History of Rutland County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 86

Author: Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925. 1n; Rann, William S
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., D. Mason & co.
Number of Pages: 1170

USA > Vermont > Rutland County > History of Rutland County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 86

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Volunteers re-enlisted. - William H. Breed, co. A, 17th regt.

Not credited by name, one man.

Volunteers for nine months. - Lucian J. Archer, Lester L. Baird, co. H, 14th regt .; Oliver P. Blaisdell, co. H, 16th regt .; Willard W. Blanchard, John M. Brown, co. A, 16th regt .; Charles L. Doty, Amos Ellis, co. H, 14th regt .; Amos M. Hall, co. A, 16th regt .; Albert Noyes, co. H, 14th regt .; Guilford Parmenter, Darius Ranney, Robert C. West, Albert H. Whitney, co. A, 16th regt.

Furnished under draft and paid commutation. - Silas R. Avery, Daniel Brown, George L. Nichols, Alden Pinney, Seth L. Warren.

ECCLESIASTICAL.

Congregational Church. - The first church formed in Pittsfield, the Con- gregational, completed its organization on the 17th of September, 1803. It owes its origin to the efforts of the Rev. Martin Fuller, of Royalton. The first membership numbered sixteen persons, viz., Nathaniel Stone, Nathan Stone, Levi Partridge, Asa Gilbert, Isaac Eddy, Betsey Eddy, John Gaius, Ruth Gaius, Daniel Bow, Rhoda Stone, Molly Blossom, Hannah Gilbert, Molly Bow, Eliz- abeth Durkee, Rebecca Stone and Lydia Hayden, some of whom were residents of Stockbridge. Preaching was procured from various clergymen by various means. Rev. Archibald Campbell and Elder Rich were among the most prom- inent of the early preachers. In 1820 the church and society erected a neat little house of worship at a cost of $1,000, and occupied it as it was until the year 1859. Then, through the instrumentality of the Rev. Mr. Scott, pastor, the house was repaired and substantially rebuilt. Among the pastors of the church have been Rev. Phineas Randall, who, in Ohio, initiated and conducted

725

TOWN OF PITTSFIELD.

to a successful termination a spirited revival. Revs. John Suddard, Daniel O. Morton, Daniel Rockwell, Asa Putney, Samuel Sparhawk, Benjamin Abbott, J. B. Clark, Mr. Duncan, Abel Patten, A. W. Weld, A. S. Swift and J. B. Clark the second time. There is no pastor in the church at present. The officers are, Arunah Allen, deacon ; Arunah Allen and John G. Allen, church com- mittee ; Sunday-school superintendent, John G. Allen. The church property is valued at about $3,000.

Methodist Church. - About the year 1805 Joseph Crawford began preach- ing the doctrines of Calvin in Pittsfield, and soon succeeded in organizing a church. Meetings were held in private houses until Edward Rollins, of the Christian denomination, came here and by his efforts virtually disbanded the Methodist and organized therefrom a Christian church. In a few years, how- ever, the excitement of the new faith abated, the Methodist organization re- vived, and erected a church edifice, which they occupied until 1859, when the old house was sold, removed, and converted into a town hall, its present use. A new edifice was at once erected on the old site. In 1882, a spire was added to the building, and in the summer of 1885 was thoroughly repaired and re- furnished. Rev. Ira Beard was one of the most influential of their pastors. Of late years the Conference has sent Revs. Moses Adams, C. Dingman, A. T. Farley, W. S. Smithers. The present officers of the church are C. A. Brown, class leader ; Lyman Parmenter, J. A. Parmenter, and C. A. Brown, stewards. George McCollum, Sunday-school superintendent. The present membership of the church numbers about eighty, and the averages attendance at Sunday- school is about seventy. The church property is valued at about $3,500, in- cluding the parsonage.

