USA > Vermont > Rutland County > History of Rutland County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 84
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Captain Ephraim Robinson came from Windham, Conn., in 1785, and set- tled about two miles southwest of the village. He became a prominent citizen and died in 1843, his son, Ephraim, jr., taking the homestead ; the latter died in 1857. Richard, a brother of the elder Ephraim, settled west of the latter and died in 1838. Abel was another brother who located in the same neigh- borhood.
Ebenezer Rollin located near the Frary bridge about 1800, and carried on the tanning business ; he removed to Johnsburg, N. Y., about 1820.
Major Roger Rose settled before 1770 in the south part of the town; he was one of the delegates to the Dorset convention of 1776,2and died about 1 800.
George Rush, from Schoharie, N. Y., settled in the east part of the town and died in 1820 at the great age of one hundred and ten years ; he had two sons.
Captain Seth Sheldon came from Suffield, Conn., in 1782 and located half
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HISTORY OF RUTLAND COUNTY.
a mile east of the village ; he was a leading citizen and had a large family of children, who removed away in later years. Captain Seth, jr., succeeded to the homestead and removed to Chautauqua county, N. Y., about 1831.
Joel Simonds came from Massachusetts about 1780 ; he was father of a large family and died in 1821. He lived on the Bigart place and kept a tavern there, afterward removing to the place now owned by Ossian Simonds. Joel, jr., succeeded to the homestead ; was a leading citizen and gave his nine chil- dren unusual educational advantages ; he died in 1850. Colonel Benjamin Simonds, a brother of the senior Joel, was in command of the military post in this town in 1777.
Captain Nathaniel Smith came here with several brothers at an early day. He was in the Legislature in 1795-96, and died in 1807. His brothers left the town early. Captain Benoni Smith settled in 1781 were Marshall Brown lives. He was the means of bringing a large number of settlers to the town and con- tributed in other ways to the growth of the place. He built a grist and saw- mill on his premises soon after his arrival, and died in 1799. His son, Josiah, settled where Horatio Hollister lives and was a leading citizen and the father of ten children. Another son, Reuben, located near his father, and kept one of the early taverns.
Captain John Stark came here prior to 1770; was a leading citizen and a large landholder and settled on the farm of Mr. Hammond; he was a cousin of General Stark and commanded a company in the battle of Hubbardton ; was one of the first judges appointed in the State (in 1788). He removed to Grand Isle about 1800 and was soon afterward instantly killed by the kick of a horse.
Peter Stevens came from Glastenbury, Conn., in 1783 and located where Myron Shaw lives ; was one of a family of fourteen children, and died in 1838. His brother Jonathan located in that vicinity and was considered the father of the woolen manufacturing business of the town. In 1812 he, in company with John Strong, erected the first woolen-mill in town at West Pawlet. In 1832 he built a large mill on Pawlet River, which was burned about 1850. He then removed to Granville where he operated a mill several years and was succeeded by his son, Robert R. He died in 1865. Another brother in this family succeeded to his father's estate and built the mansion now occupied by Mr. Shaw. He removed to Granville about 1852.
Return Strong came from Suffield, Conn., in 1784 and died in this town in 1807. His son Phineas settled at the village and carried on a mercantile busi- ness, gaining the esteem of his townsmen ; he was sent to the Legislature two years and died in 1839. Phineas's son, Martin D., succeeded to his father's business, was postmaster four years and town clerk six years. He removed to Michigan in 1854. Return Strong, jr., also carried on mercantile business at the village ; was in the Legislature three years and deputy sheriff several years.
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TOWN OF PAWLET.
Captain Timothy Strong came from Connecticut about 1810; became a very enterprising citizen and was instrumental in starting the breeding of Merino sheep in this town. John Strong, from Glastenbury, settled at West Pawlet and was engaged in woolen manufacture. He removed to Sandy Hill, N. Y.
