USA > Vermont > Windsor County > History of Windsor County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 52
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The first town meeting was held at the house of Stephen Read, March 31, 1792, and the town was fully organized, the following being chosen to fill the different offices: Jesse Fletcher, Jonas Hadley and Elihu Ives were elected selectmen ; Jesse Fletcher, town clerk ; Josiah Fletcher, town treasurer ; Simeon Read, constable ; Isaac Powers, David Lewis, and Jonas Holden, listers ; Joseph Green, leather sealer ; Thomas Bixby, pound-keeper ; John Hadley, grand juryman; William Caldwell, tith-
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TOWN OF LUDLOW.
ingman ; Orlando Whitney and Levi Bixby, haywards; David Bixby, fence viewer ; William Caldwell, Silas Proctor, Levi Bixby, Nathaniel Pingrey, and Simeon Read, surveyors of highways.
Members of the Constitutional Conventions .- Asahel Smith, 1814-22, 1828-36; Sewall Fullam, 1843 ; Alexander Barton, 1850.
Senators .- Benjamin Billings, 1844-45 ; Daniel A. Heald, 1854 ; F. C. Robbins, 1860-61 ; William H. Walker, 1867-68 ; Ervin J. Whitcomb, 1876; Elwin A. Howe, 1884.
Representatives from Ludlow .- Peter Read, 1795; Josiah Fletcher, 1796-97, 1800-01 ; Jesse Fletcher, 1798-99; David Lewis, 1802-03 ; Austin Fenn, 1804-05 ; Asahel Smith, 1806-12, 1817-23, 1825-27 ; Airock Smith, 1813-14, 1832 ; Elihu Ives, 1815-16; Jesse Bailey, 1818-19; Zachariah Spaulding, 1820-21; Moses Haven, 1824 ; Jonas Dunn, 1828-29; Asa Fletcher, 1830-31; Reuben Washburn, 1833 ; Sewall Fullam, jr., 1834-41 ; Benjamin Billings, 1842-43 ; Surry Ross, 1844-45; William K. Manning, 1847; Darius L. Green, 1848-49 ; Dan - iel A. Heald, 1850; Asa A. Barton, 1853-54; Nathaniel Cudworth, 1855-56; Roswell Smith, 1857 ; Moses Pollard, 1859-60; Rev. Will- iam S. Balch, 1861-62; Hiram W. Albee, 1863-64 ; William H. Wal- ker, 1865-66, 1884; Joseph Pelton, 1867; Rufus N. Hemenway, 1868- 69; Ervin J. Whitcomb, 1870-72 ; Elon G. Pettigrew, 1874; William A. Patrick, 1876; Elwin A. Howe, 1878-80; Marcus A. Spaulding, 1882 ; Lowell G. Hammond, 1886; Albert H. Lockwood, 1888.
List of Selectmen of Ludlow .- Jesse Fletcher, 1792-1801, 1803-08 ; Jonas Hadley, 1792 ; Elihu Ives, 1792-95, 1799-1801, 1816; Peter Read, 1793, 1795, 1799; Benjamin Patch, 1793 ; Elisha Denison, 1794, 1796; Abraham Preston, 1796; David Lewis, 1797-98; Abel Haile, 1797-98, 1806-07, 1810-13 ; Austin Fenn, 1800-01, 1804-07, 1809- 13; John Sergeant, 1802-03"; Nathaniel Dyer, 1802; Thomas Bixby, 1802-03; Airock Smith, 1804-05, 1834; James Bates, 1804; John Warren, 1805 ; Asahel Smith, 1806-19, 1821-24, 1832-36; Jared Goodell, 1808 ; Zachariah Spaulding, 1808, 1814-15, 1821-22 ; Thomas Evans, 1809; Jesse Bailey, 1814-15, 1820; Moses Haven, 1816-17, 1829-30; Thomas Keyes, 1817-19, 1827 ; Zebulon Spaulding, 1818- 19, 1821-22 ; Jonas Dunn, 1820, 1826-27 ; Levi Adams, 1820; Henry Adams, 1823-24 ; Artemas Spafford, 1823-26, 1841-32, 1834-40,
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
