History of Addison county Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 92

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 92

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D UKETT, AIKENS, was born in lower Canada (now the Province of Quebec) on the 22d day of February, 1815. He is the eldest son of Aiken and Louisa (Frischett) Dukett. His early advantages for securing an education were of the most limited character; but by studious and observing habits in later life he has been enabled to acquire the foundation of an English education. His boyhood and youth were passed in farm life until his seventeenth year, when he was engaged as a sailor on various Lake Champlain vessels; this occupation he fol- lowed for two years. In 1835 Mr. Dukett came into the town of Bridport, Addison county, Vt., and worked for two years for various farmers in the town, and afterwards became a resident of Crown Point, N. Y. While residing there he was employed by Juba Howe, then a prominent citizen of that town. While residing there he was married in 1843 to Mary Maynard; they have had four children, none of whom are now living.

In the year 1848 Mr. Dukett returned to Bridport and purchased the Benjamin Peacock farm, containing one hundred and thirty acres. In 1852 Mrs. Dukett died and in March of the fol- lowing year he was married to Anna Scott, a native of Scotland, born December 22, 1831. The entire record of Mr. Dukett's life places him among the quiet, persevering and unobtrusive farm- ers in this county. Prudent and careful, possessing a thorough knowledge of the better methods of agriculture, industrious and persevering, he has of course been very successful, adding largely to his landed possessions by the purchase of adjoining farms, until he now owns about twelve hundred acres of land in Bridport and Crown Point; this comprises one of the largest and best estates in this locality ; the lands are well cultivated and furnished with com- modious and comfortable buildings, all of which have been acquired by Mr. Dukett's own in-

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HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.

telligent efforts. He has never sought public office, preferring the quiet and enjoyment of his own home and business. His life has been eminently a practical and successful one; his. domestic relations are of the happiest character, and he now has the satisfaction of seeing five promising sons and daughters growing to maturity around him; the eldest of these, William. A. is at present engaged in clerking at Crown Point. John S., Mary A., Barbara E. and Mar- garet R. are still residing with their parents. Mr. Dukett is a believer in the elevating influ- ence of religious faith and has always given freely of his substance for the support of Christian objects. Mrs. Dukett and her children are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

S TOREY, MILES, was born in Salisbury, Vt., on August 23, 1807, and was third in the family of six children of Rufus and Laura (Miles) Storey. Solomon Storey, his grandfather, was born in Norwich, Conn .; was a farmer and a sailor alternately, as interest dictated. He made several voyages to the East Indies and was several times shipwrecked. He married Dorcas Branch, by whom he had a family of children, as follows: Lydia, Olive, Sabrah, Roger, Asa, Sarah, Jonas, Jesse, Rufus, and Martha. He moved from Connecticut and settled in Dalton, Berkshire county, Mass., in 1772, where he remained until 1778; then with his family he went to the then wilderness of Salisbury, Addison county, Vt., and there remained until his death, at the age of ninety years, in May, 1816. His wife died in Salisbury, Vt., in November, 1805. Solomon Storey was one of the original eight who organized the Congregational Church at Salis- bury. Joseph Storey, the great jurist, was a relative of his. Amos Storey, brother of Solomon, was the first person who came into Salisbury, Vt., with a view to settling there He built a log hut, which was consumed by fire, and was killed by the fall of a tree, before his family arrived in the town. A son fourteen years of age was with him at the time of the accident, and as soon as he could he cut the log away (it was two feet in diameter) and rolled it off from his father. He then ran three miles through the woods, guided by marked trees, to a little clearing on the road, where Judge Painter and Daniel Chipman were beginning a settlement. They came back with the boy and buried the father. His widow and her large family of chil- dren was the first family who moved into the town, and she was consequently entitled to one hundred acres of land, by a vote of the original proprietors. She arrived on the 22d of Febru- ary, 1775. She endured almost every hardship, chopping down timber and clearing and culti- vating the soil. Several times during the War of the Revolution she was compelled to leave and take refuge in Pittsford, on account of danger apprehended from the Indians; but at length she and a Mr. Stevens prepared themselves a safe retreat. This was effected by digging a hole horizontally into the bank, just above the water of Otter Creek, barely sufficient to admit one person at a time. This passage led to a spacious lodging room, the bottom of which was cov- ered with straw, and upon this their beds were laid for the accommodation of the families. The entrance was concealed by bushes which hung over it from the bank above. They usually retired to their lodgings in the dusk of the evening and left them before light in the morning; and this was effected by means of a canoe, so that no path or footsteps were to be seen leading to their subterranean abode.

