USA > Vermont > Grand Isle County > History of Franklin and Grand Isle counties, Vermont : With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of the prominent men and pioneers. > Part 36
USA > Vermont > Franklin County > History of Franklin and Grand Isle counties, Vermont : With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of the prominent men and pioneers. > Part 36
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The St. Albans Gas Light Company became incorporated in Novem- ber, 1859, and was organized for the ostensible purpose of lighting the village with gas. The purposes of the company were satisfactorily carried out for many years, and as long, perhaps, as local capital was interested in its management; but the plant afterward fell into the ownership of non-residents, who have changed essentially the character of material used in producing the gas, with the result quite frequently of an inferior article, being more of a smoking rather than lighting agent.
The St. Albans Cold Storage Company, although by no means a manu- facturing enterprise, is nevertheless regarded as one of the fixed and useful business interests of the village. The company was incorporated in 1889, having a capital stock of $10,000, an amount sufficient to build the storage-house. This building was erected in 1889, three stories in height, 40 by 80 feet on the ground, and having a storage capacity of one million pounds. The officers of the company are James M. Foss, president ; G. W. Crampton, vice-president ; T. M. Deal, secretary, treasurer, and manager.
The Franklin County Creamery Association was formed and organ- ized in the year 1890, in conformity with, and in pursuance of, the stat- utes of the state, with a capital stock of $100,000. It is the object and pur- pose of the association to erect a creamery building of large dimensions, being 45 by 147 feet, in which is to be made as much as possible of the butter which the county can produce. In each town there will be estab- lished separators to which the farmers may take their milk, as has been the previous custom, but the cream will be conveyed to St. Albans and there wrought into butter. It will then be placed in cold storage and held in readiness for the market, and when the demand and price are agreeable the butter can be placed in market in a very few hours. It is hoped and confidently expected that the founding of this enterprise will result in better returns to the farmer for his milk product. The
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association is officered as follows: John Gregory Smith, president ; George W. Crampton, vice-president ; Thomas M. Deal, manager.
The foregoing statements embrace about what there is in the way of manufactures in St. Albans at the beginning of winter in 1890; but the spring of 1891 will undoubtedly find in operation an extensive granite and marble works, also a large sash, blind, and door factory. These things are promised, and in fact have passed the agitation period, but are not yet in operation.
Hotels of St. Albans .- Any publication having for its object the mak- ing of a record of the industries and business interests of any munici- pality, and which failed to mention so important an adjunct as the public houses thereof, would indeed be imperfect. The village of St. Albans is provided with an ample number of hotel buildings, and of the five that are in active operation each is well suited to its especial purpose, and in all respects a well conducted institution. On the west side of North Main street stands a large building that was formerly known as the Tre- mont House, which was erected way back in the early 'thirties, but which fell short in results contemplated by its projectors and proprie- tors. Having thus failed in its main purpose the old building has since been put to various uses, being now in part occupied as the office of a newspaper publication, a furniture repair establishment, joiner's shop, and other businesses not usual to hotel buildings.
The American House, the pioneer of its kind now in operation in the village, stands on a site that has long been occupied for hotel purposes, and has had landlords and proprietors almost innumerable ; but under no management or proprietorship has it enjoyed the business prosperity brought to it by its present owner, S. I. Stroud. The location of the house is altogether desirable, being in the business center, having four open sides, two street fronts (Main and Lake), while on the east is the celebrated Taylor Park. The American is deservedly well patronized.
The Welden is the name of the largest and best equipped hostelry in Northern Vermont ; in fact it enjoys the reputation of being the best hotel in the state. Its location in the village is at the corner of Bank street and Maiden lane, with front on the former, therefore on the park. In a part of the building proper is the postoffice and the only national bank of the village. The Welden is a four-story and mansard
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HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND GRAND ISLE COUNTIES.
brick building, having a capacity for accommodating 300 guests, and in every essential regard is a complete metropoli an house. The hotel has been in use for something like a quarter of a century, and was erected at a time when the cost of building and furnishing was much in excess of present governing prices, either of labor or materials. The money that has been invested in the Welden, were it stated, would amount to an almost fabulous sum, but its cost to the present owner, Mr. John Greenway, of Syracuse, N. Y., was far less than the expenditure for its erection.
