USA > Vermont > Addison County > Bristol > History of Bristol, Vermont (1762-1980), Third Edition > Part 5
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They purchased the William Lar- row Funeral Home in Vergennes in 1954 and operated there under that name. James McClay, of Vergennes, was employed at that time and operated the business at the Vergennes site. The Russell Gaunya Funeral Home, also in Vergennes, was pur- chased in 1956. That facility was closed and the two businesses were merged and continued operation under the name of the Larrow Funeral Home.
In 1965, Larry Gile of Bristol became associated with the business.
The Bristol and Vergennes funeral businesses were incorporated on Janu- ary 1, 1977, under the name of Brown-
McClay Funeral Homes, Inc., with the Browns, McClays, and Giles as stockholders. At present both the Ver- gennes and Bristol funeral establish- ments operate under that title.
The information above was prepared from material supplied by Gordon Brown.
Clark's Greenhouse
Clark's Greenhouse, on the east side of North Street, was established in 1957 by Mrs. Grace Clark as a florist shop. She also sold vegetable and flower plants. It continues today as a seasonal plant outlet. In 1977, the retail florist end of the business was sold to Sand & Pots, a florist shop on Main Street under the ownership of Sandy Murphy and Patricia Jackman.
Filling and Service Stations
Chevron Station: The Chevron Sta- tion, located on the corner of Munsill Avenue and West Street, is owned by the Morgan Oil Corporation of Shore- ham presently and was bought by them in 1977. From 1951 to 1977, it was owned by the Robinson Oil Company; and from 1946 to 1951, it was owned by John and Carolyn Tudhope. In 1946 and prior, it was owned by Anatole and Lumina Quesnel.
Exxon Station: The Corkins Brothers Exxon Station is owned and operated by Keith, Douglas, and Kevin Corkins. lt is located on the northwesterly cor- ner of Maple and West Streets. It was bought by the Corkins brothers in July 1976. From June 1973, to July 1976, Robert and Kathryn Menard owned and operated the station under the name, Menard & Sons Exxon. From December 1971, to June 1973, Wesley and Judith Holler owned the station. William and Leona Phelps owned the garage from June 1956, to December 1971. From August 1938, to June 1956, Earle and Florence Kneeland owned it. In August 1938, and prior Chester and Evelyn Benway were the owners.
Gulf Station: The Gulf Service Station had its beginning in the fall of 1956. It was located on the south side of West Street, opposite the Park.
Arthur and Blanche Marsh sold their property to Tremarco Corpora- tion, existing under the laws of the
State of Delaware with place of busi- ness in City, County, and State of New York, in August of that year.
Tremarco Corporation moved the house to the rear of the property and erected a garage and gas pumps in its place. Gulf gasoline and other related products were sold. Mechanical work was done by all succeeding operators.
Roger Audet was the first to lease the business. In July 1958, Hugh Hallock and Lawrence (Larry) Grace took over the operation. They were there until April 1965, when Onon Kimball became the new operator. Due to the poor health of Mr. Kimball, his son Albert carried on from 1968 to December 1969, when a fire gutted the station. It was never rebuilt.
Mobil Station: During the days of World War I, Allen P. Mckinnon was a young boy in Bristol. He acquired the nickname "Sam" and it stuck. Sam has been a favorite "gas man" over the years.
In 1929, he helped Harry Adams, a contractor from Burlington, build the station on the north side of Main Street opposite the Hatch Block. The land, building, and business were owned by Standard Oil Company of New York, later to become Socony Vacuum Oil Company.
Sam started working there in 1931 when gasoline sold for seventeen cents a gallon and wiper blades were thirty- five cents.
In 1935, he became an indepen- dent dealer through a lease with Socony Vacuum and remained at the same site until the summer of 1979 when he closed the doors and went out of business. The building remains boarded up and future plans for the site are uncertain.
