USA > Vermont > Chittenden County > History of Chittenden County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 75
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Norman J. Mix's saw-mill, on Huntington River, was built by Harry M. Small in 1875. Here are made annually about 100,000 feet of clapboards and 500,000 staves, in addition to the common lumber sawn.
The saw and grist-mill of Howe & Dumas, in the south part of the town, was recently purchased by A. C. Dearborn, and does a fair business.
The steam saw and grist-mill at the south village, of Sidney Gillett, was started about April 1, 1886, and promises to become one of the leading man- ufactories of the town.
Mercantile Interests .- The first store in town was opened at the house of Jabez Fargo, on consignment as a branch concern by John Thorp, of Char- lotte, about the commencement of the present century. It was continued until about 1805, in the fall of which year another concern was started in that line, in a room of Ebenezer Ambler's then new framed house, by Ross & Conger, from Monkton, and was the first store at the north village. In the fall of 1807
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HISTORY OF CHITTENDEN COUNTY.
it was transferred to a new building erected partly for the purpose on the east side of the river, the firm name changing to Ross & Ambler, and the business finally going into the hands of Ira Ladd, of Monkton, who kept it up until 1809. After this no regular trading was done in town until 1822, when Guer- don Taylor engaged in the business in a room of John Ambler's house. Other early merchants were Nathan Stewart, Ephraim Randall, and Amos Dike.
The oldest of the present stores is that of G. W. & H. L. Sayles, which was established by their father, Stephen Sayles, in the present building, in 1854. The building has been used for mercantile purposes more than half a century. The present firm succeeded Stephen Sayles in 1862. They carry a stock valued at from $3,000 to $6,000, according to the season and demand. G. Bickford opened his general store in the north village in December, 1875. E. W. Ellis built the store building he now occupies, and established the trade which he now conducts in the south village, in the fall of 1876. He carries about $1,500 or $2,000 worth of goods. The store of W. M. Johnson was started by the present proprietor in the north village in May, 1879, and he now carries between $2,000 and $3,000 worth of goods. The building was formerly occupied by Justin Taylor. H. M. Small and George W. Brewster entered into partnership and opened a store at the south village in the spring of 1886, and now carry a stock worth about $3,000. The building was erected by Amos Dike many years ago, and was last occupied before the present oc- cupancy by Lawrence Sweeney.
Hotels .- The first tavern in Huntington was opened by Jabez Fargo, who kept it for many years and nearly to the time of his death in 1827. The next was opened at the north village in 1826 by Guerdon Taylor, and is the same building, with some changes, now occupied by Edmund T. Collins, proprietor of the Green Mountain House. Among the landlords who followed Taylor were Sanford Eddy, Alexander Ferguson, Jonathan Dike, Charles Lovekin, John Cook, Hiram Cook, Truman Wood, James Wood, Daniel Hill, Ansel Eddy, Solomon Johns, Edward Irish, Melvin Heath, and the present proprie- tor, who succeeded Heath in the fall of 1865.
The hotel of M. J. Ellis, at the Center, was built by Benjamin Allen not far from 1828, who kept the house for some tinie, and was followed by John Derby. After a long period Derby was succeeded by Joseph Rounds. Gershom Conger kept the house nine years, and was followed by George Conger, who, after the lapse of one year, was himself succeeded by the present proprietor in March, 1865.
The Professions .- The first physicians who made Huntington their field of practice for any time were Drs. William Ambler, brother of Ebenezer Ambler, and William Hewett. They soon left for other parts. Those who have since made the town their residence successively are Jesse P. Carpenter, Winter Hewett, Seth Hitchcock, Samuel Fargo, 2d, Gail Nichols, Enoch A. Smith,
A. H. CHESMORE.
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TOWN OF HUNTINGTON.
Matthew Cole, Pliny P. Green, Charles H. Swift, Rial C. Stevens, Reuben Nims, Pierce Standish, John Work, George W. Bromley, Chauncey L. Case, and Abel Sweet. Besides these there were many years ago two others, Eben- ezer Lamb and Richard Estes, who professed to administer medicine on bo- tanic principles. About twenty-five years ago, too, Dr. Ira Hodge was resid- ing in town, and doctored on the Indian, root and herb system. At present there is but one practicing physician in town, viz., Dr. A. H. Chessmore. A detailed sketch of Dr. Chessmore appears in the later pages of this book.
