USA > Vermont > Addison County > History of Addison county Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 60
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The present house was built in 1810 and was the only one for worship for Lincoln, a part of Bristol and South Starksboro for many years, and was the only church building in town until about 1863, when two churches were built at the Center. Large as the house now seems, it was often filled and on special occasions would not accommodate all that attended.
The Society of Friends is now quite small, but they continue to meet to- gether twice a week for public worship.
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HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.
The meetings of the other denominations for public worship were held in dwelling and school-houses in the different parts of the town, and sometimes for want of a more suitable place they were held in barns and groves.
The Methodist Society built a church in 1863, and the same year a Union Church was built, which was occupied by the Freewill Baptists and Christian societies.
Freewill Baptist Church .- A Freewill Baptist Church was organized in town as early as 1832, and was admitted into the quarterly meeting conference in January, 1834. Rev. Ziba Pope was the first pastor. Israel Freeman, a col- ored preacher, was the recognized pastor in 1837. Samuel Kenniston preached here before the organization, and was the first Freewill Baptist preacher ever located in town. Jarius Davis, Joshua Tucker, and Mark Atwood were pastors of the church at different times. The first quarterly meeting was held in the upper part of Ziba Pope's barn, on the farm recently owned by George H. Bab- cock, and now owned by Daniel and M. B. Gove. Failing to maintain its or- ganization it was dropped from the quarterly meeting in June, 1852.
Another organization was effected November 13, 1862, with ten members, by Revs. E. B. Fuller, S. W. Perkins, and O. B. Dike. Amos Tucker was chosen clerk, and John T. Hill deacon. The first monthly meeting was held in the Corners school-house November 25, 1862. The present membership is thirty- four. Rev. W. H. Lyster is pastor, Alfred C. Merrill, clerk, Nelson M. Brooks and John T. Hill, deacons.
Christian Church .- The Christian Church was organized November 13, 1840, at the dwelling house of Hermon Bement, with twenty members, by Rev. Joseph D. Marsh, of Randolph, Vt. Rev. Merritt W. Powers was the first pas- tor, Benjamin Clark first clerk, and Elisha Briggs and Davis Tucker were the first deacons. Six only of those who were members at its organization are still living, but are not residents of the town. Enos P. Hoag was about the first to unite with the church and has been a consistent member ever since. There are now sixty-four members. Rev. Charles D. Burdick is the present pastor, Mrs. Ella M. Butterfield clerk, Loyal Collins and Cornelius Soper deacons.
Methodist Church .- The Methodist Church was organized in the spring of 1836 by Rev. Nathaniel Stearns and was for several years connected with the church in Ripton, and was for a long time known as the Lincoln and Ripton Mission. The present church edifice and parsonage was built in 1863, through personal efforts of the late Rev. Caleb Stevens, who was pastor of the church at that time. Rev. Smith M. Wilbur is the present pastor. Present membership, fifty-three.
Sabbath-schools .- A Sabbath-school is maintained at each of the churches and at the school-house in South Lincoln throughout the year, and each has a library of nearly three hundred volumes. Schools are maintained at West Lincoln and Downingsville through the summer months. The first Sabbath-
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TOWN OF LINCOLN.
school in town was organized at Downingsville in June, 1843, through the per- sonal efforts of Mrs. Fanny M. Purinton and Mrs. Emily Powers.
Physicians .- A. J. Cushman, a resident of the town for twenty-five years, has practiced medicine for the last three years, and is now attending lectures at the medical department of the University of Vermont.
J. S. Dodge, a graduate of the University of New York city, has been lo- cated in town during the last eight years.
Local Societies .- A lodge of Good Templars was organized in 1869 and flourished for a number of years, both financially and numerically. At one time the lodge numbered over one hundred members. They continued to hold their meetings regularly until August, 1878, when they lost their charter and furniture by fire. Since then they have ceased to exist as a lodge.
A Grange was organized in 1875 or '76, but was not a successful enterprise, and existed as an organization only a few years.
The Lincoln Cornet Band was organized in 1882 under the instruction of S. W. Hatch. Leroy S. Varney is the present leader and Albert F. Gove drum- major. It has now seventeen members.