When the station closed, Sam said, "I'm going to miss everybody, but I'll be around." We are mighty glad he is. Sam is semi-retired and still does car inspections and sells automo- tive parts from his residence on Spring Street. The outside light fixtures from his station adorn his barn/garage as a reminder of his 48 years on Main Street.
Information compiled from a feature article in the Valley Voice, Middlebury, Vermont, dated July 11, 1979, and from an interview with Sam Mckinnon.
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Texaco Station: During the late 1920's, Martin A. Rider and V. I. Patnode operated a gas station known as Park Filling Station in the small building im- mediately to the west of the station on West Street as we know it today. This was the site of the second filling station in town.
Mr. Patnode sold his interest in the business to Mr. Rider on April 30, 1929, and the partnership was formally dissolved on May 1, 1930.
A lease from Elmer H. Boynton and Charles E. Hathorne (plumbing and heating) to A. J. Blackmer states: " ... the first room on the first floor being the same that was formerly occu- pied by E. F. Burritt as a work and paint shop, with the privilege to erect a covering or canopy in front of said room of the edge of the sidewalk at his own expense and also the privilege to establish 2 gas tanks in front of said room for 5 years from June 1, 1927
It is believed these premises were the site of the first gas station in Bristol. In turn, said lease was assigned by Blackmer to Grover C. Langeway and Harry Bouvier, who operated there for a short period of time, and further assigned by Langeway and Bouvier to Martin A. Rider on July 1, 1930.
In 1930, Martin A. Rider expand- ed the business and used the leased por- tion at 5 West Street as his office and newsstand; the small building re- mained the station and Rider con- tinued operations until his death on May 14, 1936. His widow, Katherine Rider, carried on the business until March 29, 1937 when she conveyed the property to Ralph A. Eliott and F. Raymond Churchill. Also in March of 1937, the small building reverted back to a plumbing and heating shop operated by the partnership of Claude LaRocque and John Dalton under a lease from Elliot and Churchill. In suc- ceeding years, said leased premises have been operated by Allen Fleming, son-in-law of Dalton; Bruce Bission- nette; and presently Adams & McDonald, plumbing, heating, and electrical contractors.
The larger premises at 5 West
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Mckinnon's Mobil Station - built in 1929; closed in 1979
GRAND
UNION
Grand Union Store - behind Main Street
Street were leased from 1937 to 1942 by Elliott and Churchill to Wendell Brown and Lawrence Bristol. They used the easterly part of the structure as the office and newsstand and the western part as the garage with pumps in front.
Leland and Nina Landon became proprietors in 1942 and continued until 1968.
From 1968 to 1975, Wendell and Sue Brown were the leasees. The building was firebombed in 1970. The office section was destroyed and rebuilt. The garage and shop areas were slightly damaged.
George Apgar operates Park Fill- ing Station at present and has done so since 1975.
The land and buildings are pres- ently owned by F. R. Churchill & Sons, Inc., of Middlebury, Vermont.
Park Filling Station has always been a Texaco station and early and
current photographs reveal the bright red star as part of its logo. It has been a favorite gathering place for news and camaraderie.
Compiled from information contained in the Bristol Town Clerk's office and interviews with Leland Landon, Wendell Brown, and Frank Churchill.
Grand Union Store
Prior to 1961, the Grand Union store was located on the north side of Main Street in the Way Block. These premises are currently occupied by Burke Real Estate and Country In- surance.
After the main building of the Bristol Inn was torn down, a new building approximately sixty by one- hundred feet was constructed at the rear of the property (northerly side) by the owners Earl and Geraldine M. La- viana with a large parking lot on the corner of Main and North Streets.
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These premises were then leased to Grand Union Store, Inc. of Vermont in April of 1961 and a Grand Union store operated there until 1976. In August of 1975, the property was sold to Antonio Pomerleau.