There are no lawyers now practicing in the town, which, with its proper propensity for litigation, has never had the harboring of but two of that de- scription. William S. Hawkins practiced here from about 1831 to about 1839, and Daniel B. Hale left town in 1850, after a residence of two years.
Postmasters .- The first post-office opened in town was established near the commencement of the century, at the house of Jabez Fargo, who was post- master. As it did not quite pay expenses it was soon discontinued, and no other took its place until 1828, when Amos Dike received the appointment and opened an office at the south village. In 1829, on application to the gen- eral department, it was transferred to the north village and Alexander Fergu- son was appointed. Since then the postmasters at the north village (Hunting- ton), have been as follows : 1829 to 1841 inclusive, Alexander Ferguson; 1842, Cyrus Johns ; 1843 to 1845, Orange Dike; 1846-47, Stephen Bartlett ; 1848- 49, John E. Woodworth ; 1850-54, Mrs. Ruth Crane; 1855-61, Solomon Johns ; 1862-68, J. M. Johnson ; 1869-71, George E. Johnson ; 1872-75, R. C. Bromley ; 1876-85, G. W. Sayles; and the present incumbent, Solomon Johns, who received the appointment from the present administration.
An office was established at the Center in 1862, by the appointment of A. H. Loveland to the position of master. He was succeeded in 1872 by E. M. Kent, and Kent in 1873 by C. Dearborn. In 1874 M. Ellis was appointed and retained the appointment until 1876, when he was followed by E. W. Ellis. The present postmaster at Huntington Center (the south village) is H. M. Small, also appointed under President Cleveland.
Present Town Officers .- The officers elected for the year 1886 in this town are as follows : G. W. Sayles, clerk, treasurer, and trustee of the surplus fund; G. D. Ellis, A. E. Bates, and John Fargo, selectmen ; overseer of the poor, War- ham Brewster ; first constable, George W. Brewster; listers, Henry Brewster, Frank Strong, Smilie Kenyon; auditors, O. H. Ellis, Isaiah Strong, G. B. An- drews; fence viewers, Warham Brewster, Daniel Gorton, Stephen Sprague ; town grand jurors, Enoch Gregory, G. L. Williams ; agent to prosecute and defend suits in which the town is interested, Henry Brewster ; superintendent of common schools, Rev. E. B. Fuller ; sextons, north village, Montraville Ross ; south village, John B. Ellis ; street commissioners, Warham Brewster, George A. Baker ; inspector of leather, Stillman Johnson ; pound-keepers, south
40
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HISTORY OF CHITTENDEN COUNTY.
village, Harry M. Small ; north village, A. H. Chessmore ; surveyor of wood and inspector of lumber and shingles, Sidney Gillett.
Educational .- The first school opened in Huntington was started in the summer of 1794, in the log barn of Ebenezer Ambler, of which Betsey, wife of Darius Fargo, was the teacher. The first winter school was opened in the following winter in one of the rooms of Ebenezer Ambler's log dwelling house, and was taught by Dr. William Ambler, his brother. Other schools were after this opened, and in a few months log school-houses might be seen here. The first framed school-house was erected in 1806 on the high ridge near Sherman Hollow, and was burned in 1808. No other was built until 1816, when one was erected at the south village. There are now seven districts in town.
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.
Probably the first ministers of the gospel to preach in Huntington were a Mr. Sabin and Abraham Hall, the former a Methodist and the latter a Congre- gationalist. The noted Lorenzo Dow also paid this town a visit, and preached several times, and it was probably by his means and Mr. Sabin's that the first seeds of Methodism took root here, though how many were gained for the church at that time we do not learn. These men were here some time between 1790 and 1795. The first house built expressly for purposes of worship was erected at the north village in 1836 by the Methodists and Freewill Baptists. Another smaller house was built at the south village in 1841, and was owned chiefly by Calvinistic Baptists. Nearly all the denominations have at one time or another sustained services in Huntington, though the only regular organi- zation now acting in town is the Freewill Baptist. The first preacher of this persuasion in town was Elder Charles Bowles, colored, who came here in the summer of 1817, and at various times has been succeeded by the following preachers: Benajah Maynard, Josiah Wetherbee, Orange Dike, Joshua Tucker, Ezra B. Fuller, Samuel Webster, Samuel Lord, Porter Thomas, Nathaniel Ew- ers, Daniel Batchelder, Mark Atwood, Jarius E. Davis, John Gould, D. S. Frost, C. J. Mott, Lyman Sargent, and since the spring of 1877, Ezra B. Ful- ler. The present number of Freewill Baptists in this town and the mission at Jonesville, is about eighty-eight, and they own property valued at about $10,- 000 in all. The present officers of the organization are : Pastor, E. B. Fuller ; clerk, R. A. Norton ; deacons, N. F. Tomlinson, and H. R. Norton; Sabbath- school superintendents, R. A. Norton, at the north village ; O. J. Tomlinson, at the south village ; and Mr. Frary at Jonesville.