Samuel Taylor was one of the early blacksmiths at the village and followed the occupation some fifty years. He was from Springfield, Mass., in 1780, and lived on the place now occupied by Earl Danforth. He had five sons, all brought up to the same business.
He died in 1844.
Josiah Toby came from Falmouth, Mass., in 1783 and settled in the north part of the town. He was father of seven children and died in 1843. Colonel Josiah, jr., succeeded to the homestead ; held the office of justice and was much esteemed. He died in 1863. Reuben Toby, from the same place in the same year, settled three miles north of the village; was one of the first deacons of the Baptist Church and removed to Pittsford, N. Y., in 1850.
Seth Viets came from Granby, Conn., in 1780 and settled in the west part of the town ; he died in 1823 and his son of the same name succeeded to the homestead and had a large family.
Alpheus Wade came from Rhode Island in 1785 and settled near the cen- ter of the town. He was the father of a large family to whom he gave ex- ceptional educational advantages ; they all removed from the town.
David Weeks, from Hardwick, Mass, in 1801, settled south of the village and conducted a tannery more than fifty years, the latter part of the time with his sons, Rich and Seth B. His son Salmon carried on tanning for a time at the village. Samuel Weeks also come from Hardwick in 1801, spent his life and raised a large family in the town.
Daniel Welch, from Norwich, Conn., was one of the earliest settlers in the town and located on the present town farm ; he removed to Mendon, N. Y., in 1822.
Edmund Whedon, one of the substantial citizens of the town, came here from Connecticut in 1787, locating where John Ayres now lives. He was an enterprising man and contributed largely to the advancement of West Pawlet, where he erected some of the first mills in the town; he removed to Cayuga county, N. Y., in 1815. His brother Ansel settled south of Edmund and ac- cumulated a large property ; he died in 1826. David Whedon settled on the Edmund Whedon homestead and was an esteemed citizen ; he died in 1858. His son, David, jr., kept a store at the village from 1843 to 1854, the latter part of the time with Hiram Wickham, and removed to Albion in the last named year.
Isaac Wickman, from Glastenbury, settled in the town in 1799, and became a man of commanding influence ; he died in 1835. His son, Hiram, was town clerk many years and a director in the Battenkill Bank.
On an earlier page we have briefly alluded to Jonathan Willard, one of the
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HISTORY OF RUTLAND COUNTY.
proprietors of the town. Of his sons, Colonel Samuel and family left the town and settled mostly in northern New York. Joseph died in 1829. His' son, Andrew, passed a long life in the town. Silas Willard settled at the village, but died in Granville, N. Y., in 1859.
Andrew Winchester came from New Lebanon, Conn., in 1786 and settled where Norman Winchester now lives; Norman is his son. Joel was another son, who was an estimable citizen of the town and died in 1846.
David Wood, from Plymouth, Mass., in 1792, located near where Silas Wood now lives, and died in 1836. His son, Luther B., succeeded to the homestead and had a numerous family ; he died in 1865.
Henry Wooster, from Connecticut, settled where John Wiseman now lives, in 1780 ; he died in about 1820, leaving two sons, Henry and Amos ; the lat- ter succeeded to the homestead and had a family of twelve children. He died in 1836.
Samuel Wright settled early in the town and was a noted hunter and trap- per. His son, Samuel, jr., settled near his father and became an influential man. He built a linseed oil-mill in 1814, and removed to Michigan about 1850.