During the fall of 1975, Antonio Pomerleau constructed a new and larger building at the northeast corner of the intersection of North and Main Streets in Bristol (behind the site of Mckinnon's Mobil Station). This new store was then leased to Grand Union Company and they began operations there on February 14, 1976, under the management of Douglas Dion, who was also manager at the two previous locations.
Green Mountain Nursery
Green Mountain Nursery had its origin back in the late 1700's. At that time, French families came down from Quebec and settled in the area between Lake Winona (Bristol Pond) and what is now Bristol Village. Along with the more traditional forms of farming, a large orchard was developed ultimately covering about four-hundred acres.
Around 1900, the orchard started to be cut back and by 1910, it no longer existed. However, one tree of each variety was planted in a plot behind the house built in 1900 at what is now 90 North Street. The plot comprised some forty-three trees with seven different varieties of apples among which were Baldwin, Jonathan, Winesap, Green- ing, and Cortland, all of which were forerunners of their modern-day counterparts.
Over succeeding years, the or- chard became overgrown and was non- productive by 1940. In 1966, Richard and Marles Railton purchased the pro- perty from Mrs. Oscar (Ebba) Nelson. After constructing a commercial green- house, they cleared the orchard, pruned the trees, and began an aerial spraying program. By 1970, the trees were again producing a commercial crop which has been sustained since then with an average production of one-hundred-twenty-five to one- hundred-fifty bushels per year.
As of 1980, along with the orchard and greenhouse, two other commercial operations function from the same site and it is still called Green Mountain Nursery. One operation involves a nursery with the emphasis on Colorado blue spruce trees and upright yews and the other is a wholesale toy distributor- ship.
The information above was prepared from material supplied by Richard Railton.
Gus A. Kusch, Chair Caning- Rush Weaving
Gus A. Kusch and Helen A. Kusch came to Bristol in 1947 from Long Island, New York. In the beginning, they produced woodenware and Christmas deocorations. Fifty years of chair caning experience has led to a year-round occupation for Gus. He also does rush and reed weaving. The wood items have since been aban- doned.
Helen Kusch now concentrates on wicker furniture repair and balsam Christmas wreaths at their home in the Rockydale section of Bristol.
Hill-Crest Kennels
In the early 1930's, William and Sarah (Lufkin) Tatro (often referred to as "the Lady with the Dogs") began raising A.K.C. Registered Cocker Spaniels to supplement income from their dairy farm on the Lower Notch Road in Bristol. Expansion came quickly and a dog kennel was built.
After much thought, the registered name of the kennel became Annellous Kennels, a word derived from their three daughters' names.
As the business grew, the vacated one-room schoolhouse at the intersec- tion of Lower Notch Road and Carlstrom Road was also used as a puppy kennel.
At one point, they maintained a herd of fifty goats. The milk produced was fed to the puppies.
As time passed, Norwegian Elkhounds and Miniature and Toy Poodles were added to the variety of breeds. There were at times as many as one-hundred dogs on the premises.
Around 1970, Mrs. Tatro helped her daughter, Ruth Rivers, establish her own kennel farther up the Notch Road. The business continues now under the name of Hill-Crest Kennels.
As time passed, the town grew, and with it came leash laws. This led to a decision to breed only small dogs. Cocker Spaniels, Toy and Miniature Poodles, Chihuahuas, Pomeranians, and Scottish Terriers are raised now.
A fifty-foot long insulated kennel has been built to house the animals. The facility is wood heated. It is a year- round enterprise and presently there are approximately sixty dogs at Hill- Crest Kennels.
The information above was prepared from material supplied by Ruth Rivers.
Jackman's Inc.
On May 3, 1930, the coal business of the former Bristol Railroad Com- pany was sold to Clarence E. Lathrop. One month later, on April 2, 1930, the partnership of Clarence E. Lathrop and Glenn E. Jackman was formed for the purpose of conducting a coal and coke business at Bristol and New Haven. The business was known as the Jackman Coal and Coke Company.
