USA > Vermont > Rutland County > History of Rutland County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 83
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TOWN OF PAWLET.
turned with his family to his clearing ; he was a man of strong character and respected by all with whom he came in contact. His sons were Colonel Sam- uel Willard and Joseph Willard. Joseph had sons, Andrew, who lived and died in town; George, who removed to Castleton, and John. Others of the Willard family who lived in town were Silas, who died in Granville, N. Y., in 1859; his brother, Dr. James H., who removed to Ohio in 1830.
In briefly alluding to some of the early settlers and their descendants, we are indebted largely to the information collected by Hiel Hollister for his his- tory of Pawlet. Gideon Adams settled in 1770, where George Knights now lives, or very near there ; he became conspicuous and was in the Legislature in 1778, serving in all six years, and was town clerk and justice thirty-nine years ; died in 1827.
Timothy Allen came from Woodbury, Conn., in 1768. He was a cousin of Ethan Allen and located where David G. Blossom now lives. He was an estimable citizen, of earnest piety ; was moderator of the town meeting of 1770. Among his children was Caleb Allen, who came with his father and became a large dealer in lands ; gave the cemetery in the north part of the town to the school district in which it is situated. He died in 1804, and was succeeded on the homestead by his son, Daty, who kept the place until 1816. Timothy Allen, jr., removed to Hartford, N. Y., in 1814. He was the father of Rev. Barna Allen and Hon. Alanson Allen, who was conspicuous in the history of Fairhaven.
John Allen came from Danby and settled in the town in 1815, with his sons, Nathan and Elisha ; he died in 1852. Elisha settled on the place now owned by the widow of Albert A. Boynton, and built the brick house there. He was a leading member of the Methodist Church ; was in the Legislature four years, two of them in the Senate, and judge of the County Court three years ; town clerk nineteen years and director of the Poultney Bank several years ; he died in 1856, aged sixty-two.
John H. Andrus settled on the present "town farm " in 1820; he was a judge of the County Court and of note in the community. Captain Zebediah Andrus, from Norwich, settled in 1784 on the present homestead of David R. Smith ; he died in 1804. His son of the same name came in with his father and died in 1830. Another son of the pioneer was Asa, sen., who died in the town in 1821. Asa, jr., succeeded to his father's homestead but removed to to Lockport, N. Y., in 1821. Rev. Lemon Andrus was a son of Asa, jr. ; he was licensed to preach at West Pawlet in 1821, and removed from the town about 1830. Benjamin Andrus, son of Zebediah, jr., settled on the mountain near Rupert, and died in 1864. He had four sons and one daughter, all of whom located in that vicinity.
Joseph Armstrong settled in the northeast part of the town as early as 1776 and kept a tavern where the widow of Curtis Reed now lives, for twenty-five
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HISTORY OF RUTLAND COUNTY.
years. His sons were Jasper, Jesse and Phineas. The latter settled at the village and died in 1836.
Jonathan Arnold, from Connecticut, was an early settler, and died in Gran- ville, N. Y., in 1838. His son, Jeremiah, was an early posttrider and a deacon of the Baptist Church. He removed to Wisconsin.
General Elisha Averill, from New Milford, Conn., was one of the prominent early settlers. He was the first captain of the Light Infantry and had a store near the house where Frederick Smith lives; he removed west in 1803 and died in Manchester, N. Y., in 1821.
Remember Baker, who was so conspicuous in connection with Ethan Allen and in the early stirring events of the history of Vermont, was a proprietor and temporary resident of this town as early as 1768. He built a grist-mill where John Martin now lives, one of the earliest in town. He was killed by the Indians not long afterward, near St. Johns, Canada, at the age of thirty- five.
Elijah Baker came from Canterbury and settled in the south part of the town in 1786, with his three sons, Ebenezer, Rufus and Ichabod, all of whom had large families. He died in 18II.
Daniel Baldridge settled where Henry Smith lives, in 1785. His sons were Daniel, jr., and Edward. James, son of Edward, succeeded to the homestead and died in 1862. Most of his large family removed to Rupert, where they are prominent.
Elisha Barrett came to the town in 1804 and died in 1828; he was the father of four sons, Charles, Elijah, Elisha and Levi. Elijah remained in the town and had a large family ; two of his sons, Charles and Merritt C., died in the service.
Aaron Bennett, from Canterbury, Conn., settled about 1784 near the pres- ent residence of Evan Evans, and raised a numerous family. Samuel, a brother of Aaron, came in about the same time. Banks Bennett, of another family, settled in 1790 near the residence of Erwin Pratt ; he died in 1829.
