USA > Vermont > Rutland County > Wells > History of Wells, Vermont, for the first century after its settlement > Part 5
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Button, Joseph Jr., lived on the homestead of his father till 1833, when he sold and moved to Harmony, Chatauque Co , N. Y. He married Polly Gifford of this town, by whom he had seven children. Alvin married Lodema, daughter of Jesse Dowd of Poultney; Benjamin married Harriet, daughter of Rufus Button of Middletown, who moved west in 1828, and died in 1836, aged 31 ; Lucius who married Almira, daughter of Levi Lamb of this town; Joseph F. and Osmond. The girls were Ruby, who married Ezra Wightman, and is dead; Almira who married Keyes Limzey, they moved to Wisconsin. Mr. Button died in Harmony, N. Y., in 1859, aged 79 ; his wife in 1867, aged 84.
Bryant, Jonathan, married Sally Perkins and moved in town at an early day, and lived east of the Howe place. His
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children were Lucy, who married Truman Stevens; Eli and Levi who were twins, and went west; Julia, who married Jonathan Morse and is dead, and Roxana. Mr. Bryant died nearly fifty years since, his widow and Roxana moved to Chester, N. Y., many years since.
Button, Elijah, married Rhoda daughter of David Ward, and resided in town until 1830 ; he then removed to Chat auque Co., N. Y. Their children's names were John, Char- lotte, Esther, Sally and Chloe.
Butts, Ebenezer, from Canterbury, Conn., county of New London, came into town about the year 1787. He married Prudence Glass. He settled on Butt's hill, so called in com- memoration of his being the first settler in that part of the town. He reared a family of seven children, viz: Rufus, who married a Miss Hazleton of Middletown; Nathan married Betsy, daughter of James Hall ; Ezra who went west at an early day; James married Lydia daughter of Matthew Hall of this town; Sally married Philo Hall ; Asenath married Daniel Hubbard of Middletown ; Sybil married Joel Francis of Wells. Mr. Butts , died nearly 40 years since, his wife died some years before, neither monument or record are left to ascertain their ages.
Buxton, Eliphelet, from Danby, Vt., in 1820; he first mar- ried a Miss Hulett of Pawlet ; she died leaving one son named Benjamin, who lives in Danby. He next married Maria, daughter of Amos Tooley. The family consisted of ten children, John who is now living in Pennsylvania; Amos who married Orrilla Wait of Middletown and resides there ; Hiram married Emily, daughter of Nathan Francis and went to Wisconsin, and died there in 1855; Samuel married Emily Hulett of Pawlet, and resides in town ; James K.
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who is in Hebron, N. Y .; Harriet married a Mr. Woods of Danby, and resides there ; Julia Ann married Oscar Sprague of this town ; Amanda married Henry Hubbard of Middle- town ; Sally married Horace Clark of Pawlet ; Fanny who died in 1862. Mr. Buxton died in 1859 aged 69, his wife in 18 .
Castle, Tracy, from Pawlet, lives on the Pond road leading from the bridge to Poultney. He has raised a large family, his son Charles D. enlisted in 1862, and died in service. His mother receives a pension; one of his daughters married Albert Culver, who also was in the Union service, and was a good soldier. He met with a fatal accident in repairing or fixing a pocket revolver ; it chanced to discharge, the ball entered the ball of his hand, and lodged in his wrist, infla- mation set in, which terminated his existence in a few days. He was a son of Mr. Erastus Culver, late of Pawlet; another daughter married Rodney Chittenden, and is mother of seven children. And one other daughter married Walter Scott.