Stratton's Hotel .- This name marks the site of one of the most pleas- ant hotel buildings in St. Albans. Its location is at the corner of South Main and Fairfield streets, and opposite the south end of the park. The hotel has not been without former proprietors, but under no manage- ment has it enjoyed a better reputation, or been productive of greater revenue to its landlord, than it now has under the proprietorship of J. H. Stratton. The only cause for complaint regarding the house is that it has not the capacity for accommodating the number of persons who would assemble and live here ; but as it is conditioned the house is generally crowded to the utmost of its capacity.
The St. Albans House is the name of a large and comfortable frame hotel that stands on Lake street, near the depot. Its owner is Willard Pierce, a progressive resident of the village, who leases the house to responsible persons and devotes his personal attention to other in- terests.
The Grand Central is situated on Lake street, about midway between the railroad and Main street. This is a comfortable hostelry, three stories in height, of brick construction, and under the proprietorship of Mr. Shedd.
Present Mercantile Interests .- A number of past writers have referred at considerable length to the business interests of the village as they existed during the early days of the town's history, and have generally ignored those who were so engaged at the period of their publication; and while it is not within the proper province of the present work to remark concerning any branch of business, by way of aiming to adver- tise the trade, there can be no reasonable objection to the mention of the bare names of proprietors of the several business interests now be-
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ing in operation. And if, from whatever of mention is here made, the merchants can derive any of the benefits that accrue from advertising in general they are certainly welcome to them.
At no time in the history of St. Albans has there been a greater di- versity of business interests than at present ; while every branch of mer- cantile trade is well represented there is nothing to indicate that .it is overdone ; yet there is noticeable a gradual increase in trade, and in the number of persons engaged, but this is due to the increasing demand caused by enlarged population. The business blocks and buildings of the village at the present time will bear comparison with those of any municipality of like size. The greatest period of building up of the substantial brick blocks covered the years running from 1870 to 1880, but from the latter to the present year a fair number have been erected. The present representatives of business in the line of clothing, furnish- ings, and tailoring are Twigg Brothers, John F. Locke, J. A. Bedard, C. H. Morton, and Blaisdell Brothers as general dealers, and H. J. Wat- son, E. T. Watson, and Joseph Milo as principal custom tailors. The general dry goods business of the village is represented by four large and well stocked establishments, under the proprietorships, severally, of F. F. Twitchell & Co., L. J. Morton, Richardson, Twigg & Co., and W. S Bailey. The druggists of the village are Frederick Dutcher & Son, C. L. Capron, R. Brainard, and Daniel Dutcher, the latter being in business on Lake street, the others on Main street. In the gen- eral grocery and provision trade are Henry M. Stevens & Co., A. S. Hyde & Son, A. S. Olmsted, George W. Shattuck, F. L. Brainerd, W. H. Ellis, G. W. Lepper, L. J. La Fleur, L. A. Curtis, W. T. Merritt, M. F. Sullivan, Lester K. Corliss, E. Thibault, L. Coureville, George C. Storey, Fred. Woodward, and perhaps others. The jewelers and watch- makers of the village are Charles Wyman & Son, C. H. Place, and B. Guinaud ; dealers in hardware and stock usual to such stores are Charles H. Atwood, successor to the pioneer house of Victor Atwood, subse- quently V. Atwood & Son; Hatch & Clark, and Hale & Burgess. The boot and shoe dealers are A. L. Weeks, Marceau & Vincent, P. Mitch- ell, E. Deschenes, R. R. Sweeney. Booksellers and stationers: A. F. Lane, W. Gibbs, and Wallace Printing Co. Furniture dealer : C. H. Harvey. Harnesses and horse goods : J. A. Bedard, L. Dutton. Dealer
49
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HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND GRAND ISLE COUNTIES.
in flour, grain, and seed : Hiram B. Weeks. Coal merchants and lum- ber dealers : I. S. Bostwick, W. B. Fonda. Granite and marble dealers : J. G. Moore and O. S. Cummings. Carriages : S. S. Bedard. Stoves and tinware: Green & Clark, J. Scofield, F. Paquette. In addition to these business interests there may also be named others, viz .: in the line of life, fire, and accident insurance are Isaac S. Borley, Tenney & Watson, and H. H. Farnsworth ; liverymen : E. D. Fuller, S. I. Stroud, D. Gilmore, G. Bocash ; photographers : R. H. Smith, W. D. Chandler, N. Jarvis; dentists : Drs. Gilman, Wells, Soule, Sherrar, Campbell, and Comjges ; marketmen : F. L. Allen, J. J. Finn, John Ryan, H. C. Allen, A. H. & S. S. Royce; milliners: E. C. Maxham, M. G. Gilder, Mrs. Sullivan, E. A. Wright, Mrs. Dougherty, M. Sweeney ; music dealers : H. A. Lyon, Daniel Dutcher.