On January 31, 1936, the com- pany incorporated with Clarence E. Lathrop as President; Grace H. Lathrop as Clerk and Secretary; and Glenn E. Jackman as Vice President and Treasurer. At this time, the com- pany acquired, purchased, and sold coal, coke, wood, and other fuels.
In 1945, the Lathrop stock was sold to the corporation operated by Glenn E. Jackman, President; Ila S. Jackman, Treasurer; and Frances A. Palmer, Clerk and Secretary. A year later, in 1946, Frederick E. Jackman, son of Glenn E. and Ila S. Jackman, joined the business. He became Treasurer of the corporation in 1947 after the resignation of Ila Jackman. At this time, oil was added to the prod- ucts sold and wood was dropped.
In May 1950, another son, Glenn F. Jackman joined the family business, and in October of that year Glenn E. Jackman died. On July 1, 1963, Frances (Palmer) Kneeland retired,
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and Glenn F. Jackman was appointed Secretary of the corporation.
In February 1964, the name of the company was changed to Jackman's Inc .; and in 1967 coal was no longer sold.
After the deaths of lla S. Jackman in 1968 and Glenn F. Jackman in 1974, new corporation officers were named. As of March 1975, and up to the present the officers of Jackman's Inc. are Frederick E. Jackman, President; Peter Jackman, Vice-President; Joan B. Jackman, Secretary-Treasurer; and Paul Jackman, Director.
Jackman's Inc. has an office and storage buildings located off Pine Street betwen 28 and 30 Pine Street and a truck storage building located at 25 Main Street, Bristol. The company supplies oil fuel and bottled gas at pres- ent.
Ralph J. Jackman, brother to Frederick E. Jackman, operates a separate family oil heating business out of Vergennes which is called Jackman Fuels Inc.
Information compiled by Frederick E. Jackman.
Jeffers' Farm and Garden Center
Jeffers' Farm and Garden Center, located on the west side of North Street adjacent to the old Bristol Railroad Station, and operated by Dan and Frances Jeffers, started in 1940 on a small scale. In 1971, a new garage-type building was erected to house retail sales. The business has expanded over the years to include gardening supplies as well as vegetable and flower plants
for summer gardens. Produce for eating, canning, and freezing is available at harvest time. All this is done on two acres of land by a couple who are spending their retirement years "tilling the soil."
Lyon Hardware and Building Supply
Lyon Hardware and Building Sup- ply is located at the intersection of West and Liberty Streets in a building erected in the 1920's by Harry Jimmo. (See Recreation and Entertainment sec- tion, Japanese Dance Garden, in this book for more information.) Lyon Hardware and Building Supply is owned by Denton L. Lyon who pur- chased the hardware business from James and Prudence Tomasi in 1977.
Since 1977, approximately six- hundred square feet of former garage and storage area have been converted into retail sales area. The interior of the store and the displays have been modernized. The hardware line has been expanded.
In addition, an adjoining ten- thousand square foot structure has been built to house additional lumber and building materials to anticpate the needs of the area.
The business now has four employees.
Peter A. Nelson Memorials, Inc.
Peter A. Nelson, Sr., established a cemetery memorial business at 43 East Street in Bristol in 1923. After his mar-
riage in 1926 to Annie Chalmers, she joined him as a partner in the business and handled the office procedures.
Early memorials were made of marble and later the line included granite.
Mr. Nelson moved the business to a large tract of land on West Street in 1947. The business was incorporated in 1950 and became Peter A. Nelson Memorials, Inc., at which time his two sons, Carl A. Nelson and Peter James Nelson formally joined their parents in the business.
In 1960, Peter A. Nelson, Sr., and his wife retired, and the business has since been managed and operated by Carl A. Nelson, assisted by his wife, Charlotte, and their youngest son Neil Andrew Nelson at the site on West Street.