Selah Betts, of Norfolk, Conn., settled in 1783 on the farm now owned by Willis Betts, of Poultney. He was in the Revolutionary War and died in 1826; John Betts and his brother, Selah, jr., succeeded to the homestead. The former had a family of six sons and two daughters.
James Bigart, a native of Scotland, came to this town when a boy with his father. He kept the Vermont Hotel at North Pawlet a number of years, clos- ing in 1852. He became conspicuous in horse breeding and brought out the celebrated " Rattler." He removed to Sandy Hill.
Jonathan Bidwell settled on what was known as the John Stark farm, in 1810, and died in 1839. His family consisted of one son and five daughters.
David Blakely came from Woodbury, Conn., in 1782 and settled where Frank Blakely now owns ; he became a successful and respected citizen, and
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TOWN OF PAWLET.
died in 1821. Captain, David Blakely, jr., settled where his son, Walton, now lives. He was a member of the Legislature two years and was long a deacon of the Congregational Church. He had six sons and four daughters. The oldest son became the Rev. Jacob E. Blakely and was settled over the Congre- gational Church of Poultney ; he died in 1854. The second son, Quincy, also became a minister. Dan Blakely, son of the pioneer, succeeded to the home- stead and had a family of five sons and two daughters ; he was a public spirited and influential citizen and died in 1862.
Jonathan Blakely came from Connecticut in 1785 and settled at Pawlet vil- lage ; he died in 1845, at the age of seventy.
Captain Seth Blossom, from Falmouth, Mass., settled in the town in 1783 and removed to Batavia, N. Y., in 1829. David C. Blossom came from Wells in 1816, and settled on the Timothy Allen farm. He was the father of seven children, of whom David G. is the only one remaining in town and one of the leading citizens of the community.
Hon. Jonathan Brace, of Glastenbury, Conn., settled here in 1780, where the widow of Casper Leach lives, and was probably the first attorney. He was a member of the Council of Censors in 1785, but returned to Connecticut in a few years and became a prominent man.
Daniel Branch was an early settler (1784) in the northeast part of the town, near the David Blakely place ; he died in 1822. His son, Joseph, was a prom- inent business man and ran one of the early lines of stages from Burlington to New York ; he died in 1853.
Captain Milton Brown settled in 1815 about one-half mile east of the vil- lage, and was agent of the cotton factory some thirty years; was three years in the Legislature, bank director and deacon in the Congregational Church. He removed to Potsdam, N. Y., in 1853.
Elijah Brown came from Stamford, Conn., and settled on the homestead occupied in later years by his son, Gerry ; he died in 1835, after a useful life. The son, Gerry, lived to 1864. Seely Brown, from the same place, came here in 1780 and settled in the north part of the town. He was an enterprising citizen ; gave the site of the church at West Pawlet to the society ; built at the falls near by a saw-mill and clover-mill. He died in 1809.
Deacon Benajah Bushnell was an early settler and lived west of the village on the Alonzo Smith place ; he was an honored citizen and died in 1814, at the age of seventy-one.
Nathaniel Carver located in the northwest part of the town. He had a family of seven children, and died in 1805 at the age of fifty-two; his son, John, died in 1864, aged seventy-eight ; David settled where Myron Shaw now lives; Chester L. died in the asylum for insane at Brattleboro in 1863. The family were conspicuous for their intelligence and educational require- ments.
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HISTORY OF RUTLAND COUNTY.
Dr. Lemuel Chipman, who has already been mentioned in the chapter de- voted to the medical profession, came from Connecticut in 1780 and located near where Mrs. Casper Leach lives. He belonged to a family whose deeds shed a brilliant radiance on the history of the county and State. He was the first president of the State Medical Society and was eight years in the Legis- ture. He removed to Richmond, N. Y., in 1798. Dr. Cyrus Chipman, his brother, was also a prominent figure and removed to Michigan about 1820.
The Clark families have been somewhat conspicuous in the history of the town. Elisha Clark was from Suffield, Conn., and settled in 1784 next south of the present town farm. He removed to Orwell in 1795 and lived to a great age. His sons who remained in town were Ozias, Daniel, Joseph and Asahel. Colonel Ozias Clark was a man of great energy and activity and an influential member of society ; lived about a mile east of Pawlet village; was deacon of the Congregational Church forty-seven years; one of the corporators of the Pawlet Manufacturing Company (incorporated 1814), which operated the first cotton-mill in Rutland county, and was otherwise prominent. He died in 1855, leaving a family of eight children, one of whom was Fitch Clark, who was also a leading citizen of the town and father of a large family ; another was Robert, who kept the village hotel several years, and also raised a large family. Daniel Clark, second son of Elisha, had a family of eleven children and died in 1842. Captain Joseph Clark, third son of Elisha, died in 1820, and none of his family remain in town. Asahel Clark, the other son, located on his father's place, and died in 1859; he had but one son, Ephraim F.