Societies and Orders .- A preceding chapter of the present volume is devoted to the local history of the two principal orders, Free Masonry and Odd Fellowship; and the subject is there so thoroughly and ex- haustively treated that the branches of those orders that have an abid- ing place in the village need no mention in this place. In a large and comfortably furnished hall in the Barnes block, on Lake street, a number of local societies have a place of meeting. The hall is particularly the home of the temperance organizations that have been and are in exist- ence in the village and locality, but the life of the average society of this kind is of brief duration in Vermont ; in fact, this being a strictly prohi- bition commonwealth, it is not to be supposed that temperance societies have a great field for operations ; hence their transitory life. But the hall in question is also used by the Knights of Pythias and the depart- ments of the G. A. R., which virtually sustain the place as a hall.
A. R. Hurlbut Post, No. 60, G. A R., was chartered October 4, 1883, as the succeeding organization to the still older " Baldy " Smith Post, No. 20, which was chartered during the pioneer days of such societies. But the old post became involved in difficulties, and its members lost interest in its welfare, whereupon the charter was surrendered. Hurlbut Post is in no manner the outgrowth of the senior society, but an inde- pendently chartered organization, containing, however, nearly all the members formerly in the old commander post. Hurlbut Post boasts of the splendid membership of 150, and is the strongest and most healthful
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organization of its kind in the county. The post commanders have been George T. Childs, H. E. Perkins, A. W. Fuller, E. W. Bordo, D. K. Gilson, S. W. Cummings. Officers in 1890: James Halloway, com- mander ; A. S. Fleury, S. V. C .; A. S. Green, J. V. C .; S. Story, jr., adjutant ; S. H. Wood, Q. M .; H. D. Belden, surgeon; Rev. L. S. John- son, chaplain ; J. H. Montefiore, O. of D .; N. Bertrand, O. of G .; C. W. McArthur, Q. M .- S .; J. G. Moore, sergeant-major.
A. R. Hurlbut W. R. C. is an organization formed for work in con- nection with the post, and has a membership of nearly sixty ladies. The present officers of the Relief Corps are as follows : President, Mrs. Sue S. Gilson ; S. V .- P., Mrs. Jennie A. Montefiore ; J. V .- P., Mrs. Sarah M. Shedd; secretary, Mrs. Rosa J. Wooster ; treasurer, Mrs. Louisa J. Switzer ; chaplain, Mrs. Mary J. Conant ; conductress, Mrs. Hattie J. Moore ; G., Laura A. Wells. Past presidents, Mrs. Libbie R. Sherwood, Mrs. Celia M. Allen.
George T. Childs Camp, No. 36, S. of V., was chartered April 19, 1887. Its present membership numbers seventy-two young men. Pres- ent officers : Frank L. Green, captain ; Ferrand S. Stranahan, first lieu- tenant; L. G. Young, second lieutenant ; C. A. Searle, chaplain ; C. H. Anderson, first sergeant; E. B. Francis, quartermaster-sergeant; George O. Webster, sergeant of guard ; M. C. Burnet, color sergeant ; H. R. Marvin, principal musician ; J. W. Gilson, corporal of guard ; G. S. Conger, camp guard; F. E. Ingraham, picket guard. Past captains, C. A. Searle, M. C. Garey, B. B. Perkins.
Unity Lodge, No. 3, K. of P .- The order of Pythian Knights is one of recognized power, and was founded only a quarter of a century ago. Its purpose is to bind together in one harmonious brotherhood men of all classes and opinions. And it is a purely beneficient organization, char- itable and helpful to its members. The strength of the order in the country reaches beyond 250,000, represents every state in the Union, and its jurisdiction is unlimited. The lodge in St. Albans was instituted January 3, 1889, and has more than eighty members. For the year 1890 the officers were these : C. W. Cole, S. P. C .; A. H. George, C. C .; G. W. Lepper, V. C; A. Ross, P .; M. Sowles, K. R. S .; E. Wilder, M. F .; J. M. Bullock, M. E .; W. P. Conger, M. A .; C. La Pointe, I. G .; J. Lewis, O. G.
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HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND GRAND ISLE COUNTIES.
