 1858, aged seventy- seven years. His son William S. now resides in the village. John Brooks re- sided upon the farm now owned by Amos E. Hazelton, whose wife was a Miss Brooks. Wolcott Burnham, an old Revolutionary soldier, lived in the north- ern part of the village. Thurston Chase, after whom "Chase Hollow " was named, resided upon the farm now owned by Page Colby. His son William S. now lives in the village. Abram Vradenburg, an old soldier of the War of 1812, lived in the eastern part of the town. He died April 12, 1863, aged seventy-five years. John Dunshee lived about a half mile southwest of the village, upon the place now owned by Mrs. Manette Morrison. His son Albert

lives on the flats. Ira Tucker lived on the farm now owned by J. W. Rock- wood. He died March 13, 1856, aged seventy-seven years. His son Ira is now a resident of the town. Moses Wheeler, an early settler, has no descend- ants now living in the town; but his son, F. P. Wheeler, is a physician of Bur- lington, Vt. Oliver Drake, an early settler, was the grandfather of Oliver S. Solomon Drake, who served as town clerk many years, resided in the eastern part of the village. Sylvester Scott settled upon the farm now owned by Enoch Varney, but at the time of his death lived on the farm now owned by Patrick O'Neil. His son, Loren L., now resides in the village. Nathan Rider lived where William C. Rider now resides, in the eastern part of the village. Will- iam C. has two sons, James B. and W. W., the latter a lawyer. Paul Ray- mond located in the eastern part of the town, where he was a resident for many years. Riley Adams lived on the farm now owned by James Jacobs, where he died April 2, 1824, aged seventy-three years. William Buss, who located upon the farm now owned by Patrick O'Neil, died December 25, 1836, aged sixty- three years. Dr. James Day lived and died upon the farm now owned by William D. Battles. John Wilkinson, who located upon the farm now owned by Henry La Varn, moved away about 1830, or earlier. Joseph Berry, who located upon the farm now owned by Joel B. Barlow, moved away at an early

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date. James Saxton, who was an early settler, died in the village April 18, 1862, aged eighty-two years. His brother Jehiel moved to Ohio at an early day. Seth Peake died in the village January II, 1827, aged forty-three years. His son Royal W. and his grandson Willis R. reside here. Frederick Peet, a blacksmith in the eastern part of the village, died September 19, 1828, aged thirty-five years. Edward Sweet lived about a mile north of the village, upon the farm now occupied by James T. Tucker. He died November 9, 1851, aged fifty-nine years. Nancy, wife of George W. Parmelee, is a daughter. Dr. Chauncey Moor died July 12, 1837, aged sixty-six years. Reed Rathbun located upon the farm now owned by his son Curtis R., where he died January 14, 1863, aged sixty-one years. Bennet B. Dean, who was overseer of the poor for many years, died on the place now owned by Betsey Durfee. Sidney Moody, afterwards a druggist in Middlebury, went to Vineland, N. J., where he died. Kendrick W. Follett, who lived in the village many years, died De- cember 26, 1861, aged fifty-nine years. His widow still survives him. Ben- jamin Vinton, eighty years of age, now residing on West street, has been a resident of the village many years. Elisha Briggs, after whom " Briggs Hill," in the eastern part of the town, was named, still resides here at a very ad- vanced age.

Town Organization, etc .- In the issue of the Vermont Gazette for Feb- ruary 14, 1789, the following notification, or warning for the first town meet- ing in Pocock, or Bristol, was published :

" These are to warn the inhabitants of Pocock to meet at the dwelling house of Justin Allen, in said Pocock, on the first Monday of March next, at 10 o'clock A. M., to act as follows: Ist, to choose a moderator to govern said meeting ; 2d, to choose a town clerk; 3d, to choose selectmen ; 4th, to choose a town treasurer ; 5th, to choose a constable; 6th, to do any other business thought proper to do on said day. ELIJAH FOOT, J. P.

" New Haven, February 14, 1789."

Allen's house was located about a third of the way up the steep hill, on the old Thomas Sumner place. Here the freemen of the town assembled at the appointed hour, and the legal organization of the town was effected by choos- ing Henry Mclaughlin moderator, and then proceeding to elect the following town officers : Henry Mclaughlin, clerk; Cyprian Eastman, Samuel Stewart and Robert Dunshee, selectmen ; Amos Scott, treasurer; and Justin Allen, constable. From this time down to 1854 the town meetings were held on the first Monday in March, annually, and since then upon the first Tuesday of that month. The second meeting, according to the records, was held at the house of Benjamin Griswold, and then for two years in a log house in the "Center District." At a meeting held at the latter place on March I, 1792, it was " Voted, that two bushels of wheat be taken out of the town treasury to pay town expenses." Also, "Voted, that Jerusha D- shall be carried off by the

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History of Addison county Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 48

Author: Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925. 1n Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., D. Mason & co. Number of Pages: 988

Author: Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925. 1n
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., D. Mason & co.
Number of Pages: 988