Hon. Aaron Clark, was a native of the town, son of David Clark, and born in 1791 ; he graduated from Union College ; was private secretary to Governor Daniel D. Tompkins and clerk of the Assembly. In 1826 he removed to New York city and was mayor in 1840-41.
Moses Cleveland settled early in the north part of the town where he passed a long life, dying in 1820. His son Asa succeeded to the homestead and died in 1864. Another son, Augustus, was a colonel in the War of 1812. Palmer Cleveland came from Salem, N. Y., became a large farmer and tanner He removed to Indiana in 1832.
Gideon Cobb came from Connecticut among the earliest settlers and brought his family ; he died in 1798. John and Joshua were his sons. The former lived near the village and the latter where Josiah Sherman lives. John removed to Orwell and Joshua to Vernon, N. Y. Josiah D. Cobb married a daughter of Ozias Clark and was a deacon in the Congregational Church from 1835 to 1847, when he removed to Wisconsin.
Titus A. Cook enjoyed the honor of being the first person born in the town, the event occurring on the 22d of July, 1768. He settled near Granville, N. Y., and died in 1827.
John Cook came from Sandisfield, Mass., and settled at an early day near
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TOWN OF PAWLET.
Sherman Weed's present residence ; he was one of the early manufacturers of lime in the town. Mahlon, John and Erasmus D. were his sons, the latter succeeding to the homestead.
John Crapo came from Massachusetts about 1814, and located where his son, Alden B., afterwards lived. He died in 1862 and was greatly respected.
Josiah Crocker, from Falmouth, Mass., settled in the north part of the town in 1783, and had a family of six sons and several daughters, to whom he gave special educational advantages; none of them resides in town. Mr. Crocker died in 1846.
Phineas and Ithamar Crouch were early settlers in the west part of the town and had families, nearly all of whom removed to other parts.
Eldad Curtis came from Connecticut at an early day and located on the place occupied in later years by Robert Stevens. His son Aaron succeeded to the homestead, and there during the War of 1812 carried on an extensive rope- walk. He removed to Ithaca.
Captain Simeon Edgerton, from Norwich, Conn., settled in 1781 in the town and was looked upon as one of its fathers, having had ninety-five de- scendants at the time of his death in 1809. He located on the place now owned by Richard Lane. Five sons, Jedediah, Jacob, John, Simeon and David, with eight daughters, came with him. He became a prominent citizen and was in the Legislature two years. Jedediah removed to Moriah, N. Y., in 1803. Ja- cob settled in this town and was the father of ten children, one of whom is the venerable Jacob Edgerton of Rutland ; Jacob's other sons were Sheldon, Hi- ram, Abraham, George and David. John, son of Simeon, settled on the home- stead afterward occupied by his son Charles F .; he was town clerk ten years from 1815, and died in 1827. Captain Simeon, jr., succeeded to his father's homestead. He was a deacon in the Congregational Church and held a num- ber of offices, dying in 1862 ; his sons were Porter and John G. Sheldon Ed- gerton and Charles F. were both sent to the Legislature by their townsmen, and were influential citizens.
Abiathar Evans was a prominent soldier in the Revolution and died in 1831. He has a number of descendants living in this vicinity. Zadoc Everest was another Revolutionary patriot and a representative in the first Legislature of the State in 1778. William Fairfield was the second settler in the town and as such received a gratuity of thirty acres of land ; but he espoused the royal cause and his property was confiscated and he sought refuge in Canada.
Dr. Jonas Fay passed the later years of his life here and was an honored citizen. He was contemporary with Ethan Allen and his associates and one of the founders of the State; was clerk of the Council of Safety ; clerk of the convention of 1777 that declared Vermont a free state, and a supreme court judge. He lived in the north part of the town.
Colonel William Fitch was one of the earliest settlers and most prominent
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HISTORY OF RUTLAND COUNTY.
citizens of the town. He was employed by the Council of Safety to furnish supplies for the troops raised to repel the invasion of Burgoyne. He owned the first saw and grist-mills built at the village by William Bradford, and also kept the first store in town ; the village was known on early maps as " Fitch's Mills." He died in 1798. His children were John, Sina, Anna, Rachel, Sibel, Abial and Margaret.