Among the employees of the various lines of railroad that center and have their seat of operations in St. Albans there are several associ. ations or societies, each of which is an auxiliary or subordinate branch of a national order or brotherhood.
The Order of Railway Conductors has a local branch in St. Albans, which was formed about the year 1870, and now has a membership of about fifty persons, under the chief conductor, J. E. Maun ; secretary and treasurer, J. B. Wiley.
The Independent Order of Railway Conductors is a comparatively new organization in the country, having been founded in the city of New York, July 13, 1890. It is distinguished from the older order in the fact that its members are unalterably and absolutely opposed to strikes among employees of any road or system of roads. Its president is E. D. Nash, of St Albans. The local branch has a membership of thirty-two persons, the president being J. C. Sweeney ; James Finn, secretary and treasurer. The Independent Order is purely a benefit organization, an amount not exceeding $1,000 being payable to members on proper occasion, and no member being assessable for more than one dollar on each claim for benefit.
Green Mountain Division, No. 330, of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, has an abiding place in St. Albans, and a membership of about fifty persons. Chief engineer, G. E. Taylor ; secretary, W. H. Washburne ; treasurer, Frederick Maloney.
Champlain Division, No. 352, is the name of the local branch of the National Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen. It has about fifty mem- bers, governed by John Sweeney, master ; John McGarighan, secre - tary ; and H. P. Hill, treasurer and collector.
Green Mountain Division Brotherhood of Railway Brakemen is an other of the local societies, and has for its purpose the same worthy object as those heretofore mentioned, and is likewise well conducted in all material respects.
Libraries .- The town of St. Albans was at one time the custodian of a library of agricultural works, which had been purchased by subscrip- tion and placed in the care of the town clerk for general use. But the town is indebted to the liberality of Henry J. Hunt, esq., for its present library. Mr. Hunt, by his last will, bequeathed the sum of $1,000 to the
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VILLAGE OF ST. ALBANS.
town of St. Albans, to be used in the establishment of a free library provided the town furnished an equal amount of money. The citizens of St. Albans owe a lasting debt of gratitude to Mr. Hunt for his thoughtful generosity, and should show their appreciation thereof by supporting this library generously, keeping up its supply of books, and thus carry out to the fullest extent his evident intentions. The records show the first meeting of the trustees of the library fund to have been held April 15, 1862, when Hon. R. H. Hoyt was chosen chairman, and Hon. George F. Houghton, secretary. At this meeting Messrs. Farrar, Huntington, and Gilman, as prudential committee of School District No. 4, offered the trustees the use of the library room in the academy. There is no record of any meeting held from March 13, 1862, until March 30, 1863, at which time Cassius D. Farrar was elected secretary. The intervening time had been fully occupied by the trustees in secur- ing by subscription the amount necessary to comply with the terms of the bequest. In addition to the sum of $1,000 received from Mr. Hunt, there had been paid in $1,011. Of this amount $1,000 was invested, and the remainder used in the purchase of books. Some time during the year 1863 the nucleus of the present library was purchased and placed in circulation. For several years the library was kept in the town clerk's office, Mr. Farrar, then town clerk, acting as librarian. On June 21, 1866, a code of by-laws was adopted, and an organization effected by the election of a board of officers, consisting of a president, secretary, and treasurer, of a book committee, and a library committee. In the fall of 1866 Mr. Amos D. Wardwell was elected librarian, and con- tinued to serve until March, 1879. In the latter part of 1869 the stock- holders of the Agricultural Library presented to the present association the remains of their once valuable collection of agricultural works. There are no records of any meetings from March 21, 1873, to March II, 1875. So far as we can learn the first report of the trustees of the library fund to the town was presented with the report of other officers at the annual meeting in 1876. Since that time the report of the trust- ees has appeared annually with the town office reports, and has been recognized as one of the public institutions of the town. In the year 1877, through the liberality of Hon. Herbert Brainerd, a suitable room was prepared in Brainerd block for the reception of the library, and for
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HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND GRAND ISLE COUNTIES.