Present Industries .- The industries of the town are somewhat varied in their nature. A portion of the inhabitants devote their attention to agricul- ture, dairying, stock raising, and the manufacturing of maple sugar; others give their whole attention to the manufacturing of lumber. The abundance of tim- ber on the mountain and the many excellent mill privileges render the town practically a lumber manufacturing one, and it is at present the principal source of its wealth. There are fifteen mills in town, in which either coarse lumber, clapboards, shingles, or staves are made from the logs. The mills have a capacity of cutting out several million feet per annum, and give steady employ- ment to over one hundred men. Nearly one-third of the population of the town obtain their support either directly or indirectly from this industry. Be- sides the hands employed in the mills, a still greater number are employed in the woods on the mountains cutting the logs, and with teams in piling and hauling them, and drawing the lumber, etc., away. Only a few of these mills are confined exclusively to any one branch of the business.
There are three mills for the exclusive manufacture of clapboards, three for staves, and one each for shingles and butter-tubs. The mills for cutting coarse lumber can economically make clapboards and shingles, by sorting the logs and using such as are best adapted for those purposes. A portion of the waste or slabs is worked into headings and laths. Heath Brothers' clapboard-mill is the first on the New Haven River, in that part of the town formerly a part of Rip- ton, and known as "Pope's Paradise "-a name given to that locality many years ago, at which time Rev. Ziba Pope built a saw-mill and dwelling house and cleared up'a tract of land. They manufactured during the year 1885 600,000 feet of clapboards and dressed them ready for market. The next mill
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HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.
on the stream is owned by Green & Kelton, and is situated in that part of Lin- coln that was formerly a part of Ripton. They manufacture dimension lum- ber, hardwood flooring, and clapboards. G. A. Thayer's mill for sawing staves stands where the Jones mill formerly stood. He occupies the Pope mill, a few rods below, for the manufacture of clapboards. Mr. Thayer is the largest clap- board manufacturer in town. During the year 1885 he sawed and dressed 1,000,000 feet, besides dressing large quantities for others. James Caughlin and A. A. Jackman & Son each own mills on the same stream, near together, and both manufacture coarse lumber, butter-tubs, and in addition Jackman & Son manufacture clapboards and do custom planing. S. W. Allen's mill for sawing coarse lumber, laths, and shingles is situated in the southeast part of the town, on Beaver Brook. S. C. Varney & Son are located near the Center and make all kinds of' building lumber, heading, etc., and do custom work and planing. Hodijah Lincoln, at West Lincoln, gives his attention wholly to the manufacture of staves. He does the most in the stave business, and in fact more than all the others in town combined. Seth T. Hill's mill for the manu- facture of coarse lumber and staves is situated on the Downing Creek, in the northeast part of the town. Mr. Hill owns more acres of land in town than any other man, several hundred of which lie in one tract above his mill. W. J. Brown's mill for the manufacture of butter-tubs is the next mill on the same stream. Below a few rods is the shingle-mill of Warren Brooks. The next is the stave-mill of Seymour J. Davis. George and Fred G. Bagley saw all kinds of building lumber and clapboards ; also do custom sawing. Their mill is situated above the Corners, on the Downing Creek. Abel T. Morgan's mill for sawing coarse lumber and shingles, and Watson Morgan's mill for saw- ing and dressing clapboards, are both situated at the Corners. W. E. Hanks and others own a mill still farther down the creek, which has been used for the manufacture of clapboards and butter-tubs. The upper part of the mill is used for grinding meal and provender. The only grist-mill in town is owned by O. S. H. Butterfield, and is located about one-half mile south of the post-office, on the New Haven River. It is fitted up for doing all kinds of custom grinding. The mercantile business of the town is fully developed in all its departments. Cap- tain J. L. Lincoln, at West Lincoln, carries a general line of groceries, dry goods, notions, boots and shoes. Gove & Green, at the Center, carry a full line of groceries, fancy and dry goods, clothing, and hardware. Milton J. Stearns, at the Center, has a stock of dry goods, crockery, meal, and feed. Moses B. Gove gives his whole attention to the sale of boots and shoes. E. M. Whitney commenced in the mercantile business at South Lincoln April 1, 1886, with a stock of groceries. Dodge & Gove have worked up a good business as pharmacists, and are doing a fair business in jobbing medicines, essences, fla- voring extracts, etc., of their own make. They employ several men on the road selling their goods. Clark & Kinsley do an extensive butchering business
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TOWN OF LINCOLN.
at West Lincoln, and supply several markets with meat. During the year 1885 they dressed at their slaughter-house 500 beeves, 500 sheep, and 200 veal calves. The maple sugar business is an important branch of the present industries. Many tons are annually made. Though sold at low prices, yet it nets the farmers a fair profit. Ira W. Wakefield, at West Lincoln, and George R. Stone, at the Center, manufacture custom boots and shoes, and do all kinds of repairing. A. F. Gove, gunsmith at the Center. V. W. Morgan, at the Center, and Edgar R. Siples, at the Corners, are manufacturers of wagons and carriages, and do custom repairing. There are five blacksmith shops in town; Lorenzo Dow and Joseph Miner at West Lincoln, V. W. Morgan and Luther Nutting at the Center, and Thomas Dupoint at South Lincoln.