The foregoing embrace most of the names of those to whose efforts in the early years the present generation are indebted for the building up of the town and the advancement of all of its varied interests. Of others who settled in the town of whom still briefer mention must suffice, were the following : Har- vey Baker, who came from Arlington about 1826, and kept a store south of the village with Dr. Nathan Judson, and afterwards at the village; removed to Oswego, N. Y. Lemuel Barden, who came from Dighton, Mass., about 1814 succeeded Ephraim Fitch in the brick hotel at the village, which he kept until about 1830; he died in 1869. Consider S. Bardwell, from Shelburn, Mass., in 1834, became one of the leading farmers of the town. Robert Blakely, who came into the town about 1832, without 'capital, and by close application to the woolen manufacturing industry acquired a competency. Captain Jeremiah Bushee, a tailor of the village more than forty years; was selectman ten years and much respected. Horace Clark settled in the mercantile business in the village in 1829; was postmaster four years and a leading citizen. Rufus P. Conant, from Enfield, N. H., 1811, settled at West Pawlet and was engaged in the cloth-dressing business ; removed to Wisconsin. Nathaniel Hill, who came from New York city, lived mostly in the village and died in 1830; his son, of the same name, spent his life in the village. Ashbel Hurlbut came here in 1810 and was a respected citizen and devoted to the cause of education ; he died in 1828. Captain James Jones, from Granville, settled at West Pawlet, where he passed his long life. Joseph Jones, an early settler from Greenwich, Mass., died in 1816; his son of the same name passed a useful life in the town. George H. Purple kept a store in the village in connection with Reed Edger- ton, closing in 1830 ; he removed to Ohio.
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TOWN OF PAWLET.
Following the war of the Revolution and settlement of all local difficulties, the inhabitants of this town, in common with those of other localities, turned their undivided attention to the improvement of their homes and the develop- ment of business. This continued without serious interruption until the events which led to the War of 1812 created a feeling of uneasiness in this locality ; and when the war came, the inhabitants of Pawlet did not hesitate to take up arms against their old enemy, Great Britain. In Mr. Hollister's history of the town he gives the names of thirty-five citizens of the town who went into the army in that struggle, several of whom held important offices.
Agriculture was, of course, the chief occupation of the early settlers ; but the prosperity of the entire State received a severe check by the remarkable cold summer of 1816, in which there was frost every month in the year and crops were almost a total failure. There was considerable suffering in this town ; but it was greatly mitigated by the generosity of the benevolent, who aided their poorer neighbors.
The early inhabitants made wheat-growing their principal agricultural pur- suit for a number of years; but this gave way to the coarser grains, which yielded more abundant harvests ; the working up of these led to the introduc- tion of distilleries, which, with the manufacture of potash, received considerable attention in this town ; they were the earliest manufactures. The growing of sheep gave a large wool product and the introduction of carding- machines and cloth-dressing machines followed ; one of the latter was running in West Pawlet by Walter Jennings as early as 1812. Jonathan Stevens and John Strong built a woolen factory at West Pawlet in 1812, the first in town, and fulling-mills were in operation, probably before that time at the village. Other factories and mills have been noted in our mention of the early settlers. There have been in all seven grist-mills in town; the first on Wells Brook, built by Re- member Baker about 1768; the next one at the village about the same time, built by William Bradford ; the next built by Colonel Samuel Willard on the site of the "Red mill" in 1783; another on the Pawlet River by Captain Benoni Smith; the next built by William Hanks about 1790 near the Frary bridge; the next located near where Smith Hitt lived, built by Seth Blossom, Ashbel Hollister and Safford Hascall; and one at West Pawlet, built by Ed- mund Whedon. There have also been six or eight saw-mills in the town.
There were trip hammers in early years on Wells Brook, by William Ma- her; on Flower Brook, by Nathaniel Robinson ; and on Indian River by C. S. Bardwell, the latter for the making of edge tools.
There have been five distilleries in town, operated respectively by Dorastus Fitch, at the village ; by Theron Norton at West Pawlet; one by Leonard Ut- ley ; one near the center of the town by John Edgerton, and one by a Mr. Savage; all abandoned many years ago.
Hats were manufactured in the village by Major Sylvanus Gregory and
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HISTORY OF RUTLAND COUNTY.
his son, Silas, and a stocking factory was operated by Ira Marks. Palmer Cleveland & Sons introduced extensive machinery for dressing hemp and flax and did a large business for several years. A mill for making potato starch was built by Ira Marks on Indian River about 1843. Nearly all of these man- ufacturing operations have, by the changes in demand and supply, in processes of manufacture and through railroad communication with distant markets, been abandoned.