Mercantile Interests. - Frank Durkee has been dealer in dry goods and groceries here since January, 1881. Before that for nearly two years he kept a store in the Vose House. His predecessor in the present building, C. B. George, had traded here about three years. Prior to his occupancy of the house, Ira Holt, jr., had run a store in the same building for eight or ten years. He bought of T. C. Hubbard, who had carried on the business four or five years, as successors to Ira Beard. Beard was here many years. His prede- cessors were J. O. A. Bass and " Perk " Flint, who traded under the name of Bass & Flint.

The building occupied as a general store by C. B. George was built by him in the summer of 1881.

John Rockwell has dealt in groceries, flour and meat since the fall of 1884.

The lumber business has been carried on extensively for a number of years, . and several saw-mills, notably those of Dr. C. W. Brigham and his son-in-law, George Chedell, Harris G. Ranney and A. C. Brown, still attest the relative im- portance of this industry.

The Professions. - The legal profession is not represented in Pittsfield. The

726

HISTORY OF RUTLAND COUNTY.

medical profession is represented by Dr. C. W. Brigham, who came here in February, 1859, and whose biography appears in later pages of this book. His associate, Dr. W. E. Chamberlain, was born on the 27th of January, 1860, at Stockbridge, Vt., was graduated from the medical department of the University of Burlington in June, 1882, and after three years' experience in Winooski, Vt., came to Pittsfield in August, 1885.

The following figures show the fluctuation in the number of inhabitants be- tween the years 1791 and 1880. - 1791, 49; 1800, 164; 1810, 338 ; 1820, 453 ; 1830, 505 ; 1840, 615 ; 1850, 512; 1860, 493 ; 1870, 482; 1880, 555.

Following is a list of the officers of the town of Pittsfield elected in March, 1885. - Ira Holt, jr., town clerk; Josiah Babcock, A. J. Ellis, H. O. Hatch, selectmen ; Ira Holt, jr., treasurer ; J. H. Ranney, overseer of the poor ; Frank Durkee, first constable ; L. C. Fuller, L. E. Taylor, Lyman Parmenter, listers ; Dr. C. W. Brigham, G. D. Parmenter, L. E. Taylor, auditors ; L. Breed, trustee of public money ; Albert Vose, M. Ellis, O. G. Blossom, fence viewers; Moses Ellis, inspector of leather ; J. H. Ranney, pound keeper ; H. G. Ranney, sur- veyor of lumber, wood, etc, ; L. B. Houghton, A. J. Ellis, Seth Warren, George Nichols, S. A. Howe, L. Parmenter, petit jurors ; G. D. Parmenter, D. W. Ran- ney, county grand jurors; J. Babcock, town agent ; George Nichols, sexton.

CHAPTER XXXV.

HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF PITTSFORD.

T HIS town lies a little north of the center of Rutland county and is bounded north by by Brandon ; east by Chittenden; south by Rutland, and west by Hubbardton and Ira. It contains about thirty-six square miles of territory. Its principal stream is Otter Creek which flows from south to north across nearly the center of the town. Furnace and Stevens Brooks are considerable streams which empty into Otter Creek, the former on the east and the latter on the west. Numerous small streams are found in different localities. The valley of Otter Creek, averaging nearly a mile in width, is level, rich in soil and very productive, while the easterly and westerly portions of the town are hilly or mountainous, less productive and better adapted to grazing.

The old military road, which has been described in an earlier chapter of this work, built about 1759, and extending from Charlestown, N. H., to Crown Point, passed through this town. The first or older branch, and doubtless the one traveled prior to 1759, leading north from what is now Center Rutland, entered the present limits of Pittsford a little west of Sutherland Falls, and followed a generally northwest course across the town towards Crown Point.

727

TOWN OF PITTSFORD.

The second branch entered the town farther east and near the line of the pres- ent highway, crossed Otter Creek at a ford1 at the mouth of Stevens Brook and united with the earlier branch before alluded to. This was an important military highway for the transportation of military stores from " Number Four " (Charlestown) by the British provincials to Crown Point.