Census .- There has been a gradual increase in the populution of the town since its settlement, as will be seen from the following table : 1800, 97 ; 1810, 255; 1820, 278; 1830, 639; 1840, 770; 1850, 1,057; 1860, 1,070; 1870, 1,174; 1880, 1,367.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
Marcus Hedding .- The Hedding families come from the vicinity of Dutch- ess county, N. Y., to Starksboro, Vt. Marcus Hedding, an uncle of the late Bishop Hedding of the M. E. Church, settled in the north part of the town in 1795, and soon after his son John settled here. Marcus Hedding married Can- dace Preston for his first wife and Mehitable Varney for his second. When they removed from Starksboro to Lincoln there was only a path marked by spotted trees between the two places. They packed their goods on a horse, which was led by a daughter riding one ahead. Harley Hedding, a son of Marcus, was born in 1795, and was the first child born in town. John Hed- ding died in 1815.
Lorenzo Orvis was born in Norfolk, Conn. When quite young he came to Bristol, where he married a Miss Brooks. They settled in town on the farm now owned by Hiram Hamner, in March, 1795, and were the first that made a permanent settlement. When he moved here from Bristol Flats he came with an ox team and was two days making the journey over the hills of South Starksboro. At the organization of the town he was chosen first selectman, first lister, sealer of leather and weights and measures, fence viewer, and tith- ingman. He died in Ferrisburgh, Vt., in the ninety-first year of his age.
Wolcott Burnham came from Connecticut and settled in town as early as 1797 on the farm now owned by Reuben Cowles ; he was elected lister at the organization of the town. His son, Oliver W. Burnham, resided in town ; he held the office of selectman three years, justice of the peace seven years, and represented the town in the Legislature in 1827 ; was a prominent business man, and was extensively engaged in the iron business. He died June 20, 1860. George W., a son of Oliver W., now resides in town.
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HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.
Thomas Goodrich was born in Lanesboro, Berkshire county, Mass., Sep- tember 10, 1780. At the age of seventeen years he left his home and came to Middlebury, Vt., where for two years he cultivated land on shares. He first came to Lincoln September 10, 1799, on his nineteenth birthday, and on the twelfth day of the same month he took a deed of the piece of land where he afterward settled, and now owned by James Butterfield. He married Esther Freeman, of New Haven, May 9, 1802, and died January 13, 1864. She was born September 17, 1781, and died September 6, 1846. Their children were Lyman, born March 7, 1804 ; Phebe, born July 30, 1806; Julia, born May 4, 1809; Alzina, born May 7, 1812 ; Moses, born April 15, 1815 ; Esther, born November 23, 1819; Dinah, born May 22, 1823; Ruth, born October 6, 1825. Alzina, Esther, and Ruth reside in town. He owned at one time some seven hundred acres of land and paid the largest tax of any one in town. He was quite eccentric in his ways. His team for general work consisted of an ox and cow yoked together. He kept the first hotel in town, and sold a few groceries to his townsmen ; whisky, however, was the principal article. The hotel bus- iness was not a success, although quite well patronized by the fun lovers and dram drinkers. It was the seat of all the justice courts of the town and a portion of Bristol. It is related of him that he would drive his cattle into the woods without any yoke or harness, and would construct a yoke, and by means of elm bark would draw out a good load of wood.
Chase Purinton was born in Kensington, N. H., April 27, 1757 ; he after- wards lived in Weare, N. H., and settled in Lincoln in March, 1803, on the farm now owned by a grandson, Elihu Purinton, purchasing it of Jedediah Durfey, also purchasing two adjoining lots south, making in the total about three hundred acres. He brought with him two yoke of oxen, a pair of horses, and six cows. Three of his sons came with the cows and oxen, taking a load of goods. The remainder of the family followed in a few days with the horse team, bringing what goods they were able. He was a blacksmith by trade, and the first that settled in town. On account of the uncertainty of the roads through the new and mountainous country, he shod his cows as well as his oxen and horses, before commencing the journey. The first mill for grinding corn and provender was built by him in 1806 on the water privilege near Abel T. Morgan's saw-mill. The mill-stones were taken from the farm now owned by Charles Heywood, and are still in use. He had eight children, Jonathan, born December 1, 1779, died in 1848; Elijah, born July 18, 1781, died in 1864; James, born November, 1783, died in 1864; Judith, born April 19, 1786, died 1877; Elizabeth, born August 3, 1788, died in 1875; Chase, jr., born July 19, 1792, died in 1872 ; Lydia, born October 1, 1795, died in 1882; Mary, born September 7, 1799, died in 1845. Three of the children of James Purinton now reside in town, viz .: Asa, Elihu, and Freeman. Two of the children of Jonathan also reside in town, Elijah and Mrs. Huldah Purinton.