Clark, Andrew, from Cheshire, Conn., came to town in 1790, his wife's name was Mary Robinson. He settled in the west part of the town on the west street road so called ; his family consisted of ten children. John, Milton, who mar- ried Chloe Blossom, and moved west at an early day near Buffalo, N. Y. Lurenda married Ira Mix, who also moved west; Mr. Mix was representative in 1808. Mehitabel married William Wyman, he died leaving a family of five children. Lorinda, Lois who died in 1821; Semantha, William, and a son's name not known. She afterwards mar- ried David Ward Sen., who died soon after, she next married Benjamin Rider, who also died in 1824; she then moved west
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to Chatauque Co., N. Y., where she died. Andrew jr., who married Sophia, daughter of Ansell Goodspeed. Lois, who married John Blossom; Augustus who went west when young; Polly who married Samuel Culver, jr .; Sylvester who died in his 8th year of the canker-rash; Freelove who married Samuel Hyde of Poultney, and is living, her age is 91. Mr. Clark died in 1819, aged 64, his wife in 1841, aged 87. Mr. Clark was a selectman 14 years.
Clark, John, son of the above, lived on the place that Russell S. Wells now occupies; his first wife's name was Nancy daughter of Elijah Park, by whom he had two chil- dren, Linus and Anna; his wife died in 1808; he next mar- ried Polly Farewell of Poultney, by whom he had one daughter named Lucy who married Russel S. Wells, by whom she had two children; she died in 1860. Linus mar- ried Adeline, daughter of Zurial Lewis of Poultney; they had two children, both are now dead. Anna married David Lawrence of Weybridge, by whom she had four children. Julia who married Halsey Goodrich ; Mary who married Raymond H. Lewis; Dwight who died of consumption a few years since, and David who went to Michigan. Mrs. Law- rence died some years since in Michigan. Mr. Clark died in 1845, aged 66, his wife in 1839 aged 56.
Clark, Stephen, one of the early settlers, resided in the western part of the town on the farm now occupied by Henry Shaw; he married Patience Grannis, both from Connecticut. Their children's names were Luman, who died in 1809; Stephen L. married Polly, daughter of Daniel Church; Lovina married Silas Beebe; Patty married David Lawrence of Weybridge, Vt .; Lydia married Stephen Barbour of Whitehall, N. Y .; Esther married Jared Thompson ; they
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resided in town some years and then moved west ; they had three children: Jared, Orah, and Fanny; Betsy married Ira Brownal of Williston, Vt. Mrs. Clark died in 1809. Shortly after Mr. Clark married widow Roxana Beebe, by whom he had one son named Bishop. Mr. Clark was a Justice of the Peace a number of years and in the early part of his life he was a teacher, and was long remembered as to his manner of reading and spelling; he died in 1827. Bishop his youngest son when in his 17th year, was engaged with David B. Lewis in felling a tree to repair his cider mill, when Mr. Lewis's ax came off from the helve and entered the young man's thigh causing his death in a few hours ; no blame was attached to Mr. Lewis.
Clark, Roswell, came from Cheshire, Conn., he married Thankful Hotchkiss. They came on horseback with all their effects, and settled a few miles north of his brothers ; he lived there a few years and then bought the place where his son Hoel now resides, and lived there until his death which occurred in 1837, aged 75. Mr. Clark's second wife was a widow Cook of Wells. By his first wife, who died in 1809 aged 50, he had the following children : Hubbard, Amos, Clarissa, Rozina, Julia, Polly, Roswell, Hoel and Minerva. Hubbard married Sally Mallary and removed to Walworth Wayne Co., N. Y., and afterwards to Michigan. Amos married Hannah, widow of Abel Clark, and went to Poult- ney, and is dead. Clarissa married Wm. Martin of Poultney, and now lives in Wyoming N. Y .; she was thrice married. Rozina married Loren Smith and removed to western New York. Julia married Horace Potter ; they also went west. Polly married Prince Goodspeed, and moved to Sardinia, N. Y., she has since died. Roswell married Rebecca Good-
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speed of Pawlet, and now resides in Hampton, N. Y., he has raised a family of three sons and one daughter : Hoel, Edmund, Thomas and Sylvia. His wife died in 1852, aged 52. Mr. Clark is a devoted member of the Methodist Church. Hoel married Jemima Smith of Pawlet, and raised one child, Mary Jane, who married Hiland Paul. Mr. Clark purchased the first piano introduced into town. Min- erva married Isiah Gray of Middletown; she afterwards married IIoratio Dana of Bennington, Vt. Mr. Clark by his second wife had three children : Thankful, Laura, and Prince ; she with the two youngest removed to Panama, Chatauque Co., N. Y.
