USA > Vermont > Windsor County > Ludlow > History of Ludlow, Vermont > Part 14
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On the farm once owned by Austin Dunbar, Abraham Preston built a log house, No. 15, about 1790. It stood east of the road. About 1794 or 1795, Mr. Preston built the main part of the present house. He deeded the farm to Jonas Kennedy in 1795, who deeded to Jonathan Whitcomb in 1798. The farm went next to Jefferson Fullam, who deeded it to Austin Dunbar in 1854. The ell part of the house was built on by Jonathan Whitcomb about 1825.
On the farm next south, No. 16, known as the Living- stone farm, on the road leading to Proctorsville, the house
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was built by James Whitney about 1798. It is said that a log house was built there at a still earlier date, but actual proofs are wanting. A set of buildings once stood east of the highway between the Livingstone place and the Granville Fullam place, No. 17. They were built by Ezra Woodbury about 1820. The Granville Fullam house was built by Joseph Kennedy in 1791. This house was intended for a tavern, but was never used for that purpose. As far as can be ascertained this house is the oldest one now standing in Ludlow.
The next house, No. 18, known as the L. G. Fullam place, was built by Lewis Patch in 1806. He sold it before it was completed to Henry Adams, who finished it.
On the road that crosses the north-east corner of the town, the house once owned by Frank Vittum, No. 19, was built by Orlando Whitney about 1796. The house was thoroughly repaired by Joseph Baldwin several years ago at a cost of $500. In the pasture west of Mr. Vittums, Silas Howe built a house not far from 1820. James Hitchcock built the house No. 20, on the Ellery Dix place in 1795. Benjamin Page built the house once occupied by Benjamin Dix, No. 21, about 1800.
Crossing back to the highway at the school-house of district No. 6, the first house, No. 22, on the Calvin Whit- ney farm stood a few rods north of where the present house stands, and was built by Joseph Chamberlain about 1792. In 1800, John Ordway built the house now standing. Mr. Ordway was a man of extraordinary strength both of muscle and temper, and very rough in his ways, but was called a fine mechanic for those days. He once made a pattern for a broad-axe, but omitted to make a hole for the handle in the wooden model. He took his pattern to Jacob Patrick and asked his price for making an axe like the pattern. Mr. Patrick noticed that there was no place for the handle, but gave the price, five dollars. A few days later, Mr. Ordway called for his axe, and, noticing that there was no eye for the handle, asked for the pattern. This showed him his mistake. He said not a word, but paid for the axe, and a few days later returned with a model for another axe, containing the necessary eye. Mr. Ordway built the barn farthest west from the Whitney house. It
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has the strongest frame of any barn in town. He had five sons, all of whom built and operated saw mills. Levi built the sawmill between the ponds above Tyson. David and Zephaniah built the mill on Twenty Mile Stream, in Cav- endish, still remembered by many as the Ordway mill. Langdon located in Sherburne, and Washington in Chester. David resembled his father in some of his peculiar ways. Having no children to trust to, he personally attended to the arrangements for his own burial, erecting a monument suitably inscribed, purchasing a casket of stone which was kept in the house, and having his funeral sermon preached long before he died.
John Sargent built the house No. 23, where Frank Wil- der later lived in 1795. A house formerly stood near the junction of the road from Frank Wilder's with the main highway, No. 24. It was built by John Whitcomb about 1800. About the same year, Sewall Whitcomb built a house, No. 25, on the farm known later as the Edward Whitcomb place. Edward built the house now standing. In early times, a road ran along the west brow of the hill, from the old Mathewson place, joining the main highway at the place where John Whitcomb built. Four sets of buildings that are now gone once stood along this road. The first house south of Frank Wilder's No. 26, was built by Daniel Ritter about 1790. It was a small log house. About seventy-five rods farther south, Robert Walker built a small house, No. 27, in 1800. He lived there several years and then built a saw mill in Grahamsville, and moved to that place. Still farther south was a house, No. 28, later owned by Cal- vin Sargent, father of Darwin Sargent who lived there many years. This farm was at one time one of the best farms in town. It is all used for pasturing now. About a hundred rods south of the Sargent place Mr. Kelly built a house which he occupied some time. This house stood at the base of the hill in the Mathewson pasture, on the west side, No. 29.