Wilbur F. Storey, who achieved a world-wide fame as editor of the Chicago Times, was the son of Jesse Storey (the fourth son of Solomon) and was a native of Salisbury, Vt. Rufus Storey, the youngest son of Solomon Storey, was born in Norwich, Conn., on February 3, 1773. He was sixteen years old when his father moved to Salisbury. He was married on December 9, 1802, to Laura Miles. Their children were: Lovina (born on October 17, 1803, died on August. 14, 1869, a maiden lady who resided at the home until the time of her death); Nelson William (born on August 9, 1805, and died on December 27, 1808); Miles (the subject of our sketch) ; Orville Wright (born on October 10, 1810, was an engineer on the Erie Canal for many years ; he died in Rochester, N. Y., on January 12, 1867, leaving a widow and two sons); Norman Smith (born on August 12, 1813, died in Salisbury, Vt., on November 11, 1871; lived on the homestead and was owner of a part of it; his widow survives him); Caroline Abbey (born on September 11, 1816, died in April, 1867); she was the wife of Jonah Swan, of Milton, Vt ..

Miles Storey

Elisabeth Storey

763

MILES STOREY.

They have two children living, Augusta and George Orville. Laura, the wife of Rufus Storey, died on March 31, 1826, and he married for his second wife, on December 6, 1827, Mary Miller Wallace. The latter was born on May 27, 1784, and lived to the extreme old age of ninety years. Rufus Storey was a thorough-going, successful farmer. He filled a number of the town offices, and was for many years a member of the Salisbury Congregational Church and also a deacon in it. He was captain of the militia and was known as Captain Rufus Storey.

Miles Storey lived with his father on the homestead farm in Salisbury, Vt., until he was thirty-four years of age. His education was limited to the common schools of Salisbury, Vt. From the time of reaching his majority he took charge of the homestead farm until January 1, 1843, when he moved on to the farm in Leicester, where he has since resided. This farm con- sisted of seventy-five acres, which he paid for by moneys allowed him by his father for the thirteen years of service on the home farm, and also a gift from him of $1,500. To the orig- inal seventy-five acres Mr. Storey has added by purchase lands adjoining, so that now he has a farm of two hundred and twenty-five acres in nearly a body. From a small log barn and a small frame house he has built for himself as fine farm buildings as are to be found in this. region, and the farm is considered one of the best in the country. He has been a breeder of, and a dealer in, Spanish blooded Merino sheep for the last forty years, and winters, on the average, two hundred head. His farm will cut two hundred tons of hay. At the age of sev- enty-nine years Mr. Storey continues to take full charge of his farm work, is very active, and shrinks from no task. Indeed, the family of Storey for generations have been noted for their industry, intelligence, simplicity, longevity, and integrity. In proof of their longevity it may be stated that Jesse Storey, father of Wilbur F., died at the age of eighty-three years, he dying at an earlier age than any other of the eight children of Solomon Storey. To all appearance, at least, Miles Storey is likely to prove no exception to the rule which has held in this respect in the family. Mr. Storey is a member of the Salisbury Congregational Church, and has been a member of its choir for many years. In politics he is a Republican, but he has never been a seeker for office. He was married on January 13, 1842, to Elizabeth, daughter of Dan and Silence (Pettingale) Daniels. Mrs. Storey was born in Salisbury, Vt., on December 25, 1817, Her grandfather, Samuel Daniels, moved in 1774 from Upton, Mass., and settled in Leicester. Vt., where he took up four hundred acres of land, a portion of which is now owned and occu- pied by Mr. Storey. He was born in 1730 and was killed in the battle of Shelburne, Vt., on March 12, 1778. His religious sentiments were Presbyterian. His wife was Elizabeth Wis- well, who was born on November 29, 1732, and lived to the age of seventy years. Her relig- ious sentiments were Baptist. After the death of her husband she was compelled, by threats. made by the Indians, to leave Vermont, and with her family of nine children and with the aid of one horse, and accompanied by two or three neighbors, made her way by marked trees over the Green Mountains to Boston, where during the remaining years of the Revolution she kept. a boarding-house for the soldiers. After peace was declared she returned to Vermont. Dan Daniels, father of Mrs. Storey, was born in Upton, Worcester county, Mass., in 1773, and mar- ried Silence Pettingale in April, 1799. He was a relative of Dr. Franklin. Mr. Daniels was born in Worthington, Mass., in 1779. She died on November 5, 1864. He died on August 29, 1861.

Mrs. Storey's grandfather on her mother's side was Samuel Petinggill, who was also a sol- dier in the Revolution and was in the battle of Bunker Hill. Mrs. Storey joined the Methodist Church when eighteen years old, but united with the Salisbury Congregational Church at the same time with her husband.