The Methodists have no church here, though they have a class which is ministered unto by the pastor of the Starksboro church. The two houses of worship now in use, one at the Center and the other at the north village were built respectively in 1861, at a cost of $2,500, and in 1870, at a cost of $9,000.
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TOWN OF JERICHO.
BUEL'S GORE.
Buel's Gore, a triangular piece of land containing an area of about three thousand acres, forms the southeastern corner of the county, and is bounded north by Huntington, east by Fayston, in Washington county, and south and west by Starksboro and Lincoln, in Addison county. It was granted by Ver- mont on the 4th of November, 1780, to Elias Buel and fifty-nine others, and then contained 4,273 acres; but was curtailed by the Legislature on the 27th of October, 1794, by the annexation of a portion of its territory to Hunting- ton. The first settlement was made about 1789 by Abel Turner, John Fitch, and Samuel Fargo. From that time until 1850 the population increased to eighteen, and now is estimated at about twenty-four.
The Gore has never been organized as a town, has no church building and no post-office. Its residents all depend upon the adjoining towns for these matters, mostly upon Huntington; and, indeed, it might almost be said to be a portion of that town.
CHAPTER XXIV.
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF JERICHO.1
THE town of Jericho, lying in the central part of Chittenden county, T bounded north by Underhill, east by Bolton, south by Richmond and Williston, west by Essex, was granted by New Hampshire to Edward Burling and seventy-five associates on the 7th of June, 1763. The township consisted of 23,040 acres, and was divided into seventy-two shares. The charter was witnessed by Benning Wentworth, governor and commander of the Province of New Hampshire, and signed by T. Atkinson, secretary. By the terms of the charter the grantees were to have and to hold the territory granted, with all the privileges and appurtenances thereto belonging, they and their heirs and assigns forever, on conditions in substance as follows: (1) Every grantee shall plant five acres within five years for every fifty acres granted, and shall con- tinue to plant, cultivate and improve his grant, under penalty of forfeiture to the grantor. (2) White and other pine trees fit for masts in the royal navy shall be kept for that use, and none shall be felled for other purpose except by permission, under penalty of forfeiture. (3) A tract of land as near the center of the township as may be suitable and convenient shall be marked out and reserved for town lots, one of which shall be allotted to each grantee, to the contents of one acre. (4) Each of these shall pay annually for ten years the rent of one ear of Indian corn. (5) After the expiration of ten years there
1 By J. S. Cilley, A. M.
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HISTORY OF CHITTENDEN COUNTY.
shall be paid one shilling proclamation money for every one hundred acres any one may own, and the rents shall be paid in the council chamber at Portsmouth, or to such officers as may be appointed to receive the same. How much the conditions were respected by the grantees, or how long they were complied with by the purchasers of the soil, we may not know; certain it is, however, that about the year 1776 the few that dwelt among these hills had but little respect for the power that imposed the conditions, and ere long they had no fear of his authority in executing them.
The surface of the township is quite uneven, and the great variety of hill and valley, meadow, pasture and woodland, brook and river, gives great beauty and interest to the scenery. There is nothing of special importance attached to the mineral productions of the town, save as they furnish the farmer solid material for fences and enable him to act the part of a wise man in building his house upon rock. There is great variety of soil in Jericho ; some parts of the town have rich, productive soil, and afford the husband rich returns for care and labor ; other parts handsomely remunerate labor ; while others present no attractions to him who must eat his bread in the sweat of his face, though they may charm the eye of him who loves the woody hill or rocky height. Jericho is indeed a goodly town, rich in the character of its inhabitants, though that be somewhat varied, as are the products of the soil. The homes of most of the people give evidence of thrift and plenty, and some of even luxury, while nothing indicates that one should hesitate to come down to Jericho from any other part of the country for fear of falling among thieves and being stripped of raiment.