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SOUTH HILL
About 1815, William Hemenway built a small house No. 30 near the town line of Andover, east of the road leading to Isaiah Lovejoy's house. This house is now gone. In 1825, he built the house No. 31 just above the junction of the roads where George Robbins formerly lived. Isaac Hemenway, brother of William, built a house No. 32 a little west of the junction of the roads, and a little back of the river road, about 1820. It is now gone. Coming up the hill, Ira Hale built the house No. 33 where Larkin Wilcox once lived, in 1825. On the farm where Joseph Pratt formerly lived, Elijah Chamberlain erected a small house No. 34 about 1810. It stood there for several years, and in 1850, Austin Adams replaced it with the house later occupied by Mrs. Pratt. In 1801, Levi Adams built a house No. 35 on the farm once occupied by Lawson Gibson. He lived there for many years, and was bed-ridden for sev- eral years before his death.
John Tilden built the house No. 36 south of the Horace Wadleigh place, at the top of the hill west of the road, about 1805. Turning at the foot of the hill, eastward, to the farm formerly occupied by William Earle, this place was settled by John Adams, who built the house No. 37 now standing in 1808. Abel Adams built a house No. 38 a little south-east of his brother John's in 1810. He manufactured whetstones for several years. Benjamin Withington built a house No. 39 on the opposite side of the road from the Abel Adams place, about 1820. Thomas Ross cleared the place and built a house where Horace Wadleigh lived later, in 1801. The house No. 40 was burned in 1883, and the present house was built by Cyrus O. Lovell the same year.Going north up to the school- house, and turning west to where Geo. Dumas lives, An- drew Pettigrew built a small house No. 41 on the site of the present one. The present house was built about 1835 by Phineas Adams. On the road leading from the school- house to the village, Leonard Ross settled in 1801, and built a house No. 42 which was burned in 1879, and was not rebuilt. The next house, No. 43, where David Miner
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later lived, was built by Enos Estabrooks in 1833. Turning here, and going westward to the farm formerly owned by Mrs. Martha Giddings, the house, No. 44 was built by Samuel Ross in 1808. A log house No. 46, was built by John Warren in 1806. In 1810 he built the house known as the Jonathan Whitcomb house, No. 45, later owned by Frank Wilkins.
At the foot of the hill, and a little south of S. S. Mayo's place, on the west side of the road, near the spring that supplies the watering-trough, George Adams settled, and built a house, No. 47, in 1802. About 1822, this house was moved up the road, and is the main part of Mr. Mayo's house, No. 50. Later Winsor Smith built on the ell part. A house, No. 48, was built on the east side of the road, and north of the road leading to the Benjamin Goodwin farm, by Albert Adams, about 1815. This house has been gone for many years. The house, No. 49, formerly owned by Benjamin Goodwin, and owned later by Nathan Benjamin, was built by Samuel Ross in 1831.
Following down the brook to where Samuel Ross' saw- mill stood, Mr. Ross built the house, No. 51 which is des- cribed in the saw-mill history, about 1830. Near this place John Osborne built a house, No. 52, in 1850. Going south again to the Chas. Ray place, a small log house, No. 53, was built here in 1800 by James Mckinstry, and remained there till 1843, when it was taken down and replaced by Horace Adams. James Mckinstry came from Charlton, Mass. He had ten children; Evan, Louisa, Julia, Alzina, (who married Benj. Withington), Florintina, Mary Ann, Harriet, Alonzo, John and James.
