USA > Vermont > Rutland County > History of Rutland County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 88
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Stephen Powers, son of Peter, a captain in the Revolutionary army, had a son named Peter, who served in the navy. In 1789 he came to Pittsford and bought a farm ; a part of this he sold and in 1792 he bought one hundred and forty acres, which included most of the present farms owned by George N. Eayres and Marshall Wood ; he lived in a small house near where Mr. Eayres's house stands ; he died in 1854. His son, also named Stephen, located on the same farm ; he died in 1862.
The town-plot lots were surveyed in 1785, in conformity to the vote of the proprietors, and these acre lots were laid out on either side of the north and south road, thirty-four on the east side, and an equal number on the west, and extending from a point forty rods and seven feet north of the north line of the Baptist burying-ground, to the south line of the Congregational meeting-house lot. In this plot four acres were laid out for the Congregational meeting-house lot ; two acres and ten rods for the Baptist meeting-house lot, and two acres for the North burying-ground. The whole town plot consisted of a little more than eighty-six acres, but only about seventy-six acres were included in the foregoing lots, consequently there remained in the easterly part of the plot ten acres of common land which, according to the vote of the proprietors, was reckoned a part of the second division of the school lot.
A few new settlements were made in town in 1790, among them being Abraham and Calvin Drury, Phineas Hammond, who lived on the farm now occupied by John Richardson, and Abraham Carpenter, who located in Whipple Hollow and did faithful service in the ministry.
In 1791, besides those mentioned, came here Colonel Israel Keith, who was a graduate of Harvard University ; he purchased three acres including the lot
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HISTORY OF RUTLAND COUNTY.
on which the old furnace building now stands. In the fall of the same year he built the furnace and began the manufacture of iron. He did not remove his fam- ily hither until 1800. There are no descendants of Mr. Keith now in the town ; but he was for many years a prominent figure in the early manufactur- ing interests. His brothers, Scotland, Daniel and Alfred, lived for longer or shorter periods in town.
William Baxter came here in 1792, bought several acres of land on Furnace Brook, including one-half of the Adams saw-mill, which has been described. He removed to Massena, N. Y., about 1830. The Wicker family came here in this year; Luther, Frederick and James ; James and Luther were both Meth- odist preachers. Marshall Wood is a grandson of Luther.
Jeremiah Needham came to Pittsford in 1792, and in 1797 bought the north half of the farm first occupied by Gideon Cooley. He worked more or less at shoemaking in connection with farming, and removed to Essex county, N. Y., in 1806.
Oliver Bogue came to town in 1792 and lived four years on the farm which had been occupied by Joshua Morse and one year on the Jonathan Fassett farm. He afterward made several purchases of real estate. He died on the farm occupied in recent years by Charles Mussey, in 1828. Marcus Cook Bogue, son of Alexander and grandson of Oliver, came to Pittsford from West Rutland, where he had been a merchant, in 1859. He followed mercantile bus- iness here until 1867, when he sold to Rollin S. Meacham and bought the old Hopkins farm and followed that occupation; in 1870 he removed to Sioux City, Iowa, where he now resides.
Abraham Walker settled in town in 1794, and shortly afterwards located in the village, where his son Tilly afterward resided. James Hewitt came in about this time and located in the west part of the town. After making his clearing he built the house in which he lived until his death in 1858. His son Seth also located on the homestead. Benjamin Chaffee came into the town in 1794 and located on the farm afterwards owned by his son Demas ; he died there in 1850.
Alfred Buck, son of Isaac, the pioneer, located in 1795 on the farm now owned by German Hendee. He built the red house on the west side of the road in 1803, and there lived until his death in 1842. His son Addison was a merchant in the village many years and postmaster for a time. In 1795 Na- than Gibbs came here and purchased a one-fourth interest in the furnace prop- erty. This he carried on in company with his brother Cornelius, Edward Kingman and Luke Reed; in 1797 he bought the Kingman interest and soon afterward purchased the other two interests and managed the whole for a period. John Miller settled here in 1795 and bought land which is now owned by George Leonard ; he died about 1832.
Samuel Morgan bought a tract of land in town in 1793 and settled here in
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1796; he removed to Rutland in 1812 and died there in 1830. His son, of the same name, located on the home farm and lived till about 1835. William, a brother of Samuel, settled in the west part of the town in 1799 and lived there until his death.