Mrs. Storey's brothers and sisters were as follows: Truman, born August 4, 1802, died in Lockport, N. Y., September 24, 1847, aged forty-five years ; Hubbard, born February 28, 1804, died in Brandon, June 2, 1880, aged seventy-seven years; Horatio, born October 28, 1805, dieď in Keeseville, N. Y., July 10, 1826; Polly, born July 21, 1807, died in September, 1812; Dan jr., born January 25, 1809, died in Akron, Ind., March 12, 1885; Mary Minerva, born Septem- ber 20, 1810, died in Beaver Dam, Wis., September 5, 1865; Earl Douglass, born June 20, 1812;

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HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.

George Edwin, born June 17, 1814, died October 6, 1880; Harry Franklin, born Febuary 13, 1816; Augustus, born January 6, 1820; Hannalı, born June 29, 1823, died in Waupon, Wis., July 6, 1879, aged fifty-six years.

George Edwin, son of E. D. Daniels, and adopted son of Miles and Elizabeth Storey, died June 5, 1862, aged three years and seven months.

W RIGHT, JUDGE WM. SILAS, was born in Weybridge, Vt., Jan. 6, 1819, and at the age of sixteen took a preparatory course at the Vergennes Classical Institute; in 1838 entered college at Middlebury, Vt., where he studied nearly two years, after which he returned to his father's homestead in New Haven, Vt., where he remained (except an interval of four years spent in his native town) until the death of his father, in 1866. In 1867 he removed to Walt- ham, Vt., where he has since resided. He has taken an active part in public affairs, and has held many of the local offices of the towns of New Haven and Waltham, representing the latter in the General Assembly of Vermont in 1874 and 1875, serving on the committee of education therein. He has held the offices of superintendent of schools and town clerk since 1872. In the month of November, 1885, he was appointed by his excellency, Governor Pingree, associate judge of Addison County Court in place of Hon. E. A. Doud resigned. In the Republican County Convention, held in June, 1886, he was nominated unanimously for the position he holds by appointment. He united with the Congregational Church at Vergennes in 1836, and his relation thereto has never changed. In 1840 he married Lucy C. Phillips, only daughter of Jacob and Lucy (Weller) Phillips, of Pittsford, Vt., by whom he had two children, Emma C., wife of H. S. Jackman, of Waltham, Vt., and John J., who was a successful merchant in Ver- gennes for sixteen years, but now in business at Rochester, N. Y. The maternal grandfather of Mrs. Wright (Amos Weller) was a personal friend of Ethan Allen, of Revolutionary fame, and was by his side when he entered the fortress, surprised and took the garrison at Ticon- deroga, on the 10th day of May, 1775. He served during the war and received a pension from the government. Subsequently to his military experience he was for many years a deacon in the Baptist Church at Rutland, Vt. He died about the year 1836.

The parents of William S. were Daniel and Bathsheba (Frost) Wright, of whom mention is made in the history of New Haven. They were born in Massachusetts in the year 1780, and came to reside in Weybridge in childhood. His grandfather, Ebenezer Wright, was born in Massachusetts, settled in Weybridge in 1784, on the farm now owned by E. S. Wright, esq., and died there at the age of eighty years.

Judge Wright has been one of Addison county's successful farmers. Honorable and upright in all his business transactions, the steadfast friend of all institutions which have for their object the building up and conserving the highest interests of society, faithful and trust- worthy in the discharge of all public trusts committed to him, he has fairly earned the high esteem in which he is held in the community where he has spent his whole life.

W ARD, WATSON WALLACE, was born on the 8th of October, 1834, in Waltham, Vt. The first of his ancestors to emigrate to Vermont was his grandfather, Jesse Ward, who was born in Connecticut on the 20th day of July, 1763, and served three years in the Revolu- tionary War. He married Olive Nye, of Connecticut, in June, 1788, and some time before 1800 settled in the northern part of the town of Waltham, Vt. He was the father of five chil- dren -- Chester, born on the 15th of January, 1789; Silas, born on March 11, 1791; Olive, born June 11, 1793 ; Ira, born April 9, 1796, still living in New Haven, Vt. ; and Orin, born June 14, 1799. Jesse Ward's first wife died early in the present century and he married again. He died on the 18th of December, 1839, and his second wife, Ruth, survived only until the 23d of the same month. His elder child, Chester, was the father of W. W. Ward, of whom we are writing. He came from Connecticut with his parents when an infant, and passed his life as a farmer in Waltham, Vt. He married, about 1812, Abigail, daughter of Roger Hawkins, who was also an emigrant from Connecticut. Chester and Abigail Ward had a family of seven chil-

765

WATSON WALLACE WARD. - SHELDON SMITH.

dren-Jesse, now living in New Haven, Vt .; Olive, widow of Hiram Spaulding, of Panton, Vt .; Amelia, wife of Ephraim Allen, of Ferrisburgh, Vt .; Laurette, who died in September, 1861; Amanson, who died on August 11, 1848; Watson W .; and the youngest, Ann D., wife of A. J. Mason, of New Haven, Vt.