1842-44; Janna Wilcox, 1825-26; Simeon Burbank, 1825; Stephen Cummings, 1827-28; Joshua Warner, 1828-29; Isaac Ives, 1828-29; Asa Fletcher, 1830-33, 1835-36; Joseph Davidson, 1830-31 ; Charles Ives, 1833, 1837-40 ; Samuel Ross, 1837, 1856-57 ; Asa A. Barton, 1838-41, 1848 ; Merrick Spafford, 1841-47, 1850-56; Benjamin Bill - ings, 1841-43; Asa Fenn, 1844-55 ; Martin Perry, 1845-50; Freder- ick Dunbar, 1846-47, 1851-53 ; I. B. How, 1846; Jazer Smith, 1847- 49 ; S. L. Armington, 1848-49, 1857; Alexander Barton, 1848 ; L. Parker, jr., 1849; Asahel Miller, 1850; Joel Warner, 1851-52, 1855; Cyrus Baker, 1851-52 ; Elijah Scott, 1853-55, 1865-66; B. P. Spauld- ing, 1853-56; Enos Mayo, 1854 ; Alvin Lamb, 1857-60; Calvin Riggs, 1858-59, 1861-63 ; Stephen E. Wood, 1858 ; Moses Pollard, 1859-60, 1863-64; Asa S. Barton, 1860-63; Artemas Spaulding, 1861-62; Gardner L. Howe, 1862; Hiram W. Albee, 1864; Leonard Wilcox, 1864-65, 1871; Stedman Spaulding, 1865 ; Benjamin P. Spaulding, 1866-67, 1874-76; Joseph M. Pratt, 1866; Rufus N. Hemingway, 1867-70; Lowell G. Hammond, 1867-70; Solon I. Atherton, 1868- 73 ; Willard Johnson, 1874-82 ; George E. Walker, 1872-73 ; Anson J. Sawyer, 1872-73 ; Thomas French, 1874-76; Elisha W. Johnson, 1877-83, 1885-87; George W. Billings, 1878-80 ; Marcus A. Spauld- ing, 1881-82, 1887; Milton H. Edson, 1883; Darwin R. Sargent, 1883-89; Leighton G. Fullam, 1884-86; William P. Spafford, 1884; Wesley Barton, 1888 ; Elias H. Pinney, 1888; Charles H. Ray, 1889; Hiram L. Warner, 1889.
Town Treasurers .- At the organization of the town Joshua Fletcher was elected its treasurer. He filled the position two years, when he was succeeded in 1794 by Peter Read. In the following year Joshua Fletcher was elected and continued in the office till 1799, when Seth Lee was chosen ; he remained in office four years. The next treasurer was Air- ock Smith, who served until 1833, excepting the years 1804 and 1805, when Elihu Ives was in the office, and 1820, when Asa Fletcher filled the position. The next treasurer was Pliny Parker, elected in 1833, which office he held until 1844, when he was succeeded for one year by Martin Perry. In 1845 Artemas Spafford was chosen and held the office until 1848, when Jazer Smith succeeded, holding the office for two years. Daniel Perry was treasurer in 1850, Jazer Smith in 1851, and
Sewall Fallani
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TOWN OF LUDLOW.
Elijah Scott in 1852. Jazer Smith was again elected in 1853, and served until 1858, when Ebenezer Clement was chosen and held the office two years. The next treasurer was Hiram W. Albee, elected in 1860, and served until his death in 1877, when he was succeeded by Albert H. Lockwood the following year, who held the office until 1884, when the present incumbent, J. A. Dennett, was elected.
Town Clerks .- The first town clerk was Jesse Fletcher, who was elected in 1792. In the following year Nathan Denison was elected and held the office until 1795, when Jesse Fletcher was again elected and filled the office until 1809. In that year Asahel Smith succeeded to the office and held it until 1820, when Jesse Bailey was elected for one year. In 1821 Asahel Smith was elected and served until 1825. The next town clerk was Artemas Spafford, who filled the position till 1827, when he was succeeded by Stephen Cummings, he holding the office till 1829. Moses Haven was then chosen and served two years. In 1831 Artemas Spaf- ford was again elected and held the office continuously until 1860, when he was succeeded by his son, William P. Spafford, who served until 1884, when he resigned. Miss Sarah W. Spafford was then elected. In the following year Henry M. Taylor was chosen, but died in the office, and Miss Sarah W. Spafford was appointed to fill the position ad interim. In 1866 William P. Spafford was again placed in the office and continued to the present time.