Clark, Andrew, jr., his family consisted of eight children: Rufus, Ira, Sylvester, Henry, Andrew, Hermon, Judson and Mary, two are now living in town, viz : Henry, who married Eliza Thompson of Granville, N. Y., Sylvester mar- ried Cordelia, daughter of Joseph Parks ; he has one son who now resides in Granville, N. Y., and keeps a drug store, he married Fanny Martling of Whitehall, N. Y.
Cole, Anthony, resided in town several years, and lived on what is called the Cole lot, now owned by Russell Pember. He removed west in 1813. His son Enos married and left town in 1825, also a daughter named Rhoda, who went west and was married.
Crossman, William, moved into town in 1796, and lived on the place now owned by Michael Cullen. He commanded a company in the revolutionary war ; he married Eunice W. Lewis ; his children's names were Jacob L., Pamelia, Wm. jr., all born in town. He left town many years ago. Hc was one of that Spartan band who fought heroically for the independence we now enjoy.
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Church, Daniel, resided on the place now owned by James F. Cone, near the bridge named after said Church. But little is known of his family. As near as we can learn he had one daughter, who married a son of Stephen Clark ; he left town nearly sixty years ago.
Cook, Seth, from Granville, N. Y., came to town in 1857. He married Catharine Richardson, by whom he has reared a large family. Hannah married Frank Johnson ; Diantha married Edson Whitney, who enlisted in the union service in 1862, and died in service; she afterwards married Reuben Lampson, and now resides in Peru, Vt .; Mary married Otis Mason and resides in Williamstown, Mass .; Richard married Lorette A., daughter of Moody Roby, and resides in Man- chester ; Nathan R. married Isabella A., daughter of James F. Cone, and resides in town; Amy II. married Shubael Bar- den of Rupert ; Franklin married Florence, daughter of Robert Parks of Wells ; Roxie, Alzina, Merritt, and Louisa.
Clemens, Thomas, came into town in 1783, and settled in the eastern part of the town. IIis wife's name was Mehitabel Colburn, both from Worthington, Mass. The children's names were Michael, Joel, Colburn, Mehitabel and Betsy.
Clemons, Michael, married Eunice, daughter of Joshua Howe, and settled on the homestead of his father. He raised a large family ; Wesley, David married Lorilla Hill of Pawlet, and lives in Canton, N. Y. John married Pollie Downie of Pawlet, and lives in Illinois ; William A., Polly married Hira Law, son of John Law, and moved to Le Roy, N. Y .; Sarah married Titus Bowe, son of Amos Bowe and died in town in 1822, aged 34 ; Rhoda married Adolphus. son of Kiles Paul of Royalton, Vt .; Eunice married Kiles Paul jr., of the same place, and now resides in Illinois. Cynthia
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married Johnson Stevens of Enosburg, Vt., and is now living. Cordelia married John Lewis, and resides in Poultney.
Clemons, Wesley, son of the above married Lucretia Smith of Granville, N. Y., and resided on the homestead of his father. He was a useful and worthy citizen, holding the office of Justice for many years, also holding various town offices almost continually until his death, which occurred in 1849. A worthy member of the M. E. Church, he was a delegate of the Constitutional Convention in 1834. In driving some sheep a short distance from his house, he fell dead instantly ; on a surgical examination the aorta, or main artery leading from the heart, had become ossified, which with additional exercise caused his death. His age was 46; he left a family of eleven children. Henry who married Amanda Perry of Middletown, and removed to California some years since ; Stephen P. who now resides in Rutland ; Emery and Wesly. The girls were Eunice, who married Tolmon Howe; Marion who married Montgomery P. Frisbie, resides in Illinois. Sarah married Nathan Barlow, they also reside in Illinois. Lucy married Daniel Culver of Poultney ; Susan, Delia Ann, and Annis, the three last with Emery and Wesly removed with the widow to Marengo, Illinois.