Daniel Fitch, from Norwich, Conn., was another early settler (1784), lo- cating where William Moore now owns, in the east part of the town. He died in 1809, leaving nine children ; his sons removed to other loealities, excepting Daniel, jr., who located where Lucius M. Carpenter lived in later years; he had three sons.
Joseph Fitch, of another family of this name, came from Norwich, Conn., and settled in town in 1776. He became one of the foremost citizens and ex- erted a large influence for the good of the community. He had seven children, most of whom settled in the town, and died in 1830, aged eighty-four. His son Ephraim was a prominent citizen ; was in the Legislature three years; built the brick tavern at the village, which he kept, and also carried on milling and mercantile business. He was instantly killed in 1813 while cutting ice from his wheel. His son Dorastus was long an active business man in the village and mainly instrumental in erecting the Pawlet Academy ; was postmaster nine- teen years and died in 1860. Rev. Ferris Fitch was another son who removed to Ohio. Captain Benjamin Fitch, another son of Joseph, lived on the farm with his father ; was a leader in the Democratic party in early years and a very popular man ; he died in 1823. Asahel settled at the village and carried on tanning till he removed west in 1824, and Silas was a merchant and removed to Michigan about 1840.
Zebulon Gibbs, who died in 1855, was an early settler near West Pawlet ; and Gideon Gifford, from Massachusetts, came in 1792; served through the Revolution ; his son, Captain Noah, served in the War of 1812 and spent his life in town. Samuel Goodspeed from Barnstable, Mass., settled here in 1790, raised a large family, and died in 1844; his son, Zenas, succeeded to the home- stead and died in 1863. Ebenezer Giles, a Revolutionary soldier, settled in 1807 near West Pawlet ; he kept a store in the village in 1816 and died in 1838. Beriah Green, from Randolph in 1815, settled in town and some of the members of his numerous family became very prominent. The Rev. Be- riah Green, jr., graduated at Middlebury College and was conspicuous in the anti-slavery agitation ; and his brother, Jonathan S., became a missionary.
Major Sylvanus Gregory came from Suffield, Conn., in 1790 and lived in the village where Damon Wheeler now owns; he carried on the hatter's busi- ness here ; his family comprised eight children, the oldest son, Silas, remaining in the town through a long life.
Rev. John Griswold, of Lebanon, N. H., came into the town in 1792 and
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TOWN OF PAWLET.
succeeded Rev. Lewis Beebe as pastor of the Congregational Church in 1793 ; he died in 1852. His son Harry was town clerk here from 1846 to his death in 1848, at the age of fifty-two.
William Hanks settled early, coming from Suffield, Conn. His sons who located here were Oliver, Jonah and Arunah. Oliver held the position of jus- tice fifty-one years and was much respected ; was also in the Legislature four years ; his son Galusha settled at West Pawlet. Joseph operated the grist- mill which his father built on the Pawlet River, but removed to West Virginia in 1816. Arunah succeeded to the homestead ; he was the father of seventeen children and died in 1830.
Joseph Hascall came from Bennington in 1787, and became a man of prominence in the town. Of his family of ten children several attained posi- tions of honor which they were enabled to reach through the excellent advant- ages given them by their parents.
Ashbel Hollister came from Glastenbury in 1781. He was in the Revolu- tionary War ; his sons were Ashbel W., Orange, David, A. Sidney, Horace, Harvey, Hiel, and a daughter, Mary. Of these, Hiel Hollister spent his life in the town as a farmer, school-teacher and merchant, and is the father of six children. He is the author of the history of Pawlet, published in 1867, and now lives in Granville, N. Y. Other settlers of this name were Innett Hollis- ter, who came here in 1781 and became prominent ; held several town offices and was in the Legislature three years from 1816; had six children and died in 1844; and Elijah Hollister, who located in the northwest part of the town in 1782; he removed to Alleghany county, N. Y., and died about 1840.
Daniel Hulett came from Killingly, Conn., in 1780 and settled about two and a half miles east of the village ; he took part in the battle of Saratoga, was an industrious man and accumulated a handsome property ; he died in 1838, leaving three sons, Paul, Daniel and Joshua, and seven daughters. Paul was also a large land owner and located near the village in 1820; he had a family of nine children and died in 1845. Daniel Hulett, jr., settled near his father ; had ten children, of whom Tobias succeeded to the homestead; he died in 1836. Joshua settled in the east part of the town, where he died in 1858. Joshua, jr., also spent his life in the town.
Ephraim Jones came from Plainfield, Conn., in 1790 and located where G. W. Burt now lives ; he had a family of eleven children, most of whom left the town. Two of his sons, Joel and Asa S., carried on woolen manufacture sev- eral years in the mill afterwards owned by Enoch Colvin. He died in 1839, at the age of sixty-nine.