About seventy-five rods north of the Charles Ray house Ephriam Johnson built a house, No. 54, about 1800. Nearly every trace of the house is gone. The land that Mr. John- son cleared, has grown up to timber again, some of the trees being from ten to twelve inches in diameter. The stone heaps that were piled up in the fields that he tilled are still to be seen among the timber. Mr. Johnson made chopping-trays, and some of them are still in town.
Returning to the road leading to the village to the farm once occupied by Chas. W. Hemenway, the house No. 55,
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was built by Wm. Tenney in 1795. Mr. Tenney lived there five or six years, and the property then passed into the hands of Simon Spaulding, of whom an account will be found in the brick-yard history. The farm was purchased by Enos Mayo, who lived there about fifty years. Mr. Hemenway bought the farm in 1874. He took down the original barns in 1876, and the one now standing was built the same year, while the Centennial celebration of our national independence was in session at Philadelphia.
The house, No. 56, on the John Riggs place, was built by Anson Spaulding in 1846. In 1798, Zachariah Spaulding built the house, No. 57, on the. farm known as the Parker Spaulding place, later owned by W. H. Stearns who thor- oughly repaired it in 1904. Zachariah Spaulding was a prominent man in his time, being influential in town and church matters. The brick house, No. 58, at the junction of the roads will be found described in the history of the Universalist church. The house, No. 59, on the farm form- erly known as the John Shea farm later owned by W. H. Pitts, was built in 1820 by Alvin Mason. The Zachariah Parker farm was settled by Orrin Bates in 1800. He first built a log house, No. 60, a little south-east of where the house, No. 61, now stands, in what is now the orchard. Mr. Bates commenced to build the present house in 1814. He died before it was finished, but had moved into the house previous to his death. The house was finished by James Coleman in 1816. There were three Bates brothers who came to this vicinity from Sturbridge, Mass. Orrin and Putnam settled in Ludlow, and James located on the Twenty Mile Stream in Cavendish. He was the grand- father of J. H. Bates, the late owner of Brook Farm. A sketch of Putnam Bates will be found in the history of the Blacksmiths. His son, Addison, was the father of George W. Bates who will be remembered by some.
Turning now to the road leading past the town-farm, to the place at the end of the road, formerly known as the Nehemiah Pettigrew place, the first house, No. 62, erected was a log house and was built by Amasa Smith in 1802. About 1818, Parker Pettigrew, son of Andrew, purchased the farm, and, in 1827, built the house now standing there.
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In 1837, he sold the farm to the town, and it was used for several years for the town-farm. In 1850, Nehemiah Petti- grew, son of Parker, bought the place, and lived there till 1889.
In 1820, Josiah Walker built a house, No. 63, a little north of the Pettigrew place. It stood east of the road. The old cellar is still visible, and the trees of the old apple- orchard are still standing. About 1826, Warren Walker, brother to Josiah, built a house, No. 64, on what was later the town-farm. It stood west of the road, directly below the wind-mill on the town-farm. The cellar is still visible.
In 1820, Joseph Taylor, built a small block house, No. 65, east of the road from where Warren Walker lived, near the stone ledge. Block houses were built of square hewn timbers, dove-tailed at the ends so as to fit closely the entire length. In some parts of the country, these houses were quite common, being proof against the bullets and arrows of the Indians. In 1825, Mr. Taylor took down his house, No. 65, and moved it to the farm of Hyland Snell, the house may be traced on the map by the corresponding numbers. It stood west of the road, opposite the old lime- kiln. Further reference to Mr. Taylor will be found in the history of lime-kilns.
In 1830, Alfred Walker built the house, No. 66, that is now standing on the town farm. In 1805, Richard Smith, brother of Amasa, began clearing the land that is now comprised in the town-farm. This farm was purchased by the town in 1849. He built a small log house, No. 67, north of the present buildings, in what is now the pasture. It disappeared long ago.