In November, 1814, was incorporated the Pawlet Manufacturing Company, the corporators being John Guild, Ozias Clark, John Penfield, jr., Jonathan Rob- inson, Nathaniel Robinson, jr., William C. Robinson, Napthali Guild, David Rich- ardson, D. Wilmarth and Daniel Fitch. In 1815 the company erected a large building, seventy by thirty-six feet and three stories high, for the manufactur- ing of cotton cloth. 860 spindles and sixteen looms were employed. A store was connected with the factory ; but the enterprise failed within a few years and the machinery was taken away, and the building demolished.
The Flower Brook Manufacturing Company was incorporated in 1836 for the manufacture of woolen goods. A large building was erected at the village and ample machinery introduced. The factory was operated by agents five or six years, when John M. Clark bought out the stock-holders, ran the factory a year or two, when it finally failed. This building was also taken down and the machinery sold.
Schools. - In matters of education of the young this town has shown cred- itable interest. There have been seventeen school districts in the town ; but at the present time there are only fifteen and schools kept in but eleven of these. A commodious brick edifice was erected near the village for the estab- lishment of a grammar school and the higher branches were taught there until 1845, when the building was burned. Among its preceptors were Messrs. Barber, Smith, Meeker, Ira M. Allen, Mervin Allen, John Stuart and Lamson Miner. When the Methodist Church on the hill was vacated by the society in 1854 it was fitted up for an academy, with Rev. Jason F. Walker as its first principal. The present academy was erected about 1869, at a cost of $4,500, and is located at West Pawlet. This institution has been of great value to the cause of education. A. H. Cook is at present at the head of the institution. About seventy-four pupils attend it, on the average.
Ecclesiastical. - The First Congregational Church of Pawlet was organized August 8, 1781, under the auspices of Rev. David W. Perry, with six mem- bers. Dr. Lewis Beebe, then of Arlington, was the first settled pastor, being ordained June 15, 1787. The First Church was erected about 1785, and when this became too small for the needs of the society, another and more commodi- ous edifice was erected on the hill north of the village; this stood until about 1842. At about this time the present edifice was erected. The Rev I. W. Peach is the present pastor of the society.
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TOWN OF PAWLET.
The First Baptist Church (located at West Pawlet) was organized on the first Monday in May, 1790, by its first pastor, Elder Brown. In the year 1800 a church was erected by the West Pawlet Meeting-house Company. Elder Isaac Beall was settled over the church in 1801 and in the following year a parsonage was built. This society was dissolved in 1831.
The Methodist Episcopal Church at Pawlet was organized in 1826, though a class was in existence before the beginning of the present century. The so- ciety was organized with about one hundred members, by Rev. Daniel Bray- ton. At about the same time the brick church was erected near the cemetery. In 1853 the present structure was built at a cost of $5,000, and the society is flourishing. Rev. F. Cameron is the present pastor.
The Second Baptist Church in the town was organized in 1826. This so- ciety owed its origin to the fact that the First Baptist Church (from which its first members came) had not for years been in fellowship with any other body. About the year 1848 the organization dissolved, and in 1852 the present soci- ety was organized under the auspices of Eder A. Wait. The church was built the same year and was used until 1880, when it was burned, and the present edifice erected in 1881. The society is at present ministered to by Rev. A. G. Chick, of Hebron, N. Y., who preaches on Sabbath afternoons.
Protestant Methodist Church. - This society was organized in 1832, on Pawlet Mountain. It continued in existence about twenty-three years, when it was dissolved on account of the removal of many of its prominent members.
In 1831 a society called the Church of the Disciples was formed under the guidance of Elder Worden P. Reynolds. In 1847 they built a church at West Pawlet where meetings have been held since, but not with regularity.