Roads .- The first road in Ludlow was laid out and surveyed Septem- ber 6, 1784, by Solomon Dutton and built from Cavendish to Ludlow. Bridle-paths were cut from this road to the north and south hills and later in other directions. This was the only road till the organization of the town, when it was continued through Shrewsbury and further west ; it subsequently became known as the Green Mountain Turnpike and the original owners were the Fletcher brothers, of Ludlow, Salmon Dutton, Christopher Webber, of Cavendish, the latter being the business mana- ger. This turnpike had three toll-gates between Duttonsville and Cut- tingsville, and in later years was a source of great profit. The Ludlow gate was located well up to the eastern entrance of the valley and for many years Stephen Wright was gate-keeper. The paying of toll be- came unpopular, and " shunpikes" having been built, Dr. Alexander Campbell, who had purchased the property, surrendered the turnpike to the towns through which it passed, without consideration,
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
After the organization of the town a commendable spirit of energy manifested itself in building roads, and most all of the present highways were a few years later projected and surveyed.
Railroad .- Ludlow is traversed by the Rutland and Burlington Rail- road, which enters the town on its eastern boundary line from Cav- endish and follows up the valley of the Black River until it reaches the village, which is the only station in the town. After leaving the village the railroad takes a northerly course until it reaches the pass in the Green Mountains two hundred feet above the bed of the west branch of Black River, the maximum grade of which is one and a half per cent., or sev- enty-six feet to the mile. The route of the railroad near the village of Ludlow lies on the top of an elevation of land called the " Hogback," which is about seventy-five feet in height, forty rods in length from east to west, and originally had only thickness enough north and south to ad- mit of a narrow pathway. It is surrounded by alluvial flats. The con- struction of the railroad destroyed the ancient form of this singular ele- vation, the formation of which is traced to no reliable source.
Hotels .- The first tavern-keeper in Ludlow was Captain Joseph Green, who came to the town in 1788 and erected a log house in the western part, which is now a part of Mount Holly. Upon a rough board with red chalk he made the following sign : "Cake and beer for sale here, Joseph Green." He became a popular landlord and in a few years built a large frame house and barns, with stable room for over one hundred horses.
The present hotel, the Ludlow House, has been kept as a public house for over fifty years, the property at the present time being owned by H. L. Warner.
Ludlow in the War of the Union .- At the first call for troops made by President Lincoln to maintain the Union, the patriotic sons of Lud- low responded, and at a town meeting held June 30, 1861, two thousand dollars were appropriated to purchase outfits for the volunteers and furnish each one with ten dollars cash ; also to provide for their families during their absence. A bounty of one hundred dollars was offered in the fall of 1862 for nine months' men, and when the call for three hundred thousand was made in 1863, at a town meeting held December 19, of that year, the selectmen were authorized to offer a bounty of five hundred
1
535
TOWN OF LUDLOW.
dollars to fill the quota allotted to the town. The sentiments of the good citizens of Ludlow seemed soon after this to undergo a change, for at a town meeting held January 30, 1864, the following resolutions were passed :
"Resolved, That in our opinion it is the duty of a loyal people cheer- fully and promptly to respond to any and every call of the President, by furnishing men and means in equal proportion as allotted to each State and town, to put down rebellion and maintain the integrity of the nation.
"Resolved, So far as we have the means of knowing, this town has filled her quota as called for by the general government, and that in the pres- ent aspect of public affairs there is no necessity for sending forward vol- unteers not called for.
"Resolved, That we are unwilling to vote men money to sustain the pride or promote the interest of ambitious men who appeal to personal or local patriotism to sustain their selfish schemes."
But it was only a few months after this, in May, that at a town meet, ing the selectmen were authorized to fill the quota of the town so as to avoid a draft, giving them full power to pay any bounty for volunteers that they should see fit.
We append a record of those patriots who responded to the different calls for troops made by the President, and who, by their heroic valor on the field of battle, aided in securing the liberty and peace the country now enjoys.
Three Months' Volunteers .- First Regiment, Company B, Hiram P. Bixby, Henry C. Cleveland, George Levey, John B. Pollard. Company E, Benoni B. Fullam, Joseph Barber, William H. H. Buckley, Enos M. Gould, Henry E. Lawrence, Orvis Pier, Frank D. Sargent.
Nine Months' Volunteers .- Sixteenth Regiment, Company C, Fred- erick G. Barnard, Marquis J. Bixby, Martin B. V. Clark, Hazen Fletcher, Charles Horwill, James M. Hastings, jr., Daniel Johnson, Zenas C. Lamb, Orlando S. Osborn, Benjamin F. Pettigrew, Surry M. Ross, Darwin R. Sargent, Milo Smith, John Snell, Michael Sullivan, Lysander Whitney, John E. Willey.