Clemons, Joel, lived on the place now owned by Hiram Francis. He married Betsy Brewer of Dedham, Massachu- setts. Their family consisted of 9 children, two sons and seven daughters, viz : Asa, Thomas, Lydia, who married Nathaniel West, and died in 1823, age 27. Patience mar- ried James Sumner of Middlebury, Vt .; Lucy married Zal- mon IIall of this town ; Anna married Jabez D. Perry of
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Middletown ; Hannah married Washington Perry of Middle- town, and is dead; Bethiah married Daniel Pettis, who re- moved west. Orrilla married James Brewster, they went to Michigan where she died. Mr. Clemons died in 1831.
Clemons, Asa, married Mary Dimon of Argyle, N. Y. The children were, Win. D., who married Emerilla daughter of Philetus Brookins, and lives in Dorset; Alexander G. married Sally Brookins, sister to the above, she died in 1855, aged 27, leaving three children, Henry, Mary Jane, and Sally E .; he next married widow Eliza Merrill, by whom he had two children, Fred and Alice. Joel who lives on the homestead, Mary who married Andrew Perry and lives in Poultney ; Celia married Fred Nourse of Melrouse, Mass., and now resides there ; Louisa married a Mr. Cowen of Boston, she died in 1865. Mr. Clemons died in 1865, aged 76; his widow still survives.
Clemons, Thomas, married Angeline Starkweather, and lived on the place now owned by Franklin Haddaway. He had one son named Merritt. He moved to Chatauque Co., N. Y., in 1845.
Clemons, Thomas M. son of Kilborn Clemons, married Mary, daughter of Ormund Lamb, late of this town and reside in the eastern part of the town.
Clemons, William A., married Eunice McCreep of Green- wich, N. Y .; children's names were Martin V. B., who enlisted in the union service and died while in the army. Hugh went prior to the rebellion to reside with his sister in Georgia, but was conscripted into the rebel service, and there compelled to fight his union friends till the battle of Gettysburg, when he deserted and come to the union lines ; Martha married a Mr. Ives of Georgia, where she still resides ; Sally married
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Newton, son of Chauncy Howe ; and Jennet. Mr. Clemons moved to Luzerne, N. Y., in 1850, and now resides there.
Cox, James, from Pawlet, was twice married, his first wife was Electa Perkins of Pawlet, his second wife was Lovina, daughter of Whiting Grover of this town, by whom they have one daughter named Carrie. He was a member of the Legislature two years ; he removed to Poultney in the spring of 1868.
Cone, Enoch, from Poultney in 1829, married Miss Parly Lindsey of this town, by whom he had one daughter named Jane, who married Socrates H. Goodspeed of this town. His next wife was Ann Dowd of Poultney, she died in 1862, age 59. He next married widow Hagar of Middletown, she died in 1867. Mr. Cone now resides in town at the age of 73.
Cone, James F., from Poultney in 1852, married IIannah, D. daughter of Elijah Parks, and lived on the Lindsey farm so called. The children are James F. jr .. who married ยท Helen Ballard of Poultney; Judson F., Enoch E., and Edson E. The daughters names are Isabella A., Hannah D., and Laura E. Isabella married Nathan Cook and lives in town; Hannah D. married Albert HI. Lewis, also of this town. Laura E. died some years since from a disease of the heart.
Cook, Giles, came into town about the year of 1780; he settled about one fourth of a mile east of the village; his wife was a Miss Francis ; his children were Charles, Francis mar- ried Susan Roback, by whom he had a son named Lucius, and a daughter named Lury. Benjamin married Eunice, daughter of Ansel Goodspeed, and moved to Chatauque Co., N. Y. Elizabeth married Enoch Cone Sen., of Poultney. Susan married Charles Tripp and went west ; and Rebecca. Mr. Cook went west more than sixty years ago.