The Welsh residents of this town have a Presbyterian society and erected a church in 1882. A preacher from Granville ministers to the congregation. Another society composed of this nationality is Congregational in creed and have services in the academy.
Physicians. - Of the early physicians in this town we may mention Eliel Todd and Abishai Moseley, who were probably the first. Dr. Jonathan Saf- ford succeeded them, coming from Bennington in 1793 ; he continued in suc- cessful practice until his death in 1821. He had a large family. Drs. Lemuel and Cyrus Chipman were the first physicians in the south part of the town and were eminent in their profession ; both removed from the town. Dr. John Sar- gent, from Mansfield, Conn., came into this town in 1798, as the successor of Lemuel Chipman and became distinguished in practice ; he was the first presi- dent of the first Rutland County Medical Society ; was captain of the Light Ar- tillery of 1802 and promoted to the rank of colonel; was in the Legislature in 1803; died in 1843. Dr. John Sargent, jr., practiced several years here and in adjoining towns. Dr. Samuel Potter practiced here and in Wells several years at an early date and was very skillful. Dr. Warren A. Cowdry practiced
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HISTORY OF RUTLAND COUNTY.
here in 1815 ; removed to Leroy, N. Y., and espoused Mormonism. Dr. John L. Chandler was here for a time, and Dr. James H. Willard practiced here a few years ago and removed to Ohio in 1830. Isaac Monroe, Aaron Goodspeed, Charles Houghton, Phineas Strong, jr., all practiced here for longer or shorter periods. Dr. Rensselaer G. Monroe came from Granville in 1853 and practiced until 1866 at West Pawlet ; he removed to Rutland. Dr. A. Sidney Hough- ton came from Ellisburg, N. Y., in 1844 and settled at the village where he practiced many years ; he was in the Legislature in 1861-62.
The present physicians are Drs. Warren B. Sargent and H. L. Manchester. The former is a son of Dr. John Sargent and was born in June, 1803, in this town. He studied with the Vermont Academy of Medicine as it was then styled, and with private practitioners; received his diploma November 14, 1825 ; began practice in Michigan in 1827 and came to Pawlet in 1830. He has been very successful in his profession and enjoys the unqualified confidence of the community.
Dr. H. L. Manchester was born in Hampton, Washington county, N. Y., December 28, 1855 ; was educated at Castleton Seminary and studied medi- cine with Dr. Wakefield, of Fairhaven, and in the University of New York, graduating in 1879. He began practice in Pawlet in June, 1879.
Dr. J. B. Gilman, of West Pawlet, was born in February, 1852, in Salem, Washington county, N. Y .; studied three years with Dr. Leroy McLean, of Troy ; was two years in the Albany Medical College and graduated at the Uni- versity of Vermont ; was given his diploma in June, 1884; came to Pawlet in June, 1885.
Attorneys. - The legal profession in this town in early years was repre- sented by such men as Jonathan Brace, Israel Smith, Noah Smith and Truman Squier. Jonathan Brace was a conspicuous citizen and an able lawyer ; but returned to Connecticut in a few years. Israel Smith removed to Rutland and Noah Smith to Bennington. Truman Squier removed to Manchester after some twenty years practice here. Daniel Church practiced law here for a time, as did also Nathaniel Hunt and Nathaniel Hamblin, both of whom removed to Ohio. Nathaniel Harmon was one of the leading lawyers of the county and practiced in this town more than forty years. He might have held high office, but his tastes did not lead him into the political field. He died in 1845. Dr. Oliver L. Harmon was his son, and George W., another son, became an attor- ney and removed to Bennington.
Fayette Potter, born September 1, 1823, was educated at Union College. He studied law with George W. Harmon and was admitted to practice in 1847 ; since that date he has been in successful business in Pawlct.
J. B. Bromley was in practice in Pawlet a number of years and with him D. W. Bromley, born July 20, 1837, studied the profession. He was admitted in March, 1859. His failing health has forced him to relinquish active practice.