Watson W. Ward was educated in the common schools of his native town. From the time he left school and began to work for himself he remained upon his father's farm, and has never left it. His father lived with him until his death, which occurred on February 28, 1882, at the remarkable age of ninety-three years. The homestead comprises 152 acres of excellent land. Mr. Ward devotes his time principally to dairying, keeping on an average about twenty cows.

In politics Mr. Ward is independent, with Democratic propensities, the rule of his political conduct being that the best man should receive the suffrages of the people. He has never been ambitious to hold town offices, but has been placed in a number, and has always acquitted him- self to the satisfaction of his constituents. His father was also independent in political faith, and held a number of the most important offices within the town's gift.

W. W. Ward is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Vergennes, contributing regularly to its support. He has for about seven years last past been one of its stewards.

He is now living with his second wife. He was first united in marriage on the 4th of Jan- uary, 1857, with Mary J., daughter of Elijah Barnes, of Chelsea, Vt., who died in May, 1861, leaving one child, Fred C., born November 10, 1859, and now residing in New Haven, Vt. On the 26th of September, 1864, Mr. Ward again married, his second wife being Martha L., daugh- ter of Julius Thompson, of Weybridge, Vt. She is the mother of two of his children-Stella M., born on November 6, 1865, and Hattie A., born on October 20, 1871, both of whom are now living with their parents.

S MITH, SHELDON. The second family of permanent settlers in the town of Bridport, Addison county, Vt., was that of Samuel Smith, of New Jersey, who made the long jour- ney from that State in what was termed a "Jersey wagon," drawn by a yoke of oxen. They came to what is now Whitehall, N. Y., at the head of Lake Champlain, where they disposed of the team, no roads being then opened, and loaded their goods on a bateau and sailed down the lake, probably to some point within the present town of Panton. They subsequently came to Bridport, and Mr. Smith was one of the few who remained on his land and defied the intrusions of the New York claimants. When Carlton made his destructive raid in this State, the family of Mr. Smith, with the exception of his sons Nathan and Marshall, took what goods they could transport and started through the forest for the Pittsford forts. Their house was burned and the farm left in desolation for six years, at the end of which period Mr. Smith returned to re- side with his son Nathan. Here he passed the remainder of his life. Nathan married in 1784, and settled where his grandson, Marshall Smith, now lives.

Asher Smith, eldest son of Samuel Smith, was born on the 4th of December, 1744, and learned the trade of carpenter. April 16, 1769, he married Eunice Lumm, and they had ten children. In the spring of 1787 he sold his farm of twenty acres and started with his family for Vermont. Arriving at Whitehall and learning that he could not get through with all his goods, he left a part, which were taken to Bridport the next winter on the ice. Here he found the Continental money, for which he had sold his property, was worthless, and he was forced to contend with poverty and want in this wilderness world, and provide for a growing family as best he might.

Caleb Smith, the second son of Asher Smith, and grandson of Samuel Smith, was born in New Jersey November 6, 1773, and came to Vermont with his father's family and remained with them, assisting his father in clearing and cultivating the farm, until his marriage with Catharine Baldwin, March 1, 1795. He built a log house, where he lived until 1810. when he erected a frame one, which stood a short distance from the present residence of his son Shel- don, and where he resided at the time of his death. His children were Lusetta, Jacob A., Perrin S. Sidney,1 S. Mervin, Sheldon,1 Phoebe M.,1 Rachel R.,1 and Caleb T.1 ,

1 Now living.

766

HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.

Of Caleb Smith it is said that he possessed strong mental powers and a well-balanced, dis- criminating mind. In 1800 he experienced religion and joined the Baptist Church in Panton, but in 1804 united by letter with the Baptist Church in Bridport, with others of the family, and was elected church clerk at the same time; in 1807 he was elected deacon, and filled the office faithfully to his death. Deacon Smith was remarkably gifted in exhortation and prayer, and from the time of his experiencing religion to his death, the Bible was his constant com- panion and study. In the War of 1812 he, with others of his townsmen, in the fall of 1814 started for Burlington, and on September 11 went on board a sloop and started for Peru Bay ; but they were becalmed and did not reach Plattsburgh till after the battle. He was deeply in- terested in all measures for the good of the town, filled most of its offices, and for a number of years was acting justice of the peace. He was killed by falling timbers while assisting to raise the frame of a barn, June 28, 1849.