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Cobb, Willard Capt., from Pawlet 1821, and resided three years, the children were, Burr, Rice, Hartley and Marietta. He removed to Fort Ann, N. Y., in 1824.
Cone, Abner, was one of the earliest settlers in town, and lived on the place now occupied by James H. Parks, then an unbroken wilderness. He was compelled to pen his sheep every night to keep them from being devoured by the wolves. His children were Abner jr., who married Fathie Leffingwell of Middletown; Enoch married Elizabeth Cook, Noah, Lydia, Rachel, Polly, John and Joseph.
Cowdry, William, came into town in 1787, and settled in 1794 on the place we now occupy. The name of his wife was Rebecca Fuller, both from Conn. He remained in town till 1809, he then went to Middletown; his wife dying, he again married and lived several years in Poultney, from thence he went to Ontario Co., N. Y .. The children were, Warren who married Patience Simonds of Pawlet; he was a Physician and practised as such in Wells and Pawlet several years, and afterwards went west. Stephen, Erastus, Dyer, Lyman, Oliver, Sally and Olive. Both of the daughters went west, married, and joined the Mormons. Oliver the youngest son, was the scribe for Joe Smith, the founder of the book of Mormon. Smith being illiterate was incapacitated to write his wonderful revelations, employed this Oliver Cowdry to perform the duties of a scribe. We well remember this same Oliver Cowdry when in our boyhood, the person who has figured so largely in giving to the world the wonderful reve- lations that many dupes seek to follow. He attended school in the District where we reside in 1821 and 1822. IIe then went to Palmyra, N. Y. There with Joe Smith and others in translating mormonism. This book contains 588
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pages, and also the testimony of three witnesses, Oliver Cow- dry, David Whitmore and Martin Harris, that "They know that these books have been translated by the gift and the power of God, for His voice hath declared it unto us. Wherefore we know of a surety that the work is true." Cowdry went with the Mormons to Kirtland, Ohio, where . he published periodicals espousing their cause. Cowdry followed the deluded Mormons no further than Ohio. He adhered to their tenets, but turned his attention to the practise of the law, and went to Wisconsin.
Judge Frisbie, in his history of Middletown, writes at con- siderable length concerning the origin of Mormonism, that it took its rise in Middletown from a class of persons denomi- nated as "rodsmen," and that one Winchell or Wingate, a refugee from justice in the eastern part of Vermont, and sought his abode in back or secluded places, and that he spent one winter with this same William Cowdry, whose sketches we are now giving, and that Cowdry was connected with them. We have taken considerable pains, if the state- ments of the Judge could be verified. We find that Win- chell did reside with Mr. Cowdry in the winter of 1799 and 1800. Two men of this town by the name of Benjamin and Joseph Lillie were connected with this crew of imposters, for we can call them by no other name. There was a man named Mr. Harmon, who lived under Pond Mountain, who was so infatuated, that the money they were seeking was put there by two Spaniards, and that he often see them in the air. We received a letter a few days since from an old lady who was born in this town and whose veracity is beyond reproach, She is now in her seventy-ninth year. "Mr. Parks, sir, I have read your letter and will answer your
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request as far as I know them. As for Mr. Cowdry's people, I know but little about their history. The first of them, they were living on a place above where Capt. Parsons lived. They lived there all the while we lived in Vermont ; after we came away. his wife died of consumption, and he married again a woman living in Middletown, so he moved there, but I do not know as he ever lived in Poultney. I was born in the year '90, and it must have been when I was 10 or 11 years old, when the rodsmen were there; I was about 11 when we moved away from there, and Mr. Cowdry's oldest child, Warren, was but a little older than me, so I think Oliver-he was the youngest-was not in being at that time; if any one was engaged in it, it must have been the old gentleman ; I rather think it was, but won't be positive. This money was thought to be put there by the Spaniards ; old Mr. Harmon, who lived down under Pond Mountain, was extensively engaged in it; he could see the Spaniards at work in the day time, in the rocks ; they came in the air; I think Mr. Hubbard, that married Prudence Butts, was one ; not a word must be spoken while digging for money ; if they did the money would fly away. There was an old Mr. Fry, who lived down by Mr. Howe's; he was digging one day alone ; he came on to one box and he got it out, but it was so heavy he could not lift it, so he went for some one to help, and when they returned the box was gone ; he supposed the Spaniards got it ; they could often strike their spades through on to the boxes, but before they could be excavated they would move away ; it was like going to the bottom of a rain- bow for a treasure. One Sunday they came into our house ; I saw their rods, all made of witch hazel so they would turn in their hands and point where the money lay ; then they
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went and looked Train (Pine) Hill rocks all over, in every crevice ; they scrutinized it well but found no money ; but it took years for it to die out; there were men from Middle- town engaged in it; they had quite a number of rodsmen engaged in the business. NANCY F. GLASS."