John Penfield, of Fairfield, Conn., after serving three years in the Revolu- tionary War, came to Pittsford in 1795 and bought of Ebenezer Hopkins the grist-mill built by Nehemiah Hopkins, which has been alluded to, and some land in the vicinity. In the following February he brought in his family and they lived in the house now owned by William B. Shaw. In the next Decem- ber he opened a public house there, which he kept until 1811. He died in 1829. The Penfield family has been prominently associated with the history of the town. John, jr., son of John, came here in 1797, having previously learned the saddler's trade. He opened a shop in what is now Meachani's store ; he left the town in 1803 and died in Whitehall in 1848. Sturges Penfield, another son of John, sr., came in with the family, having learned the hatter's trade in Rutland. He married Laura Giddings and died in 1866. His daughter, El- eanor B., is now the widow of the late H. F. Lothrop. (See biographic sketch herein.) Mr. Penfield was a leading man in the community, a man of the strictest integrity and great energy. Allen Penfield, also a son of John, mar- ried a daughter of Thomas Hammond and took his father's place in the tavern, and in the following year occupied the house built by his father and now owned by Asher Burditt, where he lived until his death. He managed the hotel until 1828, when he sold it and removed to Crown Point, where he became conspic- uous in the iron business. Abel Penfield, another son of John, came with the rest of the family in 1796; he learned the clothier's trade with Eleazer Har- wood and first located in Hartford, Vt., in company with Mr. Harwood, where they continued from 1812 to 1820; he then returned to Pittsford and occupied his father's house (now the residence of Asher Burditt) until 1828, when he built the house in which he afterward resided. About the same time he pur- chased a third interest in the woolen factory, the grist-mill and ten acres of land, the other two-thirds being owned by his brothers, Allen and Sturges. In 1824 he sold his interest in all of this property except the grist-mill, which he rebuilt, and the same is now owned by Mr. Burditt. He died in March, 1871. Charles L. Penfield, a respected citizen of the town, was a son of Abel. The place is now owned by the Rev. Mr. Foster.
Richard M. Powers, son of Jeremiah, in 1795 purchased and began improve- ment of what was known as the Wright place, where he built a house the same year. He soon afterward sold this to Robert Wright and bought the farm now occupied by his son, Artemas C. Powers ; he died in 1848.
Christopher Bresee came from Massachusetts and in 1797 purchased the farm now owned by his grandson, Wallace E. Bresee; Jacob F., now living in the town, is another son of Christopher. Peter, a brother of Christopher, also lived in the town, but subsequently removed to Canada.
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HISTORY OF RUTLAND COUNTY.
Oliver and Timothy Morseman settled in the town about the year 1797, their father having purchased land here several years earlier. Oliver located on what was the Wait farm, and Timothy on land purchased by his father and built a house about where George Morseman's barn now stands; the latter had a son Timothy, jr., who resided in town. Elisha Woodruff settled in 1797 about a mile north of the village, and in 1798 built a saw-mill ; a few years later he erected another mill a little below the first; he operated both until 1811 ; he was accidentally killed in 1820 by a log rolling on him.
Eli Hudson came here in 1798 and bought the farm recently owned by Manuel Ackley ; in 1820 he purchased the Josiah Eddy farm, now owned by Howard Leonard; he died in 1821. His son Seth was a carpenter and lived in the town. John W., another son, is still living and the oldest living person in the town who was born here. Stephen Avery bought in 1798 of Benjamin Cooley the place in the village now occupied by Dr. Swift. His brother Elijah purchased in the same year a place in the village; they afterward carried on mercantile business in the village in company a number of years. Elijah died here in 1803, and Stephen, after removing to Brookfield, where he remained about six years, returned and in company with others, erected a woolen mill, which stood just below Mr. Burditt's grist-mill. Mr. Avery retired in 1821 and removed to Brandon where he died. Robert Loveland, from Connecticut, lo- cated here about 1798 and lived on the Cooley farm until his death ; his son, Bassett, now lives on the homestead. Aaron Nelson Loveland, also a son of Robert, was born in town and lives on what is known as the Barnes farm, which he has greatly improved. Robert E. is a son of Samuel Babbet Love- land, and lives on his father's homestead.
Among those who located in the town in 1800 we may mention Luke Os- good, who purchased land that included most of the present farm of William Creed. He died here in 1853. Leonard Rawson purchased of Israel Keith what was known as the Eleazer Harwood farm, now occupied by George Put- nam ; he died here in 1816. Joshua Kingsley settled on the premises now owned by John M. Goodnough ; He was a tanner and followed the business in this town some years ; he removed to Troy about 1830 and died there in 1857.
