History of Chittenden County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 78

Author: Rann, W. S. (William S.)
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason & Co.
Number of Pages: 1054

USA > Vermont > Chittenden County > History of Chittenden County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 78

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Among the hardships which the early settlers suffered in this town should be mentioned the epidemic of 1813, which carried away a number of the resi- dents of Milton, among them being, as already stated, Thomas and Zebediah Dewey ; and the cold season of 1816. During that entire summer frosts were frequent and snow storms not unknown, while the consequent damage to crops was even greater than might be expected. Corn was ruined ; and other crops were so injured that in the following spring there was not enough for seed. The families in town, especially in the early part of 1817, were destitute of breadstuffs and of nearly everything that goes to sustain human life, and could not sufficiently supply themselves at any price.

The War of 1812 .- Following is the roll of a company of militia which went from Milton into the War of 1812, under command of Captain J. Pren- tiss, excepting from September 25 to November 18, 1813, when it was under Colonel Luther Dixon, of Underhill: Jonathan Prentiss, captain; John Dewey, ensign ; Luther Partch, sergeant ; E. Pratt, sergeant; Arch. Ashley, corporal ; William Ashley, corporal ; Orange Hart, Elijah Herrick, Arch. Cook, William A. Nay, Ira Huntley, Ethan Austin, Henry Austin, Levi Smith, Rufus Brig- ham, Silas Brigham, Mackson Burdick, Chauncey Dudley, Chauncey Wheeler, Sterling Adams, William Duncher, Hiram Sanderson, William Wilcox, Smel- ton Huntley, Aaron Wheeler, Elmer Gould, Elisha Ashley, Irvin Newell, Jed-

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TOWN OF MILTON.

ediah Wheeler, Ephraim Herrick, Judson Parker, William Powell, jr., Joseph Wilcox, Robert Cook, Orrin Potter, William Brigham, Russell Durham, John M. Dewey, E. O. Goodrich, Orrin Weed, William Knapp, Nathan Sherwood, Isaac Monger, Rufus L. Barney, Samuel Kinson, Levi Stebbins, Stephen Borg- ner, Benjamin Kinson, N. Powell, Abram Major, Isaac Keeler. The following have been mentioned as being present at the battle of Plattsburgh under Captain Luther Taylor : Luther Darling, Sylvanus Murray, James Powell, Jer- sey Woodruff, A. G. Whittemore, Arch. Ashley, and one Holbrook.

Warnings to Depart Town. - In accordance with an ancient custom in New England towns, this town by its selectmen frequently commanded the constable by lawful precept to warn certain inhabitants, therein named, to depart town without delay. This was the means adopted to free the town from supporting those whom indigence, misfortune, or indolence had rendered necessitous. Very many of these precepts were served every year from 1812 to about 1825; the greatest number seemingly having been served in 1816.

Milton from 1825 to 1830. - This period may almost be said to have been the transition period, between the first and the second generation of those who developed the resources of the town. Among the names mentioned in the rec- ords are found those of the earliest settlers, in close proximity with those of a younger generation, who fast filled the vacancies left "by the dying and the dead." Observe the following list of officers for the year 1825 :

Heman Allen, moderator of the March meeting; Gideon Hoxie, town clerk ; Jesse Woodruff, Moses Ayres and Isaac Blake, selectmen ; John W. Dewey, first constable ; James Miner, town treasurer ; Alford Ladd, Moses Davis and Stephen Hoxie, listers ; Timothy P. Phelps, Alpheus Mansfield, jr., and Daniel Drury, grand jurors ; Elisha A. Woodruff, Joseph Clark, John Dewey, Timothy P. Phelps, Lorin Bingham, Elisha Ashley, jr., Ross Coon, James Miner, Alford Ladd, Orren Potter, Moses Ayres, Samuel Carr, Samuel Huey, Joseph Barney, William Howard, 2d, Nathan M. Manley, John Jackson, jr., Lewis Lyon and Solomon Caswell, surveyors of highways; John Dewey, Elijah Herrick, John Jackson, jr., fence viewers; Luther Fullam, Rising Dewey, Stephen Mears, pound-keepers; John Jackson and Lyman Drake, leather sealers; Lemuel B. Platt, sealer of weights and measures ; David Lamson, Luther Searl and Jarius C. Mears, tythingmen.