One Year Volunteers .- Fifteenth Regiment, Company A, Leonard R. Warren. Second Battery, Hazen F. Fletcher, James Frazier, James M. Hastings, jr., John Hayes, Charles H. Horwill, Patrick C. Kennedy,
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
Francis A. Moore, Asahel J. Root, Byron Smith, Milo Smith, John Snell. Seventh Regiment, Company C, Albertus J. Archer. Ninth Regiment, Frederick G. Barnard, Samuel Bell, John Whittington. Third Battery, Frederick H. Barlow. Cavalry, Edgar May, Peter Mc- Marton, Thomas Riley.
Volunteers who enlisted for one year in 1865 .- Albert N. Archer, Timothy Dailey, jr., Edward H. Green, Jonathan H. Read, Lyman R. Sawtell, Alexander Snow, Moses Snow, Samuel R. Taylor, John P. Woodis.
Men who were drafted that entered service .- Albert Chapman, Alvin Chapman, James H. Porter, Martin Wyman.
Three Years' Volunteers .- Daniel O. Adams, re-enlisted ; John W. Adams, Wayland Adams, Edward E. Balch, James F. Baldwin, John Barrett, transferred to Invalid Corps; William J. Barrett, Darman Bar- ton, re-enlisted, killed at Cold Harbor ; Rufus F. Barton, died of wounds received in action ; Leonard P. Bingham, first lieutenant, killed in action at Petersburg, Va .; Charles W. Bishop, re-enlisted ; Hiram P. Bixby, John M. Buckley, second lieutenant, wounded and resigned ; George B. Burbank, William A. Chapin, jr., Jasper N. Clark, discharged ; Henry C. Cleveland, re-enlisted; William A. Clement, Henry M. Colby, dis- charged ; Daniel F. Cooledge, discharged; John T. Cooledge, discharged; Thomas R. Cummings, died in the service; Leander D. Davis, died in the service ; Lorenzo A. Dodge, re-enlisted ; Charles W. Dow, trans- ferred to Invalid Corps; Ervin M. Dunbar, Jesse B. Dunbar, Henry F. Dutton, discharged as lieutenant-colonel for wounds received in action at Winchester, Va .; Addison F. Eaton, wounded ; Sewall F. Ellison, discharged ; Patrick Finnegan, Benoni B. Fullam, first lieutenant, re- signed ; Volney S. Fullam, lieutenant-colonel, resigned ; Freeman H. Fuller, re-enlisted ; Albert Gassetts, died in the service ; Oscar Gassetts, wounded ; Michael Gilligan, re-enlisted ; James T. Gorham, captain ; Elbert M. Gould, discharged; Enos M. Gould, re- enlisted ; Hiram Greeley, re-enlisted; Josiah M. Green, died in the service ; Martin E. Grover, died in the service ; Artemus W. Hall, deserted ; Joseph L. Hastings, killed at Fredericksburg, Va .; Lowell W. Haven, re-enlisted ; Prescott R. Haven, discharged ; Daniel D. Hemenway, Henry G. Hem- enway, discharged; Abner C. Hesselton, discharged ; Moses P. Hessel-
Hirum L Warner
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TOWN OF LUDLOW.
ton, Oramel G. Howe, second lieutenant; Daniel Keating, Francis Kelly, deserted ; Patrick C. Kennedy, discharged ; Henry E. Lawrence, discharged ; Arthur Little, chaplain ; Henry H. Manidigo, died in the service ; Albert A. May, second lieutenant, re-enlisted ; Alonzo E. Moore, killed at Fredericksburg, Va .; Armin E. Moore, discharged ; Charles W. Moore, died in the service ; Sylvester H. Parker, Simeon L. Parkhurst, re-enlisted; Salmon E. Perham, Orris Pier, re-enlisted ; Henry M. Pollard, major; John B. Pollard, Augustus H. Pratt, trans- ferred to Invalid Corps; Charles A. Read, first lieutenant, resigned ; Joseph U. Reed, discharged ; Sullivan E. Reed, transferred to Invalid Corps ; Henry A. Riggs, Augustus L. Roberts, transferred to Veteran Reserve Corps ; Levi Rock, discharged; Duane O. Ross, transferred to Invalid Corps ; Olvic T. Ross, Francis B. Sargent, transferred to Veteran Reserve Corps; Henry H. Sargent, Alphonzo Sawyer, George M. Saw- yer, discharged; Erastus M. Simonds, died in the service ; Hiland Snell, transferred to Invalid Corps; Fred B. Stickney, died in the service ; Sylvester C. Strong, discharged ; Isaac N. Wadleigh, second lieutenant, resigned ; Freeman Wakefield, missing in action ; Asahel S. Whitcomb, Elmore R. Whitney, killed in action ; Charles H. Wyman, wounded ; Marlow Bingham, William H. H. Chapman, Lucius Ingalls, died of wounds ; Samuel Langdon, wounded; Horatio S. Lockwood, James Pollard, wounded; Charles Snow, George T. Spafford, died in the service ; Edwin H. Wheeler, Norman Archer, re-enlisted.