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TOWN OF LINCOLN.
The descendants of Chase are numerous throughout the United States and Canada ; over forty of them are now residing in town. They hold a family reunion each year. The sons and daughters of Chase Purinton lived to a re- markable age. One died at the age of ninety-two years, five others lived over eighty years. The average age of the eight children was seventy-eight years. At the funeral of Elizabeth Purinton there were present over one hundred rel- atives, all of whom, with one exception, were her nieces and nephews.
Ebenezer Durfey came from Connecticut and settled on "Elder Hill," so called, in 1804. He was a sharp, shrewd business man and quite prominent among the settlers, and was always known as 'Squire Durfey. He held the office of town clerk nine years, selectman two years, constable three years, justice of the peace twenty-one years, represented the town in the Legislature thirteen times, and was a member of the Constitutional Convention in 1822. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and was pensioned eight dollars per month during his life. He died in Westport, N. Y., at the age of ninety- three years. He had four sons and four daughters. Sally, the oldest, married Chase Lamos, of Monkton, for her first husband, and Moses Sargent for her second, and was the mother of the late Daniel H. Sargent. She died January 21, 1870, at the age of eighty years. Prosper, the oldest son, was in the War of 1812 ; resided in town most of the time until his death, which occurred in 1879, at the age of eighty-nine years.
Jedediah Durfey, a brother of 'Squire Durfey, settled in town about 1796 or '97, on the place now owned by Elihu Purinton. The first town meeting, at which the town was organized, was held at his place in 1798. He was chosen selectman, lister, pound-keeper, and the only highway surveyor, at this town meeting. He was the first to represent the town in the Legislature, which was in 1801. He resided in town only a few years, and sold to Chase Purinton April 24, 1802.
Moses Gove, a son of Daniel and Mariam, was born in Weare, N. H., De- cember 22, 1774. He married Hannah, his first wife, daughter of Nathan and Phebe Chase, of Weare, in 1799, who died September 15, 1831, and Martha Worth, his second, May 15, 1834. Moses Gove died June 8, 1851. Their children were Nathan C., born July 17, 1880, and died in Lincoln March 31, 1850 ; Levi, born February 23, 1802, died in Lynn, Mass., August 12, 1885 ; John C., born November 14, 1803, and now resides in New York city ; Phebe (Huntington), born November 26, 1805, resides at East Randolph, N. Y .; Daniel, born October 10, 1810, resides in town on the Ziba Pope farm ; Mariam (Chase), born March 22, 1813, now a resident of Salt Lake City, Utah; Den- nis, born May 28, 1816, died in the copper regions in Michigan August I, 1854; Peltiah, born June 10, 1818, and resides on the same farm on which his father settled in 1803 or 1804. The children of Daniel are James T., born June 14, 1839, and died April 10, 1862; Phebe H. (Batchelder), born December
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HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.
28, 1841, now resides in Middlebury, and Moses B., born September 28, 1847, now resides in town. The only child of Peltiah Gove lives near the old home- stead, and is now Mrs. Emily C. Purinton.
Winthrop Gove was born in Seabrook, Mass., July 27, 1773 ; married Ju- dith Gove, of Weare, N. H., who was born January 1, 1780. They settled in Weare after their marriage, where they resided a few years and then settled in town, March, 1804, on the farm now owned by Mrs. Electa Sherman, on what is known as Gove Hill. Their children : Richard, born in 1800; Lucy, born. December, 1803; John, born March 12, 1806; Eleanor D., born July 7, 1808, and is the only survivor and still resides in town.
Elisha Gove was born in Weare, N. H., August 26, 1784. At the age of twenty years he came to Montpelier, Vt., and there married Abigail Ring, of Salisbury, N. H., May 11, 1806, who was born August 15, 1773. They moved to Lincoln March, 1809, and settled on what is known as Gove Hill. She died November 14, 1844. He died June 4, 1858. They had three children, Azrias W., born November 27, 1808; Sarah F. W., born June 28, 1812, and Winthrop G., born March 2, 1815. Azrias W. Gove still resides in town and for years practiced medicine (Thompsonian school). He married Sophrona Kelton, May I, 1834. Their children were Peace A., now Mrs. Beaver, born March 8, 1838 ; Mark A., born February 3, 1842; Webster N., born May 15, 1845 ; Emily J., now Mrs. G. A. Thayer, born June 30, 1849; Henry W., born December 16, 1851, and Abbie R., born September 18, 1854, and died May 4, 1876. Mark A., Webster N., Emily J., and Henry W. reside in town.