There were at this period and for years before and after, two villages in town of nearly equal size, though Milton Falls was always a little in advance of its neighbor, Checkerberry. The largest store at the " Upper Falls " was that of Lyman Burgess and Rodney Hill, who, under the firm name of Burgess & Hill, did a large business in a building which stood on the east side of the river, a little east of the site of Jed P. Clark's residence. It was years ago re- moved, and now forms a part of Austin's Hotel. Juda T. Ainsworth traded also in a building which stood on the south side of the street, and west of the

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HISTORY OF CHITTENDEN COUNTY.

present bed of the railroad. On the other side of the river " Brad " Vernum and George Ayres carried on a store, and were soon after succeeded by George Ayres alone. There was but one tavern at the upper falls, which stood on the site of the present hotel of Patrick Maxfield, on the west side of the river. Moses Ayres, who kept it, had erected it about 1815. About 1830, he retired and rented the place to Judge Edmund Wellington. The house was afterwards kept by Solomon Cushman, Warren Sibley, Sylvester Ward and others.

The grist and saw-mills at the upper falls were owned and operated by Warren Hill, who also owned a large tract of timbered land in this vicinity, but the mills at this time were not doing a very extensive business, because of so great competition on the other streams in town. William Ward owned and operated a carding and cloth-dressing machine on the falls, which was after- wards converted into a woolen-mill and owned by Harvey Colton. A paper- mill was also operated here by Judge Edmund Wellington and Arthur Hunt- ing, on the west side of the falls. Chauncey Goodrich, of Burlington, after- wards owned it, and disposed of it to Lyman Burgess, who owned it when it was destroyed by fire, thirty or forty years ago. Lyman Burgess owned and operated a saw-mill on the west side of the falls. Moses Bascom and Benjamin Woodman owned a distillery at the lower end of River street. It was at this time an old concern, and lasted for some years after this, but the business finally became involved in financial embarrassments, and Woodman, who had always been deemed a shrewd and successful business man, was so downcast by the failure that, in imaginary fear of apprehension by officers, he committed suicide. Two tanneries were then in operation here, one opposite the distillery, on River street, where the blacksmith shop now is, carried on by Silas B. & Warner Sib- ley, which did a large business, and another farther north, operated by Orra Holbrook, and still in the hands of his son Eli.

Checkerberry village was then a thriving place, and afforded a cheering prospect of future growth and prosperity ; a promise which time has failed to fulfill. At the period of which we are speaking, A. G. Whittemore had already risen to his merited prominence, and by his property and influence contributed greatly to the business of the village, as well as of the town. Those were days of continual litigation, a condition which may always be taken as an indication of thrift and enterprise. It was not uncommon for justices of the peace to call and in one way or another dispose of twelve or fifteen cases in a day. The merchants then there were George Skiff and William Locey, from Georgia, Vt., who, after several years of promise, separated and left town. Two taverns were open at Checkerberry, one kept by Eaton Smith, and the other by William Locey. About three-quarters of a mile north of Checkerberry was a grist and saw-mill, owned and operated by James Miner, sr., who had been a great lum- berman of former days, and had accumulated a large property. He was heavily in debt, it seems, and after his death the property went into the hands

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TOWN OF MILTON.

of Joseph Clark and Phelps Smith, the former of whom succeeded in making it pay.

There were other business interests in the town, outside of either village, of considerable prominence. At what are known as the lower falls was the gen- eral store of Hiram and Joseph Clark, which did nearly all the business for that part of the town. Hiram Clark died a few years after this, and was succeeded in the partnership by Samuel Boardman. A few years later, too, Elijah Her- rick built up a good trade at the lower falls, in company with his son Moses D. Here, also, were two saw-mills operated by the estate of William Woods and a woolen-mill belonging to the same estate. The Champlain Canal had then but recently been opened, and these mills cut a large amount of lumber which was rafted down the river and up the lake without the labor of drawing. There were two saw-mills at Sopertown; one operated by Mr. Leonard, and the other by Isaac Blake. They were small affairs and did not run many years af- ter this period. A small grist-mill stood on the lake shore on a small stream just north of the present Camp Everest, which had for many years done all the custom grinding for South Hero and even other portions of Grand Isle county. It was owned and operated by Phelps Smith. In former years there had been many other mills in town, but they had all disappeared. As the forests were cleared the streams diminished in volume, and the water power was destroyed. Where Mansfield's mills once stood, has been since the memory of middle-aged men pasture land, not even traversed by a highway. The last mill at Soper- town ceased running more than thirty years ago. The drying of the streams killed most of these, while the business of Checkerberry was diverted by the opening of the railroad through Milton Falls.