Pine Tree Farms
Pine Tree Farms, owned and operated by Francis and Diane Heffer- nan, with the help of their children and others, has approximately four-hun- dred acres today. It is a dairy farm and truck garden and has three green- houses. Produce is sold at their stand. More details are included in the Farm section of this book.
Vermont Sprout House, Inc.
The Vermont Sprout House, Inc., was built at 10 North Street in 1977 by : John and Susan Tomasi. Alfalfa sprouts are grown and packaged at this location and then distributed through- out New England.
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:
V Farms
Farming has played a major economic role in the history of Bristol and continues to affect the present economics of the area. Following are write-ups, many of them written by the owners, on most of the Bristol farms in existence today.
Burpee Farm
The formerly owned farm of J. W. Rockwood had three plots of land both sides of the Burpee Road. He operated a cider mill across the road from the present Rose Morales residence. At various times it was owned by Larrow Brothers, Bolducs, Provonchers and was purchased in 1934 by James and Dorothea Burpee.
It is not known how old the house is but it has two-inch plank walls and partitions. The fireplace was built by an eighty-four-year-old man, Mr. Agan, of old brick from Elliot's mill. The chimney up through the attic was built by Dorothea Burpee.
Additional land was purchased on the east side of the road by James, Dorothea, and Christopher Burpee.
In 1972, Christopher and his wife, Bonnie Tucker Burpee, built a house on a three-acre plot off the Burpee farm located on the east side of the road.
The silo was erected in 1978. The original barn burned in 1979. A new barn was constructed the same year on a new site on the east side of the road. The water supply was found by a dowser and said to be adequate for the town.
There were thirty cows on the farm when purchased by the Burpees and now there are ninety.
Written by Dorothea Burpee.
Burritt Farm
George and Laura Burritt moved to Bristol Flats in 1951 after they pur- chased one-hundred-sixty-nine acres more or less from Leonard Paquette.
Mr. Burritt has torn down the old barn and replaced it with a new free stall including a milking parlor to house his eighty head of cattle.
In early days this was known as the Hasseltine farm. It was also operated for many years by Fred Smith followed by his son Maurice.
Butler Farm
This six-hundred-acre farm located on Route 116 in South Bristol is one of the fine producing farms in Bristol. "Butler Farm" owned by Harold Butler since 1946 has expanded and mechanized to keep up with the changing times. For about seventeen years, Arthur Butler was co-owner with his brother.
The Butler Brothers set up a small sawmill on the farm for home and custom work.
Lands of former adjoining farms, namely Julius Morse, Oscar LaFrance, Dewey Sumner, Cullen O'Bryan/ Robert Willey and Butterfield farms, have been added to the original one- hundred-twenty acres purchased from Maurice Niles.
After the barn burned in 1965, a free stall was built. It accommodates over two-hundred head of cattle in- cluding one-hundred-thirty grade milk COWS.
Because of the springtime demands of the farm, sugaring is done in a lesser degree now. However, the
old sugar house and bucket method is still used.
Larry and Jerry Butler presently manage the farm with their father.
Choiniere Farm
The dairy farm owned by Mark and Elizabeth Choiniere since 1965 is located three miles out of Bristol Village. It lies west of Hardscabble Road and on both sides of the Plank Road leading from Bristol to New Haven; the south side being in New Haven and the north in Bristol.
It includes the original Alfred Ferguson farm. Mr. Ferguson pur- chased three parcels of land, the first in 1857 of Corney Buttles; 1864 adjacent land of Calvin Eaton; 1867 land from Patrick and Catherine Leonard. Cattle and sheep were raised. Milk, butter, cheese, and vegetables were sold to Bristol Inn.
The farm was divided between sons Wright and Edwin Ferguson in the early 1900's when Alfred, with his wife, Jerusha Wright Ferguson, moved into the Village. Wright had the part on the south side of the Plank Road and Edwin the part in Bristol.
In August 1911, the buildings were struck by lighning and the cattle barn and house burned. They were not rebuilt. However, a small building moved some years later from Bosworth land in the Village was used as a sum- mer residence.