Going from the town farm toward the village, in the corner on the south-east side of the road, near the road leading over Bear Hill, in the lot known as the Whitcomb lot, was a house, No. 68, built by Arema Smith, in about 1800. Following the Bear Hill road westward, north of the road in the pasture once owned by Wesley Barton, was a house No. 69, built by David Emery in 1798. A few of the apple trees set out by Mr. Emery are still standing, a little east of the old cellar hole. A little farther west, about twenty-five rods north of the highway, on land once
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owned by William English, and near the north line of his farm, Jacob Hemenway built a log house, No. 70, in 1795. He lived there a few years, and, in 1805, built a frame house on the site where William English's buildings stood. The house, No. 71, burned in 1888, was re-built by Mr. English the same year, and again burned in 1896. It has never been replaced. On the place where the late E. C. Pinney formerly lived, and east of the high-way, Chas. Stimson, Sr., built a house, No. 72, in 1800. This house stood for a great many years. A few rods south from this house, Mr. Stimson had a coopers' shop, where he manufactured butter-tubs, meat-barrels, etc. In 1848, Aaron Stimson built the house No. 73, on the E. C. Pinney place. Following the high-way north from this house, at the foot of the hill, and a little south of Luther Johnsons' house, Samuel Hemenway built a small log house, No. 74, west of the road in 1800. On the opposite side of the road, Artemas Terrill built a small log house, No. 75, about five years later. About 1810, Samuel Hemenway built a frame house, No. 76, on the west side of the E. C. Pinney place, in what is now called "the twenty-acre lot". Zachariah Parker once lived there, and a little later, Levi Gassett. About sixty rods south-west from this house, was another house, No. 77, built about 1808 by Emery Burpee. He lived there till about 1825. All that remains of these houses are the old cellars.
The house, No. 78, where Luther Johnson lived was built by Charles Stimson, Jr. in 1840. James Haven built the house, No. 79, where Sarah Haven lived in 1810. At that time Mr. Haven had built over fifty log houses in different parts of New England, on unclaimed lots, for the sake of gaining possession of the land. In 1821, Chas. Stimson, Sr. built a house, No. 80, west of Sarah Havens' place, in the meadow once owned by Darius Gassett. The buildings on this place have disappeared. The house, No. 81, on the farm known as the Lorenzo Howard place, was built by Edward Haven about 1815. Putnam Bates built a house, No. 82, in 1800 on the Darius Gassett place. This house has been repaired several times, and is in fair condition now. A few rods north from this place, and east of the road,
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near the south line of W. H. H. Chapman's farm, Sigman Haven built a log house, No. 83, in 1800. He lived there several years. West of the road from the W. H. H. Chap- man's house, Zedekiah Haven built a log house, No. 84, in 1798. Where Mr. Chapman's house stands, Moses Haven built a frame house, No. 85, in 1795. Mr. Chapman took down the old house and built the present one in 1871. Nearly in front of this house, on the opposite side of the cross road, Edward Haven built a small house, No. 86, in 1800. In 1795, Dyer Haven built the main part of the house, No. 87, formerly owned by Patrick Sullivan. John Snell bought this place in 1803, and lived there many years. In 1821, William Clark of New York visited Mr. Snell, and while there, was taken sick with small-pox, Mr. Clark's wife and Mr. Snell took the disease also, and the town authorities ordered them removed to a pest house erected for them on the east side of West Mountain. Mr. Snell said that he owned his house and farm, and should be sick at home. As he refused to move the place was quarantined for some time. Several people had been ex- posed, and about thirty cases were fully developed. Mr. Snell's house was used as a pest house, but no one died of the disease.
The next place north is the Michael Gilligan place, which is described in the history of tanneries. Just east of Mr. Gilligan's house, No. 88, Herbert Chapman built a house, No. 89, in 1852. It was burned in 1885. Turning at this place, and following the road up the hill nearly to the woods, Andrew Johnson built a house, No. 90, in 1800 east of the road in Mr. Gilligan's meadow. Every trace of this house is gone.