Jirah Barlow purchased in 1799 land that formed a part of the estate of the late H. F. Lothrop, lying east and northeast of Penfield's mill lot, includ- ing the water privileges, " together with the fulling-mill, dye-house, two strings of tender bars, dwelling-house and shop, and one pair clothier's shears, one iron screw and box, and one clothier's plait." This property be bought of Chester Powers who had it from Noel William Avery in 1797; the latter had built the mill the previous year ; the mill stood on the Ripley Brook, a little way from its junction with Furnace Brook. Soon afterward Mr. Barlow bought the water privilege below Penfield's mill and built what formed a part of the straw-board mill; here he had a grist-mill, saw-mill, oil-mill, distillery, and
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TOWN OF PITTSFORD.
pot-ashery, and once owned the farm now owned by C. A. Hitchcock (the Ripley farm) ; he removed to Illinois about 1820.
Isaac Wheaton bought of Stephen Mead in 1801 a tract which included part of the farm now owned by Ransom Burditt. In 1802, having sold this place, he purchased what has since been known as the Wheaton farm ; he died there in 1851, and the place passed into possession of his son, Isaac C. He made extensive improvements on the place and lived there until 1868, when he sold it and bought the Hammond farm, which at his death passed into pos- session of his son George, who now occupies it. Isaac C. Wheaton was a worthy and respected citizen. Rufus Whedon (as he spelled the name) was a Revolutionery soldier and brother of Isaac. In 1828 he purchased the farm which had been improved by Ebenezer Hopkins. He died in 1840, and the place is now occupied by Edwin Noyes, son-in-law of William Ward.
David Hall, son of David, was born in Brandon in 1795, and in 1803 the family came to live in Pittsford, locating on the farm now occupied by Alex- ander Parmelee ; he died in town in 1841.
Thomas Burditt, from Lynn, Mass., came to Pittsford about the 1804, and located on land now owned by Ransom Burditt, on the easterly slope of West Hill ; himself and wife both died in this town.
Jacob Leonard was from Easton, Mass. His children were Isaac, Jacob, Capen and Militiah. In 1801 he purchased a tract of land a part of which lay in the northeast part of Pittsford and a part in Chittenden. In 1805 the Pitts- ford portion was deeded to his son Isaac, who built a house and made the first improvements on it. In 1795 he (Isaac) had married Ruth Fuller and they came in and located on this land, which is now owned by their grandson Isaac. Mr. Leonard died in 1855. Capen Leonard was a son of Jacob and a brother of Isaac ; he removed from Chittenden to Pittsford in 1815 and settled on the farm in the north part of the town now owned by Charles Hitchcock ; he died there in 1845. Martin Leonard was a son of Isaac; he located on the paternal homestead and died there; his son Isaac now occupies the place. Hiram Leonard, son of Capen, located on the Rawson farm, which he had purchased of Timothy Lester in 1827. He was quite well educated and taught school some years. He removed to Mill village about 1840, bought the saw-mill now owned by George N. Eayres, and built his house. He died in 1885. Capen, another son of Capen Leonard, was born in Chittenden, June 25, 1808, and married Mary Ann Dike, granddaughter of Jonathan Dike, elsewhere mentioned. He resided some years in Chittenden and removed to Pittsford in 1852, occu- pying the farm on which he still lives. He represented Chittenden in the Leg- islature from 1837 to 1841 inclusive, and in 1843; represented Andover in 1860, and was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1850. He was elected senator from Rutland in 1868-69. Newell Leonard was a son of Isaac and located on a part of the John Miller farm, where he died ; his son now
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HISTORY OF RUTLAND COUNTY.
occupies the place. Josiah, another son of Isaac, located on the farm now oc- cupied by his son Edwin. Martin Leach, from Easton, Mass., was a black- smith and worked at the trade with his brother in Pittsford as early as 1798, and later in Middlebury. In 1808 he came here and occupied the place where the widow of the late Asa Nourse resides ; his shop stood a few rods west of the house. In 1809 he gave up his trade and bought the farm now owned by Moses P. Humphrey ; he died in 1855. His brother Andrew came here in 1795 and worked for a time in the shop formerly occupied by Elias Hopkins. In 1805 he purchased what was long known as the Leach farm, and built a shop near 'where Thomas Tennian's shop now stands; in 1806 he built the house now owned by Edward Cotting; he died in 1852. Rev. Cephas Au- gustus Leach, who became a prominent minister in Illinois, a graduate of Mid- dlebury College, was a son of Andrew Leach.
Joseph Tottingham came to Pittsford in 1805 and in the same year pur- chased a lot in the village. In 1813 he bought a farm of Jonathan Kendall, of which a part is now owned by German Hendee. He committed suicide in 1859. His son Joseph located on the same farm and died in 1853.