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TOWN OF PAWLET.
Present Town Officers. - Town clerk, O. Bushee; treasurer, F. S. Weed ; selectmen, M. C. Jones, M. Brown and D. W. Bromley ; constable and collec- tor, E. I. Vail; second constable, Wayland Johnson ; listers, L. Johnson, Olin Parris, J. M. Shaw ; auditors, A. S. Whitcomb, D. W. Bromley, S. S. Brown ; trustee, Fayette Potter ; fence viewers, James Goodspeed, Frank, Vail, Arthur Taylor ; town grand jurors, George Knight, George W. Beecher ; inspector of leather, W. B. Miller ; pound-keeper, George W. Knight; surveyor of wood and shingles, Orla Loomis; town agent, Leonard Johnson ; superintendent of schools, Helen M. Bromley.
The following figures show the population of this town at the different dates given : 1791, 1,458; 1800, 1,938 ; 1810, 2,233; 1820, 2,155; 1830, 1,965; 1840, 1,748; 1850, 1,843 ; 1860, 1,559; 1870, 1,505; 1880, 1,698.
In the Rebellion. - This town was represented in nearly every organization that went out of the State to aid in suppressing the Southern Rebellion, and in many New York State regiments. These volunteers nobly sustained the pa- triot teachings of the forefathers, and did their share in sustaining the princi- ples of the government in its time of trial. The following record shows the names of the volunteers of this town in Vermont regiments, as nearly correct as it can now be made : -
Volunteers for three years credited previous to the call for 300,000 volun- teers of October 17, 1863 .- John Adams, co. E, 7th regt .; Michael Agan, co. G, 7th regt .; Thomas Agan, capt. 20th Mass .; Isaac H. Alexander, co. G, 5th regt .; Merritt C. Barrett, Royal C. Bostwick, co. H, cav .; Harvey C. Beebe, co. D, 7th regt .; Hiram Blossom, co. C, 2d regt .; Noble C. Bostwick, co. E, 5th regt .; Charles W. Bourne, Leroy S. Bushie, co. C, 11th regt .; David Buffam, co. B, 9th regt .; Willard Comstock, co. D, 7tl regt .; Simon E. Cook, co. C, IIth regt .; Miles H. Delong, Frederick Folger, co. E, 5th regt .; John M. Frisbie, co. B, 9th regt .; Robert Gallop, co. D, 7th regt .; James R. Gibbs, co. E, 2d s. s .; Sheldon A. Hall, co. E, 5th regt .; Francis D, Hammond, co. I, 5th regt .; George G. Hanks, co. I, 7th regt .; Justis W. Harwood, co. C, 2d regt .; James Hoy, co. C, roth regt .; Charles B. Hyde, co. H, 2d s. s .; George John- son, co. M, IIth regt .; James Lackey, co. E, 5th regt .; Charles M. Kingsley, Patrick McGrath, Thomas C. Mosier, co. D, 7th regt .; John McGrath, co. H, 2d s. s .; Sylvanus McWain, co. D, 7th regt .; Atherton Monroe, co. H, 2d s. s .; Asa L. Monroe, co. L, 11th regt .; Francis Murray, Calvin S. Nichols, co. E, 5th regt .; Edward Nye, co. B, 9th regt .; Chauncey H. Robinson, co. D, 7th regt .; Charles Scott, John Scott, Amyel B. Searles, Oliver Searles, co. E, 5th regt .; Francis R. Shaw, co. C, IIth regt .; George W. Taylor, co. B, 2d regt .; Chipman J. Tobey, co. H, 2d s. s .; Chester M. Vail, co. D, 7th regt .; Daniel D. Warren, Ira C. Warren, co. H, cav .; George M. Warren, co. H, 2d s. s .; Edwin L. Waters, co. C, IIth regt .; Benjamin R. Wheeler, co. B, 2d regt .; John Wheeler, co. C, 5th regt .; James W. White, co. H, cav .; Reuben H.
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