Pittsford was granted October 12, 1761, to Ephraim Doolittle and sixty- three others, by Benning Wentworth, in the customary form. The names of the grantees were as follows : -

Ephraim Doolittle, William Nutting, Samuel Bowers, Joshua Hutchins, Abraham Norton, John Hubbard, Alexander Scott, Andred Powers, Nathaniel More, jr., Robert Crowford, Edward Flint, Daniel McFarling, George Robins, Phinias Hayward, Ezra Sanger, John Oaks, David Oaks, John Jenks, John Benham, Daniel Thomas, Elisha Whittlesey, Ashbel Styles, Elish Hall, Samuel Mansfield, John Hall the 5th, Lent Meriman, Daniel Lord, John Loomis, Richard Wibert, esq., Daniel Boyden, Theodore Atkinson, jr., esq., Joshua Johnson, Lucius Doolittle, Ebenezer Harvey, Joseph Burt, Aaron Burt, Aaron Deniho, David Field, John Arms, Josiah Arms, Elisha Hall, jr., Charles Whittle- sey, esq., Nathaniel Chancy, esq., Lucius Hall, Samuel Whittlesey, Chancy Whit- tlesey, Jedediah Winslow, Timothy Patterson, David Purpaw, Nathan Jewett, Benjamin Huntley, Daniel Dreggs, Amos Jones, Phineas Newton, Elisha Fuller, Samuel Fuller, jr., Elkanah Fox, Elisha Harvey, William Steward, Daniel Warner, esq., Peter Johnson, Samuel Brewer, Samuel Johnson, Jacob Hem- mingway. None of these grantees ever had a permanent residence in the town.

Town Records .- The proprietors' record of Pittsford for the first ten years are lost, so that their organization and first officers are not known. The town- ship being divided into seventy shares, it seems from the records that there was for a time a good deal of traffic in these shares, and at one time Captain Doolittle, who was undoubtedly foremost in advancing the settlement, owned nearly one-fifth of the township. A few brief extracts from the early records will be of interest and value.

The first existing records are of the year 1771, and under date of March 19, we find the following proceedings : -

" Warned by Gideon Warren Proprietors' Clerk. A Proprietors' meeting Now Held at the House of Ebenezer Hopkins, Firstly Voted and Chose Eben- ezer Hopkins Proprietors' Moderator to be Moderator for Sd Meeting.

" Then voted and Chose Benjamin Cooley Proprietors Clerk. Then Voted to lay out the first Division of Lots and Number the Same. Then Voted and Chose Isick Rood First Committy Man. Then Voted and Chose James Hop- kins 2 Committy Man. Then Voted and Chose Moses Olmstead Committy

1 " This, the best ford on the creek, was named Pitt's Ford, in honor of William Pitt, the cele- brated English statesman and friend of the colonies." - CAVERLY'S History of Pittsford.

728

HISTORY OF RUTLAND COUNTY.

Man. Then Voted to ad Ten acres to every Loot in the first Division for Highways. Then Voted that every Man should have his Hundred acres where he has Don his Work. Then voted that all Lots be the same size. Then Voted to give the Committy three shillings a Day. Then Voted to have the same Committy lay out the Hiways."

This meeting was continued by adjournments from time to time, with such intervals as were judged necessary by the proprietors for the transaction of the public business.

On the 9th of June, 1772, the proprietors " Voted to dis-annul a vote for- merly passed concerning sizeing Land by Sd Meeting in March 19th 1771. Then voted to lay out one hundred acres for a meeting house Lot."

On the 21st of July, " Voted that every man that lives in the town, and has land in the town, shall pay the Committy for Laying out the Public Rites, according to what Land they own in the town."

September Ist, " Voted that Benjamin Cooley be a Committe man in the room of Isaac Rood to lay out land and highways."

October 8th, " Voted to lay out five acres to every Right amongst the pine timber, where the Commitee shall think best for the public good."

December Ist, " Voted to give the Proprietors of this Place to the fifteenth day of May next, to come and make their first Pitches. Then voted that Will- iam Ward should git it put in the Publick Prints."

Under date of October 14, 1773, it was voted "for the Second Division Piches to be drawn and number the same."