Passing over to the Andover road, at the Andover line, and going toward the village, the first house, a log house, No. 91, was built by Benjamin Warren in 1815, the old house was taken down, and Ephriam Taylor built the house now standing. On this place there is an apple tree, the first tree next to the end of the barn, standing near the road, bearing on orange-sweet apple, which it is said was started in a flower-pot from seed, by Mrs. Taylor.
Eben Thurston built a house, No. 92, on the site where
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the Johnathan Hemenway house burned, about 1805. About 1820, John Thurston moved this house, and set it west of the road, nearly opposite where Henry Hemenway's sugar house formerly stood. In 1830, Elijah Hemenway built a frame house on the site from which the other was moved. Jonathan, son of Elijah, was married to Eliza Heald of Cavendish, March 18, 1838, and about that time they built on an addition on the north end, where Jonathan lived for about forty years. These houses stood in the coldest and most snowey place in town. In times of severe blizzards the house would be completely covered with snow, and sometimes candles had to be kept burning through the day. Mr. Hemenway was a man of most genial disposition and everything was well with him if his affectionate wife, Eliza, was by his side. In times of severe storms in winter, he would say, "Well, Eliza, let the wind blow. We will keep a warm fire, and the storm and wind will stop some- time". In the winter of 1862, the house was completely covered with snow, and a yearling colt was led over it. There is nothing left to mark the spot of this once happy home, excepting the old cellar.
Southwest of Mr. Hemenway's house, in the pasture be- longing to the Ephraim Taylor farm, Thomas Evans built a house, No. 93, in 1800. Several people lived there after- ward, but the house has been gone for many years. Going back to the Hemenway place, we come to where the old county road passed by, leading to the west over the moun- tain to Mt. Holly, which can be traced out in the map of the roads in connection with this history. About a hundred and fifty rods west of Mr. Hemenway's house, we come to where Jesse Smith lived. He built his house, No. 94, in what is called the south mowing, in 1798. He was a prom- inent man and held many town offices.
West from Mr. Smith's house about a quarter of a mile, the old cellar may be seen where Frank Sinclair built a house, No. 95, in 1799. Passing along the county road, to where the weston road crosses it at the top of the moun- tain, about seventy-five rods from the Andover line, Ira Sweat built a log house, No. 96, in 1825. It stood a little north of the present Weston road. Its location may be
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found on the map of the roads. Going south-west to the Mt. Holly town line, John Hill built a house, No. 97, in 1800. The house stood in Ludlow and the barn in Mt. Holly. The cellar may be seen in the Barton pasture. Returning to the Andover road, the house, No. 98, where Charles Esty lived was built by Asa Barton in 1835. A little south of this, an old cellar can be seen where Daniel Hemenway built a house, No. 99, about 1830. A little east of Mr. Esty's house, in his mowing, Daniel Wheaton built a house, No. 100, in 1800, and his brother, Levi Wheaton built a log house, No. 101, on the side of Bear Hill, where the old orchard now stands at the upper side of Mr. Esty's mowing. The house has been gone for a long time. Wheaton brook took its name from these two men. A little north of Esty's north line Herbert Chapman built a small house, No. 102, in 1825. It stood in the bank west of the road, and traces of it remain. A little north of this house, in H. L. Barton's meadow, about ten rods from the road, and four or five rods south of the brook, Melvin Hayward built a house about 1835. In 1802, Simeon Cobb built a house, No. 103, on the site where H. L. Barton's house stands. Mr. Barton built the house now standing in 1857. In 1899, Ralph Barton, son of H. L. Barton, built a house south of his fathers'. It was the first house of its kind built in Ludlow. The roof is covered with modern roofing paper, and the sides are covered with corrugated iron, crimped to re- semble clapboards. In 1819 Rufus Barton built a house No. 104, where Wesley Barton lived later. He cleared up this farm. Wesley Barton took down the old house and built the present one in 1864. In 1849, Asa Barton built a house, No. 105, near the bridge on the road leading from the highway to Wesley Barton's house. This house was moved in 1895 and was used by Mr. Barton for a carriage house. About 1836, Eben Barton built a small house, No. 106, a little south of Wesley Barton's house, and about 1845 moved it about 100 rods west. Where the house stood is still called the Eben lot. The house has been gone many years, but the cellar is still to be seen.