James Leach, from Canterbury, Conn., came in about 1780. He was a conspicuous man in the councils of the town and was sent to the Legislature three years. He died in 1835. His son, Lovell, succeeded to the homestead (where Mr. Young now lives), and lived to a good old age. Another son, 45
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HISTORY OF RUTLAND COUNTY.
James, was in the Legislature in 1859-60, and a prominent citizen ; and Eben- ezer, the third son, became one of the wealthiest men in the community.
Oliver Loomis, from East Windsor, Conn., in 1785, settled where Orla Loomis now lives. He died in 1837. His son Gideon located on the same farm and had six children, of whom Orla is one.
Captain Abner Lumbard settled in 1784 where Charles E. Taylor lives, coming from Brimfield, Mass., and engaged in the cloth-dressing business ; he died in 1861, having had six children, of whom Chester lived in the village and was a manufacturer.
James Maher settled about 1783 where Samuel Culver now resides ; he died in 1824. His son William was one of the first manufacturers of cut nails in the country.
Cornwell Marks came from Glastenbury, Conn., in 1785, and died in 1857. Of their five children William espoused Mormonism. Ira, another son, settled at West Pawlet, kept a store and operated a starch factory and stocking fac- tory.
Captain Asa Meacham settled in the village in 1781, but removed to Rich- land, N. Y., in 1804. Captain Abraham Meacham came here in 1787, and removed later to the West.
Captain Josiah Monroe came from Canterbury, Conn., in 1784, and located where the widow of A. A. Monroe now lives. His brother Jesse also came about the same time and settled where E. S. Soullard now lives. The former died in 1846, in the esteem of the community, and his son William succeeded to the homestead. Asa A. Monroe was in the Legislature in 1856-57. Jesse removed to Poultney and died in 1858.
Theron Norton was one of the successful merchants at West Pawlet and became wealthy ; removed to Chicago about 1834.
Timothy Nye, from Falmouth, Mass., settled in 1783 at the foot of Hay- stack Mountain, where James Alexander lives ; he died in 1847, his son Na- thaniel succeeding to the homestead.
Colonel Stephen Pearl settled early in the south part of the town, where he kept a store and tavern. He was in command of the force gathered to sup- press the " Rebellion " at Rutland in 1786 ; he removed to Burlington in 1794 and died in 1816.
John Penfield came to this town from Pittsford in 1803 ; he belonged to a prominent family ; had twelve children and was deacon in the Congregational Church; removed to Whitehall in 1840. Simeon Pepper came from New Braintree, Mass., in 1783, and settled in the west part of the town. He died in 1822, having had six children ; Simeon, jr., who died in 1851 ; John settled near his father; Chauncey P. located at West Pawlet and was a brick maker ; was the father of seven children.
Deacon Moses Porter came to Vermont in 1780 from Connecticut, and
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TOWN OF PAWLET.
settled on a farm of Frederick S. Weed. He was in the Revolutionary War under General Putnam and won his major's commission at Bemis's Heights. He died in 1803. His son, Deacon Joseph Porter, succeeded to his father's estate, and became an influential citizen ; he died in 1840.
Captain William Potter located at an early day where his son Joshua now lives ; he died in 1863 ; his son Samuel also settled in this town and practiced medicine several years.
Captain James Pratt settled in 1792 where Ervin Pratt now resides; he came from Ware, Mass., originally, and from Halifax to this town. He was an officer in the Revolutionary War and one of the most respected citizens of the town ; he died in 1834. His son Ervin has also received evidences of the confidence and esteem of his townsmen; was sent to the Legislature in 1863- 64, and evinced a great interest in the welfare of our soldiers in the field.
Simeon Reed, from Duchess county, N. Y., 1776, settled on a farm now owned by Daniel Brown in the northeast part of the town. He was a minute- man at Ticonderoga at the time of Burgoyne's invasion. He was the father of twelve children and died in 1840. Stephen settled near his father and was a prominent citizen ; the same may be said of Silas Reed. Jedediah Reed, from New London, Conn., in 1770, settled in the northeast part and was also a Rev- olutionary soldier. Isaac Reed located in the southeast part of the town and died about 1850. He was in the Revolution.
Captain Nathaniel Robinson came from Attleboro, Mass., in 1812; he had been in the Revolution and held commissions. He, in connection with his sons, was the first to establish cotton spinning by machinery in this county. He died in 1841. Jonathan, his son, died in 1862. Nathaniel, jr., was pos- sessed of great mechanical skill and was machinist for the cotton factory for thirty years, building much of the complicated machinery himself.
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