But we turn from the view of fine meadows, cultivated fields, green pastures, pleasant homes, and abundant harvests and give our thought to the primeval forest, the log cabin in the wilderness, the scanty fare and the severe trials and hardships of the first settlers of the town, one of whom, Joseph Brown, with his wife and children, came to Jericho in 1774. Having suffered all the fatigue and privation incident to so great an undertaking, coming as they did from Massa- chusetts, they settled at last in the north part of the town, building a log house just south of the river that now bears his name, on a spot near the road that leads from the present residence of Hiram Day toward Underhill Flat. There was then no other settlement nearer than those of Roderick Messenger and Azariah Rood, who came to Jericho in the same year as Mr. Brown, and pitched their tents on or near the banks of the Winooski, some six or seven miles from him.
Hardly had Mr. Brown begun to secure for himself and family something of supply and comfort, when British domination caused the Revolutionary War, and sent the Indian to dog the steps and terrify the hearts of the pio- neers of Vermont. A young man, Gibson by name, had been hospitably en- tertained by Mr. Brown for some time, and at length, going to pursue his work in hunting, had fallen into the hands of Indians. He told the Indians if
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TOWN OF JERICHO.
they would let him go, he would lead them where they could get a whole fam- ily of white people. The Indians, having agreed to his proposition, were led by the base betrayer of those who had sheltered him to the house of Mr. Brown. At noon of a day in September, 1780, six savages entered the house and took Mr. Brown, his wife and two children then living with them but not their own, as prisoners. A man by the name of Old was residing with Mr. Brown for a little time, who, seeing the Indians enter, jumped from a window and ran for life and freedom, pursued by the tomahawks of the Indians. He escaped, but with such powerful exertion and terrible fright as to cause great protrusions of his eyes from their sockets, and it is said they never regained their normal con- dition. When the sons of Mr. Brown returned home at night from a hunting excursion they were taken prisoners by six other Indians lying in wait for them and led in pursuit of those first taken. All were taken to Montreal, where they suffered with cold and hunger and in various ways, until their es- cape and release in 1783. The sons, Joseph and Charles, fled from British service and imprisonment in the spring of that year, and returned to the place where were the ashes of their home burned by the savages who had torn them from it, and at once began to build another home. To this the father and mother came, when they had been released upon the declaration of peace. Nor yet were the days of privation and suffering passed ; for three weeks at one time the family lived wholly upon the juice of cornstalks obtained by wetting and pressing them. But better days were in store for them, and ere long plenty and comfort were the reward of labor and manly endeavor. The de- scendants of Mr. Brown have been quite numerous and many of them have lived and died in the immediate vicinity of his home, and some still remain to bear his name with the honor which has always been accorded to it in the history of the town.
Soon after the return of this family other settlers came in quite rapidly. Prominent among them was Nathaniel Bostwick, who built near Mr. Brown the house long owned and occupied by Joseph Kingsbury and subsequently by Josiah Bass. In process of time his son Arthur built and long occupied the hotel near by, and called by his name. Since his occupancy great additions have been made, and it is now a large, pleasant, commodious and well-kept house under the direction of L. M. Dixon, and is a remarkably fine place for summer resort. In beauty and sublimity of view few places, if any, surpass this. Clark Bostwick, son of Arthur, lives but a few rods from the house built by his grandfather, and he is the only one of the name now in town - a true man and a good citizen. A half-brother of Clark, Samuel B., will long be re- membered by those who knew him well. He was a graduate of the Univer- sity of Vermont, a fine scholar, an eminent minister of the Episcopal Church, a Christian gentleman. He died but a few years ago in Sandy Hill, N. Y.
In 1776, the inhabitants being warned by Ira Allen for the Council of
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Safety, Roderick Messenger, of whom we have already spoken, went with his family in a canoe down Winooski River with a view of reaching Lake Cham- plain to embark on transports sent to pick up and bear away the fleeing in- habitants. After much difficulty his object was accomplished, and during the war his family found support and safety in different places in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York. Mr. Messenger returned and was employed by the Council of Safety in defense of the settlements on the " grants " at a block- house on his farm in Jericho, which was occupied as a military post until the approach of Burgoyne, when the company stationed there went to meet the enemy at Hubbardton and Bennington. After the war Mr. Messenger again occupied his farm, and was postmaster and news-carrier for the pioneers. Here he lived to advanced age, an industrious and respectable farmer and a good citizen.