Daniel Sherman came here in 1806 and bought the place now owned by his son Henry. He was a wheelwright and worked at his trade most of the time until his death in 1854. His son is also a wheelwright, but has of late years devoted most of his attention to farming.
Zachariah Rand, a son of Colonel John, who gained distinction in the Rev- olutionary War, settled in Pittsford in 1809; he located in Sugar Hollow, and died in 1826. His son, Ebenezer Blanchard Rand, located on the home farm. In 1840 he bought the Ewings tavern and kept a public house until his death in 1851. His son Newton located on the home place. Egbert B. Rand, now a resident of the village, is another son of Ebenezer B. Nathan Hawley settled in Pittsford in 1809, having purchased the Dr. Abiathar Millard place ; he died in the house now occupied by Miss Achsah Leach, at the age of eighty years, in 1849.
Oliver Wolcott, a Revolutionary soldier, of Massachusetts, came here in 1810 and leased what is now a part of the town farm ; he changed his place of residence several times after that and died in 1845. His son Joseph has spent his life in the town.
Ezra Spencer lived here two years from 1811, removed to Pennsylvania, but returned and was one of the volunteers in the Plattsburg defense. In 1815 he again went to Pennsylvania but returned in 1819, bought the Simeon Clifford farm and occupied it until 1843. After that he resided near the mar- ble quarry until 1865, then he removed to Hitchcockville and there died. Con- sider Bowen settled in Pittsford in the same year. He was a Revolutionary soldier and after the war worked at his trade as carriage-maker, in Hartford, Conn., for a time, and then removed to Chittenden, and thence to this town. He died in 1834 on the farm a part of which is now owned by Joseph Noyes.
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TOWN OF PITTSFORD.
John Hall, son of John, was a Revolutionary soldier, and came to Pittsford about 1810. He never owned real estate here and removed to Chittenden and thence to Luzerne, N. Y., where he died about 1842. One of his sons was Elias, who was father of Royal Hall, who located in Pittsford in 1840 and lived here until his death. His widow survives him. William E. Hall was the fifth son of Elias and came here in 1856; he had been connected with the Troy and Schenectady railroad as treasurer and superintendent, but gave up his position on account of impaired health. In 1856 he bought what constituted a part of the old Wait farm and gave his attention largely to farming ; he was justice of the peace for some time.
Jacob Sheldon settled in town and located in the house now occupied by the daughters of Mrs. Elizabeth Bogue. About 1848 he purchased the place now owned by C. A. Hitchcock, where he died in 1851. His son, Jacob Van- hess Sheldon, located in town in 1850; was born in town in 1823; he is a black- smith and followed it some years. In later years he purchased the Webster Hotel and kept it a number of years, selling it to Lewis F. Scofield ; he then removed to Wisconsin.
Thomas Burditt, of Lynn, Mass., located here about 1812, settling in the west part of the town; he died in 1860, after improving the farm on which he spent the greater part of his life. His son Jonathan spent his early life on his father's farm and finally bought the farm east of Marshall Thomas, near what was called the "Four Corners." In 1852 he bought what was known as the Mosher place, and died there in 1868. Bradley Burditt, another son of Thomas, settled on the farm purchased of Orlin Smith. In 1862 he removed to the vil- lage and lived there until his death. Richard Floyd and Charles Burditt, sons of Jonathan, settled on the home farm, where the former died; Charles now occupies the place. Another branch of this family is descended from Asher Burditt, son of Asher, a Revolutionary soldier. He came to Pittsford in 1815 and settled on the farm now owned by his son, Ransom Burditt. In 1826 he purchased of Jason Harwood thirty-three acres on the east side of the road, also now owned by Ransom ; in the house on this tract he lived until 1846 when he bought the place now occupied by the widow of his son, Franklin Burditt, and died there in 1855. Ransom was born in 1821, and still resides in the town. In 1864 he bought the Rice farm, where he now lives, as one of the leading farmers of the town. He is an energetic and public-spirited man. His brother, Franklin, also became before his death one of the most thrifty farmers in the town.
Charles G. Boardman, a descendant of Timothy, located in 1817 on the Abraham Drury farm, now occupied by Frank B. Barnes. Mr. Boardman kept a public house there in connection with his brother, Samuel W. In 1823 Tim- othy Boardman deeded to Charles G. the tavern stand and sixteen acres of land, and to Samuel eighty-four acres of the north part of the Drury farm. Charles
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HISTORY OF RUTLAND COUNTY.