January 3, 1774, the meeting voted " to have Ebenezer Lyman, P. Clerk in said town." " Voted that Samuel Ellsworth, Stephen Mead and Benjamin Cooley be sessors, Benjamin Cooley, Collector."

At an adjourned meeting December 19, 1774, the proprietors " voted Eb- enezer Lyman Collector to collect the cost of laying out the township of Pitts- ford. Voted 6 shillings on a Right to lay out town and Public lots and Pine lots and town Plot."

The principal business transacted at the other meetings of 1774, 1775 and 1776, was the voting on men and plans for laying out the lands and their allot- ments, and need not be followed in detail.

In the long controversy with New York, which has been described, the early inhabitants of this town were forced to play a conspicuous part ; but previous to 1771 no direct effort was made to dispossess the proprietors and settlers of Pittsford of their lands; extensive improvements were already being made and in January, 1771, they felt called upon to present the following petition, although a previous one had been unfavorably received : -

" To his Excellency the Right Honorable John Earl of Dunmore, Captain General and Governor in Chief of The Province of New York, &era &era &era

" In Councill.

729

TOWN OF PITTSFORD.

" The Petition of the subscribers Inhabitants on a Tract of land commonly called Pittsford, on Otter Creek, about Twenty Six miles South Easterly from Crown Point.

" Humbly Sheweth,

" That there is a certain Tract of vacant land now within this province, formerly Deemed and reputed to be within the province of New Hampshire, lying to the Northward of the Great Falls on Otter creek, com- monly called Rutland falls, and bounded as followeth : Beginning at a Maple Tree Marked P. P. on the north line of Rutland, which line divides pitsford from Rutland, as was granted by the Government of New Hampshire. Thence runs West five degrees North, foure miles and ten Rods to a Beach Tree, from thence runs North twelve degrees West, six miles to a Beach Tree, from thence runs East five degrees South foure miles and ten Rods to a Beach Tree, from thence runs South twelve degrees East six miles to the place where it began, containing Fifteen Thousand acres, Which Tract of land was granted by the Governor and Counsell of the Province of New Hampshire, in conse- quence of which we your Excellencys petitioners have actually settled and made considerable improvements thereon ; and are willing and desirous to com- pleet the same. Therefore most humbly pray your Exceelncy will be favour- ably pleased to grant us the same under the usual restrictions &c, and your Excelencys Petitioners shall ever pray.

"Benjamin Cooley, Isaac Roode, James Meade, Samuel Waters, Felix Powel, Peleg Sunderling, Asa Johnson, Daniel Johnes, William Marshall, Samull Crip- per, Isaac Buck, Jeams Hopkins, Gideon Warrin, Moses Umstead, Bless Will- oughby."

According to Dr. Caverly's history, " the early settlers of Pittsford acted with great unanimity in the struggle to maintain their titles against the estab- lishment of any claim under the New York patent of Socialborough ; 1 though a few of the non-resident proprietors were willing to relinquish their claims on condition that they should have secured to them a tract of land of equal value in some other part of the royal domain."

But all of these troubles were soon swallowed up in the tide of the Revolu- tion and were eventually settled, as already described.

Settlements and the Revolution. - It was not until the year 1769 that a single proprietor's right in Pittsford was disposed of to an actual settler. In this year Gideon Cooley bought of Ephraim Doolittle one right in the south part of the town, on which he had already made some improvements. He was a son of Benjamin Cooley ; was a soldier in the French War, and had passed through the valley of Otter Creek during his service. He came to Pittsford in the spring of 1766 to more carefully examine the lands that he had previously selected us a place for settlement.

1 For details of this patent and other features of the controversy, see early chapters of this work, the history of the town of Rutland and that of Clarendon.

730

HISTORY OF RUTLAND COUNTY.