The house formerly owned by Enoch Day, No. 107, was built by Eben Barton in 1830. Stephen Weston built the
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main barn in 1848, and J. N. Harris, the one next the road in 1879. Cub Bradley built a house, No. 108, below the bridge north of the Day place in 1810. The Joseph Tay- lor house that stood across the road from the old lime kiln in Hyland Snell's pasture, has already been referred to. In 1837, Martin Snell built a small house, No. 109, a little north of the lime kiln, in the swamp. He moved it soon after, and it is now the ell part of the Hyland Snell house, No. 110. Martin Snell built the main part of the house.
On the road leading to Weston, the house once oc- cupied by John Joyal was built by Alonzo Grover 1860. Melvin Hayward built the house, No. 111, where Daniel Keating once lived in 1832. Daniel Hemenway built the first house, No. 112, later owned by Levi Barnard in 1820. In 1835, Joseph Gould built on a new ell part. The house once owned by William Grant, No. 113, was built by Abram Adams, in 1848. In 1810, John Heselton built a house, No. 114, about a dozen rods south of Mr. Grant's house. The highway formerly passed by these houses, went through Daniel Keating's pasture, and crossed the present Weston road at the top of Orchard Hill. Elijah Hemenway built a house, No. 115, on this road just west of Wesley Barton's west line, in 1810. About seventy-five rods west of Mr. Hemenway's house, Edward Burnap built a house, No. 116, about the same time that Mr. Hemenway built. The cellar is still visible from the Orchard Hill road, looking east. Mr. Burnap was a very strong man, and did most of his cartage to and from the village on his back. It is said that at one time he started home from the vil- lage with a bushel of corn meal, a quintal of cod fish (100 lbs.) a fair sized cheese, and some other small bundles. When he got within half a mile of his house, he met a bear in the road. Laying down his small cargo, he picked up a hand-spike or lever that was lieing near by where logging had been carried on, and opened battle with the bear, killed him, and carried him home with his other goods. The bear weighed three hundred pounds, yet, ac- cording to the story, Mr. Burnap carried it with no more apparent effort than some of the young men of the present
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day exert to carry a cigarette. He was a very good natured man, and the boys had great times playing jokes on him. He had no more ingenuity than a child, and once got Martin Snell to make an axle for his ox-cart. He was asked to get the measurements, but this he could not do, so he took the cart-pole and axle on his shoulders, and carried them to Mr. Snell so that he could take the measurements himself.
About forty rods west of where Mr. Burnap built his house, Ephraim Puffer built a log house, No. 117, in 1800. It stood at the end of the road, just west of the present high-way, and a little south of the old apple orchard on Orchard Hill. Later, he moved to North Hill. Further mention will be made of him in the description of that part of the town. Luther Hayward moved into Mr.Puffer's place, and lived there several years. He was another man whom the boys liked to play tricks on. About 1830, he attended a June training, at the village, and in the after- noon having a little too much new rum down for training, the boys got his flint-lock gun, and filled it more than half full with alternate charges of powder and wadding of hemp tow, and then filled out the remainder of the barrell with wadding. When he got ready to start home, they managed to set fire to the tow, which burned very slowly, so that he got part way home before the first charge went off surprising Mr. Hayward very much. He went a little farther, and bang! went another charge, and he began to think the witches had possession of his gun, but still he went on till he reached the path where the dug-way road now is, when the third charge went off. The strength of his rum being somewhat weakened, he began to be scared at the thought that his gun was loaded for ever- lasting shooting, and hurried along as fast as he could till he was within a few rods of his home, when the last and heaviest charge exploded, and almost stood him on his head. This was too much. He threw the gun from him with all his might, shouting, "By the great Jehovah, if you witches want this gun you may have it", and ran home a sober man. Each charge of powder as it exploded, set
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