Sheldon Smith, the subject of this notice, is the fifth son of Caleb Smith, and was born in Bridport on the 26th of January, 1810. His educational advantages were not very compre- hensive, but he made the most of his attendance at the district schools of the town, supple- mented by a period at the academy in Shoreham; these opportunities enabled him, by close study and a naturally vigorous mind, to acquire a fair education, which has since been greatly extended by continued and careful reading. Mr. Smith has never left his paternal homestead, having lived with his father and cared for him in his latter years and until his death. Neither has he ever married, his sister living with him and superintending his domestic affairs. In his younger years it was his habit to teach district school winters and work on the farm the re- maining part of the year. As a farmer in the community, none has reached a greater degree of success. Industrious, persevering, and sagacious in the acquirement of lands, he has become one of the wealthy and foremost farmers in the county. He was at one time the owner of about nine hundred acres of land; this amount has been reduced by numerous sales, most of which were effected in 1872. He still owns about two hundred and thirty acres, constituting one of the best farms in Bridport.

Mr. Smith is naturally of a retiring disposition, and has never pushed himself; forward be- fore the public in any sense; but his excellent judgment and thorough knowledge of what is best for the town at large has led to his being repeatedly chosen to most of the offices in the gift of his townsmen. All the minor offices were given him many years ago; he was chosen lister or selectman many years and until he positively declined to serve; was justice of the peace since about 1850, and still holds the office; represented the town in the Legislature in 1865-66; and many other positions of trust. It is not the least evidence of the favor in which he is held that he has often been chosen to settle the estates of deceased friends and relatives. In all of these directions he has done his duty carefully, honestly, and efficiently. Though now seventy-six years old, Mr. Smith is still hale and hearty, with a promise of many years of usefulness.

TICKNEY, TYLER, was born in Shoreham, Addison county, Vt., December 10, 1799. He S was descended from William Stickney, who came to this country from England about 1640, from whom has descended a large family of men noted for sterling worth, energetic and perse- vering character and honorable integrity. His father was Tyler Stickney, who was a prac- ticing physician in the town of Shoreham from 1798 for two or three years. He was one of the sixth generation from William, above named. Tyler Stickney married, March 13, 1828, Lora, daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Wright) Treadway. She was born in Shoreham March 24, 1806. This union has been blessed much beyond the average- eleven children - seven sons and four daughters having been born to them, as follows, in the order of their birth : Julius T., Lora Eluthera, William Wirt, Emma A., Joseph T., Charles Carroll, John Quincy, Mary Elizabeth, Saraph A., Edgar E. and Mallory N., all living except Saraph A. and Mallory N. All were married and raised families with the exception of Emma A., Joseph T. and Saraph A. All are honored and respected citizens in the communities in which they reside. In 1878 Mr. and Mrs. Stickney celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their marriage at the homestead at

ALITTLE.

SARDIS DODGE.

767

TYLER STICKNEY. - COL. SARDIS DODGE.

East Shoreham, now owned and occupied by Edgar E. Stickney. On the occasion of their golden wedding all the children then living and many of their thirty-four grandchildren were present.

No less than six of Mr. Stickney's sons are breeders of Merino sheep, and are members of the Vermont Merino Sheep Breeders' Association. Naturally retiring, very industrious, and devoted to his calling; never sought office or public notoriety ; but endowed with great com- mon sense and good judgment, he gave the best of his time, thought and attention to his own business, in which he was very successful. He was a good farmer, but as a breeder of sheep he was most successful ; by the great improvements he accomplished in his flocks he not only made it famous, but made his own name to be as widely known as the race of improved Me- rino sheep are scattered: one of the leading and generally recognized best lines of Merino blood is universally known by the name of Stickney blood. To the improvements made by him and continued by his sons Vermont is indebted for many of the honors she has won at numerous exhibitions of sheep and wool, including the prize for the best flock of Merino sheep exhibited at the Centennial, at Philadelphia, with a large number of excellent and celebrated competitors. He commenced his flock of sheep in 1834, and from the ewes then purchased, aided by his excellent judgment in the selection of rams, in thirty-four years he was able to produce a ram that cut thirty-four pounds and fourteen ounces of unwashed fleece, much the largest fleece to that time grown on one ram in one year. He retained his interest in his sheep to the day of his death. His memory was good, and all had confidence in his words and state- ments.

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History of Addison county Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 92

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