Where the old lady, speaking of Mr. Harmon, the same was corroborated by Joseph Parks, as to Mr. Cowdry being connected with the rodsmen, as stated by Judge Frisbie, we had it verified by Joseph Parks and Mrs. Charles Garner of Middletown ; that part of the letter speaking of Mr. Fry, we have heard the same told by the widow of John Francis, who was, at the time, Mr. Fry's nearest neighbor.
A young woman by the name of Ann Bishop suddenly disappeared ; she lived at that time on Rust Hill ; she was last seen near the State line ; the rodsmen gave out word that she was murdered and was put in the pond, and by their rods they found where she was deposited, and a day was appointed to drag her mortal remains from the watery deep ; the day came, the rodsmen assembled in full convention, and the place thoroughly hauled, but the body could not be obtained ; they gave up in despair and left for their homes. In a short time Ann Bishop returned. The greater portion of the rodsmen were from Middletown, with one Woods as a leader. It would interest any one to read the history of Middletown ; we think the ideas of the Judge would be coin- cided by every impartial reader.
Cross, Josiah, moved into town near the close of the last century ; his wife's name was Betsy Miles ; he settled on the north part of the farm now owned by Calvin Farrer ; his family consisted of the following names : Reuben, who went to Hague, N. Y. ; John married Polly, daughter of Bethuel
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Barden ; Jackson, who married Emily, daughter of Aaron Mosher, Esq. ; Orrin, Polly, Betsy, and Hannah who mar- ried Calvin Merrills ; the whole family moved to Roxbury, Vt., in 1833.
Cross, Samuel, brother of Josiah, came into town at the same time; his children were Daniel, Samuel, and Judith ; he removed to Remson, N. Y., over fifty years since.
Culver, Daniel, came and settled in town in 1771. Among the carly records we find there were Titus and Caleb, who were original land proprietors of the town, but whether they ever moved for a permanent settlement we are uninformed ; Joshua and Samuel came and resided here; there was a daughter named Catherine who married Ebenezer Welton in 1775, the first marriage in town on record. Mr. Daniel Culver was the first representative elected to the General Assembly from this town.
Culver, Samuel, son of the above, settled on the place now owned by Henry McFadden, then an unbroken wilder- ness; by perseverence and industry he acquired a good property. His family consisted of five children : Roger, Samuel, Sarah who married Alvin Lumbard, Amanda mar- ried David B. Lewis. Mr. Culver dealt largely in wild land by buying the rights from the original proprietors ; he planted the first nursery in that part of the town and reared an abundance of fruit, for which he realized a large profit. In his politics he was a democrat, a firm supporter of Jefferson and Madison. A Universalist in his religious belief. He held many responsible town offices, and was many years Proprietor's clerk. He died in 1831, aged 83; his wife in 1841.
Culver, Joshua, came in town at the same time with his
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brother Samuel, and settled on the place now owned by James Norton. We can obtain no further information of the history of his family ; there is no monument or record by which we can gain any information.
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