After closely inspecting the vicinity of Sutherland Falls, he discovered about seventy acres on the east side of the creek, jutting in towards the falls and covered with shallow water, retained there by an old beaver dam. He believed he could cut this dam, drain the tract and have a fruitful field. He accordingly applied to Captain Doolittle for a deed of it. The latter, anxious to settle the town, promised him one right of land free if he would improve it and become a bona fide settler. Gideon then returned to Greenwich, worked one year for his father in order to secure the release of his brother Benjamin, not yet of age, and in the summer of 1767 the two brothers packed up the few necessary tools and provisions and started on horseback for the spot in the wilderness which was to be their future home. Arriving safely, they began a clearing and built a log house. It stood a little northeast of the residence of Samuel B. Loveland, on the east side of the present highway. In the fall they returned to spend the winter in Greenwich. Owing to the fact that Gideon had the possession of the land and improvements secured to himself, some feel- ing sprang up between the brothers, and Benjamin went into the township of Addison and took up a lot of land on the border of the lake. Early in May of the next year Gideon returned to his possession and with a hired man con- tinued his improvements. Again in the fall he returned to Greenwich, intend- ing to remove his family the following year. In the mean time Benjamin had suffered from fever in his new location and returned to Greenwich. Gideon, perhaps actuated by sympathy, interceded with Captain Doolittle in Benja- min's behalf and obtained from him a pledge of a deed of one hundred acres, on condition that Benjamin should improve it. This arrangement was satis- factory and early in the spring of 1769 the two brothers, with Gideon's wife and five children, set out for the Vermont wilderness. Thus began the settle- ment of Pittsford. Benjamin's land included what has been known as the Cooley farm ; here he built a log house in 1771, which stood about two rods west of the dwelling now on the farm. He married Ruth Beach, then of Rut- land, and a little later built his first frame house, which was burned in 1802, when the second one was erected by him.

In 1770 seven families came into the town, as follows : Roger Stevens pur- chased a large tract of Captain Doolittle and built a house a little west of the present Gorham bridge, on the south side of the old Crown Point road. Eb- enezer Hopkins came from Connecticut, where he was one of the original pro- prietors of Harwinton. James Hopkins, who had made a tour of inspection to Pittsford in the previous summer. He located two rights of land, the first one being just south of the village, and the other on the west side of the creek. His grandsons, Ebenezer and Martin Hopkins, came from Stockbridge to re- side with him. No descendants of these Hopkins families are left in town. Samuel Crippen came from Connecticut and purchased a right of James Mead, and built his dwelling a little west of the house recently occupied by Austin

731

TOWN OF PITTSFORD.

Chingreau. Felix Powell, who was the first settler in Dorset, Vt., and removed thence to Pittsford ; he built on land now owned by George Wheaton. His daughter was the first white child born in this town, but she lived only a few weeks. Isaac Rood came from Windsor, Conn., and built a small house on the north side of the brook opposite the residence of John Richardson. He lived there until his death in 1775. Isaac Buck, from Connecticut, located on land now occupied by Thomas D. Hall, bringing in his family the same fall.

In the next year but one family came into the town, that of Moses Olm- stead. A part of the land he secured included the present farm of Charles Hendee.

In 1772 Thomas Tuttle, Noah Waite and Samuel Waters settled in the town ; it is not known just where Tuttle located ; Waite's first division included land now owned by William E. Hall and others.

In 1773 three families came in, William Cox, Samuel Ellsworth and Stephen Mead. Cox was in the French War and served as lieutenant at Lake George in 1758. He came from Waltham, Mass., and his tract included the farm now owned by Julia Sargent ; he built a house on the east side of the creek. Samuel Ellsworth was from Connecticut and purchased what is now the south part of the farm owned by George Wheaton. He held some early offices and was a surveyor. Stephen Mead was a brother of the first settler of Rutland, James Mead, with whom he resided a short time before coming to Pittsford. His lot was north of Samuel Crippen's and included the present farm of J. B. Douglas.