The Town-house .- As stated in a previous page, the question as to whether a town-house should be erected was mooted several years before 1800, and re- sulted in the renting of the old house of Alpheus Mansfield, near the geo- graphical center of the town. This was not well adapted for the purpose, how- ever, and by the year 1800 a movement was again afoot looking to the erec- tion of a town hall. This building was finished in the latter part of 1805, and the first meeting in it was held in March, 1806. It stood on one side of the square in Checkerberry. In 1849 Joseph Clark, Lyman Burgess, Dr. Benja- min Fairchild and George Ayres, in the interest of Milton Falls village, gave a bond conditioned that if the town would vote that meetings should thereafter be held in their village, they would furnish a room suitable for the transaction of town business for the period of ten years, without charge. The vote being accordingly passed, these gentlemen erected a house by subscription, which served the purposes of its construction until it was destroyed by fire a few years since. There is now no town hall, the meetings being usually held in the hall of Curtiss B. Pratt.

Present Business Interests .- Hotels. There are only two hotels open now in

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HISTORY OF CHITTENDEN COUNTY.

town, the Elm Tree House, on the east side of the river, at Milton village, now kept by Patrick Maxfield, who, after a vacancy, succeeded William Lan- don, being the same hotel mentioned in an earlier page as built by Moses Ayres; and Austin's Hotel, near the railroad station, erected by the present proprietor in 1879 for a hardware store and converted to its present use in a few months after its construction. The proprietor, A. N. Austin, built the Central House in 1867, and kept it about ten years, calling it Austin's Hotel. The Central House is now vacant.

Present Mercantile Interests .- The early stores in Milton have already been mentioned. Probably the most prominent merchant ever in town was Lyman Burgess, who kept a store open at Milton village for many years. (See sketch of his life in later pages of this work.) The oldest store now in town is that of H. H. Rankin and C. A. Pratt, at Milton village, who, under the firm name of H. H. Rankin & Co., have engaged in trade here since 1871, succeeding to the business of O. W. Bullock, who has been here since 1866. His predeces- sor was Henry H. Woods. George Ashley built the store many years ago, and himself kept it for some time.

A. P. Comstock has dealt in general merchandise at Milton village about twenty-five years, and has seen the generation of merchants that were here when he began pass away and another take their place.

D. F. Quinn has been proprietor of a tinshop and a hardware store in town for more than twenty years, on the same site that he now occupies, though the old building was burned several years ago, and the present one erected in its stead.

E. L. Whitney, dealer in books, stationery and fancy goods, began a gen- eral trade in Milton in 1866. He restricted his stock to the present assort- ment in 1869. He now carries a stock of about $3,500.

N. S. Wood has manufactured and sold boots, shoes and findings at Milton for twenty years. In the spring of 1883 he took his son, C. C. Wood, in partnership with him.

The drug store of J. S. Benham was opened in 1876 by its present propri- etor.

Ell Barnum, formerly mail agent between Richford, Vt., and Concord, N. H., has been engaged for three or four years in a general trade at Milton village.

J. H. Boothe has traded here a little more than three years.

On the 7th of December, 1885, E. A. Frost succeeded to the interest of O. B. Landon, in the drug store of Milton village. Landon had occupied this building a little more than a year.

At West Milton (Lower Falls) George Granger has been engaged in trade nearly two years. Mr. Granger is also the postmaster at that place.

Manufacturing Interests .- Since the first settlement of the town a most

Iso. Aldark

A.LITTLE. PHILA

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TOWN OF MILTON.

radical change has taken place in the nature of its principal interest. Many of the early settlers turned their attention to cutting and preparing for the Que- bec market the pine timber that covered the surface of nearly the entire town. Accordingly, mills were erected on every available site, and rafts of lumber were continually floating down the lake and through the rivers Sorel and St. Lawrence to the great Canadian market. After the opening of the Champlain Canal, in 1824, much of this timber found its way to New York; and so ex- tensively did the early settlers engage in clearing the forests, that not many years sufficed to leave the surface nearly destitute of heavy timber. The streams, therefore, shrank in volume, water privileges were destroyed, and the people were forced to direct their energies to the more quiet activities of farm life. Compared with its former manufacturing importance, therefore, Milton can scarcely be called a manufacturing town. The most important industry in town is that of Jed P. Clark, whose father, Joseph Clark, in 1845 built the saw and grist-mills now standing, having purchased the site of Warren Hill. The saw-mill, which originally had an up-and-down saw, is now supplied with cir- cular and gang saws, and has the capacity for cutting a large amount of lum- ber. The grist-mill operates six runs of stones, and is used as a custom mill. The site has always been a prominent location for milling industries.