the first time in its history it had a home. In 1878 a few men, who de- sired a place where they could meet for reading, conversation, and intel- lectual pursuits, organized the Franklin Literary Club. A room was secured in the Harvey blook, and for some time was kept open day and evening, warmed, lighted, and in charge of a competent attendant, be- ing well supplied with the daily papers and current literature. Early in 1879 negotiations were begun between the managers of the club and of the library looking to a union of the two organizations, and on March 14, 1879, the library was removed to its present quarters, and Miss Annie Thorne elected librarian of both organizations. This change of location marked the beginning of a new era in the history of the library. Borrowers now had access to the library each week-day, and there was an immediate increase in the demand for books. The utterly inadequate number of books, made manifest to the rapidly increasing number of borrowers, created in their minds such a desire for more books that very soon a sentiment was aroused in favor of public support of the library. In the year 1881 the Library Association received from Horatio Seymour, esq., the sum of $500, all of which was expended in the purchase of the much needed new books, and a small sum in the hands of the trustees was used in repairing old books and preparing a new catalogue. Some time in 1882, the health of Miss Thorne having failed, Miss Carrie Jennison was appointed librarian. Out of the accu- mulation of interest from the investment of $1,000, and money received from other sources, some books were purchased during the years of 1886-87. In 1889 the present incumbent, Miss Hattie Brown, was elected to the position of librarian. The library at present contains about 3,000 volumes, and includes several valuable books of reference, works of history, travel, biography, and well selected works of fiction, together with standard charts and maps. The best evidence that the library is appreciated as an auxiliary to the public schools, as furnishing means for the gratification of the literary tastes of the whole people, is the fact that both the town and village municipalities are contributing to its support by handsome appropriations. Such appropriation is a most wise and judicious economy, and will insure benefits as permanent as those derived from our public schools.
The Vermont Central Library Association was established at North-
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TOWN OF SWANTON.
field, in or about the year 1852, in connection with the general offices and management location of the Vermont Central Railroad Company, and for the use of the employees of the road ; and when the base of operations of the roads and system was transferred to St. Albans the Library Association likewise moved to the same place, and now occupies a large and well lighted room on the ground floor of the main office build- ing of the company. The library is supported and sustained in part by the income of a thousand-dollar consolidated railroad bond, and in part by the sale of library stock and personal assessment of members. The num- ber of volumes now on the shelves reaches about 2,600, about one-half of which are works of fiction, the rest being of a historical and biographical character. The officers of the association are Alfred Coote, president ; Mark D. Greene, secretary and treasurer ; John Burke, librarian. The board of directors comprises nine persons. The library is opened on each Saturday afternoon and evening.
CHAPTER XX.
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SWANTON.'
T HE town of Swanton is situated in the northwestern part of Frank- lin county, and is bounded on the north by Lake Champlain and the towns of Highgate and Sheldon ; on the east by Highgate, Sheldon, and Fairfield; on the south by Maquam Bay and St. Albans; and on the west by Lake Champlain. It lies about six miles south of the northern boundery line of the state of Vermont, and is properly a lake town. About twenty miles of its western boundary is washed by the waters of Lake Champlain. All along these shores are numerous fishing-grounds, from which, in spring and fall, large catches of fish are taken.
The area of Swanton is nearly 27,000 acres. The surface of the town is slightly rolling, but generally quite flat, and in some places low and swampy. The land gradually rises from the lake on the west to "Swan-
1 By R. O. Sturtevant, esq.
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HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND GRAND ISLE COUNTIES.
ton Hill" on the extreme east. There are two considerable elevations or ridges between " Swanton Hill " and the lake, extending across the town from north to south, between and on either side of which are quite large and beautiful valleys, rich in soil and very productive, especially in hay and grain. The farms in these valleys are well watered and sufficiently timbered, and are counted among the best in town.
Lime rock is found near the surface about two miles east from the lake shore, from which the very best of lime in large quantities has been annually manufactured for many years past. The lime rock ledges near Swanton village are inexhaustible. The burning of lime rock is one of the leading industries of the town.
The westerly and more elevated ridge is rocky and mountainous, run- ning across the town from north to south, about two miles east of the lake or Maquam Bay, and is rich in colored marbles, mottled in great variety ; and this marble is extensively quarried, is finished at Swan- ton Falls, and shipped far and near to the many cities of the United States. It is generally used in large public buildings for inside finish.
The soil of Swanton is varied in character from rich alluvium to white sand. There is some clay and considerable loam mixed with the gravel ; here and there are marl and muck. The soil is generally strong and very productive. Many valuable farms are found here, and no town in Ver- mont can boast of better or more of them of equal size. Oats, wheat, barley, backwheat, corn, potatoes, and hay are extensively raised, though hay and dairy among the farmers are the principal industries.
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