In the year 1774 a large number of families came into the town, among whom were the following: Stephen Jenner, from Stevenstown, Mass., pur- chased of James Mead land that included the site of Hitchcockville and east- ward. The next year he built a house seventy rods east of the site of the pres- ent academy. Jonathan Fassett came from Bennington, Vt., and originally from Hardwick, Mass. His son Amos came to Pittsford and built a house a little west of the village site. He was called "Dr. Fassett," but he was not, probably, strictly entitled to the distinction. Ebenezer Lyman, bought land and made a clearing where Dennis Smith resides. Caleb Hendee, from Cov- entry, Conn., came into the town and purchased lands a part of which consti- tuted the present farm owned by the Widow Thomas. He became one of the leading farmers. His son, Caleb, jr., was a prominent citizen, born in October, 1768. He taught school in early life and afterward followed surveying. He built the house in which he afterward lived in 1815. He held the office of sur- veyor of Rutland county many years, and in October, 1817, was appointed surveyor-general of the State, and held numerous minor offices ; was appointed assistant judge of the county in 1806 and judge of probate in 1809-10; was town clerk and treasurer in 1800 and held the office about twenty-five years ; he was appointed ensign in the third company of the third regiment, second brigade and second division of the State militia in 1794, and in the following

732

HISTORY OF RUTLAND COUNTY.

year was elected captain of the same company ; he was afterward promoted to colonel and then to brigadier-general. He represented the town in the Gene- ral Assembly eleven years beginning with 1803, and in 1814 commanded the company raised in this town for the defense of Plattsburg. He died on the 4th of December, 1854, after a long, busy and honorable career. His sons were German F., Charles J., and Caleb R .; the latter studied law in the office of John Pierpoint, then of Pittsford, went to Zanesville, Ohio, but returned in 1836, and married Mary Ann Granger ; they went again to Zanesville, but after two years' practice there he returned and devoted his attention to farming. He died in 1842. German Hendee, at present living in the town, is a great- grandson of General Caleb. Samuel Hendee, son of Caleb, sr., located on the home farm with his parents in 1810, and died there a few years since after a long life of great usefulness. Solomon Hendee was a son of Deacon Caleb. He built the stone house on his farm in 1828 ; died in 1863. William Ward came to Pittsford from Shaftesbury, Vt., and bought a farm on Otter Creek, which included the farm now owned by George Wheaton ; he remained here but a few years. William Ward, now living in town, is descended from this family. David Ward came to the town in 1826 and located where he spent the remainder of his life. He belonged to the same family. Joshua Woodward came to Pittsford in 1774 from Massachusetts and bought lands which included the farms of Joseph Noyes, F. B. Barnes, Edwin Leonard and James Buck- man. His eldest son was John Woodward, who was in the Revolutionary War and lived for a time in the house built by his father, and later where Joseph Noyes lives. He removed to New York. Benjamin Stevens, brother of Roger who has been mentioned, came into town in this year from Manchester, Vt. He bought the land which forms the farm recently owned by Edward and Richard Hendee, northwest of the village. His eldest son was Daniel, who purchased in 1793 the farm then owned by Benjamin Stevens, jr. (his brother), and lately owned by Benjamin 3d, now occupied by Edward Hinds. He died in 1829. James was another son of Benjamin, also lived in town, his land being the westerly part of the farm just mentioned. He removed to Canada in 1794. Simeon, another son, purchased one hundred acres adjoining his father's home- stead ; he died in 1847 at the age of eighty-four. Jonathan, still another son, came here in 1787 and bought fifty acres of land ; after some years he removed to Canada. Others of this family will be mentioned further on. Gideon Shel- don came from Duchess county, N. Y., and purchased lands including the farm recently owned by Byron Morgan, in Whipple Hollow, where he built a house. He had two sons, Gideon and Thomas, who were captured by Indians near the close of the Revolutionary War, while returning to the barn with grain. The Indians took them and proceeded to the house where they frightened away the mother and ransacked the premises. The boys were carried to Canada where Thomas died; Gideon was returned home after a few months. Samuel Mon-

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Rutland County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 86

Author: Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925. 1n; Rann, William S Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., D. Mason & co. Number of Pages: 1170

Author: Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925. 1n; Rann, William S
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., D. Mason & co.
Number of Pages: 1170