Among the other manufacturing concerns in town are the carriage manu- factory of Charles Ashley, who recently began the making of all kinds of car- riages and sleighs, and the brick-yards of J. W. & H. W. Brown, one of which is at Mallet's Bay, in Colchester, and the other in this town, which were started by J. W. Brown in 1857. They employ about fifty men during the season and manufacture about 4,000,000 brick. At present, too, a pulp-mill is in process of construction a mile above the falls at Milton village, by G. H. Ritchie, of New York. A butter factory in the southeast part of the town has been re- cently started and is now in operation. It is owned by a stock company.

The Professions .- The first lawyer in town was undoubtedly Judge Noah Smith, who while here resided at the falls, near the site of the present dwelling house of Jed P. Clark. Materials for a sketch of this prominent man's life are very meager. He bears the distinction of having also been the first lawyer to practice in Bennington, Vt. There is extant a printed address, entitled " A Speech," delivered at Bennington on the 16th of August, 1778 (the year after the battle of Bennington), " by Noah Smith, A. B." The address is brief and chiefly of a historical character, breathing a spirit of patriotism, and is quite creditable to the author, who was evidently just out of college. At the first session of the County Court of Bennington county, in 1781, Mr. Smith was appointed State's attorney, which office he held for several years, and in 1789 and 1790 he was a judge of the Supreme Court. He was a prominent and active Mason. He became early interested in the town of Milton, and was moderator of one of the first proprietors' meetings, held in May, 1788, at Man-

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HISTORY OF CHITTENDEN COUNTY.

chester, Vt. The third deed recorded in the land records of Milton recites a transfer to him of six original rights of land, and transfers to him are of fre- quent occurrence thereafter. He came to this town some time previous to 1800, and was one of the first judges of the Chittenden County Court. He owned nearly all the land now embracing the village of Milton. He was very public spirited, and gave the land for the east and west street through the village, and in 1806 or 1807 gave the land for the site of the Congregational Church, to- gether with land adjoining for a cemetery. He was the largest contributor to- ward the construction of the Congregational Church here. Financial reverses- overtook him, however, toward the close of his life, and before he died he be- came partly demented, and was buried, about 1822, at the expense of the town. There is now no stone to mark the spot where he lies, and the place it- self is unknown and forgotten.

Heman Allen, who is mentioned in the chapter devoted to the history of the Bench and Bar, was the next legal practitioner in town, beginning as early as 1802, and remaining until 1827, when he removed to Burlington. Albert G. Whittemore, whose life is recorded at greater length in the latter part of this book, pursued the practice of law here from 1824 until 1852, residing at Checkerberry. He was unquestionably the most able and prominent lawyer that ever practiced in this part of the county. Among other lawyers who have practiced in Milton were Boyd H. Wilson, George B. Platt, Charles H. Perrigo, Hiram B. Smith (one of the leading Democrats in the State), Chester W. Wit- ters, and Homer E. Powell.

C. W. Witters was born in Milton on the 10th of June, 1836. He studied law with Hiram B. Smith, and began to practice here immediately after his ad- mission. He then went to Kansas for a brief period, but returned to Milton and continued his practice until April, 1886, when he removed to St. Albans, Vt., the more conveniently to perform his duties as attorney for the Central Vermont Railroad Company.

Homer E. Powell, the only lawyer at present in practice in town, was born at Richford, Vt., on the 4th of May, 1851. He received an academic educa- tion at Fairfax and Montpelier, and studied law with his brother, E. Henry Powell, of Richford, being admitted to practice in the courts of Franklin county in the spring term of 1875. After a few months of practice at Richford and two and a half years at South Troy, Vt., he came to Milton in the spring of 1878. On the 21st of April, 1880, he married Lucia B., daughter of E. A. Witters, of Milton. His office is at the village of Milton.

John E. Wheelock, whose duties as superintendent of schools has prevented his active engagement in the practice of law, but who, nevertheless, as a mem- ber of the bar is entitled to mention, was born in Milton on the Ist day of May, 1843, and after taking a thorough course of lectures at the legal depart- ment of the University of Albany, N. Y., received from that institution in 1868

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TOWN OF MILTON.

the degree of LL.D. His office studies were previously pursued in the office of C. W. Witters. He was admitted to practice in the courts of Lamoille county in 1868, and immediately came to Milton. He was superintendent of schools for Milton in 1860-62, and has been continuously in that position from 1882 to the present time.

Among the physicians who have practiced in town in the past were Jesse P. Carpenter, one of the first, who practiced here for many years and resided on the stage road ; Avery Ainsworth, who died not far from 1830, after pros- ecuting a practice here for years ; Joseph Carpenter, son of Jesse ; and Dan- iel H. Onion, who commenced his professional career at Checkerberry in 1828 or 1829, and continued in town until his death, two or three years ago. He was one of the most prominent men in town, and was entrusted with many public offices by his townsmen. The oldest physician now in Milton is Dr. Benjamin Fairchild, who was born in Georgia, Vt., in 1804, and lived there until he was twenty-two years of age. In 1828 he studied medicine at Bur- lington, and was graduated from the medical department of the University of Vermont in 1829, after attending a course of lectures at Castleton. He came to Milton on the IIth of February, 1830, and soon became one of the leading physicians of this vicinity. He has but recently retired from practice. Nearly all the information which the writer obtained concerning the early settlers and industries of this town was given by Dr. Fairchild.