Those volunteers in this list with no remarks following their names. were mustered out of the service at the expiration of their terms of en - listment.
Post- Office .- There is but one post-office in the town of Ludlow, which is located at the village. The first postmaster of whom we have any record was in the office in 1830, when Benjamin Billings held the position. About 1832 John Howe was made postmaster, and he was succeeded in 1835 by Richard F. Fletcher, who, after holding the office a few years, was succeeded by John Dunbar. The next postmaster, John R. Smith, was appointed in 1844, and, owing to change of the ad- ministration, was succeeded in 1846 by Charles S. Mason, who remained until 1851, when Reuben H. Washburn was appointed. In 1853 Charles S. Mason was re -appointed, and on the election of President Lin-
68
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
coln he was removed in 1862 and John R. Spafford secured the posi- tion, which he continued to hold till April 15, 1884. The next post- master was Albert H. Lockwood, who resigned in 1886, and the present incumbent, Ira Goddard, was appointed.
Grahamville .- This name is given to a small collection of dwellings located on the west bank of the Black River, about two miles north of Ludlow village. In 1849 Asahel Miller and William Graham formed a copartnership under the style of Miller & Graham, and built a one-set woolen-mill at this point. They continued business until 1855, when they were obliged to stop on account of financial difficulties. The mill was subsequently run by Joshua Ward, and also by John Bentley, and during the occupancy of the latter it was destroyed by fire. On the site of the mill there is at present a saw-mill run by Edwin W. Royce.
William Graham, from whom this hamlet was named, was born in Rutland, Worcester county, Mass., August 30, 1800, and was the eldest son of William and Sally (Davis) Graham. At the age of sixteen he ap- prenticed himself to the clothing business. After learning this trade he worked in Templeton and Royalston, Mass., and afterwards learned the trade of spinning. In 1823 he came to Windsor county, locating at Springfield, Vt., in the employ of James Lovell. From this time till 1827 he worked at his trade in Leominster, N. H., Templeton and Roy- alston, Mass. In 1827 he became a partner of Samuel Dadmon, at Templeton, to whom he had been first apprenticed, and during the year 1836 tlley, with other parties, built a six-set mill, three stories high and one hundred and twenty-five feet in length. They continued busi- ness until 1842, when, owing to financial difficulties, the firm was dis- solved and Mr. Graham came to Ludlow to work for George Coffin. He was also employed at Cavendish, Vt., Harrisville, and Antrim, N. H., till 1849, when he became a member of the firm mentioned above. Upon the dissolution of the firm of Miller & Graham the latter built on Jewell Brook a wool-carding factory, which was destroyed by fire De- cember 31, 1880, and was rebuilt in the following spring, the business being now conducted by himself and his son Harlan.
Mr. Graham married for his first wife Mary Church, and their three children were William, who died in Ludlow, a bachelor, at thirty-four years of age ; Lydia Ann, widow of Harvey Evans, resides in Acworth,
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TOWN OF LUDLOW.
N. H .; Mary Frances, widow of Stillman Segar, lives at Peabody, Mass. His second wife was Nancy Miller, and their children are George M., who married Nettie Tallmadge, and has one child, Nellie Edna ; he is a resident of Ludlow ; Walter Scott, who resides at Palmer, Mass .; and Harlan, a resident of Ludlow.
Ludlow Village is located in the central part of the town, on Black River, and has about 1,500 inhabitants. It has five churches, one acad- emy, one graded and two district schools, and the usual complement of mercantile houses, mechanic, millinery, and blacksmith shops.