G. removed to Rutland in 1837. Samuel W. removed to West Rutland in 1836, and in the next year to Castleton, where he lived until 1860, when he removed to Middlebury. In 1869 he returned to Pittsford and died here in 1870. He was a writer of ability and greatly respected. His son, Charles Boardman, en- tered Middlebury College with the class of 1850 and died in his sophomore year. His third son was Rev. Samuel Ward Boardman, graduated at Middle- bury in 1851 and at Andover Theological Seminary in 1855. After preaching a number of years he resigned his pastorate and was appointed professor of rhetoric, English literature and intellectual philosophy in Middlebury Col- lege. This he resigned in 1862 and again entered the ministerial service. Rev. Simeon Gilbert Boardman, the fourth son of Samuel W., graduated from Mid- dlebury in 1855, and became scarcely less distinguished than his brother.
Junia Sargent, son of Timothy, who was a Revolutionary soldier, came to Pittsford in 1819 and located where John Richardson now lives. After several changes of residence he removed to Hubbardton, but returned after several years and spent the remainder of his life with his son Leonard. He died in 1869. His son Junia located on the Barlow farm and later bought the place where he now resides. Leonard Sargent, before mentioned, became a carriage- maker and now lives in the west part of the town, where he carries on that business.
Henry Simonds settled here in 1819. He, with his brothers Josiah and John, bought what was known as the Merriam store and traded under the name of J. Simonds & Co. Shortly afterward Josiah sold his interest to his brothers and the firm became Simonds & Co. In 1826 they bought the place now owned by German Hendee ; they had a distillery at one period near the house. In 1834 John sold out to Henry, who continued the mercantile business. Henry died in 1865. Jolin died in Brandon in 1869.
The War of 1812 and other Matters. - We have now reached a period in the town history where the record of settlements must be dropped for a time. On the IIth of July, 1811, occurred the great flood. According to Dr. Cav- erly, "Otter Creek rose to an unprecedented height, the waters overflowing the intervale to a vast extent on either side. When at the highest pitch, they washed the door-sills of the house of Stephen Mead on the west side, and boats were propelled on the line of the highway from Milton Potter's to Mr. Mead's. The bridge near Mrs. Cooley's, as well as the Walker and Hammond bridges on Otter Creek, were swept away ; but the Mead bridge was, by great exer- tions, saved, though its structure was greatly damaged. When it was per- ceived that this was seriously endangered, the neighboring inhabitants turned out, and having taken up the planks, piled heavy timbers upon the rails, so that the superincumbent weight was sufficient to resist the force and uplifting power of the water."
At a special meeting called on the 3d of September, the town " voted to-
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raise two cents on a Dollar on the list of 1811, payable in Grain first of January, 1812, and two cents on a Dollar on the list of 1812, payable in Grain first of January, 1813, to Rebuild and Repair the four large Bridges in sd Town car- ried off by the late freshet and to defray other expenses. Voted that the Se- lectmen, with the addition of Adget Lathrop, and Ashbel Lee, be a committee to superintend the Building and Repairing the Bridges aforesaid."
In the War of 1812 it is known that residents of this town played a con- spicuous part ; but the loss of records renders it impossible to go very much into detail of the contest as far as relates to this town. The following list of names are of those who are known to have served in the regular army during that period for longer or shorter terms: John Axtell, John Barnes, jr., Israel Bur- ditt, David L. Beebe, Rufus Bur, Enos Bailey, jr., John Betts, Elisha Cox, Am- herst Lee, John Lampson, Samuel Miller, Bildad Orcutt, Amasa Owen, R. M. Powers, R. M. Powers, jr., Joab Powers, Gardner Powers, Zebulon Pond, Na- thaniel Rand, William Spencer, Gideon Sheldon, Lucas Thomas, Abel Wheeler, Samuel Wheeler, Arden Weller, Edward Wheeler, Robert Wright, Samuel Cook, John Dean, Asa Durgee, Ezra Day, Justin Darling, Leonard Fargo, W. D. Hitchcock, Samuel P. Hawes, Reuben Jackson, Graton Jackson, John H. Lincoln.
When the northern invasion was made and Plattsburg threatened, Rutland county furnished two hundred and sixty-four men to oppose the advance of the enemy, of whom one hundred and six were from Pittsford. On the 10th of September the men who had assembled in response to the call met in the village and unanimously chose General Caleb Hendee to command them. After organizing, which occupied the forenoon, the company started for Burlington. Arriving at Vergennes the next day (Sunday), they drew arms from the arsenal for those who were not supplied and continued to Charlotte, which they reached that night. Monday morning they advanced to Burlington, crossed the lake to Plattsburg, but arrived too late to take part in the battle; they soon afterward returned to their homes.
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