Dr. Franklin B. Hatheway was born in Georgia, Vt., in 1819, married Lu- cia Bartlett and had one child, Franklin H. The father studied medicine at Woodstock, and settled in Milton in 1849. His son, Franklin H., was gradu- ated from the medical department of the University of Vermont on the Ist of June, 1879, and since his father's death, several years ago, has continued his practice at Checkerberry and vicinity.

Dr. L. J. Dixon was born in Underhill, Vt., in 1829, studied medicine with Dr. Daniel H. Onion, of Milton, and was graduated from the medical depart- ment of the University of Vermont in 1858. He first practiced in Madison, Wis., several years before the war. During the Rebellion he was four years surgeon in the First Regiment of Wisconsin Volunteers, and was afterwards surgeon in the service of the United States (U. S. V.) for one and a half years. He came to Milton in 1866.

Dr. C. L. Sanderson was born on the 24th of July, 1848, at Milton, and received a preparatory education at the New Hampton Institute, at Fairfax. He studied medicine with Dr. Dixon, of this town, and Dr. C. W. Carpenter, of Burlington, and was graduated from the medical department of the Univer- sity of Vermont in 1878, after which he came at once to Milton.

Present Town Officers. - H. H. Rankin, town clerk, with C. A. Pratt, as assistant; George Ashley, Charles Osgood, Alson A. Herrick, selectmen ; E. L. Whitney, town treasurer; the selectmen, overseers of the poor; William

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HISTORY OF CHITTENDEN COUNTY.

Landon, first constable and collector ; C. S. Ashley, R. Flinn, C. Mayville, listers ; H. O. Bartlett, C. A. Pratt, C. I. Ladd, auditors ; O. G. Phelps, trustee of surplus money ; E. T. Holbrook, W. O. Beeman, H. H. Rankin, fence view- ers; Homer E. Powell, agent to prosecute and defend suits in which the town is interested.

Post-office .- It is not known when the first post-office was established in town; but it was very early, for Milton was crossed by the first stage road that ran to the north part of the State. One of the earliest postmasters was Stephen Hoxie, who retained the office for many years and until 1828. Ly- man Burgess then succeeded him, and was in turn succeeded in 1840 by S. M. St. Johns. George Ayres was appointed in 1842 ; Hiram B. Smith in 1845; George Ayres again in 1850; Hiram B. Smith in 1854; E. L. Whitney in 1861 ; Jed P. Clark in 1863; H. G. Boardman in 1869; E. L. Whitney in 1877; E. Barnum in 1884, and the present incumbent, O. E. Coon, October 1, 1885.

The office at West Milton was established, it seems, about 1834, by the appointment of Calvin Deming as postmaster. Abram B. Olin succeeded him in 1837, and was followed by A. G. Whittemore in 1838. The postmasters since then have been as follows : C. L. Drake, appointed in 1844 ; R. Sanderson in 1850; Hector Adams in 1852; C. L. Drake in 1854; Hector Adams in 1855 ; C. L. Drake in 1856; Ell Barnum in 1863 ; M. D. Herrick in 1865; H. F. Lyon in 1879; C. P. Sanderson in 1880; W. L. Sanderson in 1882 ; James D. Cotie in 1883 ; D. L. Field in 1885, and George Granger in 1886.

Schools .- The early settlers of Milton, like those of all the New England towns, deemed it one of their first duties to establish schools in town and divide the town into convenient districts. From a report taken (at random) from the earlier town records we learn that in 1837 there were 75 1 pupils in town under the age of eighteen years and over the age of four years. From the report for the year 1885 we find that there are 437 pupils in town. This shows in part the decrease in population since that thrifty period. The schools of Milton, how- ever, compare favorably with those of the neighboring towns, and the people are showing a lively interest in them, as is shown by the fact that nearly two hundred visits were made in 1885 by patrons. Mr. Wheelock devotes his best energies to the building up of good schools and his success is encouraging.

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History of Chittenden County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 78

Author: Rann, W. S. (William S.) Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason & Co. Number of Pages: 1054

Author: Rann, W. S. (William S.)
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y. : D. Mason & Co.
Number of Pages: 1054