Azariah Rood, the other of the three settlers of 1774, died in 1795, but left to fill his place his son, Thomas D., who served the town in various official positions, and proved himself an energetic man, ready and decided in action, firm and wise in council.
The town was organized March 22, 1786, at which time was held a meet- ing warned by John Fassett, judge of the Supreme Court. At this meeting James Farnsworth was chosen moderator; Lewis Chapin, clerk ; and Peter McArthur, constable. At another meeting, June 13, 1786, Azariah Rood, Joseph Hall and Jedediah Lane were chosen selectmen.
A register of freemen was begun in 1785 with six names, and about the same number were added in 1786. On the 29th of November, 1786, Jedediah Lane was chosen representative.
Lewis Chapin, the first town clerk, was born September 30, 1755, and in the year 1786, in company with his brother Ichabod, he purchased a tract of wild land in Jericho, on which was what is now the " Green," at the center of the town, and the cemetery just south of it, both of which he gave for public use. Lewis Chapin and his brother Benoni were soldiers in the Revolutionary War, and thus faithfully served their country. Coming to Jericho, Lewis built a log house near the southeast corner of the lot given for a cemetery, in which he lived until able to build the large and commodious house a little south of the former, where his grandson, Milo H. Chapin, now lives. This house stands on a beautiful spot, commanding an extensive and beautiful view, and is proof of the sound judgment and good taste of the builder, as well as the present owner, shown in its care and preservation. Mr. Chapin was an earnest Christian, a strong supporter of religion, and a messenger of good to the poor.
Jedediah Lane, the first representative of the town, was a man of consider- able wealth. He owned a large amount of land at and in the vicinity of Jeri- cho Corners, had a family of ten children, five of whom, Jedediah, jr., Lovicy, Lydia, Cyrus and Stevens, settled in Jericho. Among the descendants of these
John Smith
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TOWN OF JERICHO.
five are those who have at various times filled almost every town office, and have represented the town in the State Legislature. Particularly noticeable among them all are Lucius L. and Edgar H., sons of Stevens, the first of whom was an intelligent and excellent farmer, the last an active and successful merchant. Both have been representatives of the town, and the last named has been a member of the Senate and assistant judge of the County Court. In the business interests and improvements of the town both were deeply in- terested and eminently useful; and the town has suffered a loss in their re- moval, one to Winooski, the other to Burlington.
David T. Stone, born in Connecticut, October 9, 1769, came to Jericho about 1791, and purchased land on Little River, three miles east of the Center, and there settled. On the 29th of September, 1792, he married Thankful Smith, who lived a few miles away, and immediately they started on their wedding trip for his cabin in the wilderness, on the bank of the river - a fash- ionable trip in those days. Their furniture was neither elaborate nor costly, but having made a table of a plank supported by legs inserted in holes bored through it, it seemed good to Mr. Stone, upon retiring for the night, to tie it by a rope to the ladder leading to the chamber, lest through fright from its own looks it should flee and leave no support for their breakfast. So life had its mirthful side even then in the forest. Mr. Stone had two sons and a daugh- ter. The sons, Hiram and Harvey, lived upon the land purchased by their father, many years side by side; but at length Harvey moved to Swanton, where he still lives. Hiram died April 3, 1874, in the town and near the home of his birth. They were noble, intelligent, Christian men, an honor to the town, and strong pillars of support to the church. None of the name now lives in Jericho, save Deacon Isaac C. Stone, son of Hiram, a much respected citizen, elected representative of Jericho in 1884. Gaius Pease, a man of about the age of Mr. Stone, and coming to Jericho at nearly the same time, became a near neighbor and fast friend of him, as did also George Butts, before many days. These three were the first settlers in this part of Jericho, and all, by industry, economy and fair dealing, acquired a competence for their fam- ilies, and what is better still, transmitted a good name to their posterities, some of whom still bear and preserve it.
Of the many incidents that took place during the early days in town of these pioneers, we mention the following: At night of a harvest-day a hunter and his dogs had by close pursuit driven three bears to find refuge in a tall tree standing near the house of Mr. Pease. Being unable to shoot them on account of the darkness, or otherwise to dislodge them, those at the tree sent for help to Mr. Stone, who came from the field with pitchfork in hand, ready for action. Strong, active and full of courage, he determined at once to climb the tree and dislodge the brutes. Accordingly, fastening a band around his waist, and attaching thereto the pitchfork, he began the ascent of the tree,
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