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Edwin and his wife, Huldana Brooks Ferguson, sold the farm in April 1948, to Kermit and Marjorie Cox. At this time a large cattle barn and a house were built.
In 1957, the Cox's sold the farm to Emile Choiniere who for the past eigh- teen years had already owned the farm that had been Wright Ferguson's. The Choinieres retained the land but sold the Wright Ferguson house and barn to Ralph Hatstat.
After the decease of Emile Choiniere, the farm was sold to his son Mark. The Choinieres have continually mechanized their farm to keep it run- ning efficiently. Farming, Mark believes, hinges on the weather. It can yield him bumper crops or a disaster.
Estey Farm
Mr. and Mrs. Fenwick Estey, with their three boys and four girls, moved to Vermont from Massachusetts to live on this farm in the Hardscrabble area in 1939. The owner then was Ford Thomas for whom they ran the farm until March 1944, when it was pur- chased by the Estey family. It consisted of approximately two-hundred- seventeen acres until 1961, when about one-hundred-fifty acres more was add- ed by purchase of lands from Henry Babcock.
The farm was previously owned by Harley Holcomb, Dr. Harold Williamson (father of the present Dr. H. E. Williamson), Elmer Jennings, and Ora and Mary Vadnais. At one time there were three houses on "the hill."
Horses were used in 1939, and for several years thereafter, along with a John Deere tractor. This tractor had rubber tires, one of the first in Addison County. Two wooden upright silos have been replaced by two bunker silos. Equipment has been updated to include a dumper wagon and other pieces of equipment.
In 1939, there were approximately thirty-five cows and fifteen heifers. To- day there are eighty cows and fifty heifers.
A barn fire in 1976 destroyed the hay barn, milking parlor, and tool shed. There is still much rebuilding to
be done. The road up the hill has been improved considerably since it was declared a town road.
A television microwave tower was built on the southern part of the farm but was taken down in 1966. This was used to relay signals by both Mt. Mansfield and Plattsburgh, New York.
The farm is now owned by Mrs. Fenwick Estey and Mr. and Mrs. Richard Estey, since the death of Fen- wick Estey in 1962. The younger Esteys have six children; most of them live in Vermont.
The farm affords a lovely view of the Adirondack Mountains of New York State and of the South Mountain of the Bristol area, as well as the valleys surrounding the area.
Written by Lelah Estey.
Fuller Farm
The Fuller Farm is located three miles north of Bristol Village on Route 116, in what used to be known as Chase Hollow, so named for Mr. Chase who owned the farm on the two mile flat. Today the flat stretch of road is commonly known as Fuller's Flats.
It is a three generation farm. Bail C. and Genevieve Fuller first owned the farm in 1909. They raised a small herd of dairy cattle and made maple syrup. There also was a small apple or- chard located on the hillside left of the sugar orchard. They had three children, Wayne, Gladys, and Glenn.
In 1947, their son Glenn and daughter-in-law, Carolyn, purchased the farm. They had three sons, Robert, Paul, and Charles. The dairy herd was enlarged to thirty or forty cows. They became well known for their excellent maple syrup. In the early spring, the trees were tapped and steam puffed in- to the air from the wood-fired evaporator in the sugar house. Many nights were spent boiling sap by lantern light when the sap flow was heavy. Visitors enjoyed the warm hospitality and the sugar on snow and maple sugar always on hand.
In July 1968, the farm was pur- chased by their son Robert and his wife, Ramona, who are farming the land today. The dairy herd has been in- creased to one-hundred-twenty head but the farm has seen few changes. Two new silos and necessary equip- ment have been added. The sugar house remains the same with no elec- tricity and until three years ago the Fullers had carried on the family tradi- tion of fine maple syrup. About three years ago, the river flooded and washed away the large bridge leading to the sugar house. When the bridge is replaced, they hope to produce maple syrup once more.
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