Three-quarters of the freeholder inhabitants in the center of the town of Ludlow petitioned the selectmen to establish boundaries for the formation of a fire society, under an act of the Legislature entitled, "An Act authorizing and directing the mode of forming fire companies in this State." In accordance with this action a meeting of the freeholders was held December 21, 1832, and adjournment taken to January 4, 1833. At the latter meeting Asa Fletcher was chosen moderator, and Edward Manning, clerk. The following were elected fire wardens : Sewall Ful- lam, jr., Abram Adams, John Howe, James Withington, Asa Fletcher, Augustus Haven, and Asa Fenn. The organization was completed at a meeting held February 18, 1833, by the adoption of a code of by-laws, under the title of the " Ludlow Village Corporation Fire Society." By these by-laws a board of seven fire wardens was constituted, and fifteen able-bodied men were to be enlisted to form a fire company. Each freeholder was obliged to supply himself with two fire buckets.
At this time the only fire machine in the town was one of the old fashion, which was built at Proctorsville, and was called the "Quill - driver."
At a meeting held in 1834 the society voted to build an engine-house, which was located about where the present one now stands ; it was to be ten by twelve feet, and seven feet high, and Benjamin Sargent, jr., agreed to build the same for thirty-one dollars. Besides he was to have allow- ance of ten dollars for the lumber. During the year 1837 the first hook and ladder company was organized with eight privates, and the first officers were Jacob Patrick, captain; Eben Spear, lieutenant; Elijah Gove, ensign. After considering the advisability of purchasing a new engine for about two years, the society bought, in 1846, the engine
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
known as Alert, No. I. The original engine-house was used till 1854, when a lot was purchased of Reuben Washburn for fifty dollars, and a new house completed at an expense of $163. The society appropri- ated $250 in 1856, $150 of which was to be used in repairing the en- gines and purchasing hose, the balance in building reservoirs ; also, the town of Ludlow purchased 100 feet of hose for the fire society in 1862. The number of fire wardens was reduced to three in 1859. The engine- house was removed to the lot east of the Hammond block in 1861, and in 1864 was placed on the back side of the same lot. The last meeting of the fire society was held January 30, 1866, and the following were the last persons to hold the position of fire wardens, viz .: L. N. Wad- leigh, J. R. Spafford and H. Woodward.
Under the act of the General Assembly, passed November 17, 1866, the present village of Ludlow was incorporated, and all the properties of the fire society were turned over to the proper village authorities.
The present engine-house was built in 1875, at an expense of $2,000. By action taken in 1880 forty men were enlisted by the village to form a fire company, they to receive two dollars a year compensation. This was increased in 1882 to three dollars. Previous to this the services had been voluntary, though for some years the members of the company had been exempted from poll tax.
It having been decided at a public meeting that it was for the best interests of all that a steam fire-engine should be purchased, John P. Warner, William W. Stickney and Benoni B. Fullam were appointed a committee to negotiate for one. They purchased, in December, 1882, the Rescue, No. I, which is a five-inch rotary machine, from the Silsby Manufacturing Company of Seneca Falls, N. Y. A new fire company was organized January 29, 1883, for two years.
Besides the fire-engines mentioned above, the village has two hose carriages, one of which is operated by the Benjamin Whelden Hose Company, fifteen hundred feet of hose, a company of thirty-five men who receive five dollars a year compensation. The officers of the fire company are: Captain, Oscar Gassett ; first lieutenant, Lester C. Howe ; second lieutenant, Freeman H. Fuller ; engineer, Nathan Boynton.
The village officers for 1890 were : clerk, Frank A. Walker ; trustees, Oscar Gassett, William D. Ball, John Lombard; treasurer, Charles H.
James &. Sell
541
TOWN OF LUDLOW.
Howard ; collector, Lester E. Howe; fire wardens, B. B. Fullam, F. H. Fish, D. A. Rock ; auditor, L. G. Hammond.
The Early Manufactures .- The proprietors of Ludlow having offered a grant of fifty acres of land to anybody erecting a saw-mill in the limits of the town, Ebenezer Gilbert, about 1790, built a mill between the two mountains on the west branch of the Black River. This at this time was the center of the population of Ludlow, and was on the " Crown Point " road. The first man to dam the water of the Black River was Hezekiah Haven, who built a saw-mill just north of the pres- ent woolen-mills, but this was abandoned on account of there not being sufficient fall of water. On the north side of the river near the woolen- mill was built the first carding and fulling-mill by Captain Joseph Pat- terson, and among its last owners were Parker & Billings. Connected with this was also a saw-mill, which was run by a man named Stimson, and later by Loton Gassett.
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