Benjamin Taber, M. D., was born in Montpelier, Vt., June 30, 1785. At the age of fifteen years he commenced study at the Friends' Boarding-school, Nine Partners, N. Y., as a charity scholar, his parents being poor and unable to bear the expenses. His father carried him about one-half of the distance from Montpelier to Nine Partners; he walked the remaining distance. His scanty allowance of money was exhausted before he reached the end of his journey, and he was compelled to dispose of his sleeve-buttons to procure food. He remained at the boarding-school a number of years and studied medicine. He married Phebe Carpenter, of Starksboro, Vt., December 8, 1808, and com- menced the practice of medicine in that town. In 1817 he moved to Lincoln and located in the north part of the town, on the place for years known as the "Dr. Taber place." The dwelling house in which William Eddy now lives was built by him in 1819. He was the first physician that settled in town, and the only one for several years, and practiced until he was over sixty years of age. He died June 3, 1866, at the age of eighty-one years. They had seven sons and two daughters, all of whom are now living with the exception of one son who died in his youth. The oldest, Russel, was born November 8, 1809. He com- menced in the foundry business on the home farm and became successful in the undertaking ; now resides in Iowa. Louis, born September 2, 1811, resides in
5II
TOWN OF LINCOLN.
Mount Pleasant, O. Silas B., born April 24, 1813, resides in Iowa. Sarah, wife of Daniel Gove, of Lincoln, was born March II, 1815. James was born De- cember 21, 1817, and died March 23, 1832. Phebe L., wife of Peltiah, of this town, was born November 23, 1819. David C., born March 15, 1822, and Ben- jamin J., born November 8, 1825, both reside in Minnesota. Seaman, born November 14, 1872, resides in Texas.
Dr. Luther M. Kent was born at Hinsdale, N. H., April 26, 1803. At the age of nine years he came with his family to Warren, Vt. His father immedi- ately joined the military force then quartered at Burlington, and there died; and in spite of all efforts to find the place of his interment, he still sleeps in an un- known grave in or near by the now flourishing city. By his own unaided efforts he educated himself in the ordinary branches, completed his medical course and located in Lincoln in January, 1828, living in a small "log cabin," at what is now known as Kent's Corners. He engaged in active practice, and continued to live on this same place up to 1859, when he removed to Bristol and remained there up to the time of his death, which occurred October 21, 1870. He was appointed first postmaster in Lincoln (see account of post-offices on another page). Dr. Kent was married to Abigail S. Richardson, in Warren, January 20, 1827. Of four children born to them one, Denslow M., died at eighteen years of age. The surviving are Adah R. (Mrs. C. P. Bush) and Dr. E. M. Kent, who now reside in Bristol, and Lucy A. (Mrs. Jesse P. Green), in Chicago. The widow of Dr. L. M. Kent, who with her husband was closely identified with the early history of Lincoln, survived him some ten years and died at the home of her son, Dr. E. M. Kent, in Bristol, in August, 1880, and side by side they rest in the little cemetery just a little way from their old home and the scenes of their early labors.
Hon. William W. Pope was born in Hingham, Mass., October 12, 1807, and was the only son of Rev. Ziba Pope, a pioneer preacher of the Freewill Baptists. When six years old he came with his parents to Randolph, Vt., and lived there until 1830, and then moved to Lincoln, where he has since resided. He married Miss Caroline Kent October 23, 1835, by whom he had a son and a daughter; the latter died in its infancy. The son, George F., is the head of the firm Pope, Berry & Hall, jobbers in tea and spices, Burlington, Vt. His wife died October 19, 1841, and August 22, 1848, he married Mrs. Mercy Dow, whose maiden name was Farr, by whom he had one son, Charles Edward. William W. Pope was elected justice of the peace in 1834 and town clerk in 1839, which two offices he held until 1870, when, on account of his age and partial loss of memory, he refused to serve any longer. In 1836, and for five or six successive years, he represented the town in the General Assembly, and again in 1850. As a legislator he was careful and considerate, but a firm and earnest advocate of what he considered right and justice, and equally as earnest in denouncing wrong. In 1860 he was chosen associate judge of the
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